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rukia-icon-for-avidbookreader.jpgThe ever delightful avid reader, Keishon, has had some tres interesting posts up lately. I am sure you already do but if you don’t… go check her out! I started to respond to her post on the Amazon Vine Program and in my normal fashion wrote a rambly book.

So I decided to bring it on home…

This will make lil to no sense – less than I normally do – if you haven’t read her post:

Amazon Vine Program and Customer Reviews

So go read it. Go on…. I will wait. or not 🙂

sl_thumbnail.jpgmy ramble:
So you are only wanting to read the reviews after you decide to buy or not? Or after you read? I didn’t know you avoided blogs and review sites.

I don’t know much about the vine program but have to say I don’t like it cuz it is an amazon thing and they have shown what they want out of reviews and honestly or reader concern isn’t it.

But I don’t think it has anything to do with this book. Having not seen the reviews I am guessing they are all happy, happy, joy, joy from your tone… but I ‘think’ (will do more follow up tomorrow) the push is from the publisher. I know personally I have gotten 2 copies. I know another blogger who just emailed cuz she lusted after it and gushed got a copy. I know a few others who have gotten copies that aren’t on the ‘SM ARC LIST’.

My bitch would be with the people reviewing if they are lying to get more books, become ‘popular amazon reviewers’ or just looking for validation. Publishers have a job to get their titles out there. Hell even Amazon is a company and has a right to promote. Having the programs doesn’t seem wrong – taking advantage of them for their gain… isn’t wrong in my eyes. Knowing dishonest things are going on (like amazon’s deleting of ‘bad’ reviews) and allowing it, closing your eyes or going nah nah nah I can’t hear you – makes you a bad bad company.

So what is the answer?

  • Don’t review there? Well it seems that allows the fangrrls and cheats to win.
  • Don’t buy from them? Amazon sells a hellalot of books, they loss money and or go out of biz (something I don’t see happening) who gets fucked – the reader.
  • Don’t buy from the publisher? I just can’t see them doing something that is ‘wrong’ by trying to promote the book.

None of those sound like good answers. So what do we do? Personally I have always paid no attention to Amazon reviews. I have told myself repeatedly we, as in TGTBTU, would start to post our reviews on Amazon as well because I like the idea of mixing in some honest opinions. NOT to say every review, not even every five star review is a lie. I do believe people honestly believe a LARGE majority of what they write in their reviews there.

And then there are the Harriet’s…. and uh… haven’t wrapped my arms around THAT one yet.
SweetheartSo any thoughts from you guys? Anyone give a flip? You got a fix? rant? or whatevs…

Note as of right now Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain has 57 reviews.

14 are 5 stars

24 are 4 stars

12 are 3 stars

4 are 2 stars

3 have 1 star

It releases on Sept 2, 2008 from St. Martin’s Minotaur in Hardcover.

Product Description (as shown on amazon)

With Heartsick, Chelsea Cain took the crime world by storm, introducing two of the most compelling characters in decades: serial killer Gretchen Lowell and her obsessed pursuer Portland Detective Archie Sheridan. The book spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and garnered rave reviews around the world. But the riveting story of Archie and Gretchen was left unfinished, and now Chelsea Cain picks up the tale again.

When the body of a young woman is discovered in Portland’s Forest Park, Archie is reminded of the last time they found a body there, more than a decade ago: it turned out to be the Beauty Killer’s first victim, and Archie’s first case. This body can’t be one of Gretchen’s—she’s in prison—but after help from reporter Susan Ward uncovers the dead woman’s identity, it turns into another big case. Trouble is, Archie can’t focus on the new investigation because the Beauty Killer case has exploded: Gretchen Lowell has escaped from prison.

Archie hadn’t seen her in two months; he’d moved back in with his family and sworn off visiting her. Though it should feel like progress, he actually feels worse. The news of her escape spreads like wildfire, but secretly, he’s relieved. He knows he’s the only one who can catch her, and in fact, he has a plan to get out from under her thumb once and for all.

Chelsea Cain has topped her own bestselling debut thriller with this unputdownable, unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat read.