Let’s Talk: Unrealistic Books

This has been a thought I’ve had for a while now and thought I’d share my opinion.

Often times on twitter, I’ll see bloggers and authors saying it’s not fair when somebody reviews a book saying it’s unrealistic. They say that it’s fiction and so all books are unrealistic and not something people should complain about.

This is my opinion: Yes, fiction is rarely realistic in its storylines and if a reviewer says it’s unrealistic without elaborating, I don’t think that’s necessarily fair or right.

However, if a character acts or is portrayed unrealistically, then a reviewer has every right to make this claim. For so long people have complained about the Mary Sues or Bella in Twilight, for example, for being too perfect or not reacting to situations in a believable way. That’s the type of criticism I find valid. Characters are meant to be relatable and just because they are in a fantasy novel does not mean they can act completely unrealistically.

Personally, character dynamics and development have to feel real for me to enjoy a book.

I don’t care if there are mythical creatures or magic, I know that’s fake and that should never be something to complain about. I think many people assume that’s what a reviewer means when they say a book is unrealistic and get overly defensive.

If a reviewer doesn’t explain why a book is unrealistic, I think they should. However, my assumption when I see this claim is usually that they mean about how the characters act not that they cared there was a unicorn in the story.

Thus, fiction/fantasy/sci-fi or whatever else can be unrealistic in my eyes. Characters are the most important part of a story and if they don’t seem reasonable or real to me, then I find something lacking in the book.

I also think unrealistic dialogue is a completely valid reason to not enjoy a book. Dialogue is meant to flow and when there’s a book with awkward conversations, I think it can detract from the story and affect my opinion.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts on this subject! If you think I’m wrong, great! Explain why (in a nice way please) because I’m always willing to learn and maybe you’ll make me rethink this!