What Is A Book Review? How To Write A Great Book Review

Learn what a book review is and how to write one. Explore the key elements of a great review with three real book review examples.

What Is A Book Review?

A book review is an opinion about a book. It tells readers what the book is about, what you thought of it, and whether you would recommend it.

A review should be honest, fair, and useful. You are not simply telling readers whether you liked the book. You are explaining why you liked it or why you did not.

Think about the tone you will use for the review. Your tone will help create a mood, and this will affect how readers respond to your review.

Remember to be fair. You can be witty, but you should never be nasty. Do not rant because you feel strongly about something. If you disliked the book, explain why. A good review can be critical while still being thoughtful and respectful.

Most importantly, remember that the review is about the book, not the reviewer.

How To Write A Great Book Review

Before you start writing, read the book carefully and make notes as you go. Mark passages you enjoyed, moments that did not work for you, and anything you want to discuss in your review.

Do not try to remember everything afterwards. Your notes will help you write a more specific and useful review.

7 Elements Of A Great Book Review

A good book review gives readers enough information to decide whether the book is for them without giving away the ending or important plot twists.

1. Give A Brief Outline Of The Plot

Tell readers what the book is about without revealing the ending. Focus on the central conflict, situation, or premise. Give readers enough information to understand the story, but do not retell the whole book.

2. Mention The Genre

Tell readers what kind of book you are reviewing. Is it a thriller, romance, fantasy, memoir, historical novel, literary fiction, horror, romantasy, cozy mystery, or something else? Genre helps readers decide whether the book is likely to interest them. It also gives you a useful way to discuss whether the author met the expectations of that genre.

3. Talk About The Author

Is this the author’s first book? If not, what else have they written? You can mention how this book compares with the author’s earlier work if that is relevant. You do not need to include a long biography. Choose information that helps readers understand the book.

4. Discuss The Characters

If you are reviewing fiction, discuss the important characters. Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? Are the characters believable and three-dimensional? Do they change during the story? You do not have to discuss every character. Concentrate on the characters who matter most to the story.

5. Explain What Works And What Doesn’t

Do you think the book is well written? Explain why. Perhaps the writing is engaging, the dialogue is strong, the characters are memorable, or the plot keeps you turning the pages. Perhaps the story is slow, the characters feel flat, or the ending does not work. Be specific. Instead of simply saying ‘I loved it’ or ‘I hated it’, tell readers what made you feel that way. Your opinion is much more useful when you support it with examples.

6. Say Whether The Book Met Your Expectations

Was the book what you expected it to be? If you chose it because you enjoy the genre or because you liked the author’s previous books, did it live up to your expectations? This gives readers another way to understand your response to the book. You can also consider whether the book achieved what it set out to do. A quiet literary novel does not have the same purpose as a fast-paced thriller, so judge the book on its own terms.

7. Would You Recommend It?

End with your recommendation. Would you recommend the book? If yes, who would enjoy it? If no, explain why. A clear recommendation gives your review a useful conclusion.

The Mechanics Of A Great Book Review

There are a few practical things to remember when writing a book review.

1. Get The Details Right: Check the spelling of the author’s name, the title of the book, the publisher, and any other details you include. If the publication requires an ISBN, publication date, edition, or other information, check these details before submitting your review.

2. Write About The Plot In The Present Tense: When you describe the plot of a book, use the present tense. Using the present tense keeps your plot summary immediate and is the usual convention for discussing fiction.

For example:
‘Debra wakes up and discovers that she has lost her memory.’
Not:
‘Debra woke up and discovered that she had lost her memory.’

3. Give Your Opinion: Use first person here. A book review is an opinion, so do not be afraid to tell readers what you think. You can say that you enjoyed the book, disliked it, found it disappointing, or were surprised by it. Just make sure you explain why. Avoid making vague statements such as ‘I thought it was amazing’ or ‘I think it’s terrible’ without supporting them.

4. Use Clear Language: You do not need to make your review sound literary. Write clearly and naturally. Your job is to communicate your thoughts about the book so that readers can understand your response.

5. Follow The Publication’s Guidelines: If you are writing for a newspaper, magazine, website, blog, or other publication, check its guidelines before you start. Look for requirements about word count, readability statistics, formatting, ratings, spoilers, and submission details.

6. Proofread Your Review: Always proofread your review before submitting it. Check names, titles, quotations, spelling, punctuation, and factual details. Make sure your review is easy to read and that your opinion is clear.

How Long Should A Book Review Be?

