Five Stars and a Funeral: When Loving a Flawed Book Becomes a Crime (Blog Post)
Five Stars and a Funeral: When Loving a Flawed Book Becomes a Crime
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Not perfect, not blind — just fair. Or so I believed.
I (have) left a five-star review for a book that had issues. And apparently, that’s a punishable offense now. As an author, even my work has been flawed in one sense or another. I'm not perfect.
Let me rewind.
Some of work I have read - wasn’t a perfect and neither am I. There have been pacing issues. The middle dragged like a stubborn suitcase through airport carpet. A subplot fizzled out halfway through. And yes, the editor might’ve been asleep at the wheel during a few key chapters.
But when I close the final page on any book, I sit in silence. (I do this often)
Not because the books were flawless — but because they moved me. The characters clung to me like echoes. The themes hit nerves I didn’t even know were raw. It said something. It tried something. And for me, that meant something.
So, I gave five stars - to each of them. Not because it was tidy, but because it was true — raw, ambitious, and unforgettable in its imperfections.
NOW, the backlash has come.
A comment I received via email and in my DM's “What were you reading? This book was a disaster.”
Another DM from a fellow author: “Seriously? FIVE stars? It was mediocre at best.”
Someone even sent a DM to me with a quote from my review followed by a laughing emoji. A laughing emoji.
You’d think I’d endorsed a war criminal, not an indie author trying to tell an honest story.
Here’s the thing:
I didn’t say it deserved a Pulitzer. I just said it mattered to me — that despite its flaws, it gave me something real. And for that, I wanted to lift it up, not tear it down.
But apparently, in the digital coliseum of reviews, five stars is sacred ground. You either reserve it for the rare air of perfection… or else. If you dare reward heart over polish, vision over precision, people treat you like you’ve broken an unspoken oath. But here’s what no one tells you: sometimes the most important stories are messy. Sometimes a book fails in structure but succeeds in soul. And sometimes, a reader connects with something the masses missed.
That’s not delusion. That’s subjectivity — the whole point of reading.
So, to the people who gasped, mocked, or rolled their eyes: I hear you. You didn’t like it. That’s fair.
But I’m not changing my stars.
I’ll keep rooting for the indie books that try. The ones that bleed a little on the page. The ones that might not be perfect — but are brave enough to be - personal.
Because if we only ever reward the polished, the safe, the sanitized… we lose the stories that dare to be human.
I may not always give a five star, but for the books I have read - to me, the human side of a book is worth five stars alone. The rest is - well - my decision.
https://indieauthorchannel.blogspot.com/ | All Rights Reserved | Stanley Perret | 2025
Stan, you know I respect you, and I'll defend your right to use whatever rating criteria you see fit when leaving your review. Having said that, I disagree with some of your premises.
ReplyDeleteIn your post you make the following statement:
"Some of work I have read - wasn’t a perfect and neither am I. There have been pacing issues. The middle dragged like a stubborn suitcase through airport carpet. A subplot fizzled out halfway through. And yes, the editor might’ve been asleep at the wheel during a few key chapters."
Later, you make the statement: "Because if we only ever reward the polished, the safe, the sanitized… we lose the stories that dare to be human."
This is a false equivalency for me. The flaws you noted have nothing to do with an author playing it safe or the work being sanitized. It does have something to do with polish and that's not a bad thing. All authors should strive for their work to be polished. That's a sign of professionalism.
The errors you pointed out, reflect sub-par writing, which has nothing to do with an author playing it safe or the work being scrubbed until it loses personality. A sub-plot that fizzles out, shows a lack on the author's part at paying attention to details. An editor being asleep at the wheel, which I assume to mean there were multiple issues with improper grammar/punctuation. This shows an author who, a) probably didn't use a human editor at all, or b) was sloppy, or c) a combination of both. Pacing issues and a book that drags, also reflect flawed work, and not in a, "look how raw I am," and more like, this needed a few more editing passes to tighten the narrative.
I'm a proud member of the Indie community, but we Indie authors need to get away from using code words like "raw" or "unsanitized" to mask sloppy and unprofessional work.
For me, an Indie author not playing it "safe" merely means they have the freedom to write a book that is not en vogue for traditional publishers. Writing a book that is not sanitized means being free to tackle whatever subjects you choose and not be gate-kept behind the traditional publishing process. It's not an excuse to leave plot points unresolved, have multiple, obvious grammar issues, or have a narrative that noticeably drags.
I do go back to the beginning though, reviewing and rating a book is subjective, so I understand that a fizzled plot point for one may really bother them, where someone else shrugs it off because they so loved other aspects of the book. That's fair. For some, multiple grammar issues are not a big deal. That's also fair.
I'm not here to tell anyone how they should rate a book. That's not my place. I do, however, want to ask the question, if you rate a book with numerous issues five stars, where can you go when you truly read that book that blows you away?
I appreciate your words and your opinion here. You know I respect you without a doubt. As for the review side, I have only called one book a "Masterpiece" and gave it a five star as well. I just think that if I give a rating, regardless of what that rating is, it is my opinion and mine alone. Jumping into my DM's and even in my emails dropping some very unpleasant comments is completely uncalled for. I did not put the full statements in this Blog because of the language and more...... I have though decided that I will NOT be doing reviews of books on my channel anymore and I am going to be OVER the TOP honest with ever book review that I do from here on out. NO MORE..... I know that is rough, but with what I got from the writing community over the past few days and even going into a week. I am about done with it as a whole and just do my own thing. TO MUCH DRAMA for my taste.
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