Review Format

As of June 5, 2023, I am adopting the CAWPILE rating format/system. This system was created by G at Book Roast. It wonderfully breaks down a book into all of the parts of the reading experience that are most important to me.

Here is what CAWPILE means and an idea of what I’m looking for with each:

  • C — Characters
    • Development, relationships, etc.
  • A — Atmosphere
    • Immersive setting, feelings, etc.
  • W — Writing
    • Style, easy to follow, etc.
  • P — Plot
    • Pacing, satisfying resolution, etc.
  • I — Intrigue
    • Held attention, can’t put down/pick up, etc.
  • L — Logic
    • Story/character consistency, believability, etc.
  • E — Enjoyment
    • Overall satisfaction vs. time spent reading.

Each of these categories will be given a score out of 10. The total will be divided by 7. That score is then converted into stars for a standard 5-star system using this scale:

  • 0.0-1.1 = 0 *
  • 1.1-2.2 = ★
  • 2.3-4.5 = ★★
  • 4.6-6.9 = ★★★
  • 7.0-8.9 = ★★★★
  • 9.0-10 = ★★★★★

* If this ever happens (which I highly doubt), they will most likely have to be put as a quarter/half or 1-star on places like StoryGraph, Goodreads, etc.

On this blog:

After the book info & publisher’s synopsis, I will provide my overall rating (in feathers, not stars because stars are overrated… I’ll see myself out…) along with individual bulleted CAWPILE ratings. Those ratings will have—I’m not sure what they’re called…sub-bullets?—with insight into the ratings for each category. Think of it like a TL;DR (too long; didn’t read).

Underneath, will be a longer, more traditional review. Each category will still be broken down but I will go more in-depth about why I rated it the way I did. I’m finding more and more that walls of text, however organized, are just not my thing.

  • Book info
  • Publisher’s synopsis
  • Star rating
  • CAWPILE ratings & bullets
  • In-depth CAWPILE review (w/ spoilers)

On Goodreads, StoryGraph, etc.:

I like to avoid spoilers in my reviews on other websites so for these sites, I will be using this format:

  • Star rating (if real rating includes quarter/half stars and whether I rounded up or down)
  • CAWPILE ratings & bullets
  • A couple paragraphs of spoiler-free, more in-depth review.