Radical Book Reviews...
So, everyone knows that I attend University.
I had a project to do for my Journalism & Media class, so I
decided to use GoodReads as my formative projective. I started a thread called “Are Manners a
thing of the Past,” or something like that lol, (because they deleted the
thread) to begin my project. It was basically about reviewers and how on sites
like Good Reads, they pretty much spew the most vile things about authors,
books or what have you, then state, “It’s my Opinion,” “I paid for this,” or I
have the “Right To,” because I am an
American citizen.
Then states things like, “If an author can’t take it, they need to
get out of the business,” for their harsh comments of the author and book. I
felt like, just because you buy a book, doesn’t give you a pass to trash the
author. You may review the book, but that doesn't give you leeway to talk shit
about the author themselves, especially since they haven’t said or done
anything to you the reader, (An no, I am not an author).
I think many reviewers on sites like this, aren’t intelligent
enough to separate the work of fiction from the author themselves, therefore,
they shouldn’t be allowed to write a review in the first place. I also feel
like, if you were at a book signing and face to face with the author, people
would never say the things they do in online reviews; for fear that, the author
would bodily harm them.
So, why should it be allowed on the internet?
My point in this thread was to highlight the fact that many
authors on this site are not only bullied, but trashed, the things they say are
taken out of context, and if at any time they try to defend themselves, they
are in turn crucified because of it.
My question that I put to them is this, “Is this Right?”
Where do we draw the line between reviewing, and just plain being
mean, spiteful, and hate filled?
I got some pretty good responses, and the majority of the people
on the site were very forthcoming, and were just as offended by many of the
reviews that are written daily as I was.
I was also trying to highlight, the fact that just because you buy
a book, doesn’t mean that you get or have the right to say, (concerning
Stephanie Myers) the author “Should Die,” for writing crap like this, or,
“Someone Please stab her in the throat,” so she won’t write shite like this
again. In the real world, these would be seen as terrorist threats, and charges
could actually be filed against you. Therefore, why should it be any different
on line?
The fact that people have anonymity on-line, makes them believe
this gives them a license to spew the most hate filled, racist things that come
to mind; because no one will know it’s them.
Point in case:
Layla; (aka Lel on GoodReads), decided to review a review. The
whole point to the GoodReads site is to review books and such. Well, I have
never read in their bylines, that a review could not be challenged, or that we
have to agree with every review that is written.
So, Lel decided to review a reviewer who reviewed one of our friend’s
mother’s book.
( confused yet lol)
Layla has a friend named Amber, who was dating the daughter of an
author my site reviews on the regular. Ms. Infante writes Paranormal,
Contemporary and Historical Romance. We love her books, and I haven’t found one
to be lacking. They’re fast paced, very entertaining, sensual, and she writes
interracial; which we don’t see a lot of these days, especially Latina authors.
Well, Amber (aka; Sobe) didn’t like the review done for Ms.
Infante’s book Mendacity, and wanted to challenge the review. She felt like
because the reviewer used statements like “She felt the book wasn’t directed at
her (the reviewer’s) demographics, and the choice of music the author chose to
use in the book ( R&B) it wasn’t written to her”.
Amber had a problem with this, and felt like it was racist (btw,
Amber is white lol). Therefore, she wrote a review about the reviewer. Lel
agreed with some of what Amber wrote, and I chimed in on the fact that many of
the people on GoodReads aren’t as nice as they could be with reviews.
Can you say Motha F’ shitstorm!
Well, we were attacked in complete disorder! We were called
assholes, bitches, trolls, dumbasses, and any other name you can think of. It
was page after page of attacks. Then some guy named Brian hacked the site, saw
that Amber had used her ex’s name
( because they were
together at the time, and it was just an acronym of her name) and they started
posting information about her ex GF. My school was even called by someone from
the site, we had a tribunal, University Court, and the administration had to
see how we would be reprimanded. Amber was put on probation, because whoever
called stated that we incited chaos, caused harm to the reviewer, and if she
would have killed herself (or some bullshite like that) then we would have been
liable, and the list of stuff they said went on and on. We were all lucky, that
my project was for “What Not” to do in media and journalistic relations.
