Since beginning this blog, I have been dissatisfied with my rating system. I attempted to rate each novel in a general and subjective sense on a scale of 1–5.
This was imprecise and subject to whims of emotion. Notice I didn’t say opinionated. My reviews are intentionally opinionated.
But to gain consistency and standardization, I developed the ASPECT rating system. I admit to feeling smug with “ASPECT” Each letter has meaning, but the acronym as a whole has meaning relevant to a book review. ASPECT: a way a thing may be viewed, regarded, or interpreted.
See what I did there?
I rate each work in six different categories:
ADAGE – What is the author’s message? Is it worthy? Is it logically and fairly represented, even if I disagree.
SKILL – How well does the author write? (my very inexpert opinion)
PLOT – Is there a coherent, unified story?
ENVIRONMENT – What are the setting, time, and place? Is it vividly described and interesting?
CHARACTERS – Are the main characters well developed, vividly described, interesting, believable, relatable, and compelling for their role?
THRILL – How exciting was it? Was it a chore or a pleasure to read?
I rate each of these categories on a scale of 1 – 10:
10 = Perfect
8 – 9 = Outstanding
7 = Excellent
6 = Very good
5 = Average
3 – 4 = Below average
1 – 2 = Poor
Then based on total ASPECT sore:
55 – 60 = 5 stars
49 – 54 = 4 ½ stars
43 – 48 = 4 stars
37 – 42 = 3 ½ stars
31 – 36 = 3 stars
25 – 30 = 2 ½ stars
19 – 24 = 2 stars
13 – 18 = 1 ½ stars
7 – 12 = 1 stars
1 – 6 = ½ stars
I expect this to become the book-reviewing standard.
I understand that using ½ stars means I am rating on a scale of 1-10. But 1-5 is in wide use and is more aesthetically pleasing than 1-10. (I wish Goodreads would add ½ stars.)
And because I am fussy, I rescored every novel I’d previously reviewed. There were 20 or so that I had to adjust a half star, and only three changed by a full star. So, my old system worked pretty well, but I believe the ASPECT system will help me be more consistent in the future.
And for no particular reason, I only use this when reviewing novels.
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Wow! Very, very organized and precise and well-contemplated.
ReplyDeleteWhat a worthy idea! I like it. I feel pathetic about my rating system. It's only based on my immediate emotions after completing a book. Goodness knows how lacking in substance it is. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWow, a very thorough way of rating. I would've spent half the reviewing time just to score each category! :))
ReplyDeleteI could never decide what sort of rating system to use so I didn’t rate - until my 2022 wrap up post of books read where I used A A+ B B+ etc but I’m not really happy with that. You have certainly put more thought into your system!
ReplyDeleteRating books I loved reading has always felt like a fruitless endeavor, likely because what they intended and achieved was quite different from one another. When I tried scoring them, I kept thinking something was left. So I reverted to sorting. If I'm particularly moved, or pleased, or surprised by a book, I might label it as "to be reread". Then when I go back and do so, it might have lost its initial charm, or revealed another. So I end up with a list that I have reread and want to keep rereading. If I think back to it a lot, I might justify recommending it to a friend, which for me places it in the highest tier.
ReplyDeleteYes, rating books is sort of a losing proposition. If you think you will ever reread a book, that's a pretty good recommendation.
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