Yes, it was the most absurd book review, yet I loved it.

As any author who publishes on Amazon will tell you, your book will receive a lot of reviews. Some good and some bad – which makes sense because not everyone is going to like the same book.

And this was early in my writing career. I had recently published Toy of the Gods and was asking everyone who had read the book to review it.

When I received the following review, I thought it was interesting. Both complimentary, yet not. Judge for yourself.

The Absurd Book Review

The reviewer gave me three stars:

A playful adventure story, about as deep as a puddle of rainwater on a Peruvian boardwalk – which might be a good thing, if you like a quick and often exciting read! “Toy of the Gods” is an interesting blend of a travelogue, an explorer adventure story (ala “Indiana Jones”), and a supernatural fantasy. Not all these elements work together always, especially as factoids are dropped with little relevance to the plot and points are driven home without much subtlety. The collection of characters at times feels like a rundown of guests at a resort; yet the blasé reaction almost every character had to the supernatural events was well-observed and often amusing.

Although the villain was underdeveloped, the reveal did provide a thrilling and unexpected plot twist. Indeed, the character development for many supporting players was very interesting, showing more depth and nuance than at first expected. I find myself looking forward to spending more time with at least one character in the planned sequel!

Overall, while not the kind of book I often read and in general not particularly excellent, this was an enjoyable read.”

When I first saw the three stars and read it, I was a little upset. Luckily, by this time, the book had many five star reviews from strangers (because we know that friends could just be being nice), so I knew that this book connected with my readers.

Now I appreciate it.