{"id":7355,"date":"2019-04-29T17:00:32","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T00:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?p=7355"},"modified":"2019-04-30T10:23:22","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T17:23:22","slug":"how-to-write-a-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/how-to-write-a-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Book Review Like a Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDon\u2019t judge a book by its cover\u201d is an old saying that means you shouldn\u2019t judge something (or someone) by appearances only.<\/p>\n

If you literally shouldn\u2019t judge a book\u2019s merits by cover art alone, then what should <\/i>you do to learn more about a book (aside from reading it, of course)?<\/p>\n

One option is to read a few book reviews.<\/p>\n

If you have to write a book review for a class, your prof is assigning you <\/i>the task of writing a book review to help a general reader learn about a specific book.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all well and good, isn\u2019t it? But chances are, right about now you\u2019re asking, \u201cSo what exactly is <\/i>a book review, and more importantly, can you help me write one?\u201d<\/p>\n

I can<\/em> indeed help you learn how to write a book review. Let’s start by understanding exactly what it is you’re writing. Ready?<\/p>\n

What Is a Book Review?<\/h2>\n

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To better understand the nuts and bolts of a book review, let\u2019s take a look at what it isn\u2019t <\/i>before we discuss what a book review is<\/i>.<\/p>\n

What a book review is not<\/i><\/h3>\n

A book review <\/b>is not<\/i><\/b> simply a summary of a book.<\/b> While you\u2019ll include some summary information in your review (more about that later), the entire review shouldn\u2019t consist of one long plot summary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A book review <\/b>is not<\/i><\/b> a <\/b>literary analysis<\/b><\/a>. <\/b>While you\u2019ll likely include some discussion and analysis of key points and literary terms<\/a> (like theme, symbol<\/a>, or metaphor), the focus of a review is not a pure analysis of the book. (More about that later too.)<\/p>\n

A book review <\/b>is not<\/i><\/b> a <\/b>literature review<\/b><\/a>. A literature review informs readers about research completed on a specific topic. It reviews academic books and journal articles related to the topic. (You know, the types of sources<\/a> you\u2019d use to complete a research paper<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

What a book review is<\/i><\/h3>\n

In short, a book review is an evaluation <\/b>of a book.<\/p>\n

Your goal in writing a review is to provide your audience<\/a> with a critical and detailed commentary<\/a> of the book, not simply a summary of what happened in the story.<\/p>\n

Ever read a film review on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a> that says something like, \u201cDon\u2019t bother to see this remake because it\u2019s melodramatic, a waste of 94 minutes, and the re-envisioned plot strays too far from to the original classic version\u201d?<\/p>\n

Makes you think about whether you\u2019d <\/i>actually want to spend your hard-earned money to see the movie, right?<\/p>\n

A book review is the Rotten Tomatoes of the book world.<\/p>\n

When you write a book review, your goal is to give readers a hint about the plot and, more importantly, to make a comment about the book itself.<\/p>\n

What to Do Before <\/i>You Write a Book Review<\/h2>\n

All right, now that you know what a book review is and isn\u2019t, let\u2019s focus on what you need to do before <\/em>writing <\/i>the book review. And then, I promise, we’ll get to how to write a book review in more detail.<\/p>\n

Start by critically and actively reading the book<\/h3>\n

This seems like an obvious step, but my point in emphasizing it here is that you should actually take the time to read<\/i> the book. Don\u2019t rely on study guides or online summaries.<\/p>\n

As you read, it\u2019s important that you pay attention to what <\/i>you\u2019re reading. Don\u2019t just skim through it and hope to remember everything.<\/p>\n

To help remember the important stuff, take notes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Write about the literary terms you encounter, the key plot points of the story, its themes, important characters<\/a>, and anything else that strikes you as particularly noteworthy.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to jot down your own reactions too. Did you find some sections confusing? Were you engrossed in other parts and unable to put the book down? Maybe you found yourself laughing at scenes that weren\u2019t supposed to be funny.<\/p>\n

All of these types of comments and reactions may seem a bit scattered and unrelated at first, but they will ultimately help you develop a final, critical evaluation of the book.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget: <\/b>If you can\u2019t write notes directly on the pages of the book, make sure to include page numbers next to your notes. This will be a big time-saver and help you find information later when you write your review.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Develop a focus and draft your commentary<\/h3>\n

After you\u2019ve read the book, taken notes, and mulled things over a bit, decide what you\u2019ll focus<\/a> on in your review.<\/p>\n

Remember, the goal of a book review is to provide a commentary on the book, so you\u2019ll need to decide what your commentary will be.<\/p>\n

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A book review must have focused commentary on the book, so identify the focus before writing.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

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Need help sorting out ideas? Here are a few questions to ask yourself that can help you find a focus.<\/b><\/p>\n