How to Write a Book Review: A Comprehensive Tutorial With Examples
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You don’t need to be a literary expert to craft captivating book reviews. With one in every three readers selecting books based on insightful reviews, your opinions can guide fellow bibliophiles toward their next literary adventure.
Learning how to write a book review will not only help you excel at your assigned tasks, but you’ll also contribute valuable insights to the book-loving community and turn your passion into a professional pursuit.
In this comprehensive guide, PaperPerk will walk you through a few simple steps to master the art of writing book reviews so you can confidently embark on this rewarding journey.
What is a Book Review?
A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, offering insights into its content, quality, and impact. It helps readers make informed decisions about whether to read the book.
Writing a book review as an assignment benefits students in multiple ways. Firstly, it teaches them how to write a book review by developing their analytical skills as they evaluate the content, themes, and writing style .
Secondly, it enhances their ability to express opinions and provide constructive criticism. Additionally, book review assignments expose students to various publications and genres, broadening their knowledge.
Furthermore, these tasks foster essential skills for academic success, like critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information. By now, we’re sure you want to learn how to write a book review, so let’s look at the book review template first.
Table of Contents
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Book Review Template
How to Write a Book Review- A Step-by-Step Guide
Check out these 5 straightforward steps for composing the best book review.
Step 1: Planning Your Book Review – The Art of Getting Started
You’ve decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let’s take a step back and plan your approach. Knowing how to write a book review that’s both informative and engaging is an art in itself.
Choosing Your Literature
First things first, pick the book you want to review. This might seem like a no-brainer, but selecting a book that genuinely interests you will make the review process more enjoyable and your insights more authentic.
Crafting the Master Plan
Next, create an outline that covers all the essential points you want to discuss in your review. This will serve as the roadmap for your writing journey.
The Devil is in the Details
As you read, note any information that stands out, whether it overwhelms, underwhelms, or simply intrigues you. Pay attention to:
- The characters and their development
- The plot and its intricacies
- Any themes, symbols, or motifs you find noteworthy
Remember to reserve a body paragraph for each point you want to discuss.
The Key Questions to Ponder
When planning your book review, consider the following questions:
- What’s the plot (if any)? Understanding the driving force behind the book will help you craft a more effective review.
- Is the plot interesting? Did the book hold your attention and keep you turning the pages?
- Are the writing techniques effective? Does the author’s style captivate you, making you want to read (or reread) the text?
- Are the characters or the information believable? Do the characters/plot/information feel real, and can you relate to them?
- Would you recommend the book to anyone? Consider if the book is worthy of being recommended, whether to impress someone or to support a point in a literature class.
- What could be improved? Always keep an eye out for areas that could be improved. Providing constructive criticism can enhance the quality of literature.
Step 2 – Crafting the Perfect Introduction to Write a Book Review
In this second step of “how to write a book review,” we’re focusing on the art of creating a powerful opening that will hook your audience and set the stage for your analysis.
Identify Your Book and Author
Begin by mentioning the book you’ve chosen, including its title and the author’s name. This informs your readers and establishes the subject of your review.
Ponder the Title
Next, discuss the mental images or emotions the book’s title evokes in your mind . This helps your readers understand your initial feelings and expectations before diving into the book.
Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)
Take a moment to talk about the book’s cover. Did it intrigue you? Did it hint at what to expect from the story or the author’s writing style? Sharing your thoughts on the cover can offer a unique perspective on how the book presents itself to potential readers.
Present Your Thesis
Now it’s time to introduce your thesis. This statement should be a concise and insightful summary of your opinion of the book. For example:
“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is a captivating portrayal of the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of love, class, and self-discovery with exceptional depth and authenticity.
Ensure that your thesis is relevant to the points or quotes you plan to discuss throughout your review.
Incorporating these elements into your introduction will create a strong foundation for your book review. Your readers will be eager to learn more about your thoughts and insights on the book, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking analysis.
How to Write a Book Review: Step 3 – Building Brilliant Body Paragraphs
You’ve planned your review and written an attention-grabbing introduction. Now it’s time for the main event: crafting the body paragraphs of your book review. In this step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of constructing engaging and insightful body paragraphs that will keep your readers hooked.
Summarize Without Spoilers
Begin by summarizing a specific section of the book, not revealing any major plot twists or spoilers. Your goal is to give your readers a taste of the story without ruining surprises.
Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes
Next, choose three quotes from the book that support your viewpoint or opinion. These quotes should be relevant to the section you’re summarizing and help illustrate your thoughts on the book.
Analyze the Quotes
Write a summary of each quote in your own words, explaining how it made you feel or what it led you to think about the book or the author’s writing. This analysis should provide insight into your perspective and demonstrate your understanding of the text.
Structure Your Body Paragraphs
Dedicate one body paragraph to each quote, ensuring your writing is well-connected, coherent, and easy to understand.
For example:
- In Jane Eyre , Charlotte Brontë writes, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.” This powerful statement highlights Jane’s fierce independence and refusal to be trapped by societal expectations.
- In Normal People , Sally Rooney explores the complexities of love and friendship when she writes, “It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys.” This quote reveals the author’s astute observations on the role of culture and class in shaping personal relationships.
- In Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë captures the tumultuous nature of love with the quote, “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This poignant line emphasizes the deep, unbreakable bond between the story’s central characters.
By following these guidelines, you’ll create body paragraphs that are both captivating and insightful, enhancing your book review and providing your readers with a deeper understanding of the literary work.
How to Write a Book Review: Step 4 – Crafting a Captivating Conclusion
You’ve navigated through planning, introductions, and body paragraphs with finesse. Now it’s time to wrap up your book review with a conclusion that leaves a lasting impression . In this final step of “How to write a Book Review,” we’ll explore the art of writing a memorable and persuasive conclusion.
Summarize Your Analysis
Begin by summarizing the key points you’ve presented in the body paragraphs. This helps to remind your readers of the insights and arguments you’ve shared throughout your review.
Offer Your Final Conclusion
Next, provide a conclusion that reflects your overall feelings about the book. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression and persuade your readers to consider your perspective.
Address the Book’s Appeal
Now, answer the question: Is this book worth reading? Be clear about who would enjoy the book and who might not. Discuss the taste preferences and circumstances that make the book more appealing to some readers than others.
For example: The Alchemist is a book that can enchant a young teen, but those who are already well-versed in classic literature might find it less engaging.
Be Subtle and Balanced
Avoid simply stating whether you “liked” or “disliked” the book. Instead, use nuanced language to convey your message. Highlight the pros and cons of reading the type of literature you’ve reviewed, offering a balanced perspective.
Bringing It All Together
By following these guidelines, you’ll craft a conclusion that leaves your readers with a clear understanding of your thoughts and opinions on the book. Your review will be a valuable resource for those considering whether to pick up the book, and your witty and insightful analysis will make your review a pleasure to read. So conquer the world of book reviews, one captivating conclusion at a time!
How to Write a Book Review: Step 5 – Rating the Book (Optional)
You’ve masterfully crafted your book review, from the introduction to the conclusion. But wait, there’s one more step you might consider before calling it a day: rating the book. In this optional step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the benefits and methods of assigning a rating to the book you’ve reviewed.
Why Rate the Book?
Sometimes, when writing a professional book review, it may not be appropriate to state whether you liked or disliked the book. In such cases, assigning a rating can be an effective way to get your message across without explicitly sharing your personal opinion.
How to Rate the Book
There are various rating systems you can use to evaluate the book, such as:
- A star rating (e.g., 1 to 5 stars)
- A numerical score (e.g., 1 to 10)
- A letter grade (e.g., A+ to F)
Choose a rating system that best suits your style and the format of your review. Be consistent in your rating criteria, considering writing quality, character development, plot, and overall enjoyment.
Tips for Rating the Book
Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:
- Be honest: Your rating should reflect your true feelings about the book. Don’t inflate or deflate your rating based on external factors, such as the book’s popularity or the author’s reputation.
- Be fair: Consider the book’s merits and shortcomings when rating. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, recognize its strengths and acknowledge them in your rating.
- Be clear: Explain the rationale behind your rating so your readers understand the factors that influenced your evaluation.
Wrapping Up
By including a rating in your book review, you provide your readers with additional insight into your thoughts on the book. While this step is optional, it can be a valuable tool for conveying your message subtly yet effectively. So, rate those books confidently, adding a touch of wit and wisdom to your book reviews.
Additional Tips on How to Write a Book Review: A Guide
In this segment, we’ll explore additional tips on how to write a book review. Get ready to captivate your readers and make your review a memorable one!
Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction
Keep your introduction precise and to the point. Readers have the attention span of a goldfish these days, so don’t let them swim away in boredom. Start with a bang and keep them hooked!
Embrace the World of Fiction
When learning how to write a book review, remember that reviewing fiction is often more engaging and effective. If your professor hasn’t assigned you a specific book, dive into the realm of fiction and select a novel that piques your interest.
Opinionated with Gusto
Don’t shy away from adding your own opinion to your review. A good book review always features the writer’s viewpoint and constructive criticism. After all, your readers want to know what you think!
Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)
If you adored the book, let your readers know! Use phrases like “I’ll definitely return to this book again” to convey your enthusiasm. Conversely, be honest but respectful even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea.
Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks
Feeling lost? You can always get help from formats, book review examples or online college paper writing service platforms. These trusty sidekicks will help you navigate the world of book reviews with ease.
Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature
Remember to uplift new writers and pieces of literature. If you want to suggest improvements, do so kindly and constructively. There’s no need to be mean about anyone’s books – we’re all in this literary adventure together!
Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty
When adding criticism to your review, be clear but not mean. Remember, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and cruelty. Tread lightly and keep your reader’s feelings in mind.
Avoid the Comparison Trap
Resist the urge to compare one writer’s book with another. Every book holds its worth, and comparing them will only confuse your reader. Stick to discussing the book at hand, and let it shine in its own light.
Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Writing a book review can be a delightful and rewarding experience, especially when you balance analysis, wit, and personal insights. However, some common mistakes can kill the brilliance of your review.
In this section of “How to write a book review,” we’ll explore the top 7 blunders writers commit and how to steer clear of them, with a dash of modernist literature examples and tips for students writing book reviews as assignments.
Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries
Mistake: Diving headfirst into a plot summary instead of dissecting the book’s themes, characters, and writing style.
Example: “The Bell Jar chronicles the life of a young woman who experiences a mental breakdown.”
How to Avoid: Delve into the book’s deeper aspects, such as its portrayal of mental health, societal expectations, and the author’s distinctive narrative voice. Offer thoughtful insights and reflections, making your review a treasure trove of analysis.
Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken
Mistake: Spilling major plot twists or the ending without providing a spoiler warning, effectively ruining the reading experience for potential readers.
Example: “In Metamorphosis, the protagonist’s transformation into a monstrous insect leads to…”
How to Avoid: Tread carefully when discussing significant plot developments, and consider using spoiler warnings. Focus on the impact of these plot points on the overall narrative, character growth, or thematic resonance.
Riding the Personal Bias Express
Mistake: Allowing personal bias to hijack the review without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to support opinions.
Example: “I detest books about existential crises, so The Sun Also Rises was a snoozefest.”
How to Avoid: While personal opinions are valid, it’s crucial to back them up with specific examples from the book. Discuss aspects like writing style, character development, or pacing to support your evaluation and provide a more balanced perspective.
Wielding the Vague Language Saber
Mistake: Resorting to generic, vague language that fails to capture the nuances of the book and can come across as clichéd.
Example: “This book was mind-blowing. It’s a must-read for everyone.”
How to Avoid: Use precise and descriptive language to express your thoughts. Employ specific examples and quotations to highlight memorable scenes, the author’s unique writing style, or the impact of the book’s themes on readers.
Ignoring the Contextualization Compass
Mistake: Neglecting to provide context about the author, genre, or cultural relevance of the book, leaving readers without a proper frame of reference.
Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”
How to Avoid: Offer readers a broader understanding by discussing the author’s background, the genre conventions the book adheres to or subverts, and any societal or historical contexts that inform the narrative. This helps readers appreciate the book’s uniqueness and relevance.
Overindulging in Personal Preferences
Mistake: Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective assessment of the book’s merits.
Example: “I don’t like stream-of-consciousness writing, so this book is automatically bad.”
How to Avoid: Acknowledge personal preferences but strive to evaluate the book objectively. Focus on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, considering how well it achieves its goals within its genre or intended audience.
Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope
Mistake: Failing to mention the book’s target audience or who might enjoy it, leading to confusion for potential readers.
Example: “This book is great for everyone.”
How to Avoid: Contemplate the book’s intended audience, genre, and themes. Mention who might particularly enjoy the book based on these factors, whether it’s fans of a specific genre, readers interested in character-driven stories, or those seeking thought-provoking narratives.
By dodging these common pitfalls, writers can craft insightful, balanced, and engaging book reviews that help readers make informed decisions about their reading choices.
These tips are particularly beneficial for students writing book reviews as assignments, as they ensure a well-rounded and thoughtful analysis.!
Many students requested us to cover how to write a book review. This thorough guide is sure to help you. At Paperperk, professionals are dedicated to helping students find their balance. We understand the importance of good grades, so we offer the finest writing service , ensuring students stay ahead of the curve. So seek expert help because only Paperperk is your perfect solution!
What is the difference between a book review and a report?
Who is the target audience for book reviews and book reports, how do book reviews and reports differ in length and content, can i write professional book reviews, what are the key aspects of writing professional book reviews, how can i enhance my book-reviewing skills to write professional reviews, what should be included in a good book review.
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How to Write a Book Review: The Complete Guide
by Sue Weems | 23 comments
Start Your Story TODAY! We’re teaching a new LIVE workshop this week to help you start your next book. Learn more and sign up here.
If you've ever loved (or hated) a book, you may have been tempted to review it. Here's a complete guide to how to write a book review, so you can share your literary adventures with other readers more often!
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You finally reach the last page of a book that kept you up all night and close it with the afterglow of satisfaction and a tinge of regret that it’s over. If you enjoyed the book enough to stay up reading it way past your bedtime, consider writing a review. It is one of the best gifts you can give an author.
Regardless of how much you know about how to write a book review, the author will appreciate hearing how their words touched you.
But as you face the five shaded stars and empty box, a blank mind strikes. What do I say? I mean, is this a book really deserving of five stars? How did it compare to Dostoevsky or Angelou or Dickens?
Maybe there’s an easier way to write a book review.
Want to learn how to write a book from start to finish? Check out How to Write a Book: The Complete Guide .
The Fallacy of Book Reviews
Once you’ve decided to give a review, you are faced with the task of deciding how many stars to give a book.
When I first started writing book reviews, I made the mistake of trying to compare a book to ALL BOOKS OF ALL TIME. (Sorry for the all caps, but that’s how it felt, like a James Earl Jones voice was asking me where to put this book in the queue of all books.)
Other readers find themselves comparing new titles to their favorite books. It's a natural comparison. But is it fair?
This is honestly why I didn’t give reviews of books for a long time. How can I compare a modern romance or historical fiction war novel with Dostoevsky? I can’t, and I shouldn’t.
I realized my mistake one day as I was watching (of all things) a dog show. In the final round, they trotted out dogs of all shapes, colors, and sizes. I thought, “How can a Yorkshire Terrier compete with a Basset Hound?” As if he'd read my mind, the announcer explained that each is judged by the standards for its breed.
This was my “Aha!” moment. I have to take a book on its own terms. The question is not, “How does this book compare to all books I’ve read?” but “How well did this book deliver what it promised for the intended audience?”
A review is going to reflect my personal experience with the book, but I can help potential readers by taking a minute to consider what the author intended. Let me explain what I mean.
How to Write a Book Review: Consider a Book’s Promise
A book makes a promise with its cover, blurb, and first pages. It begins to set expectations the minute a reader views the thumbnail or cover. Those things indicate the genre, tone, and likely the major themes.
If a book cover includes a lip-locked couple in flowing linen on a beach, and I open to the first page to read about a pimpled vampire in a trench coat speaking like Mr. Knightly about his plan for revenge on the entire human race, there’s been a breach of contract before I even get to page two. These are the books we put down immediately (unless a mixed-message beachy cover combined with an Austen vampire story is your thing).
But what if the cover, blurb, and first pages are cohesive and perk our interest enough to keep reading? Then we have to think about what the book has promised us, which revolves around one key idea: What is the core story question and how well is it resolved?
Sometimes genre expectations help us answer this question: a romance will end with a couple who finds their way, a murder mystery ends with a solved case, a thriller’s protagonist beats the clock and saves the country or planet.
The stories we love most do those expected things in a fresh or surprising way with characters we root for from the first page. Even (and especially!) when a book doesn’t fit neatly in a genre category, we need to consider what the book promises on those first pages and decide how well it succeeds on the terms it sets for itself.
When I Don’t Know What to Write
About a month ago, I realized I was overthinking how to write a book review. Here at the Write Practice we have a longstanding tradition of giving critiques using the Oreo method : point out something that was a strength, then something we wondered about or that confused us, followed by another positive.
We can use this same structure to write a simple review when we finish books. Consider this book review format:
[Book Title] by [book author] is about ___[plot summary in a sentence—no spoilers!]___. I chose this book based on ________. I really enjoyed ________. I wondered how ___________. Anyone who likes ____ will love this book.
Following this basic template can help you write an honest review about most any book, and it will give the author or publisher good information about what worked (and possibly what didn’t). You might write about the characters, the conflict, the setting, or anything else that captured you and kept you reading.
As an added bonus, you will be a stronger reader when you are able to express why you enjoyed parts of a book (just like when you critique!). After you complete a few, you’ll find it gets easier, and you won’t need the template anymore.
What if I Didn’t Like It?
Like professional book reviewers, you will have to make the call about when to leave a negative review. If I can’t give a book at least three stars, I usually don’t review it. Why? If I don’t like a book after a couple chapters, I put it down. I don’t review anything that I haven’t read the entire book.
Also, it may be that I’m not the target audience. The book might be well-written and well-reviewed with a great cover, and it just doesn’t capture me. Or maybe it's a book that just isn't hitting me right now for reasons that have nothing to do with the book and everything to do with my own reading life and needs. Every book is not meant for every reader.
If a book kept me reading all the way to the end and I didn’t like the ending? I would probably still review it, since there had to be enough good things going on to keep me reading to the end. I might mention in my review that the ending was less satisfying than I hoped, but I would still end with a positive.
How to Write a Book Review: Your Turn
As writers, we know how difficult it is to put down the words day after day. We are typically voracious readers. Let’s send some love back out to our fellow writers this week and review the most recent title we enjoyed.
What was the last book you read or reviewed? Do you ever find it hard to review a book? Share in the comments .
Now it's your turn. Think of the last book you read. Then, take fifteen minutes to write a review of it based on the template above. When you're done, share your review in the Pro Practice Workshop . For bonus points, post it on the book's page on Amazon and Goodreads, too!
Don't forget to leave feedback for your fellow writers! What new reads will you discover in the comments?
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Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .
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23 Comments
![sample of book review format Azure Darkness Yugi](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-ba614bfa07d9.png)
The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin is about a girl that shows no emotion befriending a ice dragon.
I chose this book based on the cover that had a little girl riding a ice dragon, and wondered what is about.
I really enjoyed the interaction the little girl had with the dragon.
I wondered how how the girl’s bond with the dragon.
Anyone who likes a coming of age story set in a fantasy will love this book.
![sample of book review format Sue](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-f380cc20386c.png)
Thanks for sharing your practice, Azure!
You’re welcome.
![sample of book review format Christine](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-3837095cbe35.png)
A interesting, at times perplexing, subject! And one on my mind lately,as I’ve agreed to do a few. I do enjoy giving reviews and am delighted when I can say, “This was a great book!” Or even, “I enjoyed this book.” It gets perplexing when I agree to review a book — and simply don’t like it. Then what to say? I hate to disappoint the writer but I’ve promised to give my honest opinion.
I’ve found some books mediocre and yet I see a dozen other reviewers saying “A great story!” Tastes do vary. But when there are obvious flaws I tend to skip all the best-friend-and-cousin reviewers and find the first person who says, “This writer has a problem with…” Usually there’ll be a number of reviewers who spot the same problems I do.
I like upbeat main characters, but not aggressive, belligerent, and/or self-centered ones. I like to meet in a story the kind of people I’d like to meet in real life— not people I’d avoid if possible. I recently read a book where the main character came across as insipid and the story only mildly interesting. Other reviewers said it was great and I know for this specific audience — readers who want a certain slant to a story — it was quite suitable. So I tried to cut the book some slack. Everyone has their limit as to how much blood and gore, smooching and snuggling, they are willing to read about.
Once I agreed to review a book and would have tossed it after the first chapter — for several reasons. A lot of “writer inserting facts for reader’s benefit”; teach/preach paragraphs; excess of description; attitudes of MCs. Once it’s live on seller’s sites like Amazon, what can you say? The one thing good it had going for it was the story line or theme. With a pro editor’s help it could have been a great story.
As for a review, one book I read lately was “A Clue for the Puzzle Lady” by Parnell Hall. It’s one of those “Stayed up half the night to finish it” books; I think anyone who likes a compelling cozy mystery would probably like it. Downside: I didn’t care for the “Puzzle Lady.” She’s a lush, hangs out at the bar getting sloshed. The upside: her sensible niece has a starring role —trying to keep her aunt on the straight-and-narrow and the mystery keeps you guessing until the end.
