My Book Review System: Star Ratings Explained

The five star system of rating books is simple in theory, wildly subjective in practice.

One person’s 5 star book can be a “ugh, I DNF’d it,” for someone else. And honestly? Both people and their reasons for loving or loathing the same book are still valid, because reading is so personal.

So I thought I’d break down what star ratings mean to me. What makes me give a book 4 stars instead of 5? And why do I rarely, if ever, go as low as 1?

1 Star

I’m actually not sure I’ve ever given a book a 1 star rating (publicly). I think anyone who has managed to write, edit, and publish a book automatically deserves 1 star for their hard work!

For me, if a book is 1 star then I really really didn’t enjoy it and wouldn’t recommend it to others. And I have no qualms about DNF’ing. I really don’t. Life is too short!

Now, some readers are firmly against DNF’ing. I respect it, but it could not be me! I’ve happily walked away from many a half-read book.

But would I rate them 1 star? Mentally, sure. But publicly I won’t, because if I haven’t finished it then how could I give it a fair and balanced review? Maybe there’s a twist that changes everything, or perhaps the final 200 pages are absolutely brilliant. Unlikely, but you never know! And so I don’t think it’s fair to slap a star rating on something I didn’t see through.

The only time I’d give a book a 1 star rating publicly would be if I found the book genuinely harmful. If it glorified abuse, racism, or homophobia, for example, I feel a responsibility to warn other readers. Even then, I always read reviews before I purchase a book and so if I see red flags in reviews, I don’t buy the book in the first place.

2 Stars

2 stars isn’t necessarily a bad rating, but it just didn’t move me. Maybe the plot was fine, the writing was good, and the characters existed, but I felt… nothing.

For 2 stars I will have finished the book, had a little fun perhaps, but I feel indifferent by the end. I didn’t hate them, but I also wouldn’t recommend them to my friends or family. Or I could write a fair and balanced review, but there’s no passion behind it.

3 Stars

A 3 star book is one I did enjoy, and probably had fun with it, but something was missing.

That something is almost always (in my case) an emotional connection. Maybe I liked the characters, but I didn’t root for them. Or the world seemed interesting, but I wasn’t completely immersed. Or the plot had potential but it relied too heavily on deux ex machina.

Here are a few reasons a book might land in 3-star territory for me:

• I found the writing clunky
• I thought the plot didn’t make sense
• The pacing was too slow or too fast
• The plot relied too much on deux ex machina (particularly in fantasy)
• I liked the characters but the author used the miscommunication trope (I liked it at first but it’s so overused to create conflict between romantic interests that I can’t bear reading it anymore. Please, authors, please just let people talk to each other like adults.)

So yes, I had a good time. But I wasn’t obsessed or besotted.

4 Stars

4 star books are so damn close to perfection. I loved the story, the plot was tight, the writing was great, and the characters felt real, but…

There was something keeping me from giving it 5 stars. And, you guessed it, that something is emotional connection again! I enjoyed the ride, but my heart didn’t break for the characters. I didn’t feel that post-book emptiness and longing that makes me crawl under the covers for 3 days to mourn, refusing to resurface until I’ve had time to process my feelings.

Still, a 4 star book is one I adored and would absolutely recommend.

5 Stars

5 star books have chewed me up and spat me back out and I’m changed irrevocably.

If I’ve given a book 5 stars, it’s because I’m emotionally devastated when I finish it. And this does not mean it has to end in tragedy. Sometimes it is, but usually it’s because I’m devastated it’s over. It’s because when I turned the final page, the reality that I will never experience everything with these characters and in this world for the first time ever again smacked me right in the kisser.

My heart is heavy, I’ve got goosebumps, I’m crying, and I’ve almost certainly stared at the ceiling for 2 hours at a loss for words while I just… process. Grieve. It’s truly a bittersweet feeling to love a book so much that you feel bereft when you turn the final page because your time in the world and with the characters you’ve fallen deeply in love with is over.

These books make me forget I’m reading. I’m not lying in bed with my kindle in hand, staring at various combinations of 26 letters on a screen. Time slips by unnoticed and I’m in a different world entirely, experiencing everything right alongside an incredible cast of characters who have forever found a place in my heart. And when the book’s over, I’m a wreck. Which is how I know it was perfect.

What’s your rating system?

TLDR; I built my book review system on vibes and feelings. How do you systemise yours? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

I wrote this post as part of May’s 2025 Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight. Last month I wrote about my bookworm origin story, which was my first post for the Discussion Challenge.