Therefore, we were given a pass after I presented the information before the
administration.
Then they said that the author, Ms. Infante, put us up to it; then
began to crucify her, because after like two pages of the threats, name calling
and what have you, Amber started going off on them as well. They reported us to
the Good Reads management; however, they continued to call us names, far after
we had each logged off.
By like the 100th comment, Layla (Lel) decided to tell them that
it was for my Journalism & Media class, on how badly people react, and how
they’re pretty much hypocrites and two faced. She then went on to say that,
each of them attacked us for reviewing the reviewer’s review, which was our
opinion; something they yell about from the roof tops of that site, yet they
attacked each of us for “OUR OPINION”.
It got so bad once she told them it was a project, people began to
threaten her, said it was entrapment, and I just laughed hysterically. They
said that any professor who accepted that was breaking the law, and just went
on for hours. The author tried to defend herself and her daughter, and they
continued to trash her for days. They would log onto her site daily, then
report back to their trolls on what the author said, what she did, and the like
for days. Then they would just trash her more, say she put us up to it, and
that they would never buy any of her books. They even went so far as to say
that they felt bad for us, because she used us, “WHEN THE AUTHOR HAD NO CLUE OF
WHAT WE DID, UNTIL HER DAUGHTER TOLD HER!!
They have black listed this author.
(Which we are so “sorry”
for),
They leave comments on her books like “I’d rather stab my eyes out
than read,” “Don’t buy her books,” “Crap,” and the list just goes on and on.
The very sad part is that not one of the people, besides the reviewer has ever
read any of this woman’s books. Moreover, the “BITCH” of a Reviewer
(Yeah Heather from Florida I called you a BITCH)
just sat back like she did nothing wrong, knowing full well that
the author had nothing to do with it. From what I was told by my friend, this
Heather woman even offered to review the book again once the book was
re-edited, and the author was excited about that.
So, please tell me why she would put us up to this?
My friend contacted me and told me that “STOP THE BULLYING,” a
website known for defending authors, contacted the Ms. Infante and put the
bullies on blast, and even has a list of the offenders; because this is
something they do on the regular. I read tons of incidents just like this, and
it was always the same people bullying (we’ll have the list for you at the end
of the blog).
I feel terrible for the author, and had I known it would come to
this, I never would have had Layla start the thread, nor had Amber write the
review.
A Very nice person was hurt by this, and all we three can say is
that “WE ARE TRULY SORRY!”
This goes to show, that
GoodReads has no concern for the authors who enlist to the site. It is all
about readers, and they state that once an author tries to get help from them
on bullying. I wanted to post this blog, so that authors will be weary of what
they say, do and read on Good Reads; they do not have your best interest at
heart.
Below, we decided to post some of the comments that were said to
us, to give you an idea of what happened. I decided to wait on writing up the
blog, so that the dissension would be deflected off the author. She did nothing
wrong, and the only thing I’m sorry about is that it affected her.
As for those
Mofo Assholes on GoodReads, they can all F*** Off, twice, because
they think they run that site. People should start complaining to the CEO, so
that things can be changed. Cyber Bullying, is still “BULLYING!!!”
No matter how you cut the loaf.
And the Bullying Begins...
GoodReads Comments...
They all leapt to the defense of this reviewer, whether we were right in our opinion or not.
Basically, they said we don't matter.
message 17: by MrsJoseph (new)
Mar 27, 2013 02:31pm
Yall need to get over yourselves. If she reads the damn book she
can write whatever the fuck she wants to say about it. WHAT in the FUCK is in the water that Leelia and Sobe are drinking??
What kind of jackasses have shown up to your review, Heather?
My GOD. And THEY have the nerve to talk.
And lifehouse my ass! I was raised in the church and still have no
clue what it is. We are NOT ALL THE SAME DENOMINATION, imbecile.