Christine, Thanks for sharing your insight! It sounds like you are approached often to review new books. It does make it tricky if it’s a request, especially outside your own preferences. Thanks for chiming in about your process, as I’m sure others will appreciate the perspective too. I’ll have to take a look at the Puzzle Lady– I do enjoy cozy mysteries. Sue
Here’s another cozy mystery book review in case you’re interested. I’m not approached by writers that often, but there are the Story Cartel, Book Bub and Goodreads, all sites where authors ask for review volunteers.
Reel Estate Ripoff by Renee Pawlish
The detective Reed Ferguson is a fan of Humphry Bogart, movie memorabilia of that era, and fancies himself a bit of a Sam Slade. Though not your super-sleuth, rather inept at times, he’s a likeable character. Told in first person, the story has a Philip Marlowe tone to it, but much tamer. Dialogue and story line are well done, the story well plotted and believable. I’d gladly read more stories about this particular gumshoe.
![sample of book review format Beth Schmelzer](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-89f09733291e.png)
If you like cozy mystery books, I’ll send you a list later, Sue. Love them too and I’ve met many authors who write in this genre. Back on topic– you inspire me again to add some reviews to my Blog. I have been reading and writing many middle grade mysteries for a project! My latest favorite: “The World’s Greatest Detective” by Caroline Carson (who I hope to meet tomorrow in Arlington, VA!) My 12 year old grandson borrowed it and finished it before I could. “It’s the best mystery I ever read, Grandma! You’ ll never guess the ending with unpredictable twists!” What better review could we read. The target audience and I both highly recommend this 2017 mystery.
Adding it to my stack, Beth. Thanks!
![sample of book review format Kelly Hansen](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-09358c7d6edb.png)
Not wanting to sound life an idiot, but willing to risk it here among friends: What exactly is a cozy mystery?
Glad you asked! It’s a subgenre of mystery. The best examples of cozy mysteries are those by Agatha Christie. They usually avoid profanity, excessive gore/ violence, and sex. They focus more on the puzzle, sleuth, and their smaller world. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Sue.
![sample of book review format Daniel McDonald](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-f3373a20675e.png)
Wonderful article. The first I have read by you. It especially gets those of us who don’t feel we have the formula down for review writing to be introduced to a form we can build upon with experience. You’ve kept it simple but you have given us the main ingredients needed for a good review. I printed this one off to look at the next few times I write reviews. Thank you.
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for reading and commenting!
![sample of book review format Dave Diss](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-a36b7f3b1a17.png)
I haven’t gone into all this. It’s a matter of time, Joe. I gad about all over the place, not knowing where I am or where I’m going. Within weeks, I’ll be 87. I’ve books of my own that I’d like to see reviewed. Even sorting them out, however, even finding where any of them are, would be a time burden. You see the fix?
Hi Dave, You aren’t alone in feeling the press of time for getting your stories out into the world. May I gently offer this: start with finding and sorting one. If you can’t find it, write it anew. You’ve probably grown in time and perspective since you wrote the first draft, which will make for a stronger story. Good luck. I’m cheering you on!
![sample of book review format TerriblyTerrific](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-5fd25ea1aa9a.png)
This is an article for me, because I am happy to receive a rating. I haven’t sold many books. But, at least some thinks that it was worth the time to read. That was refreshing. And, I think I wrote two reviews, so far. It was on Amazon.com. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
![sample of book review format John Grumps Hamshare](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-06185daaabc2.png)
Hi, Sue. Thanks for the helpful advice. I did a review on Amazon for the first of a 7-part thriller titled ‘Mosh Pit (The Rose Garden Incident)’ by Michael Hiebert. [Here it is.]
“5.0 out of 5 stars Advance copy review. By A fellow author on September 18, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition I Recommend This Book Strongly
I enjoyed reading this first part of the thriller. The author’s opening chapter/prologue was fast paced, and set me in the middle of the inciting incident along with two of the main characters. After that thrilling opening, I felt the ensuing chapters moved at a more leisurely pace, and was about to grade them as less praiseworthy when I watched a lecture by Brandon Sanderson on YouTube about building three dimensional characters and realised Michael Hiebert had done exactly that by introducing the reader to the minutiae of other characters who had parts to play in the development of the story. So, instead of cardboard cutouts of bland stock characters, the author shows us real people with real concerns that the reader can relate to.and actually care about. I look forward to reading the rest of this intriguing thriller, and highly recommend it to all lovers of well-written, and well-crafted thrillers.”
I also reviewed Part 2 of the series, but that review is too long to post here.
Footnote: The author, Michael Hiebert, was so pleased with my reviews, he recently asked me to beta-read a short story collection he plans to publish in November.
Great review, John! I like how you shared a bit of your process as a reader too, in recognizing what the writer was doing with their characterization. Thanks!
![sample of book review format John Hamshare](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-997540fcf126.png)
Thank you, Sue.
Five out of five stars When I picked up a copy of “The Girl with All the Gifts,” by M R Carey, at the used book store, I somehow had it in my head that it was a YA dystopian novel along the lines of “Divergent” or “The Hunger Games.” While I would definitely say that I was not right about that, I wouldn’t say that I was completely wrong. I was, however, completely unprepared for a zombie novel–which is a good thing, cause I wouldn’t have read it, and I’m glad I did. Think “The Walking Dead” meets (why do I want to say ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night”?) “Peter Pan.” I really enjoyed seeing things from, the main character, Melanie’s point of view. Her limited knowledge of her own situation was intriguing, to say the least (and probably why I thought of “The Curious Incident”). I was a bit disappointed when the POV changed to another character’s, but, as the novel progressed, I found myself sympathizing with nearly all the characters–with one exception, and I’ll leave that for you to ponder when you read it. I wondered how much of the science was real, but not enough for me to research it myself. Although, based on other reviews, I guess most of the science about the fungus is real. I also wondered about the fate of the remaining ‘lost boys’ of the cities. If you liked…. well, I don’t know. I’m not typically a fan of things zombie, so I don’t have a comparison, but the book was somewhat similar to “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games” in that the main character goes through a hellluva time and comes out the other side with a plan for her future.
![sample of book review format RAW](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-cc258ce03e86.png)
“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom is a true story about how one man found meaning in life when his doctors gave him a death sentence. Morrie was a college professor who passed on his new found wisdom in the last year of his life to a favorite student, the author, who chronicled his professor’s perspectives on death and dying.
I chose this book because of its philosophical topic, and because it is so well written that the words just jump off the page.
Knowing we are all mortal beings, I especially liked the insights, the tidbits of wisdom imparted by the dying man. Death is a subject that few, if any of us, ever talk about seriously with friends and family. The subject of death is verboten. We deny its existence. And, if we are religious, we pretend we will not really die, but we deceive ourselves and think we will live on in some afterlife existence for all eternity. But the professor, Morrie, learns some valuable life lessons from his impending death, and Mitch Albom was gracious enough to capture them in this short but eminently readable book.
I really liked the book because it is timeless. This true story will impart serious life lessons for all future generations, and will help us gain perspectives on our lives and the relationships with those we love the most.
R. Allan Worrell
![sample of book review format Cathy Ryan](https://thewritepractice.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/gravatar-9ca08df74d81.png)
Sue, I’ve been meaning to come back since this was first posted to tell you thanks for a great article. I seldom review books for alllllll the reasons you listed. This is a perfect tool and I’ll surely use it. Cathy
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How to Write a Great Book Review: 6 Templates and Ideas
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Whether you’ve loved or hated your recent reads, writing book reviews can be a fun and satisfying process. It’s a great way to unpack messages and information from a story, and it also helps you remember key elements of a book for much longer than you usually would. Plus, book reviews open up some interesting and exciting debates between readers with different opinions, and they also help others decide which books to read next .
Table of Contents
Where Can You Post Book Reviews?
Back in the old days, book reviews were reserved for leading publications and journals, but now, anyone can create their own book reviews, and they’re popping up almost everywhere.
Social Media
Bookworms have taken over social media, with hashtags like # bookstagram drawing in millions of readers from around the internet to share thoughts, ideas, inspiration, and of course, reviews.
Book blogs are also blowing up right now, and plenty of avid readers are making a solid income by writing and sharing their book reviews this way. You can either create your own from scratch or write guest posts and reviews for already established blogs.
Goodreads is the undisputed online home of books. It’s a great place to find inspiration for your next reads, browse other people’s book reviews, and of course, add your own reviews, too.
If you post a review of a popular book on Goodreads, it’s bound to be seen by a huge audience. Plus, it’s a great way to advertise your blog if you have one, as the Goodreads guidelines allow you to insert a link within the body of your review.
The world’s largest bookstore gets an incredible amount of traffic, so it’s one of the best places to get your reviews seen by the masses. But bear in mind that there are more rules and regulations for Amazon book reviews than on some of the other platforms listed here. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the guidelines first, or your submission could be rejected.
Booktube is a Youtube community dedicated to reviewing, discussing, and recommending books. If you’re comfortable in front of a camera, vlogging your book reviews on Booktube is an excellent alternative to the more traditional written book reviews above. It’s also a great way to get noticed by viewers around the world.
Some Booktube reviewers make their entire income from their channel, so if you’re passionate about reviewing and want to turn it into a living, this is a great avenue to explore.
Get Paid for Your Book Reviews
Some of the platforms I’ve listed above, like Booktube, Instagram, and blogging , allow you to get paid for your book reviews if you generate enough traffic, but getting to that level takes a lot of dedication, time, and patience.
Thankfully, there are plenty of websites that pay reviewers on a freelance basis. Here are three of the most popular:
Remember, each site has strict submission guidelines and requirements that you’ll need to check carefully before writing and submitting a review.
Kirkus Reviews
The Kirkus Reviews magazine, founded in 1933, is one of America’s oldest, most respected book reviewing companies.
They accept reviews around 350 words in length, and once you’re assigned the gig, you have a two-week submission deadline.
Kirkus is always on the lookout for new book reviewers, but you’ll need to prove you have experience and talent before they’ll accept your submissions. The best way to do this is to create a professional-looking portfolio that showcases your previous reviews, both paid and unpaid.
Booklist is a subgroup of the American Library Association. They feature all kinds of book reviews, both fiction and non-fiction, and publish them online and in print.
They pay their reviewers on a freelance, book-by-book basis. Their rates aren’t going to make you rich (around $12- $15 per review), but it’s a great way to gain some professional experience and build your book review portfolio without having to work for free.
Booklist has various publication outlets, such as their quarterly in-print magazine, a reader’s blog, and top book lists. Plus, they also accept pitches for book-related news and author interviews.
Online Book Club
This free-to-access community of bibliophiles has been going for over ten years, with a million active members and counting.
To join their professional freelance team, you’ll first have to submit an unpaid review to help them to determine if you’re worth hiring. If your review makes the cut, then your next submission is paid at a rate varying between $5 and $60, depending on the book’s length, the quality of the review, etc.
One of the major stipulations of Online Book Club is that your reviews are in-depth and honest. If you don’t like the book, never put a positive spin on it for the sake of it. ( The same goes for any book review platform you post on. )
It’s also worth noting that with Online Book Club, you’ll never pay for the books you review. So even if they reject your submission, you’ll still get a free book out of it.
How to Write a Book Review?
Book reviews can range from a simple tweet to a full-length essay or long-form blog post and anything in between.
As I mentioned above, some book review sites and platforms have strict guidelines and parameters to follow. But if you’re writing a book review for social media, your own blog, or any other purpose that lets you take the reins, then the following ideas will give you some help and inspiration to get started.
But before we dive in, let’s take a look at four key elements that a comprehensive book review should contain.
1. Information about the author and the name of the book
You might want to include any accolades that the author has received in the past and mention some of their previous notable works.
Also, consider the publication date; is the book a brand-new release, a few years old, or a classic from another century?
2. A summary of the plot
Writing about the plot takes skill and consideration; if your description is too thorough, you risk ruining the book for your audience with spoilers. But on the other hand, if you’re too vague on the details, your review can lack depth.
Consider your audience carefully, and if you feel like your book review contains even the slightest hint of spoilers, always add a warning at the beginning so people can decide for themselves whether to read on.
3. Your evaluation
This is the part where you get to describe what you feel about the book as a whole and give your opinion on the different elements within it. But, again, don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of positively evaluating books you didn’t actually like; no one wants to read a false review, so if you didn’t like it, explain why.
4. Your reader recommendation
Who might the book appeal to? Is it suitable for all audiences? In your opinion, is it a universal must-read, or should people avoid it?
Keep in mind that the purpose of most book reviews is to help the reader decide whether or not they would like to read it themselves. What works for you might not work for others, so consider this when writing your recommendations.
6 Book Review Templates and Ideas
1. the traditional approach.
Most traditional fiction reviews, like the ones found in newspapers and other popular publications, are based on the following format…
Introduction
The introduction is a paragraph or two which includes:
- Key information that the reader needs to know. For example, the book’s title, the author’s name, the publication date, and any relevant background information about the author and their work.
- A brief one-sentence summary of the plot. This sets the general scene of what the book is about.
- Your overall opinion of the book. Again, keep it brief. (you can delve deeper into what you liked and disliked later in the review).
This is the main body of your book review, where you break down and analyze the work. Some of the key elements you might want to examine are listed below. Approach each element one at a time to help your analysis flow.
- The characters
- The setting
- The structure of the story
- The quality of the writing
What did you notice about each one, what did you enjoy, and what did you dislike? Why?
The conclusion is usually the shortest part of a traditional book review, which usually contains:
- A summary of your thoughts about the book as a whole
- Your reader recommendation
Remember that unless you’re writing a book review for a pre-existing publication, there are no rules that you need to follow. This traditional format can be adapted to suit your own style, the book you are reviewing, and your audience.
Also Read : BEST FICTION BOOK REVIEWS
2. Social Media Book Reviews
Book reviews posted on social media tend to have a more relaxed tone than a traditional book review. Again, there are no set rules, but here are a few guidelines and suggestions for posting reviews on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
- Include an eye-catching image
This is essential on Instagram, but whatever social media platform you’re posting on, including a great photo will draw people in to read your review.
In the Instagram world, photos of books taken directly from above are called ‘flat lays.’ You can keep it simple and just snap the front cover, or you can get creative and shoot your book flat lay against an interesting backdrop or include items related to the story.
- Break up your review into short, bite-sized paragraphs
This rule applies to most web content, but it’s even more important on social media, where everyone competes for your reader’s attention.
Big blocks of text are much harder to follow and a sure-fire way to lose your reader’s attention before they even get started. Instead, stick to short paragraphs of one, two, or three sentences, and include spaces between each one.
- Know your character limit
At just 280 characters, Twitter is by far the stingiest of the major social media platforms when it comes to the length of posts. That’s why most people choose platforms like Instagram or Facebook for book reviews. That being said, you can still use Twitter as a way of linking to them once they go live.
Instagram is considerably more generous with its 2,200-character limit, but if you have a lot to say about the book you’re reviewing, it can still be limiting.
If you want to post a more comprehensive review on social media, Facebook is your best bet; they have an upper limit of 63,206 characters.
Whichever platform you post on, remember to factor any hashtags into your character limit too.
- Keep it succinct
Book reviews on social media perform better when sentences are concise. This helps to combat the character limit issue I mentioned above and gets your point across quickly, without the fluff.
Readers on platforms like Instagram and Facebook flit from post to post, so if you don’t say what you mean in as few words as possible, you’ll risk losing your audience altogether.
- Don’t be afraid of emojis.
Love them or hate them, emojis convey mood and emotion where words can sometimes fail us. They also add an extra visual element to a post, help to break up blocks of text and keep the tone informal.
Of course, there’s no rule that you have to include emojis in your social media book reviews, but if you’re already comfortable using them elsewhere, consider incorporating them here too.
- Add a star rating
Star ratings instantly tell your audience whether you loved the book or not before they read a single word of your post. It’s also another visual element to help draw your audience in to find out more.
- Avoid spoilers
I’ve already touched on spoilers above, but it’s essential to avoid them on social media book reviews. That’s because unsuspecting users are scrolling from post to post on these platforms with no way of knowing what’s coming next. As a result, it’s very easy to read something you can’t unread.
- Consider tagging the author and publisher.
But ONLY do this if you enjoyed the book and your review is favorable. It’s not good online etiquette to tag in the creators if you’re posting a scathing critique; it’s mean-spirited, and it could lead to a social media squabble, which the internet has enough of already.
3. Goodreads and Amazon Book Reviews
Both Goodreads and Amazon allow anyone to upload a review of any book, so they’re great places to get started if you’re new to the reviewing world. Plus, you can post more in-depth and lengthy reviews than you can on social media platforms.
There are endless ways to write reviews for sites like these, but if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here’s a good template that will help you to flesh out your ideas.
- Star Rating
Sites like Goodreads and Amazon usually ask for a 1-5 star rating before writing your review. 3 is your baseline which translates to “pretty good.” It can be tempting to rush straight in for a 5 star if you loved a book, but where possible, try to reserve this rating for books that really blow you away.
- A Brief Synopsis
Reviews on these sites appear directly under the book listing, so generally, there’s no need to mention the author, title, or publishing details. Instead, you can dive straight into a quick overview of the plot, using the official publisher’s summary to help you if needed.
Avoid revealing any significant details or spoilers, but include enough to outline the story and give context to the rest of your review.
Talking about how the book made you feel is a good place to start. Did you learn something you didn’t know before? Was it a page-turner or a hard slog? Were there any twists you did or didn’t see coming? Mentioning the existence of a plot twist is usually deemed ok, as long as you don’t reveal what it is.
Next, examine the book’s various elements, including the characters, setting, and plot, using examples. You might even want to include some direct quotes from the book, as long as they don’t give too much away.
Just like the traditional book review format, conclude it with a summary. Are you glad you read it? Who might enjoy this book, and who should avoid it?
4. Listicle Book Reviews
Listicles are articles and blog posts structured like a numbered list. An example from the book review world is “10 reasons why you need to read X by X”.
These types of reviews are particularly well suited to blog posts, as they’re an excellent way to encourage people to click on your link compared with a less attention-grabbing traditional format.
That being said, listicle book reviews tend only to work if your feedback is positive. Using this format to review a book you hated risks alienating your audience and coming across as harsh and judgemental. Less favorable reviews are better presented in a more traditional format that explores a book’s different aspects one by one.
5. An Essay Style Analysis
An essay-style review isn’t technically a review, as it delves much deeper into the work and examines it from multiple angles.
If you’re not limited to a word count and want to dissect an author’s work, then an in-depth essay-style analysis can be a great addition to your blog. Plus, they’re generally written for people who have already read the book, so there’s no need to worry about spoilers.
But when you’re writing more than 500 words about a book, it can be easy to ramble or go off on a tangent. Here’s an example format to keep you on track:
- Include the author’s name, the title of the book, and the date of publication.
- Is the book a standalone novel or part of a series?
- What made you choose this book in the first place? Have you read any of the author’s previous work?
- Describe the cover. Does it draw you in? Is it an appropriate representation of the book as a whole?
Set the Scene
- Include an overview of the plot.
- Did you have any expectations or preconceived ideas about the book before you read it?
Your Review
Discuss the following elements one at a time. Use quotes or direct examples when talking about each one.
- Describe the geographical location, the period in time, and the environment.
- Is the setting based on reality or imagination?
- How does the setting help to add mood and tone to the story?
- Give an overview of the main characters and their backgrounds.
- Discuss the significant plot points in the story in chronological order.
- What are the conflicts, the climaxes, and the resolutions?
- How does the author use literary devices to bring meaning and life to book?
- For example, discuss any elements of foreshadowing, metaphors, symbolism, irony, or imagery.
- What are the overall themes and big ideas in the story? For example, love, death, friendship , war, and coming of age.
- What, if any, are the morals within the story?
- Are there any underlying or less prominent themes that the author is trying to portray?
Your Opinion
- Which elements were successful, and which weren’t?
- Were the characters believable? Did you want them to succeed?
- In the case of plot twists, did you see them coming?
- Are there any memorable scenes or quotes that particularly stood out to you? If so, why?
- How did the book make you feel? Did it evoke any strong emotions?
- Did the book meet your preconceived expectations?
- Were you satisfied by the ending, or did you find it frustrating?
- Summarise the plot and theme in a couple of sentences.
- Give your overall opinion. Was the book a success, a failure, or something in between?
- Include a reader recommendation, for example, “this book is a must-read for anyone with a love of dystopian science fiction.”
- Include a star rating if you wish.
6. Create Your Own Book Review Template
If you plan on becoming a regular book reviewer, it’s a good idea to create your own unique template that you can use for every book you review, whether you’re posting on a blog, website, or social media account.
You can mix and match the various elements of the review styles above to suit your preferences and the types of books you’ll be reviewing.
Creating a template unique to you helps build your authority as an independent reviewer and makes writing future reviews a lot easier.
Writing book reviews is a great way to get even more out of your reading journey. Whether you loved or hated a title, reviewing it will help you remember and process the story, and you’ll also be helping others to decide whether or not it’s worth their time, too.
And who knows, you might fall in love with writing book reviews and decide to pursue it as an additional source of income or even a new career!
Whatever your book reviewing plans and goals are, I hope the templates, tips, and ideas above will help you get started.
Do you have any advice for writing a great book review? Let me know in the comments below!
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Want to write a perfect book review that readers enjoy? Discover how to pen a book review in 6 easy steps. To help you understand, we’ve included amazing examples of book reviews.
We’ve also answered many questions you might have such as: How long should a book review be? How to start a book review? How to conclude a book review? For beginners, we’ve also mentioned the basic book review format. So without further delay, let’s begin!
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What is a book review?
A book review is the critical analysis of the book’s content and significance. It includes an evaluation of the plot, character development, and writing style. A good book review highlights the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Reviewers often include quotes to support the opinions mentioned in the book review. A book review is different from a book report which objectively describes the book’s main content.
Now that we know what is a book review, let’s understand their length.
How long is a book review?
The length of a book review can vary, depending on the purpose and the medium used. Book reviews in newspapers, magazines, and journals can range from 500-2000 words. In contrast, book reviews by readers on platforms like Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, or Google can range from 50-500 words.
Now let us see the 6 easy steps to write book reviews. Whether you’re writing book reviews for your assignment or book promotion, these steps will help!
How to write a book review
- Note down the key points- This is an important step before writing a book review. Jot down your analysis about the characters, themes, plot, and your personal view. Also, note down the book title, author’s name, and any relevant information about the book.
- Start with a strong introduction- Mention the author’s name, book title, themes, and main characters in the introduction. The introduction should give a very brief book summary without giving spoilers.
- Analyze the book- Discuss the book’s strong points and weaknesses. This can include your opinion on the narrative pacing, writing style, character development , and structure. You can also compare it with books belonging to a similar genre. To enhance the review, you can also use relevant quotes to support your perspective.
- Reflect on your experience- Describe how the book makes you feel. Did you find it engaging or was it slow-paced? Were you happy with the climax or did you expect more?
- Conclude the review- Summarize the important points and end the review with a final evaluative statement about the book. This is where you can state whether you will recommend the book to readers or not. This is an important step in writing a book review.
- Rate the book (Optional)- Depending on the platform requirements, you can rate the book out of 5 or 10.
Now that we’ve seen how to write a book review, let’s see five amazing tips to create the perfect book review.
Top 5 tips to create an amazing book review
Here are the top 5 tips to create the perfect book review:
- Start with an attractive hook- Begin the review with an intriguing question or statement, capturing the book’s essence. For example, “In ‘The Enchanted Labyrinth’, every page takes you into a magical world of intrigue and wonder.
- Discuss originality- Write what makes the book unique as compared to other books in the same genre. If the book highlights an unexplored theme or gives a unique take on a common theme, you can mention it in the book review.
- Analyze worldbuilding- Review the fictional world created by the author (Its depth, complexity and detail). You can discuss how the setting of the story affected your experience as a reader. This is a good practice, especially while reviewing fantasy and science fiction novels.
- Evaluate key themes- Discuss how the central themes of the story are seamlessly woven into the narrative. You can do this by highlighting how the characters’ relationships and choices reflect the themes. Describe how themes add depth to the story.
- Edit and proofread- Once you’ve completed your book review, thoroughly check it. Correct any grammatical mistakes , spelling, and word choice errors.
Book review examples
1. a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini .
“A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by Khaled Hosseini, is a profoundly moving story set against the backdrop of Afghan history. This novel tells the tale of two women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become entwined in a harrowing journey of friendship, suffering, and redemption.
Mariam, an illegitimate child, suffers from stigma and rejection from an early age. Her tragic story evolves when she is forced into an abusive marriage with Rasheed, a brutish shoemaker. Laila, born generations later, is initially a symbol of the new Afghanistan – hopeful and educated. Their shared struggles against the backdrop of Afghanistan crumbling under Taliban rule form the novel’s heart.
Hosseini’s writing is evocative, capturing the stark realities in Afghanistan while also highlighting the profound resilience of his characters. The author masterfully portrays the emotional landscapes of Mariam and Laila, making them vividly relatable.
“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is more than a story of survival; it is a testament to the unyielding strength of human connection and endurance. This book is a must-read, not only for its storytelling brilliance but for its deep exploration of the often-unheard voices of Afghan women. It’s a heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful novel that stays with you long after the last page.
Now let’s see another example of a book review.
2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
“A Man Called Ove ” by Fredrik Backman is a heartwarming novel that takes readers on an emotional journey of its titular character, Ove. At first glance, Ove appears to be nothing more than a grumpy old man. However, as the story unfolds, we discover that there is so much more to Ove than meets the eye.
The novel skillfully explores themes of loss, grief, and the human capacity for change. Ove’s journey is one of rediscovery and redemption, as he learns to open his heart to the people around him. Backman’s writing is both poignant and humorous, capturing the essence of human relationships and the power of community.
Ove is a character who is easy to relate to, with his quirks making him all the more endearing. As we delve into his past through flashbacks, we understand the events that shaped him. These glimpses provide depth and complexity to his character, making him incredibly three-dimensional.
The supporting characters are equally charming and well-developed. Parvaneh, the pregnant neighbor, and her family are a refreshing contrast to Ove’s gruff exterior. Their interactions with Ove are both heartwarming and hilarious, playing an important role in his transformation.
What makes “A Man Called Ove” truly exceptional is its ability to elicit a wide range of emotions from its readers. It can make you laugh out loud on one page and bring tears to your eyes on the next. The story is a testament to the importance of human connection.
In conclusion, “A Man Called Ove” is a beautifully written novel that explores the themes of love, friendship, and the capacity for change. Fredrik Backman’s storytelling is both touching and humorous, and his characters are unforgettable. For those who appreciate heartwarming stories that inspire the soul, this book is a must-read.”
After seeing these book review examples, let’s see a simple book review template you can use.
Book review template
The following template highlights a basic book review format and book review outline. You can use this template for reference.
We hope this book review template and book review examples have inspired you to start writing. Now that you’ve understood how to write a good book review, you can begin brainstorming. Want to get a polished, professional book review? At PaperTrue, our team of experts can help you craft the perfect review for your book. Get in touch with us and forget all stress about how to do a book review.
You can also take advantage of our self-publishing services like editing, book cover design, securing an ISBN, and creating a copyright page. This ensures that your book is ready for publication. Whether you want a simple edit or an end-to-end service package, we’re here to help!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Blog – Posted on Wednesday, Apr 03
How to write a book review in 3 steps.
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If the idea of reading for free — or even getting paid to read — sounds like a dream come true, remember that it isn’t a pipe dream. There are many places aspiring book reviewers can read books for free, such as Reedsy Discovery — a new platform for reviewing indie books. Of course, if you’re giving serious thought to becoming a book reviewer, your first step should be learning how to write a book review. To that end, this post covers all the basics of literary criticism. Let’s get started!
The three main steps of writing a book review are simple:
- Provide a summary: What is story about? Who are the main characters and what is the main conflict?
- Present your evaluation: What did you think of the book? What elements worked well, and which ones didn’t?
- Give your recommendation: Would you recommend this book to others? If so, what kinds of readers will enjoy it?
You can also download our free book review templates and use it as a guide! Otherwise, let’s take a closer look at each element.
Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:
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How to write a review of a book
Step 1. provide a summary.
Have you ever watched a movie only to realize that all the good bits were already in the trailer? Well, you don’t want the review to do that. What you do want the summary to do is reveal the genre, theme, main conflict, and main characters in the story — without giving away spoilers or revealing how the story ends.
A good rule of thumb is not to mention anything that happens beyond the midpoint. Set the stage and give readers a sense of the book without explaining how the central issue is resolved.
Emily W. Thompson's review of The Crossing :
In [Michael] Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.
An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl. Read more...
Here are a few more reviews with well-written summaries for you to check out. The summary tend to be the longest part of the book review, so we won’t turn this post into a novel itself by pasting them all here: Le Cirque Navire reviewed by Anna Brill, The Heart of Stone reviewed by Kevin R. Dickinson, Fitting Out: The Friendship Experiment reviewed by Lianna Albrizio.
Non-fiction summary tip: The primary goal of a non-fiction summary is to provide context: what problems or issues has the book spotted, and how does it go about addressing them? Be sure to mention the authors of the title and what experience or expertise they bring to the title. Check Stefan Kløvning’s review of Creativity Cycling for an example of a summary that establishes the framework of the book within the context of its field.
Step 2. Present your evaluation
While you should absolutely weave your own personal take of a book into the review, your evaluation shouldn’t only be based on your subjective opinion. Along with presenting how you reacted to the story and how it affected you, you should also try to objectively critique the stronger and weaker elements of the story, and provide examples from the text to back up your points.
To help you write your evaluation, you should record your reactions and thoughts as you work your way through a novel you’re planning on reviewing. Here are some aspects of the book to keep in mind as you do.
Your evaluation might focus heartily on the book’s prose:
Donald Barker's review of Mercenary :
Such are the bones of the story. But, of course, it is the manner in which Mr Gaughran puts the bones back together and fills them with life that makes “Mercenary” such a great read. The author’s style seems plain; it seems straightforward and even simple. But an attempt at imitation or emulation quickly proves that simple it is not. He employs short, punchy sentences that generate excellent dialogue dripping with irony, deadpan humour and wit. This, mixed with good descriptive prose, draws the characters – and what characters they are – along with the tumultuous events in which they participated amidst the stinking, steaming heat of the South American jungle, out from the past to the present; alive, scheming, drinking, womanising and fighting, onto the written page.
You can give readers a sense of the book by drawing comparisons to other well-known titles or authors:
Laura Hartman's review of The Mystery of Ruby's Mistletoe :
Reading Ms. Donovan’s book is reminiscent to one of my favorite authors, Dame Agatha Christie. Setting up the suspects in a snowbound house, asking them to meet in the drawing room and the cleverly satisfying conclusion was extremely gratifying. I can picture Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot nodding at Ms. Donovan saying “Well done!”
Not everyone’s tastes are the same, and you can always acknowledge this by calling out specific story elements in your evaluation:
Kevin R. Dickinson's review of The Heart of Stone :
Whether you enjoy Galley’s worldbuilding will depend heavily on preference. Galley delivers information piecemeal, letting the characters, not the author, navigate the reader through Hartlund. A notable example is the magic system, an enigmatic force that lacks the ridge structures of, say, a Brandon Sanderson novel. While the world’s magical workings are explained, you only learn what the characters know and many mysteries remain by the end. Similar choices throughout make the world feel expansive and authentic.
Non-fiction evaluation tip: A book’s topic is only as compelling as its supporting arguments. Your evaluation of a nonfiction book should address that: how clearly and effectively are the points communicated? Turn back to Stefan’s critique for an example of a non-fiction critique that covers key takeaways and readability, without giving away any “big reveals.”
Step 3. Give your recommendation
At the end of the day, your critique needs to answer this question: is this a book you would (or wouldn’t) recommend to other readers? You might wrap up by comparing it to other books in the same genre, or authors with similar styles, such as: “Fans of so-and-so will enjoy this book.”
Let’s take a look at a few more tips:
You don’t need to write, “I recommend this book” — you can make it clear by highlighting your favorable opinion:
Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.
Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.
Add more punch to your rating by mentioning what kind of audience will or won’t enjoy the book:
Charleigh Aleyna Reid's review of The King of FU :
I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up in the 90’s and would like to reminisce about the time, someone who is interested to see what it was like to be a 90’s kid, or perhaps anyone who is looking for a unique, funny story about someone’s life.
Unless you found the title absolutely abhorrent, a good way to balance out a less favorable book review it to share what you did like about the book — before ultimately stating why you wouldn’t recommend the novel:
Nicola O's review of Secrets of the Sea Lord :
Overall, there are plenty of enjoyable elements in this story and fans of Atlantis and mer mythology should give it a try. Despite this, it does not rise above a three-star rating, and while I had some difficulty pinning down why this is, I concluded that it comes from a surprisingly unsophisticated vocabulary. There are a couple of graphic sex scenes, which is absolutely fine in a paranormal romance, but if they were removed, I could easily imagine this as an appealing story for middle-schoolers.
Non-fiction recommendation tip: As with fiction book reviews, share why you did or didn’t enjoy the title. However, in one of the starkest divergences from fiction book reviews it’s more important than ever that you mention your expectations coming into the non-fiction book. For instance, if you’re a cow farmer who’s reading a book on the benefits of becoming a vegetarian, you’re coming in with a large and inherent bias that the book will struggle to alter. So your recommendation should cover your thoughts about the book, while clearly taking account your perspective before you started reading. Let’s look once more at Stefan’s review for an example of a rating that includes an explanation of the reviewer’s own bias.
Bonus tips for writing a book review
Let’s wrap up with a few final tips for writing a compelling review.
- Remember, this isn’t a book report. If someone wants the summary of a book, they can read the synopsis. People turn to book reviews for a fellow reader’s take on the book. And for that reason...
- Have an opinion. Even if your opinion is totally middle-of-the-line — you didn’t hate the book but you didn’t love it either — state that clearly, and explain why.
- Make your stance clear from the outset. Don’t save your opinion just for the evaluation/recommendation. Weave your thoughts about the book into your summary as well, so that readers have an idea of your opinion from the outset.
- Back up your points. Instead of just saying, “the prose was evocative” — show readers by providing an actual passage that displays this. Same goes for negative points — don’t simply tell readers you found a character unbelievable, reference a certain (non-spoiler) scene that backs this up.
- Provide the details. Don’t forget to weave the book’s information into the review: is this a debut author? Is this one installment of a series? What types of books has the author written before? What is their background? How many pages does the book have? Who published the book? What is the book’s price?
- Follow guidelines. Is the review you’re writing for Goodreads? For The New York Times ? The content and tone of your review will vary a good deal from publication to publication.
- Learn from others. One of the best ways to learn how to write a great review is to read other reviews! To help you out with that, we’ve published a post all about book review examples .
Writing book reviews can be a rewarding experience! As a book-lover yourself, it’s a great opportunity to help guide readers to their next favorite title. If you’re just getting started as a reviewer and could use a couple more tips and nudges in the right direction, check out our comprehensive blog post on how to become a book reviewer . And if you want to find out which review community is the right fit for you, we recommend taking this quick quiz:
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Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!
Finally, if you feel you've nailed the basics of how to write a book review, we recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can review books for free and are guaranteed people will read them. To register as a book reviewer, simply go here !
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Tips for Writing a Good Book Review
Now that you’ve prepped what you want to say, how you want to say it, and who you want to say it to, it’s time to start writing. Below we’ve gathered our favorite tips to help you write a good book review. Wait… make that a GREAT book review.
1. Include general information
Make sure to include all the relevant book information for your audience , including the title, author, genre, and publisher in your review. While not necessary, it is also helpful to include the number of pages, list price, and ISBN number.
2. Provide a brief plot summary
After the hook, you can then move on to the brief plot summary. This summary shouldn’t be too long, but it can be a paragraph that explains the basic plot so that the reader better understands if it’s a topic of interest. One pitfall to avoid is to give away spoilers in the plot summary. Don’t give away any plot twists, and err on the side of caution if you feel that the information is too much. For example, tell the reader that the plot has unexpected twists rather than explain any surprises in the summary.
3. Focus on the book, not the author
Keep in mind that your main job as a reviewer is to share your opinion on the book, not to critique the author. Keep the focus on the story. Avoid referencing pitfalls in any of the author’s past books or what you about them as a writer. You can provide a brief introduction to the story mentioning the author and past books, but don’t spend too much time focused on the author. The review should focus on the content of the book and its characters.
4. Be clear and specific
It is not enough to just say that you did or didn’t like the book. Let your readers know why. Make your thoughts clear as early as possible and explain the reasons why you liked or disliked specific storyline components and characters. Be specific about what you loved about the writing, what drew you to the characters, or what left you feeling lukewarm about the plot. You don’t need to explain every aspect of the book, but the reader should walk away with a sense that they understand the basic plot and determine from the review if they want to read the book for themselves.
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5. Remain subjective
Not all book reviews have to be glowing, but they should be subjective. Rather than just saying you didn’t like something, support it by letting your readers know why. We all gravitate towards different things, so what may not appeal to you may appeal to someone else. If you remain subjective, then you can explain to the reader the basic story and let them decide for themselves. The review can include your likes and dislikes, but they should focus on what you felt the story did well and what parts of the story you didn’t like. However, the main focus of the review should be to explain the story so that readers can determine if they want to read the book further.
6. Avoid spoilers
We know it can be tempting, but do your best not to let any spoilers slip in your book review. Have you ever been excited to see the latest blockbuster hit (or watch the season cliffhanger to your favorite TV show) and then someone spoils the end before you even have time to watch? That is exactly what you don’t want to do to your reader. As you explain the book in your summary, ask yourself if what you are explaining ruins any surprises or twists. As you write the review, keep it vague. For example, explain that there is a major plot twist but don’t go into the specifics.
7. Be transparent
Always share if you received an incentive to review the book, got an advance copy, or have any connection to the author. Your readers will appreciate your honesty. Plus, it helps you avoid the negative impact on your credibility if they find out later. Getting paid for a review is a perfectly reasonable excuse to read a book, but it does allow readers to determine if you’re being unbiased. By specifying if you have any relationship with the author, the reader can better trust your opinion, even if they feel you’re being more biased.
8. Keep it short
While book reviews can be any length, it is always best to keep it short and succinct. Pull in your reader with a strong first sentence that sets the tone of the review and end with your recommendation. Remember, most people start to scan when something gets too long. A book review is a short summary, so writing a novel-length review loses reader interests. Keeping it short will ensure that your readers will dive into your likes and dislikes and use your reviews to determine if they have an interest in the books.
9. Proofread before posting
The quickest way to lose credibility is to post a review filled with typos. Make sure to give your final book review a thorough read before posting it and double check the spelling of any character names or places that you mention. Even better, ask someone else to read it over. It is always good to have a fresh pair of eyes proof to catch any typos. If you don’t have a family or friend who will help with proofreader, you can join a writing community where members offer test reads and proofreading. Make sure that you don’t post the review publicly, because search engines will index it and the review will no longer be unique content.
Also, keep in mind that you will want to write different book reviews for different sites. Don’t just copy and paste the same review. Google search engines scan for duplicate content and if flagged, your review won’t appear.
10. Add a hook
The hook is one or two sentences that grab the reader and convince them to keep going. It should be interesting, but it should also stick with the topic without misleading readers. The hook could be a simple statement that explains the main character of the book, or it could ask a question that resonates with the reader. Don’t make the hook too sensational to avoid sounding like a sales pitch. It should simply provide an introduction that grabs reader interests.
11. Explain what you liked about the book
Writing your own book review is a way to explain what you liked about it, and what you liked could be of interest to another reader. This section allows you to personalize the review. You can explain what you liked about the characters, who was your favorite character, what part of the book was your favorite, and if the book invoked any personal feelings (e.g., you laughed or cried).
12. Explain what you disliked about the book
You likely have something that you disliked about the book, and this section explains what you wish would have been different about the storyline or the characters. Just like the other sections, make sure that you do not reveal too much and give away important plot lines that could be considered spoilers for the rest of the story.
13. Include brief quotes as examples
Brief quotes provide readers with better insight into characters. Using quotes from characters will help the reader follow the plot summary and determine if the characters are people they can relate to. Avoid using excessively long quotes. Since the reader hasn’t read the book, a long quote could ruin plot twists or overpower the review.
14. Reference similar books
A great way to introduce readers to a specific book is to compare your book review with other books. For example, you can explain to the reader that they will like the current book you’re reviewing if they like another similar book. Alternatively, you can also compare characters between books to provide better insight into the story’s characters and the dynamic between individual characters.
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How to Write a Book Review Tips
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Book reviews are like guiding lights in the world of literature, helping readers navigate through countless stories. But writing a good review isn't just about summarizing a book – it's about making your thoughts resonate with the audience.
Whether you're a writer, a critic, or someone who loves books, knowing how to prepare a book review can enrich your reading experience and contribute to the literary community.
In this article, experts of our book review writing service break down the key elements and tips for compelling book reviews that spark conversation and excitement.
What Is a Book Review
A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, where the reviewer discusses its content, themes, and overall impact. It typically includes a summary of the book's main points, the reviewer's analysis and opinions, and a recommendation for potential readers. The goal is to inform others about the book's strengths and weaknesses, helping them decide if it’s worth reading.
Later in the article, you’ll find a quality book review example for your inspiration and motivation. If you’re in a hurry, try our cheap essay writing service that covers all types of academic papers.
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How to Write a Book Review: Step-By-Step
Writing a book review might seem complex, but in reality, the process can be divided into only three steps:
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Summarize the Book's Content
Book reviews summarize the source's content by providing a brief and clear overview of the main plot, key characters, and central themes without giving away any spoilers. This helps readers understand the essence of the book and sets the stage for your analysis and evaluation.
Actionable Tips:
- Read the Book Thoroughly: Ensure you grasp the full story, including subplots and character development.
- Highlight Key Points: Note down significant events, character arcs, and main themes as you read.
- Be Concise: Keep your summary short and to the point, focusing on the most important aspects.
- Avoid Spoilers: Do not reveal major plot twists or the book’s ending.
- Use Your Own Words: Write the summary in your own language to maintain originality and avoid plagiarism.
- Provide Context: Include the book’s genre, setting, and relevant background information to help readers understand the summary.
