About Fic Scout
Fic Scout is a book rating site where readers rate books on the things that actually decide whether you'll like them: characters, plot, writing, setting, pace, spice, twists and more. Instead of a single star rating, every book gets a breakdown, so you can tell a slow, beautifully written book from a fast, plot-driven one before you start it.
Why it exists
A 4.2-star average doesn't tell you much. Some readers love slow burns with gorgeous prose, others want nonstop action. I kept a spreadsheet rating books on the things I cared about for over a year, and eventually turned it into this site so other readers could do the same and find books that fit what they actually like.
How ratings work
- Overall: every rating starts with an overall score from 1 (hated it) to 5 (loved it).
- The core four: characters, plot, writing and setting, each from 1 to 5. These are optional, and a skipped category never counts as a low score.
- Extras: readers can also rate what stood out, like the villain, ending, twists, magic system, romance, humor, emotional impact, etc.
- Feel: pace (very slow to very fast), tone (grimdark to cozy) and spice (none to explicit) aren't good or bad, so they're shown as where a book sits on the scale rather than as a score.
Where the numbers come from
Every score on a book's page is the average of readers who rated it. Readers who didn't finish a book can still rate it, and the percentage of people who didn't finish is shown too.
Lists
Book lists like fast-paced fantasy or fantasy with the best twists are built from these ratings and update on their own as new ratings come in.
Get in touch
Questions, feedback or a book you think we're missing? Email jake@ficscout.com.