The 4 Things That Earn 5-Star Book Reviews

I am by no means a critical reader. All I want is a good story to make me forget the world. However, as a reader and a book reviewer, I do look for certain elements in a fiction book, which compel me to rate it 5 stars. I have listed the four most important ones below –

The 4 things that earn 5-star book reviews

A GOOD STORY

Story is at the heart of all good writing. A good story engages its readers and makes them eager to know what happens next. I don’t care if the author didn’t put dazzling sentences in each page. I don’t care if the book is a mishmash of fairy tale & detective genres.

What matters to me is an impressive story that doesn’t let me go, once I’m hooked, since these are the stories, I tend to remember months or even years later.

A SMOOTHLY FLOWING NARRATIVE

 A coherent/fluid storyline is important to get me interested in the book.

Awkward sentences, choppy dialogues, and last but not the least, poor grammar make reading a chore for me, and thus drives me away from the book.

In other cases, long-winded responses with too perfect grammar can be spoilsport too. Confusing timelines can also prove as impediments to the creation of a seamless narrative.

AN IMMERSIVE STORYLINE

I love reading atmospheric stories and stories with rich description.

Reason?

These help me to completely lose myself in the world created by the author.

Among the short number of books, I have read, I have tossed aside books that failed to create a full-fledged world for me to escape to. I am willing to make an effort to read a book, but if the story isn’t engrossing enough, sorry, I have got better books to read.

UNIQUE CHARACTERS

Three-dimensional, relatable characters are the crux of any story. Interesting characters breathe life into a story while cardboard characters can make an otherwise good story fall flat on its face.

If I don’t get invested in a character’s journey, chances are, I am going to stop reading the book after a while. Hence, creating memorable characters is an absolute must to earn a 5-star rating from me.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As far as an original narrative is concerned, it is an icing on the cake but not a necessary criteria for me to get invested in a book. Conventional storylines, if rendered well, can win readers’ hearts.

At a time, when hundreds of books are hitting the market, it’s unrealistic to expect unique stories from each of them. However, the author should lead me to the climax in a fantastic way. That more than compensates for a rehashed story.

An open book

Let’s Chat

Hola friends! Based on what factors, do you rate a book? What do you look for in a book which makes it special for you?

Let me know in the comments’ section below.