why do we write book reviews

How to Write a Book Review: The Complete Guide

by Sue Weems | 23 comments

If you've ever loved (or hated) a book, you may have been tempted to review it. Here's a complete guide to how to write a book review, so you can share your literary adventures with other readers more often! 

You finally reach the last page of a book that kept you up all night and close it with the afterglow of satisfaction and a tinge of regret that it’s over. If you enjoyed the book enough to stay up reading it way past your bedtime, consider writing a review. It is one of the best gifts you can give an author.

Regardless of how much you know about how to write a book review, the author will appreciate hearing how their words touched you.

But as you face the five shaded stars and empty box, a blank mind strikes. What do I say? I mean, is this a book really deserving of five stars? How did it compare to Dostoevsky or Angelou or Dickens?

Maybe there’s an easier way to write a book review.

Want to learn how to write a book from start to finish? Check out How to Write a Book: The Complete Guide .

The Fallacy of Book Reviews

Once you’ve decided to give a review, you are faced with the task of deciding how many stars to give a book.

When I first started writing book reviews, I made the mistake of trying to compare a book to ALL BOOKS OF ALL TIME. (Sorry for the all caps, but that’s how it felt, like a James Earl Jones voice was asking me where to put this book in the queue of all books.)

Other readers find themselves comparing new titles to their favorite books. It's a natural comparison. But is it fair?

This is honestly why I didn’t give reviews of books for a long time. How can I compare a modern romance or historical fiction war novel with Dostoevsky? I can’t, and I shouldn’t.

I realized my mistake one day as I was watching (of all things) a dog show. In the final round, they trotted out dogs of all shapes, colors, and sizes. I thought, “How can a Yorkshire Terrier compete with a Basset Hound?” As if he'd read my mind, the announcer explained that each is judged by the standards for its breed.

This was my “Aha!” moment. I have to take a book on its own terms. The question is not, “How does this book compare to all books I’ve read?” but “How well did this book deliver what it promised for the intended audience?”

A review is going to reflect my personal experience with the book, but I can help potential readers by taking a minute to consider what the author intended. Let me explain what I mean. 

How to Write a Book Review: Consider a Book’s Promise

A book makes a promise with its cover, blurb, and first pages. It begins to set expectations the minute a reader views the thumbnail or cover. Those things indicate the genre, tone, and likely the major themes.

If a book cover includes a lip-locked couple in flowing linen on a beach, and I open to the first page to read about a pimpled vampire in a trench coat speaking like Mr. Knightly about his plan for revenge on the entire human race, there’s been a breach of contract before I even get to page two. These are the books we put down immediately (unless a mixed-message beachy cover combined with an Austen vampire story is your thing).

But what if the cover, blurb, and first pages are cohesive and perk our interest enough to keep reading? Then we have to think about what the book has promised us, which revolves around one key idea: What is the core story question and how well is it resolved?

Sometimes genre expectations help us answer this question: a romance will end with a couple who finds their way, a murder mystery ends with a solved case, a thriller’s protagonist beats the clock and saves the country or planet.

The stories we love most do those expected things in a fresh or surprising way with characters we root for from the first page. Even (and especially!) when a book doesn’t fit neatly in a genre category, we need to consider what the book promises on those first pages and decide how well it succeeds on the terms it sets for itself.

When I Don’t Know What to Write

About a month ago, I realized I was overthinking how to write a book review. Here at the Write Practice we have a longstanding tradition of giving critiques using the Oreo method : point out something that was a strength, then something we wondered about or that confused us, followed by another positive.

We can use this same structure to write a simple review when we finish books. Consider this book review format: 

[Book Title] by [book author] is about ___[plot summary in a sentence—no spoilers!]___. I chose this book based on ________. I really enjoyed ________. I wondered how ___________. Anyone who likes ____ will love this book.

Following this basic template can help you write an honest review about most any book, and it will give the author or publisher good information about what worked (and possibly what didn’t). You might write about the characters, the conflict, the setting, or anything else that captured you and kept you reading.

As an added bonus, you will be a stronger reader when you are able to express why you enjoyed parts of a book (just like when you critique!). After you complete a few, you’ll find it gets easier, and you won’t need the template anymore.

What if I Didn’t Like It?

Like professional book reviewers, you will have to make the call about when to leave a negative review. If I can’t give a book at least three stars, I usually don’t review it. Why? If I don’t like a book after a couple chapters, I put it down. I don’t review anything that I haven’t read the entire book.

Also, it may be that I’m not the target audience. The book might be well-written and well-reviewed with a great cover, and it just doesn’t capture me. Or maybe it's a book that just isn't hitting me right now for reasons that have nothing to do with the book and everything to do with my own reading life and needs. Every book is not meant for every reader.

If a book kept me reading all the way to the end and I didn’t like the ending? I would probably still review it, since there had to be enough good things going on to keep me reading to the end. I might mention in my review that the ending was less satisfying than I hoped, but I would still end with a positive.

How to Write a Book Review: Your Turn

As writers, we know how difficult it is to put down the words day after day. We are typically voracious readers. Let’s send some love back out to our fellow writers this week and review the most recent title we enjoyed.

What was the last book you read or reviewed? Do you ever find it hard to review a book? Share in the comments .

Now it's your turn. Think of the last book you read. Then, take fifteen minutes to write a review of it based on the template above. When you're done, share your review in the Pro Practice Workshop . For bonus points, post it on the book's page on Amazon and Goodreads, too!

Don't forget to leave feedback for your fellow writers! What new reads will you discover in the comments?

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

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Book Reviews

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews.

What is a review?

A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon. Reviews can consider books, articles, entire genres or fields of literature, architecture, art, fashion, restaurants, policies, exhibitions, performances, and many other forms. This handout will focus on book reviews. For a similar assignment, see our handout on literature reviews .

Above all, a review makes an argument. The most important element of a review is that it is a commentary, not merely a summary. It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the work’s creator and with other audiences. You can offer agreement or disagreement and identify where you find the work exemplary or deficient in its knowledge, judgments, or organization. You should clearly state your opinion of the work in question, and that statement will probably resemble other types of academic writing, with a thesis statement, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Typically, reviews are brief. In newspapers and academic journals, they rarely exceed 1000 words, although you may encounter lengthier assignments and extended commentaries. In either case, reviews need to be succinct. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:

• First, a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
• Second, and more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content. This involves your reactions to the work under review: what strikes you as noteworthy, whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how it enhanced your understanding of the issues at hand.
• Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience would appreciate it.

Becoming an expert reviewer: three short examples

Reviewing can be a daunting task. Someone has asked for your opinion about something that you may feel unqualified to evaluate. Who are you to criticize Toni Morrison’s new book if you’ve never written a novel yourself, much less won a Nobel Prize? The point is that someone—a professor, a journal editor, peers in a study group—wants to know what you think about a particular work. You may not be (or feel like) an expert, but you need to pretend to be one for your particular audience. Nobody expects you to be the intellectual equal of the work’s creator, but your careful observations can provide you with the raw material to make reasoned judgments. Tactfully voicing agreement and disagreement, praise and criticism, is a valuable, challenging skill, and like many forms of writing, reviews require you to provide concrete evidence for your assertions.

Consider the following brief book review written for a history course on medieval Europe by a student who is fascinated with beer:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, investigates how women used to brew and sell the majority of ale drunk in England. Historically, ale and beer (not milk, wine, or water) were important elements of the English diet. Ale brewing was low-skill and low status labor that was complimentary to women’s domestic responsibilities. In the early fifteenth century, brewers began to make ale with hops, and they called this new drink “beer.” This technique allowed brewers to produce their beverages at a lower cost and to sell it more easily, although women generally stopped brewing once the business became more profitable.

The student describes the subject of the book and provides an accurate summary of its contents. But the reader does not learn some key information expected from a review: the author’s argument, the student’s appraisal of the book and its argument, and whether or not the student would recommend the book. As a critical assessment, a book review should focus on opinions, not facts and details. Summary should be kept to a minimum, and specific details should serve to illustrate arguments.

Now consider a review of the same book written by a slightly more opinionated student:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 was a colossal disappointment. I wanted to know about the rituals surrounding drinking in medieval England: the songs, the games, the parties. Bennett provided none of that information. I liked how the book showed ale and beer brewing as an economic activity, but the reader gets lost in the details of prices and wages. I was more interested in the private lives of the women brewsters. The book was divided into eight long chapters, and I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to read it.

There’s no shortage of judgments in this review! But the student does not display a working knowledge of the book’s argument. The reader has a sense of what the student expected of the book, but no sense of what the author herself set out to prove. Although the student gives several reasons for the negative review, those examples do not clearly relate to each other as part of an overall evaluation—in other words, in support of a specific thesis. This review is indeed an assessment, but not a critical one.

Here is one final review of the same book:

One of feminism’s paradoxes—one that challenges many of its optimistic histories—is how patriarchy remains persistent over time. While Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 recognizes medieval women as historical actors through their ale brewing, it also shows that female agency had its limits with the advent of beer. I had assumed that those limits were religious and political, but Bennett shows how a “patriarchal equilibrium” shut women out of economic life as well. Her analysis of women’s wages in ale and beer production proves that a change in women’s work does not equate to a change in working women’s status. Contemporary feminists and historians alike should read Bennett’s book and think twice when they crack open their next brewsky.

This student’s review avoids the problems of the previous two examples. It combines balanced opinion and concrete example, a critical assessment based on an explicitly stated rationale, and a recommendation to a potential audience. The reader gets a sense of what the book’s author intended to demonstrate. Moreover, the student refers to an argument about feminist history in general that places the book in a specific genre and that reaches out to a general audience. The example of analyzing wages illustrates an argument, the analysis engages significant intellectual debates, and the reasons for the overall positive review are plainly visible. The review offers criteria, opinions, and support with which the reader can agree or disagree.

Developing an assessment: before you write

There is no definitive method to writing a review, although some critical thinking about the work at hand is necessary before you actually begin writing. Thus, writing a review is a two-step process: developing an argument about the work under consideration, and making that argument as you write an organized and well-supported draft. See our handout on argument .

What follows is a series of questions to focus your thinking as you dig into the work at hand. While the questions specifically consider book reviews, you can easily transpose them to an analysis of performances, exhibitions, and other review subjects. Don’t feel obligated to address each of the questions; some will be more relevant than others to the book in question.

• What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished?
• What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? What is the approach to the subject (topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive)?
• How does the author support their argument? What evidence do they use to prove their point? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author’s information (or conclusions) conflict with other books you’ve read, courses you’ve taken or just previous assumptions you had of the subject?
• How does the author structure their argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
• How has this book helped you understand the subject? Would you recommend the book to your reader?

Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the circumstances of the text’s production:

• Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the biographer was the subject’s best friend? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they write about?
• What is the book’s genre? Out of what field does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or literary standard on which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know. Keep in mind, though, that naming “firsts”—alongside naming “bests” and “onlys”—can be a risky business unless you’re absolutely certain.

Writing the review

Once you have made your observations and assessments of the work under review, carefully survey your notes and attempt to unify your impressions into a statement that will describe the purpose or thesis of your review. Check out our handout on thesis statements . Then, outline the arguments that support your thesis.

Your arguments should develop the thesis in a logical manner. That logic, unlike more standard academic writing, may initially emphasize the author’s argument while you develop your own in the course of the review. The relative emphasis depends on the nature of the review: if readers may be more interested in the work itself, you may want to make the work and the author more prominent; if you want the review to be about your perspective and opinions, then you may structure the review to privilege your observations over (but never separate from) those of the work under review. What follows is just one of many ways to organize a review.

Introduction

Since most reviews are brief, many writers begin with a catchy quip or anecdote that succinctly delivers their argument. But you can introduce your review differently depending on the argument and audience. The Writing Center’s handout on introductions can help you find an approach that works. In general, you should include:

• The name of the author and the book title and the main theme.
• Relevant details about who the author is and where they stand in the genre or field of inquiry. You could also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.
• The context of the book and/or your review. Placing your review in a framework that makes sense to your audience alerts readers to your “take” on the book. Perhaps you want to situate a book about the Cuban revolution in the context of Cold War rivalries between the United States and the Soviet Union. Another reviewer might want to consider the book in the framework of Latin American social movements. Your choice of context informs your argument.
• The thesis of the book. If you are reviewing fiction, this may be difficult since novels, plays, and short stories rarely have explicit arguments. But identifying the book’s particular novelty, angle, or originality allows you to show what specific contribution the piece is trying to make.
• Your thesis about the book.

Summary of content

This should be brief, as analysis takes priority. In the course of making your assessment, you’ll hopefully be backing up your assertions with concrete evidence from the book, so some summary will be dispersed throughout other parts of the review.

The necessary amount of summary also depends on your audience. Graduate students, beware! If you are writing book reviews for colleagues—to prepare for comprehensive exams, for example—you may want to devote more attention to summarizing the book’s contents. If, on the other hand, your audience has already read the book—such as a class assignment on the same work—you may have more liberty to explore more subtle points and to emphasize your own argument. See our handout on summary for more tips.

Analysis and evaluation of the book

Your analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs that deal with single aspects of your argument. This arrangement can be challenging when your purpose is to consider the book as a whole, but it can help you differentiate elements of your criticism and pair assertions with evidence more clearly. You do not necessarily need to work chronologically through the book as you discuss it. Given the argument you want to make, you can organize your paragraphs more usefully by themes, methods, or other elements of the book. If you find it useful to include comparisons to other books, keep them brief so that the book under review remains in the spotlight. Avoid excessive quotation and give a specific page reference in parentheses when you do quote. Remember that you can state many of the author’s points in your own words.

Sum up or restate your thesis or make the final judgment regarding the book. You should not introduce new evidence for your argument in the conclusion. You can, however, introduce new ideas that go beyond the book if they extend the logic of your own thesis. This paragraph needs to balance the book’s strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. Did the body of your review have three negative paragraphs and one favorable one? What do they all add up to? The Writing Center’s handout on conclusions can help you make a final assessment.

Finally, a few general considerations:

• Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written. You can and should point out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
• With any luck, the author of the book worked hard to find the right words to express her ideas. You should attempt to do the same. Precise language allows you to control the tone of your review.
• Never hesitate to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument. Be sure, however, to cite specific examples to back up your assertions carefully.
• Try to present a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience. You’re entitled—and sometimes obligated—to voice strong agreement or disagreement. But keep in mind that a bad book takes as long to write as a good one, and every author deserves fair treatment. Harsh judgments are difficult to prove and can give readers the sense that you were unfair in your assessment.
• A great place to learn about book reviews is to look at examples. The New York Times Sunday Book Review and The New York Review of Books can show you how professional writers review books.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Drewry, John. 1974. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: Greenwood Press.

