How We Rate Books
tbr*a provides detailed, structured content information for books — not star ratings, not subjective reviews. We tell you exactly what's in a book so you can decide what matters to you.
Our Approach
Descriptive, not prescriptive. We describe what's in a book without telling you whether it's good or bad. “Contains progressive gender themes” is information. “Contains traditional family values” is information. The reader decides what matters.
Intensity + specificity. Not just “violence present” but how much, how graphic, and in what context. Every category gets a 0–4 intensity rating plus descriptive notes for anything above minor.
Transparent sourcing. Every content claim carries an evidence level so you know how confident we are. AI-assisted first passes are refined by human editors who've actually read the book.
Intensity Scale
Each category is rated on a 0–4 scale. Descriptive notes are required for any rating of 2 or higher.
Not present in the book
Brief, background, or fleeting
Recurring but not dominant
Frequent or central to the story
Graphic, pervasive, or defining
Evidence Levels
Every content claim is tagged with how we know it.
Derived from summaries, reviews, and excerpts. Useful as a starting point but may contain inaccuracies.
A team member read the full book and confirmed or updated the content profile. This is the gold standard.
What We Track
Every book is evaluated across 12 content categories.
Sexual content
On-page vs fade-to-black sexual scenes, explicitness, and frequency.
Violence & gore
Body horror, torture, graphic depictions, and the intensity of violent scenes.
Profanity / language
Frequency and severity of profanity and strong language.
Substance use
Alcohol and drug use — glamorized vs cautionary portrayal, addiction themes.
LGBTQIA+ representation
Presence and centrality of LGBTQIA+ characters, relationships, and identity themes.
Religious content
Overt religiosity, clergy/rituals, conversion themes, devotional framing.
Witchcraft / occult
Magic-as-occult framing vs fantasy spellcasting; rituals, summoning, demonology.
Political & ideological content
Political, social, or cultural messaging. Notes are always descriptive, never evaluative.
Self-harm / suicide
Ideation vs attempt, on-page depiction of self-harm or suicide.
Sexual assault / coercion
Threat, coercion, assault, and aftermath.
Abuse & suffering
Child abuse, domestic violence, animal abuse, slavery, and other forms of cruelty or systemic suffering.
User-added ⚠️
Additional content warnings submitted by users that don't fit neatly into other categories.
Spoiler Policy
Content details are hidden behind a spoiler wall by default. Category names and intensity bars are visible, but descriptive notes — which may reference specific plot points — require you to tap “Reveal Content Details” first. We keep notes as spoiler-free as possible, but some specificity is necessary for the information to be useful.
Have feedback on our methodology?
We're actively refining how we classify content. Reach out at hello@thebasedreader.app