How to Write a Book Review

HowtoWriteaBookReviewAbookreviewisadescription,criticalanalysis,andanevaluationonthequality,meaning,andsignificanceofabook,notaretelling.Itshouldfocusonthebook'spurpose,content,andauthority.Acriticalbookreviewisnotabookreportorasummary.Itisareactionpaperinwhichstrengthsandweaknessesofthematerialareanalyzed.Itshouldincludeastatementofwhattheauthorhastriedtodo,evaluateshowwell(intheopinionofthereviewer)theauthorhassucceeded,andpresentsevidencetosupportthisevaluation.Studentssometimesconfusebookreviewswithbookreports,butthetwoarenotidentical.Bookreportscommonlydescribewhathappensinawork;theirfocusisprimarilyongivinganaccountofthemajorplot,characters,and/ormainideaofthework.Bycontrast,abookreviewgivesreadersasneakpeek(先睹为快）atwhatabookislike,whetherornotthereviewerenjoyedit,anddetailsonpurchasingthebook.BeforeYouReadBeforeyoubegintoread,considertheelementsyouwillneedtoincludedinyourreview.Thefollowingitemsmayhelp:Author:Whoistheauthor?Whatelsehass/hewritten?Hasthisauthorwonanyawards?Whatistheauthor’stypicalstyle?Genre:Whattypeofbookisthis:fiction,nonfiction,romance,poetry,youthfiction,etc.?Whoistheintendedaudienceforthiswork?Whatisthepurposeofthework?Title:Wheredoesthetitlefitin?Howisitappliedinthework?Doesitadequatelyencapsulatethemessageofthetext?Isitinteresting?Uninteresting?Preface/Introduction/TableofContents:Doestheauthorprovideanyrevealinginformationaboutthetextinthepreface/introduction?Doesa“guestauthor”providetheintroduction?Whatjudgmentsorpreconceptionsdotheauthorand/or“guestauthor”provide?Howisthebookarranged:sections,chapters?BookJacket/Cover/Printing:Bookjacketsarelikemini-reviews.Doesthebookjacketprovideanyinterestingdetailsorsparkyourinterestinsomeway?Aretherepictures,maps,orgraphs?Dothebinding,pagecut,ortypescriptcontributeortakeawayfromthework?AsYouReadAsyouread,determinehowyouwillstructurethesummaryportionorbackgroundstructureofyourreview.Bereadytotakenotesonthebook’skeypoints,characters,and/orthemes.Characters:Aretherecharactersinthework?Whoaretheprinciplecharacters?Howdotheyaffectthestory?Doyouempathizewiththem?Themes/Motifs/Style:Whatthemesormotifsstandout?Howdotheycontributetothework?AretheyeffectiveArgument:Howisthework’sargumentsetup?Whatsupportdoestheauthorgiveforher/findings?Doestheworkfulfillitspurpose/supportitsargument?KeyIdeas:Whatisthemainideaofthework?Whatmakesitgood,different,orgroundbreaking?Quotes:Whatquotesstandout?Howcanyoudemonstratetheauthor’stalentorthefeelofthebookthroughaquote?WhenYouAreReadytoWriteBeginwithashortsummaryorbackgroundofthework,butdonotgivetoomuchaway.Manyreviewslimitthemselvesonlytothefirstcoupleofchaptersorleadthereaderuptotherisingactionofthework.Reviewersofnonfictiontextswillprovidethebasicideaofthebook’sargumentwithouttoomuchdetailed.Thefinalportionofyourreviewwilldetailyouropinionofthework.Whenyouarereadytobeginyourreview,considerthefollowing:EstablishaBackground,RememberyourAudience:Rememberthatyouraudiencehasnotreadthework;withthisinmind,besuretointroducecharactersandprinciplescarefullyanddeliberately.Whatkindofsummarycanyouprovideofthemainpointsormaincharactersthatwillhelpyourreadersgaugetheirinterest?Doestheauthor’stextadequatelyreachtheintendedaudience?Willsomereadersbelostorfindthetexttooeasy?Minorprinciples/characters:Dealonlywiththemostpressingissuesinthebook.Youwillnotbeabletocovereverycharacteroridea.Whatprinciples/charactersdidyouagreeordisagreewith?Whatotherthingsmighttheauthorhaveresearchedorconsidered?Organize:Thepurposeofthereviewistocriticallyevaluatethetext,notjustinformthereadersaboutit.Leaveplentyroomforyourevaluationbyensuringthatyoursummaryisbrief.Determinewhatkindofbalancetostrikebetweenyoursummaryinformationandyourevaluation.Generally,theratioishalfandhalf.YourEvaluation:Chooseoneorafewpointstodiscussaboutthebook.Whatworkedwellforyou?Howdoesthisworkcomparewithothersbythesameauthororotherbooksinthesamegenre?Whatmajorthemes,motifs,ortermsdoesthebookintroduce,andhoweffectivearethey?Didthebookappealtoyouonanemotionalorlogicalway?Publisher/Price:Mostbookreviewsincludethepublisherandpriceofthebookattheendofthearticle.SomereviewsalsoincludetheyearpublishedandISBN.RevisingWhenmakingthefinaltouchestoyourreview,carefullyverifythefollowing:1.Double-checkthespellingoftheauthorname(s),characternames,specialterms,andpublisher.2.Trytoreadfromthevantagepointofyouraudience.Istheretoomuch/enoughsummary?Doesyourargumentaboutthetextmakesense?3.Shouldyouincludedirectquotesfromthereading?Dotheyhelpsupportyourarguments?Double-checkyourquotesforaccuracy.