Important Tips on How to Write Book Reviews

Book-Reviews

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Reviewing can be a daunting task.  Someone has asked for your opinion but you may not feel qualified to evaluate this book.  Who are you to criticize a book if you have never written a novel or a nonfiction book yourself, much less won a literature prize?  You might have questions, such as:

  • What should the review contain?
  • Can I really voice my opinion?
  • What are the do’s and don’ts of reviews?

Above all, a review makes an argument.  The most important element of a review is that it is a commentary, not merely a content summary.  It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the work’s creator and with other audiences. You can offer agreement or disagreement and identify where you find the work exemplary or deficient in not reaching its merit.
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Review Writing Techniques
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While Reading:
Take notes while reading the book, including the page number of interesting content, to make the review writing easier and to remember important points.  Record impressions.
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Opening
Try to capture the reader’s attention with an interesting opening sentence.  The introduction should state your central thesis, and set the tone of the review.  Outline the title of the book, the genre, the author and maybe if it is a newly launched book. What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it?
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Content
Describe the content or theme, what goes on in the story, introduce some of the main characters and elements. From what point of view is the work written? What is the author’s style?  Is it formal or informal?  Does it suit the intended audience?  Write it a briefly, general story line, as not to spoil the reader’s experience.  This rule must always be followed: never give away the ending.
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Plot
Here you should write down how good the plot was. Was the plot fast paced or subdued’, was the plot a good length, or was it all over too quick, was easy or difficult to follow. This part of your review is really important, as the plot is what drives a story in a fiction book.
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Characters
How does the author portray his characters? How do they develop? Are the characters in the book interesting or not, did they fit with the plot? Or has the author a very distinct writing style? Use quotations to illustrate important points or peculiarities.
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Non-fiction Books
What sources did the author use – primary or secondary?  How does he make use of them?  What has the book accomplished? Is further work needed?  Compare the book to others by this author or by other writers.
Typically, reviews are brief.  In newspapers and academic journals for example, they rarely exceed 1000 words, although you may encounter lengthier assignments and extended commentaries.  In either case, reviews need to be succinct. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:

A review gives the reader a short and concise summary of the content.  This includes a relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
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However, more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content.  This involves your reactions to the work under review: what strikes you as noteworthy, whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how it enhanced your understanding of the issues at hand.
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Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience might appreciate it.  It can include a final assessment or simply restate a thesis.  Reviews should be about the book.  If you think a book is a masterpiece, tell people why.  If it had potential but fell short, share your perspective.
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Introduce the book title and its author and why you wanted to read it.  Tell readers what the book is about in two or three sentences.  Name the main characters and basic plot, but don’t give away any secrets or the ending.  Share some of your favorite parts or quotes from the book.  What did you think of the main character?  Did this book remind you of any other books you’ve read?
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Before you Publish Your Book Review:
Edit, spell-check, correct grammar, refine.  Allow some time to elapse before going over your review.  Carefully read through the text, looking for clarity and coherence.
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Reviews Don’ts:
Unfortunately there are these “collectors” of free books on Amazon, who click on every book that doesn’t cost anything on a particular day, no matter if it interests them or not.  Later they might read it – and often slash it in a very unprofessional manner.

Even when it is most difficult, a review is not an emotional response to a book, and should not be used as an opportunity to criticize an author’s personality.  A book review should never be used as a “bully pulpit” for the reviewer to preach to others about his or her own beliefs.

A review is not a synopsis of the books content.  A review should tell readers what the reviewer thought of the book from multiple perspectives, not to repeat the book blurb.

Try to avoid platitudes, such as “I could not put it down”, “a page turner” or “it kept me up all night”

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Reviewers Role
It doesn’t really interest others if you liked the book or not!  Be impartial.  If you are reviewing a book by a favorite author of yours, approach it skeptically.  If you disagree with an author’s philosophy or politics, keep an open mind.  

***Your task is not to champion or chastise the author – it is to evaluate the merits of the work – and if the author accomplished it.***

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Tips from the The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC:  A great place to learn about book reviews is to look at examples.  The New York Times Sunday Book Review  and The New York Review of Books  can show you how professional writers review books.  Nobody expects you to be the intellectual equal of the work’s creator, yet, careful observations can provide you with the raw material to make reasoned opinions.
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Tactfully voicing agreement and disagreement, praise and criticism, is a valuable, challenging skill, and like many forms of writing, reviews require you to provide concrete evidence for your assertion.

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