- Focus on Clarity: Ensure your summary is easy to read and understand, avoiding complex language or unnecessary details.
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Analyze and Evaluate
You’re always halfway through writing a book review! Next, you have to critically examine its elements, such as the writing style, character development, plot structure, and thematic depth. This step is where you share your personal insights and opinions, providing evidence from the text to support your views.
Tips | Explanation |
---|---|
Consider the Writing Style | Assess the author's writing style, including tone, language, and pacing. Is it engaging and appropriate for the genre? |
Evaluate Character Development | Analyze how well the characters are developed. Are they believable and well-rounded? Do they evolve throughout the story? |
Examine the Plot | Look at the plot structure. Is it coherent and well-paced? Are there any plot holes or areas that felt rushed? |
Assess Themes and Messages | Identify the main themes and messages of the book. Are they effectively conveyed and thought-provoking? |
Use Specific Examples | Provide specific examples from the book to support your analysis. This could include quotes, key scenes, or significant events. |
Reflect on the Emotional Impact | Consider how the book made you feel. Did it evoke strong emotions or leave a lasting impression? |
Compare with Similar Works | If relevant, compare the book to other works in the same genre or by the same author. How does it stand out or fall short? |
Balance Praise and Critique | Offer a balanced perspective, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. Be fair and objective in your evaluation. |
Conclude with a Recommendation
We’re almost reached the finishing line of the how to write a book review race. Conclude your review of a book with either a summary, recommendation, or addressing readers directly. This step provides a clear and concise verdict based on your analysis, helping potential readers decide if the book is right for them.
Tips | Example 1 | Example 2 |
---|---|---|
Summary | "Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, offering a gripping narrative and well-researched background." | "While the book has some strong points, such as vivid descriptions and compelling characters, its slow pace might not appeal to everyone." |
Recommendation | "I highly recommend it to those who enjoy rich historical settings and complex characters." | "I recommend it with reservations; it's worth trying if you enjoy detailed world-building, but be prepared for a slower pace." |
Audience | "Ideal for readers who appreciate historical depth and emotional storytelling." | "Best suited for readers who enjoy immersive settings and don’t mind a leisurely narrative." |
Dive into literary analysis with EssayPro . Our experts can help you craft insightful book reviews that delve deep into the themes, characters, and narratives of your chosen books. Enhance your understanding and appreciation of literature with us.
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Book Review Structure
A book review outline usually follows a structured format with an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
Introduction
This section introduces the book, mentioning its title, author, genre, and publication details. It gives a brief overview of the book's premise and main themes to provide context for the reader.
The main body offers a detailed analysis and critique of the book. It's divided into paragraphs focusing on specific aspects such as plot, characters, and writing style. Each paragraph provides evidence from the book to support the reviewer's analysis.
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The conclusion summarizes the reviewer's overall thoughts and impressions of the book, restating key points and the main argument. It often includes a recommendation for potential readers and may provide final reflections or insights about the book's significance.
Book Review Template
Here's a basic structure you can follow every time you’re tasked with such an assignment:
Section | Description |
---|---|
Title | [Book Title] |
Author | [Author's Name] |
Genre | [Genre of the Book] |
Publication | [Publication Date/Year] |
Introduction | - Briefly introduce the book, including its title, author, genre, and publication information. |
Summary | - Provide a concise overview of the book's premise and main themes. - Summarize the main plot points, characters, and setting. - Highlight key events and any significant themes or motifs. |
Analysis | - Evaluate the book's strengths and weaknesses. - Discuss the writing style, character development, and pacing. - Analyze how effectively the book conveys its themes and ideas. |
Critique | - Offer a critical assessment of the book. - Discuss what you liked and disliked about the book. - Compare the book to similar works in its genre. |
Conclusion | - Summarize your overall thoughts and impressions of the book. - Restate your thesis statement or main argument. - Recommend the book to potential readers or suggest its target audience. - Provide any final reflections or insights. |
Extra Tips for Writing Better Book Reviews
Here are 11 extra tips for writing better book reviews:
- Look for essay topics that are interesting personally for you.
- Consider your audience and what they might want to know about the book.
- Be mindful not to give away major plot twists or endings that could ruin the reading experience for others.
- Use quotes or examples from the book to support your analysis and critique.
- Express your opinions openly, but respect the author and their work.
- Think about the book's historical, cultural, or social context when evaluating its themes and messages.
- Paint a vivid picture of the book's qualities using descriptive language to engage your readers.
- Acknowledge the book's strengths and weaknesses to provide a balanced review.
- Aim to be concise and to the point, focusing on the most important aspects of the book.
- Let your enthusiasm for the book shine through in your review to captivate your readers.
- Gain insights from reading other reviews to see different perspectives and approaches to reviewing books.
Book Review Example
As promised at the beginning of the article, we’d like to share a good example of a book review as it should be done by students either in school or college:
Final Thoughts
Book reviews empower students to become active participants in the literary conversation. They learn to contribute their unique perspectives and interpretations to the broader discourse. With a custom term paper writing service , learners can become true educational powerhouses who never miss deadlines.
Through critical engagement with literary sources, students develop a deeper understanding of complex themes and issues, honing their ability to think analytically and empathetically. At the end of the day, aren’t these two skills that every educated individual should possess?
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How To Write A Book Review?
What to include in a book review, what is a book review.
![sample of book review format Adam Jason](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e5d43546b94f97f39c228fa/664584fe87188723dd6f7a83_Adam%20Jason.webp)
is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.
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- Added new infographics.
- Updated writing tips.
- Added new example.
- How to write a book review | BookTrust. (n.d.-b). https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/writing-tips/writing-tips-for-teens/how-to-write-a-book-review/
- Book Reviews – The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2024, May 14). The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/book-reviews/
- Research Guides: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments: Writing a Book Review. (n.d.). https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments/bookreview
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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts
Writing a Book Review
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Book reviews typically evaluate recently-written works. They offer a brief description of the text’s key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.
Readers sometimes confuse book reviews with book reports, but the two are not identical. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 words. If you are looking to write a book report, please see the OWL resource, Writing a Book Report.
By contrast, book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. They typically range from 500-750 words, but may be longer or shorter. A book review gives readers a sneak peek at what a book is like, whether or not the reviewer enjoyed it, and details on purchasing the book.
Before You Read
Before you begin to read, consider the elements you will need to included in your review. The following items may help:
- Author: Who is the author? What else has s/he written? Has this author won any awards? What is the author’s typical style?
- Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, romance, poetry, youth fiction, etc.? Who is the intended audience for this work? What is the purpose of the work?
- Title: Where does the title fit in? How is it applied in the work? Does it adequately encapsulate the message of the text? Is it interesting? Uninteresting?
- Preface/Introduction/Table of Contents: Does the author provide any revealing information about the text in the preface/introduction? Does a “guest author” provide the introduction? What judgments or preconceptions do the author and/or “guest author” provide? How is the book arranged: sections, chapters?
- Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: Book jackets are like mini-reviews. Does the book jacket provide any interesting details or spark your interest in some way? Are there pictures, maps, or graphs? Do the binding, page cut, or typescript contribute or take away from the work?
As You Read
As you read, determine how you will structure the summary portion or background structure of your review. Be ready to take notes on the book’s key points, characters, and/or themes.
- Characters: Are there characters in the work? Who are the principal characters? How do they affect the story? Do you empathize with them?
- Themes/Motifs/Style: What themes or motifs stand out? How do they contribute to the work? Are they effective or not? How would you describe this author’s particular style? Is it accessible to all readers or just some?
- Argument: How is the work’s argument set up? What support does the author give for her/findings? Does the work fulfill its purpose/support its argument?
- Key Ideas: What is the main idea of the work? What makes it good, different, or groundbreaking?
- Quotes: What quotes stand out? How can you demonstrate the author’s talent or the feel of the book through a quote?
When You Are Ready to Write
Begin with a short summary or background of the work, but do not give too much away. Many reviews limit themselves only to the first couple of chapters or lead the reader up to the rising action of the work. Reviewers of nonfiction texts will provide the basic idea of the book’s argument without too much detailed.
The final portion of your review will detail your opinion of the work. When you are ready to begin your review, consider the following:
- Establish a Background, Remember your Audience: Remember that your audience has not read the work; with this in mind, be sure to introduce characters and principles carefully and deliberately. What kind of summary can you provide of the main points or main characters that will help your readers gauge their interest? Does the author’s text adequately reach the intended audience? Will some readers be lost or find the text too easy?
- Minor principles/characters: Deal only with the most pressing issues in the book. You will not be able to cover every character or idea. What principles/characters did you agree or disagree with? What other things might the author have researched or considered?
- Organize: The purpose of the review is to critically evaluate the text, not just inform the readers about it. Leave plenty room for your evaluation by ensuring that your summary is brief. Determine what kind of balance to strike between your summary information and your evaluation. If you are writing your review for a class, ask your instructor. Often the ratio is half and half.
- Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
- Publisher/Price: Most book reviews include the publisher and price of the book at the end of the article. Some reviews also include the year published and ISBN.
When making the final touches to your review, carefully verify the following:
- Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher.
- Try to read from the vantage point of your audience. Is there too much/enough summary? Does your argument about the text make sense?
- Should you include direct quotes from the reading? Do they help support your arguments? Double-check your quotes for accuracy.
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25+ Book Review Templates and Ideas to Organize Your Thoughts
Danika Ellis
Danika spends most of her time talking about queer women books at the Lesbrary. Blog: The Lesbrary Twitter: @DanikaEllis
View All posts by Danika Ellis
When I was a kid I loved reading, but I hated book reports. It felt impossible to boil a book down to a few lines or even a page of writing. Besides, by the time I had to write the report, I had already forgotten a lot. It never ceases to be painful to try to pull my thoughts and opinions out of my head and put them on the page, especially in a coherent way.
As an adult, I continue to usually find writing book reviews painful . And yet, I maintain a book blog with reviews of all the (bi and lesbian) books I read. Why? For one thing, I want to raise the visibility of these books — or, in the case of a book I loathed, warn other readers of what to expect. It helps me to build community with other book lovers. It’s also a great way to force myself pay attention to how I’m feeling while I’m reading a book and what my thoughts are afterwards. I have learned to take notes as I go, so I have something to refer to by the time I write a review, and it has me notice what a book is doing well (and what it isn’t). The review at the end helps me to organize my thoughts. I also find that I remember more once I’ve written a review.
Once you’ve decided it’s worthwhile to write a review, though, how do you get started? It can be a daunting task. The good news is, book reviews can adapt to whatever you want them to be. A book review can be a tweet with a thumbs up or thumbs down emoji, maybe with a sentence or two of your thoughts; it can also be an in-depth essay on the themes of the book and its influence on literature. Most are going to fall somewhere between those two! Let go of the idea of trying to create the One True Book Review. Everyone is looking for something different, and there is space for GIF-filled squee fests about a book and thoughtful, meditative explorations of a work.
This post offers a variety of book reviews elements that you can mix and match to create a book review template that works for you. Before you get started, though, there are some questions worth addressing.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Book Review Template
Where will you be posting your book reviews.
An Instagram book review will likely look different from a blog book review. Consider which platform you will be using for your book review. You can adapt it for different platforms, or link to your original review, but it’s a good starting point. Instagram reviews tend to be a lot shorter than blog reviews, for instance.
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Will you be using the same template every time?
Some book reviewers have a go-to book review template. Others have a different one for each genre, while another group doesn’t use a template at all and just reacts to whatever each book brings up.
Heading or no headings?
When choosing which book review elements to mix and match, you can also decide whether to include a header for each section (like Plot, Characterization, Writing, etc). Headers make reviews easier to browse, but they may not have the professional, essay-style look that you’re going for.
Why are you writing a review?
When selecting which elements to include in your review, consider what the purpose is. Do you want to better remember the plot by writing about it? You probably want to include a plot summary, then. Do you want to help readers decide whether they should read this book? A pros and cons list might be helpful. Are you trying to track something about your reading, like an attempt to read more books in translation or more books by authors of color? Are you trying to buy fewer books and read off your TBR shelf instead? These are all things you can note in a review, usually in a point-form basic information block at the beginning.
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Book Review Templates and Formats
Essay-style.
This is a multi-paragraph review, usually with no headers. It’s the same format most newspapers and academics use for book reviews. Many essay-style reviews use informal categories in their writing, often discussing setting, writing, characters, and plot in their own paragraphs. They usually also discuss the big themes/messages of a story. Here are some questions to consider when writing an essay-style review:
What is the author trying to do? Don’t evaluate a romance novel based on a mystery novel’s criteria. First try to think about what the book was attempting to do, then try to evaluate if they achieved it. You can still note if you didn’t like it, but it’s good to know what it was aiming for first.
What are some of the themes of the story? What big message should the reader take away? Did you agree with what the book seemed to be saying? Why or why not?
How is this story relevant to the world? What is it saying about the time it was written in? About human nature? About society or current issues? Depending on the book, there may be more or less to dig into here.
What did this book make you think about? It may be that the themes in the book were just a launching off point. How did they inspire your own thinking? How did this book change you?
A Classic Book Review
This is probably the most common kind of book review template. It uses a few criteria, usually including Setting, Writing, Characters, and Plot (for a novel). The review then goes into some detail about each element, describing what the book did well, and where it fell short.
The advantage of this format is that it’s very straightforward and applies to almost any fiction read. It can also be adapted–you will likely have more to say about the plot in a mystery/thriller than a character study of a novel. A drawback, though, is that it can feel limiting. You might have thoughts that don’t neatly fit into these categories, or you could feel like you don’t have enough to say about some of the categories.
Pros and Cons
A common format for a Goodreads review is some variation of pros and cons. This might be “What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like” or “Reasons to Bump This Up Your TBR/Reasons to Bump This Down On Your TBR.” This is a very flexible system that can accommodate anything from a few bullet points each to paragraphs each. It gives a good at-a-glance impression of your thoughts (more cons than pros is a pretty good indication you didn’t like it). It also is broad enough that almost all your thoughts can likely be organized into those headings.
This is also a format that is easily mix and matched with the elements listed below. A brief review might give the title, author, genre, some brief selling points of the novel, and then a pros and cons list. Some reviews also include a “verdict” at the end. An example of this format:
![sample of book review format](https://s2982.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/the-tea-dragon-society.jpg.webp)
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
🌟 Fantasy All-Ages Comic 💫 Adorable pet dragons ✨ A diverse cast
Pros: This book has beautiful artwork. It is a soothing read, and all the character are supportive of each other. This is a story about friendship and kindness.
Cons: Don’t expect a fast-moving plot or a lot of conflict. This is a very gentle read.
Another approach to the review is not, strictly speaking, a book review template at all. Instead, it’s something like “5 Reasons to Read TITLE by Author” or “The # Most Shocking Plot Twists in X Series.” An advantage of this format is that it can be very to-the-point: if you want to convince people to read a book, it makes sense to just write a list of reasons they should read the book. It may also be more likely to get clicked on–traditional book reviews often get less views than more general posts.
On the other hand, listicles can come off as gimmicky or click-bait. You’ll have to decide for yourself if the book matches this format, and whether you are writing this out of genuine enthusiasm or are just trying to bend a review to be more clickable.
Your Own Original Rating System
Lots of reviewers decide to make their own review format based on what matters to them. This is often accompanied by a ratings system. For instance, the BookTube channel Book Roast uses the CAWPILE system:
CAWPILE is an acronym for the criteria she rates: Characters, Atmosphere, Writing, Plot, Intrigue, Logic, Enjoyment. Each of those are rated 1–10, and the average given is the overall rating. By making your own ratings/review system, you can prioritize what matters to you.
My favorite rating system is Njeri’s from Onyx Pages , because it shows exactly what she’s looking for from books, and it helps her to think about and speak about the things she values:
A “Live Tweet” or Chronological Review
Another format possibility is live tweeting (or updating as you go on Goodreads, or whatever your platform of choice is). This has you document your initial thoughts as you read, and it’s usually informal and often silly. You can add what you’re loving, what you’re hating, and what questions you have as you go.
This is a fun format for when you’re reading a popular book for the first time. That way, other people can cackle at how unprepared you are as you read it. This requires you to remember to always have your phone on you as you read, to get your authentic thoughts as they happen, but it saves on having to write a more in-depth review. Alternately, some people include both a “first impressions” section and a more in-depth analysis section in their final review.
Get Creative
There are plenty of book review templates to choose from and elements to mix-and-match, but you can also respond in a completely original way. You could create a work of art in response to the book! Here are some options:
- Writing a song , a short story, or a poem
- Writing a letter to the author or the main character (you don’t have to send it to the author!)
- Writing an “interview” of a character from the book, talk show style
- Making a visual response, like a collage or painting
- Making a book diorama, like your elementary school days!
Mix-and-Match Elements of a Book Review
Most book reviews are made up of a few different parts, which can be combined in lots of different ways. Here is a selection to choose from! These might also give you ideas for your own elements. Don’t take on too much, though! It can easily become an overwhelming amount of information for readers.
Information
Usually a book review starts with some basic information about the book. What you consider basic information, though, is up for interpretation! Consider what you and your audience will think is important. Here are some ideas:
- The title and author (pretty important)
- The book’s cover
- Format (audiobook, comic, poetry, etc)
- Genre (this can be broad, like SFF, or narrow, like Silkpunk or Dark Academia)
- Content warnings
- Source (where did you get the book? Was is borrowed from the library, bought, or were you sent an ARC?)
- Synopsis/plot summary (your own or the publisher’s)
- What kind of representation there is in the novel (including race, disability, LGBTQ characters, etc)
- Anything you’re tracking in your reading, including: authors of color, authors’ country, if a book is in translation, etc
Review Elements
Once you’ve established your basic information, you’re into the review itself! Some of these are small additions to a review, while others are a little more time-intensive.
Bullet point elements:
- Rating (star rating, thumbs up/down, recommend/wouldn’t recommend, or your own scale)
- Who would like it/Who wouldn’t like it
- Read-alikes (or movies and TV shows like the book)
- Describe the book using an emoji or emojis
- Describe the book using a gif or gifs
- Favorite line(s) from the book
- New vocabulary/the most beautiful words in the novel
- How it made you feel (in a sentence or two)
- One word or one sentence review
- Bullet points listing the selling points of a book
- BooksandLala’s Scary, Unsettling, and Intrigue ratings, for horror
- World-building, for fantasy and science fiction titles
- Art, for comics
- Narration, for audiobooks
- Romance, for…romance
- Heat level, for erotica
Visual elements:
- Design a graphic (usually incorporating the cover, your star rating, and some other basic info)
- Take a selfie of yourself holding the book, with your expression as the review
- Make a mood board
- Design your own book cover
- Make fan art
Elements to incorporate into a review:
- Quick/initial thoughts (often while reading or immediately after reading), then a more in-depth review (common on Goodreads)
- A list of facts about the book or a character from the book
- Book club questions about the book
- Spoiler/non-spoiler sections
- Research: look up interviews with the author and critique of the book, incorporate it (cited!) into your review
- Links to other resources, such as interviews or other reviews — especially #OwnVoices reviews
- A story of your own, whether it’s your experience reading the book, or something it reminded you of
This is not a complete list! There are so many ways to write a book review, and it should reflect your own relationship with books, as well as your audience. If you’re looking for more ways to keep track of your reading, you’ll also like 50+ Beautiful Bujo Spread Ideas to Track Your Reading .
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WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | what is a Book review | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/what_is_a-Book_review-768x1024.jpg)
Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?
There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.
WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?
Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:
● Engage critically with a text
● Critically evaluate a text
● Respond personally to a range of different writing genres
● Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.
Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!
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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?
![sample of book review format book_reviews_vs_book_reports.jpg](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/10_book_reviews_vs_book_reports.png)
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.
Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.
BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE
ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.
THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.
COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.
THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.
BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.
FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW
PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.
EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.
VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.
A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | movie response unit | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/movie_response_unit.jpg)
⭐ Make MOVIES A MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR CURRICULUM with this engaging collection of tasks and tools your students will love. ⭐ All the hard work is done for you with NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.
This collection of 21 INDEPENDENT TASKS and GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS takes students beyond the hype, special effects and trailers to look at visual literacy from several perspectives offering DEEP LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES by watching a SERIES, DOCUMENTARY, FILM, and even VIDEO GAMES.
ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW
As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:
● Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?
● Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.
● Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.
● Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.
● Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.
● Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | writing a book review | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/writing_a_book_review-1024x389.png)
BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS
As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:
● Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?
● Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?
● Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?
● Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots?
A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | 9 text response | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/9_text-response.png)
The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.
Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:
i. Make It Personal
Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.
Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.
ii. Make It Universal
Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.
iii. Support Opinions with Evidence
A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.
EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | 9 1 proof read Book review | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/9_1_proof_read_Book_review.png)
As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc.
It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.
The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | LITERACY IDEAS FRONT PAGE 1 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/LITERACY-IDEAS-FRONT-PAGE-1.jpg)
Teaching Resources
Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.
BOOK REVIEW GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (TEMPLATE)
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | book review graphic organizer | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/book_review_graphic_organizer-706x1024.png)
101 DIGITAL & PRINT GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS FOR ALL CURRICULUM AREAS
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Whilst you don’t have to have a 1:1 or BYOD classroom to benefit from this bundle, it has been purpose-built to deliver through platforms such as ✔ GOOGLE CLASSROOM, ✔ OFFICE 365, ✔ or any CLOUD-BASED LEARNING PLATFORM.
Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)
Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews. Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail. Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review
Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.
We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | book review year 3 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/book-review-year-3-1024x1024.png)
BOOK REVIEW VIDEO TUTORIALS
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | 2 book review tutorial28129 | How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide | literacyideas.com](https://www.literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2_book_review_tutorial28129.png)
OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO BOOK REVIEWS
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Transactional Writing
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | text response | How to write a text response | literacyideas.com](https://literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/text-response.png.webp)
How to write a text response
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | compare and contrast essay 1 | How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay | literacyideas.com](https://literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/compare_and_contrast_essay-1.jpg)
How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay
![sample of book review format how to write a book review | expository essay writing guide | How to Write Excellent Expository Essays | literacyideas.com](https://literacyideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/expository_essay_writing_guide-1024x768.jpg.webp)
How to Write Excellent Expository Essays
![sample of book review format](https://i0.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/how-to-write-a-book-review-featured-2.png?fit=2240%2C1260&ssl=1)
How to Write a Book Review: Your Easy Book Review Format
Your easy-to-use book review format and why it works! Unsure how to structure your book review? Look no further. I’m sharing with you my tried-and-true template for crafting a substantive, helpful book review, no matter if it’s a nonfiction book or fiction book. I’ll also let you peek into my traffic to see why you should be publishing book discussion guides, not reviews, and then I’ll include the steps you need to write one.
This book review format is intended for anyone looking to write a substantive book review for a blog, for school, or for review sites like Goodreads and Amazon.
First… dive deeper into book reviewing with my book
(or just skip to the review template).
If you want to learn much, much more about writing a book review, be sure to check out my bestselling book, How to Write a Book Review .
![sample of book review format](https://i2.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/HOW-TO-WRITE-A-BOOK-REVIEW-BOOK-COVER.jpg?resize=188%2C300&ssl=1)
This essential book, which expands on book reviews and discussion guides, is available on Amazon.
And now for the book review template!
Each of these components in the book review template serve a purpose. I’ve learned over the years through SEO optimization and keyword research that these components of a book that readers look for the most.
Here’s the book review format:
Part 1: introduce the book and the author: 1-2 paragraphs.
- Include any background you can find about the book.
- Briefly summarize the author’s biography.
Introducing the book you’re reviewing provides necessary context. Don’t expect that readers have already heard about the book, much less the author. This is also a good time to add in details about any buzz the book has; for example, if it’s been picked for a national book club, is already a bestseller, or is a noteworthy review.
Part 2: Plot Summary : 3-5 paragraphs
- If you’re writing a review that must include all aspects of the plot, be sure to include a spoiler warning.
- Summarize the plot in no more than 3-5 paragraphs.
- Add 3-5 key takeaways (for nonfiction only).
One of the most important components of a book review is the plot summary. Readers in book clubs rushing to get the basic framework of what happens in the book are going to hunt for your plot summary first and foremost.
In no more than 3-5 paragraphs, summarize the book’s key events.
Not sure how much to add? Divide how many pages the book is and write one paragraph per each 100 pages.
If you’re reviewing nonfiction, be sure to write 3-5 takeaways that extract the core theses of the book.
For example, in Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers , here are 3 takeaways you could extract for a book review’s summary section:
![sample of book review format](https://i2.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Talking-to-Strangers.jpg?resize=202%2C300&ssl=1)
- More often than not, we resort to believing people even when they are lying to our faces, a tendency Gladwell calls the “Default to truth.”
- “Coupling” is a phenomenon that finds links between two factors that can be unpaired, like a rise in suicides by gassing and changing the way ovens are made.
- Criminologists were able to beat back crime in inner cities by making more stops to check for weapons. However, other, more rural and car-dependent urban areas misapplied the findings, leading to an unnecessary increase in motor vehicle stops.
My tip: if you’re feeling overwhelmed by having to distill the key takeaways, reread the beginning and the final chapter and see what themes and ideas repeat between the two.
Interlude: A Quick Note on Writing Discussion Guides Instead of Book Reviews
My How to Write a Book Review guide actually sets you up to write book discussion guides, too.
Wait a second—you may be saying—isn’t that a book about how to write book reviews , not book discussion guides ?
The fact is, as I’ve mined my own traffic and data over the years, book discussion guides (also known alternatively as book group guides, book club guides, study guides, or reading group guides) bring in the most consistent traffic to my site vs. traditional book reviews.
Check out how much traffic two of my book guides brought in over a period of 30 days:
![sample of book review format](https://i1.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/BBB-Traffic-1-1.png?fit=1024%2C650&ssl=1)
This traffic suggests there’s a market for these evergreen topics. People don’t want just reviews anymore. They want substantive content to help them take it to the next level and prep for book clubs, essays about books, and reading groups.
Now let’s do some SEO research to see what kind of book discussion topics are trending on Google.
Here’s a screenshot that shows you what are the top searches for content that go easily into a book discussion guide for Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls , the book I write a complete guide of in How to Write a Book Review . Take a look at the search traffic for City of Girls , the novel we will be using in this book as we work through the parts of a book review. Courtesy of the Chrome extension Keywords Everywhere, we can see what people look for when you search Google for: “city of girls”:
![sample of book review format](https://i0.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/City-of-Girls-traffic-edited.png?resize=952%2C616&ssl=1)
You see? The top results for City of Girls are, after the top spot goes to review, all components of a book discussion guide.
The main difference between book discussion guides and book reviews, as laid out in this blog post and in my book, are three components: Discussion Questions (Part 3 of this guide), Quotes (Part 4 of this Guide) and Similar Books (Part 7).
Now back to the guide!
Part 3: Discussion Questions (Optional )
- Include 5-10 discussion questions.
This part is optional. But if you’re writing book reviews that you hope will also work as book group guides, you’ll want to come up with 5-10 questions that stir up discussions.
Check out my discussion guide to Jenny Offill’s Weather . Here are four questions from that article, which was published here on the blog:
![sample of book review format](https://i2.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Weather-Jenny-Offill-Featured-2.png?resize=1024%2C559&ssl=1)
Here are four discussion questions from the Weather guide:
1. Why do you think Offill named her novel Weather ? In what ways does weather show up as a theme in Offill’s novel?
2. Weather is written in micro-moments. Lizzie’s narrative is comprised of sentence and sometimes paragraph-long segments that build into a larger story. What was the experience like to read a narrative like that? How does this unique format serve the story and its contemporary, zeitgeisty setting?
3. How does Lizzie change over the course of the story? What specific examples did you see of her changing, or lack thereof?
4. How would you characterize Lizzie’s relationship with her brother, Henry? Compare and contrast it with other relationships Lizzie has a duty to uphold, such as with her husband, Ben, and son, Eli?
Pretty easy!
If you’re already writing a plot summary, consider taking your guide to the next level by including some discussion questions for a reading group guide.
And if you’re stumped for what questions are right, How to Write a Book Review has a list of 30 book discussion questions anyone can easily adapt to fit their book review.
Part 4: Quotes (Optional)
- Include 5-10 key quotes from the book with speaker and page numbers.
Adding quotes is another optional component of a book review or book discussion guide. All you have to do is list 5-10 quotes from the book that you felt warrant special attention. You might also want to go so far as to analyze each quote, but it’s not necessary. You’ll want to include the speaker of the quote and the page numbers.
You could also break this out into a separate post.
My quote post of the best quotes from Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch gets traffic every day from Google and Pinterest.
![sample of book review format](https://i2.wp.com/brokebybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Goldfinch-Quotes-Cover.png?resize=1024%2C536&ssl=1)
Readers really look for these types of posts, so you can naturally include them in your guide.
Part 5: Pros and Cons
- Include 2-4 positive qualities or “Pros” of the book as bullet points (or plus signs).
- Include 2-4 negative qualities or “Cons” of the book as bullet points (or negative signs).
- Depending on whether your review is positive or negative, the balance between the pros and cons will be weighted differently.
There are many ways to structure the positives and negatives for the book you’re reviewing, but ultimately, the information should be clear and readable.
Keep in mind that each positive trait of a book or negative trait can be lost if they are buried in lengthy paragraphs. Your readers are mostly skimming this section or scrolling fast.
The way to fix that? Get to the point, clean and fast.
That’s why I endorse separating your Pros and Cons of the book in two separate bullet point lists.
Pro’s and Con’s lists are easily recognizable and intuitive to consumers. After all, one purpose for the book review is not just to enlighten, but to help a reader make a consumer purchase to buy the book.
Need an example? My book review of Pumpkins follows this format, albeit I switched in “strengths” and “weaknesses” for “pro’s” and “con’s”:
Book Review of PUMPKINHEADS by Rainbow Rowell
Here’s a “Strength” I wrote for Pumpkinheads :
Positive: Pumpkinheads Captures That Fall Mood
If you’re coming to Pumpkinheads having never gone to a pumpkin patch, don’t worry—Faith Erin Hicks fully immerses you in the setting, crammed with tiny details, vivid colors, and a cohesive visual style that immerses you there. The sensory experience translate off the page. I felt like I could smell phantom whiffs of pumpkin spice, hay, and kettle corn just by reading the novel. This book totally nails the mood of fall. Whenever you’re feeling nostalgic for the fall , pick up Pumpkinheads and get magically swept back into PSL season.
And here’s a “Weakness” I wrote for Pumpkinheads :
Negative: Josie felt a little one dimensional
Of the two main characters, Josie felt less developed to me. Deja was a great sidekick, but without her there to keep the conversation rolling, Josie would have made even less of an impression on me. It was almost like, his main motivation in the story was to find Marcy, speak to her, and give her his number. But that felt like a desire line that Deja applied to him. And certainly that is a bit forced. She’s deliberately trying to push Josie to sort through how serious he is about Marcy and dating in general. However, the result was I didn’t really know what Josie himself wanted.
However you choose to customize the language in this section: Pro’s and Con’s, Strengths and Weaknesses, “What I Loved” and “What I hated,” organize the information cleanly in bullet point lists.
Part 6: Overall Assessment
- Synthesize the points you make in Part 3. Ultimately, does the book get a favorable review?
Now it’s time to synthesize your pro’s and con’s into an overall assessment. It can be as easy as adding up how many positive and negative qualities you’ve listed and go with the one that has more. Still, in this section, you’re going to want to weigh the good and the bad to make sure you’re giving people as objective a point of view as possible.
Remember that you’re reviewing a book , not your feelings Broke by Books
Ultimately, it’s up to you to make the judgment call and give an overall assessment. Don’t back down from whatever strong feelings you have about the book. Readers like a book review that feels passionate and earnest.
A quick note on star ratings…
If you’re an avid Goodreads reviewer, you are used to giving 1-5 stars for a book’s rating.
It’s up to you if you want to include a star rating for the book you’re reviewing. I usually do because it’s a factor that resonates with a lot of readers. If you’re using a star rating system, the Overall Assessment is the place to put that.
Part 7: Similar Books (Optional)
- Include 3-5 similar books.
This is another section that often goes in book discussion guides. People who just finished reading a book often crave similar books to deal with their book hangover. Or the subject of the book might leave them curious to learn more.
This is your spot in the book review (or discussion guide) to include 3-5 similar books to the one you’re reviewing.
For example, check out my article with discussion questions for The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy.
Discussion Questions for THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE
After the plot summary, discussion questions, and quotes, I listed five books for people who loved The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse .
Including extra books for people to read if they enjoyed the one you’re reviewing make take more time. The effect is well worth it. People look to you as an authority and your review as more than just opinion, but a trusted and useful piece of information.
Part 8: Further Information
- Include the stats of the book: pub date, publisher
- Link to other resources: author interviews, reviews on authority sites
This final part in the book review template is one of my favorites. At the very end of your book review, add further information so readers can leave your review and launch into more info on the book. That starts with the pub date and publisher, along with basic facts like page count.
But it’s also fun to include further information about the author. In my review of Weather , for instance, I embedded a YouTube video of the author promoting her book. I also included links to interviews with the author. To my surprise, I’ve seen in my blog’s traffic that people actually routinely click on the extra links to learn more about the books.
And… that’s it!
This post has everything you need to write a comprehensive book review or book review discussion guide. If you want to take it further, be sure to check out my eBook How to Write a Book Review :
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How to Write a Book Review: Writing Guide, Structure & Examples
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A book review is a critical evaluation of a book that provides a brief summary and discusses its strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of a book review is to help readers decide whether or not to read the book. You should provide insight into the book's content and assess its significance.
Writing a book review is an essential skill that every student must possess. In particular, your teacher may require you to prepare a book review to widen your knowledge of a subject matter or let you practice evaluating ideas critically. Follow this article to discover how to review a book and complete such projects easily. Even if you have never written reviews before, with our step-by-step guidelines, you will understand the basics. Book reviews examples are also offered to bolster your grasp of key points. As a book review writer , you might use our recommendations to express your opinion and make your writing shine. Let’s get started!
What Is a Book Review: Definition
A book review is a detailed assessment of text based on content, plot and writing style. It involves thoroughly describing, analyzing, and evaluating what a text means. Reviews often assess writing quality, topic importance and coverage. Most book reviews are brief and generally include 500-1000 words. However, factors such as your assignment length, manuscript complexity, and overall purpose of an evaluation may lead to longer or shorter papers. Students are mainly asked to write a book review as practice in carefully reading, examining, and forming an informed opinion on a volume’s context and author’s views. Unlike a book critique , reviews are more focused on plot summary and recommendations rather than providing critical analysis . The real value of crafting good book review essays for students is that they enhance critical thinking, writing, and interpretation skills. Commentary is a vital aspect of this task as this enables you to enter into discussion and dialogue with a novelist and other readers.
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Features of Book Reviews
Formulating book reviews is an important task, as it requires appraising another person’s work. This may have a significant influence on readers because it guides their verdict on whether to consider the text. Thus, knowing how to write a good book review is essential. These components are what makes a good book review:
- Provide a summary of a manuscript. Offer an overview of its purpose, argument, and perspective. Also, describe your topic and scope. This is an excellent way to introduce your review, as it offers context. Nonetheless, avoid giving too much information by keeping it nice and short.
- Offer critical evaluation. Assess the key elements such as themes, plot, character, and overall development, depending on the genre. Identify strong points, weaknesses, and how effective an author is in building their work.
- Give a rating. Recommend whether or not people should value it for its overall quality and authenticity. You can offer your general score using conventional techniques such as “seven out of ten”.
Book Review Outline
It is a good idea to start your paper by writing an outline of a book review. A decent layout usually begins with a heading or bibliographic data specifying the full title, publication place and date, author, and publisher. The second part of the structure of a book review is an introduction, consisting of a brief overview of the text, its purpose or audience, and your thesis statement or key observation. The next section of your book review template is the body in which you describe the analysis and assessment of the manuscript. Here, describe its contents, argument, presentation, and evidence before offering your evaluation. A conclusion section follows where you tie together all raised points and offer your comments about the work. Finally, include a citation page for what you reviewed and any other sources used. Here is a book review outline example:
- Discuss the cover and title
- Mention the author and date of publication
- Present a thesis statement focusing on the central points
- Provide a brief plot summary
- Present your main point
- Include supporting quotations
- Discuss the quotes and symbolism
- Wrap up your key points
- Share your final opinion
- Give recommendations
Things to Consider Before Writing a Book Review
As with all other essay genres that students complete, writing a book review requires considering several components. Therefore, if you are interested in knowing how to write a book review , make sure you attend to these aspects before beginning:
- Author Within your book review essay, you must discuss who the novelist is and their previous works concerning your analysis. For example, you can identify the author’s style, prizes or rewards, and what they are popular for.
- Genre Book reviews also include a genre. Examples are history, romance, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and science fiction, among others. This helps you recognize the work’s audience and overall purpose.
- Title In most cases, your heading corresponds to a text’s label. However, you can go further by examining how relevant a headline is to the work’s purpose. Maybe it conveys a specific message or reveals important themes.
- Main theme and ideas Your book review must highlight its central points. Evaluate how they are explored. Are they examined deeply or trivially? Besides, assess if it includes any repetitive motifs.
- Argument What is the author’s main argument or assumptions and conclusions? What evidence is used to support these claims? Also, identify if they are valid.
- Writing style Here, explore the major aspects of an author’s style, such as word choice and dialogue setup. Explain or assess how it fits into the broader literary domain.
- Plot Writing an academic book review also requires that you locate the main catalyst of the work’s contents or story. Describe any subplots and explain what happens as the action rises.
- Characters You should also recognize the main characters and their motivations. Additionally, explain if they are empathetic or convincingly drawn.
- Literary devices What techniques of analysis are used? Examples include allusions, sense appeal, quotations, imagery, metaphor, personification, characterization, dialogue, symbolism, etc.
- Quotations You can include short quotes as examples to get your points across when writing book reviews. This allows your reader to see exactly what you are talking about. Practice carefulness and avoid long quotes as they suppress your analysis and take up large spaces. Check our guide on how to cite a quote if you have questions.
Questions to Ask While Reading a Book
An initial step before starting to write your book review is engaging in the active reading of what will be evaluated. Do it once or a couple of times to understand what it is about. Composing an academic book review without going through this phase is unwise because it is like going to an exam without studying a course or unit. Ask yourself these questions as you dig into the manuscript:
- What is its genre?
- Do you know anything about who wrote it?
- Can you identify the main themes? Are they conveyed well?
- What is the main argument?
- What is the exact topic or subject?
- How are the arguments supported and structured?
- Can you identify how the events and characters relate to the subject matter?
- Does it contain a major conflict? How does this develop throughout the work?
- The author was trying to accomplish what?
- How has it helped you understand the topic? How do you feel about the text?
How to Write a Book Review Step-By-Step
Once you have answered the aforementioned questions and made assessments and observations, it is time to start writing analysis. To do this, you must be familiar with how to write a book review. Specifically, you should understand what to do, beginning from assessing the report to composing your review up to writing a conclusion. Below is a step-by-step description of how to do a book review:
1. Read a Book and Take Notes
The first phase of composing a book review involves reading it and taking notes on key points. Start by attending closely to the preface and introduction sections because most authors describe the reasons for writing, their views, and the perspectives of any contributors here. Consider the structure and table of contents to get a quick overview of what is inside. In addition, look at any graphics to gain insights into what strategies are used to enhance meanings and which kinds of readers are targeted. Go through the summaries and abstracts to understand an author’s viewpoint. Note down your observations, including the logic of what is presented, organization, and structure.
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Additionally, identify if the information is new or developed based on previous works and existing ideas. Assessment should also include your view about how simple or hard it is to get a novelist’s standpoint and why. These transcripts will enable you to review a book effectively by revealing how distinctive it is and to what extent the author conveyed its motive. Learn more about how to write an academic book review in the sections below.
2. Develop an Outline of a Book Review
Writing an outline for a book review before constructing the actual piece helps ensure your work fulfills its goals. This is the basis of your entire task as it includes the major points you will address and gives you a reference point as you complete your schoolwork. A professional book review structure consists of at least five paragraphs. The main elements are the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Your academic book review template must cover all the primary arguments to be discussed, such as plot details, characters, themes, and other essential parts. Below you can see an example of how a book review can be outlined. Check best practices on how to outline an essay or review to organize your work properly.
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3. Write a Book Review Introduction
Start your book review with an anecdote or hook that conveys your argument succinctly. However, you can begin differently based on your audience and argument. Generally, you must include the author’s name, manuscript title, and primary theme. Besides, identify the work’s context in your book review introduction as this informs your claim. Also, offer relevant information about who the writer is and their stand in their field. Moreover, if you are not conversant with how to write a review of a book, remember that your thesis and that of the text are stated here.
How to Write a Book Review Introduction Example
Below is an introduction of a book review example. Examine it carefully and critically to deepen your understanding of composing this section.
John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in The Striped Pajamas, is based on real events during the Second World War. Published in 2006, it offers excellent information to teenagers who want to expand their historical knowledge. The novel follows a nine-year-old youngster, Bruno, whose father works as a Nazi soldier at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The story’s unfolding reveals what a curious boy lived during this desperate period in Germany.
4. Include a Brief Plot Summary
Next, write a book review summary to provide your audience with some background. Focus on pertinent events that occur throughout it, as this gives context. Be cautious here by not revealing the climax or ending because this does not form a major part of your analysis as you write your book review. Thus, keep this section short and brief, probably not more than two paragraphs, unless you are preparing an extended piece. Remember to prioritize your evaluation part. Your audience can also influence the necessary amount of synopsis. For example, if they have not read the work, you may need to offer a good summary. Nonetheless, if they have already gone through it, you can make a book review by examining more subtle arguments and highlighting your claim.
Example of Book Review Summary
Have a look at this example of a good book review summary:
Bruno, a nine-year-old boy, lives in a large house with his parents, sister, and maid during WW2 in Berlin. One day they all move to rural Poland occupied by Nazis after his father is promoted. Bruno identifies a concentration camp close to where they live but thinks it is a farm. A private tutor is allowed to teach him and his sister antisemitism and Nazi propaganda, but he struggles to understand lessons. He later befriends another young boy who lives on another side of a barbed wire fence.
5. Make an Assessment and Critique a Book
This is the main portion of a book review and includes your judgment and appraisal of what you read. You formulated a thesis at the beginning of the book review paper, which represents your view. Now, explain your reasoning. This is also a time for considering your notes and adding details from the manuscript, such as key themes, characters, and the author’s point of view. Here is how to write a book review essay for this segment:
- Which writing style is used? Emphasize precise usage of words and sentences, text flow, clarity, and cohesion.
- Describe how it affected you and if it changed any of your feelings or opinions.
- Explain whether the author met their purpose, if others should read the work, and why.
- Did the author describe facts or attempt to persuade the audience regarding the validity of a specific issue?
- Was it suitable for the intended readers? How interesting was it?
Book Evaluation Example
This example gives you an idea of how to write a book evaluation:
The novel is an excellent revelation for all as it describes the Holocaust events and terrors objectively. Its narration from two perspectives simultaneously was very entertaining. For example, initially, it involved a story from Bruno’s view in the course of the war, including which hardships were endured. Then, the same character was also used in telling a story from the view of being held in a Nazi camp. Here, the examination focuses on how prisoners were treated and the horrible conditions they lived in.
6. Make a Book Recommendation
After evaluating and critiquing the text, it is now time to reveal your thoughts about it. Writing a good book review requires that you identify or explain in this section how suitable it is to your audience. In other words, who will be interested in reading this work? Also, explain in your book review assignment whether you liked or disliked it and why. Ascertain which type of people would love it because not every text is right for everyone. Even if you disliked it, this does not mean that the manuscript is not appealing to others. Therefore, make your review of a book useful by helping people discover it. Besides, identify any surprises you encountered.
Book Recommendation Example
The following sample demonstrates how to write a book recommendation:
Being majorly fictional, this text contains numerous factual elements and describes a lot of ideas and themes requiring mature individuals to deduce and understand properly. Therefore, I do not recommend it to youngsters under 12 years old. However, if you want to gain better insights into the dark events of the Second World War, then this is a perfect copy for you. Its only downside is that the novel does not offer adequate details about events and themes.
7. Write a Conclusion of a Book Review
Your knowledge of how to write book reviews will be incomplete without understanding this section. In particular, you need a strong ending, just like any other writing task you have done previously. So, you have a basic idea about how to write a conclusion for a book review. Specifically, make your final appraisal without introducing new evidence. Nonetheless, you can include new thoughts that go beyond the manuscript if they extend your argument’s logic. In this part, you need to balance what you wrote and found into a single assessment. Ask yourself, what do all summaries and analyses add up to? Also, identify if additional research is required on the topic now that the text is written. Remember to highlight the work’s contribution to its field. Ensure to leave your audience with a well-justified and articulated final evaluation.
Book Review Conclusion Example
Still stuck or need a sample to jog your memory? Look at this example of a book review conclusion:
While the author’s style is plain and natural, there are some weaknesses and errors in how he develops his work. However, this does not stop the author from answering many questions and offering valuable views into the horrors of WWII for young people. His argument is vitally crucial when understanding and coming to terms with the Holocaust. No teenager in the world should go without being exposed to these disastrous events.
Book Review Format
When professors assign tasks, they often require you to comply with a specified design. You may also be left to select an appropriate layout from major styles such as Chicago, APA, or MLA. If you are not asked to use any one particular citation, keep in mind that the format of book reviews depends on your discipline. Therefore, find out how to format a book review from your school department. Do not forget to format your citations accordingly. We advise reading more articles on how to cite a book in APA or MLA, should you need any help.
Book Review Examples
Examples of book reviews are provided below. Click on each one and explore sample templates in more detail. Please, take your time to read all samples since they highlight some key components of writing this type of work. Also, understand that a particular academic book review example is intended to help you practice your analysis skills, enhance your writing skills, and develop your knowledge of reviewing books. Example of book review essay 1
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Sample book review 2
Book review essay example 3
Tips on How to Write Book Review
Your approach to composing a book review will vary and depend on what type of work and genre you are analyzing. However, when assessing a text, focus on how an author treats dialogue, setting, plot, and characters. In addition to viewing a book review sample for extra ideas, keep these tips in mind:
- Characters Are they believable, different, or similar during dialogue? Can you tell one from another?
- Plot Is it interesting enough? Does it emerge as original or has numerous dull parts? Identify if it has unresolved issues or is confusing. Remember that you do not know how to write a great book review if you cannot understand the plot.
- Comparison Think about other works in the same genre. How does this volume compare to theirs?
- Setting Can you visualize or imagine the described action? How is the setting used to create a mood?
- Writing style What style is used in developing the text? Is there a consistent style throughout?
Book Review Writing Checklist
Here is a checklist about how to write a book review for school or college. Use it to examine your book review or get another student or peer to assist you:
- checkbox Essential biographical details are provided.
- checkbox My introduction is interesting.
- checkbox I have identified the author and text title/type in my introduction.
- checkbox I stated what the work is about and offered adequate background information.
- checkbox I mentioned the book’s thesis and stated my claim.
- checkbox I described key points in the body, such as summary, purpose, arguments, intended audience, layout, organization, and sources.
- checkbox I backed up my description with evidence or quotations.
- checkbox I critically evaluated key areas.
- checkbox I discussed all strengths and weaknesses and summarized them.
- checkbox I included my rating and recommendations.
- checkbox I restated my thesis and offered a memorable ending.
Final Thoughts on How to Write a Book Review
This article described the whole process of reviewing a book. Completing these types of tasks should not be complicated or demanding if you follow the discussed guidelines and tips comprehensively. Cement your understanding by checking out how to write a book review example from a list of samples provided previously. Pay attention to how key ideas from this guide are implemented. Also, don’t forget to explore all the examples of good book reviews for a complete overview. There is no need for you to seek more information outside once you have read all the segments. Just start writing your assignment.
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FAQ About Book Reviews
1. what is the purpose of a book review.
Book reviews usually inform readers about a specific volume’s purpose, argument, and quality. They also explain how it fits into the existing literature. This can be helpful to others who have not read the work so that they can choose whether to go through it or if it’s worth their time and effort.
2. What to include in a book review?
The elements of a book review include a citation, introduction, relevance and intended audience, a brief plot summary or main arguments, critique, evaluation and importance, recommendation, and conclusion. The review offers a critical analysis, assessment, and connection to other relevant works. A reviewer also provides personal views and recommendations.
3. How to start a book review?
Start a book review by reading the work to understand elements such as writing style, plot, characters, literary devices, and the main argument. Then, summarize the major claims made throughout the manuscript by explicitly stating them in your introduction. Also, offer relevant context for your analysis and declare your thesis.
4. How to end a book review?
Finish your book review by giving your overall impression of the work. Conclude and summarize the strengths and weaknesses you found, demonstrate how useful the text is, identify its contribution to the wider field, and offer your recommendations. In addition, mention the type of audience who will benefit from reading it.
5. How long should a book review be?
Traditionally, a book review is usually about 500-1000 words long. However, be sure to have a clear idea regarding your assignment expectations since specific tasks mostly have guidelines. In general, however, most evaluations will not exceed 1000 words.
6. What to avoid when writing a book review?
These are what to avoid when writing your book review:
- Retelling a story without an in-depth analysis.
- Summarizing the text only without critical evaluation.
- Using imprecise language.
- Providing harsh evaluations rather than constructive assessments.
- Not using evidence to back up your views.
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Book Reviews
What this handout is about.
This handout will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews.
What is a review?
A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon. Reviews can consider books, articles, entire genres or fields of literature, architecture, art, fashion, restaurants, policies, exhibitions, performances, and many other forms. This handout will focus on book reviews. For a similar assignment, see our handout on literature reviews .
Above all, a review makes an argument. The most important element of a review is that it is a commentary, not merely a 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 its knowledge, judgments, or organization. You should clearly state your opinion of the work in question, and that statement will probably resemble other types of academic writing, with a thesis statement, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Typically, reviews are brief. In newspapers and academic journals, 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:
- First, a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
- Second, and 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.
- Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience would appreciate it.
Becoming an expert reviewer: three short examples
Reviewing can be a daunting task. Someone has asked for your opinion about something that you may feel unqualified to evaluate. Who are you to criticize Toni Morrison’s new book if you’ve never written a novel yourself, much less won a Nobel Prize? The point is that someone—a professor, a journal editor, peers in a study group—wants to know what you think about a particular work. You may not be (or feel like) an expert, but you need to pretend to be one for your particular audience. Nobody expects you to be the intellectual equal of the work’s creator, but your careful observations can provide you with the raw material to make reasoned judgments. 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 assertions.
Consider the following brief book review written for a history course on medieval Europe by a student who is fascinated with beer:
Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, investigates how women used to brew and sell the majority of ale drunk in England. Historically, ale and beer (not milk, wine, or water) were important elements of the English diet. Ale brewing was low-skill and low status labor that was complimentary to women’s domestic responsibilities. In the early fifteenth century, brewers began to make ale with hops, and they called this new drink “beer.” This technique allowed brewers to produce their beverages at a lower cost and to sell it more easily, although women generally stopped brewing once the business became more profitable.
The student describes the subject of the book and provides an accurate summary of its contents. But the reader does not learn some key information expected from a review: the author’s argument, the student’s appraisal of the book and its argument, and whether or not the student would recommend the book. As a critical assessment, a book review should focus on opinions, not facts and details. Summary should be kept to a minimum, and specific details should serve to illustrate arguments.
Now consider a review of the same book written by a slightly more opinionated student:
Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 was a colossal disappointment. I wanted to know about the rituals surrounding drinking in medieval England: the songs, the games, the parties. Bennett provided none of that information. I liked how the book showed ale and beer brewing as an economic activity, but the reader gets lost in the details of prices and wages. I was more interested in the private lives of the women brewsters. The book was divided into eight long chapters, and I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to read it.
There’s no shortage of judgments in this review! But the student does not display a working knowledge of the book’s argument. The reader has a sense of what the student expected of the book, but no sense of what the author herself set out to prove. Although the student gives several reasons for the negative review, those examples do not clearly relate to each other as part of an overall evaluation—in other words, in support of a specific thesis. This review is indeed an assessment, but not a critical one.
Here is one final review of the same book:
One of feminism’s paradoxes—one that challenges many of its optimistic histories—is how patriarchy remains persistent over time. While Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 recognizes medieval women as historical actors through their ale brewing, it also shows that female agency had its limits with the advent of beer. I had assumed that those limits were religious and political, but Bennett shows how a “patriarchal equilibrium” shut women out of economic life as well. Her analysis of women’s wages in ale and beer production proves that a change in women’s work does not equate to a change in working women’s status. Contemporary feminists and historians alike should read Bennett’s book and think twice when they crack open their next brewsky.
This student’s review avoids the problems of the previous two examples. It combines balanced opinion and concrete example, a critical assessment based on an explicitly stated rationale, and a recommendation to a potential audience. The reader gets a sense of what the book’s author intended to demonstrate. Moreover, the student refers to an argument about feminist history in general that places the book in a specific genre and that reaches out to a general audience. The example of analyzing wages illustrates an argument, the analysis engages significant intellectual debates, and the reasons for the overall positive review are plainly visible. The review offers criteria, opinions, and support with which the reader can agree or disagree.
Developing an assessment: before you write
There is no definitive method to writing a review, although some critical thinking about the work at hand is necessary before you actually begin writing. Thus, writing a review is a two-step process: developing an argument about the work under consideration, and making that argument as you write an organized and well-supported draft. See our handout on argument .
What follows is a series of questions to focus your thinking as you dig into the work at hand. While the questions specifically consider book reviews, you can easily transpose them to an analysis of performances, exhibitions, and other review subjects. Don’t feel obligated to address each of the questions; some will be more relevant than others to the book in question.
- What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished?
- What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? What is the approach to the subject (topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive)?
- How does the author support their argument? What evidence do they use to prove their point? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author’s information (or conclusions) conflict with other books you’ve read, courses you’ve taken or just previous assumptions you had of the subject?
- How does the author structure their argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
- How has this book helped you understand the subject? Would you recommend the book to your reader?
Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the circumstances of the text’s production:
- Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the biographer was the subject’s best friend? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they write about?
- What is the book’s genre? Out of what field does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or literary standard on which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know. Keep in mind, though, that naming “firsts”—alongside naming “bests” and “onlys”—can be a risky business unless you’re absolutely certain.
Writing the review
Once you have made your observations and assessments of the work under review, carefully survey your notes and attempt to unify your impressions into a statement that will describe the purpose or thesis of your review. Check out our handout on thesis statements . Then, outline the arguments that support your thesis.
Your arguments should develop the thesis in a logical manner. That logic, unlike more standard academic writing, may initially emphasize the author’s argument while you develop your own in the course of the review. The relative emphasis depends on the nature of the review: if readers may be more interested in the work itself, you may want to make the work and the author more prominent; if you want the review to be about your perspective and opinions, then you may structure the review to privilege your observations over (but never separate from) those of the work under review. What follows is just one of many ways to organize a review.
Introduction
Since most reviews are brief, many writers begin with a catchy quip or anecdote that succinctly delivers their argument. But you can introduce your review differently depending on the argument and audience. The Writing Center’s handout on introductions can help you find an approach that works. In general, you should include:
- The name of the author and the book title and the main theme.
- Relevant details about who the author is and where they stand in the genre or field of inquiry. You could also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.
- The context of the book and/or your review. Placing your review in a framework that makes sense to your audience alerts readers to your “take” on the book. Perhaps you want to situate a book about the Cuban revolution in the context of Cold War rivalries between the United States and the Soviet Union. Another reviewer might want to consider the book in the framework of Latin American social movements. Your choice of context informs your argument.
- The thesis of the book. If you are reviewing fiction, this may be difficult since novels, plays, and short stories rarely have explicit arguments. But identifying the book’s particular novelty, angle, or originality allows you to show what specific contribution the piece is trying to make.
- Your thesis about the book.
Summary of content
This should be brief, as analysis takes priority. In the course of making your assessment, you’ll hopefully be backing up your assertions with concrete evidence from the book, so some summary will be dispersed throughout other parts of the review.
The necessary amount of summary also depends on your audience. Graduate students, beware! If you are writing book reviews for colleagues—to prepare for comprehensive exams, for example—you may want to devote more attention to summarizing the book’s contents. If, on the other hand, your audience has already read the book—such as a class assignment on the same work—you may have more liberty to explore more subtle points and to emphasize your own argument. See our handout on summary for more tips.
Analysis and evaluation of the book
Your analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs that deal with single aspects of your argument. This arrangement can be challenging when your purpose is to consider the book as a whole, but it can help you differentiate elements of your criticism and pair assertions with evidence more clearly. You do not necessarily need to work chronologically through the book as you discuss it. Given the argument you want to make, you can organize your paragraphs more usefully by themes, methods, or other elements of the book. If you find it useful to include comparisons to other books, keep them brief so that the book under review remains in the spotlight. Avoid excessive quotation and give a specific page reference in parentheses when you do quote. Remember that you can state many of the author’s points in your own words.
Sum up or restate your thesis or make the final judgment regarding the book. You should not introduce new evidence for your argument in the conclusion. You can, however, introduce new ideas that go beyond the book if they extend the logic of your own thesis. This paragraph needs to balance the book’s strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. Did the body of your review have three negative paragraphs and one favorable one? What do they all add up to? The Writing Center’s handout on conclusions can help you make a final assessment.
Finally, a few general considerations:
- Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written. You can and should point out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
- With any luck, the author of the book worked hard to find the right words to express her ideas. You should attempt to do the same. Precise language allows you to control the tone of your review.
- Never hesitate to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument. Be sure, however, to cite specific examples to back up your assertions carefully.
- Try to present a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience. You’re entitled—and sometimes obligated—to voice strong agreement or disagreement. But keep in mind that a bad book takes as long to write as a good one, and every author deserves fair treatment. Harsh judgments are difficult to prove and can give readers the sense that you were unfair in your assessment.
- 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.
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Drewry, John. 1974. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: Greenwood Press.
Hoge, James. 1987. Literary Reviewing. Charlottesville: University Virginia of Press.
Sova, Dawn, and Harry Teitelbaum. 2002. How to Write Book Reports , 4th ed. Lawrenceville, NY: Thomson/Arco.
Walford, A.J. 1986. Reviews and Reviewing: A Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press.
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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How to Write a Book Review: Everything You Need to Know
When we read a good and interesting book, we want to share our thoughts about it with someone else. The best way to do that is to write a book review. For students, it’s hard to evaluate great literary masterpieces without any guidelines. Analyzing the text, composing an outline, and structuring your thoughts is a challenging task, especially if your writing skills are not professional.
But, there is nothing impossible with well-written and simple instructions. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide on how to write a book review. We’ll describe every stage of the writing process and give you a wide range of useful tips. On our blog, we also have numerous book review examples that you may find using the list of links at the end of our article. Don’t hesitate to start reading and learning!
What is a book review?
A book review is a critical evaluation and analysis of a book presented in written form. Book reviews can be classified both as academic and creative papers, as it depends on the purpose of writing. At university or school, professors often assign students with writing a book review in order to evaluate their writing skills and critical thinking on a particular subject. However, book reviews are frequently written by expert literary critics, as it is a part of their professional activities. Finally, anybody who wants to present his or her opinion about the book in written form may write a book review.
As a rule, the book review format depends on the requirements specified by your instructor or your own preferences. The structure type varies, but we highly recommend you to choose a standard essay format that includes an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
![sample of book review format elements of a book review](https://essayshark.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/elements-of-a-book-review.png)
How long is a book review?
The length of the book review depends on professors’ requirements. According to our statistics, on average, student’s are required to write from 600 to 1,000 words. It typically takes up to two weeks to complete the paper, including reading the original, planning section, additional research, and the writing itself.
5 common book review formats: make your choice
If your instructor always specifies all the details of the assignment, you have nothing to worry about. However, sometimes, you have to make a choice by yourself. Below, we’ll describe five popular book review formats to try. As a rule, you may pick any of them no matter what book you analyze. But choose wisely!
General impression
This type of book review may seem the easiest, but the first impression can be deceptive. If you miss a crucial aspect, your review will be superficial and insufficient. We recommend you to choose this format of writing a book review for short stories, as there is not so much material to analyze. A general impression includes a brief plot summary, analysis of the main aspects, and your overall evaluation.
Issue development
Every book focuses on one or two main issues, but there can also be a few additional themes. Such book reviews can be useful both for studying a particular book and for analyzing a concrete social, psychological, or moral problem. Thus, this format of a book review can be assigned to students who study not only English literature but also a wide range of other disciplines.
Character portrayal
This type of book review can be extremely interesting for those who study psychology. Literary characters are similar to human creatures. In high-quality books, authors create lifelike heroes who behave and evolve, just like real people do. This book review format might seem similar to a character analysis essay. However, in a good review, you don’t simply analyze a chosen character. You also have to evaluate how the writer managed to make the character realistic and vivid.
Aspect analysis
This type of book review will be perfect for novels where the author develops many various topics, describes lots of characters, and addresses different problems. You can pick any aspect and provide a deep and detailed analysis. Before writing a review, make sure that the chosen element is presented in the book at a sufficient level, and not in one short dialogue.
Comparative review
If you enjoy writing compare and contrast essays, you should certainly choose this book review format. You may compare various aspects in the books of the same or different authors: writing style, issue development, an opinion on a particular topic presented in the novel, etc. As in essays, you may analyze both similarities and differences in your book review.
Finally, you know what options you have when you need to compose a review. We also want to mention that you may combine different formats if you want and create totally unique types of papers. Your creativity should have no limits, especially when it comes to creative book reviews!
Let’s take a closer look at the writing process itself!
![sample of book review format book review format](https://essayshark.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/photo-1511872638242-f1652016540e.jpg)
10 simple steps to writing a book review
Planning makes any task much easier. You feel confident when you know what exactly you have to do at every stage.
Learn how to write a book review step by step and start working immediately!
1. Read a book
This step is so obvious that it isn’t worth explanation, is it? Did you think you could get a good grade without reading the primary source? Actually, you may try. But we don’t recommend you to take this risk. Moreover, if your book is short, you can read it twice to get a better impression.
2. Make notes
Sometimes, your instructor may ask you to attach your notes and drafts to the final version of your book review in order to evaluate your writing process. Even when it is not necessary, the notes will be utterly helpful for you to memorize small details. You can also write down a few quotations that will help you to prove your point of view in the review.
3. Read critical articles
You don’t have to use additional materials in your writing if it isn’t specified by the instructions. Anyway, you may read a few articles in order to get inspiration or some ideas for your review. Please, avoid plagiarism! If you like the critic’s idea, don’t copy it thoughtlessly! Use paraphrasing or direct citation to use someone else’s opinion in your writing. Don’t forget that you should use only reliable sources like reputable newspapers, scientific journals, online encyclopedias, etc.
4. Choose a book review format
Pick an appropriate option from the list above. Take into account your instructions, personal preferences, word limit, and book genre.
5. Specify your topic and thesis statement
Without a clear understanding of your purpose, you won’t be able to compose a high-quality book review sample. Choose a particular problem and define your viewpoint on it, you can use our writing prompt generator to do this. Do you agree or disagree with the author’s position? Did the author manage to develop a theme or not? Remember that you can change your thesis statement later if it is not relevant to your review. However, you need a starting point to begin with.
