Reading is merely an activity which is personal and everyone who reads have rights to reveal what they have in mind about the book which has been read. That’s why writing a book review is actually an easy task because there is no “right” way to pen a book review. But surely there are some guidelines to follow when revealing the elements of critique that make some book reviews stand out from others. Book reviews can be powerful and stand out from others. Authors and their publicists are persistently searching for new reviews. So, be sure you are comfortable with what you put in your reviews, because they will live in perpetuity online.
When you start with an introduction, you should also include your comments about the way you feel when reading the book and don’t forget to uncover your expectations. Do you like the author, or is this the first time you have read him/her? When you have to give review of nonfiction books, can you relate to it based on your own life experiences, or does it seem out-of-touch? Write them all.
Comparing is one of the most important aspects in writing a book review. First, compare the books’ genre. How does the book match up to others on the market? Tell how the genre is leading or it should have stayed in the slush pile. Then you can compare the author with others whether he/she live up to previous standards or not. If you review a new fiction book, write how the author succeeds in creating a fan for life. Readers know what authors they like – and don’t. Give examples of authors who write similar tomes to help readers decide if it is a must read.
Afterwards, evaluate how the book fits into a series. Does the book live up to series standards? Can a new reader dive right into the series with this book, or do they need to start from the series beginning? Does it set new standards for future books? Where does the book fall in the series? Is it the first or last book, or somewhere in between?
No matter how you dislike the book, you can’t just say you don’t like it. Be specific about things you dislike and tell clearly how the book fell short. Even if you don’t like a book, there are usually a few things the author did well. Find something good to say in every review—even when it’s only the title. It may be the development of the character or setting descriptions or even just the title.
It is obvious that the title should appear at least twice in the review. You can shorten long titles with acronyms or by using one name in the title. Remember that some publications will ask you to list publisher information, including publication date, pages, edition and ISBN number.
