Book Rating System - How To Give a Book a Star Rating
Whether you are rating a book on an App like Goodreads or for your own book blog, it can be challenging to decide on a Star rating.
After you have taken the time to give a detailed explanation in your book review, a star rating can feel like a cold, hard, definitive stamp across the whole novel.
In reality, a star rating is simply a summation of your opinion. It is there to help you (and others) to identify your favourite styles, genre and authors and help you create a vivid picture of what really makes you tick as a reader.
Of course, while writing is subjective, there are undoubtedly good books and bad books, and your star rating will likely be similar to those of other readers. However, everyone has different tastes, and you should not be afraid to express your opinion in your review or star rating.
Let's take a look at how you can decide on your star rating -
BOOK RATING CRITERIA
Top Tips
Read the entire book. It's unfair to judge a book on only half of its content. Who knows, the latter half could be a work of genius and will boost your star rating hugely.
Write your review first. If you're writing a full book review, make sure to gather all your opinions together first. There may be elements you forgot about which would change your star rating. (PS - If you would like some top tips on writing a book review, check out our blog How to Write a Book Review in 10 Steps – Beginner's Guide)
Don't compare it to other books you have reviewed. Over time your taste in books will change, so please don't compare your current rating to a book you reviewed five years ago.
Trust your instinct. If you thought a book was terrible, it likely was. Don't shy away from your judgment!
Be Honest. Don't change your star rating to fit with popular opinion.
How To Find Your Star Rating
A great way to decide on your star rating is to split your review into sections and find an average.
Take a look at the six subsections below, and give them each a star rating in correlation with the novel you're reviewing. This should guide you on how to rate the story overall.
Initial Response: How did you feel as soon as you had finished the book? Was it good, bad or indifferent?
Recommendation: How likely are you to recommend this book to a friend?
Re-Readability: Do you think you will reread this book? Or is it heading to the back of your bookshelf?
Style: Did you enjoy the writing style? Or did the author's tone distract you from the content?
Plot/Structure: How engaged were you in the story? Were you excited? Shocked? Moved? How keen were you to turn the page and find out what happened next?
Character: How relatable were the characters? Were there any that you particularly engaged with?
What Does Each Star Mean?
Unsure where to place your book? Take a look below at our star rating guide and work out where you will put your latest read.
1 STAR (*)
Have you come across a tragically dull read? Did it lack structure, contain boring characters, or was it packed with grammatical errors? Perhaps it was even downright offensive. Whatever the problem was with this book, there is no denying it was bad - and we mean really bad!
The 1 Star review is for books that have no place on your bookshelf. The ones that were snooze-worthy from start to finish (sadly, they are out there). If you think a book was utterly terrible and need everyone to know it, don't be afraid to use the 1 Star review.
Remember - you need to back up your star rating, so be prepared to explain why the book was so disastrous in your review. If you simply didn't engage with the content as it wasn't your cup of tea, but can still appreciate that it is a good piece of writing, consider moving it up the scale.
2 STARS (***)
It's safe to say that you won't reread this book, and it's doubtful that it will remain on your bookshelf. However, perhaps this book wasn't complete nonsense. The 2-star review is for a book that definitely wasn't good but wasn't completely bad.
If you appreciated the story or enjoyed a few snippets of text, but felt overall that the book lacked personality and storyline, then award your below-average read a 2-star review.
3 STARS (***)
Are you feeling neutral about your recent read? Were you a little underwhelmed? Are you plagued by the feeling of indifference? Then bring out the 3 Star review.
You should award 3 Stars to books that you mostly enjoyed but didn't leave you with the "wow, that was good" kind of feeling. If, overall, you liked the book but were still troubled by a few components (i.e. Basic characters, simple storylines, obvious endings etc.) or felt it lacked personality, award your book 3 stars in appreciation, but not glorification.
4 STARS (****)
Now the party is starting! 4 Stars are for books that you enjoyed, from beginning to end - a truly great read.
It may not be top of your reread pile, but if the opportunity arose, you wouldn't say no. You should be pleased with all the components of the novel, and perhaps you were even thrilled about one element in particular (such as an engaging character or plot twist).
A 4 Star rating is for books that are truly superb but are perhaps just missing the cherry on top to boost them to the full 5 Stars.
5 STARS (*****)
Can't wait to reread? Top of your recommendation list? Can't stop thinking about the ending? Beginning? Chapter 13, page 4?!
5 Stars are for the creme de la creme of your bookshelf. Those books that give you the "I'm so sad it has ended!" kind of feeling. Of course, no book is entirely perfect, but if this book has you almost shouting from the rooftops, filled you with a joyous buzz and reminded you how wondrous it is to read, then 5 Stars are certainly on the menu.
Let me know how you rate your books!