Just to get this sentiment out of the way, everyone is entitled to their opinion and taste in books. We can’t all be the same, and neither should we be.
That said, I was on Goodreads the other day and I couldn’t help but notice a staggering number of books I’ve loved receive 2 or 3 stars, or just barely graze 4 stars. Some books that lack a cohesive plot, comprehensive characters, and horrid pacing receive 5 stars with an emphasis that they would be given more if the rating system allowed it.
Obviously, my humble opinion in a tiny corner of the internet is not a great barometer for measuring what sells and what does not (especially since I am an unpublished writer), but I am not the only reader out there noticing the degrading quality of stories. Much of the language appears monolithic (lacks variety), almost like the corporate-speak expected in blogs and articles so that it will be detected by Search Engine Optimization.
As an aspiring fantasy writer and a fantasy reader, I can’t help but notice the constant barrage of modern squabbling language thrown into medieval or fantasy worlds, recycled romance tropes, throwing every mythological creature and Lord of the Rings race in sight into the world, and/or battle-royales within school settings. I was once excited to dive into Goodreads for some good fantasy after reading mostly literary fiction the past year. The onslaught of rabid 5-star ratings convinced me that I would have an amazing time with today’s fantasy stories. Boy, was I heartbroken.
Can we please bring back 3-star ratings for stories?
My Adventures with Romantasy and the 5-Star problem
As an example of my disappointment, after reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Quicksilver by Callie Hart, and Silver Elite by Dani Francis, I am struggling to understand the appeal of these stories when the main characters do incredibly idiotic things just to move the plot along, and the world-building seems so chaotic. For the record, I do commend these authors for their success, and it is wonderful that these stories have profoundly touched readers; I hope these authors continue to hone their craft. I also envy how quickly they can turn out books and I look up to their incredible holding power and marketing. I aspire to that sort of success for my own work one day.
I mainly wish that the ratings reflected truly powerful prose, introspective characters, and thoughtful themes.
***Minor Spoilers Ahead***
Violet of Fourth Wing is supposed to be incredibly intelligent and a weak fighter…, yet she often makes decisions that put herself and other people in danger. She also fights with daggers—which is a horrible choice for a supposedly physically weak and petite woman who needs to overpower an attacker (a polearm or sword would be the better choice).
Saeris from Quicksilver is supposed to be street smart, and she quickly allows herself to get tricked into a servitude spell because she missed the not-so-fine print (it was glarying) about having to fully comply with orders in exchange for rescuing her brother.
Wren from Silver Elite is the worst. She is supposed to hate the authoritarian government and military oppressing her, and in the first chapter she sleeps with a soldier from that faction. On top of that, she clearly cares more about “hot guys” than her uncle who was executed by these same authoritarians because she almost never mentions him again.
***End of Spoilers***
If you are a fan of these stories, that is fine; I myself have my guilty reading pleasures. My argument is not that these “okay” or “bad” books should stop getting published. Instead, I believe we should bring back harsher, nuanced, criticism and honest reflections on these stories and their characters. I would give these popular romantasy stories 3-stars—except for Silver Elite. Silver Elite is easily 1-star for the most air-headed protagonist of all time. She’s an unreliable narrator to the max, boasting skill and ferocity without the evidence to back it up. She has two brain cells fighting for third place.
Bring Back 3-Star Ratings!
3-Star Ratings aren’t inherently bad. They recognize that a book possesses all of the components of a structured story: a clear plot, standard characters, and a theme. Perhaps they merely leave the reader wanting more, or the message was unremarkable. Perhaps the rhetoric or prose was too plain or predictable. None of these traits, however, make it a bad story.
5-Star Ratings should be given to outstanding stories—stories with careful, beautifully written prose, thought-provoking themes, and words that leave impressions on the minds of readers. Granted, gauging what constitutes these characteristics is challenging since personal taste is also valid. I would love if stories did not insult the reader with obvious inconsistencies.
I hope that if or when my own stories come out that I get roasted as well. Tell me when my plots don’t make sense. Tell me when my characters do unreasonalby idiotic things.