6. Brainstorm
Time for creativity! Look at your topic from different perspectives to get a full picture. Use various brainstorming techniques to achieve the best result: associations, questions, rolestorming, mind mapping, etc. Unfortunately, you may not use group brainstorming for individual assignments, but we are sure that your excellent mind will be more than enough for a book review.
7. Create an outline
Now, you have a collection of great ideas. The next step is structuring. Imagine how your book review will look and what parts it will have. Then, choose one main idea or a keyword for each section and write it down. For each point, select suitable expressions and quotations. In such a manner, you’ll get a solid foundation for your writing.
8. Write the first draft
You have everything you need to do this, believe us. Overcome your fear of writing the first sentence! You don’t have to make it perfect on the first try. But you need something to start from, okay? The first draft is always filled with inspiration and your personal voice. You can correct grammatical mistakes later, so don’t worry!
9. Proofread
And this is the less inspirational part of the writing process. Unfortunately, you can’t write a book review without proofreading. We’re sure that your paper will be great, but even the smallest mistakes can spoil the general impression. Before you start the editing process, have some rest. Your brain needs a restart to be on the appropriate level of concentration.
10. Add finishing touches
Bring it to perfection! If possible, get feedback from your friends or family members. A fresh perspective never hurts. Check your logic, argumentation, and wording. If you really like your book review sample, other people will like it too.
![sample of book review format things to do before writing a book review](https://essayshark.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/things-to-do-before-writing-a-review.png)
At this moment, you have a proper plan on how to write a review of a book. You’re ready to find out what the most common mistakes in reviews are. We’ll also explain to you how to avoid them efficiently!
6 mistakes to avoid while writing a book review template
Maybe you’ve already heard about these mistakes, but it is our duty to remind you of them one more time. We want to be sure that we’ve done everything possible to improve your writing.
- Don’t write a summary
Book reviews are not summaries. A short summary can be included in the text of your review in order to inform your readers about the main plot events and characters. Don’t focus on details if they aren’t important for your topic. Unnecessary information will make your book review boring and wordy.
- Express your evaluation
Along with a short summary, an assessment is an indispensable part of a good review. Don’t be afraid of expressing your personal opinion directly! Avoid words like “rather,” “enough,” and “almost,” as they will make your statements vague and uncertain. On the other hand, a bold statement without any arguments won’t be taken seriously. Always provide your readers with examples and other strong pieces of evidence.
- Avoid a superficial manner
This mistake is the most common for novel reviews. The author can’t focus on one particular aspect or character and must write a few sentences about everything. Such a review won’t be useful or interesting for the general public. If you’ve decided to provide a general overview of the whole book, you have to make sure that your review is long enough to cover all the essential topics of the novel. Otherwise, you won’t be able to present the book in a proper way.
- Stick to the writing style
Have you ever read formal letters that end with “XOXO” or “With love”? We doubt it. Before writing a book review example, define your purpose. If you compose a review as your academic assignment, stick to the formal writing style. If you create a review for your personal blog or just to share your thoughts with the general public, you don’t have to follow strict rules or formatting style. Sure, we still recommend you to avoid jargon, but you can freely use first-person pronouns and expressions like “In my opinion,” “I believe,” “My first impression,” etc.
- Provide strong arguments
As in any other type of paper, argumentation is essential for a well-written book review. Each of your statements and ideas should be proven by one or several arguments. For book reviews, we recommend using examples, quotation, and comparisons as the best pieces of evidence. Remember that you can’t just say “I like/don’t like this book.” You have to be consistent and follow certain argumentation logic in your writing.
- Don’t be a plagiarist
We will never tire of repeating this rule. We refuse to believe that you have no personal opinion or original thoughts! No doubt, you may look for inspiration in the articles written by professional critics, but you should never underestimate your writing skills. We believe that you’re able to create a fantastic text and avoid plagiarism.
Okay, that’s enough about mistakes for now! We’re sure that you’ll avoid them in the most elegant manner. If you need more tips for writing a book review, you can always check our amazing books for academic writing!
Our guide on how to write a book review is almost completed! The last thing you should learn about this type of paper is its structure. We’ll describe the essay-type structure for a review that will be appropriate for academic writing. If you choose a creative book review, you can break all the rules and compose the most extraordinary book review sample.
How to write a book review: simple structure
Introduction | |
The main body | |
Conclusion |
We have told you everything you need to know about writing a book review. However, we have one more thing to surprise you with! Awesome book review samples from our talented writers are waiting for you below! Follow the links and find your inspiration in our texts!
Book review examples and how to use them
As we promised, we will share all these book review samples with you! Please, don’t copy them thoughtlessly to present as your own work. This will be considered as plagiarism, or in other words, theft of intellectual property. However, you have many legal opportunities to use our samples. They will teach you how to make a book review better than any theoretical guides. So, there are four ways to use our texts and make the writing process easier:
- Source of information
Our writers use only reliable sources of data when they look for information about the topic. They avoid Wikipedia articles, personal blogs, and magazines to provide you only with valid facts and expert opinions. Thus, you can use our samples as a source of information without any fear of being misinformed.
This is an important technique to avoid plagiarism. Create a proper citation according to the required formatting style, and you’ll get a good piece of evidence for your argumentation! Don’t forget to list all your sources in your reference list!
- Paraphrasing
This method is a bit more difficult in comparison to citing, as every college has its own rules of proper paraphrasing. Before writing a book review, ask your instructor to specify his or her requirements with regard to paraphrasing. Formatting mistakes will negatively influence your grade!
- Inspiration
Finally, well-written samples may help you to overcome writer’s block and the fear of the first sentence. Inspiration and motivation are an indispensable part of the writing process. So, let the Muse be with you!
The Hound of the Baskervilles Book Review Sample
This example of a book review demonstrates how the writer can look from a fresh perspective even with the pieces of classical literature. The review is focused on the issue of guilt and its nature developed by Arthur Conan Doyle in his crime novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” A well-written sample will surprise you with an in-depth psychological approach.
Book Review Sample on Canadian History
If you have to write a book review about a history book, this sample will be a great help for you. The writer provided a detailed and well-structured analysis of the book “Alliance and Illusion: Canada and the World, 1945-1984” by Robert Bothwell. The review is a balanced combination of a summary, analysis, and critical evaluation.
The Book Thief Review Sample: Liesel Character
Here, we’ve placed an example of a different format of a book review. The writer is focused mostly on the main character of the novel, Liesel Meminger. The review analyzes her character and attitude. The writer examines how the character changes through the book and what causes these changes.
Little Women Book Review
This text is a short book review example about the novel “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. Although this book was written in the 19th century, it still develops feminist views and other social issues. This sample will be a good template for your own writing.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Book Review
The author of the review sample examines how the novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe pictures the social issue of slavery. The release of this book had both positive and negative consequences for the image of African Americans in the 19th century. If you’re going to create a book review about “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” our sample will be a great starting point for you.
Flowers for Algernon Book Review Sample
“Flowers for Algernon” is an amazing novel written by Daniel Keyes. It deserves thousands of reviews, and you won’t be disappointed if you decide to write another one. In our sample, the writer focuses on the theme of intelligence developed in the book. You can pick another aspect or follow the steps of our expert. It depends on you.
Now, we’re finally done. It has been a long path, but you can call yourself a real “book review guru”! Writing a book review is not as hard as you imagine. You just need to find a book that you’ll like and a good guide like the one above! Of course, you’ll also need inspiration, time, and energy. If you’re limited in one of these resources, there is always a way out!
Book review writing assistance from our writers
Apply to our EssayShark team to get immediate expert assistance! Our talented authors will solve any writing problem flawlessly. We work 24/7, so you may contact us anytime whenever you need a helping hand. Affordable prices and a user-friendly system are also waiting for you on our website. Forget about your deadlines with our EssayShark writing service, or even engineering coursework writing service !
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Book Review
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Book reviews are an essential part of literature review and criticism, providing readers with an overview of a book’s content, style, text structure , and quality. They offer readers an insight into the author’s writing and provide an assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses . Book reviews are written by professional book reviewers, literary critics, and even readers who have read the book and want to share their opinion with others. Other readers, or the author, would also reply to the critic with an argument essay .
What is a Book Review?
A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, where the reviewer shares their analysis, opinions, and overall assessment of the book’s content, style, and merit. It includes a summary of the book’s key points, an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, and a recommendation for potential readers. Book reviews help readers decide whether a book is worth reading.
Book Review Format
When writing a book review, it’s essential to follow a structured format that includes specific elements. Below is a detailed guide to help you create an engaging and comprehensive book review.
1. Introduction
- Book Title and Author : Clearly state the title of the book and the author’s name.
- Publication Details : Include the publisher, publication date, and edition if relevant.
- Genre : Mention the genre of the book (e.g., fiction, non-fiction, mystery, fantasy).
- Brief Overview : Provide a brief overview or summary of the book’s premise without giving away any spoilers.
Example: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, published by J.B. Lippincott & Co. in 1960, is a classic piece of American literature. This novel falls within the historical fiction genre and explores deep themes of racial injustice and moral growth through the eyes of young Scout Finch.
- Main Plot : Summarize the main plot points of the book in a concise manner.
- Setting : Describe the time and place where the story occurs.
- Main Characters : Introduce the main characters and their roles in the story.
Example: Set in the racially segregated South during the 1930s, the novel follows Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, a principled lawyer. When Atticus defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, the family faces hostility from the community. The story is a poignant exploration of racial tensions and moral integrity.
3. Analysis
- Themes : Discuss the main themes and messages of the book.
- Character Development : Analyze the growth and complexity of the main characters.
- Writing Style : Comment on the author’s writing style and how it contributes to the story.
- Pacing and Structure : Evaluate the pacing of the plot and the structure of the book.
Example: Harper Lee masterfully addresses themes of racism, moral courage, and the innocence of childhood. Through Scout’s eyes, we witness her coming-of-age and grappling with the harsh realities of her society. Lee’s descriptive prose and authentic dialogue create an immersive and emotionally charged narrative.
4. Personal Reflection
- Personal Connection : Share your personal connection to the book and how it impacted you.
- Strengths and Weaknesses : Highlight the strengths and any weaknesses you perceived in the book.
- Favorite Part : Mention any part or aspect of the book that stood out to you.
Example: Reading To Kill a Mockingbird was a profound experience. The book’s exploration of morality in the face of prejudice resonated deeply with me. While the pacing in some parts felt slow, the rich character development and powerful themes more than compensated for it. Atticus Finch’s unwavering integrity remains my favorite aspect of the book.
5. Conclusion
- Overall Impression : Provide your overall impression of the book.
- Recommendation : State whether you would recommend the book and to whom.
- Rating : Optionally, include a rating out of 5 or 10.
Example: Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautifully crafted novel that offers valuable insights into human nature and social justice. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages, particularly those interested in historical fiction and ethical dilemmas. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
6. Additional Information (Optional)
- Author’s Background : Briefly discuss the author’s background and other notable works.
- Comparison : Compare the book to other similar works or the author’s other books.
- Discussion Questions : Provide a few questions for further discussion or book clubs.
Example: Harper Lee, born in 1926 in Alabama, is best known for To Kill a Mockingbird , her only novel until the release of Go Set a Watchman in 2015. Her portrayal of Southern life and deep moral questions sets her apart from other authors in the genre.
Example of Book Review
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee Introduction To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, published by J.B. Lippincott & Co. in 1960, is a classic piece of American literature. This novel falls within the historical fiction genre and explores deep themes of racial injustice and moral growth through the eyes of young Scout Finch. Summary Set in the racially segregated South during the 1930s, the novel follows Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, a principled lawyer. When Atticus defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, the family faces hostility from the community. The story is a poignant exploration of racial tensions and moral integrity. Analysis Harper Lee masterfully addresses themes of racism, moral courage, and the innocence of childhood. Through Scout’s eyes, we witness her coming-of-age and grappling with the harsh realities of her society. Lee’s descriptive prose and authentic dialogue create an immersive and emotionally charged narrative. The character of Atticus Finch stands out as a paragon of virtue and empathy, serving as a moral guidepost for both Scout and the readers. The pacing of the book, though steady, allows for deep character development and a thorough exploration of its themes. Personal Reflection Reading To Kill a Mockingbird was a profound experience. The book’s exploration of morality in the face of prejudice resonated deeply with me. While the pacing in some parts felt slow, the rich character development and powerful themes more than compensated for it. Atticus Finch’s unwavering integrity remains my favorite aspect of the book. The trial scenes were particularly impactful, highlighting the deep-seated injustices of the time. Conclusion Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautifully crafted novel that offers valuable insights into human nature and social justice. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages, particularly those interested in historical fiction and ethical dilemmas. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Additional Information Harper Lee, born in 1926 in Alabama, is best known for To Kill a Mockingbird , her only novel until the release of Go Set a Watchman in 2015. Her portrayal of Southern life and deep moral questions sets her apart from other authors in the genre. This book is often compared to other great American novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, both dealing with themes of race and morality.
Example of Book Review for Students
“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White Introduction Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, published by Harper & Brothers in 1952, is a classic children’s novel that tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte. This book is a staple in children’s literature and has been cherished by generations of readers. Summary Wilbur, the runt of the litter, is saved from an untimely death by a girl named Fern. He is sent to live on her uncle’s farm, where he meets Charlotte, a wise and kind spider. When Wilbur’s life is again threatened, Charlotte writes messages in her web praising Wilbur, which amaze the humans and save his life. The story ends with the changing of seasons and Charlotte’s passing, leaving behind her legacy through her offspring. Analysis E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web is a heartwarming tale about friendship, loyalty, and the cycle of life. The author’s gentle prose and vivid descriptions bring the farm to life, making readers feel as if they are part of Wilbur and Charlotte’s world. Themes of sacrifice and the power of words are central to the story, teaching young readers about the impact of kindness and creativity. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique personalities that add depth to the story. Personal Reflection Charlotte’s Web is a touching story that has stayed with me since childhood. The bond between Wilbur and Charlotte is beautifully depicted, and the lessons of friendship and selflessness are profound. The book’s ending, while bittersweet, is a poignant reminder of life’s natural progression. Charlotte’s cleverness and dedication to saving Wilbur are inspirational, showing the true meaning of friendship and love. Conclusion Charlotte’s Web is a timeless story that continues to resonate with readers of all ages. It’s a must-read for elementary and middle school students, offering valuable lessons in compassion and the importance of friendship. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars for its enduring charm and profound messages.
Example of Book Review for College Students
“1984” by George Orwell Introduction 1984 by George Orwell, published by Secker & Warburg in 1949, is a seminal work of dystopian fiction. The novel explores themes of totalitarianism, surveillance, and the manipulation of truth in a society dominated by a tyrannical regime. Orwell’s chilling depiction of a future where individuality and freedom are systematically obliterated remains profoundly relevant today. Summary Set in a grim future where the Party, led by the enigmatic Big Brother, exerts absolute control over all aspects of life, 1984 follows Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of the Party. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to alter historical records to fit the Party’s ever-changing narratives. Disillusioned with the oppressive regime, Winston begins a covert rebellion by starting an illicit love affair with Julia and seeking the truth about the Party’s deceptions. As Winston delves deeper into his quest for truth, he encounters the brutal reality of the Party’s power and the futility of resistance. Analysis Orwell’s 1984 is a masterclass in dystopian literature, vividly illustrating the dangers of totalitarianism and the pervasive power of propaganda. The novel’s bleak setting and oppressive atmosphere effectively convey the sense of hopelessness that pervades Winston’s world. Themes of surveillance, control, and the malleability of truth resonate strongly, especially in the context of contemporary debates about privacy and government overreach. Orwell’s writing is both stark and evocative, immersing readers in the nightmarish reality of Oceania. The character of Winston Smith serves as a poignant representation of human vulnerability and the yearning for freedom. His tragic arc underscores the novel’s central message about the destructive potential of absolute power. Personal Reflection Reading 1984 as a college student, I found Orwell’s exploration of power dynamics and ideological control to be profoundly thought-provoking. The novel’s portrayal of a society stripped of individuality and truth resonated deeply, prompting reflection on the importance of critical thinking and resistance to authoritarianism. Winston’s futile struggle against the Party’s omnipotence was both heartbreaking and a stark reminder of the fragility of human rights. Conclusion 1984 is an essential read for college students, offering critical insights into the mechanisms of control and the importance of safeguarding democratic values. Orwell’s chilling vision of a dystopian future serves as a powerful warning against the perils of totalitarianism and the erosion of truth. I highly recommend this novel for its timeless relevance and profound impact. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
More Samples & Examples of Book Review in PDF
1. writing a book review.
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2. Write a Critical Book Review
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3. Book Review Assignment Example
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4. Steps for Writing a Good Book Review
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5. Writing a Book Review of a Nonfiction Book
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6. Writing Book Reviews in Political Science
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Common Mistakes to Avoid in Book Reviews
Writing a book review requires a careful balance of summarizing the content, providing analysis, and offering a critical assessment. Here are some common mistakes to avoid to ensure your book review is effective and insightful:
1. Spoilers
- Mistake : Revealing too much of the plot, including twists, climaxes, and the ending.
- Avoidance : Provide a brief summary without giving away key plot points. Maintain the element of surprise for readers who have not yet read the book.
2. Lack of Structure
- Mistake : Writing a review without a clear structure, making it hard for readers to follow your thoughts.
- Avoidance : Organize your review with clear sections: Introduction, Summary, Analysis, Critical Assessment, Conclusion, and (if applicable) Personal Reflection.
3. Overly Negative or Positive Bias
- Mistake : Being overly harsh or excessively praising without providing balanced criticism.
- Avoidance : Offer a fair assessment, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Ensure your review is balanced and objective.
4. Inadequate Analysis
- Mistake : Focusing too much on the plot summary and not enough on analysis and evaluation.
- Avoidance : Analyze the book’s themes, characters, writing style, and overall impact. Provide thoughtful insights rather than just recounting the story.
5. Personal Bias
- Mistake : Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective evaluation of the book’s merits and flaws.
- Avoidance : While personal reflections are valuable, they should not dominate the review. Keep your assessment fair and objective, considering the book’s intended audience and genre.
6. Ignoring the Author’s Intent
- Mistake : Criticizing the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
- Avoidance : Understand the author’s goals and evaluate the book based on those criteria. Judge the book within the context of its genre and intended audience.
7. Inadequate Support for Opinions
- Mistake : Making bold statements without supporting evidence from the book.
- Avoidance : Back up your opinions with specific examples and quotations from the text. This strengthens your arguments and provides clarity to your critique.
8. Vague Language
- Mistake : Using vague or generic terms that do not provide clear insights.
- Avoidance : Use specific and descriptive language. Instead of saying “the book is interesting,” explain what makes it engaging or compelling.
9. Ignoring the Book’s Audience
- Mistake : Failing to consider the book’s target audience in your review.
- Avoidance : Assess how well the book meets the needs and expectations of its intended readers. A book aimed at children, for example, should be evaluated differently than one aimed at adults.
10. Overlooking the Book’s Context
- Mistake : Not considering the historical, cultural, or literary context of the book.
- Avoidance : Place the book within its broader context. Discuss its relevance, influences, and how it fits within the author’s body of work or its genre.
11. Inconsistent Tone and Style
- Mistake : Switching between formal and informal tones or using inconsistent writing styles.
- Avoidance : Maintain a consistent tone and style throughout the review. Ensure your language matches the seriousness or lightheartedness of the book.
12. Poor Proofreading
- Mistake : Submitting a review with grammatical errors, typos, and poorly constructed sentences.
- Avoidance : Proofread your review carefully before publishing. Consider having someone else read it to catch any mistakes you might have missed.
How to write a Book Review
Here are some steps to follow when writing a book review:
Step 1: Read the book
The first step in writing a book review is to read the book thoroughly. Take notes while reading to help you remember important plot points, themes, and characters.
Step 2: Start with a summary
Begin your review with a brief summary of the book’s plot, characters, and setting. This will give readers an idea of what the book is about.
Step 3: Analyze the book
After providing a summary, analyze the book by discussing its strengths and weaknesses. Consider elements such as the author’s writing style, character development, plot structure, and themes.
Step 4: Provide evidence
When making statements about the book, provide evidence to support your opinions. This could include quotes from the book or references to specific scenes or characters.
Step 5: Include your opinion
Share your personal opinion of the book, but be sure to back it up with evidence from the text. Be honest in your review and explain why you feel the way you do about the book.
Step 6: Provide recommendations
Conclude your review with recommendations for readers who may be interested in the book. This could include mentioning similar books or authors, or suggesting who the book may appeal to.
Step 7: Edit and revise
Once you have completed your review, edit and revise it to ensure that it is clear, concise, and free of errors.
How do I start a book review?
Begin with the book’s title, author, and a brief introduction. Include a thesis statement summarizing your overall impression.
What should be included in a book review?
Include a summary, analysis of characters, plot, themes, writing style, strengths, weaknesses, and a final recommendation.
How long should a book review be?
A book review typically ranges from 500 to 1,000 words, depending on the publication or audience requirements.
Can I include quotes from the book?
Yes, using quotes can support your analysis and provide readers with a sense of the book’s style and tone.
How much of the plot should I reveal?
Provide a brief summary without revealing major plot twists or the ending to avoid spoilers for future readers.
Is it okay to be critical in a book review?
