Welcome to another blog post!
If you’ve been following my blog for a long time, you will know I always do a monthly round-up of everything I have watched and read. I’ll list each book, show or film, and then I’ll give a rating out of 5. I also have a media journal, where I write my reviews on what I read and watch and I also give a rating there.
Now, I’ve shared my rating system a couple of times on these monthly round-up posts. However, it’s always been a one-word description. I want to give a comprehensive guide to what constitutes rating something 1 star compared to a 5 star. I plan on linking this post to my monthly round-ups from now on so that the guide is always there in case you need a reminder.
Of course, a quick disclaimer. Ratings are completely subjective. A 5 star book, film or tv show might be a 3 star rating for you. You know what, hat’s the beauty of stories. We all connect with them differently. My ratings aren’t based on strict criteria or a checklist. Instead, they’re a reflection of how much I enjoyed something, how engaged I was, and whether it stayed with me after I’d finished it. With all that being said, let’s get to it!
1 Star – Awful – I Really Didn’t Enjoy It
I rarely give out 1 star ratings. Maybe it’s the type of person I am but I almost feel guilty for giving something 1 star. This is what I consider to be the lowest of the low. There’s no redeeming factor to what I’ve read or watched.
I can only think of one time that I’ve not finished reading or watching something. I almost get this idea in my head that because I was drawn to something in the first place, I should complete it. Now, there are so many times where I have wanted to stop reading or watching something. This is what I tend to give a 1 star to.
Why would I want to stop watching something? Well there could be a few reasons. It could be that the storyline does not flow the way I want. It could be that the acting is terrible. It could be that it wasn’t what I expected. In fairness, giving something a 1 star will probably be as a result of a combination of these things. My point is, I don’t like whatever it is and I would 100% not recommend it to anyone.
2 Stars – Meh – Disappointing
This for me is the next step up. It’s not terrible or awful like a 1 star but it still isn’t great. This might be something that truly disappointed me. It might be something that has some redeeming quality but still falls short of what I want.
I tend to give this to a book, show, or film that is still pretty terrible but I didn’t have that desire to not want to finish. Am I likely to recommend it to someone? Probably not, but it’s not a given either.
3 Stars – Okay – Good, But Nothing Special
This is the average point. Giving something 3 stars means that it’s not mind-blowing but it’s not terrible either. It’s maybe something that didn’t meet my expectations but wasn’t too disappointing to be a 3 star.
However, I may also give 3 stars to something that I was expecting to be average and it met those expectations. This is a good point to say that this guide is not binding. I don’t strictly follow it and I also can look at things differently from one day to the next. Regardless, rating something 3 stars means it’s just okay. Nothing spectacular. Nothing terrible. I would recommend it though if people liked that sort of thing.
4 Stars – Good – Really Enjoyable
A 4 star means we are genuinely in the good stuff. A 4 star rating, probably alongside 3 stars, is the most common rating I give.
A 4 star rating is something that I really really enjoyed but it was just missing something that gives it the wow factor for a 5 star. Equally, it might have had a couple of flaws but not enough for it to just be considered average. These are things I would definitely recommend to other people and I would probably re-watch some of these again. Looking at you, How I Met Your Mother!
5 Stars – Great – An Absolute Favourite
This is the top notch stuff. These are the shows, films and books that I can’t find any faults with. Well, there may be some faults but my overall enjoyment of whatever it is I’m consuming overshadows any criticism I may or may not have.
These are things I would recommend again and again to anyone and everyone. These are the shows, films and books I could rewatch and not get bored with. A 5 star is rare but know that if I give one out, it’s for good reason!
And that’s it! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this post and I will see you soon for another one!
Beth
Beth Olivia 