The Rating System

We created this book review blog because most young adult book reviews don't seem to cut it. Sure, they say it was fun, or that the characters were great, or that's it's fast-paced. But they don't tell us what we need to know:

How will I feel after I read it?

In other words,

Does it end well?

Maybe you’re a Highly Sensitive Person, which comes with being highly impacted by books and movies.

Maybe you have bouts of depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues that make it hard to pick up a book when you don't know how it will affect you and could put you in a bad place.

Whatever the reason, we created our own semi-ridiculous rating system for books. It's simple:

No Risk: You can read this in the throes of depression, and it will be a nice escape. No harm done. These books are fun, light, and interesting, if occasionally a little fluffy.

Read all No Risk reviews.

Worth It: As with most good books, these books have some terrible things happen and some sacrifices are made by beloved characters. But it’s all worth it in the end. Good resolution that balances out the sad stuff is key here.

Read all Worth It reviews.

It's Good, But... it might break your heart. These books could be straight-up Shakespearean tragedies, or just might not resolve well enough to make up for all the stuff the characters go through. Whatever the reason, they messed us up. All good books make us cry, but with these books there was Crying. It went deeper than empathy for the characters. It felt personal.

That doesn't mean we're sad we read these books, it just means we are careful when we reread them and will offer this caveat to any recommendations.

Read all It's Good, But... reviews.

Sorry But You Lost Me: These are for the books that we were excited to read and then...something went wrong. Originally called "Frankly I didn't Care," these books either didn't deliver on their premise, were poorly executed, or simply disconnected from us as the reader. Usually this happens about halfway through. We always know that we're reading a "Sorry But You Lost Me" when we start skimming instead of enjoying the story.

Read all Sorry But You Lost Me reviews.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Two Can Keep a Secret - Karen McManus

Image
Conclusion: Worth It I mean, how could this book not be worth it? It’s got mystery, it’s got angst (the appropriate amount, not the I’mgoingtodieofangst stuff you might find elsewhere in this genre), it’s got small town creepy horror film vibes, AND author Karen McManus keeps the grungy Nancy Drew feel that I loved so much in One of Us is Lying. Also did anyone else miss the subtitle? The title of this book, in its entirety, is Two Can Keep a Secret if One of Them is Dead . It’s so ominous and awesome. Interesting fact: this book deals with a lot of twin issues- if you’re a twin, I’d love to hear some feedback about how this book portrays twin relationships! Also, I was genuinely surprised by the ending. So unlike almost every Bones episode I’ve ever watched (and loved), there is not a formula that runs this plot. It’s a maze of suspects and facts that piece together a gripping story about a broken family in a small town that keeps too many secrets. ALSO, this book is t...
Read more

Strange, The Dreamer - Laini Taylor

Image
Conclusion: It’s Good, But.... The scenery described in this book paints beautiful, contrasting pictures of a strange new world. And it does a crazy good job of telling a love story between two people who never actually meet face to face.   But..... It’s a super long book that tells half a story. It gives the impression of resolve and the glimmer of conclusions to many questions. And then the rug comes out from under you in the last pages. This book is a tragedy in the truest sense, but it lacks the hopefulness or even finality that you are given in other tragedies. And it’s a freakin long book! So in the end I was disappointed. There’s an ugliness to the tale (mass murder, rape, to name a few) that I was willing to work with because I was committed to the handful of characters I learned to love. And then it ended so hopelessly. The second book just came out, and I haven’t heard much about it yet. Based on the length of the book, however, and the preview ...
Read more

Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi

Image
Conclusion: Sorry But You Lost Me Welcome to the book that changed our rating system. Originally, this book would have fallen into "Frankly, I Didn't Care". But that didn't work because I did care. I cared a lot. Right until the halfway point. Which was so frustrating because I was so excited about reading this and absolutely loved the first part. Here's why this book isn't rated "Worth It": The first half of this book is a complete delight. Fascinating world. Great main character. Such excellent plotting . The book moves you along at a quick pace, with increasingly difficult tasks--sell a fish, save a princess, restore magic by traveling to a hidden island. I was having the time of my life! And the world she's created--stunning. From the story of how magic came to be, to the description of Zelie's town and family. I especially love that Zelie is a female character who feels rage. What a breathe of fresh air! So what went wrong? ...
Read more