First and foremost, I did not create this system, I originally found it through a video by Erin Smith who then credits Book Roast, but it is such a great and simple way to rate books that I wanted to share.
Tailored for avid readers seeking a structured method to track their literary journey and articulate their insights, the CAWPILE system offers a user-friendly and consistent method to rate your reads. This can be in a physical format, such as incorporating in a reading journal, or can be in a digital format, within a computer spreadsheet. It allows users the flexibility to input varying degrees of detail while remaining fully customizable to individual preferences. So without further ado, here are the basic features of the CAWPILE system:
CAWPILE
| C | Character | Are the characters well-written? Is there good character development? |
| A | Atmosphere and Setting | The manner in which an author employs setting, objects, or the internal thoughts of characters to evoke emotion, set the mood, or craft experiences for the reader |
| W | Writing Style | The author’s syntax, word choice, and tone, the method the author writes |
| P | Plot | The cause‐and‐effect sequence of main events in a story. |
| I | Intrigue | Does the book keep your interest? |
| L | Logic / Relationships | Does the story make sense? Do the relationship fit in the story-line? |
| E | Enjoyment | Did you overall like the book? |
Here is where the math comes in…
Each category gets up to a score of 10 and when added together, sums up to 70.
To get the star rating, this number is then divided by 7. The final score then gets converted to the number of stars, as seen below.
Example: You give a book the following scores
C = 1 A = 2 W = 3 P = 4 I = 5 L = 6 E = 7
Step 1: 1+2+3+4+5+6+7 = 28
Step 2: 28 / 7 = 4.0
Step 3: Referring to the star chart, a value of 4.0 is in the two-star range. ★★
Hopefully you find this system useful and can start incorporating it into your reading goals. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I can try to help you. Happy reading!
