The woman’s review sounds just like the NY Times review of The Wizard of Oz in 1939.
Authors in the Wannabe Writers Club in The Villages read a chapter aloud as they write their books. The group proceeds to criticize it. I read my articles. The last article I read is a lot better than the version I thought was ready to post. It takes more work than the average person realizes to publish anything.
The amount of work is not relevant or related to the review. The review should help potential buyers with their decision. A bunch of vague feelings like the woman’s tirade are worthless. I found two worthwhile one-star reviews for Sphere.
I read the one star and a sample of other reviews, since there are usually more. I don’t look at average stars.
A reviewer ought to state why the book deserved one or five stars. Here are my criteria:
