Question:
Do you give one star reviews?
I don’t use a rating system on my blog anymore but when I did (and still do on goodreads) sure - if that’s how I felt.
It doesn’t happen all that often but according to my Goodreads stats – since 2010 – when I started blogging - I have given 7 ⭐ star reviews, 91 ⭐⭐ star, 404 ⭐⭐⭐ star, 554 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ star, and 128 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star reviews.
Those lower stars mostly came from back in the day when I was taking every book that came my way. I’m MUCH pickier these days and most reads are 3 or 4 star reads and I just DNF’d a book! Go me!!! lol That’s something I struggle to do.
*Update - a few people have asked how I got my Goodreads rating stats:
Open your Goodreads profile (located to the upper right) then under your profile picture it will have your number of ratings then the average in parenthesis. Click on the average and it will show your rating stats.
Goodness. That's a lot of 5 star reviews. I'll give 1 stars on the blog or Goodreads. Eh. If it sucks it sucks.
ReplyDeleteI was stunned by the number of 5 star reviews. I assure you - only a handful are from recent years lol
DeleteYeah - I'm the same - I give the book the number of stars I think it deserves.
I definitely give mostly 4 star reviews, but I don't struggle with giving 3 stars when it's deserved. I've even given a couple of 2 stars for recent reads that really disappointed me. I haven't really given 1 star though - normally that's just called a DNF.
ReplyDeleteThese days I'm my ratings are typically in the 3.5-4 range.
DeleteI'm horrible at DNF'ing so there are a few of 1-2 stars but mostly, I'm better at picking my books now.
I struggle with DNFs too! I don't think I have ever gave a 1 star review but definitely 2 star reviews. Those are usually books I didn't like but also that made me angry at something in them.
ReplyDeleteYES!!! I'm usually SO mad with something with those 2 star books lol
DeleteIf I hated it then yes I will. I always finish the books I start because I want to know if they get better.
ReplyDeleteThat is my weakness. What if.... lol
DeleteI power skim if I'm hating a book. That way I know how it ends but I don't spend 3 days torturing myself. I don't review those though because I know I'm skipping some things.
I believe the only time I 1 star a review, is if there are many problems and issues with the book, but it doesn't happen too often. I have only done a few, if I don't like it or the book isn't for me I normally 2 star. Then if its an average or likable story its a 3, 4 stars are I really liked it but still had a couple problems,and five star is its amazing and put on my shelf to re read in the future. Those books I can't put down no matter what.
ReplyDeleteI think a book would have to piss me off to give it a 1 lol Horrible editing that made it to publishing anyway, or something condoning rape or violence maybe. But I think I would just stop reading instead now and say why on GR's without rating.
DeleteI kept wondering why most of mine are 3-4 compared to before and like you I'm way pickier now! haha it makes sense though :)
ReplyDeleteFor awhile I did have a lot of 2's because I was accepting things that weren't for me. I would say these days my average is 3/5-4.
DeleteI have no idea how to check my stats, apart from counting individually. I rarely rate books lowly, only because I tend to DNF if I'm not enjoying something and then mark it as read without a rating. There's been very few I've given one star to though, the few were because they were terribly written or just plain offensive or toxic. I do enjoy reading one starred reviews though to see the issues readers have had with a book, so they're an important part of reviewing.
ReplyDeleteTo check - go to your Goodreads profile then under your profile picture it will have your number of ratings then the average in parenthesis. Click on the average and it will show your rating stats.
DeleteMe tooooo. I have to make more of an effort or I'll never clear out my bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteThose 5's are rare now! I wish it broke it down by year because I was shocked by the 128. I give 5 stars to maybe 2-3 books per year now - if that.
yes I do when the book is really bad. I do because it effected me in a bad way and I want to let others know in case they read the book. I read a book and another person rated the same. :)
ReplyDeleteIt happens and I have no problem being honest about it. But Rainy Day Ramblings (who hosts this feature) brought up a good point on her blog that 1 stars are being used to down vote books and hurt the author - even if people haven't read the book.
DeleteIt wouldn't stop me from rating honestly but it was a good point.
Ah so that's how you get your Goodreads stats lol. And yeah I would give a one star if I felt the book warranted it, although I don't think I've given any one stars? Probably because I don't do ARC's so I'm pretty picky, like you pointed out. I've had a few 2 stars though...
ReplyDeleteI just figured it out last year!
DeleteThe 2 stars for me tend to be authors I love so I auto buy/read and then hit a dud. Otherwise I investigate books quite a bit before I accept for review or buy these days.
I don't use star ratings all the time, but much more on Goodreads than on my blog. If I don't like a book THAT much, I tend to DNF. Plus, I usually pick books I'll enjoy and are 3 or more stars.
ReplyDeleteI investigate books so thoroughly now lol that I rarely get a 1 star read these days.
DeleteSo neat! I didn't know you could get your stats on Goodreads, good to know! I am with you... I'm way more pickier about the books i pick up nowadays and if I'm 50 pages in and it's just not resonating, I move on to the next. Life is too short to struggle through a bad book :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a great discovery! lol I was stunned by how many 4-5 stars I gave. I thought there were more 2-3 than there were.
DeleteThanks for the tip on getting the stats. Very helpful! I don't have many 1-star ratings because if they are headed that way, I actually convince myself to DNF them. And I don't rate DNF'd books.
ReplyDeleteI just figured out how to do it myself. It's kind of cool to see what your averages are.
DeleteIt's hard for me to DNF but I skim read and won't review those because I feel like I probably missed things relevant for review but I go the answers I needed to move on.
I haven't given a one star review in a LONG time, but I will if it calls for it. I think I give more 2 stars than 1 stars, and that doesn't happen much either. I usually DNF a book that isn't working for me.
ReplyDeleteAgree!
DeleteI'm ok with giving 1 star. Sometimes it's just that bad. That said I disagree with giving 1 star for DNF, I feel that's unfair since one didn't finish the book and for all that person knows, it improved drastically at some point.
ReplyDeleteI don't rate DNF's either. I feel like I'm missing a piece of information so I can't rate the entire book. I'll just explain why I didn't finish and leave it up to the reader if that's something that would bother them or not.
DeleteI give one stars but not too often. I think I only have 3 on my blog. A book has to be absolutely dreadful for me to one star it and I'll usually DNF if it's that awful.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's where I'm at now. Why waste time on a 1 star book??
DeleteI think honesty is important and you need to say what you feel about something, therefore I'd give a book 1 star on goodreads if necessary but with my blog I decided not to waste my time reviewing them if they are below a 3. I'll mention the book - and why I didn't like it - in my monthly reading round up but that's it.
ReplyDeleteLife's too short to waste time on stuff you don't enjoy, so way to go on the DNF!
Almost everything I read now is 3+ stars because I'm getting pickier. But I do believe in begin honest. So if it was a 1 star than so be it.
DeleteI also rarely ever give one stars. I have to seriously HATE a book to the point that it makes me angry to give a book one star!
ReplyDeleteFor me a one star would be for horrible editing/writing or if it's promoting a character as sexy and he's as ass - like non consensual sex that's supposed to be hot...that makes me stabby.
DeleteI hardly ever do 1-star or 5-star. I think 99% of my books are between 3.5 and 4.5!
ReplyDeleteJen Ryland