Yall are the racist people, cause I've know this reviewer for a
long time and never once has she been racist. But the first time she doesn't
like something yall like... you scream racist?? Get out of her with that shit.
eply | flag *
by Heather in FL (new) -
rated it 3 stars
Mar 27, 2013 12:30pm
Sobe and Lel and Leelia, I'm sorry you don't like my review. I'm
sorry you disagree with it. I disagree with your statement that just because I
got it for free that I'm not entitled to my opinion of it or that I shouldn't
review it. I review things for *me*, so if someone asks me why I rated
something a certain way, I have some clue of why I did. I read a lot. Sometimes
it all runs together.
I don't see anything about my review that's snarky. The only thing
that maybe walks the line is pointing out the correct spelling of ain't.
message 19: by MrsJoseph (new)
Mar 27, 2013 02:33pm
Sorry Heather. Idiots like this piss me off.
message 20: by Heather in FL (new) - rated it 3 stars
Mar 27, 2013 02:34pm
No, it's OK. I think it's a good exercise to leave stuff like this
up. If nothing else, it's opened up a dialogue about differences of opinion.
reply | flag *
message 21: by MrsJoseph (last edited Mar 27, 2013 02:35pm) (new)
Mar 27, 2013 02:35pm
They think that because they are black they know what what
"urban" writing is. Pffffft. They obviously didn't do too well in the
reading comprehension part of school.
For SHAME. And to think this is what our public schools and
universities are churning out.
I'm sure their mammas would be ASHAMED at the assholery that has
been displayed here.
reply | flag *
message 23: by Christie (new) - added it
Mar 27, 2013 02:38pm
MrsJoseph wrote: "LOL! I'm so mad. They got my country coming
out, lol!"
LOL..
reply | flag *
message 25: by Heather in FL (new) - rated it 3 stars
Mar 27, 2013 02:47pm
Well shoot... I'll go back to one-liners if this is the response
I'm gonna get, lol! Nope... can't do it. A few of my early reviews are like
that and I kick myself because I can't remember enough about the book! See, I
figure it's always better to give a reason for why you rated something the way
you did. Drives me nuts to go look at a book and see a lot of ratings but no
reviews.
reply | flag *
message 26: by Honey Bee (sometimes I sting) (new)
Mar 27, 2013 02:51pm
Am I missing something here, since when that just because you
received a book for free that you were not suppose to review, however I guess
if the review was 5 stars you wouldn't have a problem with it????
I found the review very fair, she gave examples and clearly
explain what didn't work well in her OPINION. At no point did I find the review
snarky or racist.
Then to suggest that she should have sent her comments directly to
the author.....REALLY!
I never have nor would I EVER write directly to an author unless I
knew them personally in RL. Regardless that the author puts her contact
information in the book or if she is a active Goodreads member, how would any
reviewer have known that she would be "gracious"!
This site is a book REVIEW site, isn't that why we are all here. I
WANT fair reviews not only the 4 and 5 star reviews.
Heather has been a Goodreads member for nearly 4 years with over
1000 books read. I think I would value her opinion over someone who attacks
review just because they disagree with what was said.
reply | flag *
message 31: by MrsJoseph (new)
Mar 27, 2013 04:08pm
Some people are so desperate that they feel the need to attack in
order to justify their existence.
It's sad, really. That they don't know better. Hopefully they pull
their heads out their asses. Hopefully.
reply | flag *
message 32: by ETA: soon (new) - added it
Mar 27, 2013 04:55pm
MrsJoseph wrote: "... Some people are so desperate that they
feel the need to attack in order to justify their existence.
It's sad, really. That they don't know better. Hopefully they pull
their heads out their asses. Hopefully."
