My book reviews are a little different from your average review. At my core, I'm a writer and a tinkerer, so it only makes sense that when I review a book, I dig deep into what makes it tick. I'm also a bit of a math-nerd, which means while my enjoyment of books is subjective, my grading scale is imperial.
As a baseline for the sections of my book reviews, as well as my grading criteria, I've devised this handy cheat sheet.
The Layout
• Intro Blurb: a brief, spoiler-free synopsis of the novel.
• The Good, the Bad, & the Book: a spoiler-free review of the novel. This is where, in broad strokes, I express my greatest likes and dislikes.
• The Deep Dive: a categorical breakdown of plot and characters with spoilers galore. This is where I discuss my likes and dislikes in greater detail.
• Let's Get Technical: my impressions of writing style, perspective, and voice. This is where my writer brain comes alive.
• Settling the Score: my spoiler-free rating.
If you want a spoiler-free review, read The Good, the Bad, & the Book, then skip to Settling the Score.
Grading Scale
I use a weighted grading scale based on the following criteria:
• Plot: weighted at 100%
• Characters: weighted at 100%
• Setting: weighted at 50%
• Writing Style: weighted at 75%
• Point of View: weighted at 25%
• [Narrator] Voice: weighted at 50%
Each category can earn up to 5 points (rounded to the nearest 0.5), which means my grading formula is as follows:
[ (Plot*1) + (Characters*1) + (Setting*0.5) + (Style*0.75) + (POV*0.25) + (Voice*0.5) ] / 4
• One Point = 🪴
• Half a Point = 🌱
