At the moment I feel like I have no idea how to rate a book. Should it be 4* or 3*? What happens when it is that in-between book, when it fits perfectly in the middle? Should I round up or round down?
I hate using half stars, it feels in a way indecisive (to me!), like I can’t make a decision. I have the facts in front of me yet somehow the answer is not completely clear, there is a large amount of grey. Perhaps I’m being silly…
My usual response to this issue is to bite the bullet and go for the highest one (should I really be admitting this?!). To give the book the benefit of the doubt, perhaps. After all a book is somebody’s baby and they worked hard on it. It’s only fair to give them some reward, isn’t it?
But then I also have the issue of when I feel that I’ve given the book the wrong rating. At the time it felt correct but now something has changed. This normally happens when reading a series. Take my two reviews for the Red Rising Trilogy, for example. Both I gave 5* to, but I felt that Golden Son was infinitely better than Red Rising, and was convinced that I’d only given 4* to Red Rising. I hadn’t. Have I managed to mismanage my opinion? Or did my opinion change due to reading of the sequel?
And if my opinion has changed should I leave my rating as it was (correct at the time)? Or should I change it? And how can I now be sure that the rating that I give are correct?
I don’t rate books for this very reason. It’s waaaay too difficult. And does 5 mean it’s a perfect book? Does 3 mean it’s not worth reading?!? I just conclude with some vague comments that hopefully give someone an idea!
Haha that is true 🙂 for me a five doesn’t mean that it was perfect but everything about it made it super enjoyable. I like giving rating because I feel that it makes my review more certain. But there are times when I regret this decision!
It’s a tough life reviewing books!
Haha 🙂 but I wouldn’t have it any other way!