My review of a review

I recently read a book entitled Revolutionary Road, which is also now a major motion picture. Obviously, I had my own thoughts and feelings about this book, but I thought I would see what others thought as well. I read a few reviews that I could relate to, but I also read one that I thought was lazily-written, and extremely revealing. Spoiler Alert: this link pretty much tells every climactic point of the book, and also the ending. Thanks John Marcel, Resident Scholar. I think the reason I struggled reading Marcel's review is because it wasn't really a review. It was a re-enactment. Reviewing a book is not only giving a brief glimpse as to what happens, but saying your opinion on the book as a whole. It is hardly opinionated, and a review should be. Also, it is a total buzz kill to read a review, then lose desire to read a book because the critic has already given away the ending, and the beginning, and the climax. They were also basic grammar mistakes on this review, and that causes a writer to lose credibility, in my mind. A teacher once told me that if you aren't getting a rise out of someone, then you aren't writing. This review did absolutely nothing for me. It ticked me off because it was so dull, but not because of the content. I believe if you are brave enough to review a book, you should make your opinion known. Don't hide behind the book itself. Don't just tell us what happened and when. Wet our lips a little bit, and make us want to read a book or tell us not to waste our time. Either way, take a side!