Writing a book review is one of the most dreaded assignments that a student faces during his/her academic career. From book reports in high school to full-fledged book reviews in college, this is one skill that every academic institution lays a great emphasis on. There’s a good reason behind this as it not only develops comprehension skills but also ensures that as a student you have read the books assigned as the syllabus.
A book review is referred to as a guide for potential readers of that book. It’s important to note that a book review is different from a book report. A book report is a simple summary of the book assigned in high school to demonstrate that the student has read the book.
n the other hand, a book review is typically a college assignment requiring critical analysis of the book. The best part is writing book reviews can impart a skill that leads to some of the most attractive career options.
Considering the technical aspect of writing a book review, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. While some might not be as interested in reading, others might lack the comprehension skill required. For those who find it challenging, here are some tips to write an engaging book review.
Provide Essential Book Information
It’s crucial to share everything about the book starting with the name and author of the book. Mention whether the book you’re reading is a part of a series or is a standalone book, which year the book was published, who the author has dedicated the book to, why, and more. You have to start the book review with basic information about the book so the reader knows what they will get into if they choose to read the book.
You may wonder whether starting a book review with mundane details like this will hold the reader’s attention. If the reader is genuinely interested in this particular book, it will, and if it doesn’t, they’ll at least know the background of their next book.
Familiarize the Reader With the Plot
The book plot is what made you love or hate the book in the first place. The story is what steered your experience of reading the book, whether you loved it or hated it. Therefore, you must read the book in question and comprehend it correctly to be able to review it.
If you are having issues with understanding the plot, you can check out Sweetstudy’s book guides. These book guides have summaries, key plot points, and more to help you grasp the plot better.
While writing the book review, share a synopsis of the book and document everything about the plot that you feel will support what you say next. Additionally, while describing the plot, include all key points in the plot but keep it spoiler-free.
Keep major plot twists and ending of the book out of the book review because otherwise, people are less likely to read it. If you must give away a spoiler, add a spoiler warning in the title or hide the spoiler so that readers can choose to read it or not.
Share Your Opinion
When you are wondering how to frame and go about the book review, one tool that you already have handy is your opinion of the book. When painting the most accurate picture of the plot, present your opinion just as they are. State your opinion of the book respectfully without meaning to offend the author.
Your personal opinion is your conclusion about the book after you’ve critiqued and analyzed the plot. Use appropriate language and tone to convey to the reader about which audience the book is targeted towards, what aspect of the book appealed to you and why, and more. Make sure to not be vague about anything and be descriptive. The best way to go about it is to use a conversational style of review writing.
Outline Your Positive Feedback and Critique
This is where things escalate as this is the most critical part of your book review. Simply mentioning that you like the book or you didn’t is very vague and won’t cut it. You’ll have to add credibility to your review and that can be achieved by backing your opinions and statements with reasons and evidence.
To drive home the point, share excerpts or details from the book to make the audience see what steered your opinion and where it’s coming from. However, don’t be too assertive with your opinion and let the reader feel that they have the power to decide whether they want to read the book or not and form their own opinion. With the book review, your intent should be to provide an overview and not drive your readers to read or avoid the book.
Give a Rating
This is a critical part of the book review and should be done on a scale of 1-5 since it’s easier to comprehend. Rating is important because it provides a statistical weightage to whether the book is worth the time or not.
However, bear in mind, you cannot just assign a number to the book without any firm ground. Whatever rating you give the book, back it up with your opinions and valid reasons, so that your reader can see the merit in the rating.
There, now you have five good book review writing tips under your belt. By following the above tips, you can compose an impressive book review that will impress both your teacher and readers if you choose to post it on platforms like Goodreads. However, the key part of the whole process is to read and comprehend the book you are reviewing.