Hoge, James. 1987. Literary Reviewing. Charlottesville: University Virginia of Press.

Sova, Dawn, and Harry Teitelbaum. 2002. How to Write Book Reports , 4th ed. Lawrenceville, NY: Thomson/Arco.

Walford, A.J. 1986. Reviews and Reviewing: A Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Why It’s Important to Write a Book Review

Book Reviews , Reading | 6 comments

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve thought about it, but what would I say?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “What you just told me!”

Her worry is that what she has to say about a book would mean little and isn’t worth posting. That’s what I used to think as well. I never reviewed books or items or restaurants or anything. I read other people’s reviews of course, but never posted my own. I assumed what I had to say didn’t matter.

But I was wrong – because it DOES matter. It matters to the maker of that product, the owner of the restaurant, the author, musician, and the consumer. Reviews are so important.

How often do you see a book on Amazon or Goodreads and check out the reviews, good and bad, on a book? Even if you don’t go as far as read them – you probably make a point to look at the “stars”. It’s consumer nature to want an idea of what we are buying before we buy it.

Writing book reviews are great for four reasons:

Helpful for authors

Like I said, reviews are HUGE for authors. They can truly make or break an author. Reviews help an author with exposure, gaining an audience, credibility with readers and publishing professionals, and sales.

Helpful for consumers

Reviews give consumers better information to help make a decision to buy or not to buy. “Is it worth it?” is the question we ask, sub-or un-consciously, and with reviews we can answer this with more confidence. Sometimes reviews may even be half good, half bad, and we may just decide to buy it for ourselves to decide anyway. Often times we want to be able to answer the other question: “What am I getting myself into?”

Chance to process the book

Writing a review is like journaling about your day – it allows you to reflect (on the book) and how you felt about it; what you liked, didn’t like, what you are walking away with. On top of that, it can help you let the book go so you are ready to move on to another one. How often do you find yourself caught up after a really great book and not ready to start another because of it? I found reviewing books helped me refresh for a new read.

Embrace your tastes

Reviewing can teach you a lot about yourself as well. You may begin to see patterns – what you like and don’t like in a book. What to stay away from, and what to try more of. It can help focus your tastes and in turn provide for a better reading experience.

Reviews can mean everything, especially in the age of self-publishing. Every single review counts.  If you like an author, help them out – post a review!

What other reasons are there to review books? Do you write (and read) reviews yourself?

This is so ironic! Yesterday, my Windy Lindy blog (on my website) was titled, “The Importance of Writing Book Reviews.” The blog posted on my Amazon author page and Goodreads, and I posted it on my Facebook author page as well. Readers–even our family and friends–just don’t seem to understand how important it is for indie authors to have their books reviewed…

That is pretty funny! It really is important and I hope the more it’s talked about, the more word spreads and we can help out authors everywhere!

Linda Lee, your post touched a nerve. Before the explosion of Amazon Kindle, online publishers and indie authors we got our book reviews from the NY times, Publisher’s Weekly, the Life Style Sections of our local newspapers. The ordinary reader did not get ARCs–that was a jealously guarded perk of Reviewers. The ordinary reader was not expected, nor asked to write a review. If a reader liked a book, word of mouth moved it. I wrote category romance novels, still do–no matter what they’re labeled. The books had a shelf life between yogurt and ice cream; remainders were stripped every thirty days to make room for the next set. Because books can now hover in the cyberworld until the sun burns out or the Rapture–which ever comes last–writing reviews has become a subindustry in the universe of ebooks. Amazon encourages it, because it sells books–or not. Up until a year ago when I first entered the ebook market the only electronic device I was familiar with was my ATM card. Now, my publisher expects me to do something called branding (cows or Tide?), Facebook, Tweet, You Tube, Pinterest and Goodread; also submit ARC, epub and Mobi copies to review sites, have a webpage, maintain a blog, do on-line interviews, and wave at every ebook romance reader cruising cyberspace. This may be wrong-headed thinking, but I don’t want to put my readers to work promoting my books. It’s enough that she buys them, enjoys them and returns for another title–so I’m not going to ask her to write a review–a royalty check is my review. On the other side of the coin–I buy books–hundreds of them a year. I often write a review, not because I know an author or was asked ti write it and I post on Goodreads–my Internet word-of-mouth. I’m new to the on-line writer’s community. I’m in a few on-line Kindle author’s discussion groups. Over the past month I’ve been asked to review about 150 books. Buy them. Read them. Write a Review. Catch: I’m told if I don’t like the book, don’t write a review. Only post four and five star reviews. Excuse me? That’s not how it works–especially after I’ve spent my money. Listen, I’m saving for Botox injections, I’m gonna be annoyed if the book did not live up to the cover and the blurb. So, I’m declining to do reviews–unless I discover a book/writer on my own.

…and this is the reason why people shouldn’t write reviews: “This book should not be designated Christian reading. The first few pages are filled with cussing. I get enough of this in every day life and don’t need to read it.”

This person read the first three pages of my novel ‘I am the Local Atheist’, stopped reading because of swearing, and decided to write a 1-star review warning people. I don’t mind letting people know that the reviewer doesn’t think it should be labeled ‘A Christian Novel’ and the reasons for that, but I do mind if that judgement is made on only the first 3 pages – I mean, that is even less than the full sample: did she even download the book? I know that she didn’t pay for the novel, because I can account for all my sales!

It seems pretty unfair considering the reviewer has no idea what happens thoughout the rest of the novel. Sadly my book has been dragged down to 3-stars from it’s previous 4-star rating, and does anyone even stop to look at books on a 3-star rating?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Unfortunately, this happens to authors more often than we wish to admit. I see this sort of issue come up often, but one thing to keep in mind is that every reader comes to the table with their own bias. It’s all subjective, which is why sometimes bad reviews can spark conversation with other reviewers OR a reader may decide to read the book and see for themselves. If every reader begins to say the same thing, then there may be a pattern worth exploring – but not every book will receive only 4 or 5 star reviews, even the exceptional ones. It’s the nature of writing and reading and putting your work out there. I personally try to offer constructive thoughts, and if I do not like a book I provide the reasons with the pros and cons so another reader can see my review and make their own opinion based on what *they* like.

Katie, when I read this old blog post, I had to chuckle myself. My dear author friend, Jackie, has changed her mind about enticing readers to write reviews. In fact, she advocates not only thanking our readers in the back of our books but also asking them to take a moment to write a review and help us “get the word out.” Being traditionally published is a lot different from being independently published: We have to promote ourselves and our work any way we can.

Thanks for reposting the blog.

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How to Write a Book Review: A Comprehensive Tutorial With Examples

You don’t need to be a literary expert to craft captivating book reviews. With one in every three readers selecting books based on insightful reviews, your opinions can guide fellow bibliophiles toward their next literary adventure.

Learning how to write a book review will not only help you excel at your assigned tasks, but you’ll also contribute valuable insights to the book-loving community and turn your passion into a professional pursuit.

In this comprehensive guide,  PaperPerk  will walk you through a few simple steps to master the art of writing book reviews so you can confidently embark on this rewarding journey.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, offering insights into its content, quality, and impact. It helps readers make informed decisions about whether to read the book.

Writing a book review as an assignment benefits students in multiple ways. Firstly, it teaches them how to write a book review by developing their analytical skills as they evaluate the content, themes, and writing style .

Secondly, it enhances their ability to express opinions and provide constructive criticism. Additionally, book review assignments expose students to various publications and genres, broadening their knowledge.

Furthermore, these tasks foster essential skills for academic success, like critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information. By now, we’re sure you want to learn how to write a book review, so let’s look at the book review template first.

Table of Contents

Book Review Template

How to write a book review- a step by step guide.

Check out these 5 straightforward steps for composing the best book review.

Step 1: Planning Your Book Review – The Art of Getting Started

You’ve decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let’s take a step back and plan your approach. Since knowing how to write a book review that’s both informative and engaging is an art in itself.

Choosing Your Literature

First things first, pick the book you want to review. This might seem like a no-brainer, but selecting a book that genuinely interests you will make the review process more enjoyable and your insights more authentic.

Crafting the Master Plan

Next, create an  outline  that covers all the essential points you want to discuss in your review. This will serve as the roadmap for your writing journey.

The Devil is in the Details

As you read, note any information that stands out, whether it overwhelms, underwhelms, or simply intrigues you. Pay attention to:

• The characters and their development
• The plot and its intricacies
• Any themes, symbols, or motifs you find noteworthy

Remember to reserve a body paragraph for each point you want to discuss.

The Key Questions to Ponder

When planning your book review, consider the following questions:

• What’s the plot (if any)? Understanding the driving force behind the book will help you craft a more effective review.
• Is the plot interesting? Did the book hold your attention and keep you turning the pages?
• Are the writing techniques effective? Does the author’s style captivate you, making you want to read (or reread) the text?
• Are the characters or the information believable? Do the characters/plot/information feel real, and can you relate to them?
• Would you recommend the book to anyone? Consider if the book is worthy of being recommended, whether to impress someone or to support a point in a literature class.
• What could improve? Always keep an eye out for areas that could be improved. Providing constructive criticism can enhance the quality of literature.

Step 2 – Crafting the Perfect Introduction to Write a Book Review

In this second step of “how to write a book review,” we’re focusing on the art of creating a powerful opening that will hook your audience and set the stage for your analysis.

Identify Your Book and Author

Begin by mentioning the book you’ve chosen, including its  title  and the author’s name. This informs your readers and establishes the subject of your review.

Ponder the Title

Next, discuss the mental images or emotions the book’s title evokes in your mind . This helps your readers understand your initial feelings and expectations before diving into the book.

Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)

Take a moment to talk about the book’s cover. Did it intrigue you? Did it hint at what to expect from the story or the author’s writing style? Sharing your thoughts on the cover can offer a unique perspective on how the book presents itself to potential readers.

Present Your Thesis

Now it’s time to introduce your thesis. This statement should be a concise and insightful summary of your opinion of the book. For example:

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is a captivating portrayal of the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of love, class, and self-discovery with exceptional depth and authenticity.

Ensure that your thesis is relevant to the points or quotes you plan to discuss throughout your review.

Incorporating these elements into your introduction will create a strong foundation for your book review. Your readers will be eager to learn more about your thoughts and insights on the book, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking analysis.

How to Write a Book Review: Step 3 – Building Brilliant Body Paragraphs

You’ve planned your review and written an attention-grabbing introduction. Now it’s time for the main event: crafting the body paragraphs of your book review. In this step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of constructing engaging and insightful body paragraphs that will keep your readers hooked.

Summarize Without Spoilers

Begin by summarizing a specific section of the book, not revealing any major plot twists or spoilers. Your goal is to give your readers a taste of the story without ruining surprises.

Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes

Next, choose three quotes from the book that support your viewpoint or opinion. These quotes should be relevant to the section you’re summarizing and help illustrate your thoughts on the book.

Analyze the Quotes

Write a summary of each quote in your own words, explaining how it made you feel or what it led you to think about the book or the author’s writing. This analysis should provide insight into your perspective and demonstrate your understanding of the text.

Structure Your Body Paragraphs

Dedicate one body paragraph to each quote, ensuring your writing is well-connected, coherent, and easy to understand.

For example:

• In  Jane Eyre , Charlotte Brontë writes, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.” This powerful statement highlights Jane’s fierce independence and refusal to be trapped by societal expectations.
• In  Normal People , Sally Rooney explores the complexities of love and friendship when she writes, “It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys.” This quote reveals the author’s astute observations on the role of culture and class in shaping personal relationships.
• In  Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë captures the tumultuous nature of love with the quote, “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This poignant line emphasizes the deep, unbreakable bond between the story’s central characters.

By following these guidelines, you’ll create body paragraphs that are both captivating and insightful, enhancing your book review and providing your readers with a deeper understanding of the literary work. 

How to Write a Book Review: Step 4 – Crafting a Captivating Conclusion

You’ve navigated through planning, introductions, and body paragraphs with finesse. Now it’s time to wrap up your book review with a  conclusion that leaves a lasting impression . In this final step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of writing a memorable and persuasive conclusion.

Summarize Your Analysis

Begin by summarizing the key points you’ve presented in the body paragraphs. This helps to remind your readers of the insights and arguments you’ve shared throughout your review.

Offer Your Final Conclusion

Next, provide a conclusion that reflects your overall feelings about the book. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression and persuade your readers to consider your perspective.

Address the Book’s Appeal

Now, answer the question: Is this book worth reading? Be clear about who would enjoy the book and who might not. Discuss the taste preferences and circumstances that make the book more appealing to some readers than others.

For example:  The Alchemist is a book that can enchant a young teen, but those who are already well-versed in classic literature might find it less engaging.

Be Subtle and Balanced

Avoid simply stating whether you “liked” or “disliked” the book. Instead, use nuanced language to convey your message. Highlight the pros and cons of reading the type of literature you’ve reviewed, offering a balanced perspective.

Bringing It All Together

By following these guidelines, you’ll craft a conclusion that leaves your readers with a clear understanding of your thoughts and opinions on the book. Your review will be a valuable resource for those considering whether to pick up the book, and your witty and insightful analysis will make your review a pleasure to read. So conquer the world of book reviews, one captivating conclusion at a time!

How to Write a Book Review: Step 5 – Rating the Book (Optional)

You’ve masterfully crafted your book review, from the introduction to the conclusion. But wait, there’s one more step you might consider before calling it a day: rating the book. In this optional step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the benefits and methods of assigning a rating to the book you’ve reviewed.

Why Rate the Book?

Sometimes, when writing a professional book review, it may not be appropriate to state whether you liked or disliked the book. In such cases, assigning a rating can be an effective way to get your message across without explicitly sharing your personal opinion.

How to Rate the Book

There are various rating systems you can use to evaluate the book, such as:

• A star rating (e.g., 1 to 5 stars)
• A numerical score (e.g., 1 to 10)
• A letter grade (e.g., A+ to F)

Choose a rating system that best suits your style and the format of your review. Be consistent in your rating criteria, considering writing quality, character development, plot, and overall enjoyment.

Tips for Rating the Book

Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:

• Be honest: Your rating should reflect your true feelings about the book. Don’t inflate or deflate your rating based on external factors, such as the book’s popularity or the author’s reputation.
• Be fair:Consider the book’s merits and shortcomings when rating. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, recognize its strengths and acknowledge them in your rating.
• Be clear: Explain the rationale behind your rating so your readers understand the factors that influenced your evaluation.

Wrapping Up

By including a rating in your book review, you provide your readers with an additional insight into your thoughts on the book. While this step is optional, it can be a valuable tool for conveying your message subtly yet effectively. So, rate those books confidently, adding a touch of wit and wisdom to your book reviews.

