Why I don’t put content ratings on my book reviews
Over my nearly 16 years of book blogging, I’ve gotten many requests to put content ratings on my book reviews and recommendations.
And I totally get why people want that!
Whether you call it “steam level” or “blush rating” or something else entirely, I know that it’s no fun to pick up a book and get a little bit into it and then realize it’s not the book for you.
I’ve spent an incredible amount of time thinking about it and I decided years ago that this wasn’t going to be something I did on Everyday Reading.
Here’s why I’ve chosen not to put content ratings on my book reviews:
Why I don’t put content ratings on my book reviews
- Everyone has a different standard for what they consider “clean.” Some people don’t want any swearing at all and some are fine with some swearing that they consider tame but don’t want other kinds of swearing. Some people are fine with sex as long as it’s completely off-screen or if it’s a “fade to black” situation. You might feel differently about sex if it’s an affair situation. I get comments all the time (often on the same day!) from people think my book recommendations aren’t clean enough and people who think all my recommendations are too tame. There is simply no pleasing everyone. Just like movie ratings – a PG-13 movie can vary wildly from just barely not a PG movie to almost an R rated movie.
- It really takes the fun out of reading for me. At the end of the day, it’s hugely important to me that reading stays fun. I want to recommend books that were a really great reading experience for me and it’s hard to have a great reading experience if you’re fixated on slapping a rating label on it at the end or trying to keep a tally of the swearing.
- I’ve read thousands of books over the past two decades and I can’t remember all the details of them. I have recommended hundreds and hundreds of books on Everyday Reading over the years and ten years later, I can’t remember how much swearing they had in them or if there was more than kissing or if there was assault. I can remember if I loved reading it and if it’d be one I want to share, but once I start rating some books, then there is the assumption that if I didn’t mention the steam level or swearing content of a book that it’s completely free of anything that anyone would find objectionable. It just gets too tricky! A few months ago, someone asked for books with zero death of any kind in them (her mother had just passed away). I opened up a question box asking for suggestions and literally 75% of the recommendations had deaths in them. But those responders hadn’t been reading them with an eye to death and so it wasn’t something that stood out to them – they just remembered it as a book they’d loved. That’s how it is for me too.
- I want the freedom to mention books I’ve just started. One of the things I love is sharing books in real time that I’m reading and have just picked up from the library or picked for Book of the Month Club. I don’t know yet how they’ll be, content-wise, and they may end up being a book I put down. Being a book recommender who puts content ratings on things feels like it restricts my ability to share.
- Format matters. I notice language more when I’m listening to a book than if I’m reading a paper copy. It’s easier to flip past a triggering scene in paper than on audio. If I read a book on paper, it might feel less intense or scary or steamy than it does if you listen to it, so our experiences with the same book might be quite different.
- I usually DO try to mention if there is a lot of swearing or sex in a book. For instance, when I wrote my review of Malibu Rising, I said “I’ve gotten some questions about swearing and sex in it and it’s on par with her other books – if you were comfortable with the content of Daisy Jones and the Six, you’ll be fine with this one. (And likewise, if some of her other books were too much for you – skip this one). It’s definitely on the higher end of what I’m comfortable with, content wise.” When I recommended The Accidental Beauty Queen in the 2020 Summer Reading Guide, I said “It’s also squeaky clean!” So I’m not trying to leave you with zero guidance – I just don’t want to be held down to putting a definitive rating on something.
- I try to give good suggestions for resources where you can make your own decisions about if a book is right for you. I have a post about it here, but some of my best ways to quickly check content are the 1 and 2 star reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. Storygraph has a section for content warnings on nearly every book (and they are EXTENSIVE – well past just language and sex. If there is stalking or suicide or child death or a million other triggering topics, those can be listed there. I can’t pretend to know what you’ll find objectionable and I don’t want to assume I know.
- I’m ALWAYS happy to respond to comments/emails/DMs about content. If you’re considering a book and have questions about it, please feel free to send me a note and ask. I might say “I read it a decade ago and can’t remember anything racy but I can’t guarantee!” or “you’re aware that some characters are having sex, but it’s only mentioned in passing with no detail.” I absolutely want to help AND I don’t want to be the ratings board for books.
I hope that helps make it more clear why I don’t put a content rating on my book reviews. My main focus is here is recommending books that I love and that are a great reading experience.
And I’m so glad that there are so many tools available to help each of us pick the books that are right for our own tastes and preferences!
100% agree with this list! Life has no guarantees. Sometimes you pick up a book that’s not for you. Generally, it’s worth the risk!
This is great! I just found out about the app “Does the dog die?” which has reviews and content/trigger warnings for books and other media. Originally made for parents who wanted to know if the dog dies in a book, like Where the Red Fern Grows, but now for lots of other content, too.
Completely agree with this and glad you mentioned it. I do still think it’s important to mention possible trigger warnings.
This post nailed it! Whenever I do reviews, I don’t include notes about language or sex, unless it’s something that I thought was notable for that book specifically — usually because it made it difficult for me to finish or took away from the plot. For instance, the final book in a series I loved overdid the intimate scenes, so when I reviewed it, I said that, even going so far as to say that I skipped entire chapters because they were sex for the sake of sex and did not advance the story. I do always try to mention if there are triggers, though.
Rather than a content rating, I think it is best and not too difficult to just state something like: this book contains swearing, sexual intimacy and mentions of drugs. No rating needed – just a few simple words stating what content readers can expect from books that are recommended. I’m always grateful when reviewers include this and I’m always sure to add it in my reviews as well. This is definitely more common with modern fiction…the classics don’t need these warnings as much/often.
Thank you for explaining. Content is the #1 thing that keeps me from reading more as an adult. I’ll get through a good book and be so excited to start the next one only to find out it’s filled with awful content. It’s usually so off-putting that I don’t even attempt to find another book for quite some time. Why does “adult fiction” (or even “young adult”) mean littered with trash!? It’s such a mental block for me.