This is a review, after all, not just an essay on the book. They also want to know what you think about the book, and how it made you feel! Other readers don’t want to hear just the facts. The more specific your review is, the more it will help both the reader and the author.Ī book review without specific details will be seen as less credible and less objective than a review that can posit at least one simple fact about the book. When you write your review, be sure to share facts, like a quotation from the book or statement about the plot. However, Did Not Finish (DNF) reviews are a thing…but if you purposely do not finish a book for whatever reason, make sure to justify it in your review. Jumping to conclusions about a book before you’ve finished it is unfair to you, the author of the book, and your fellow readers because you’ll be missing critical information (a twist ending, for instance) that might affect the review you ultimately write. It might sound obvious, but you really should read the entire book before you write your review. Not to mention, the physical action of taking notes helps you commit information about the plot, characters, and themes to memory, which will aid you in writing a great review much quicker than you would otherwise be able to be. Not only is this a great way to write a better book review, it’s also helpful in helping you remember the information you’re reading, and in developing your critical thinking skills. If you’re planning to write a book review, you should pay extra attention as you’re reading and take the time to jot down any notes or ideas as they come to you.
How to Write a Book Reviewīelow are 9 tips that will show you how to write a book review that others will actually read.
But to be effective, you’ll need to know how to write a book review that is both thorough and honest. Plus, reviews provide valuable feedback for the author…or at the very least, some much-needed praise and support. Reviews boost visibility of books on sites like Amazon, helping more people find (and purchase) the books you love. Not only are book reviews crucial in helping your fellow readers understand what a particular book is about and whether they should invest time in reading it, an honest and well-written book review can help your favorite authors as well.
Here are some great tips from our crack team of bestselling authors, editors, and avid readers on how to make the next book review you write the best it can possibly be. While writing a rockstar-quality book review is far more art than science, there are a few hard rules you should follow when writing one.