How I Rate and Review Books
- Hazy
Earlier this year I decided to read more books. In my opinion, books are essential and can be very entertaining. Deciding if a book is good should be approached the same as movies. A good book to me might not be a good book for you. It is key to remember that when you read anyone’s reviews, they are just long-thought-out opinions, and opinions are not facts. Books only rely on imagination and it is up to the reader to imagine the things the author writes. The three main things I look for in a good book are the Writing, Characters, and Plot. If all three of these things are good then it’s highly likely that the book is good. It is also important to remember that just like movies, books have many genres, and not all relate to everyone the same. Some people love romance novels whereas I tend to gravitate toward horror novels. It is all about preference.
In my reviews, I will break the Plot, Writing, and Characters down and discuss my opinions. Even if those three things are strong, it does not necessarily mean I love the book, but it helps its rating. I will review the pacing and how the book made me feel then I will discuss my feelings about the book overall. I will talk about if I thought it was scary or thrilling and discuss the things that the author did that I liked and disliked. Books are a little harder to judge because I believe they are a lot more subjective than a movie. In a movie, you can see what is going on, they can rely on special or visual effects and cheap jump scares to frighten someone. With a book, you have to imagine the words as scenes in your head, which makes it harder to judge because it is up to the reader to understand the writing. The key will be if the author can effectively convey the horror they are going for. There are no cheap jump scares in books, only thought-out scenarios that make or break the vibe. This makes every experience personal to the reader.
I will rate books out of 5 stars. 5 stars mean that it is my all-time favorite book, definitely one I will reread and recommend to everyone. 4 stars represent that I thought the book was good, but it is not my favorite, and that I am not likely to reread it. 3 stars mean that the book was okay, I do not recommend this book to everyone and I will likely forget I read it if I do not write it down. 2 stars mean the book wasn’t good, I did not like it, and wish I had not read it at all. A 1 star is for any book I do not finish because I hated it that much. I do not foresee myself rating many books a 1 star but it is here just in case.
I look forward to reading and reviewing many books in the future and discussing my thoughts here for you to agree or disagree. I am also excited to compare and contrast the books with their later remade movies. I will point out the differences and similarities alongside what I liked and disliked about both. Can a movie be better than the book? We will find out in the future compare and contrast posts. But for now I better get to reading, rating, and reviewing!