Note that any review is by nature subjective, but I try to be fair.
50 possible points; in each category, 3/5 would constitute 3 stars, or average.
Characters - Were the characters interesting and likable? (10 points)
Suspense/stakes - Was the story exciting? Did I care what happened? (5 points)
World building - Did I feel like I was swept up in another world? (5 points)
Writing/editing - Was the story well-written and clear? Were there grammatical errors, typos, or iffy editorial choices? (5 points)
Clarity - Was the story easy enough to follow? (5 points)
Plausibility/believability - Were there plot holes? Continuity errors? Historical errors? Did anything just not feel right? (5 points)
Positive - Does the book offer hope? Do I feel good after reading it? (5 points)
Gut reaction - Did I like the book? How do I feel about it? (5 points)
Free points - (5 points)
Total points possible: 50
Divide by 10 and round up for a star rating (0.5-5)
Though I write Christian fiction, there's no category for Christian content. There are a couple challenges in rating for Christian content. First, what one person thinks is great Christian content others may think is trite, and what some people think is horrible might really touch someone's heart. While I do feel compelled to mention things that I think are problematic, I think it's just too subjective a criteria upon which to base a rating. (Anti-Christian content would certainly reflect on both the ratings for things like "positive" and "gut reaction" and be mentioned at the top of the review.)
I may also note to what audiences we would recommend the book. Just because I didn't like a book doesn't mean that it's not a great fit for other audiences.
Julie's Reviews / Maggie's Reviews / All Reviews
Julie's top read in 2013, by a large margin, was Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (4.5 stars; a record!).
Julie's top reads in 2012 were A Most Unusual Match by Sara Mitchell (4.2 stars) and The Spirit Well by Stephen R. Lawhead (4.1 stars).
Julie's top reads in 2012 were A Most Unusual Match by Sara Mitchell (4.2 stars) and The Spirit Well by Stephen R. Lawhead (4.1 stars).
2012 - 2013 rating system:
50 possible points; in each category, 6/10 (or 3/5) would constitute 3 stars, or average.
Objective(ish): (35 points)
Compelling - Did I want to keep reading? (10 points)
Characters - Were the characters interesting and likable? (10 points)
Writing/editing - Was the story well-written? Were there grammatical errors, typos, or iffy editorial choices? (10 points)
Plausibility/believability - Were there plot holes? Continuity errors? Historical errors? Did anything just not feel right? (5 points)
Subjective(ish): (15 points)
Positive - Does the book offer hope? Do I feel good after reading it? (5 points)
Gut reaction - Did I like the book? How do I feel about it? (5 points)
Bonus points to balance reviews - (5 points)
Total points: 50
Divide by 10 and round up for a star rating (0.5-5)
Julie's Reviews / Maggie's Reviews / All Reviews
Julie's top reads in 2012 were A Most Unusual Match by Sara Mitchell (4.2 stars) and The Spirit Well by Stephen R. Lawhead (4.1 stars).
