A review should analyze how the book achieves its main purpose and describe any reviewers reactions from a personal perspective. Remember, it is more than just summarizing, it is a critical analysis combined with your response.
Preparation
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- Read the book
Obviously, you can’t write a review without reading the text. If possible, read it more than once to be mindful of all details and aspects of the plot, setting, and characters. Take notes as you are reading and use them in your further research.
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- Consider the book’s genre
Analyze how the book fits or goes beyond the genre canons. Use other books of the same genre for comparison.
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- Determine the main theme of the book
As a rule, a book’s theme is the main message the author expresses between the lines. Sometimes books explore universal ideas, but you have to go deeper, especially if you are analyzing fiction.
To get the main idea, try to sum up the book in a couple of words. For example, if the major theme of Romeo and Juliet is «blood feud», stretch this conception in a sentence, such as «blood feud can lead to a tragedy of innocent people» and you will get the main idea as well as a thesis statement for your book review.
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- Consider the writing style
Think about the way author’s writing style communicates with the audience and supports the genre. Sometimes authors combine a number of writing styles to create an exciting atmosphere of the narrative. Pay special attention to the word choices and descriptions inspired by the genre and period and think about the way they support the overall story.
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- Consider the literary devices
If you are reviewing a fiction book, think about the way the plot is developed and what literary devices are used to relate it to the main theme of the book. Pay attention to setting, mood, symbols, characters, and plot.
Writing
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- Introduction
In your introduction, you have to inform the reader what the paper is going to examine. Make sure to start it with a brief information about the author and genre. You can also state the main themes you are going to discuss further.
Sometimes it is difficult to predict all the points from the very beginning, so if you don’t know how to begin your paper, write the introduction last.
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- Summary of the text
To summarize the book, focus on the narrative voice, book’s setting, and critical analysis of the plot. Avoid phrases like «This book is about…» «The author talks about…». After all, you are writing a review, not just retelling the story. Do not include such details as the ending of the book or the most important episodes in your summary. Just present and discuss the main themes.
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- Critique
This is the main part of your book review, so be clear and informative here. Come back to the notes you took during your preparation and describe how the author has achieved goals, include specific points that were convincing or not, and describe your personal experience or any ideas related to the themes of the book.
Remember to use supporting quotes from the book to back up your arguments.
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- Conclusion
Sum up your review in a concluding paragraph. Do not include any new material or ideas. Just evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the text and suggest what is the perfect audience for the book.
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- Revise it!
Make sure to revise your draft as many times as needed. If you have enough time before submission, put your paper aside and revise it in a day or two. Pay special attention to grammar, spelling and formatting and make sure that all references and quotes are cited properly.
So, be an objective book reviewer and make it clear and concise! Good luck!