Wait. Did A.I. review my book JUST ONE FLAKE? Opinions wanted!

I will sometimes read reviews of books I’ve made. I know that everyone says you shouldn’t do it, but I do. Some are really nice!

And as for the negative ones, well, I actually think all my One Star Review, Guess Who? posts have helped me in this area. I mean, if someone has given friggin’ Charlotte’s Web – a nearly unanimously beloved book – one star (oh yeah, it’s happened), then I think we all just have to throw our hands up and realize that every book is going to have someone who hates it (One Star Review of The Very Last Castle, anyone? How about Blue Floats Away?).

But I digress. I’m here here to show you a review of my book Just One Flake that I think was written by A.I..

Actually, I’m here to show you this review and ask you if you also think that it was written by A.I. (And if it wasn’t, then I’m even more confused because it’s like the review is for a different book.)

*IMPORTANT NOTE* I am seriously not upset about this review. I truly find it so unexpectedly off-base that it brings me joy. So when I refute it line by line in just a second, know that it’s not out of anger, but out of an attitude of “this is so wild it has to be A.I.”

Here’s the review (with my notes in bold):

Just One Flake is a children’s illustrated picture book that shows a small snowflake as it falls from the sky (I guess it shows a snowflake falling from the sky, but that is clearly not the premise of the book). The snowflake’s journey from the sky down to the ground is shown (It’s not), including him seeing other snowflakes like itself (Wait, are they saying the snowflake is sentient? It’s not). The book hits on individuality, and observation of nature (Okay, I’ll give you this one). The book utilizes rhyme (Not a single rhyme in the book) and simple diction to try to encapsulate the childish wonder over winter and snowfall.

Just One Flake overall is a calming piece of literature (Calming? The main character wears himself out with all the running, climbing, and head-first leaping) based in fact, that explores the idea of winter. Just One Flake uses some personification (It doesn’t) to gently talk about nature and spark imaginations by detailing the adventure of one snowflake (No) and gently pointing to its uniqueness in a sky full of so many other snowflakes (It actually doesn’t do this at all).

In a classroom I would likely keep this to K-1. The book is very simplistic in its writing style, meant for comprehension by young, new readers (True!). It allows a neutral (“Neutral” – this is the odd word choice that really makes me think this is an A.I. review) and imaginative way for children to engage with the concepts of nature and winter, by personifying the “life” of a snowflake (It doesn’t personify a snowflake) and its journey from the sky down to Earth (Not at all).

Okay, I’m curious what you think. Was this an A.I. generated review? And if so, why are people posting A.I. generated reviews? Is this some sort of new trend that I wasn’t aware of? Let me know your opinion in the comments.

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