Reviews are important and many people make their decisions on the basis of the reviews they see. A review is basically a critical analysis and evaluation of a text, event, or object.
It is quite commonly seen that before buying or opting for something, most of us ask for reviews. Similarly, book reviews are also considered before reading.
It is important that a review makes a whole argument. It must have enough detail to make it clear to the reader what the book actually is about.
Read the blog ahead to learn how you can write a well-articulated book review.
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A book review in specific is a discussion in which the plot, genre, and characteristics of a book are discussed. Book review allows you to step into a dialogue with the author and the target audience of the book.
Writing a book review is a technical thing to do that is why it is considered a major part of academic life. It does not just polish the writing skills of a writer but also enhances the analytical skills.
Apparently, writing a review report is usually a boring and tiring activity for young adults. It can be made easy and a fun thing to do if you know the steps involved in review writing.
At the end of this blog, hopefully, you will be all good to write an effective review easily.
Reviews may be critical, analytical, short or long. To write any type of review, a similar structure is followed.
Elements of a standard review writing are as follows:
Book Review Template (PDF)
Keep reading the blog to know the details of writing a book review.
Here are the steps that you can follow to write a solid and convincing book review.
Review writing is always done in a brief way. To deliver the message in limited words becomes a difficult task sometimes. To make a review, the writer usually begins it with a quote or some other kind of catchy quip.
This catchy sentence succinctly explains the whole idea of the book. It is not a hard and fast rule to start a book review this way. You may use some other and better approach to convey your message.
A standard introduction of a book review has the following elements.
In a book review, a summary of the contents means interpreting the information provided in the book. It must be to the point as you have to mention all the major elements.
During the summarization phase, you should support your statements with strong evidence from the book. It could be striking news, features of characters, real-life metaphors, key events, etc. It will keep your summary more relevant throughout the review.
It is important to mention here that this part of the book review depends on the type of book you are reviewing. Also, a writer has to consider the target audience while he writes a summary of the contents.
Suppose you are reviewing the book for a group of people who have no idea about the book. In this case, you need to pay more attention to the summary part.
Otherwise, if your intended audience has already read the book, then you have a free hand to explore more subtle points and to emphasize your own argument.
This is the most important part of writing a book review. Use multiple paragraphs to analyze each major element of the book. Then add all the related information to support your argument.
Use different paragraphs to discuss the theme, characters, and other elements of the book. This way the reader will not get confused and all the key elements will be separated by a fine line.
To make the analysis strong, try adding a short comparison with another book that can be related to your book.
A review is not just about the summarization of the book. You must conduct a detailed analysis, synthesize all the contents, and explain key elements of the book logically. You need to go beyond just explanation and discuss the relevance and significance as well.
Writing assignments requires your focus. Similarly, good review writing depends on how concentrated you are. Stay focused on the main idea of your book and avoid adding irrelevant, unwanted information.
An organized review is more effective. In order to organize your points, you need to understand the book well and write wisely. It makes it easy for the reader to understand what you are trying to say.
Use paragraphs and topic sentences for all the key elements you aim to discuss. Also, make use of the headings to highlight the more important points.
To picture your objectives and plan of action, use a thesis statement. Keep your discussion revolving around the thesis to keep the whole review organized and coherent.
The thesis statement is the root of a review or an essay. Make sure it is strong, concise, and effectively communicates your stance.
Here, you need to sum up your review of the book. Never discuss a new point in the conclusion. Simply reiterate the key elements you have mentioned in the summary and other parts of the review.
An organized conclusion should do the following:
Book Review Structure (PDF)
This is not a formal part of a book review, but adding it will not do any harm.
Once you are done writing the complete review, in the end, add a small paragraph of recommendations and ratings.
Never criticize while putting forward the suggestions, and avoid using offensive language. Also, rate the book according to your understanding.
Choosing the right book for review writing would do a major part of your job. In order to choose the perfect book, follow the below-mentioned guidelines.
Once you have selected a few books, start reading them thoroughly one by one. Choose that one book that you would like to review. Avoid choosing a book that has major problems or with which you disagree majorly.
Most of the time, reviews are quite brief. You can see reviews of different products in newspapers and academic journals. You would notice that the word count of a review will never exceed 1000 words.
In any case, a review must be synoptic. The tone, style, and tense may vary according to the subject. The following are a few points that would briefly explain why reviews are important.
Examples help you understand things better. Here we have brought some easy-to-understand examples for writing a book review. Have a look at them before you start writing.
Book Review Example (PDF)
Book Review Sample (PDF)
Middle school students are often assigned assignments in which they have to write book reviews. The following are some good examples of book reviews for middle school students.
Book Review for Middle School (PDF)
Short Book Review Example (PDF)
To write a book review like professionals, you need to avoid some pitfalls.
It is quite understandable that writing a book review is not simple academic writing. One needs excellent writing and analytical skills to write a strong and effective review.
If you think you are not yet ready to write a book review, now then there is no harm in asking for help from a professional essay writing service.
At EssayWritingService.college, we provide you with the best quality and original writing services. Our extensive team of writers is available 24/7 to write all types of reviews and other writing assignments for you. All you have to do is place an order for your assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 4 stages of writing a book review include:
No, a book review is never written in the first person. You never use pronouns like I, We, Us, etc.
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