An unforgettable world. A cast of lovable characters. A plot twist that leaves you breathless. What does it take for a book to earn a five-star rating?
To help us define perfection, we asked avid readers on Facebook and Twitter to finish this sentence: “When I give a book five stars, that means…” and listed some of the most popular answers. Which ones do you relate to? Share your favorites in the comments.
1. “It cured my depression, cleared my acne, and aligned my chakras,” says Brooklyn.
2. “That I think even the guy who loaded the book onto the delivery truck did a perfect job,” says Heath.
3. “I called in sick to stay home and finish it and I will be pressing it into your hands next time I see you,” says Judy.
4. “I couldn’t put it down and was sad when it was done. A five-star book should pull you in and refuse to let you go,” says Nathaniel.
5. “I want to read it again…and again…and again,” says Denise.
6. “I will have difficulty finding my next read because this one really rocked me,” says Tonya.
7. “I didn’t guess the ending,” says Claire.
8. “I forgot to sleep, eat, and everything else until I finished it,” says Nenad.
9. “It means the characters came to matter to me; they were authentic; they drew me in and I came to care about them. A five-star book has changed me in some way that I can’t even necessarily name.” says Gracie.
10. “The author was able to drag me out of reality, paint a picture for me, and suck me into the story like I was truly there, every time I read that book,” says Lizzie.
11. “That it profoundly affected me and changed the way I think or brought new meaning to my life,” says Stephen.
12. “I was living the book, not just reading it,” says Susan.
