World’s Greatest Book Reviews

Like many writers, I have a habit of checking the Amazon pages of my books to see how they’re ranked from week to week.  I’m also intrigued by reviews not only on Amazon but on Goodreads, Kobo, Nook, blogs, everywhere.  It’s interesting to see what people say.  Writing is a lonely job, so I always perk up when I see there are real live people out there in the world who like my work.

Fan mail and positive reviews are uber freaking cool.  Each new book is a marathon.  Every thumbs-up keeps me going.

Sometimes I agree with negative reviews, too.  Day by day, I try to learn and improve, and I’m very much aware that I’m not perfect.  On the other hand,  on occasion a negative review is just frustrating.

Lately, FS1 has seen a steady stream of new posts on Amazon.  Here is the most awesome review I’ve ever seen!  Thanks, man!!  “Unique, creative, fantastic”…
…followed by a one-star review by somebody who was bored before the end of the first chapter.

Dude, the first chapter is, like, five pages long????

Next here are some older reviews for Plague Year on Amazon.ca, where a Canadian fan recently pointed me to what can only be described as the World’s Greatest Negative Review EVER!!!!   🙂

Check this out…
Okay, look.  It’s been a while since I read Plague Year, but I did write it.  I remember there are a few sequences in which our heroes are so overcome by pain and adrenaline and grief that they stagger like drunks through the ruins post-apocalyptic California.  In this extreme, Cam briefly experiences visual and auditory hallucinations.  I guess those are the “dream sequences”?”

There is not a single dog (or any kind of pet) in the story.  They ate the pets!  There definitely isn’t a talking dog.  Color me confused!!  🙂

And thank you to everyone who enjoys the books!

Sweet new review for FROZEN SKY 3

The critics at San Francisco Book Review think good things about Frozen Sky 3.  Hooray!

Their acronym and my acronym make me want to say this an SFBR FS3, right?  My only quibble about their review is that while, yes, FS2 was a short novel and therefore a ‘novella,’ FS1 was a full-fledged novel and FS3 was a rather fat novel.  FS3 is well over 100K words.  It’s only 300 pages in print because we used a teeny small font and it reads even faster on a Kindle or an iPad or a phone because, you know, it’s a high-octane brain-curdling thriller.  Really!  Believe me!  It’s got heft!   😉

You can find the whole SFBR FS3 here on their website.

Now back to work on FS4

sfbr-fs3

Hello, Internet! Plus a fun review in Dutch!!

Yes, I know, it’s been a seriously long while since I posted a single word upon this world wide web.  Things have been busy indeed in Carlson Land.  Big summer.  Many projects.  Much fun.  Even got some writing done!

Now that fall is upon us, I am putting my nose to the grindstone in order to finish Frozen Sky 4.  You don’t know it, but I’m having a great time with Vonnie and Ash and Ben and Harmeet and the sunfish and, yes, Colonel Ribeiro.  What a hardass.  There might be some strangers in this book, too!  Alien strangers, if you know what I mean.  😉

I promise to post more as I get back into the groove.

Meanwhile, here is a fun review for the Dutch edition of De Oorlag Van De Plaag, better known to you and me as Plague War.  I’m told Bol.com is a heavyweight in their market and the review says it’s a pretty good book in a similar vein to The Stand, which is high praise indeed.

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Thriller writer Jeff Carlson © 2024. All Rights Reserved.