The 5 Star System
Reviews at Livsbookshelf are based on the following five star system.
When you see a 5/5 review on this blog it means a book was AMAZING. Novels that are rated 5 out of 5 stars generally have relatable characters and thought provoking subject matter. Their topics tend to be controversial and/or risky in today's market. This means that the way in which the subjects matter is presented lacks political correctness but rather tells a story regardless of whether it may offend certain audiences. Novels that receive a 5 out of 5 rating are able to relate to their audience on multiple levels while also pulling in readers from all walks of life. The most important trait of a 5/5 book is that it teaches it's readers something they can use later in life.
Novels that receive a rating of 4/5 are great books. Often 4/5 books lack sufficient world building but still present an incredible story that pulls the reader in. Books that rank as 4/5 or above are must reads, however a reader may find themselves losing interest if they are not already enthusiastic about the genre that the book is presenting. Many 4/5 books supply a relatable protagonist, and an interesting story suitable to their target audience however they may fail to address readers outside their niche.
A 3/5 star review signifies that a book that could have been very good, however somewhere something went wrong. This can be anything from obtrusive spelling and grammar errors that interrupt the flow of the book to an under developed story line that just wasn't put through enough beta readers. Books that rank 3/5 generally come from good authors, who produced a less than optimal book.
Books that receive a 2/5 lack proper editing and often contain poor writing. These books may have fundamentally good ideas that were poorly executed.
Books that are given 1/5 stars have issues with their storylines and character building. They often fail to entertain the reader, nor do they teach the reader anything. They fail in many aspects of story telling and are not recommended.
