how to write a bad book review

Writing Negative Book Reviews

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How to craft a review when you didn't like the book

Have you ever finished a book and felt dissatisfied? It's really no surprise, because even the most enthusiastic book lovers don't enjoy everything they read.

If you're asked to write a review on a book you didn't like, it's important not to feel guilty or intimidated. Instead, think of book reviews as a way to come to terms with what you've read. You'll find there's still a lot to write about, even if you wouldn't recommend the book to other readers.

There's plenty of advice on how to write book reviews , but there are a few extra points to consider when your opinion of a book is mostly negative. Whether you disliked the plot or disagreed with the thesis, it can be harder to remain objective in your analysis. Here are four tips to keep in mind.

1) Be specific and provide examples

A book review is all about self-expression, so you should be open and honest in your writing. It's important, however, to justify any claims you make with solid evidence. For example, if you thought the characterization was weak, be prepared to explain why. Book reviews can be quite short, but you'll have room to discuss at least a few passages that illustrate your arguments. When you have a negative reaction to a book, it's sometimes hard to articulate your feelings, but it's always important to be precise .

2) Consider the author's perspective

Whether you liked a book or not, book reviews are an excellent way to get inside the author's mind. When crafting your arguments, try to consider the author's motivations for writing the way he or she did. Sometimes, this can help you understand or even appreciate his or her perspective on a deeper level. Even if you come away with a negative impression, at least you'll have some insight into the author's creative process, which can inform or even inspire your own work.

3) Balance weaknesses with strengths (when possible)

In any good review, balance is essential because it lends the reviewer more credibility. Even if you strongly disliked the book, a review should touch on both its strengths and weaknesses. If you feel stumped, try creating a list of the book's pros and cons. For every negative quality, jot down a positive one, even if it's only something small. For example, you may have disliked a book's ending but thought the introduction was imaginative and compelling. Or maybe you enjoyed a section of dialogue, even if you didn't appreciate the overall plot. Balanced book reviews are important because they show you can see both sides of the coin.

4) Don't let emotions get the best of you

Books can affect us on a very deep, emotional level. If you feel disappointed or angry after reading something, it can be difficult to remain levelheaded in your analysis. Before you let emotions get the best of you, consider who might end up reading your review. Although you may feel like spilling all your thoughts out onto the page (or screen), the fact is that not everyone will understand your negativity. Book reviews are naturally critical, but just as in a complaint letter , your arguments should always be polite and tasteful. Most importantly, you should never attack the author—or another reader, for that matter—on a level that's too personal.

In book reviews, your voice goes a long way

Book reviews are important to the literary world, so don't shy away! As a book reviewer, you'll be helping other readers understand and appreciate the written word. You may not always love what you read, but that doesn't mean you can't entertain and inspire through your writing.

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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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How to Politely Write a Negative Book Review

Good afternoon, lovely Arrowheads! If you frequently review books, you more than likely have come across a few reads that you weren’t fond of. Whether you found their plot to be weak, the characterization poor, or what have you, you’re planning on writing a negative review of the work. Now, the devil and the angel are sitting on your shoulders, debating whether you should completely bash the work and point out all its flaws, or take the the polite route and mention why you didn’t like the book and offer constructive criticism for the author. Which should you choose?

(Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece. My intention in posting this is not to offend or judge anyone who may write heated book reviews. I have in the past. This is just an encouragement to reconsider and think of the author before saying things that are unwarranted .)

Consider the Author

As an author who has been on both sides of the argument, I would suggest taking the polite route. “But why?” you may ask. “I didn’t like the book, it was horrible!” One reason: Authors are people, too. Authors see the reviews. Authors see your reading updates on Goodreads. Some authors, myself included, already have insecurities  outside of the writing world. Oftentimes, writing is the one outlet where they feel their contributions matter. Offering unwarranted, unexplained hateful comments because it’s entertaining for you is rude, plain and simple.

Consider How You Would Feel

As a reviewer, I know it’s easy to let your negative take on the book set your fingers aflame on the keyboard with a colorful rant about how terrible the book was. I’ve been there in the past. But, keep in mind that the person who wrote the book may see your review and give up writing. Now, you may be thinking, “Well, tough luck! They’re a published author! They should grow a thick skin!” Okay, let’s turn the table around: how would you feel if your new book, which you worked extremely hard on for months or even  years was met with the following review:

This book has less value than the empty Dr. Pepper can I just threw away. The plot was cheesy and made me want to plunge my head into the sand like an ostrich, it was that annoying! The author has no talent whatsoever and needs to go back to grammar school to learn a thing or two. By far, this is the worst excuse for a book I’ve ever read!

This type of review points out that the book is a stinker in the reader’s opinion, yet doesn’t offer any specific reason as to why they think that! Does my point sink in yet? Now, I have yet to receive a review that hateful and unwarranted, but if I did, I’d honestly cry myself to sleep–or worse–not be able to sleep knowing my credibility has been tarnished. And the sad thing is that there are loads of hateful reviews like this being posted on a daily basis! Why?! Does it make some readers feel superior to tear authors down? I don’t know. But now that I’ve seen both sides of the story, whenever I write reviews now, I keep this old familiar phrase in mind, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” So, how can we write a polite negative review without discarding our promise to be honest?

