Restraining Order

Have you ever struggled to think of something positive to say about something you really didn't like? Like liver. I feel that way about a book I recently purchased and read. It was a YA christian fantasy story, so I was excited when I discovered it. I did manage to finish it, but only by force of will.
I'm sorry to say that I will never let the girls read it. First of all, the writing was terrible and I don't want them reading bad writing until they are old enough to evaluate it objectively and not emulate it. Secondly, the story crossed a spiritual line, of sorts, and I don't want them exposed to the concepts that it presented.

But this book brings up other questions for me--those of ethics in critique.
Do I have the right to evaluate another's work? I am not a published author. Am I qualified to pass judgment as I do? This is the easy question, and the answer is simple for me. I am not a published author, but I am a voracious reader. Even without any further study into the art of writing, this gives me the basis upon which I can review and make recommendations. Constant exposure to friends makes recognizing the enemy easy. Besides, everyone is allowed to have an opinion.

But what about when that opinion might cause someone harm?
I made it no secret how much I disliked Twilight, and I am not alone in my opinion. However, Stephanie Meyer is already a huge success as an author, even if the reasons are beyond my comprehension. My negative review is not going to damage her. In fact, because of her success, it might even make some people curious enough to read the book for themselves to see what all the fuss is about.

But the book that I refer to today is this author's very first published work. There has not been time for the success or failure of this book to be determined. What I say could possibly make an impact. At least it could if more than three people read this blog.
I am also taking into account that this is the very first fiction story that her publisher has ever released. Their entire catalog is inspirational and self-help type books. To some extent then, an engaging narrative and natural sounding dialogue is outside their realm of experience as well*. So some of the responsibility is theirs.
Every problem in this book could be fixed. It is also possible that this author (and publisher) will grow together and create something amazing in the future. And so, allowing for the learning curve, I think a little critical restraint is in order.
And some day, I might be on the receiving end.

*I am Not saying that non-fiction is not engaging. I am saying that different rules apply to fiction writing.