JD Vance's memoir faces backlash as Amazon and Goodreads restrict reviews after wave of criticism

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance's latest book has found itself at the center of an online controversy after two major platforms moved to restrict reviews following a flood of negative reactions from readers.

Vance's new memoir, 'Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,' was published by HarperCollins on June 16 and focuses on his conversion to Catholicism. The book marks his second major publishing effort following 'Hillbilly Elegy,' the memoir that helped make him a national figure.

However, discussion surrounding the book has shifted away from its content and toward the reaction it received online. By Friday, Amazon had limited reviews to verified purchasers, while Goodreads temporarily disabled ratings altogether, sparking debate among critics and supporters alike.

Amazon and Goodreads limit reviews of JD Vance's new memoir

According to a report by The Daily Beast, Amazon restricted reviews of Communion to verified purchasers only.

At the time, the book displayingreviews on the platform, including six five-star reviews and one two-star review.

Meanwhile, Goodreads took an even stronger step by disabling ratings entirely.

Visitors attempting to rate the book were met with a message stating that "rating this book is temporarily unavailable." Previous ratings were also no longer visible.

The move quickly drew attention online, particularly because Goodreads is owned by Amazon.

The restrictions appeared after a stream of highly critical reviews targeted the vice president's memoir, prompting speculation about whether the platforms were responding to review-bombing activity.

Goodreads guidelines state that ratings can be removed in specific situations, including cases where users are reviewing a book for reasons unrelated to its content or attempting to artificially influence its overall rating.

Harsh online reviews fueled debate around the book

The controversy gained momentum after the X account @HQNewsNow, which is affiliated with former Vice President Kamala Harris, shared screenshots that appeared to show reviews posted before Goodreads disabled ratings.

Several of the reviews were sharply critical of Vance.

"Why would anyone believe anything that comes from this man?" one reviewer wrote.

The same review continued, "He does not uphold Christian values, has lied to all Americans, does not respect his wife & his soul has been sold to the highest bidder."

Another review urged readers to avoid the memoir altogether.

"Save your time and money. Read anything else," the reviewer wrote.

A third critic added, "Dude wouldn't know religion if it or the pope hit him in the face."

Media reviews of JD Vance's memoir were also mixed

The criticism wasn't limited to user reviews.

Several media outlets also offered less-than-glowing assessments of Communion.

The Wall Street Journal described the memoir as "part religious memoir, part campaign book" and said it suffered from moments of "egregious sloppiness."

Meanwhile, The Cut took aim at the book's overall tone.

"Communion does [Vance] no favors, though, mostly in its sheer banality," the review stated.

The publication added that the memoir was "not even incendiary," while suggesting that Vance occasionally displayed contempt toward liberals throughout the book.

JD Vance tries to keep attention on the book during promotional tour

The controversy comes as Vance continues a nationwide promotional tour for Communion.

One of the most notable stops on that tour was an appearance on ‘The View’ on June 16, where he discussed the memoir and its themes.

During the interview, Vance attempted to shift attention back to the book itself.

He described the memoir as "actually way less political than you might think."

However, much of the conversation focused on politics rather than religion or personal faith.

The panel questioned him on several major topics, including Jeffrey Epstein, immigration and the conflict involving Iran.

As the discussion continued moving away from the memoir, Vance eventually expressed frustration.

"Let's talk about the book, I'm here to sell books," he said.