Additional Tips on How to Write a Book Review: A Guide

In this segment, we’ll explore additional tips on how to write a book review. Get ready to captivate your readers and make your review a memorable one!

Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction

Keep your introduction precise and to the point. Readers have the attention span of a goldfish these days, so don’t let them swim away in boredom. Start with a bang and keep them hooked!

Embrace the World of Fiction

When learning how to write a book review, remember that reviewing fiction is often more engaging and effective. If your professor hasn’t assigned you a specific book, dive into the realm of fiction and select a novel that piques your interest.

Opinionated with Gusto

Don’t shy away from adding your own opinion to your review. A good book review always features the writer’s viewpoint and constructive criticism. After all, your readers want to know what  you  think!

Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)

If you adored the book, let your readers know! Use phrases like “I’ll definitely return to this book again” to convey your enthusiasm. Conversely, be honest but respectful even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea.

Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

Feeling lost? You can always get help from formats, book review examples or online  college paper writing service  platforms. These trusty sidekicks will help you navigate the world of book reviews with ease. 

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

Remember to uplift new writers and pieces of literature. If you want to suggest improvements, do so kindly and constructively. There’s no need to be mean about anyone’s books – we’re all in this literary adventure together!

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

When adding criticism to your review, be clear but not mean. Remember, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and cruelty. Tread lightly and keep your reader’s feelings in mind.

Avoid the Comparison Trap

Resist the urge to compare one writer’s book with another. Every book holds its worth, and comparing them will only confuse your reader. Stick to discussing the book at hand, and let it shine in its own light.

Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing a book review can be a delightful and rewarding experience, especially when you balance analysis, wit, and personal insights. However, some common mistakes can kill the brilliance of your review. 

In this section of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the top 7 blunders writers commit and how to steer clear of them, with a dash of  modernist literature  examples and tips for students writing book reviews as assignments.

Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries

Mistake: Diving headfirst into a plot summary instead of dissecting the book’s themes, characters, and writing style.

Example: “The Bell Jar chronicles the life of a young woman who experiences a mental breakdown.”

How to Avoid: Delve into the book’s deeper aspects, such as its portrayal of mental health, societal expectations, and the author’s distinctive narrative voice. Offer thoughtful insights and reflections, making your review a treasure trove of analysis.

Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken

Mistake: Spilling major plot twists or the ending without providing a spoiler warning, effectively ruining the reading experience for potential readers.

Example: “In Metamorphosis, the protagonist’s transformation into a monstrous insect leads to…”

How to Avoid: Tread carefully when discussing significant plot developments, and consider using spoiler warnings. Focus on the impact of these plot points on the overall narrative, character growth, or thematic resonance.

Riding the Personal Bias Express

Mistake: Allowing personal bias to hijack the review without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to support opinions.

Example: “I detest books about existential crises, so The Sun Also Rises was a snoozefest.”

How to Avoid: While personal opinions are valid, it’s crucial to back them up with specific examples from the book. Discuss aspects like writing style, character development, or pacing to support your evaluation and provide a more balanced perspective.

Wielding the Vague Language Saber

Mistake: Resorting to generic, vague language that fails to capture the nuances of the book and can come across as clichéd.

Example: “This book was mind-blowing. It’s a must-read for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Use precise and descriptive language to express your thoughts. Employ specific examples and quotations to highlight memorable scenes, the author’s unique writing style, or the impact of the book’s themes on readers.

Ignoring the Contextualization Compass

Mistake: Neglecting to provide context about the author, genre, or cultural relevance of the book, leaving readers without a proper frame of reference.

Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”

How to Avoid: Offer readers a broader understanding by discussing the author’s background, the genre conventions the book adheres to or subverts, and any societal or historical contexts that inform the narrative. This helps readers appreciate the book’s uniqueness and relevance.

Overindulging in Personal Preferences

Mistake: Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective assessment of the book’s merits.

Example: “I don’t like stream-of-consciousness writing, so this book is automatically bad.”

How to Avoid: Acknowledge personal preferences but strive to evaluate the book objectively. Focus on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, considering how well it achieves its goals within its genre or intended audience.

Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope

Mistake: Failing to mention the book’s target audience or who might enjoy it, leading to confusion for potential readers.

Example: “This book is great for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Contemplate the book’s intended audience, genre, and themes. Mention who might particularly enjoy the book based on these factors, whether it’s fans of a specific genre, readers interested in character-driven stories, or those seeking thought-provoking narratives.

By dodging these common pitfalls, writers can craft insightful, balanced, and engaging book reviews that help readers make informed decisions about their reading choices.

These tips are particularly beneficial for students writing book reviews as assignments, as they ensure a well-rounded and thoughtful analysis.!

Many students requested us to cover how to write a book review. This thorough guide is sure to help you. At Paperperk, professionals are dedicated to helping students find their balance. We understand the importance of good grades, so we offer the finest writing service , ensuring students stay ahead of the curve. So seek expert help because only Paperperk is your perfect solution!

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How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?

Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?

There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.

WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?

Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:

●     Engage critically with a text

●     Critically evaluate a text

●     Respond personally to a range of different writing genres

●     Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.

Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.

BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE

ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.

THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.

COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.

THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.

BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.

FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW

PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.

VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS

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ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW

As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:

●     Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?

●     Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.

●     Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.

●     Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.

●     Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.

●     Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.

BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:

●     Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?

●     Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?

●     Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?

●     Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots? 

A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!

The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.

Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:

i. Make It Personal

Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.

Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.

ii. Make It Universal

Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.

iii. Support Opinions with Evidence

A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.

EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW

As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc. 

It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.

The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BOOK REVIEW GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (TEMPLATE)

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Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .

BOOK REVIEW VIDEO TUTORIALS

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Contributor Bio

Helen vendler, more online by helen vendler.

• In Memoriam: Stratis Haviaras (1935–2020)

On Book Reviewing

By helen vendler.

On December 6, 1990, Harvard professor and eminent literary critic Helen Vendler gave a talk on book reviewing. Somehow the text of this talk found its way into a copy of Erato/Harvard Book Review , where it was discovered twenty-six years later by a Harvard Review staff member who was packing up boxes to send to the University Archives. We are delighted to be able to share these notes and hope you enjoy Professor Vendler’s insights into the duties of a book reviewer.

Writing a book review is a difficult task: it requires us to describe an object that is invisible, to recreate it for someone who has never seen it.

Who is the reader of a review? It is someone coming for the first time to a work—often a work that no one knows very much about. The reviewer needs to know something about the readers: are they experts in the field, interested amateurs, the general public that doesn’t know much about the field or the particular work? Am I writing for my optometrist, my dentist, my taxi driver? What can I assume about them? What do they need to know in order to read my review? One can think about two classes of readers: those who read the review because they think they will want to read the book, and those who read the review because they know they won’t want to read it. Reviewers must be mindful of both groups as they write.

Reviewers are responsible for selecting the important elements of a book and explaining their importance. Though they must be as inclusive as possible, reviewers must learn not to report everything; they must compress. Deftness will help—the insertion of a qualifying phrase, an aside, will set the scene or reveal a trait of character. Try to tuck things into the body of the review; use lists if they will help. Try reducing chapters, even whole books, to a sentence. Then take that reduced statement and decide how to expand it. Remember that publishers set a page limit, and use that limit to help yourself select the central issue, the significant details, the quotations. The first draft is almost always too long; learn to cut without destroying the work.

Where to begin the review: in the Garden of Eden, the English Civil War, or the first lines of Paradise Lost ? “Where do you put in your wedge?” It is useful to think of the development curve of the book. How does it move from A to B, from preface to concluding chapter? Following this curve may help plan the shape of the review.

Reviewers can plot the curve in part by making extracts. Isolate passages that you might want to quote because they illustrate the best and worst characteristics of the book. Compile an anthology, a mini-book. Then reread the quotations. Why did they attract you? What do they illustrate? Which can you use to start the review or to end it? Which will you use to illuminate what points?

What are the desiderata: what would we want or expect to learn from this book? What does the book claim to do? What do we find? Were we disappointed? We can trace for ourselves the curve of expectation and match it to the jagged line of reality, sometimes above, sometimes below that curve. Does the book exceed our expectations or disappoint? Does it make us irritable? How shall we measure or explain the difference between promise and performance?

A review has three main parts: a description of the book, an evaluation, and a defense of the evaluation. Fitting those parts together will vary from review to review.

The first task is to describe, to produce a taxonomy of the book: what kind of book is it? Reviewers should describe the whole and its parts economically. Give readers the big picture, then focus on one piece. Use comparisons and contrasts to give readers a sense of the whole work without describing it in excessive detail. “Unlike Jane Austen, this author …. ”

In most books there’s a slough of despond waiting to trap reviewers: a chapter they don’t want to discuss. (Often this is because the author didn’t much like writing that chapter.) Be fair to the author; recognize the “flabby connective tissue,” but don’t let that weakness overwhelm the book or the review.

Turning to the evaluation of the book, reviewers ask about its context. How does it fit into its era, its nation, the ideological patterns of which it is a witness? Situate the book. How is the topic under discussion seen nowadays; does this book fit the paradigm or does it propose a new model? Ask about its ancestors and about what books it might generate. Books make other books happen. What would we like to see next? What evidence, devices does it use; does it use them well?

These questions reveal the reviewer’s criteria as well as the nature of the book. What framework does the reviewer use to measure the book? What are the standards, the measures by which the curve of expectation was drawn?

There’s one ethical rule for reviewers: read every word, including every footnote, the index, the bibliography, the captions of the pictures. And another rule: don’t review what you don’t feel competent to review.

Writing a book review is like giving oneself a mini-seminar. One has to know an enormous amount about the matter of the book to understand it and be properly critical. Preparing to write is a process of self-education; it involves experience and self-awareness. Critics who are too young haven’t read enough; those who are too old may have lost touch with the center of a generation.

Published on May 24, 2016

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How to Write a Book Review

Nayreth garcia.

• Writing Tips

Content Writer At Gradehacker

Updated on April, 2023

Learning how to write a book review is important for when you need to summarize one for your college task or for simply expressing your thoughts about a book that left a mark on you!

It’s one of the most common assignments required in English classes, but if you have never written one before or struggled with it, there are many douts you must have; especially because there are many ways you can approach a book review!

At Gradehacker, the non-traditional adult student  #1 resource, we have years of helping students with this type of essay (and every other type too); so we know what tips you need to follow.

Here is how to write a book review that will get you an A!

What is a Book Review?

The main purpose of writing book reviews is to tell a reader what you think about it. Here you’ll share what the novel is about, if it’s worth reading, and why.

Critical book reviews help readers understand a book’s plot, characters, and writing style for a more enjoyable reading experience . They come in various forms, just like any other type of writing.

Your major arguments should:

• Summarize the content and its purpose
• Provide your critical assessment of the work, including notable aspects, effectiveness, and how it informed you
• Suggest whether the audience would enjoy the book

In order to make a successful and compelling essay review is important to follow the necessary steps. This includes doing an analytical reading of the material and taking notes on key points and relevant details that will be useful.

After understanding the basics of the book, you should then craft your opinion and provide readers with an overall evaluation of what you thought about it. 

You should consider that other readers might interpret the book and provide a balanced review with valid arguments too.

Examples Of Book Reviews

But before we get deeper into how to write a book review, let’s see a couple of examples of the different types you can find.

Literary Fiction Book Review:

A literary fiction review evaluates the quality of the writing, the story’s authenticity, and the characters’ growth.

Rather than focusing only on its entertainment value, literary reviews emphasize the book’s style, themes, and language.

These reviews aim to provide readers with a t houghtful and in-depth understanding of the work that extends beyond a summary or recommendation, prompting them to explore the novel on a deeper level.

Non-fiction Book Review:

This review will assess the book’s accuracy, research, and the author’s ability to explain complex ideas clearly.

Unlike fiction reviews, non-fiction reviews may be subjective because the reviewer’s agreement with the author’s perspective becomes the spotlight.

The author’s credibility and qualifications may also be taken into account . 

Generally, the reason for a non-fiction review is to provide readers with a clear understanding of the book’s content and help them decide whether the book is worth reading.

Essential Steps For Writing The Review

When writing a book review, it’s hard to know what to include. 

Although there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, here are some tips that can help guide you on that process and know what to take into account:

Add a Catchy Introduction

Your review’s opening line sets the tone for your piece. 

It doesn’t matter if your review starts with a person’s story, struggle, or path to getting better. It’s also important to name your genre and type of book. Without this, your review will likely get overlooked.

Still, make your hook concise and simple. Your potential reader needs to understand what the problem is and why you want to share it with them

Give Your Opinion And Mention Important Parts

This is perhaps the most important part of the review, as it lets people know what you liked and disliked about the book. 

Give your honest opinion and try not to offer comments based on expectations.

The only way to get readers’ attention is to write an opinion of the story they will actually read and engage with . 

Balanced opinions are key! See it as an opportunity to introduce an analytical discussion of the book so the readers can get a clear idea of what to expect.

Also, compare your chosen novel to other well-known books or authors and describe the type of audience that may like or dislike it.

Analyse Literary Elements

While summarizing the plot and sharing your thoughts is a critical part of a book review, the best way to support your opinions is by analyzing the literary elements used by the author.

You don’t need to go too in-depth and list all the devices used, you can focus only on one or two and explain why they made you like or dislike the work.

You can analyze the:

• Point of view
• Character development

Don’t Forget to Talk About The Writer!

Reviewing the books is the number one priority, but there is no reason why you should not write about its author; especially if it’s an autobiography or their context makes the novel be more interesting.

Giving some insight into the author’s background is always appealing and informative and gets the reader thinking. 

If they already know they, it will help them decide whether or not they’d like to read another book from the same author.

Leave An Open-ended Conclusion

In the conclusion, you need to restate your main opinions , but let it be intriguing enough so the reader wants to -at least- find more information about the book.

Another way to finish your book review is to find similar books and recommend them to fellow readers. For example, if you are reviewing a fantasy romance book, you can say: “If you were a fan of Twilight and Hush-Hush, then you will definitely be enchanted with this one!”

Tips to Take Away:

Before you actually start reading or writing your review, here are some tips you should consider:

• Take notes while reading the book
• Formulate an opinion
• Organize your thoughts in chronological order
• Support your opinions with evidence from the book
• Be honest and provide an objective assessment of the book

When writing a book review, it’s important to avoid some common pitfalls that can detract from the overall quality of your work. 

Here are some things to avoid when writing a book review:

• Being repetitive or redundant
• Over-explaining the plot
• Writing without clarity
• Making limiting assumptions

Why Writing Book Reviews Is Beneficial for Readers and Writers

Now, in case you have asked yourself “ why is writing a book review important for my college journey? ”, we have news for you. There are actually many reasons!

Based on academics, your professor can analyze your level of interpretation and how you communicate your ideas.

