Reviews make the world go round – or at least it can seem that way sometimes.

I always get a thrill when I see a 5 star review on one of my books. Complete strangers plunking down five bucks or more for one of my stories, and then telling me – and the world, I guess – how good a job I did.

 

It’s also amusing to see reviews that disagree.

Robbie Cheadle’s 5-star review from November 2019 usually leads the chart because some people marked it as “helpful” when they were making their decision to read or not read the book. (A review is beneficial because it helps readers with similar interests find additional books they’ll like, AND avoid books they won’t like.)

Robbie liked The Gamma Sequence, so that was nice.

The next review didn’t like the book and gave it 3 stars, said it was “preposterous science fiction.”

The next review found it a cautionary tale…

Even though it’d be great to get a hundred 5-star reviews, it’s almost as good that a reader who doesn’t like it can let other readers who like what he likes and dislikes what he dislikes, to avoid it. (I don’t need 100 of those, but a few is good – and helpful.)

 

What’s really amusing is when the reviews seem to disagree with each other.

It’s like a debate.

 

Right now The Gamma Sequence has 157 reviews, and:

• 89% are 4 or 5 stars.
• Only 3% of reviews gave it 1 or 2 stars

So 97% found it agreeable. I’m happy with that.

89% being 4 or 5 stars means I did a pretty good job of hitting the mark for a medical thriller. 

 

But not everyone agrees.

 

A 1-star review said “Medical thriller?” I bought this book because it was supposed to be a medical thriller. I kept waiting and waiting……

 

The next review gave it 5 stars and said: “As a fan of both Sci-fi and medical stories, I was intrigued enough to start it and soon found myself deeply engrossed in the story. Well written, well plotted and not graphically violent or sexual. A great diversion for a few hours to get your mind off all the problems in the world! Highly recommend!”

(Well, she sure told him!)

That’s hilarious. Both profess to enjoy medical thrillers; one says no, the other says highly recommended.

And it goes on that way. That 5-star review said it was part science fiction, right? So the next review says:

“Science fiction? I dont think so.”

To be fair, that’s at the end of the review. the rest says: I just finished reading this book. It was fantastic and horrifying all at once. I am starting the next one right away and plan to read the whole series. Science fiction? I dont think so.

Most liked it:

“A thrilling medical mystery” and 5 stars

But not all:

“Maybe I don’t like medical science fiction, because I am in the clear minority. I found the dialogue to be adolescent, the characters were unlikable, and the story too preposterous to sustain my attention. My apologies to the fans and the author, but it just isn’t for me.”

(I like that he apologized for not liking it.)

Next:

“5.0 out of 5 stars Good Medical Thrillers are hard to come by.

Don’t miss out on this one.”

… Not many (medical thrillers) are written and fewer yet are worth reading… this book makes the cut. Genetics, medical ethics and human nature are the major elements used to present a twisted plotline that holds your interest all night long.

This is one book you don’t want to miss reading”

Heck, I agree!

Anyway, these are fun to read. It’s like each reviewer who liked it, which is most of them, is trying to explain to the ones who didn’t like it.

Good to know you guys have my back.

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