But she didn’t expect a backlash to strike six months before the book was published. In January, after a Goodreads user who had received an advanced copy posted a plot summary that went viral on Twitter, the review site was flooded with negative comments and one-star reviews, with many calling the book anti-Black and racist. Some of the comments were left by users who said they had never read the book, but objected to its premise. “It may look like a bunch of one-star reviews on Goodreads, but these are broader campaigns of harassment,” Rabess said. As a cross between a social media platform and a review site like Yelp, the site has been a boon for publishers hoping to generate excitement for books.

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Persons: Cecilia Rabess, Goldman Sachs, ” Rabess, Goodreads Organizations: Twitter