I think it’s really important to have a set of guidelines when reviewing books for a blog, so that each book is graded on the same scale. There are many times when I’ve looked over book reviews on Goodreads and thought to myself, “Why would this person give this book such a high (or low) rating?”
I don’t want people to think that about my reviews, so I’ve laid out how I rate. This also prevents me from giving a book a low rating just because it’s a type of story that I didn’t like.
What my 5 stars mean:
- 1 star is ‘bad.’ I give them out for books that I didn’t even finish (DNF). I try to read books all the way through unless I have serious problems with them.
- 2 stars is ‘didn’t like it.’ Given to books have major problems, to the point where I wouldn’t recommend it.
- 3 stars is average. It’s a book that I would call ‘fine.’ It wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad, it was fine.
- 4 stars is ‘good’. It’s a book I liked and would recommend.
- 5 stars is ‘great.’ It’s a book I loved. A book I not only recommend, but will talk to all my friends about and tell them they have to read. I don’t give out a lot of 5 stars because for me, a 5 star book is something exceptional. Like an A+.
The stars I give depend on a number of factors. Generally, I try to look at all the factors as a whole, but sometimes there will be one factor that stands out more than the others and has more impact on the rating.
1.) WRITING STYLE & TECHNIQUE. The voice of the story, word choice and flow, grammar and punctuation, spelling. Is it easy for me to devour the story or do I get hung up on awkward sentences?
2.) WORLD BUILDING & CHARACTERS. It’s all about believability and likability. If I don’t like the characters or find their actions not to be genuine and realistic, there is no way I’m going to like the story. Likewise, if the setting is lackluster, I can’t get settled in the story. On the other hand, if I get completely wrapped up in, say, the history of Victorian England, that’s a job well done.
3.) PREDICTABILITY. I like being surprised. If I know what’s going to happen, chances are I’ll put the book down. There are some books, like retellings of classic fairy tales, where I already know the ending, and predictability becomes less of a factor when rating the book.
4.) DEVELOPMENT. Both the plot and characters must evolve with the story. This includes having a satisfying ending (even if it’s a cliff hanger, I want at least to feel like something was accomplished) and having characters who have grown closer. Since I’m reviewing romance books, I want the characters to be in love at the end, even if they still have work to do.
5.) A Hook. The best compliment I can give a books is not being able to put it down until it’s finished. If I know I should go to bed and I’m still up reading, then the book has it’s hooks in me. Sometimes a hook takes time to develop, and sometimes the hook lets go and I’m left reading a book that’s lost its momentum.
6.) SPECIAL SOMETHING. Sometimes it’s hard to articulate exactly what I like about a book. And sometimes I like a book that contains things I don’t like. A special something can be anything that makes or breaks a book. But it’s not limited to the book itself. It can be something about the author or the series as a whole.
Love is Love Reviews 