Desperate... Hm, or maybe just stupid? B/c if the latter, I'm not
holding my breath on them coming up for air.
reply | flag *
reply | flag *
message 34: by ETA: soon (last edited Mar 27, 2013 05:11pm) (new)
- added it
Mar 27, 2013 05:12pm
Pathetically enough, SOP for most of these... hm, can't think of a
generic, polite term right now b/c too busy telling myself to not beat a dead
horse. IMHO, if you decide to bitch on someone's review, then you should be
prepared to stick it out to the end. Otherwise, just makes you look incredibly
rash and stupid, huh?
But I'm really sorry that you even had to go through a
micro-second of this BS. At least MrsJ was around―she pretty much tapped it
with "WHAT in the FUCK is in the water that Leelia and Sobe are
drinking??" :-)
reply | flag *
Heather of Fl. Lol. Yup. Smack down, courtesy of Mrs. J!
lol - she's a psych major - next thing will be that she is doing a
"study" on people's reactions to postings on the web...seen that
before - its a common tactic
reply | flag *
message 34: by ETA: OK, I'm still fuming, albeit after the fact. And here's why:
Sobe wrote: "See this is what we were talking about
manners. ... Unless you live under a rock, or some backwater tpt rural area,
you must be deaf, dumb and blind not to know who Lifehouse is. ..."
Par for the course, busybody Sobe starts by mentioning manners
and then calls you "deaf, dumb and blind". WTF? Hypocrite much?
And do you mention Lifehouse anywhere in your review? Um,
no... You only state that you don't know most of the songs even though you
recognized the artists. So that's a crime now? And really, isn't it a
shortcoming on the author's part to assume that every reader will know and
connect with current music? (Also dates the book fairly quickly, but whatever.)
And what, FTLOG, does "free" have to do with
anything, much less a book review? Other than imply (not so subtly) that not
having paid for a book = a reader should be grateful and show mercy/pity by not
pointing out flaws in said book. *SMH* Fecking idiots!
And if I hear "trashing" or "bashing"
used one more time to described a less than gushing book review... *fumes some
more*
message 69: by MrsJoseph (last edited Mar 27, 2013 07:49pm)
(new) Mar 27, 2013 07:48pm
Don't bother with the racist asshole, Ames. She's just
double downing on being a dick. See, assholes hate being called out on their
assholery. I guess we're supposed to be scared of assholes. But, the thing
is...they just stink.
message 121: by Dee (new) Mar 27, 2013 10:17pm
I'm think a call or email to UCLA might be in order as well
- universities don't act kindly when stuff like this happens - heck I had a
friend who had dissertation research stopped because of a wording issue in a
survey
And it went on and on...
Now they start to attack the author...
message 152: by Brian (last edited Mar 28, 2013 12:11am)
(new) Mar 28, 2013 12:11am
Alexandria wrote: ""However, because I am an
author, I won't comment on the entire thing or the post as a whole."
*proceeds to lecture Heather's friends for defending her*
message 43: by Dee (new)
Mar 27, 2013 06:50pm
and reading the spoiler - I would have used the word FUCK in that
scenario too - just reading that would have pissed me off and made me throw the
book
reply | flag *
message 210: by J4n3 (last edited Mar 28, 2013 01:12pm) (new) -
added it
Mar 28, 2013 01:11pm
You might want to look up what trashing someone actually is. None
of us is doing this to you. We simply listed the things that make some of us
suspicious because nothing you are saying adds up.
reply | flag *
message 211: by Ginmar (new)
Mar 28, 2013 01:13pm
I especially like the part where she 'noticed' the name but didn't
think anything of it. What are the odds?!
reply | flag *
message 212: by Issendai (new)
Mar 28, 2013 01:21pm
Wait... Your daughter let her friend Amber open an account on
Goodreads under the name Lel Burgess, with all of Soleil Burgess's personal
information. And then Amber used this account toreview your books, create a
quiz about your books, and spam your books across the groups, all of which she
did solidly for a few months before leaping to your book's defense? She's very
attached to you, this Amber. I'm surprised that you don't know her, since she's
so very loyal to you. And I'm also surprised that you didn't recognize that her
name and personal information were your own daughter's.