But if we need to define this craft, it is technically an exchange of opinions and ideas that forms a community with the same interests and passion.

It can truly become a benefit for those who want to read specific authors or genres but don’t have the time or ability to read everything as it becomes published.

Some people do it for fun, and others write book reviews as a way to earn money. So, the better reviews you write, the more you’ll improve your writing skills.

Do You Feel Ready To Start Your Book Review?

Writing a book review is a great way to start developing your writing skills and amplify your vocabulary, so don’t be afraid if you don’t do it perfectly the first time. 

With practice, you’ll be able to improve and get a high star rating on your assignments!

We hope this article helped you clear your doubts and guided you through the process of writing your book review. If you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable when writing, remember that we are here to help you!

Whether it’s a book review from a novel you still haven’t read, another type of essay, or even your entire classes , be sure to reach out to us and you’ll receive the best assistance you’ll find.

If you want to make your college life easier, here are a few articles you may be interested in:

7 Best Websites to Find Free College Textbooks in 2023

Digital textbook vs. Physical | Which is better?

How Much Does it Cost to Write My Essay?

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How (and Why) to Write a Book Review People Want to Read

WHY write a book review?

Fair question! And there are many compelling reasons to write a book review.

By the way, a “review” is simply any opinion you share about a book. Could be written text (as the example above) or video. Could be a one-liner (“Highly recommend!” or “Not my jam”) or a whole blog post.

Whether you share your review to a retail site (Amazon, B & N) or a review site (Goodreads, Storygraph), or your own social media, it all comes under the review umbrella. Honestly, even talking about a book with a friend over lunch counts!

Here are some marvelous things that happen when you write a book review:

• Other readers may be influenced by your opinion (oh, the power!)
• You may discover a whole new group of readers with whom you can share great book recs. You may even decide to do a “buddy read” or form a book group . (hello, social life!)
• You’ll create a written record of the books you’ve read and whether you liked them or not. (I love tracking my reads on Storygraph and Goodreads – so easy to look back and access my reading history)
• Publishers may reach out to offer you free books and exclusive sneak peeks of highly desirable upcoming releases. (no more FOMO!)
• You may be asked to become a valuable member of an author’s Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) team and have the opportunity to help a book gain momentum

And here are some wildly awesome things that MAY happen:

• You may never have to pay to read another book in your whole life.
• The author may come across your review and ask if they can use a quote as a “cover blurb,” thus making you as famous as they are (or vice versa)
• You could become a TikTok or YouTube “book influencer.” People will throw money at your feet just for the chance to be mentioned on your channel.

Having convinced you why writing book reviews is a great activity to undertake, here’s how to write a book review like a pro without spraining your brain…

First, some hard truths about reviews:

• Reviews matter. A lot.
• Regardless of your own personal weighting system, star ratings lower than 3/5 can really damage a book’s chance for success. My general rule of thumb is not to use a star rating if I can’t, in good conscience, give at least 4 stars. I stick to words alone and try to mix in as many positive points as I can. There’s always something nice to say, even if it’s simply the book’s premise.
• “Reviews are for readers,” so they say. But here’s the truth – authors not only read them, we scour reviews for back cover “blurb” material and quotable snippets to share in our marketing material. We pay A LOT of $$ to distribute free books to review sites like Net Galley , largely hoping for those review nuggets. Also, authors are human beings, and we see what you post – even if you don’t tag us.
• READ THE BOOK if you’re going to review it. ESPECIALLY if you’re on an ARC team or a blog tour. ‘Nuf said.

How am I qualified to opine?

I’ve been on both sides of the book review situation literally hundreds of times.

From the reader’s perspective , I understand the importance of maintaining your integrity as a reviewer. If you really feel a book is poorly written, you don’t want to jump up and down for everyone you know to read it. You want to balance honesty with kindness. When in doubt, I always lean toward kindness. If you’d like a sampling of the reviews I’ve written, you can check me out on Goodreads or Storygraph .

As an author, I understand how critical reviews are – especially on a debut novel. Many promo sites will only consider books with a minimum of, say, 50 reviews, and a 4+ star rating. The all-powerful Amazon algorithm most definitely takes review counts and average ratings into consideration when deciding which books to recommend to its customers.

I’m happy to say most of the reviews First Quiver has received on Amazon and Goodreads are positive – but not all of them!

Suffice it to say, I’ve been around the block on this one. And yet, I too sometimes struggle with reviewer’s block, SO –

Here are some prompts:

This is not a template – it’s a menu of ideas! Many “pro-level” reviewers develop their own template for every book they review. Personally, I like to keep it loose and highlight whatever strikes me most powerfully for each individual book. Use these prompts however you like!

Summarize the story

Briefly say what the story is about. Use the author’s cover blurb if you’d like. This could include main characters, genre, length, any tropes you came across while reading, any trigger warnings you feel are important, general audience for the book. Indicate which format of the book you read (print, ebook, audio), especially if that contributed to your evaluation.

*Try not to include spoilers, but if you feel the need to do so, it’s only polite to warn folks beforehand.

Give your overall impression using any or all of these metrics:

• What kind of emotional response did this story draw from you?
• Did you enjoy reading/listening to this story overall?
• Did you have to “DNF” (Did Not Finish) and if so, why?
• Was this a quick read or a slog?
• Did this book meet your expectations (based on the hype, the cover, familiarity with the author/series, what you’d heard, etc.)?
• Did the book surprise you?
• Are you eager to read the next in series/another book by the author?

Share your thoughts on the main story elements:

[ Note – these are not necessarily meant to be positives or negative points]

• Characters – Did you have a favorite? Did an unexpected side character steal the show? Were these characters relatable? Likeable? One-sided (all women are good, all men suck). Did you CARE about them? Did you root for them? Are you obsessed even after finishing the book?
• Plot – Did the action drive the story? How did you like the pacing? Were the key scenes (whether steamy or battle scenes) realistic? Intimate? Entertaining or cringy? Did the ending satisfy?
• Dialogue – Did you find the dialogue to be realistic or forced? If you were hoping for playful banter, is that what you got?
• Themes or tropes – Can you name any themes or tropes? Did you enjoy the treatment of this theme or trope in the book? (This seems especially helpful and common with romance or other genre books)

Did you learn anything from reading this book?

Perhaps more obvious when reading non-fiction or historical fiction, this question could apply to any book if you reflect on some of these cues:

• Was the setting thought-provoking, be that place or time?
• Was there a specific topic that was explored in a way that was new to you? (a character’s passion for wine, unique occupation, mythology , a certain event or psychological angle)
• Were you motivated to learn more about anything after reading the book?

Share any favorite quotes

Many ereaders allow you to highlight as you read, which makes sharing a favorite quote quite easy.

Your recommendation

Maybe the most important part of any review!

• Would you recommend this book in general? To whom?
• Compare or contrast with other books you’ve read – “Fans of Hunger Games will enjoy the heartbreaking love triangle…”
• Any trigger warnings to share?

Without totally spoiling the book , share if/how the ending was satisfying or disappointing.

Do you write a book review for every book you read? What’s your strategy?

P.S. – Did you know you can receive blog updates straight to your inbox? Yup! Just enter your email address in the box below and cut out the middle man. This is a no-spam zone! I post to my blog roughly once a month. (Not to be confused with my NEWSLETTER, which is all the current book stuff, sneak peeks, special deals, etc. And you can sign up for my newsletter by clicking on the big open heart at the bottom of this page.)

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How to Write a Book Review: Awesome Guide

A book review allows students to illustrate the author's intentions of writing the piece, as well as create a criticism of the book — as a whole. In other words, form an opinion of the author's presented ideas. Check out this guide from EssayPro — book review writing service to learn how to write a book review successfully.

What Is a Book Review?

You may prosper, “what is a book review?”. Book reviews are commonly assigned students to allow them to show a clear understanding of the novel. And to check if the students have actually read the book. The essay format is highly important for your consideration, take a look at the book review format below.

Book reviews are assigned to allow students to present their own opinion regarding the author’s ideas included in the book or passage. They are a form of literary criticism that analyzes the author’s ideas, writing techniques, and quality. A book analysis is entirely opinion-based, in relevance to the book. They are good practice for those who wish to become editors, due to the fact, editing requires a lot of criticism.

Book Review Template

The book review format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Introduction
• Describe the book cover and title.
• Include any subtitles at this stage.
• Include the Author’s Name.
• Write a brief description of the novel.
• Briefly introduce the main points of the body in your book review.
• Avoid mentioning any opinions at this time.
• Use about 3 quotations from the author’s novel.
• Summarize the quotations in your own words.
• Mention your own point-of-view of the quotation.
• Remember to keep every point included in its own paragraph.
• In brief, summarize the quotations.
• In brief, summarize the explanations.
• Finish with a concluding sentence.
• This can include your final opinion of the book.
• Star-Rating (Optional).

Get Your BOOK REVIEW WRITTEN!

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How to Write a Book Review: Step-By-Step

Writing a book review is something that can be done with every novel. Book reviews can apply to all novels, no matter the genre. Some genres may be harder than others. On the other hand, the book review format remains the same. Take a look at these step-by-step instructions from our professional writers to learn how to write a book review in-depth.

Step 1: Planning

Create an essay outline which includes all of the main points you wish to summarise in your book analysis. Include information about the characters, details of the plot, and some other important parts of your chosen novel. Reserve a body paragraph for each point you wish to talk about.

Consider these points before writing:

• What is the plot of the book? Understanding the plot enables you to write an effective review.
• Is the plot gripping? Does the plot make you want to continue reading the novel? Did you enjoy the plot? Does it manage to grab a reader’s attention?
• Are the writing techniques used by the author effective? Does the writer imply factors in-between the lines? What are they?
• Are the characters believable? Are the characters logical? Does the book make the characters are real while reading?
• Would you recommend the book to anyone? The most important thing: would you tell others to read this book? Is it good enough? Is it bad?
• What could be better? Keep in mind the quotes that could have been presented better. Criticize the writer.

Step 2: Introduction

Presumably, you have chosen your book. To begin, mention the book title and author’s name. Talk about the cover of the book. Write a thesis statement regarding the fictitious story or non-fictional novel. Which briefly describes the quoted material in the book review.

Step 3: Body

Choose a specific chapter or scenario to summarise. Include about 3 quotes in the body. Create summaries of each quote in your own words. It is also encouraged to include your own point-of-view and the way you interpret the quote. It is highly important to have one quote per paragraph.

Step 4: Conclusion

Write a summary of the summarised quotations and explanations, included in the body paragraphs. After doing so, finish book analysis with a concluding sentence to show the bigger picture of the book. Think to yourself, “Is it worth reading?”, and answer the question in black and white. However, write in-between the lines. Avoid stating “I like/dislike this book.”

Step 5: Rate the Book (Optional)

After writing a book review, you may want to include a rating. Including a star-rating provides further insight into the quality of the book, to your readers. Book reviews with star-ratings can be more effective, compared to those which don’t. Though, this is entirely optional.

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Dive into literary analysis with EssayPro . Our experts can help you craft insightful book reviews that delve deep into the themes, characters, and narratives of your chosen books. Enhance your understanding and appreciation of literature with us.

Writing Tips

Here is the list of tips for the book review:

• A long introduction can certainly lower one’s grade: keep the beginning short. Readers don’t like to read the long introduction for any essay style.
• It is advisable to write book reviews about fiction: it is not a must. Though, reviewing fiction can be far more effective than writing about a piece of nonfiction
• Avoid Comparing: avoid comparing your chosen novel with other books you have previously read. Doing so can be confusing for the reader.
• Opinion Matters: including your own point-of-view is something that is often encouraged when writing book reviews.
• Refer to Templates: a book review template can help a student get a clearer understanding of the required writing style.
• Don’t be Afraid to Criticize: usually, your own opinion isn’t required for academic papers below Ph.D. level. On the other hand, for book reviews, there’s an exception.
• Use Positivity: include a fair amount of positive comments and criticism.
• Review The Chosen Novel: avoid making things up. Review only what is presented in the chosen book.
• Enjoyed the book? If you loved reading the book, state it. Doing so makes your book analysis more personalized.

Writing a book review is something worth thinking about. Professors commonly assign this form of an assignment to students to enable them to express a grasp of a novel. Following the book review format is highly useful for beginners, as well as reading step-by-step instructions. Writing tips is also useful for people who are new to this essay type. If you need a book review or essay, ask our book report writing services ' write paper for me ' and we'll give you a hand asap!

We also recommend that everyone read the article about essay topics . It will help broaden your horizons in writing a book review as well as other papers.

Book Review Examples

Referring to a book review example is highly useful to those who wish to get a clearer understanding of how to review a book. Take a look at our examples written by our professional writers. Click on the button to open the book review examples and feel free to use them as a reference.

Book review

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is a novel aimed at youngsters. The plot, itself, is not American humor, but that of Great Britain. In terms of sarcasm, and British-related jokes. The novel illustrates a fair mix of the relationships between the human-like animals, and wildlife. The narrative acts as an important milestone in post-Victorian children’s literature.

Book Review

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’ consists of 3 major parts. The first part is all about the polluted ocean. The second being about the pollution of the sky. The third part is an in-depth study of how humans can resolve these issues. The book is a piece of non-fiction that focuses on modern-day pollution ordeals faced by both animals and humans on Planet Earth. It also focuses on climate change, being the result of the global pollution ordeal.

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Five Reasons to Write a Book Review

Guest post contributed by The Book People

If you’re an eager bookworm, then the chances are you probably get through rather a lot of reading material. If that is the case, then why don’t you put it to good use by telling the rest of the world just what you’ve been reading and what you thought of it? Book reviews offer a useful insight into whether or not a book is genuinely worth reading – so if you’ve read a book and you want to shout from the rooftops about or, alternatively, you want to advise people to avoid it like the plague, writing a review could be a very worthwhile activity. Here are just a few reasons why you might want to write a book review.

1) You’ve read a great book and you want people to know about it – as we’ve just mentioned, when you read an amazing book then the chances are you don’t just want to keep it to yourself. You might feel, for instance, that the book hasn’t received enough attention – or perhaps a fair hearing – from critics in the mainstream press. If you feel that strongly about it, then you can always set the record straight by writing a review of your own.

2) You’ve read a terrible book and want to warn others – it’s also true that those of us who are resolute readers have probably encountered more than our fair share of awful books over the years. It might be a good idea, therefore, to write a review so you can warn others to avoid making the mistake you did by reading a particular book. Again, perhaps your opinion is at odds with that of mainstream critics – and thanks to blogs and social media, it’s easier than ever for you to at least try to redress the balance a bit.

