How to write a great book review.
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While writing a book review, you are aiming at sharing useful information and giving your own personal view of the work. What is the subject of the work? Is it interesting? Is it entertaining? What are its strong and weak points? Is it worth the reader buying the book (or getting it from the library)? As always, it is essential to focus on the reader.
Who do you think will be reading it? Who would you like to read it? You could try thinking of your review as just part of a conversation with someone you know and like. Before you begin writing, make a few notes about the points you want to include. Always mention the book title and the name of the author in the first sentence or in the first paragraph. If the reader does not know exactly what they are reading about, they will quickly get bored.
You can begin with a general comment addressed directly to the reader. This will help to engage the reader's attention and make it feel more personal.
Each paragraph should deal with one point you want to make about the book. It is a good way to emphasize the importance of the point. It is a good idea to list the main points in your notes before you begin. Tell the reader what the main theme of the book is at the beginning of your review, and what genre it falls into-for example, mystery, adventure, or romance?
Comment on what you like or dislike about the book's writing style. Is it funny? Does it give you a sense of the place it is set? What is the author's or narrator's 'voice' like? Try using a few short quotes from the book to illustrate your points. This is not absolutely necessary, but it is a good way to give your reader a sense of the author's writing style.
Make sure your review explains how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good review should express the reviewer's opinion and persuade the reader to share it, to read the book, or to avoid reading it. Do research about the author and incorporate what you learn into the review. Biographical information can help you formulate your opinion about the book, and gives your review a 'depth'. Remember, a book does not come directly from a printing press, it is a product of an author's mind, and therefore it may be helpful to know something about the author and how she or he came to write the book.
For instance, a little research will reveal the following about author Harper Lee.
To Kill a Mockingbird, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is the only book she has ever published. The town she called Maycomb is really Monroeville, Alabama. Many of the residents thought the author had betrayed them by writing the book. Some people think she based the character Dill on Truman Capote, a famous writer who was her childhood friend.
Every book review is different, but each successful review includes a couple of key elements. As you think about what you want to say in your review, complete these challenges. They are designed to help you work on telling your reader what is most important. Describe the setting of the book. How does it compare or contrast to the world you know?
A book's setting is one of its most vital components- particularly for a book like To Kill a Mockingbird, which is set in the past. Does the author make you feel like you are a part of the setting? Can you picture the book's setting if you close your eyes? As you write, try to pass on to your reader the sense of the setting and place that the author has provided. Describe the book's main characters. Does the writer make you believe in them as people?
Why or why not? Think about whether you like the characters and about how liking them or disliking them makes feel about the book. As you write about the characters, use examples of things they have said or done to give a sense of their personalities. Give your reader a taste of the plot, but don't give the surprises away. Readers want to know enough about what happens in a book to know whether they will find it interesting. But they never want to know the ending! Summarize the plot in a way that will answer some questions about the book, but leave other questions in the reader's mind.
You may want to make a list of questions about the book before you begin. Once you are done with the challenges, you are ready to write a first draft of your review. Take these elements and weave them together into a complete review. Be sure to include some writing tips given below, when you have finished the first draft. Now that you have completed the challenges and written your first draft, it is time to begin revising. As many published writers will tell you, rewriting is one of the most important parts of writing anything — from book reviews to actual books. These guidelines will help you prepare the second version of your review.