How the Rating System Applies To Works Reviewed on SRE

I use the five-star rating system here at SRE when reviewing books and other literary works. The rating system applies to all submissions. I should state that I have a no-abandon policy. This means I will finish reading regardless of how painful it is for me, and then I will form an opinion.

Perfect – 5 Stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Five stars are reserved for the crème de la crème. It means that the book, short story, essay, poem, manual, or manga is a life-changing event. It’s a work I will engage in multiple times, or at least until something that tops it comes along. It will be hard to beat or equal words in this category, so I will likely hold on to it and engage it until I’m dead or the world ends. Nothing beats five-star reads.

Awesome – 4 Stars

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A four-star read is damn good, nearly perfect, high-quality, and almost the best, but it does not entirely change my perception of the world. Like five-star works, I will engage a four-star read multiple times until something just as good or a skoosh better grabs my attention. I’ll take a four-star read any day and love it.

Good – 3 Stars

Rating: 3 out of 5.

A three-star read is solid good work. It’s engaging, and the ideas are developed well enough to make me think about the what-ifs. Three-star reads are good to read in bed or on the couch on rainy days. I’ll likely revisit three-star reads, but I don’t always do so.

Poor – 2 Stars

Rating: 2 out of 5.

A two-star read leaves a lot to be desired. It may have one or two decent elements, but it needs work. I may hide a two-star read so my friends and family don’t comment on my poor taste. Occasionally, I’ll revisit a two-star read, and now and again, the two stars can grow to three.

Awful – 1 Star

Rating: 1 out of 5.

A one-star read reveals a multitude of problems. These works are so awful that I’m tortured while reading them. I may yell at the characters or the author. A one-star read has almost no chance of redemption. I punish a one-star read by sliding it under the bed or dropping it behind a bookcase and then pretending that I loaned it to someone whose name I can’t recall.