3) You want to boost an author’s profile – it may be that you feel you’ve discovered an individual author whose output hasn’t been getting the attention it merits from mainstream critics. Writing your own reviews therefore gives you the opportunity to promote that author, although there are a few caveats you should bear in mind. For one thing, you should remain strictly impartial, prepared to acknowledge any flaws you find in an author’s work as well as their strengths. Furthermore, you should also avoid reviewing books by authors you know personally, as you may find it hard to be objective in your assessments.

4) You want to work on your own writing skills – analysing, reviewing and critiquing books is a skill in its own right, and the best way to hone this particular skill is through practice. It’s worth remembering, of course, that planning your review in advance can be very useful in this regard. List a few key criticisms of the book and build your review around them. This should help you to ensure that your review is clear and concise – because if it isn’t, you’re likely to find that nobody will bother to read it through to the end.

5) You want to hone your reading comprehension – it’s probably fair to say that even the most dedicated readers often find themselves skimming through books from time to time. Reading a book with the intention of reviewing it may therefore encourage paying a little extra attention, meaning that you get more out of the book than you would have done otherwise.

Post contributed by Rachael Pegram and Tom Blackburn in collaboration with The Book People

How to Write a Book Review That Resonates

• The Speaker Lab
• February 9, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever read a book so captivating that it just begs to be talked about? If so, you’re not alone. The magic lies in sharing your insights through a well-crafted book review—but how do you start? Like unearthing hidden treasures, writing an insightful book review requires some digging.

In this helpful guide, we’ll explore everything from pre-reading steps and breaking down key components, to constructing balanced opinions and structuring reviews effectively. So buckle up! By the end of this journey, you’ll have mastered crafting compelling book reviews that echo with readers long after they’ve turned their last page.

Why Write a Book Review?

A book review is more than just an opinion piece. It’s your chance to join in on a global conversation about literature. But what’s the purpose of a book review? In other words, why do we write them?

The primary purpose of writing a book review is twofold: it benefits both readers and authors. For readers, reviews can serve as a reference point to determine if they would like to invest their time in the book.

For authors, book reviews offer valuable feedback which can be used to refine future work and serve as a powerful marketing tool to build their personal brand . In addition, positive reviews serve as powerful marketing tools helping authors build their personal brand .

Rather than merely summarizing content, quality book reviews dive deeper. They analyze key elements such as plot development, character arcs and author’s writing style, dissecting what worked and what didn’t.

Believe it or not, when you write a book review, you add value to the piece of literature you’re writing about. Whether it’s a novel or a non-fiction masterpiece, you’re contributing unique insights to the rich tapestry of reader responses around any given title.

So why bother with reviewing? Because by sharing our perspectives on books we’ve read, we play an active role in shaping literary discourse while also aiding fellow bibliophiles in making informed reading choices.

Pre-Reading Steps for Writing a Book Review

Preparing to write a book review starts before you even crack open the cover. By starting off right, you can make your job easier and let your insights shine.

Pick Your Book Wisely

Selecting the correct volume is your initial move. It’s best to select one that interests you, as this will make it more enjoyable and give your review a genuine touch. The New York Times Best Seller list is an excellent place to find potential candidates.

Research The Author And Context

To get into the author’s headspace, spend some time researching them online. Learn their biography, writing style, and previous works—every bit of knowledge helps. You might also want to check out reviews or critiques on their other books. Doing so will give you context and maybe spark off new ideas when reading.

Create An Initial Opinion

A quick skim over blurbs, synopses or prefaces gives an initial opinion about what awaits inside. Jot down these thoughts—they’ll serve as interesting comparisons once you’ve read the whole thing.

Note Key Information

Last but not least, note key details like title, author name, publication year etc., in case they slip from memory during reading. Creating notes at the beginning saves much-needed energy later while drafting your final review.

Reading with an Eye for Reviewing

To write a great book review, you need to develop the skill of reading with intent. So, what steps should you take to hone those skills? Let’s take a look.

The first step is noticing the author’s writing style. This doesn’t mean just observing their use of words but delving deeper into how they’ve crafted their sentences and paragraphs. Is it engaging? Descriptive? Imaginative? How well does it evoke emotions—or does it? And how might you describe the overall tone?

Next up is character development. Are characters well-rounded and believable or flat and one-dimensional? MasterClass provides some helpful tips on how to write a character, which can help you know what to look for when writing your book review.

Paying attention to plot structure can also give insights about the book you’re reviewing. Notice if there’s a clear beginning, middle, and end or if the author has chosen to break from traditional structures. In particular, consider how cohesive the story is and how well it flows from beginning to end.

Detecting underlying themes and symbols used by authors helps in creating comprehensive reviews. Literary Devices makes spotting these elements easier with their guide.

Remember: don’t rush through your reading. Taking your time will help ensure that nothing important slips past your notice.

Put together, all these pointers will not only make sure that you’re giving each book its due consideration but they’ll also add depth to your review.

Writing Your Book Review

When writing a book review, it’s essential to recognize its main components. These elements are the building blocks that will help you create an insightful and balanced critique. Here are the main components you should include when writing book reviews:

• Plot Summary

Evaluation and Analysis

Critical Assessment

• Your Recommendation

The Plot Summary

A brief overview of the book’s main events or themes should be provided, without giving away too much. The plot summary should be concise, focusing on major events or themes in the book.

This section lets you share your personal opinion about the work. But remember, it’s not enough just to say whether you liked it or not. Explain why with concrete examples from the text itself.

An effective reviewer also examines elements like character development, pacing, and writing style. It’s here where those details noted during reading come into play as they form the basis for critical assessment. MasterClass offers some great insights on how to write your book review effectively without it sounding like a book report.

The Recommendation

Last but certainly not least is the million dollar question—would you recommend this book to others? If so (or even if not), who do you think might enjoy it most? The research you did on the book’s author could come in handy when answering this question!

Constructing Your Opinion in a Book Review

At the heart of your book review lies your opinion. It’s insufficient to simply like or hate a book; you need to explain why.

The first step is analyzing your reactions while reading. Did the story grip you from start to finish? Or did it lose its charm halfway through? Identifying these feelings will give more weight to your opinions.

To back up your viewpoints, look for evidence within the text itself. It could be an inspiring dialogue that made you think differently about life or flat characters who didn’t evolve throughout the plot. By showing your work, you ensure that readers see where you’re coming from. You might even encourage them to share their own thoughts on similar experiences with the narrative.

A well-rounded review isn’t overly negative or excessively positive; rather, it balances praise with constructive criticism. Sure, some books might push us towards one end of this spectrum more than others but remember—every author puts effort into their work, so acknowledging what worked well alongside areas needing improvement helps keep things fair.

Last but not least: summarizing everything concisely without losing nuance is key. Being able to condense complex thoughts into understandable bits is a valuable skill, especially when writing a book review.

With practice, you’ll get better at sharing your opinions in book reviews that are thoughtful, fair and engaging for readers.

Structuring Your Book Review

A well-structured book review is like a beautifully constructed building: it has a solid foundation, clear organization, and stands out in the crowd. Let’s explore how to write a book review that follows this pattern.

Your opening should grab the reader’s attention right from the start. An effective way to do this is by sharing a striking quote or fascinating detail from the book you’re reviewing. This will help hook your audience and entice them to read more of your analysis.

The main body of your review should consist of key components such as plot summary, author information, critique points, and personal opinions on various aspects like character development or writing style. These elements shouldn’t be scattered randomly but organized logically for easy comprehension.

In order to ensure your review is structured logically, consider outlining your book review before you start writing, then using headers to reflect the content of each section. These headers will act as signposts, helping readers navigate your review with ease and clarity.

One of the hardest parts of writing a book review is providing insightful critiques without giving away too much. In your own book review, aim to provide just enough detail to capture the book’s essence while keeping readers curious enough about what you left out or hinted at.

Remember, when structuring your book review each component plays its role. When practiced effectively, these components will create an engaging book review with an impactful conclusion.

Editing Your Book Review

So you’ve drafted your book review. Great job! But we’re not done yet. Now it’s time to polish and proofread your writing until every sentence shines and the entire text is error-free.

Tips for Polishing Your Review

The polishing process involves refining your sentences for clarity and impact, ensuring each word adds value. This means eliminating unnecessary words or phrases and making sure the tone aligns with your audience’s expectations.

A great tip here is reading out loud. If something sounds off when spoken, it might need tweaking in writing too. Another strategy can be getting feedback from others. Fresh eyes can often spot things you may have missed.

Copyediting Your Review

Copyediting focuses on the technical aspect of your writing, correcting errors related to grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. Never underestimate the importance of copyediting, as even minor mistakes can distract readers from the main points you’re trying to make in your review.

Grammar checkers like Grammarly —while not perfect substitutes for human proofreaders due to occasional oversights or false positives they might generate—still do a commendable job at spotting potential errors in your book reviews that could slip past your notice otherwise.

In the end, remember that polishing and proofreading is an essential part of writing a book review. So give it the time it deserves to make sure your work reflects your best efforts!

Examples of Effective Book Reviews

An effective book review doesn’t just summarize the plot, but also dives deep into elements like characters, themes, and writing style. Let’s examine some examples that can help you when writing book reviews.

The New York Times’ review of “The Testaments,” Margaret Atwood’s sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale,” is a perfect example of how to balance summary with analysis. Using specific details and descriptions, the reviewer effectively gives an overview of the story without revealing too much. She’s also clearly done her research—in her review, she includes mentions of Atwood’s other works, books similar in concept to “The Testaments,” and even a recent Netflix adaptation of Atwood’s work.

In NPR’s critique on Disney’s movie “Wish,” you’ll see a great instance where the reviewer (or in this case, reviewers) does more than share his opinion—he backs it up by pointing out specific moments from the text that support his views.

Yet another take can be found in The Washington Post’s review for “The Silent Patient.” Here, the reviewer uses her personal surprise at the book’s plot-twist to pique readers’ interest and add a layer of authenticity to her thoughts about what makes this novel impactful.

The common thread among these reviews? Each one offers something beyond mere summarization, ensuring readers get real value from their insights. Aspiring reviewers should strive for such levels when crafting their own pieces.

FAQs on How to Write a Book Review

How do you write a book review.

You start by summarizing the plot, then critique the writing style and themes. Provide evidence to back up your views and balance your positive and negative feedback.

What are the 4 stages of writing a book review?

The four stages include pre-reading preparations, reading with intent to review, constructing your opinion, and finally drafting and polishing the review.

What are the 5 parts of a book review?

A solid book review typically has five sections: summary of content, analysis of characters or themes, evaluation of author’s style & contribution to genre or field, personal reaction/opinion supported by text references & conclusion/summary statement.

What is the format for a book review?

The usual format includes an introduction presenting basic details about the work; body offering summary plus critical discussion; ending with conclusions expressing overall impressions along with recommendation status (e.g., highly recommended).

Mastering the art of writing a book review is an exciting journey. Not only have you uncovered the importance of pre-reading and learned strategies for active reading, you now know how to dissect a book.

But that’s not all! You’ve also been equipped with tools for constructing balanced opinions backed by evidence. Your toolbox even contains techniques on structuring reviews that resonate with readers.

And remember: always polish your work! Proofread meticulously, ensuring it’s free of errors before sharing it with the world.

The magic lies in crafting reviews that echo long after they’ve turned their last page. Now that you have that power, it’s time to get out there and start working some magic.

• Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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Why Write a Book Review?

August 8, 2019 //  by  Michelle Ule //   9 Comments

Blogger: Michelle Ule

Sitting in for the traveling Rachelle Gardner.

Why do writers always want readers to write a book review?

What difference does it make?

Here are four reasons why you’ll do a writer a favor if you’ll write a book review.

Report card.

Not the score you give, but the fact a book gets them.

The booksellers and publishers pay attention when a book garners reviews.

Amazon, in particular, has some ever-changing alchemy that determines whether the book should be publicized based on numbers of reviews.

(Who knows what that number of reviews is?)

It also indicates people are reading it.

Encouragement

It’s very exciting for a writer if people the writer is not related to, read their book.

We’re amazed, often, by what people discover in a book we wrote.

From the reaction of readers, a writer and their publishing house know what to emphasize in marketing the book.

Liberal gifts of five stars feel like pats on the back, especially if you don’t get any one-stars.

But even negative reviews are important.

As a reader examining reviews (Amazon, Goodreads, Publisher’s website, Barnes and Noble, Christianbooks and so forth), I pay more attention to three-and-under stars than three-and-over.

If readers go to the trouble to write a review, they must feel strongly about the book.

As noted above, reviews can drive sales.

A review demonstrates someone purchased a book.

Reviews that show up the week of a book’s launch can add momentum to sales.

Reviews also encourage readers who are just browsing to consider purchasing a book.

The more reviews, the more reactions people have had to a book.

I read reviews online rather than back-cover-copy before I purchase a book.

Better Books in the Public Eye

How does a publisher determine what should be published?

You don’t think they pay attention to reviews–particularly the numbers garnered? (See above)

If more people wrote reviews on the books they liked, they might influence the quality of books published.

Questions about Writing a Book Review

How do you write a book review?

Talk about what you liked or didn’t like about the book. If you have a problem with something the writer wrote, mention that. If you think readers of a specific book might also enjoy this one, mention it. Give a rating if you like. It can be any length; shorter might be better.  I don’t usually write much myself. (For examples of terse book reviews, you’re welcome to look at my Goodreads page. Generally speaking, I don’t often review books written by Books & Such authors).

Is this the same thing as writing a book report?

No, you’re just giving your opinion about a book you read.

Can I only write a good review?

Of course not, but be fair.

Do I need to relate the entire plot?

Of course not, and we’d prefer you don’t. If you want to talk about the plot give a vague outline–or see the back of the book copy.

Will I hurt my friend’s feelings if I give it a poor review?

Only you can answer that question. If it’s an honest review, they will swallow hard and move on. If they even read them . . . writers are often advised not to read their reviews.

What if I don’t finish reading the book or if it’s a genre I don’t like?

Don’t bother with a review unless you can say something constructive.

What if I was given the book or I got it through the author?

You probably should note that in your review. You can use words like, “I was given this book by the publisher and was not limited in what I could say in a review.”

Where to write reviews

Bookseller sites, Goodreads, your own blog.

Just write one for the sake of the writers, please.

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August 8, 2019 at 12:03 pm

Dear reader, please review my book, and please, please make it good, for the writing of it really took a lot, and I need to buy some food. Prithee tell them of your inspiration, how I made life’s questions crystal clear, ’cause, man, I’ve got some dehydration; last weekend I ran out of beer. Amazon’s been chary of real high ratings so give it maybe just four stars to avoid the stain of fake-gilt-plating; more sales, for me, means more cigars. Don’t say I’m greedy, that’s not true; I mean, the book’s called “It’s All For YOU!”

August 8, 2019 at 2:03 pm

You could be John Lennon!

