• I am sure you are both familiar with this question

Reviewee - Thank you so much for the review

Reviewer - You're most welcome UwU

Reviewee - If you don't mind me asking . . . how many chapters did you read?

Reviewer - !!! 🤐

To be honest. I personally have never reviewed past ten chapters.

Nevertheless, the above question is a very good one and also a bit scary. The above type of question makes me go back to the book wondering if I missed something the writer noticed . . . Oh No.

Actually, it's a very good question and I highly suggest you ask/not ask.

I mention "not ask" because . . .
Let's say out of the books I've reviewed, I have never passed the first chapter of 70% of them.

Then I worry when this same person asks me how many chapters I have read . . .

The answer in cases like these are obvious.

I certainly can't tell them I only read one chapter of their work and reviewed it. This is why I suggest telling the writer in the review why you failed to continue.

On a side note, asking this question doesn't make you a horrible writer. I have met some pretty decent writers who gave me this same question, so you guys are safe . . . I am speaking to the other ones.

There are so many cases I find ridiculous and honestly, somewhat stupid.

Most times when I see a horrible first chapter, I skip to the recent chapter to see if their writing has improved. If it hasn't . . . no problem, you gats work to do. If it has . . . is there a problem with you somewhere?

A sane person who wants to read a book will not start from the last chapter and read backwards. They will start from the first (OBVIOUSLY) and if that first chapter is trash . . . it is safe to assume the rest of the book is trash.

If a blurb already gives readers warning signs, imagine what blow your first chapter will do.

If a book is trashy, the only reason I go past the first chapters is to look for more mistakes I can cover and point out. If the first chapter is unreadable, I am getting out of there!

Please don't do this.

Your first chapter is your make it or break it.

Publishing houses judge books on their first chapter sometimes because they have other books to go through and they have already mastered the art of . . . I have no idea, I am no professional in such area.

But you do get my point . . .

So if your reviewer couldn't get past one chapter, there is a serious problem!
Because other readers will certainly not go past that first chapter.

Another scenario is cliché books.

YASS. I FINALLY SAID IT.

Those of you with books like that I have reviewed. Even if that book was good or not, mark my words, I never go past two chapters. It's a miracle even if I go past three.

Do you know why?

I have seen so many like it and it's so damn predictable. So I am exhausted from repeating the same storyline!!!!!!!

This actually depends on the reviewer but it's your lucky day if that reviewer drools on cliché books.

But others for example . . . let me just use my preference.

I love unique content (or something ordinary and out of the ordinary at the same time)

I hate cliché content (Are you crazy?! This feels like you are too lazy to do something genuine and you end up unknowingly knowingly copying another story.)

Retellings can be handled in a unique/non-cliché way.

I can handle tropes.

Therefore, don't be surprised if your book is cliché and I give you an answer of 2. That is because over a million people have done that and over a million people are sick of it.

Imagine being locked in a cage and having to read 50 books of particularly the same thing but different characters with the same characteristics.

WOW

MINDBLOWING AND COMPLETELY UNCREATIVE.

I could actually just read one chapter but I mostly read the second chapter in hopes that the writer adds some twist or takes the cliché route in another direction (it doesn't have to be unique but it can be different. It can also be predictable but not too predictable/blatantly obvious)

But once the writer has shown their lack of colour in the second chapter and I read the third chapter (because they wrote really well and I am still holding the faint hope my expectations will be satisfied) and that third CHAPTER STILL FOLLOWS THE EXACT SAME FORMAT, I AM GOING TO OFFICIALLY HATE THAT BOOK; and give the writer the evil eye.

Then we have those rare cliché books that hold my attention. I don't know why but I find myself reading on (either drawn by their awesome writing style or magnificent description). You people are crazy!

You are either witches who formed contracts with demons to hold the interests of cliché haters like me and charm me against my consent.

I. Will. Find. You!

Tsk!

Me - Oh no. Another cliché.

Holy Brain - Then why are you still reading?

Me - Shut up, I'm just looking for something.

Holy Brain - Then why are you glued to each word?

Me - Shut up, don't disturb me!

Holy Brain - You are using me. Close that cursed thing right now!

I don't know how to classify books like these. They are not exactly cliché but . . . urgh! I don't know how to explain it. Anyway . . . stay away from me (that was my lips talking, my hungry eyes are saying something else)

Okay. Next is our third criteria. The amazing books.

There are actually pretty good books that I haven't read past the third chapter . . . Meaning I had to stop myself from doing so.

First Chapter - Perfect!

Second Chapter - Perfect!

Third Chapter - Perfect!

OMG. THIS IS SO GOOD

But I have other books to review and this is something I would absolutely read in my spare time.

Follows that writer and adds their book to my reading list for later reading.

