Discussion Reading novels without reviews

Have you guys tried reading novels that still has no reviews? Maybe there are ratings, but are you willing to be the first one to try it?

I am actually fairly new to the nu community as of date, and is the kind of reader whose basis as to determine if the novel is worthy of reading is the subjective reviews on it. I would try it if it has atleast even 2 reviews on it but never one and below. I'd feel so scared lmao. Having a tiny knolwedge would make you grasp the most general of ideas while experiencing the novel but the thought of you heading out blind is so scary lol.

So far, I am super attempted to read a lot of novels which still has one to no reviews at all and I'm trying so hard to supress the urge. One of the novels I've put on to my wait list is actually The Greatest Extra in History and believe me when the cover and description screams TOCF, SMPU, TENE, TNE, and TNV cuz aagh, my self control is wayning as the more days pass by.

How about you guys?

 

No. I'd rather sit back and wait for reviews if it's a novel I'm keen on reading. Just having the description isn't enough information sometimes, specially if the tags are particularly concerning.

 

I don’t even read reviews in the first place, so I’ve definitely read novels with zero reviews before, and it never bothered me.

 

I've tried novels with zero reviews and no ratings, like Office Worker Who Hears Memories which I started reading today. If anything, reading reviews, esp. negative ones, tends to make me hesitant about trying... reading one without knowing anything apart from the idea I get from the title, cover, genre, tags and synopsis feels refreshing, like starting with a near-blank slate. Ofc, I only take the risk if the impression I can gather seems quite positive; I refuse to take the same gamble with anything that arouses in me even the slightest suspicion that it might not be my cup of tea.

 

As long as the concept is interesting enough, as long as there are enough chapters in the original source (what if the author dropped the story?), I don't see why not give it a try. I mean, it's not like you're obligated to keep reading something you don't like. If you don't like a story - just drop reading it.

 

I don't really read reviews outside of few select circumstances.
Use the synopsis, the genre, and tags to establish a broad understanding of the novel, and then just dive in (do make sure that the story isn't axed in raws though), if it doesn't interest you after 5-10 chapters, or perhaps later down the line the story starts turning out badly, but you are still curious, then I might look for the reviews to see if this has been addressed.

Reading reviews off the bat tends to both spoil the story and take away any possible excitement beforehand since they can easily be biased one way or the other. It's like being heavily recommended something only to be let down, or in reverse being told something is bad, but it might just fit your taste and now you'll never know.

 

I usually don't read reviews unless the rating is lower than 4. If its higher than 4 I can guess that the novel isn't going to be terrible, but if the rating is lower than 4 I usually read the reviews and try to get a glimpse of what is in the story, to decide whether to read the story. I guess its different for everyone.

 

I usually just pick a novel without reading reviews and ratings . usually i check the tag or completion status ( i don't read bl/gl) to make sure that there is nothing i dislike. i don't really mind going blindly because basically most of the novels i read are random pick (I use google books, kakao, or ridi. i skim through the cover, writer, description, and what i get from free chapters).

i don't mind spoilers, but reviews usually kill my mood to read (because sometimes the reader opinion is too biased) , then i tend to procrastinate even though i already spent money for the chapters.

 

I usually only read the reviews if I'm actually having doubts about the story due to the title, synopsis/description or the tags.
And even then, if there is no reviews I might still give it a try if I'm curious enough, although I would likely look up spoilers instead then, since that is what I would be reading the reviews for anyway.

 

Reviews are nice and all, but since NU reviews tend to be polarized as heaven and hell, I tend to give the first two-three chapters benefit of doubt and move from there. As long as it had *cough* 200 ish chapter releases, ofc

 

I am the type of person who always looks for a good read, atleast a one that desires a definate good read, so I always check ratings..most of the novels that I read need to be above 4 in rating.
Though I am pretty sure the lower ratings are also good but I just haven't tried them out yet.
I don't really care of reviews cause I generally don't read but atleast a few would be good, but as long as the plot resonates with me, I will read it. (except the rating ofcourse, I am very particular about that)

 

Is it necessary to read reviews before reding novels?

 

Not really as the reviewers might not necessarily be the one who share your taste of literature. Regardless reviews help on setting your expectation on the story. It does have its own drawbacks though as some stories start out great with stellar reviews but have an end that is bad or worsen as the story progress and people just gave up reading it much less giving a good review.

Just don't read one sentence reviews as those are not really helpful on describing why the story is bad or even why its good.

 

I do it sometimes~ I don't usually read reviews anyways, except when I want spoilers

 

I never read reviews, so... I do it all the time.

Like, the novel is supposed to captivate me by itself. If it failed to captivate me with its title + cover + synopsis, then it's not worth reading... And if it captivated me enough, then I'll give it a try... And if I dislike it then, then I drop it, no point in worrying about it~

 

Ofc I will, if it catches my eye. Ratings and Reviews mean jackshit on NU and to decide what you will read based on them is a terrible idea.

 

I read reviews mainly for spoilers. I am always looking for those who completely read the story

 

I don't read reviews or even look at ratings. I just read novel that I find interesting from their title, description, author and cover

 

I usually read reviews, but most of the time it's for hyped ongoing novels, just to see if they deserve the popularity. But if I'm really interested in reading a certain novel, I may still pick it up even after reading the reviews.