Quick answers
Ratings are aggregated by community vote. Once a book has 5 or more votes, the averages will populate and you'll be able to see them. If you disagree with a book's rating, that's okay! Things impact us all differently, and it is possible that your Very Extremely Sad is my Just a Little Bit Sad, or vice versa.
Newer or less-read books may not have enough community votes yet. A chapter needs at least 5 votes before its average rating appears. If you have read it, you can help by adding your own rating.
'Sad' is not a scientific unit of misery. It is a quick community shorthand for emotional intensity. Readers rate chapters on a 1 to 5 scale, from not sad at all to emotionally devastating. Different people can experience the exact same chapter very differently, which is why the site uses community averages instead of pretending there is one objectively correct emotional response.
The goal is to give you useful emotional information without telling you what happens. Chapter ratings themselves do not reveal plot details, and spoiler-sensitive warnings are hidden until you choose to reveal them. Nothing is completely spoiler-proof, but the site is designed to keep accidental spoilers to a minimum.
Probably not. The goal of this website is to provide insight and information that will better inform whether you want to read something or engage with the subject matter. A book might contain themes or imagery you do not like. Reading it is a decision that is up to you. Books often contain things we don't enjoy, make us think, challenge us, or even include things we disagree with. Characters can voice problematic opinions or thoughts without assuming the author shares those views. If a book is genuinely problematic and espouses or promotes racist, dangerous, transphobic, homophobic ideologies, please submit a support ticket.
Absolutely. Indie books, obscure books, old books, weird books, books everyone else forgot about, bring them on. Use Add a Book and help grow the library.
If a title, author, cover, chapter list, series assignment, warning, or other book information looks wrong, use the correction/report option on that book's page. If you can't fix it there, submit a support ticket and tell us what needs changing.
No. You can browse books, check ratings, and contribute ratings without creating an account. Signing in gives you access to account-specific features like saving your reading status and preferences.
Because they are measuring completely different things. A chapter can be emotionally devastating and completely sexless, or extremely spicy and emotionally fine. Keeping them separate makes both ratings more useful.
HSITC is a one-woman operation and I built most of this website in a 72-hour hyperfocus-induced fit of productivity with little sleep and nothing but a bag of HARIBO gummy bears for sustenance. Stuff might not work all the way sometimes. If you need help or find an error, you can submit a support ticket here.
Email cate@catieosaurus.com
Email cate@catieosaurus.com