How to write book reviews

We have been asked many times, “How to write book reviews?” Normally we would reply advising the person to do a google search on the subject. We would also point out that there are numerous tutorials out there. All this is true. However, at the same time, there is so much information available that it can become overbearing and confusing. So, we decided to put this simple tutorial together on how to write book reviews. We also included what we like to see in a book review.

When asking “How to write book reviews?” you should also ask, “Who are you writing the book review for?” Who is going to be your primary audience? Knowing who your primary audience is going to be is very important for you would want to tailor your writing so your audience would find your book review easy to read. Figuring out who your primary audience is, is not that difficult. If the book you are reviewing is a romance novel, your primary audience would be readers that love romance novels. If the book you are reviewing is about aliens, chances are your primary audience will be sci-fi or horror lovers, depending on the story.

A simple outline on how to write book reviews:

I. TAKE NOTES!

Taking notes is probably going to be one of the most important things that you can do as a book reviewer. You do not have to take so many notes as to rewrite the book. Just note what you would consider important things as you find them. As a general rule I note any misspelled or misused words that I find. Also, anything that I find humorous that I like. I also note things that I dislike as I run into them. I sometimes jot down things about the characters that I find interesting. It may help you to include page numbers, paragraph etc. in your note taking so that you can easily find it again.

II. Describe what the book is about.

This can be accomplished with just a few sentences. Be careful not to include any spoilers or reveal the plot or any twists that the book may have. NEVER reveal the outcome. In fact. try not to mention anything that happens from the middle of the book to the end. Make sure to mention if the book is part of a series and if the reader should read any of the other books prior to reading the one that you are reviewing.

III. Include what you liked about the book.

Look through your notes and reread some of the things that you liked about the book. You could try answering a couple of the following questions:

• Name your favorite character. Try to include a sentence or two telling why he or she was your favorite character.
• Did the story and characters seem realistic to you? Could it have really happened?
• Did the story contain any unexpected twists or surprises that took you by surprise?
• What was your favorite part of the book, and why?
• Did the book make you laugh or cry? Did the book make you strongly dislike a character?
• Did the book keep you up late at night well past your bedtime?
  

IV. Now let’s discuss what you disliked about the book?

Add a couple of sentences discussing what you didn’t like about the book.

• Did the book have too many characters? Was it hard to keep up with who was doing what?
• Did you dislike the ending of the book? Was the story complete or do you now have to wait on the next book?
• Was the main character interesting? Would you have liked him or her if you met them in real life?
• Was the book too wordy? Could the author have told the complete story with less chapters?
• Did the story match the description of the book?
  

V. Put everything together

Re-read your notes one more time. Now read what you have put down for your book review so far. Is what you have so far making sense? Rewrite it adding any missing sentences and remove any sentences that are no longer needed. You may have to step away and come back to it a couple times to come up with the desired draft. Think about your primary audience. Is the book a good fit? Make sure to include what type of reader you would recommend the book to.

VI. Now give the book a rating. Example: 4 out of 5 stars.

Make sure to include the rating. This should be one of the last statements in the book review. Try to leave room to give a brief explanation as to why you gave it the rating that you did.

VII. A few other tidbits to keep in mind when creating good book reviews.

Try to give a brief summary of the story and not focus too much on what I call petty details. For instance, If the book you reviewed was a romance novel, you wouldn’t want the majority of your review to describe the car the main character drove. You want to spike the reader’s interest but not give away too many details.

We believe a good book review should be at least four to five paragraphs long. Your sentences should be no more than fifteen to twenty words long. A well-structured paragraph should contain five to six sentences. If you have to stretch a paragraph out longer, definitely no more than 10 sentences.

After reading this article you may want to take a look at our article about earning points to read books.

How to write book reviews will be covered in more detail in our Book Reviewers Certification course.