How I Rate my Reads
There’s no right or wrong way to rate books. Across the bookish community you will find that just about everyone has a different system. Similar, but different. And it works for them. I have always had a hard time assigning a star rating to my reads based solely on if I liked it or not. The CAWPILE system helps me break it down. Not only did I “like” the book, but I can also rate the book on the characters, world building and so on. I linked the video below to the creator @ book roast and a more in-depth explanation of the rating system and how it works. Book Roast also provides a spreadsheet to help track your ratings if you need it. She created multiple versions so choose the one that works for you.
How The CAWPILE System Work
There are seven categories. Each category has its own 10-point rating scale.
0-3 Very Bad
4-6 Meh
7-9 Very Good
10 Standing Ovation
Once all the categories are scored, I total them up and average them (divide by 7). This number will give me my star rating.
1.1-2.2 ⭐
2.3-4.5 ⭐⭐
4.6-6.9 ⭐⭐⭐
7-8.9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9-10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Categories
Character
Atmosphere (world-building)
Writing Style
Plot
Intrigue
Logic
Enjoyment
Character: Character development is important to me, and not just the main characters. The supporting characters are equally important to me, and I love when the authors put in the time and effort to make them stand out as well. Is there sufficient diversity that matches the world the author created?
Atmosphere/World Building: Is it believable? When I curl up and begin reading, am I transported? Is it easy for my imagination to take over as I read, or do I need to put in work? Am I feeling all the feels that the scene is supposed to convey?
Writing Style: This is a matter of if the writing style fit the book and/or the story the author is trying to tell and is based entirely on my feelings as I read.
Plot: This is the reason why I picked up the book in the first place and it goes hand in hand with intrigue. These two categories usually have the same or similar rating. Everything from the rising action to the climax, to the falling action, and every plot point in between should be consistent. Nothing brings down a score faster than plot holes.
Intrigue: Was the book intriguing? Did I honestly want to know how the book ended? Was it interesting? Was it a page-turner? Did I devour the book in two seconds flat? Or did I have an attitude by the end of the book?
Logic: Plain and simple…It gotta make sense. There isn’t much rhyme of reason to it for me. I typically wait until the falling action portion of the book to start rating. I have read some books where the author waits until that point to start wrapping everything into a nice pretty bow. I’ve noticed this more with the Who-Dunn-it genre.
Enjoyment: My Overall rating of the book in terms of: But did I LIKE it? I don’t know about you, but I have read some books that rated pretty low in one or two of the categories, but at the end of the book, I enjoyed to adventure.