There is no single correct length for a book review. Generally 180-300 words is a good length for your blog or website (These are our guidelines at Writers Write). However, the length depends on where the review will be published and what the publication expects. A short online review may only need a few paragraphs, while a newspaper, magazine, academic, or literary review may be much longer. Always follow the publication’s guidelines. Whatever the length, make every word count.

What If You Didn’t Like The Book?

You will not love every book you review. If you dislike a book, you can still write a good review. Be honest, but be fair. Explain what did not work for you and support your opinion with examples.

Do not attack the author. You are reviewing the book, not the person who wrote it. The ‘sandwich’ technique can help. Start with something positive, discuss the problems in the middle, and end with another positive observation.

You do not have to pretend that you liked the book. A thoughtful negative review can be just as useful as a positive one.

Examples Of Reviews

How We Rate Books

Our reviewers rate books from 1-5

For use as a doorstop only.
Keep for publishers’ and booksellers’ strikes.
A great holiday read.
You’ll remember this with enthusiasm a month later.
Unforgettable.

The review must be a minimum of 180 words and not longer than 220 words.

The Writers Write Layout

Title by Author (Publisher)
The body of the review. (See above in the seven elements of a great review.)
Reviewer:
Rating:
No of words: (for the editor – will not appear in final review)
Readability: (for the editor – will not appear in final review)

Example 1:

Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (Macmillan)

Trevor Noah is a consummate teller of tales whose thoughtful comedy routines are carefully plotted and set up before he delivers the punch line. He seldom resorts to slapstick, hysteria, or profanity. He is seldom distracted. This ability to tell a linear story is perfect for translating material from his life and his routines into his memoir.

He writes beautifully. The simplicity of his technique allows the complexity of his narrative to shine through.

Born A Crime is the story of Patricia Noah and her son, Trevor. It is about looking for a place to call home and of wanting to belong. As much as Trevor Noah was defined by being born a crime in South Africa, he is even more defined by his mother and her journey, which became their journey.

His story will resonate with any thinking South African. He manages to put so much of who we are into this book – a fractured people divided by colour, by tribe, and by language. The apartheid system separated everybody, black from white from Indian from coloured, and then divided us further by language. But we are also united because we witnessed it.

Born A Crime is Noah’s testimony. It is brave and funny. Read it. Buy it for somebody you love. You won’t regret it.

Amanda Patterson
5/5

Example 2:

The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver (Simon & Schuster)

After 20 novels, Deaver is better than ever. The Burning Wire is the eighth in the Lincoln Rhyme series. Rhyme, a quadriplegic criminologist, and Detective Amelia Sachs, were immortalised by Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie in The Bone Collector.

A killer manipulates the electricity grid in New York. He creates sudden arcs of power that kill in a slow and torturous horror show. This throws Amelia into a world of electrical nightmares. Rhyme also follows a case in Mexico involving the one that got away – the Watchmaker.

The novel spans 48 terrifying hours. I found out more about electricity in an evening than I’ve learned in my lifetime. Deaver juggles his storylines so well. His perfect planning allows each chapter to escalate tension in a plausible way. He does not pad his books with irrelevant facts, twists, and relationships. Every word is meant to be there.

You will not be able to put this book down and if you do, you will find your mind drifting back to the story. Or to the nearest electrical appliance. I’ve looked at my hair dryer with new eyes in the last few days. Highly recommended.

Amanda Patterson
4/5

Example 3:

The Power by Naomi Alderman (Viking)

I always thought that when women ruled the world, peace and sanity would prevail, but in this piece of speculative fiction, Naomi Alderman disagrees.

On what will become known as The Day of the Girls, an awakening occurs giving teenage girls the power to emit an electrical current that kills. The girls also have the power to awaken this talent in all women, which results in a shift of power that topples the patriarchy and replaces it with a mostly cruel and violent matriarchy.

The concept is awesome and I loved the different viewpoints. The characters were distinct and I couldn’t put it down. The use of the television presenters and the one male point of view was effective. I won’t say I enjoyed reading it. I was uncomfortable and it was disturbing, but it made me ask many questions.

There are scenes of rape and violence that I found hard to read, but these clearly illustrated the author’s point. I expected more from the ending, but the concept is still strong enough to ensure a good read.

The Power was a haunting, thought-provoking novel that I am unable to forget, even weeks after reading it.

Mia Botha
4.5/5

The Last Word

A good book review is honest, fair, and useful. Tell readers what the book is about, explain what worked for you, and support your opinions with reasons. Read our three examples for inspiration, and remember that the review is about the book, not the reviewer. Additional reading for reviewers:

by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

What Is A Book Review? How To Write A Great Book Review