I’ve seen other websites review systems for differing works, but never quite agreed with how they categorized the given material, nor with how they tore into the author or sang their praises.

I prefer to think of myself as decidedly neutral, not quite apathy with a twist of disinterest. I believe with that in mind, and my great hatred of Paolini put behind me, I can provide interesting reviews that get to the heart of whatever the material presented.

This review plan will have two different systems.

1. It will set a value on a book based upon specific categories stated in this post.
2. It will give a holistic view of the book as a whole, allowing for “general feelings” that go further than a simple numeric or star rating.

One set of categories will apply to a given work of Sci-Fi/Fantasy, while another will be given to books that help in the art of writing/publishing/marketing and such.

Each will be graded numerically out of 100 based upon each five categories (20 points each), with a holistic overview based upon that something extra.

Scifi/Fantasy Review system:

1. Is the novel (or series) creative–Do they really stretch the boundaries? does it have flavor? I call this the creative flavor rating.
2. What’s the plot like? Is it leaky like a ship? Does it ram the proverbial iceberg? How’s the cliché? This is the plot breakdown.
3. Is the dialogue witty? how about realistic? Do I care about the characters? It is difficult to give a value to dialogue aside from the holistic, thus any points for this “dialogic” rating will need a reason for why that review is given.
4. Reflection Perfection. Does the novel provide insight? Or is it just a jump into a world you can (hopefully) barely imagine. Does it bring value to the reader?
5. Holistic value: Purely emotional. How did I feel while reading said novel (or series)? Did I want to keep turning the page, or did I push through it to increase my mental library? What was the something extra?

For the authorial art and business reviews, the system will be broken into a simpler paradigm with a holistic value applied with justification at the end.

The following questions will pop into my mind as I write a review:

1. Did this book provide insight into the business and creativity of writing?
2. Did this book teach me something invaluable, or expand upon what I knew with greater clarity, and if so, what in particular did it teach/expand?
3. Would I suggest this to another up-and-coming author?
4. At what level is this book, as in, can a non-English degreed person read it with aplomb?
5. What writing style is the book? Is it personal, or professional? Do I feel like a professor is reading off a powerpoint, or am I sitting across from the author in front of a fireplace?

I hope to write a review every few weeks, but it seems my previous posts from 10 months ago show how often I really post here. In my defense, I just finished earning my bachelors degree and completed two sets of state tests in order to become an English teacher in Texas. It wasn’t quite as difficult as I thought it may be, but it did give me quite a bit of brain-drain and thus I wasn’t posting as often as I should’ve.

Thank you to anyone who have read this far, I hope to start pushing more content over the next weeks.

Categories: Reviews and Interviews

Tagged as: fantasy jdmullenary review review system scifi writing advice

abnormalvaverage

I'm a high school English teacher in Texas. I also hold degrees in radiography and radio and television broadcasting. Though I obtained certain knowledge and skills from my prior degrees, I do not currently use them.