So recently I came to the decision that some of my old reviews are off, not by much, but still… they’re not quite right. What I mean by this is that my star ratings of them, I feel now, are not right, so I just wanted to go through these and talk about them.
The Loving Husband by Christobel Kent
Originally rated:
New rating:
I can’t quite fathom what made me give this one a 3 star rating in the first place. Honestly, this was one of the most cliche books I’ve ever read… it really had nothing unique about it. All characters, the plot and the twist in this are overused in mystery fiction. This could barely hold my interest.
I’m giving it a 2 stars because I did like Kent’s writing style, I thought it was quite atmospheric and descriptive at times, but her knack for coming up with original content is not there.
The Night Parade by Ronald Malfi
Originally rated:
New rating:
I think I rated this one so averagely because it took me quite a while to finish it. Just because something takes you a little longer to get through doesn’t mean it was a bad book, lots of other things factor in.
This book has left a lasting impression on me. I remember the story and the writing clearly. I think if this really had been a three star read, I wouldn’t have been so excited to see Malfi out with another book this year. This definitely deserves 4 rather than 3 stars.
The Fire Child by S. K. Tremayne
Originally rated:
New rating:
I can’t rightly remember why I thought this book deserved a better than average rating. Yes, OK, it was quite an interesting read but it wasn’t anything special. The best part of it was the characterisation of Jamie, the young, kinda creepy kid.
I was so dead set on one ending that when it came around to the real ending I was a shocked, but looking back at it… I can’t even remember what that ending was! It’s not a good sign that I can’t remember this one…
The rating goes down to a 3 stars, sorry Tremayne. I will be reading The Ice Twins at some point though.
Look Who’s Back by Timur Vermes
Originally rated:
New rating:
I liked this book, don’t get me wrong. It was nice to read something a bit out of my normal reading preferences but it was 4 stars worthy.
This is a political comedy, and while I think the cover is bloody brilliant, I didn’t actually find the story that funny. In the end the plot got on my nerves a little bit, it was just the same thing again and again, and then it didn’t feel like it ended properly.
I would watch the film version, which I know is on Netflix, but for me, this one was only a 3 star read.
Younger by Suzanne Munshower
Originally rated:
New rating:
I originally rated this one a 3 stars because it was so silly, but thinking about it now, that silliness made this really enjoyable.
I remember this as a story that I really rushed through and really enjoyed while I was reading it. The plot was pretty crazy and completely unbelievable but it’s sometimes nice to step so far out of reality like you do with this book.
Definitely, in my mind, worthy of a 4 star rating, just for being a bit of fun.
So there we have it! Those are some of the books I’ve looked back at and thought “that rating doesn’t feel right”.
I really enjoyed making this post! It’s always fun to scrutinise books lol (sorry not sorry)
Love this idea
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Thanks!
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What a wonderful idea! I have a feeling I may have to do this eventually. I’m much better than I originally was, so I may want to update some from when I first started haha!
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Thank you so much! Yeah, I think giving yourself some time to think about a book can change your opinion of it ☺️
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Oh I like this! If I ever end up writing reviews for a long time it would be fun to look back and read my very first reviews and see if I was critical enough or too critical!
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I would totally do this if I hadn’t left my first batch of reviews to gather cobwebs on my old blog address. I may have to post a review of my first review… That would be entertaining 😀 Great post!
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I don’t think I posted most of these on my blog, just on my Goodreads haha
But yes! That would be fun to see ☺️
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Oh and thanks! 😋
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Thank god for this post! I’ve been wondering for some time for some of my ratings too… in fact I’ve gone and change some of them. I think time does really put things into perspective and helps clear the mind!
Great one!! 😉
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I think everyone has second thoughts about some of their reviews! Having time to really think about it definitely helps ☺️
Thanks Matxi 💖
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Interesting idea! I feel this way about some of the books I’ve reviewed in the past. 🙂
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Thanks! Yeah, sometimes you just feel off about what you originally rated a story ☺️
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I can never decide whether it’s better to review a book immediately after finishing or wait a bit. It often turns out if I leave for a bit my opinion shifts. Great idea to revisit reviews.
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I always review during my reading period and then post right away or schedule it straight away and don’t go back to it, but I think leaving some time between reading and reviewing would make your thoughts a little more truthful, I guess. I just hate waiting to review because I always forget what I want to say lol
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I tend to do a bit of both. Sometimes I review immediately, others I like to think about it for a bit (usually because I’m not sure what to think)
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Great idea! I always change my mind on how good a book was after a while. Especially if the book was really exciting at the end, then I usually forget how good the start was.
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My thoughts exactly! It’s difficult to really judge a book overall if the ending is superb
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I will be checking out the Maldives book on Goodreads. I love to hear readers say that a book has stuck with them. 🙂
My son was seriously ill for three years and we spent a lot of time in doctor’s waiting rooms and in infusion suites, and I read a lot of Paranormal YA because they were easy to put down and pick back up after distractions and they didn’t take much brain power. I rated a lot if them three stars because they were perfect reads for what was going on at the time, but I think I would knock most of them down to two stars now because they were pretty cliche and insubstantial.
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By Maldives, did you mean Malfi?
Book ratings can definitely be influenced by other factors in your life, like your mood or the convenience of the read! I hope your son is doing well now 🙂
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Yes, Malfi (ugh, auto-correct)! And my son is doing great now. 🙂
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