I’m a really bad book reviewer. And by that, I mean that if you go look at my Goodreads profile, the majority of the books on there are 4- or 5-stars.
I think that one reason why I’m so bad at reviewing books is that if I don’t like a book, I simply won’t finish it. And if I do like it, I’ll become hooked and finish it in a day. And if I finish it in a day, it’s pretty much automatically a 4- or 5-star book.
Another reason why I’m terrible at rating books is because I review them immediately after I’m finished reading, so there’s no time for me to “digest” the book, so to speak. I tend to rate books based solely on emotional impact and how much of a “book hangover” I get.
While having a rating system like this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’ve discovered that I’m incredibly lenient with my reviews.
The way I discovered this was by talking with my mom. We often exchange book summaries (meaning that I talk her ear off about the latest fantasy novel that I’ve just finished binge reading) and then she asks me questions about the characters and the plot. Now, I will say that my mom isn’t a huge fan of fantasy books, and, without fail, she always manages to point out events that aren’t exactly realistic (even within the realm of fantasy) or character traits or relationships that don’t quite make sense. While I try to reason out the plot or character choice, I find that I often use the “it’s magic” or “it’s fantasy” excuse. Which, of course, makes me rethink the 4- or 5-stars that I just awarded the book.
Now, I will say that I never usually go back and change my rating. Even though my mom tries to poke holes in the stories I love, I still remember that feeling I got when I read the last word and closed the book. I remember the excitement and anticipation to know what will happen next. I remember the suspense when the main characters encounter their greatest challenge. I remember the sadness that the story’s over and that I’ll never see these characters again.
Honestly, I think that I’m willing to overlook minor plot holes and unrealistic situations if the feelings are there. If I know that the story will linger in the back of my mind for days to come, then it’s an automatic 5/5 for me. And, at the end of the day, does it really matter? It’s my own rating system, after all.
What’s your rating system? Leave a comment below!
P.S. If you haven’t read today’s Take Ten to Write story yet, check it out here!