August 8, 2019 at 2:05 pm

Imagine I’m a Beatle… it’s easy if you try. I’ll get rich on retail… from all the books they buy…

August 9, 2019 at 8:06 am

Great post, Michelle. Reviews are so important. And I try to write them for a good portion of the books I read, even if they are just quick reviews. When I influence for a book, I try to spend more time on what I write, but for that reason, I don’t influence for a lot of people. I always find it interesting to read what others write about books I’ve read. 😉

I tend not to leave a review for a book if I can’t give it at least 3 stars, in part because I know how long it takes to write a book. I don’t want to hinder sales or be a discouragement to the person, if that makes sense. Maybe I’m off in my thinking, but that’s how I usually roll with reviews. 🙂

I liked the questions and suggestions you shared to use for writing a review. They’re helpful!

August 9, 2019 at 12:28 pm

Hi Michelle, –This is a tough one. I don’t mind writing reviews, but I’m so afraid of writing one for a book I didn’t particularly like, thinking what if I got one of these? Also, I think about the low number of reviews for independently published books that I’ve been involved with as a co-author, (though mostly good, they’re still few in number) and could affect the acceptance of my work by an agent who sees them…and other “what ifs”. Thank you for this–a lot to consider.

August 9, 2019 at 3:44 pm

I actually look to see why I had such a negative reaction to a book— was I the only one?

Generally, no.

Therefore, I feel it is okay to write a negative review— particularly if I can articulate why the book troubled me.

I don’t know that publishing houses look at reviews— as far as I know agents at B&S don’t.

But if I’m paying good money for a book, I’d like to know what others found objectionable so I don’t waste my money or time on the book.

I much prefer a nuanced review than once that praises the book but fails to mention problems with scenes, logic, errors in grammar or assaults on beliefs.

That enables me to make an informed decision about the book.

Just write the review— the number of reviews benefits the author more than a poor one.

August 9, 2019 at 1:55 pm

Great reminder why book reviews matter. Thanks! Now to get on the writing if them. ?

August 13, 2019 at 9:50 pm

I usually do a review of books I read ~ on Amazon or Goodreads, if not on my blog. Why? Because I’m picky about what I read so am grateful to the author for their effort and usually eager to encourage others to read it. Writing a review is a small thing we can do to say “thanks” and to influence the powers that be to publish more like it. 🙂 Hope you’re in the process of writing another, Michelle.

August 16, 2019 at 10:26 am

Of course! LOL

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Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

Find out here, once and for all. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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Organizing Research for Arts and Humanities Papers and Theses

• General Guide Information
• Developing a Topic
• What are Primary and Secondary Sources
• What are Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Sources
• Writing an Abstract
• Writing Academic Book Reviews
• Writing A Literature Review
• Using Images and other Media

Purpose of a Book Review

Note: This information is geared toward researchers in the arts and humanities. For a detailed guide on writing book reviews in the social sciences, please check the USC Libraries guide to  Writing and Organizing Research in the Social Sciences , authored by Dr. Robert Labaree.

When writing an academic book review, start with a bibliographic citation of the book you are reviewing [e.g., author, title, publication information, length]. Adhere to a particular citation style, such as Chicago, MLA, or APA.  Put your name at the very end of the book review text.

The basic purpose of a book review is to convey and evaluate the following:

a.     what the book is about;

b.     the expertise of the author(s);

c.     how well the book covers its topic(s) and whether it breaks new ground;

d.     the author’s viewpoint, methodology, or perspective;

e.     the appropriateness of the evidence to the topical scope of the book;

f.      the intended audience;

g.     the arrangement of the book (chapters, illustrations) and the quality of the scholarly apparatus, such as notes and bibliographies.

Point "c. how well the book covers its topics and whether it breaks new ground" requires your engagement with the book, and can be approached in a variety of ways. The question of whether the book breaks new ground does not necessarily refer to some radical or overarching notion of originality in the author’s argument. A lot of contemporary scholarship in the arts or humanities is not about completely reorienting the discipline, nor is it usually about arguing a thesis that has never been argued before. If an author does that, that's wonderful, and you, as a book reviewer, must look at the validity of the methods that contextualize the author's new argument.

It is more likely that the author of a scholarly book will look at the existing evidence with a finer eye for detail, and use that detail to amplify and add to existing scholarship. The author may present new evidence or a new "reading" of the existing evidence, in order to refine scholarship and to contribute to current debate. Or the author may approach existing scholarship, events, and prevailing ideas from a more nuanced perspective, thus re-framing the debate within the discipline.

The task of the book reviewer is to “tease out” the book’s themes, explain them in the review, and apply a well-argued judgment on the appropriateness of the book’s argument(s) to the existing scholarship in the field.

For example, you are reviewing a book on the history of the development of public libraries in nineteenth century America. The book includes a chapter on the role of patronage by affluent women in endowing public libraries in the mid-to-late-1800s. In this chapter, the author argues that the role of women was overlooked in previous scholarship because most of them were widows who made their financial bequests to libraries in the names of their husbands. The author argues that the history of public library patronage, and moreover, of cultural patronage, should be re-read and possibly re-framed given the evidence presented in this chapter. As a book reviewer you will be expected to evaluate this argument and the underlying scholarship.

There are two common types of academic book reviews: short summary reviews, which are descriptive, and essay-length critical reviews. Both types are described further down.

[Parenthetically, writing an academic/scholarly book review may present an opportunity to get published.]

Short summary book reviews

For a short, descriptive review, include at least the following elements:

a.     the bibliographic citation for the book;

b.     the purpose of the book;

c.     a summary of main theme(s) or key points;

d.     if there is space, a brief description of the book’s relationship to other books on the same topic or to pertinent scholarship in the field.

e.     note the author's affiliation and authority, as well as the physical content of the book, such as visual materials (photographs, illustrations, graphs) and the presence of scholarly apparatus (table of contents, index, bibliography, footnotes, endnotes, credit for visual materials);

f.     your name and affiliation.

Critical or essay-length book reviews

For a critical, essay-length book review consider including the following elements, depending on their relevance to your assignment:

b.     an opening statement that ought to peak the reader’s interest in the book under review

c.     a section that points to the author’s main intentions;

d.     a section that discusses the author’s ideas and the book’s thesis within a scholarly perspective. This should be a critical assessment of the book within the larger scholarly discourse;

e.     if you found errors in the book, point the major ones and explain their significance. Explain whether they detract from the thesis and the arguments made in the book;

f.     state the book's place within a strand of scholarship and summarize its importance to the discipline;

g.    include information about the author's affiliation and authority, as well as the physical content of the book, such as visual materials (photographs, illustrations, graphs) and the presence of scholarly apparatus (table of contents, index, bibliography, footnotes, endnotes, credit for visual materials);

h.     indicate the intended readership of the book and whether the author succeeds in engaging the audience on the appropriate level;

i.     your name and affiliation.

Good examples of essay-length reviews may be found in the scholarly journals included in the JSTOR collection, in the New York Review of Books , and similar types of publications, and in cultural publications like the New Yorker magazine.

Remember to keep track of your sources, regardless of the stage of your research. The USC Libraries have an excellent guide to  citation styles  and to  citation management software . 

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13 Common Mistakes in Book Reviewing and How to Avoid Them

Jay a. fernandez is looking to write some wrongs.

It’s easy to see why writing criticism attracts so many authors, aspiring or established, and other students of literature: it offers the opportunity to highlight a love of books while showing off one’s own chops as a writer and thinker. Insightful commentary on the world’s literary life entered the public discourse 2,500 years ago, and it plays a vibrant, vital role in the health of the arts and society today. It’s an admirable, aspirational pursuit that attaches the reviewer to a tradition that trails all the way back to Aristotle.

I love language and admire anyone who takes a run at mastering the linguistic arts. It is a challenging, surprising, rewarding endeavor worthy of its conundrums. Literature may be endlessly elastic, but book criticism has best practices and parameters that are no less potent for being unwritten. It’s a form that can be learned, a skill that can be improved and refined. As a writer and editor for more than 20 years, I’ve noted some prevalent tics that blight otherwise fine critical writing even as they guarantee me a living doing something I love.

It should be noted that my familiarity with these blunders begins with my own early commitment to abusing them. My first real job was as editorial assistant for The Washington Post ’s book reviews section, Book World . This was during the mid-to-late-90s, and I had the great benefit of listening in daily on the literary debates of a brilliant group of book nerds anchored by two critic-editors who had won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism—Jonathan Yardley (1981, while he was at The Washington Star ) and Michael Dirda (1993), both authors themselves. These men and women assigned reviews to the biggest names in literature but were never afraid to suggest necessary changes to improve a piece. They were generous enough to let me try my hand at the craft and steered my early critical work accordingly.

These days, the Internet’s take-all-comers policy has fostered an epidemic of syntactical terrorism. There are too few editorial gatekeepers, and it appears that many smart MFA graduates are absorbing the theory but not the mechanics. It’s also the case that the sheer volume of copy the Internet allows makes it nearly impossible for most editors, even really good ones, to find the time to beat up copy properly and provide comprehensive feedback. This is a shame, because the publication’s reputation suffers when lower-quality writing makes the page, and potentially great critics end up collecting middling clips because their loose writing hasn’t had to absorb the years of sculpting the old system would have insisted upon.

We all wedged ourselves into the racket because we care about language and have swooned at lovely turns of phrase our whole lives. Which means we’re on the same page in wanting the writing—whoever’s it is—to sing. Of course, reading the work of the great critics, from Harold Bloom, Martin Amis, and John Updike to Michiko Kakutani, Doris Lessing, and Susan Sontag, would help immeasurably. But here I offer my own guidelines for steering clear of the most common flaws (we’ll save the rampant grammatical breaches for another essay).

I. Grandiose claims

Beginning a review with a hyperbolic sentiment—I’ve seen openings like, “Author X is a writer who does nothing less than tear through the fabric of time to solve the great mysteries of life”—may sound good, but what does it actually mean? Additionally, it’s grandiose in such a way as to provoke the reader to think of a very short list of authors for whom you could possibly make that claim, a list that does not include Author X, who’s just published his second novel. So before the first sentence or paragraph is over, the reader is already suspicious of your judgment. Bring those extravagant claims down and make sure they are clear and defensible.

Another aspect of this is breadth of knowledge. If you’re going to declare something the best of the year or brilliant beyond imagining, you better have read every other novel released this year and have a record that proves you’re one of the most well-read critics on earth. Humility and restraint work to your advantage. The opposite makes you look foolish.

II. Lack of clarity

Many writers, myself included, are sometimes guilty of linguistic flights of fancy that are sonically and syllabically fabulous but in fact mean nothing whatsoever. To be charitable, the impulse is usually to entertain the reader with surprising, lovely use of language, and for that: bravo . To be less charitable, it’s a nonconsensual, ego-driven effort to force the reader to watch you masturbate your words all over the place. In which case, work on those boundaries!

These lingering word-tangles too often obscure meaning and trap the reader into scanning a sentence seven times just to discern the point you may be trying to make. To assess your luscious handiwork impartially after the initial inspiring flow requires a committed stance against balderdash and blarney. A key red flag is when you feel some part of your brain refusing to take a hard look at that sentence or phrase for fear that you may have to change it. In those cases, reverse-engineer it: rewrite your idea in straightforward third-grade prose and then dress it up a bit from there.

III. Repetitiveness and redundancy

This typically stems from your impulse to make sure the reader cannot possibly miss the incredibly insightful point you’re making. Unfortunately, what the repetition actually signals is your insecurity about the argument, thus undercutting the reader’s confidence in you. From a reader’s perspective, it’s also frustratingly like being forced to tread water in the middle of a nice, fluid swim.

A paragraph that circulates the same idea through several iterations has the stench of a college paper stretching to reach a minimum-page limit. On the plus side, most times you simply don’t realize that you said it perfectly well the first time. Cut the rest and use the valuable real estate for other things. The other possibility is that you’re not quite sure what your point is and have decided to throw a few random jabs rather than work hard to land one solid punch. It’s worth taking an eight count to give it another try.

IV. Casual narcissism

There’s a curious paradox at play with this one, and I see it all the time. Yes, you’re the one reviewing the book. Congratulations! But, for goodness sake, you don’t need to call attention to it.

Put plainly: get yourself out of the piece . For one thing, unless you’re Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Michael Chabon you don’t have a status in the lit world that merits a reader’s interest in your broader personal views. So your “I” statements are mostly self-aggrandizing and distracting. Keep the focus on the work at hand. I mean, you’re a writer, so imagine the situation reversed: You’ve spent a year, maybe three, sweating this novel, and a random MFA student spends half his 1,500-word review talking about my this and I that. It’s unseemly, misguided, and, I dare say, disrespectful.

Here’s the other thing: it’s completely unnecessary. Your name is on the piece , usually right at the top! So it follows that every statement is an opinion of yours. Trust me, more authority is communicated through a confident omnipotent voice than through narrow personal asides that the reader has no reason to consider. This is a book review, so remember: your mission is to be of service to readers first and the author second. It’s not a billboard for your personal blatherings, which is a sure sign of amateurism. If it reads as if it’s been written for a blog, then it belongs on a blog.

V. Over-explication of plot

This may be an effort to dodge a lack of confidence in your critical capacities, or it could be a misapprehension of the critic’s mission, but writing a review that is entirely plot description is like describing the precise dimensions of a pool to someone without ever allowing him to jump in the water. It’s both too much and too little at the same time. Your job is not to give a full plot summary of the book. It’s only to set the major plot strands in motion so the reader has enough information to know whether the book is a good fit for her tastes (and thus worth spending time and money on). Think of it like flirtation: you just want to go far enough for the reader to know whether she wants to take the book home.

The other thing to recognize is that these reviews are criticism . Which means that if you’ve spent the whole review on plot then you haven’t assessed the work’s themes, characters, narrative mysteries, dialogue, structure, language, originality, relevance to humanity at large, cultural context, quality as a piece of art, etc. And if that’s the case, why does the reader need you?

Here’s a good, broad rule of thumb: never describe concretely anything in the plot past the midway point in the book. On the other hand, I also see smart writers dive right into the critical deep end and never actually give a cogent description of the book’s plot. Don’t do this, either.

VI. Excessive length

This is a matter of taste, of course, and it’s eminently elastic, especially in the digital age, since you don’t have to write to those pesky page layouts and ad borders print publications have to contend with. But therein lies the problem. Just because you can write a 3,200-word book review doesn’t mean you should. You’ve got to earn that kind of attention, and it’s rare that a reviewer, or the material, merits it.

I’m old enough to have worked when the printed page design meant limits (limits!) on how long articles could run. I contend that this was not just a function of physical space. It was a reflection of value. And ideally the reader trusts both the publication and the writer to make those value judgments for them. It’s hard to see any reason that this should be different for the web.

