By: A.B. Timothy

Let me preface this by saying, read what you want, review how you want, and talk about your books and reviews however you want. What follows goes for me and people who value my opinion on things.

Is it really 5-stars?

Oftentimes, readers, and consumers generally, will give the content they just consumed a grossly positive rating. This can be the high of a meal at a new food place in town, the satisfaction of finishing that book you’ve been reading for the last two weeks, or the excitement of a movie. But we need to slow down as consumers and really consider the piece we just finished, compare it to other pieces we’ve consumed in the past, contrast this feeling and story against stories and feelings we’ve been given before, and final decide where this new experience ranks among the pantheon of the past.

Processing

When I finished reading “Fortis: The Return of the Vulture King” by C.K. Kesterson I immediately wrote the plot summary portion of my review. This helped me process what I had just read and understand what I was feeling now that I had finished it. I was able to really consider my experience and my time reading it.

Comparing

After the summary was written, then I mentally compared it to other children’s literature I had read in the past such as “Percy Jackson” or “The Chronicles of Narnia” or “The Hobbit.” These comparisons helped contextualize the story found in Kesterson’s work. That made me realize, while it wasn’t on the same level as “The Hobbit” it was in the realm of “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Percy Jackson” which made it an easy 5-star for me. I am reading another indie book right now, called “Quest System Earth: Initiated” which is gearing up to be a 3-star book. The story is amazing but the editing and formatting are so far subpar.

Contrasting

You have to look at the material and see it in conversation with the other works you’ve read. How do the characters in this book hold up to the characters in Wheel of Time? How does the romance compare to the romance between Annabeth and Percy in “Percy Jackson”? In the light of these great works we can see the detail in these new works. Without contrast we have a hard time seeing the issues where they lay.

Finally, review

Be honest. As you review something, the worst thing you can do is sugarcoat your criticisms and hide them behind flowery language. To improve, artists must face the reality of their flaws, otherwise they will never grow. If someone did not tell me, “Your scenes are blank. I can’t imagine anything.” I would never have grown to the point of most readers saying, “Wow, your imagery is so vivid and colorful.” Critique and well-mannered but negative reviews are what push is to greater heights.

If you’re interested in seeing what all the fuss is about and want to see how my scenes now come alive off the page, go pre-order my book on Amazon.