 For writers, getting reviews is part of the job description and, occasionally, an occupational hazard. However, what people often neglect to consider is how a book review reflects on the reader who posts it. A well written review, whether positive or negative, commands attention from both fellow readers and authors. Such reviews reveal intelligent, thoughtful and serious readers. Poorly written reviews are quickly dismissed, the reader often not taken seriously. I’m talking about “front-line”reviews, posted by readers on sites like Amazon or Goodreads, not formal reviews like you’ll find here at Underground Book Reviews. Books presented in magazines like ours are heavily filtered before they are even considered. One and two star-level books don’t make it into the magazine, so the quality scale has been “shifted” right, so to speak. Filtered, formal reviews have their place, but front-line reviews are critically important, too, because: 1) They are often from paying consumers; 2) They represent direct communication between authors and readers; 3) They are raw and unfiltered. A reader's book review is a personal thing. Let me be clear, I'm only offering practical advice to empower your front-line book review. Goodreads and a few blogs offer some very generic guidelines on how to review a book, but otherwise its a free-for-all. This series offers the reader a more detailed toolkit. Doesn’t something this important deserve care and attention? In the next three articles I’ll offer some easy tips and guidelines on writing effective consumer book reviews. Today, I’ll provide some examples of appropriate review statements, but I’ll save the bulk of the suggestions regarding writing good accompanying narratives for part two. In part three we’ll talk about how to sift through other readers’ reviews when trying to make a decision on purchasing a book. In this installment, we’ll dissect the common five-star rating, the most prevalent graphic rating scale. The star scale is the first thing a consumer sees when considering a book. Some authors hate it, many consider it a necessary evil. Readers often find ratings unhelpful for various reasons. It's clearly subjective and often doesn't translate well between genres. Like any numeric assessment scale, its subject to inflation. Five-star reviews litter the literary landscape, and, sadly, many are undeserved. On the other hand, there are plenty of undeserved “OMG, I hate this book!” one-star reviews, too. However, Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari and many others use variations of this device. While imperfect, the five-star system is here to stay and perhaps the most convenient tool to quickly rate a book. With that said, here are some suggested guidelines when assigning meaningful, more objective star-ratings.  Reserve ONE-STAR ratings for quantifiably flawed books. Mechanically or structurally flawed books are improperly edited and should be avoided by all readers, regardless of taste or opinion. Mechanically flawed novels are littered with typos, structural problems, severe formatting mistakes, syntax errors, and so forth. Structurally flawed books are mechanically sound, but poorly written. They are plagued with weak prose, overused tropes, poorly developed characters, slow pacing, clichés, and so on. Statements to accompany a mechanically flawed book might include, “Needed more editing,” or “Wasn’t ready for publication.” Possible statements for a structurally flawed books might be, “Clunky prose,” or “I couldn’t follow the convoluted plot.” Unfortunately, the single-star could be dubbed the “Indie Star,” because too many self-published novels are poorly edited. In theory, a traditionally published book shouldnever rate one star (but, sadly, that’s not always the case.) A one-star rating is, in my opinion, the only time a reader has a legitimate excuse to not to finish a book and yet, in good conscious, still post a review.
TWO-STARS denote strong dislike for an otherwise properly written book. You hated it, but why? Did the characters not come to life? Did it drag? Did it offend? Was it unoriginal? Did it rip off another novel or idea? Since your dislike is clear, powerful statements should be easy to write, such as, “The ending was a total disappointment,” or “Dragged all the way through,” or “I could not relate to a single character.”
THREE-STAR reviews range from the mildly negative to the weakly positive. It is critical to explain why three-stars earned their rating. A three-star review without a narration is practically worthless and a waste of time; it leaves the consumer scratching their head and moving on. A negative three-star might be accompanied by statements like, “Well written, but the ending felt dissatisfying,” or “Finished it, but dialogue was lacking,” “Readable, but the author brings nothing new to the genre,” or “Others might like this, but it wasn’t my thing.” A positive three star review might have statements like, “Dragged in the middle, but the ending was good,”or “I liked the hero, but the plot wasn’t believable,” or “Okay novel, but almost lost me a few times due to graphic violence.” Bottom line, a three star review always needs a good justification.
FOUR-STARS are the opposite of the two-star rating; a solidly good book. There may be some elements you didn’t like, but the overall experience falls squarely in the positive. Once again, back it up with clear statements as to why. Comments may ring something like, “Started slow, but really came through,” or “Satisfying read, I’ll buy the sequel,” or “Ranks with some of the better novels in the genre,”or “I’ll look for more by the author.”  FIVE STARS should be reserved for truly exceptional books, ones you couldn’t put down and stay with you long after you finish. A five-star goes beyond merely enjoying or strongly approving of a book. It is a hearty recommendation, a resounding endorsement. It stands out among its genre peers. Perhaps you want to read it again. Instead of throwing out some possible five-star statements, it would be easier to link to an Amazon review of a book I think is clearly a five-star – The Watchman, by Matt Langford. We’ve taken something clearly subjective and, hopefully, firmed it up a bit. With a well thought-out star rating acting as both gateway and framework, we’re ready to write a short, quality narrative. Next week we’ll explore how to write reviews that catch other readers’ attention, as well as effectively communicate to authors seeking feedback. 
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