In fact, the opposite case could easily be made. Readers today have infinite options for reading material throughout the day. You’re asking too much when you present them with thousands of words on one book—unless it’s an A-list writer’s new release or a reassessment of a major classic made newly relevant. And anyway, limits more often than not challenge a writer to be sharper and minimize indulgence in the kinds of bad habits listed here. I think back to my Book World days, and if David Remnick and Margaret Atwood can get it done in 1,000 words then you probably can, too.

VII. Nonsensical arguments

This is not the same thing as lack of clarity, though they can overlap. One involves employing unnecessarily florid language and galloping sentence construction to obscure a perfectly good point, while the other was never a worthy point to begin with. A good way to catch yourself up on these is to have a second reader play devil’s advocate on your prose. Kind of like with debate prep, you want your piece to have answered preemptively any potential questions and challenges from a reader.

There’s a laziness to how many of us create what we think is a clever riff but neglect, or refuse, to vet its logic for fear that we’ll have to drop the killer simile or snarky aside. Our instincts are usually right: the line is a stinker. It takes humility to give your opinions the stress test, but your writing will inevitably improve as a result. Besides, any good editor will call you on it and you’ll have to fix them anyway.

VIII. Self-flattering literary references

This is a particular crutch of younger and newer writers, and it usually stems from an impulse to compensate for insecurity about why you’ve even been allowed to write this review (or, god forbid, it’s because you honestly believe you’re hot stuff in the lit world). I get it, you want to justify being in a position of judgment by establishing your literary bona fides and use the highfalutin reference as a tool to leverage your legitimacy. The thing is, you can spot these a mile away and it typically has the opposite effect.

So I would suggest that you avoid throwing in those references to Heraclitus and Anna Akhmatova unless you’re sure they’re organic. Often they have only the most tenuous relevance to the point at hand. Their only purpose is to show the reader that you are a reviewer with a breadth of knowledge at which the rest of us can only gape in wonder. What they actually show is that you can do a Quotables search for mentions of willow trees (hello, Ophelia!).

IX. Limiting assumptions

Increased diversity and more equitable representation in the lit world are unquestionably positive developments. But even if, for instance, a woman has written the novel, and it’s about women’s issues, and you are in fact a woman (or woman-identified), do not address your review as if no man will ever read the book, or the review. And, obviously, vice versa. The same goes for queer lit.

Most general-interest journals are read by all kinds of people. And I’m sure the book’s author would prefer that you keep the potential readership as broad as possible. Again, let your deft description of plot and sharp analysis of the strengths and flaws of the writer’s work lead the reader to decide for themselves whether the book is going on the Buy Now list.

X. Structural seizures

Creating a pleasing, energizing flow for a piece of writing is a fine art, and book criticism has its own natural patterns. Bookending your piece anecdotally and thematically, with a kicker that cleverly calls back to your opening, is wise and satisfying, while frontloading plot exposition and reserving the back half mainly for critical analysis is a good, blunt structure.

By all means be creative, but the key is for the plot concerns to merge and re-merge with the critical concerns in a way that propels them all forward equally and efficiently in a single, coherent current. A review that has random blocks of plot description dumped here and there, out of order, requires the reader to do too much work sussing out what’s happening. And a review that frontloads a mass of critical analysis leaves the reader lost without a narrative context and characters to apply it to.

XI. Inconsistent pronouns

In making reference to the potential reader of the novel (and reader of the review), too often the reviewer uses a mix of pronouns that is disorienting. If you’re sometimes referencing “you” and sometimes “we” and other times “one” and somewhere else “reader” or “readers,” it’s sloppy and confusing. And then there’s the dreaded “I,” which we talked about earlier. The reader is forced to stop and ask, Who are you talking to again? Is “you” you or me? Why am I included in this “we?”

My thinking is, avoid using second person, and given Point 4 (Narcissism) I again strongly encourage you to keep your “I”s out of it unless you’re Joyce Carol Oates or Michelle Obama. Whenever possible, construct your review using “the reader” or “readers,” or, if you must, “we.” But the bottom line is, be consistent.

XII. Lack of criticism

For all this talk of book criticism, I’ve noticed an alarming lack of actual criticism going on. Too often reviews read like a breathless encomium for the back of a friend’s zine.

First of all, unmitigated praise is logically absurd. Every work of writing has its weaknesses, especially once personal tastes are factored in. It is your job to point to them, in a clear-eyed but tactful (and tactical) fashion that measures the work against reasonable standards for literature and/or its genre. If the prospect of hurting an author’s feelings causes you to hesitate, that’s a good sign that you’re likely to be respectful. If you aren’t willing to run that risk at all, you oughtn’t be reviewing books.

Second, you probably haven’t read 20,000 books, and the small percentage you have read includes maybe a handful of masterpieces. So I would be cautious about describing an obscure first- or second-time novelist’s work in lavish terms better reserved for writers with names such as Dickens and Wharton.

Third, how does it help your reader to gush all over a book with no larger context about how it compares to other works of this type, with no comment on stylistic mannerisms, dialogue, language, pacing, structure, setting, characterization, narrative coherence, or emotional authenticity? Let me put it this way: if you’re fawning I’m yawning.

The corollary to this is that a reflexively malicious pan fueled by creative envy is cruel and disingenuous. Don’t snark all over the place just because you’re in a position to. If the work you’ve been handed is truly that awful you’ll know in the first 50 pages, in which case politely decline the assignment and ask for another.

XIII. Conflict of interest

My bullshit detector goes off periodically when I note biographical, educational, or publication details in a reviewer’s history that show curious crossover with the author whose work he or she is ostensibly critiquing. When the review is a torrent of glowing praise it’s even more suspicious.

This is an easy one. Do not review anything by anyone you know or have had more than glancing contact with in your professional or personal life. The reason for this should be obvious. Otherwise authors may as well get their mothers to write the reviews. This goes for grudges, too. That kind of vengeful ambush is cheap and damages the publication that gave it a forum as much as it does the author and reviewer.

Clearly, social media and the overflowing world of MFA programs, retreats, and workshops allow writers to connect with their fellow strivers more than ever before. This is a wonderful thing, since too many of us are self-doubting isolationists who fear we only have friends for purposes of inspiring strange characters in our fiction. But it also engenders some corrupt quid pro quo masquerading as community support.

So if on the rare occasion that you alert your editor to a pre-existing relationship and you are still tasked with writing the review, then pull the Full Disclosure cord early in the piece. Your reader deserves to know if you have a dog in the fight—and if that dog has been neutered.

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Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

• Will Douglas Heaven archive page

Two years ago, Yuri Burda and Harri Edwards, researchers at the San Francisco–based firm OpenAI, were trying to find out what it would take to get a language model to do basic arithmetic. They wanted to know how many examples of adding up two numbers the model needed to see before it was able to add up any two numbers they gave it. At first, things didn’t go too well. The models memorized the sums they saw but failed to solve new ones.

By accident, Burda and Edwards left some of their experiments running far longer than they meant to—days rather than hours. The models were shown the example sums over and over again, way past the point when the researchers would otherwise have called it quits. But when the pair at last came back, they were surprised to find that the experiments had worked. They’d trained a language model to add two numbers—it had just taken a lot more time than anybody thought it should.

Curious about what was going on, Burda and Edwards teamed up with colleagues to study the phenomenon. They found that in certain cases, models could seemingly fail to learn a task and then all of a sudden just get it, as if a lightbulb had switched on. This wasn’t how deep learning was supposed to work. They called the behavior grokking .

“It’s really interesting,” says Hattie Zhou, an AI researcher at the University of Montreal and Apple Machine Learning Research, who wasn’t involved in the work. “Can we ever be confident that models have stopped learning? Because maybe we just haven’t trained for long enough.”

The weird behavior has captured the imagination of the wider research community . “Lots of people have opinions,” says Lauro Langosco at the University of Cambridge, UK. “But I don’t think there’s a consensus about what exactly is going on.”

Grokking is just one of several odd phenomena that have AI researchers scratching their heads. The largest models, and large language models in particular, seem to behave in ways textbook math says they shouldn’t. This highlights a remarkable fact about deep learning, the fundamental technology behind today’s AI boom: for all its runaway success, nobody knows exactly how—or why—it works.

“Obviously, we’re not completely ignorant,” says Mikhail Belkin, a computer scientist at the University of California, San Diego. “But our theoretical analysis is so far off what these models can do. Like, why can they learn language? I think this is very mysterious.”

The biggest models are now so complex that researchers are studying them as if they were strange natural phenomena, carrying out experiments and trying to explain the results. Many of those observations fly in the face of classical statistics, which had provided our best set of explanations for how predictive models behave.

So what, you might say. In the last few weeks, Google DeepMind has rolled out its generative models across most of its consumer apps . OpenAI wowed people with Sora , its stunning new text-to-video model. And businesses around the world are scrambling to co-opt AI for their needs. The tech works—isn’t that enough?

But figuring out why deep learning works so well isn’t just an intriguing scientific puzzle. It could also be key to unlocking the next generation of the technology—as well as getting a handle on its formidable risks .

“These are exciting times,” says Boaz Barak, a computer scientist at Harvard University who is on secondment to OpenAI’s superalignment team for a year. “Many people in the field often compare it to physics at the beginning of the 20th century. We have a lot of experimental results that we don’t completely understand, and often when you do an experiment it surprises you.”

Old code, new tricks

Most of the surprises concern the way models can learn to do things that they have not been shown how to do. Known as generalization, this is one of the most fundamental ideas in machine learning—and its greatest puzzle. Models learn to do a task—spot faces, translate sentences, avoid pedestrians—by training with a specific set of examples. Yet they can generalize, learning to do that task with examples they have not seen before. Somehow, models do not just memorize patterns they have seen but come up with rules that let them apply those patterns to new cases. And sometimes, as with grokking, generalization happens when we don’t expect it to. 

Large language models in particular, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google DeepMind’s Gemini, have an astonishing ability to generalize. “The magic is not that the model can learn math problems in English and then generalize to new math problems in English,” says Barak, “but that the model can learn math problems in English, then see some French literature, and from that generalize to solving math problems in French. That’s something beyond what statistics can tell you about.”

When Zhou started studying AI a few years ago, she was struck by the way her teachers focused on the how but not the why. “It was like, here is how you train these models and then here’s the result,” she says. “But it wasn’t clear why this process leads to models that are capable of doing these amazing things.” She wanted to know more, but she was told there weren’t good answers: “My assumption was that scientists know what they’re doing. Like, they’d get the theories and then they’d build the models. That wasn’t the case at all.”

The rapid advances in deep learning over the last 10-plus years came more from trial and error than from understanding. Researchers copied what worked for others and tacked on innovations of their own. There are now many different ingredients that can be added to models and a growing cookbook filled with recipes for using them. “People try this thing, that thing, all these tricks,” says Belkin. “Some are important. Some are probably not.”

“It works, which is amazing. Our minds are blown by how powerful these things are,” he says. And yet for all their success, the recipes are more alchemy than chemistry: “We figured out certain incantations at midnight after mixing up some ingredients,” he says.

Overfitting

The problem is that AI in the era of large language models appears to defy textbook statistics. The most powerful models today are vast, with up to a trillion parameters (the values in a model that get adjusted during training). But statistics says that as models get bigger, they should first improve in performance but then get worse. This is because of something called overfitting.

When a model gets trained on a data set, it tries to fit that data to a pattern. Picture a bunch of data points plotted on a chart. A pattern that fits the data can be represented on that chart as a line running through the points. The process of training a model can be thought of as getting it to find a line that fits the training data (the dots already on the chart) but also fits new data (new dots).

A straight line is one pattern, but it probably won’t be too accurate, missing some of the dots. A wiggly line that connects every dot will get full marks on the training data, but won’t generalize. When that happens, a model is said to overfit its data.

According to classical statistics, the bigger a model gets, the more prone it is to overfitting. That’s because with more parameters to play with, it’s easier for a model to hit on wiggly lines that connect every dot. This suggests there’s a sweet spot between under- and overfitting that a model must find if it is to generalize. And yet that’s not what we see with big models. The best-known example of this is a phenomenon known as double descent. 

The performance of a model is often represented in terms of the number of errors it makes: as performance goes up, error rate goes down (or descends). For decades, it was believed that error rate went down and then up as models got bigger: picture a U-shaped curve with the sweet spot for generalization at the lowest point. But in 2018, Belkin and his colleagues found that when certain models got bigger, their error rate went down, then up—and then down again  (a double descent, or W-shaped curve). In other words, large models would somehow overrun that sweet spot and push through the overfitting problem, getting even better as they got bigger.

A year later, Barak coauthored a paper showing that the double-descent phenomenon was more common than many thought. It happens not just when models get bigger but also in models with large amounts of training data or models that are trained for longer. This behavior, dubbed benign overfitting, is still not fully understood. It raises basic questions about how models should be trained to get the most out of them. 

Researchers have sketched out versions of what they think is going on. Belkin believes there’s a kind of Occam’s razor effect in play: the simplest pattern that fits the data—the smoothest curve between the dots—is often the one that generalizes best. The reason bigger models keep improving longer than it seems they should could be that bigger models are more likely to hit upon that just-so curve than smaller ones: more parameters means more possible curves to try out after ditching the wiggliest. 

“Our theory seemed to explain the basics of why it worked,” says Belkin. “And then people made models that could speak 100 languages and it was like, okay, we understand nothing at all.” He laughs: “It turned out we weren’t even scratching the surface.”

For Belkin, large language models are a whole new mystery. These models are based on transformers, a type of neural network that is good at processing sequences of data, like words in sentences.

There’s a lot of complexity inside transformers, says Belkin. But he thinks at heart they do more or less the same thing as a much better understood statistical construct called a Markov chain, which predicts the next item in a sequence based on what’s come before. But that isn’t enough to explain everything that large language models can do. “This is something that, until recently, we thought should not work,” says Belkin. “That means that something was fundamentally missing. It identifies a gap in our understanding of the world.”

Belkin goes further. He thinks there could be a hidden mathematical pattern in language that large language models somehow come to exploit: “Pure speculation but why not?”

“The fact that these things model language is probably one of the biggest discoveries in history,” he says. “That you can learn language by just predicting the next word with a Markov chain—that’s just shocking to me.”

Start small

Researchers are trying to figure it out piece by piece. Because large models are too complex to study themselves, Belkin, Barak, Zhou, and others experiment instead on smaller (and older) varieties of statistical model that are better understood. Training these proxies under different conditions and on various kinds of data and observing what happens can give insight into what’s going on. This helps get new theories off the ground, but it is not always clear if those theories will hold for larger models too. After all, it is in the complexity of large models that many of the weird behaviors reside.     

