At The Hunter we want readers of New Zealand hunting books to get the most out of the books they read and buy. We also want readers to get their hands on the very best books for their purposes, interests and tastes, and our aim is to provide the right information and opinions to help with those choices.

Although reviewing books is inherently subjective, set out below are criteria used to rate each book. The ratings help you to compare and assess titles.

Positive or negative, we endeavour to give you our unbiased opinion.

Recommendation

• “buy it” — a recommended purchase and worthy of your bookshelf.
• “borrow it” — borrow from the library or a friend, but still worth reading.
• “skip it” — not a recommended read.

Overall Rating

• 1, 2 — a bad book, forgettable.
• 3, 4 — average but readable.
• 5 —  above average, neither terrible nor terribly good.
• 6 to 8 — an enjoyable and good book.
• 9, 10 — a classic work and collectors’ item.

Trophy Quality

• 1 — no trophies.
• 2 — one or two trophy-class heads.
• 3 — contains a few record-book trophies.
• 4 — many record-book trophies.
• 5 — exceptional record-book trophies.

Photo & Illustration Quality

• 1 — no photos.
• 2 — a few low quality or black & white photos, but mostly text.
• 3 — average quality photos and illustrations.
• 4 — high quality photos accompanying each chapter.
• 5 — many photos of professional standard.

Writing Quality & Style

• 1 — poorly written.
• 2 to 4 — good writing style, written clearly and simply and fit for the target audience.
• 5 — professional and well written, enjoyable.

Page-turner Factor

• 1 — a forced read.
• 2 to 4 — readable.
• 5 — couldn’t put it down.