Novel Ink: CBA Discussion | Does Goodreads Ratings Matter

CBA Discussion | Does Goodreads Ratings Matter

Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2014 4:30 AM

I don't know how many times that I have been EXTREMLY excited about a book only to go on Goodreads and the rating be 3.50 or below. I'm not sure about everyone else but when that happens, I'm no longer that excited about the book and I'm usually very hesitant to purchase it after that.

I don't know why I do this because I know that not everyone likes the same books and there have been times where I've read and loved a book with a lower Goodreads rating. But when I have that book in my Amazon cart and I'm getting ready to hit purchase, it feels like there's this little voice in my head saying 'you better not' and then 99% of the time, I don't.

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I still might read the book despite the rating if it's one that I'm really excited or curious about, but usually only if it's available at my library or I catch it on sale for Kindle. I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I will rarely pay the full price for a book if it has a lower rating. I know that sounds bad, but hardcover books are expensive (at least to me) and I'm very picky about buying them especially if I see a lot of negative things about it.

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Does your excitement for a book dissipate when you see that it has a low Goodreads rating? Will you still purchase it or will you borrow from the library?

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narapanacea 99p · 578 weeks ago

Yes it most definitely does. Specifically if the rating is below 3.00 because that means that an awful lot of people dislike the book D: In most cases with really low ratings I won't bother getting a copy of the book, whether buying or borrowing. With books of rating 3-3.5 I tend to borrow and 3.5+ I'm okay with buying. It's interesting how that one rating can influence our thoughts about a book so greatly though!
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delicateeternity 69p · 578 weeks ago

To be honest, if I have an interest in a novel, nothing will deter me from reading it. I may have completely different taste to a reviewer or blogger, or even a wide range of people (such as those contributing to Goodreads ratings). I can honestly say that I have never let a review or rating prevent me form reading or buying a book. If I am interested, it's for a reason. And even some of my blogging friends who have extremely similar taste to me have disliked some of my favourite books. So everyone has a different opinion on the books they read, so I feel that I could never base my judgement of a book off that of others.
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ditzyscrap 6p · 578 weeks ago

For me it's a mixture of both the overall Goodreads rating and the interest my friends show in the book. I know that the Goodreads ratings can be both over and under inflated...so I don't rely 100% on that (though it's an indicator, for sure). I will most often scroll down to see how many of my friends have added it to their to-read shelf, or rated it 3+ stars.
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Michelle · 578 weeks ago

I don't pay much attention to the star ratings on Goodreads... but nothing will kill my book buzz faster than scrolling down and seeing that the top one or two review is like DNF I HATED IT!!! And then if I read through and the reason they hated it seems like reasons I would hate it (like making light of rape, the guy being all "I want to own you", the girl being super weak). Then all of a sudden all that excitement I was feeling about the book will deflate a little bit. It may not persuade me to not ever read the book, but it will make me sigh and double think it :(
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tonyalee · 578 weeks ago

I think that depends. The overall rating? No, because there are several people that rate the book without reading it or because they didn't like the way it ended or something or other. I always go based of my "friends" and "community ratings".

So do I use the overall rating when it comes to buying? Nope. :)

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Pam@YA Escape · 578 weeks ago

If it's a book I'm really interested in, I will probably read it anyway, but if it has low ratings, it goes further down on the list and like you, I'm more likely to get it from the library. If it's a series I love, I'll still buy it no matter what and I usually don't even pay attention to the ratings on Goodreads after the first book. But otherwise...it definitely matters.
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heymariac0 31p · 578 weeks ago

That's exactly me! I always check the rating in Goodreads before reading a book. If it's at least 4, then I assume it's awesome. Anything lower than that, I have second thoughts on it. However, there are times that I break that attitude especially if the book is fantasy/high-fantasy.

Does your excitement for a book dissipate when you see that it has a low Goodreads rating? Yes! Sometimes, I avoid checking the book rating in Goodreads just to prevent the "assume" disappointment.
Will you still purchase it or will you borrow from the library? Well, since we don't have a public library here, that only left me to either download it free in the internet, or purchase it. It actually depends on the plot. If I really like it, regardless of the rating, I will buy it.
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Tanya Patrice · 575 weeks ago

If the rating is below 3 and there are a lot of ratings, then chances are I'm not buying the book. I rely more on Amazon and Goodreads ratings than on blogger ratings - because of the prevalence of ARCs- which I feel they tend to give a better than it really is rating.