How Hunch predicts whether you'll like a book
Hunch is a free web app that predicts how much one specific reader will enjoy a specific book. Instead of an average rating from strangers, it compares the book against your own taste and gives a score out of 5, broken down across eight weighted factors.
The four steps
- Tell it your taste. Pick genres you love, moods you're after, books you loved and the things you can't stand. It takes about two minutes.
- Add a book. Photograph the cover or barcode in a shop, or type the title. Hunch identifies the edition and finds its description.
- Read your prediction. You get a score out of 5 with a breakdown across eight factors and the reasoning behind each, plus the book's moods, content warnings and an age advisory.
- Rate what you finish. Every rating you give is fed back as calibration, so the predictions get sharper the more you read.
The eight factors and their weights
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Genre Match | 20% |
| Theme Match | 20% |
| Writing Style Match | 15% |
| Pacing Match | 10% |
| Character Appeal | 10% |
| Length & Commitment | 5% |
| Similarity to Past Favourites | 10% |
| Avoidance of Dislikes | 10% |
Each factor is scored 0–5 against your profile, and the weighted sum is your prediction. A book that hits one of your dealbreakers scores low on avoidance however well it matches elsewhere.
What it costs
Hunch is free during its early-access alpha. There is no payment system and no card is asked for.