Learn How To Write A Book Review That Stands Out

Book reviews are one of the most underrated but important article writing style. An average movie may only take a few hours so a bad movie is not a huge investment of time but, a book might require three times as much time to finish. So a good book review can help save a whole lot of time. A terrible one can ruin someone’s entire week. Having said that, a book review is not book report writing so don’t confuse the two. The following is a guide to writing a great book review.

Do not include spoilers in your book review

As said before your objective while writing a book review is to help the readers decide on their own whether they would like to read the book or not. Adding spoilers to your review is a clear cut sign that you did not analyze the literature beyond the story, therefore not a valuable critique. It essentially becomes an abridged version of the book and a poor one too.

Make notes as you finish each chapter

A common mistake is to go through a book quickly and then start with your notes. This is a huge mistake. Unless you have photographic memory you cannot expect yourself to remember the small details. Those tiny details if overlooked are the difference between a subpar book review and a brilliant one. Use any easy method to make notes after the end of each chapter. Do not hesitate to use other tools to aid your notes-taking. For example using a voice recorder to quickly register some thoughts midway of a chapter or taking pictures of a specific page for later in depth analysis.

Read reviews of the author's previous literature

The reason I highly recommend this is because every author has a specific way of writing. Knowing this beforehand would greatly aid in understanding the depth the book and the author's intentions. Remember if you are reading the book reviews of the writer's previous endeavors then read from multiple sources. Never rely on a single source for your research. This will ensure the information you have collected is consistent and accurate.

What needs to be analyzed for the audience?

Put yourself in their shoes. What information do you expect from a book review? What information will allow you to ascertain that the book will be worth the time spent? Understand that every book has something different to offer. So you cannot rely on very specific requirements and hope to filter the content of every piece of literature you read. Like a fictional and a non-fiction book have completely different intentions and aims. Trying to use the same criteria for both of them would be nothing short of disastrous.

About the author

Help your audience understand the author and how they work. What sort of literature do they focus on in general? What themes are recurring in all their literature? Whatever you write about the author should lead to your audience gaining a better understanding of the book in question.

Maintain a balance

Where ever possible avoiding one sided views in your book review. Your aim is to not sway the reader into loving or hating the book. You are supposed to aid in making a final decision. So ensure that your audience knows all the reasons to read and not read the book. Maintain objectivity even if you personally dislike the book.Your verdict comes at the end.

Use a pyramid shape to decide length of each point.

The tiny details in the book review get the least number of words. This sounds like common sense but, it is easy to lose focus and divert your attention to the nitty gritty details. Maintain the focus of the entire book review on the general aspects of the book. Focusing on the general aspects of the book ensures there are no spoilers in the case of a fictional title. Remember that after your audience reads your book review they should feel confident enough to make a decision. So remember to give more time to the superficial aspect.

Simplify the book.

In case of a fiction book it almost always has: the starting act, climax and the resolution. So a recommended way to tackle your book review is to break it down into these three sections but, do not label your article with these sections. The readers do not need to know this. It is only for the ease of the writer and gives an orderly look to your article.

Writing the book review

Include the following when you start writing:

1. Include title, author, place, publisher, publication date, edition, pages and any special features

2. As with any essay the more catchy a starting statement is , higher are the chances that the audience will go through your book review

3. Write the review as told in the paragraphs above. (Remember it's a review)

Concluding the article

Now you finally get to give your verdict on the book. Condense all that you have said in the previous paragraphs and write your opinions on the book. Remember to give a decisive verdict. But it should not be as simple as I like or dislike this book. If give them your entire analysis. The analysis in your verdict should include:

1. Which sort of audience is this book meant to be read by

2. Any favorite incidence in the book and explain why it is (if there were any incidences to your liking)

3. Anything you would change in the book to make it better (if it is applicable)

4. Why did you dislike and like this book. Personal preferences need to be applied here

5. Tell the audience if you would or would not recommend this book for them Remember the conclusion is extremely important because, the less patient readers might just skip the rest of the article and go straight to the conclusion. So to prepare for this outcome, ensure that your verdict has all the important details but is short enough to be read by the ones who are in a great deal of a hurry. Lastly ensure the conclusion presents your opinion on each of the sections that were mentioned under the subheading "simplify the book".