One star reviews of bestsellers to feel better about criticism

Getting that first bad review of your writing can feel terrible but you're not the only author with a one star review. Criticism is essential to growing as a writer: feedback, beta edits, and reader criticism are all to help you in the editing process to make your work as good as it can be. However, sometimes a bad review is just a bad review and it can throw your writer's self-esteem. 

With that in mind, here are six bestselling books that received some horrendous one star reviews:

1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

"I had so many expectations man, now I really wish I could get a refund for all the love and money that I’ve wasted!

The first 50% is just filler to be honest. You just kinda have to endure it until the storyline gets some plot relevance back :/ but it is so boring that you just want to stop reading it.

I don't like too many tragic backstories. And I definitely didn't like that every single character had one. Maybe there are people who gain happiness and comfort from this book. But umm? This is a book in the end." (Read more)

• Adapted into a Netflix show watched by over 50 million in its first month.
• No.1 New York Times bestselling author.
• Confirmed for its own TV spin-off.
  

2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

"The title of this book is stupid. It's stupid and flashy and unrelated to the actual content of the book. It's solely for the *wow* factor.

The quotable line, "love you...Thorns and all" is wholly ineffective because "thorns" hadn't been established as a motif and was only used in that scene, more than halfway through the book.

The original Beauty and the Beast story had established rose motifs—you can't borrow good writing, even for a retelling. That's just lazy." (Read more)

• Nominee for Best YA Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015).
• 40k+ followers on Tumblr.
• Upcoming TV adaptation on Hulu.

3. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

"I just didn't think The Bone Season was anything special or original. In my opinion, it shows definite potential for Shannon's future as a writer but the story is a regurgitated version of one that has been told countless times.

What this is, for me, is an example of taking light, easily digestible fantasy fiction that is filled with uncomplicated excitement and romance, and turning it into something long-winded and overly descriptive just so you can attempt to call it original.

The descriptions, info-dumping and general wordiness do not make this a deeper and more meaningful read, but rather they made the book dull and tiresome for me." (Read more)

• Signed a six-figure publishing deal, at 20 years old.
• New York Times bestseller.
• Just produced the Tenth Anniversary Special Edition.

4. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

"I slogged through about half of it and gave up. I lost the thread of the plot long before due to my lack of interest in everything this book is. It all felt forced, like the themes and ideas were shoved into the narrative and that the plot had to adapt to fit them in. It was trying too hard to be funny rather than actually being funny.

I’ve read Gaiman at his best. I’ve been inspired by his words and I have found part of myself in his stories. I’ve laughed out loud with Pratchett and I’ve tasted the sharpness of his wit. This felt like a shadow of what each writer can do; it holds a mere suggestion of the brilliance and creative spark each would wield at his fingertips. It was just juvenile." (Read more)

• Adapted into a BBC radio drama.
• Adapted into a Prime Original TV series, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen.
• Appeared at Comic Con and recently parodied by Hillywood.

5. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

"Boring, dull, lifeless, and flat. This is so drawn out and boring I kept having to remind myself what the plot was. Best to get someone else to sum up the story rather than undergo the torture of reading it.

Let me just start by saying I typically love Charles Dickens writing. (A Tale of Two Cities is one of my favorite books to this day.) However, this stale piece of white bread was not it.

The main character, Pip, is one of the dullest characters to ever exist. Think of a blank slate. Blanker than blank. And you have Pip. He had no interesting personality traits, nothing recognizable, dang it he wasn't even attractive." (Read more)

• Voted 4th on the list of 100 Greatest British Novels.
• Adapted into an estimated 50 different stage productions, films, TV shows, and books.
• Studied worldwide in schools and universities. 

6. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

"This play was frustrating, annoying and damn right revolting. 

Hamlet is one of the most idiotic and self-obsessed characters in creation. His inaction defines him as a tragic character, but to my mind that’s just silly. He caused his own death and the death of everyone in the play; yes, again, this makes his inaction tragic but it was also completely self-defeating; it boarded upon the absurd.

Hamlet’s revenge makes no sense; it is completely illogical. I dislike this play because I’m practically repulsed by its “tragic hero.” Hamlet infuriates me far too much to overlook my dissatisfaction with him and admire the play's formal features. I just cannot personally like it." (Read more)

• Inspired nearly 200 adaptations around the world.
• Introduced 375 words to the English language.
• Syllabus text for British schools and many other academic institutions worldwide.

Receiving your first bad review can feel terrible and really impact your writer's self-esteem. But it's important to remember that: Not Everyone Will Like Your Work. Not everyone liked Shakespeare and look how he turned out.

For advice on feeling better about criticism, check out this blog post: How do I feel better about criticism?