A Book Review is not a retelling or synopsis of the story. The author has already told the story. He does not want or need a reviewer to do it again. The book review should include what type of book it is, a brief description of the story, its purpose, and an analysis. It is a reaction paper. What was the author's goal and how well did he succeed?
When I sit down to Write a Book Review, there are several questions I keep in mind. I rarely answer all of them in a single book review, but they give me a framework to build upon.
What type of book it is? Mystery? Suspense? Si-fi?
Who was the main character?
What was the story about?
Were the characters believable? Did they have depth or were they one dimensional?
Did you like the book? Did it fulfill your expectations?
Would you recommend the book?
Who would you not recommend the book to?
While you need to tell the readers what the book was about, a book review does not retell the story. Nothing is more frustrating than to read a review that gives away the ending.
Stick to genres that you normally read. If you normally read romance or suspense and look at fantasy with suspicion, don't pick up a fantasy book to review. It’s not fair to the author or the readers of fantasy fiction.
Evaluate the book, not the author. If you are reviewing the latest book released by your favorite author and the book is not up to par with past books, be honest. You're not doing the author any favors by gushing over a mediocre book. When led to believe the book is phenomenal and it’s not, the disappointment is keen. Some readers will hesitate before picking up another book written by that author.
When I started writing online, I stopped writing reviews for the local paper. Today I post my reviews on one of my blogs, RedGage or build a lens about the book on Squidoo.. I only have so much time to read. Instead of reading a book an editor told me to read, I can read what I want. As a consequence, most of my book reviews are positive. If the book doesn't catch my interest in the first chapter, I quit reading it. I can't write a review on a book I haven't read.
When I sit down to Write a Book Review, there are several questions I keep in mind. I rarely answer all of them in a single book review, but they give me a framework to build upon.
What type of book it is? Mystery? Suspense? Si-fi?
Who was the main character?
What was the story about?
Were the characters believable? Did they have depth or were they one dimensional?
Did you like the book? Did it fulfill your expectations?
Would you recommend the book?
Who would you not recommend the book to?
While you need to tell the readers what the book was about, a book review does not retell the story. Nothing is more frustrating than to read a review that gives away the ending.
Stick to genres that you normally read. If you normally read romance or suspense and look at fantasy with suspicion, don't pick up a fantasy book to review. It’s not fair to the author or the readers of fantasy fiction.
Evaluate the book, not the author. If you are reviewing the latest book released by your favorite author and the book is not up to par with past books, be honest. You're not doing the author any favors by gushing over a mediocre book. When led to believe the book is phenomenal and it’s not, the disappointment is keen. Some readers will hesitate before picking up another book written by that author.
When I started writing online, I stopped writing reviews for the local paper. Today I post my reviews on one of my blogs, RedGage or build a lens about the book on Squidoo.. I only have so much time to read. Instead of reading a book an editor told me to read, I can read what I want. As a consequence, most of my book reviews are positive. If the book doesn't catch my interest in the first chapter, I quit reading it. I can't write a review on a book I haven't read.
Now this is useful! I read all the time and have often though about knocking out the odd lens or two. I will make a few notes and fill in some of these facts as I read and see if it helps me to write my own reviews.
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