Writing a book review is easy if you have a clear guide to the process. With step-by-step instructions and important tips, you’ll be able to write a non-fiction or fiction book review– even if you’ve never done it before. A book review is not the same as a book report, so you’ll have to draw on your own opinions about the book. Whether you’re a student, a novice blogger, or just someone looking to become a more active user of Goodreads, writing a book review is an important skill to have! Here are some steps for how to write a book review for school and beyond.
Steps to follow while writing a book review
The following steps helps you to write a book review briefly and easily:
Start by Assessing the Book
Before you begin writing, take some time to assess the book. If you made notes while reading, look them over. If not, flip back through the book and review. Don’t start writing yet, but ask yourself some important questions about the text and jot down notes:
- What genre is the book? Is it fiction or nonfiction?
- What do you know about the author?
- What are some of the main themes in the book? Does the author convey them well? Does the book have a thesis or main idea?
- How do the characters and events in the book relate to the theme? If the book is nonfiction, are there supporting details to back up the thesis? What are they?
- Is there a primary conflict in the book? How does this develop over the course of the text?
Write an introduction:
You can start with a short quote or anecdote about the book or any other type of hook to capture the reader’s attention. Then be sure to include essential information like title, author, and kind of book. In the introduction, also cover the thesis statement the author used or the main theme of a work of fiction. Finally, include your own thesis statement.
Write a summary:
Have you ever watched a movie only to realize that all the good bits were already in the trailer? Well, you don’t want the review to do that. What you do want the summary to do is reveal the genre, theme, main conflict, and main characters in the story— without giving away spoilers or revealing how the story ends. A good rule of thumb is not to mention anything that happens beyond the midpoint. Set the stage and give readers a sense of the book without explaining how the central issue is resolved.
Include brief quotes as examples:
Including quotes is always a great idea, because it gives examples for everything that you’re saying! If your review talks about a character being particularly witty, a witty line from the character lets your readers see exactly what kind of witty character you’re dealing with here. But be careful: lengthy quotes can take up big chunks of space and overpower your review. Short quotes will usually get your points across while letting your work shine through.
Lastly, end with a strong conclusion:
Like your introduction, keep your conclusion short and sweet! It should bring up the main points of your review, along with your overall opinion of the book. Just like an essay, a book review needs a strong conclusion. Restate your thesis statement and summarize by touching on the main points. You may include quotes or references here but do not put in any new material.
All the above-mentioned points are all the knowledge you will need to write a strong and effective book review. If you still finding writing a book review difficult then you can easily contact us on our website Genius Writers where our highly trained staff will assist you and will take care of all your queries.