Rethinking 5 Star Reviews | Interview with Em from The BookList

Is the five star rating system officially broken? Rachel and Kate sit down with Em (known on Bookstagram as @_bookbrat), founder of The BookList, to discuss a new approach to how we review, rate, and discover books.Whether you are reviewing a spicy standalone novella or an eight book high fantasy series, traditional star ratings often leave readers with mismatched expectations. Em breaks down how her new platform removes stars entirely, replacing them with structured reader data to help books land in the hands of their exact target audience.In this episode, we cover:The Problem with 5 Stars: Why subjective ratings fail readers and how starless, structured feedback creates healthier review spaces for traditional and indie authors alike.Inside The BookList App: How The BookList acts as a reading companion and dating app for books powered by community data, custom lists, and mood tracking.The 7 Reader Archetypes: How reader psychology, primary archetypes, and secondary tendencies (from Chaos Goblins and Pace Chasers to Spiralists and Escapists) define your reading identity.Supporting Indie Authors: How the 5-star system and social media negatively impact indie authors and why creating dedicated spaces for indie releases helps both authors and readers. Rapid Fire Romantasy: Em shares her god tier reads, top book boyfriends, Sarah J. Maas favorites, and most anticipated upcoming releases.CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:Instagram: @_bookbrat & @thebooklisthqWebsite - take the quiz to find your reader archetype: https://booklisthq.com/ UPCOMING DEEP TROPE SCHEDULE: Sept 22: Practical Magic 2 Movie Breakdown & Midnight Margaritas!Sept 29: Deep dive kickoff for The Incendiary (book two in The Selvaren series) by LJ Claren.Sept 29 (9 pm EDT): Threshing Day Virtual Release Party with Romantasy Chaos HQ and RuningBooks. RSVP here for this FREE event: romantasychaoshq.kit.com/threshingOctober 1: Special reaction episode to Threshing Day by Rebecca YarrosCONNECT & SUBSCRIBEFollow along for weekly episode drops, extra book breakdowns, and community discussions:Website: deeptropepodcast.comInstagram: @DeepTropePodcastTikTok: @DeepTropePodcastFacebook: /deeptropepodcastDeep Trope is a fantasy romance podcast where two unfiltered millennials go deep into popular romantasy books, breaking down plot, characters, easter eggs, theories, tropes, and of course, their favorite spicy moments.