Is a theory of deep learning coming? Daniel Hsu, a computer scientist at Columbia University who was one of Belkin’s coauthors on the double-descent paper, doesn’t expect all the answers anytime soon. “We have better intuition now,” he says. “But really explaining everything about why neural networks have this kind of unexpected behavior? We’re still far from doing that.”

In 2016, Chiyuan Zhang at MIT and colleagues at Google Brain published an influential paper titled “Understanding Deep Learning Requires Rethinking Generalization.” In 2021, five years later, they republished the paper, calling it “Understanding Deep Learning (Still) Requires Rethinking Generalization.” What about in 2024? “Kind of yes and no,” says Zhang. “There has been a lot of progress lately, though probably many more questions arise than get resolved.”

Meanwhile, researchers continue to wrestle even with the basic observations. In December, Langosco and his colleagues presented a paper at NeurIPS, a top AI conference, in which they claimed that grokking and double descent are in fact aspects of the same phenomenon. “You eyeball them and they look kind of similar,” says Langosco. He believes that an explanation of what’s going on should account for both.

At the same conference, Alicia Curth, who studies statistics at the University of Cambridge, and her colleagues argued that double descent is in fact an illusion. “It didn’t sit very well with me that modern machine learning is some kind of magic that defies all the laws that we’ve established so far,” says Curth. Her team argued that the double-descent phenomenon—where models appear to perform better, then worse, and then better again as they get bigger—arises because of the way the complexity of the models was measured. 

Belkin and his colleagues used model size—the number of parameters—as a measure of complexity. But Curth and her colleagues found that the number of parameters might not be a good stand-in for complexity because adding parameters sometimes makes a model more complex and sometimes makes it less so. It depends what the values are, how they get used during training, and how they interact with others—much of which stays hidden inside the model. “Our takeaway was that not all model parameters are created equal,” says Curth. 

In short, if you use a different measure for complexity, large models might conform to classical statistics just fine. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot we don’t understand about what happens when models get bigger, says Curth. But we already have all the math we need to explain it. 

A great mystery of our time

It's true that such debates can get into the weeds. Why does it matter whether AI models are underpinned by classical statistics or not? 

One answer is that better theoretical understanding would help build even better AI or make it more efficient. At the moment, progress has been fast but unpredictable. Many things that OpenAI’s GPT-4 can do came as a surprise even to the people who made it. Researchers are still arguing over what it can and cannot achieve. “Without some sort of fundamental theory, it’s very hard to have any idea what we can expect from these things,” says Belkin.

Barak agrees. “Even once we have the models, it is not straightforward even in hindsight to say exactly why certain capabilities emerged when they did,” he says.

This isn’t only about managing progress—it’s about anticipating risk, too. Many of the researchers working on the theory behind deep learning are motivated by safety concerns for future models. “We don’t know what capabilities GPT-5 will have until we train it and test it,” says Langosco. “It might be a medium-size problem right now, but it will become a really big problem in the future as models become more powerful.”

Barak works on OpenAI’s superalignment team, which was set up by the firm’s chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, to figure out how to stop a hypothetical superintelligence from going rogue . “I’m very interested in getting guarantees,” he says. “If you can do amazing things but you can’t really control it, then it’s not so amazing. What good is a car that can drive 300 miles per hour if it has a shaky steering wheel?”

But beneath all that there’s also a grand scientific challenge. “Intelligence is definitely up there as one of the great mysteries of our time,” says Barak.

Artificial intelligence

Openai teases an amazing new generative video model called sora.

The firm is sharing Sora with a small group of safety testers but the rest of us will have to wait to learn more.

Google’s Gemini is now in everything. Here’s how you can try it out.

Gmail, Docs, and more will now come with Gemini baked in. But Europeans will have to wait before they can download the app.

Providing the right products at the right time with machine learning

Amid shifting customer needs, CPG enterprises look to machine learning to bolster their data strategy, says global head of MLOps and platforms at Kraft Heinz Company, Jorge Balestra.

• MIT Technology Review Insights archive page

Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch

Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.

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Threats, debt and Trump's advances: 'Stormy' doc examines the life of Stormy Daniels

Juliana Kim

Stormy Daniels from the Peacock documentary Stormy. NBCU hide caption

Stormy Daniels from the Peacock documentary Stormy.

The new documentary Stormy begins in 2023 — around the time former President Donald Trump was indicted over hush-money payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Stormy Daniels, who was paid by Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen to keep quiet about their alleged previous affair, watches the news unfold on TV and then says, "Let's go," before she walks off screen.

Stormy Daniels says she's not yet 'vindicated' by Trump's indictment

Stormy chronicles Daniels' life from her childhood in Baton Rouge, La., to her rise as an adult film actor and then, in the opinion of some, a feminist hero. It also gives viewers a glimpse into how she went from friend to foe of a celebrity businessman who became president of the United States.

"I am here today to tell my story and even if I just change a few people's minds, it's fine. If not, at least my daughter can look back on this and know the truth," she said in the film.

Trump's criminal trial over the hush-money payments has been delayed until mid-April. He faces 34 felony counts, alleging he falsified New York business records to conceal damaging information before the 2016 presidential election. Trump denies the allegations that he had an affair with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

On Monday, a judge rejected Trump's bid to block Cohen and Daniels — whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford — from testifying. The trial date will be set at a hearing on March 25.

The film, released Monday on Peacock, mainly captures Daniels' life between 2018 and 2023. Here are the main takeaways from the documentary:

1. Daniels explains why she didn't say no to Trump's advances back in 2006

Daniels alleged that she was abused by a neighbor in Louisiana when she was 9 years old. She did not go into further detail except to say that the man, whom she did not name, had abused other young girls and has since died.

Manhattan prosecutors open to a 30-day delay in Trump's criminal trial

Later in the film, as Daniels explained why she did not refuse Trump's advances when the two met in 2006, she said, "I didn't say no because I just, I was 9 years old again." At the time, Daniels was in her 20s and Trump was 60.

Though she described the alleged affair as consensual, Daniels said she did not want to have sex with Trump.

"To this day, I blame myself and I have not forgiven myself because I didn't shut his a** down in that moment, so maybe make him pause before he tried it with someone else," she said. "The hardest part about all of this is I feel like I am partially responsible for every woman that could have come after me."

2. Threats against Daniels have become more disturbing

Throughout the film, Daniels is forced to navigate insults and threats hurled at her and her family.

But she described herself as having thick skin. In one scene from 2018, Daniels joked that she was disappointed she could not find any hate comments on Twitter after she had received a key to West Hollywood from the city's mayor.

Fast forward to this past year, after Trump's indictment, Daniels said the hate comments had become more intense and disturbing.

Trump Admits To Authorizing Stormy Daniels Payoff, Denies Sexual Encounter

"Back in 2018, there was stuff like 'liar, s***, gold digger,' " she said. "This time around, it is very different. It is direct threats. It is 'I'm going to come to your house and slit your throat.' "

Daniels added that she did not feel protected by the justice system, and accused it of ignoring her concerns about her safety.

3. Daniels says her 'soul is so tired' but she is willing to testify against Trump

Amid the six-year conflict with Trump, Daniels' marriage ended, her relationship with her daughter became strained, and she felt her safety was constantly jeopardized.

But with Trump about to go on trial, Daniels said she's willing to testify in court against the former president.

"I'm more prepared with my legal knowledge but I'm also tired. Like, my soul is so tired," she said. "I won't give up because I'm telling the truth. And I kind of don't even know if it matters anymore."

4. Daniels owes Trump over $600,000 in attorney fees

Near the end of the documentary, it's clear that Daniels also suffered financially as a result of her years-long legal battle against Trump.

In 2018, Daniels sued Trump for defamation. The suit was based on a tweet Trump wrote that year, which suggested Daniels had lied about being threatened in 2011 to not speak out about her alleged previous affair with Trump.

A federal judge later dismissed the suit and ordered Daniels to pay the then-president's legal fees.

Stormy Daniels Ordered To Pay Trump $293,000 In Fees In Defamation Lawsuit

Daniels appealed but lost. She now owes Trump over $600,000 in attorney fees. The film asserts that Daniels is afraid she may lose her home.

5. Seth Rogen and Jimmy Kimmel speak on Daniels' behalf

Among the people who appeared in the documentary were actor Seth Rogen and late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel.

Rogen, who worked with Daniels on the 2007 film Knocked Up , recalled talking with her about Trump. At the time, Daniels said she was communicating with Trump about possibly being on his former reality TV show Celebrity Apprentice .

"She didn't realize she would one day be at the center of this giant thing as she was messing around with some game show host," Rogen said. "She's someone who made an enemy of the most powerful guy on the planet and didn't, like, cower."

The Two-Way

Stormy daniels, other stars guest in 'snl' cold open.

Kimmel invited Daniels to his show in 2018, when Daniels' nondisclosure agreement about her previous affair with Trump was still in effect.

Kimmel described Daniels as having a good sense of humor but also afraid of violating her NDA. He nodded to this during their interview, in which he brought out puppets to reenact her interactions with Trump.

"She told the truth and she paid a price for that," Kimmel said in the film. "It's not something that just goes away."

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‘Shogun’ Episode 5 Recap: Communication Breakdown

John Blackthorne and Lady Mariko learn the responsibility that comes with freedom when Buntaro returns.

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By Sean T. Collins

Episode 5: ‘Broken to the Fist’

Sometimes there’s nothing worse than a miracle. On this week’s episode of “Shogun,” Lady Mariko is shocked when her lord husband, Buntaro, emerges unscathed from what seemed like certain death at the hands of Lord Ishido’s soldiers back in Osaka. Though a brave and formidable warrior, he’s also a emotionally and physically abusive husband. To Buntaro, being forced to share a house with a barbarian like John Blackthorne is like living in the monkey house at a zoo. What he would do if he found out about the clandestine dalliance between Blackthorne and Mariko is all too obvious.

Buntaro’s disgust with the Anjin is easy enough to explain. But his contempt for Mariko — on display during a drunken target practice when he laces arrows millimeters past her face —is part and parcel of his contempt for her entire family. In violation of virtually every shibboleth governing the conduct of samurai, her father assassinated a brutal lord for the sake of the realm. Mariko’s entire family was executed for it — by her father, who committed seppuku after being forced to carry out the act. Mariko wished to fight and die to avenge this injustice, but Buntaro has ordered her to live. She does this while offering him no emotional response to his importunities whatsoever.

To Blackthorne, who cannot fully grasp the concept of the eightfold fence , it sounds like a miserable existence — and to be fair to the Anjin, Mariko has given him little reason to believe otherwise. “You’d die to avenge your father,” he says. “You live in anguish to spite your husband. What becomes of you?” Does she not crave the freedom of self that Englishmen like him enjoy? She wouldn’t enjoy that kind of freedom, Mariko retorts, because it’s a prison of its own. “If freedom is all you ever live for,” she says, “you will never be free of yourself.”

By the time they have this bitter conversation, Blackthorne has come to rue intensely what he perceives to be Japan’s absence of freedom. In an attempt to capture the flavors of home, he allows a pheasant to rot outside his house — the better, he says, to prepare it for stew. For a while, the bird’s stench and the flies it attracts are the stuff of comedy, as is Blackthorne’s complete inability to talk to his consort Lady Fuji about it without Mariko around to translate. (His inability to make himself understood absent Mariko’s aid will become important later.)

The miscommunication, however, turns fatal. Seizing the few words he knows, Blackthorne hyperbolically says that anyone who touches the pheasant in defiance of his wishes will die. The servants have no choice but to take his words literally, just as they have no choice but to remove anything that upsets the harmony of the village as much as that stinking bird.

So it falls to Blackthorne’s favorite employee, the old gardener Uejiro (Junichi Tajiri), to dispose of the bird, and then kill himself for disobeying the Hatamoto. Blackthorne is naturally horrified. Had anyone asked him — had anyone been able to ask him, that is, and had he been able to reply — he would have simply said it was no big deal. Instead, Uejiro died for nothing.

But his death turns out to serve a vital purpose for Lord Toranaga’s cause. As the jockeying for power between Toranaga and his son Nagakado, on one side, and Lord Yabushige and his nephew Omi continues, the latter two have been hunting for Toranaga’s spy in their village. That spy, Muraji — who isn’t a humble fisherman at all, but a samurai working a deep cover assignment for Toranaga — uses Uejiro’s death and the chaos of an earthquake to plant incriminating documents in the wreckage of the deceased servant’s home, ending the search.

Blackthorne is distraught when he learns what has happened. You can read in the eyes of the actor Cosmo Jarvis not just Blackthorne’s grief, but his fear — fear that a similar misstep will cause a similar tragedy. The rules may be different for a ship’s pilot leading his crew and a Hatamoto running his household, but responsibility is a commonly held concept.

The best thing about “Shogun” is that the sword of ignorance and understanding cuts both ways. Consider the entire geopolitical situation surrounding the Anjin’s arrival. Despite his canniness, Lord Toranaga had no idea the Portuguese were building a secret army using Japanese Christian soldiers in order to cement their so-called ownership of Japan. Toranaga, too, did not understand the ways of a dangerous foreign culture, and people died for this as well.

More deaths may be on the way. Returning from Toranaga’s captivity, Lady Ochiba no Kata, widow of the daimyo and mother of the Heir, arrives in Osaka and promptly takes command of the squabbling council of regents. With this one confident maneuver, she establishes herself as a more formidable opponent than Lord Ishido. That’s unlucky for Toranaga, Mariko and Blackthorne. But I have a feeling that if you like the look of those “Lord of the Rings”–size armies and encampments, it’s lucky for you.

By now, all Blackthorne wants to do is take his ship and his crew and go home. He feels he’s upheld his end of his deal with Toranaga. But following that punishing conversation with Lady Mariko, she refuses to translate accurately for him anymore, and his pleas go unheeded.

But John Blackthorne has a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. His shipwreck on the shores of Japan placed him in grave danger, but it was also what gave him the chance to alert Lord Toranaga, the closest thing Japan has to a ruler, to the perfidy of his Portuguese allies. He winds up a prisoner, but his imprisonment allows Toranaga to delay, and then escape, his impeachment and execution.

Now, just moments after Mariko sabotages his request to leave, he bears witness to an earthquake and a landslide — the kind of natural disaster that horrified him when Mariko first told him about such occurrences.

The landslide gives Blackthorne the opportunity to spring into action, find Lord Toranaga buried beneath the dirt and help drag the man to safety. The Anjin slaps Toranaga on the back a few times until he coughs up the last of the dirt blocking his airway, and then gives Toranaga the swords gifted to him earlier by Lady Fuji, an act just as impressive to this audience in its way. Once again, by finding himself in a jam, Blackthorne is also perfectly positioned to prove his worth to the man on whom his life depends. He is the luckiest unlucky man on television.

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