A basic book review is made up of 2 parts: a section that introduces the book and provides a brief summary, and a section that discusses/evaluates the book's strengths and weaknesses in your opinion. It is a personal opinion piece, so it should reflect your own voice!
Writing the first paragraph:
Who is your audience? Remember, your audience hasn't necessarily read your book. What could you tell them about the story so that your audience has a basic understanding?
Keep your summary brief. Only choose the most important details.
- Mention the genre of the book.
- Introduce the characters.
- Mention the setting, both time and place.
- Summarize the plot.
- Discuss the basic conflict.
Writing your evaluation of the book:
Choose to discuss two or three main points in this section and give your opinion. Your opinion should be well supported with reasons and examples. You should use concrete examples from the book, such as describing a scene or using a couple of short quotes. Some ideas you may wish to consider discussing could include:
- What themes did the author convey? Were they effectively conveyed? Did you agree with them?
- Did the book appeal to you either emotionally or logically?
- How did this book compare to other books you have read in the same genre, or other books the author has written?
- What was the author’s style like? Did you like the author’s style? Do you like the way the author uses his/her words to tell the story? Describe.
- Does the author do a good job of making you feel like you are there? How?
- Did you enjoy the plot of the story? How could it be improved? What makes it interesting?
- Are the main characters believable? How does the author describe them or make you believe in them?
- Did you like the ending of the story? Why or why not?
Concluding your review:
Design a clever rating system for your book and give your book a rating. Describe who should read this story and whether you recommend it overall!
Where could you publish your review?
