How Amazon interprets the stars given by a reader to a book read - not what I thought...

I thought I had some kind of innate idea of what the stars meant. But when I went and reviewed two books last night to see what the process was like but also because now as a published author on Amazon I realize how important  those ratings are for the success of an author.

The ratings others gave a book I was interested in did help me make my decision to take a chance on a new writer or one unknown to me. Next step was to open the book with the "Look Inside feature" to read initial pages. Reading the writing I knew if I would buy it or not.

Well, in the process of reviewing those two books - beside finding I really got into it and enjoyed it - see my reviews of KINDRED by Octavia Butler and THE ORIGINAL FRANKENSTEIN - which shows us that it was better written by Mary Shelley and today we read the version tampered with by Percy Shelley, her publisher, and her father! - I found Amazon's interpretation of what the stars a reader awards a book means to Amazon.

Thought I would share it here because one reader who wrote me that she loved FROM DARKNESS - Book One - Awakening, said she hoped I didn't mind that she gave it 4 stars bec she was comparing it to every book she's ever read, and I guess that includes Shakespeare! So she had that interpretation of the stars. the following is what I thought they meant. Turns out we were both wrong.

I thought :
1 star = I didn't finish it.
2 stars = I finished it. It was just ok by me.
3 stars = Pretty good.
4 stars = I really liked it.
5 stars = I loved it!

But Amazon interprets the stars this way:
1 star = I hate it.
2 stars = I don't like it
3 stars = It's ok.
4 stars = I like it
5 stars = I love it