Yes, providing balanced criticism is important. Highlight both strengths and weaknesses to give a fair assessment.
Should I compare the book to others?
Comparisons can be useful if they help illustrate the book’s place within its genre or its relation to the author’s other works.
How can I make my review engaging?
Use a clear structure, vivid descriptions, and personal reflections to make your review interesting and relatable.
Can I review a book if I didn’t like it?
Yes, negative reviews are valuable if they are constructive and explain why the book didn’t work for you.
Where can I publish my book review?
Publish on blogs, literary websites, social media, or submit to magazines and journals that accept book reviews.
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Book Review Writing
Book Review Examples
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Book Review Examples to Help You Get Started
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How to Write a Book Review - A Step By Step Guide
A Complete Book Review Format Guide For Students
Are you in desperate need of some assistance to up your book review writing game?
We know that penning down a review can come off as a tricky challenge, but do not worry!
To help you write book reviews that carry the essence of the book and engage readers, we have collected a handful of book review examples in this blog.
The included examples will enable you to understand different writing styles and approaches taken toward book review writing . So, you can use your words effectively to craft the perfect book review.
Let’s kickstart things off!
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- 1. Good Book Review Examples for Students
- 2. Short Book Review Examples for Fiction Books
- 3. Non-Fiction Book Review Examples
Good Book Review Examples for Students
You might be a professional writer, or you may not have any experience in writing book reviews. Rest assured, we’ll show you how to write perfect book reviews with the help of a sample template and great examples.
See this template to know what you should include in your book review:
Book Review Template
Here is a good book review example for 4th-grade students:
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Book Review Examples for Middle School Students
Reading reviews written by others can help you get a feel and flavor of good book reviews. Learning how to write a perfect book review can help students to:
- Critically analyze a text
- Give a personal opinion on the text
- Improve analyzing and critical thinking skills
Here are some interesting book review examples suitable for middle school students.
Book Review Example for Middle School Students
Book Review Example for Kids
Book Review of Any Book in 300 Words
Science Book Review Example
Book Review Examples For High School Students
Below, you can also find some good book review examples for high school students. These real-life examples can help you get a clear understanding of the standard book review format that you should follow.
Book Review Example for High School Students
Book Review Examples for Class 9
Book Review Example for Grade 10
Book Review Examples for College Students
As a college student, you are required to demonstrate that you have examined the book from different angles. The points you raise in your book review need to be supported with clear facts and evidence.
The following are some interesting critical book review examples for college students to learn how to write a perfect review.
Book Review Example for Class 12
Short Book Review for Students
Conclusion of Book Review Example
Short Book Review Examples for Fiction Books
Fiction book reviews follow the same basic formula as writing book reviews of any other genre. For your help, we have compiled exciting examples of fiction book reviews that you can get valuable assistance from.
Short Book Review Example for Fiction Books
Book Review of Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
“The Hazel Wood” by Melissa Albert is a work of fiction and falls into fantasy and young adult fiction genres. The novel revolves around fantastical fairy tales, and magical realism, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
Here is an example of a comprehensive review of the book Hazel Wood:
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Non-Fiction Book Review Examples
For reviewing a non-fiction book, you are required to describe the book and summarize major points of interest. You should evaluate the author’s contribution to a subject that you may know very little about.
Here is a great non-fiction book review example to help you come up with a critical perspective on a text.
Non-Fiction Book Review Example
Hopefully, with the help of the above examples, you get a better idea of how to write a perfect book review.
To wrap it up, Writing a great book review is a tricky task, no matter if you are a high school, college, or university student. Book review writing might seem like a simple task, but it requires excellent analyzing and critical thinking skills.
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👀 Book Review Example
🔗 references, ❓ what is a book review.
A book review is a form of literary criticism. There are several important elements to consider when writing one, such as the author’s style and themes of interest. The two most popular types are short summary reviews and critical reviews, which are longer.
![sample of book review format The two most popular types are short summary reviews and critical reviews, which are longer.](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/book_review_1.jpg)
Summary Book Review
The format of a book review depends on the purpose of your writing. A short summary review will not include any in-depth analysis. It’s merely a descriptive piece of writing that overviews key information about the book and its author. An effective summary review consists of:
- Reference to a chosen book in the form of a citation.
- A few words on the book’s purpose.
- Description of the main themes, ideas, and issues highlighted by the author.
- Brief information about other works on this topic, if applicable.
- A note about the author and visual materials of the book, along with its structure.
Critical Book Review
A critical book review is much longer than its summary counterpart and looks more like an analytical essay. You may be asked to write one as a college student. It includes:
- Book citation and a hook in the introduction.
- A few words about the author’s intentions.
- An academic description of the main ideas and themes.
- Mention of errors in the text, if you found any.
- Discussion of the chosen book’s significance and how it has influenced the field.
- Some information about the author and the physical content of the book.
- Description of the audience and whether the writer’s style and ideas are engaging.
🧩 Book Review Outline
Check out the book review outline template below to learn more about structuring your paper.
Introduction
The introduction of a book review should include some background information and your thesis statement.
- What is this book about?
- Who is the author?
- What were the reasons for writing this book?
- Who is this book for?
- What is the general problem the book addresses?
Brief book summary
A brief summary should provide an outline of the book’s main ideas or events.
- What are the main themes/ideas of the book?
- What is the plot?
- Who are the characters?
- What is the major emphasis of the work?
Critical review
A critical review should focus on your evaluation of the author’s approach to writing about a particular issue.
- What did you like/dislike in the book?
- What are the book’s strengths and weaknesses?
- What do you agree/disagree with? Why?
- How does this book compare to other books on this topic?
- What matters does the book leave out?
The conclusion of a book review should finish with your personal assessment of the work.
- Has the author achieved the purpose of writing the book?
- Is this book worth reading?
- To whom would you recommend this book?
- What is your final opinion about it?
- What steel needs to be written on this subject?
Book Review Outline Example
We have prepared for you a book review outline example on Looking for Alaska by John Green. Check it out:
- Hook: Have you ever searched for meaning amidst the chaos of teenage life? John Green’s Looking for Alaska embarks on that very journey, unveiling the messy realities of adolescence.
- Overview of the book.
- Information about the author.
- Thesis statement: In Looking for Alaska , John Green skillfully crafts a narrative that delves into the turbulent journey of adolescence, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and the quest for meaning.
- Introduction of the protagonist, Miles Halter.
- Introduction of other characters and their roles in Halter’s life.
- Key events of the book.
- Green’s writing style and its effectiveness in portraying the turbulent emotions and confusion of adolescence.
- The character development of Miles and his journey of self-discovery, grief, and understanding.
- Exploration of how themes of friendship, identity, and the quest for meaning are depicted throughout the narrative.
- Restated thesis.
- Brief summary of main points.
- Recommendation: I would recommend this thought-provoking book to fans of realistic fiction that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics.
📋 Book Review Format
Here are several practical tips that can aid you in formatting your book review:
- Start with the book citation. Provide the necessary publication information about the book, including the author’s name, the full title of the book, and other elements required by your chosen citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
- Italicize the book title in the text. Whenever you mention the book title in your review, remember to type it in italics without using quotation marks. However, if you include the title of a book chapter, enclose it in quotation marks and don’t italicize it.
- Use a readable font. Type your book reviews using a 12-pt Arial or Times New Roman font.
- Apply standard document settings. These include 1-inch margins on all sides, double spacing, and flush left paragraph alignment.
- Use in-text citations. Always cite the information borrowed from other authors. This way, your readers will understand the origin of your ideas and distinguish your thoughts from those of others.
- Keep your review to 500-1500 words. When the professor does not indicate how many words to include in your book review, keep it to 2-5 double-spaced pages.
✍️ How to Write a Book Review?
The structure of a book review is like any other essay. That said, the process of writing one has its own idiosyncrasies. So, before moving to the three parts of the review (introduction, main body, and conclusion), you should study the chosen piece and make enough notes to work with.
Step #1: Choose a Book and Read It
Being interested in a book you’re about to analyze is one thing. Reading it deeply is quite another.
Before you even dive into the text proper, think about what you already know about the book. Then, study the table of contents and make some predictions. What’s your first impression?
Now, it’s time to read it! Don’t take this step lightly. Keep a note log throughout the reading process and stop after each chapter to jot down a quick summary. If you find any particular point of interest along the way and feel you might want to discuss it in the review, highlight it to make it easier to find when you go back through the text. If you happen to have a digital copy, you can even use a shorten essay generator and save yourself some time.
Answering the following questions can also help you with this process.
❓ | How does the book compare to others you might have read or heard about on the same subject? |
❓ | Did it meet your expectations? |
❓ | How clear are the ? |
❓ | To what would the target audience pay more attention? |
Step #2: Create Your Book Review Outline
A solid outline should be the foundation of any worthy book review. It includes the key points you want to address and gives you a place to start from (and refer back to) throughout the writing process.
You are expected to produce at least five paragraphs if you want your review to look professional, including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion .
While analyzing your notes , consider the questions below.
❓ | What’s the book’s theme? How well can you understand it? |
❓ | How engaging is the plot? Was there ever a point where you felt like putting the book down? |
❓ | How effective is the author’s writing technique? Can you read anything between the lines? |
❓ | Are the characters well-developed? Is their behavior logical? |
❓ | Is the book worth recommending to others? How can you tell that it’s good? |
❓ | What could be improved? Here’s your chance to criticize the author. |
Step #3: Write Your Book Review Introduction
With a layout firmly in place, it’s time to start writing your introduction. This process should be straightforward: mention the name of the book and its author and specify your first impression. The last sentence should always be your thesis statement, which summarizes your review’s thrust and critical findings.
Step #4: Write Your Book Review Body
Include at least three main ideas you wish to highlight. These can be about the writing style, themes, character, or plot. Be sure to support your arguments with evidence in the form of direct quotes (at least one per paragraph). Don’t be afraid to paraphrase the sentences that feel off. It’s better to aknowledge the mistakes yourself than have someone else point them out.
Step #5: Write Your Book Review Conclusion
Compose a brief summary of everything you wrote about in the main body. You should also paraphrase your thesis statement . For your closing sentence, comment on the value of the book. Perhaps it served as a source of useful insight, or you just appreciate the author’s intention to shed light on a particular issue.
Now you know how to write a book review. But if you need some more inspiration, check out the following sample review, which follows the basic outline described above.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Book Review Example
Mary Shelley’s is a perennial classic and has been translated into many languages. Few know, however, that it came into existence thanks to a contest that Shelley and her friends organized to entertain themselves. In addition to setting the stage for much horror fiction to follow, the book highlights timeless themes of revenge, prejudice, and excessive ambitions. | |
Victor Frankenstein becomes deeply obsessed with the idea of conquering the power of nature. So intent is he on knowing the secret of life that he distances himself from society until he finally succeeds. Only when he sees the Monster he has created does he realize the magnitude of his mistake: “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished.”The abandoned Monster’s tragic fate appears to be much more complicated than it seems at first glance. He despises the whole world for rejecting him and seeks revenge against his creator. Such feelings become his sense of life: “revenge, henceforth dearer than the light of food.” Thus, a vicious cycle of hate is set in motion as Victor chases the Monster to exact revenge on him for killing his family.Despite his fearsome appearance, the Monster is gentle and kind inside. But he knows that humans are naturally biased and will always judge his exterior: “All men hate the wretched.” There is a hidden irony in the fact that the Monster decides to act the part of the dangerous creature people take him to be. | |
The themes of are still relevant in today’s world. We continue to be overly ambitious, judging every book by its cover against unreachable ideals of beauty and success. But our failure to forgive and empathize with others creates a chain of hate and revenge that is hard to break. Through the moral lessons of her fiction, Mary Shelley managed to show us that the horrors of real life are even darker than those on the printed page. |
If you want more examples, check out the list below!
- “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”: Book Review
- The Great Gatsby: A Book Review and Summary
- Book Review: “They Say I Say”
- Book Review “Religious, Feminist, Activist ” by Laurel Zwissler
- “Tell My Horse” by Zora Neale Hurston Book Review
- “Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman Book Review
Book Review Essay Topics
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: book review.
- The symbolic nature of the Canadian consumption culture in The Donut: A Canadian History by S. Penfold.
- The key lessons of the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.
- Big Talk, Small Talk by Shola Kaye : a guide to effective communication.
- Review of the book The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
- The main ideas promoted in Thinking About Crime: Sense and Sensibility in American Penal Culture by M. Tonry.
- Exposition of young boys’ problems in Nikkah’s Our Boys Speak .
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf: book review.
- Discuss the message to future entrepreneurs in Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog .
- The main ideas of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
- Magical realism in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Juno Diaz.
- Book review: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.
- Psychological struggles of identity and isolation in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
- The principle of negotiation in the book Getting to Yes .
- Analyze the symbolism in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 .
- The role of family in Montana 1948 .
- Weaving the Web by Tim Berners-Lee: book review.
- Discuss the main topic of the book Death of a Salesman .
- Tragedy of the family in A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor.
- Realistic features of Afghanistan in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
- Review of the book Montley Fool Money Guide .
- Description of the gap between two cultures in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman.
- The effect of Puritan beliefs in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown .
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad as a prominent example of symbolism.
- The philosophical value of Oedipus the King by Sophocles.
- Discuss the description of gradual personality changes in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat .
- Review of the play Much Ado About Nothing by W. Shakespeare.
- Analyze the core theme of Sherman Alexie’s book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian .
- Family values and culture preservation issues in J.D. Vance Book Hillbilly Elegy .
- Problems of teenagers’ behavior in Nothing but the Truth by Avi.
- The role of women in society in Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar .
- Satire on the Victorian society customs in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde .
- Danger of obsession with new technologies in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birthmark .
- Describe the controversial messages of Why Don’t You Dance by Raymond Carver .
- Examine the central problem of the novel Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility by Patricia Santana.
- Review of the book Billy Budd by Herman Melville.
- The fundamental philosophical problems of perception and consciousness in The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares.
- Discuss the role of the illusory world Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie .
- Gender roles in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.
- Analyze the main topic of Death by Landscape by Margaret Atwood.
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An argumentative essay is a genre of academic writing that investigates different sides of a particular issue. Its central purpose is to inform the readers rather than expressively persuade them. Thus, it is crucial to differentiate between argumentative and persuasive essays. While composing an argumentative essay, the students have to...
![sample of book review format How to Title an Essay: Guide with Creative Examples [2024]](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/close-up-woman-making-greeting-card-new-year-christmas-2021-friends-family-scrap-booking-diy-writing-letter-with-best-wishes-design-her-homemade-card-holidays-celebration-284x153.jpg)
It’s not a secret that the reader notices an essay title first. No catchy hook or colorful examples attract more attention from a quick glance. Composing a creative title for your essay is essential if you strive to succeed, as it: Thus, how you name your paper is of the...
![sample of book review format How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay: 101 Guide & Examples](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/closeup-shot-entrepreneur-working-from-home-doing-calculations-284x153.jpg)
The conclusion is the last paragraph in your paper that draws the ideas and reasoning together. However, its purpose does not end there. A definite essay conclusion accomplishes several goals: Therefore, a conclusion usually consists of: Our experts prepared this guide, where you will find great tips on how to...
![sample of book review format How to Write a Good Introduction: Examples & Tips [2024 Upd.]](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/closeup-shot-woman-working-studying-from-home-with-red-coffee-cup-nearby-284x153.jpg)
A five-paragraph essay is one of the most common academic assignments a student may face. It has a well-defined structure: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Writing an introduction can be the most challenging part of the entire piece. It aims to introduce the main ideas and present...
![sample of book review format How to Write an Exemplification Essay: Topics, Examples, & Outline](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/intelligent-woman-in-glasses-making-notes-284x153.jpg)
Exemplification essays, also called illustration essays, are one of the easiest papers to write. However, even the simplest tasks require experience and practice. It is a good idea to find and analyze free exemplification essay examples. You can also ask your teacher to give you some sample exemplification essays from...
![sample of book review format How to Write about a Topic You Lack Interest in [2024]](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Frustrated-exhausted-young-woman-blogger-284x153.jpg)
During their school years, students may not always have the opportunity to select a topic for their essay or research paper. Instructors tend to assign one or offer a list of ideas that might not seem engaging. Moreover, even the topic that you choose yourself can sometimes end up being...
![sample of book review format How to Write a Successful College Essay: Topics, Samples, & Tips](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Write-a-Successful-College-Essay-284x153.jpg)
Sorry to disappoint you, but if you think that your high scores and grades would be enough to get accepted into the university of your dreams, you’re wrong… The best colleges worldwide, such as the Ivy League schools receive applications from thousands and thousands of talented students. You gotta stand...
![sample of book review format A Complete Guide to Essay Writing—Make it Simple](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/young-businessman-doing-paperwork-284x153.jpg)
Writing an essay is a task that everyone has to deal with. The first encounter most likely happens at primary school. Compositions in primary school are quite basic and only require a good imagination and somewhat decent writing skills. But… As time passes, essay writing becomes more and more complicated....
![sample of book review format How to Use Gender-Neutral Pronouns in Academic Writing?](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/girl-student-sits-in-the-library-reading-284x153.png)
Often when you’re completing academic writing, especially essays, you need to use pronouns. In academic writing, the use of the word you is unacceptable. You can find yourself in a sticky situation, deciding upon gender-neutral pronouns in your academic writing. How can students deal with it? In most situations today,...
![sample of book review format Persuasive & Argumentative Essays about Divorce: Free Tips](https://custom-writing.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/couple-are-bored-and-stressed2-284x153.jpg)
A divorce is a life-changing experience that affects spouses and their children (if there are any). Since divorce rates are relatively high in modern society, more and more people face this problem nowadays. When you are assigned to compose an argumentative essay about divorce, you should be as careful as...
I need a seven page Book report on Booker T. Washington. Instructions below from instructor title, your name, and then seven paragraphs and seven pages – no more no less.
get rid of the outline format.
They combine your ideas into seven paragraphs.
Each paragraph that has quotes should have a topic sentence followed by the five sentences with quotes and endnotes, followed by the concluding sentence.
You do not need any quotes in the introduction or in the summary.
So seven paragraphs total.
Each paragraph needs to be 13 – 17 lines, lines on a page and not sentences.
So, delete the outline format.
Combine your ideas into seven paragraphs.
Make sure that each paragraph has between 13–17 lines.
And make sure your overall length is in seven pages, no more no less.
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Learn how to write a book review with our comprehensive tutorial. Discover tips, examples, and the proper format for crafting impactful reviews.
We've scoured the literary realms and compiled 17 good book review examples to give you a headstart as you're writing your own book review.
Writing a book review is a great way to let fellow readers know about an exciting new page-turner. Learn how to write a book review in this guide.
The Only Book Review Templates You'll Ever Need. Whether you're trying to become a book reviewer, writing a book report for school, or analyzing a book, it's nice to follow a book review template to make sure that your thoughts are clearly presented. A quality template provides guidance to keep your mind sharp and your thoughts organized so ...
The best gift you can give a writer is an honest review of their book. This complete guide will show you exactly how to write a book review.
Check out these templates, tips, and ideas to help you write a great book review anywhere on the web.
A book review is a critical evaluation of the book's content. Discover how to write a book review with book review examples and a useful template.
Do you want to read for free — or even get paid to read? Learn how to write a book review in this post!
Learn how to write a book review that will entice and attract potential readers. Read this blog post for tips, ideas, examples, and more.
Book Reviews Like 17 people like this. What this handout is about This handout will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews. What is a review? A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to write a good book review? Now is the time to enrich your knowledge with effective writing hints to stay super productive.
Book reviews typically evaluate recently-written works. They offer a brief description of the text's key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Readers sometimes confuse book reviews with book reports, but the two are not identical. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their ...
Check out these book review format ideas to mix-and-match to create your own book review templates for a blog, Goodreads, or Instagram!
Enhance teaching skills with our comprehensive guide on how to write a book review, empowering educators to teach structured and effective review writing.
This book review format is intended for anyone looking to write a substantive book review for a blog, for school, or for review sites like Goodreads and Amazon.
Learn how to format a book review easily! Explore book review format examples, templates, and tips to create impactful and well-structured reviews.
Need to write a book review? Check our guide to find out the definition, structure, outline, writing steps and tips. Book review examples included.
Book Review Format and Sample Introduction Here you want to provide basic information about the book, and a sense of what your report will be about. You should include: 1. Title (underlined)/Author 2. Publication Information: Publisher, year, number of pages
What is a review? A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon. Reviews can consider books, articles, entire genres or fields of literature, architecture, art, fashion, restaurants, policies, exhibitions, performances, and many other forms. This handout will focus on book reviews. For a similar assignment, see our handout on literature reviews.
Choose a book review format. Pick an appropriate option from the list above. Take into account your instructions, personal preferences, word limit, and book genre. 5. Specify your topic and thesis statement. Without a clear understanding of your purpose, you won't be able to compose a high-quality book review sample.
📚 Dive into expert book reviews with our comprehensive guide! Learn how to write, format, and download PDF examples. Perfect for students and avid readers. 🖋️📖
Are you on the lookout for some compelling and helpful book review examples? Learn how to write a perfect book review with the help of samples in this blog.
Looking for a book review format template? Check out this article for a book review outline examples. 📕 You'll also find out how to write a good book review!