But what surprises me most is that Amber is so dedicated to you
that not only would she spam your books and fight with people who reviewed your
books, but she'd also use your daughter's name to do it. She could have created
any name she liked, but she picked your daughter's. That's a little too Single
White Female for my tastes. I hope you're planning to request a psych eval for
Amber, this mysterious classmate you've never met who's taken on your
daughter's name and acts exactly like a daughter who wants to promote her
mother's books would.
reply | flag *
message 213: by YAL Book Briefs (new) - added it
Mar 28, 2013 01:22pm
Alexandria I'm twenty-five the supposed age as one of the trolls.
Only a person with no tact and common sense would not act like that. I know
lots of people my age and who are younger who have years more maturity. Just
because your young doesn't give you an excuse to act like an asshole.
reply | flag *
message 153: by Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ (new) - added it Mar
28, 2013 12:16am
Alexandria wrote: "I received the feeds for this thread
all evening long, and I just have to say this is a train wreck. Nevertheless,
because I am an author I won't comment on the entire thing or the post as a
whole, because I wouldn't want someone to think I was attacking them as an
author. But I will say, this is bad.
Everyone is equally at fault, because this was Heather's
review, and she didn't warrant any of this. The responses in my opinion are
bad, whether trying to help or not.
I think it should just die out, and maybe Lel can just erase
the whole thing...
I believe you just did comment on the post and posters as a
whole. Maybe not as a whole - considering your close relationships with Leelia,
Sobe and Lel (because the internet has a lovely memory bank), I'm wondering if
you're including them in your scolding, or just everyone else.
message 216: by Zahara (new) Mar 28, 2013 01:46pm
I know Alexandria's story is fishy, but her daughter isn't
the first to have let a friend use an account, etc. And from her first post,
Alexandria really hasn't behaved badly. She's been apologetic, and last night
when she was apologizing for what the three trolls did, it didn't really sound
like she thought one of them was her daughter.
Alexandria ~ Really, your best bet is to cut all ties with
those girls who trashed this review, have a serious talk with your daughter
about trusting people and don't respond to anymore reviews. You just aren't
going to be able to win. I'm choosing to believe you.
Please, do some serious thinking about how to behave as an
author. It's really hard for self-pubbed authors here and due to this
situation, you'd got some strikes against you. Staying silent is almost always
going to work better for you than getting into a situation like this that you
can't extricate yourself from with damaging your reputation.
And this is the lite stuff. It goes on for 7 or 8 pages, and they really trash the author, and forgot about us.
The list of Bullies on GoodReads
Toxic personalities and Gr Bullies.
Watch out for these names on
the Amazon for a as well:
Angela Horn
YAL Book Briefs
J4n3
ETA: soon
Amy or Ames
Amanda Welling
Amazing Grace
Anna Karenina
angela longstaffe
Bruins Gal
Carla
Cathyr
Coaxial Creature
Cphe
Curmudgeon
Charlene
Dog Lover
G
Ginmar
Gunspurs
Hamstead
HJ Leonard
H.Stewart
In2Books
Iola
John Green
K.L. Clark
Kathryn
KarlynP
Kelli
Mahala
Marcus Pailing
Mayhem
Michael McKinney
Misfit
Miss M
Nana Janet
Ness
Nospin
Old Rocker
Pete Morin
peachbird76
Rachel
Scamp
ScottBooks
Sires
Strawberry
Teacher Mommy
Tansy Gold
TheInQuisition
Twinny
Kat Kennedy
Asshole People who Jumped on the Bandwagon, who have no clue about
the author or her books. They just did it because the rest of the F'N trolls
did, and they should be ashamed the most. Especially wanna be's Ade,
Camille-Dhark Nytmhare, you need to recognize.
Ms. J
La_Medusa
Ade
In2books
Christie
Nichole ~Bookaholic~
Ennui
Amara
Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~
Tracy
Dee
Camille-Dhark Nytmhare
