We all know that the star rating system is controversial because of how it impacts authors, while readers still grasp for some way to easily communicate how they feel about a book. But I think the biggest issue with it is that while it’s helpful for marketing purposes, it’s not very helpful for readers who are trying to decide what to read next.
I propose that there be an option to see the average rating readers with similar reading histories and tastes gave the book.
It does no good to see a 4 star average (or a 2 star average) if 90% of the readers who wrote ratings like something radically different from me. What one person hates about a book might be the thing that another reader loves about it. By allowing users to filter for the ratings submitted by users like themselves, it helps the books and authors find the right audience, no matter how much buzz their marketing team can or can’t afford to buy.
The sentiment behind this post — namely the fact that everyone's ratings are subjective and may not relate to you as a reader — is a big part of our product's hypothesis — can you find your next perfect read based on other dimensions? — and why star ratings in general are further down the page.
We've definitely thought about showing more stats on similar readers and also an average rating of your friends/people you follow to give more relatable insights!