[quote=""Divia""]Now, I will say that some of the YA readers can be a little crazy or ahem, rather passionate. I think of them as comic book fans. They invest in a character and they think they know how the character should act. This is especially true with trilogies or series.
So I can see some teen reviewers calling an author stupid or fat or something like that because they don't like what happened to a character. I think its teens being teens and they don't know how to express themselves. HOwever, I have seen adults do it too, which is ridiculous. If you dont like the writing, fine whatever, but to go after someone's personal traits or character is beyond stupid in my opinion.[/quote]
I don't think there is an excuse for bad manners, whatever age you are. To write personal attacks on an authors appearance says more about them than the author in question. I do know that once you start reading a long series, the reader does become invested in the characters but at the end of the day it is a book and the characters are not real and it is the author's creation to do with it what he/she wills.
There is a difference between valid and authentic criticism and rudeness and any author worth their salt should appreciate valid critiques but no author should have to tolerate personal attacks.
I remember J.K Rowling said in an interview that a fan nearly hit her when she said Dumbldore was gay-I was stunned and to be honest it was that fan who had lost the plot and not the author.
It is the same with singers where I have seen Adele being attacked with some unkind comments stating 'she is too fat to sing' Huh!?
When it comes to any artist surely it is the talent that should be judged and not their appearance.
Thats my two cents worth

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Bec
