What makes a book worthy of five stars?
Obviously, there is no universal answer to that question. One person's five-star, couldn't-put-it-down, this-book-altered-my-brain-chemistry read is another person's DNF. And honestly, I think that's one of the fun things about reading.
But there are definitely a few things that can take a book from “yeah, I liked it” to “FIVE STARS. NO NOTES.” for me.
So, in absolutely no official capacity whatsoever, here is what makes a book a five-star read for me.
The Writing
This one seems like a no-brainer. Obviously, if you don't enjoy an author's writing, you're probably not going to love the book.
But sometimes it's the smallest things that get me.
I've DNFed a book because an author used the same word over and over again to the point that I couldn't not notice it anymore. I've put books down simply because the flow of the author's writing style didn't work for me. Sometimes the dialogue feels unnatural, sometimes the pacing feels off, and sometimes I can't even put my finger on exactly what it is, I just can't get lost in the writing.
That being said, I really do try to keep an open mind and let the little things slide.
Someone put their time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears into writing that book. My opinion is exactly that: my opinion. Something that drives me absolutely bonkers might not even register for another reader. A writing style I don't connect with could be the exact thing someone else loves about that author.
So when I say I didn't like the writing in a book, I'm never saying the writing was objectively bad. It just wasn't for me.
And that's okay!
The Cover
Okay. I know. Don't come for me!
We have all been told our entire lives that we should never judge a book by its cover.
But occasionally...
I have. shhhh, it's ok! It doesn't happen often, but often enough that it had to be mentioned.
And I may have...possibly...downgraded my overall feelings about a book because the cover made me cringe.
Sorry, not sorry.
I've also completely overlooked books because I didn't like the aesthetic of the cover. I can't help it! I know it's a flaw. Yet here you are, still reading this blog despite it, so thank you. (Lol!)
For me, the cover is part of the whole experience. It's the first thing I see when I pick up a book. It's sitting on my nightstand while I'm reading it. It's what I'm looking at every time I close the book and what I see sitting on my bookshelf afterward.
With all of the photography, illustration, editing, graphic design, and technology available today, I just really appreciate a beautiful cover.
Do I claim to be an expert in photography or digital art?
Absolutely not.
Am I still going to have an opinion about your book cover?
Absolutely.
The Opening Lines
The beginning of a book is so important to me.
There is something incredibly satisfying about opening a book, reading the first page, and immediately thinking:
Oh yeah. This is gonna be good.
If I finish a book and can look back and say that the opening is what immediately grabbed me and made me want to keep turning pages, that's going to improve my overall rating.
On the other hand, I've put books down after chapter one because they simply didn't hold my attention. There are far too many books sitting on my TBR to force myself through one that hasn't given me a reason to keep going.
That said, I have absolutely given books five stars despite a less-than-stellar beginning.
But if you're going to lose me in chapter one and still earn five stars by the end?
The rest of that book better knock my socks off.
The Plot
Another no-brainer.
The plot is the heart of the entire book. If I'm not invested in what's happening, I'm probably not going to be very invested in finishing it.
Too many unexplained plot holes? That's going to bother me.
Jumping around so much that I'm constantly trying to figure out what's happening? Probably losing a star.
A storyline that feels like it's going absolutely nowhere?
We're in dangerous DNF territory, my friend.
But give me a good plot twist?
Ohhhh, you've got me.
If I'm sitting there confidently thinking I know exactly where this story is going and then suddenly I'm staring at the page with my mouth hanging open because the author just pulled the rug out from underneath me?
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
You win.
Honestly, I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to plot. I read because I enjoy reading. I'm not sitting there with a red pen searching for inconsistencies or analyzing every little detail. Something usually has to be pretty glaring for me to knock down a rating because of the plot.
But surprise me? Make me gasp? Make me immediately want to text someone who has already read it because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
That's five-star territory.
How It Made Me Feel
And honestly, this might be the biggest one.
A five-star book doesn't necessarily have to be perfect.
It just has to make me feel something.
Make me laugh out loud. Make me cry. Give me butterflies. Make me angry at a fictional person. Make me stare at the wall for five minutes after finishing a chapter because I need to process what I just read.
Give me characters I miss when the book is over.
Give me a story that randomly pops into my head three days later.
Give me a book that I finish and immediately wish I could erase from my memory just so I could experience it for the first time again.
That's what separates a book I simply liked from a book I loved.
Sometimes I can recognize that a book wasn't technically perfect and still give it five stars because of the experience I had while reading it.
And honestly?
Those are usually my favorite kinds of five-star reads.
So, What Makes a Five-Star Book?
For me, it's some combination of all of the above.
Great writing. A cover I love looking at. An opening that grabs me. A plot that keeps me turning pages. Maybe a twist that makes me audibly gasp.
But most importantly, I want to feel something.
These are, of course, just my opinions. I try really hard not to judge books too harshly because someone put an incredible amount of time, energy, and love into creating that story.
It's okay to dislike a book.
It's okay to DNF a book.
And it's absolutely okay to adore a book that everyone else seems to think was lacking.
That's one of my favorite things about reading, we all get something different from it.
So read what makes you happy, rate it however you want, and don't worry too much about whether everyone else agrees.
After all, reading is supposed to be fun.
Kick back, relax, and happy reading!
— Fern & Owl
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