What makes a ★★★★★ book?
In 2020, I rated 8 of 17 books with a ★★★★★ rating. But when asked in casual conversation to name the BEST books I had read, I was left with only one or two titles that really stuck out. Now that could mean a plethora of different things. But, either way it’s got me thinking… what makes a book a five star read? And have I been too generous with my ratings? The short answer is yes.
This is the basic rating system on my Kobo:
★★★★★ - I love it!
★★★★ - I like it!
★★★ - It was ok.
★★ - I didn’t like it.
★ - I hated it.
It’s a good starting point, but it’s so much more than that. So let’s expand on my thought process for how I’ve reviewed and rated books in the past…
There is the general feeling when I’m reading a really great book. This is what I consider the I love it! category. Was it interesting? Exciting? Was I able to put it down? Did I stay up all night to read it? Was I thinking about the story while I was doing other things? Could I not wait to read it (and did I find myself reading all of the time? Did I feel differently once I was done reading it? Did I think about the characters and miss them? I think about all of these things when giving my ratings. Even a poorly written book can still make me want to devour it, if the story is good (like Fifty Shades of Grey, for example). The feeling is an undeniable need to devour a book. That’s ★★★★★ to me. Regardless of how well it’s written.
With the I Like it! category, all of the feeling listed above is muted. I know it was good, I know I liked it, but it was missing a certain je ne sais quoi. But this is the category where I think more about how well the book was written. Did I like the authors style? Was it easy to read? Did the dialogue flow? Was the plot thought out? Are the characters well developed? Is the storyline plausible? I think about the overall construction of the story. It may not have WOWED me, but I liked it anyway.
Then there is the It was ok. category, which honestly, I feel uncomfortable giving this rating. To me, it means everything from the I love it! or I like it! categories were missing. It means that I am neutral towards the book, the story, the author. It could mean that it was well written or that it was a five star to someone else, but to me, it just didn’t make the cut. It’s the most mediocre of categories. And quite honestly, I feel like it’s a bit of a cop out of a rating. It’s not quite bad but it’s not quite good either. But why?
For the I didn’t like it. category, this is where I put a DNF or a really boring book. And what makes it a ★★ instead of ★ is how well it was written or how it made me feel. This is entirely subjective and specific to each individual book. A two star means that I would not recommend the book, period.
When it comes to I hated it. I don’t think I have ever actually put a book in this category. It would have to be something pretty terrible for me to want to rate something as a ★. It would have to be the worst written, worst storyline, worst everything for me to rate something a one star. I have a hard time believing that any publisher would let something so terrible slip through the cracks. That being said, not everything is published through a publisher. Self-published books could make their way into this category, if I were to ever actually read one.
Now, upon reflection, what truly makes a ★★★★★?
★★★★★ = Abundance of Feeling + How well it was written
★★★★ = Abundance of Feeling OR How well it was written
★★★ = Lack of both feeling and how well it was written
Note: The review should explain the reasons behind the rating.
★★ = Lack of feeling + How well it was written
★ = It sucked. Period.
What about half stars?
I may do away with half stars entirely. It’s not like it’s an option on the Kobo or Goodreads to give a half star. And in some ways, it’s me dancing in between two categories for a specific reason. If I identify what that reason is, I should be able to go one way or another into a full star rating.
So let’s see how many ★★★★★ ratings I give out in 2021.
Happy reading!