I read a lot of reviews. They’re how I decide whether I’ll take a shot on something (in the event that the synopsis doesn’t completely grab me and shake me and say you must read me NOW in a really crazy voice).

I’ve read so many reviews that I know what makes a review helpful to me:

• Overview of the story (beyond the back cover blurb, which can sometimes be deceiving)
• Overview of the writing style
• Overview of the plot and character development

And I know what doesn’t make a review helpful to me:

• Blanket statements, such as I LURVE IT!! or I HATEZ IT!!!1, with no supporting explanations
• Spoilers with no warning*. EPICFAIL.

Yes, I indeed know what’s useful and less so for me, but I’d like to see this subject from different angles. I ask, what makes a review a good, helpful review? What’s important to you in a review?

(* As a supplementary question, what constitutes a spoiler of the EPICFAIL variety?)

By the way, if you feel compelled to include examples of reviews you’ve loved, I will not stop you. In fact, I will likely thank you and offer you cupcakes.