Tips on Writing a Book Review
Sometimes, when you’ve just read an awesome or awful book, you just have to let the whole world know about it. Indeed, sharing which books to read is becoming more widespread these days. Just open your favorite social media and you’ll see tons of people suggesting others to read this book or avoid that one.
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Now, if you’re interested in writing a book review of your own, you better keep the following pointers in mind. You do want to write a quality review, right?
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#1. Read the whole book
You can’t just read the first few chapters and slap a review. You shouldn’t also skim and hop between chapters. That would be irresponsible.
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Always read the book you’re reviewing from start to finish to understand the book as a whole and to produce a quality review. For instance, if you’re reviewing a novel, you need to understand the characters, plots, twists, and finale.
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Some great novels, like The Golden Compass and Jane Eyre, have slow starts, and the plot won’t thicken until the first half. If you skip and judge the book by the initial mundane exposition, you won’t do your review justice.
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#2. Jot down all the crucial points
Before you type the review, always write down the important bits that you want to include in the review. Not only it will help you with the outline of the review, but it will also ensure you’ve got everything covered.
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Yes, we know you have a great memory, but writing down all the crucial points is always a good thing to do.
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#3. Formal vs. informal
Selecting which tone to use depends on your audience and the reason why you write the review in the first place. If you’re a student and the review is for an assignment, then choosing the formal tone is appropriate. If you wish to publish the review on your blog, then feel free to use a more informal approach.
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One thing to note is if your review is a class assignment, always make sure to double-check your work before submitting it. Weed out the misspellings and bad grammar first using the online spelling checker tool if you need help.
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#4. Objective vs. subjective
Many people think that book reviews should be objective. We beg to differ. A book review must be subjective because it should revolve on how you feel about the book.
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A book review is the collection of thoughts and opinions of the reviewer… you. If you dislike a book that the common populace enjoys, it’s your right to say so. Of course, you can also enjoy a book that others find bland.
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#5. Minimize comparisons
Often times, reviewers compare one book to another in their reviews. Do your best to keep comparisons to a minimum or avoid it altogether.
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Each review should stand on its own. Comparing one book to another won’t do the audience any good. Why? Because there’s no telling if they’re already familiar with the other book(s) you use as a comparison.
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#6. Do you recommend it?
A book review isn’t complete without a recommendation. Should the whole world know about this book? Or should people pretend it never existed?
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Reiterate your arguments on why people should or should not read the book. Tell your readers how you feel after reading the book. Which parts stick out? Is the storyline complete or does it leave you hanging?