When I'm reviewing, I have in mind a specific number of books I have to read within a specific period and once I hit a gold mine (I like saving my favourite piece of food for last), I keep that book to finish it.

There are also books like these where I couldn't stop until I had passed five chapters . . . in such a situation, I was no longer reviewing (especially when I unconsciously couldn't find any mistakes). So it's a bit exhausting to be going back and looking for things that need correction.

With that in mind, I scrutinize those books and add them to my stash UwU

One of the reasons I haven't quit reviewing.

Oh. I nearly forgot about the fourth criteria.

I am sure you know that reviewers don't like every single genre, and when I come across genres I am not exactly fond of, I try my best to read without feeling detached.

BUT I CERTAINLY KNOW WHEN A BOOK IS BORING AND WHEN IT SIMPLY ISN'T MY TYPE.

Books like this throw me in for a loop and I struggle to get past multiple chapters. I am going to give an obvious example below;

I thoroughly DISLIKE fan-fiction.

I don't know why but I . . . urgh!

But out of the many I tried reading, only two stood out to me.

One was SPIRITED AWAY 2 I found years ago on one fanfiction site.

Another one is a book I reviewed here on wattpad. I'm sorry I keep forgetting the title (though, I'm sure I've seen many titles like it)

Do you know what amazes me about the second one? The book from wattpad.

It was a k-pop fanfiction. I love kpop and I was recently introduced to the music, but I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE the fan fictions.

P. S. I'm starting to like some fan fictions, but I haven't exactly opened myself to the majority.

I wanted to choke myself when I came across another one but when I started reading . . . I read the whole book (around 9 or 10 chpaters) in one go!

To my mortification!!!

In cases like this, I can understand why some people read stories despite the grammatical errors. The same book had a few grammatical errors (with some too glaring) but I actually ended up finishing the whole thing.

I was shocked when I was done.

I know I might be hyping but to me it was exceptional.

There might also be the issue with the fact that the storyline was different from other kpop fanfictions.

Okay, let's stop before I go of course.

I 70% dislike fanfictions.

I 1000% hate kpop teen fictions (sometimes because they all have the same plotline most of the time)

Most k-pop or bts fan fictions are works that can bore me to death and so I end up not reading much and just focusing on the plot (because most of your characters are straight up comical and unrealistic), so I try to fish out what I can/what I think can help your book.

To wrap it up, you are free to panic and relax if your reviewer didn't read much. I gave reasons above, both with the good and trashy books.

But if there is something in later chapters you feel should be touched, contact that same reviewer; privately if possible. They will help you get to it and continue reading the book out of duty. Most reviewers certainly wouldn't leave someone alone if they needed help in a particular area that wasn't covered.

Oh. I forgot one more thing. There are people who asks reviewers to read their whole book.

WTH IS THAT?!

That is no problem if you have ten chapters or so, but if its more than 13 or 15 or 20 . . . what on Earth?!

It may not be a problem if that reviewer is NOT a writer, but these people have lives!

Another thing is that coupled with their lives, these writers also have their own book they are working on, along with whatever luggage they are carrying.
It if fine for you to mention that they can read as much as they want but . . . everything?!

You have a book of over 60 chapters and you want me to read them all . . . Do reviewers look like proof readers or beta readers to you?!

Even the above people take months to read all that!

Are you there?!

Answer me before I club you with my caveman stick!

Need I remind people like you that your book may not even be as good as you make it out to be?

Or it may not be to your reviewer's taste.

And you want them to read it all . . .

Issues.

Stop this.

Something like this happened to me before, though it's been a while. This person submitted a form and she requested her whole book be read and I was like okay . . .

When I saw it was a Zayn Malik teen fiction, I shrank, but I hoped it would be okay . . . I hope.

I started reading and an annoying thing happened . . .

Ever read books where the real story starts in the fourth/fifth chapter and you wonder why the hell you wasted your time reading the first four to five chapters?

That feeling sucks!

I noted that in the review and continued reading . . . the plot was good and solid but there was a lot of telling and grammatical errors! I gave up and skipped to the most recent chapter . . .

THOSE ERRORS WERE STILL THERE and for some reason, it was even worse.

I had to stop and it was from then on that I decided to give writers a smack on their head (all in my head of course 😂😂😂) if they ask me to read their whole book.

If you know you have a problem later on, give the reviewer that specific point so they will know what to look for and help you with it. Most of the mistakes in the first few chapters make their way to future chapters!

You will not die if we don't read your book from start to finish.

But there are reviewers who will do, and that is ONLY WHEN they like the book. Like really, really, like it. And there are so many readers/writers on this app who offer constructive criticism in each chapter they read (either for fun/to help/because they belong to a book club) and you still want a reviewer to read your whole book when these masses are there.

For those of you who are about to say they stopped, I will give you a very valid reason for it and on the plus side, you actually deserve it!