Writing a Polite, Negative Review

The most polite thing I know to do when writing a negative book review is to offer constructive criticism about what didn’t work for me as a reader. For example, if the story felt as if it were dragging on and caused my interest to wane, I might say, “at a certain point, the plot lost my interest. I feel that if a scene or two [name the scenes] were edited out, this would not have happened.” Or, if the characters felt two-dimensional, I might offer, “[name characters] could have been more developed in the following way.” If there were positive attributes about the book that you really loved, mention those as well to balance out the constructive criticism.

If you happen to come across a book that you can’t seem to find anything nice to say about to balance out the negative, it may be best to follow the old saying and say nothing at all. For readers, I’m not going to advise you to not leave 1 or 2 star ratings (or critically written 3 star reviews); the choice is entirely up to you, the consumer.

On the other hand, for fellow authors, I will advise you that it doesn’t portray you in a positive light when you rant about how much you dislike a fellow author’s book via your author page. A personal objective of mine since I’ve become a published author is to not post reviews for works that I deem to be 1 or 2 star ratings. The lowest rating I will personally post of a book now is 3 stars, and in my opinion, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the book is bad, but could use a little improvement in certain areas to make it better. Fellow authors, keep in mind that your comments can be seen not only by the authors, but by your followers and friends as well. Would you rather be seen as an author comparable to Simon Cowell on his  American Idol run, or an author who is kind to other authors and actively builds them up instead of tearing them down?

Let’s try to keep the Golden Rule in mind: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 7:12 🙂

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How to Write a Good Review of a Bad Book

By: Author Laura

Posted on Published: 19th December 2018  - Last updated: 12th January 2024

Categories Book Blogging , Books

Want to know how to write a book review? Or, more specifically, how to write a negative review? This guide to bad book reviews will let you in on all my secrets on how to write good reviews.

Can I let you guys in on a secret? I prefer writing negative book reviews to positive ones. It’s not that I take pleasure in bashing other people’s work, I just find bad book reviews so much easier to write. 

Obviously I only pick up books that I think I’m going to enjoy so when they meet that expectation I often don’t feel the need to add to the noise already out there in the form of a detailed book review.

I also find it much harder to express why I love a book in a meaningful way when writing a positive book review. A person’s reaction to a book is very personal and sometimes I like a book just because. 

Maybe that romance gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, or that thriller kept me on your toes, or I simply fell in love with the main character.

Whatever the reason, I find it a harder to go into a lot of detail about these positive aspects and the last thing I want to do is fangirl or reveal spoilers, neither of which are conducive to a good book review. 

On the other hand I find it easy to express exactly why I don’t like something. And that’s why I’m writing this blog post about how to write a negative book review. 

There is a certain method to writing a good review of a bad book in order to avoid coming across as nasty and bashing a book without justification. 

Writing a book review, particularly a negative book review, that doesn’t properly explain why you disliked it does the author a huge disservice. If you’re going to publicly shame their work, the least you can do is clearly explain what went wrong for you. 

Here are my top tips for writing a good review of a bad book:

Don’t be nasty.

This is the most important thing to remember when thinking about how to write a bad review. Just as you wouldn’t turn to a colleague at work and tell them that their idea is stupid and they should bury it with a shovel, nor should you say such things online in a review.

As reviewers rarely have to confront the author in person it can be easy to hide behind a computer screen and type a nasty review.

Don’t.

Be respectful, no matter what you thought of their work. Someone has spent months or years working on a book and they have managed to get it released into the big wide world. That’s quite a feat in itself and even if you hated every word they wrote, there’s no need to be unpleasant. 

Explain what disappointed you.

If you had certain expectations that the book didn’t fulfil, explain these. Was it pegged as the Christmas romance of the season? The new self-help book to change your life? Let your readers know what you expected (and why), then explain what it is about the book left you feeling disappointed.

It’s a good idea to provide specific examples so you could point to certain characters or plot points that you disliked. Alternatively it might’ve been the structure or writing style that put you off. Whatever it is, write it down using examples. 

Here’s a negative book review example:

Whilst Rick Yancey set up a very exciting and unique story back in  The 5th Wave , I couldn’t help but feel that  The Last Star  was a little lacking. The final part of this story takes place over a mere four days and these four days are packed with action, but not much excitement. For me, it felt like there was just more of the same stuff that we’d seen in the previous two novels but with more experienced and hardened characters. The Last Star Book Review , What’s Hot Blog

Try to remain as spoiler free.

There needs to be a balance between providing specific reasons for your negative review and keeping your review spoiler-free. It can be tempting with negative book reviews to reveal all the exact moments that bothered you and pick these apart. However, a good review will analyse what went wrong without spoiling it for any people who still want to read it.

Consider what the author was trying to achieve.

If you think the author fell short on certain aspects but can sense what they was going for when writing their book, give them credit for this.When you read another person’s work you are getting inside their mind and seeing things from their perspective, which is well worth considering before you critique their work. 

For example, if you can see that the book’s aim is to use a story to try and bring certain social issues to light but poorly developed characters dragged the book down, give a little nod to their attempts. 

You may find that once you’ve considered the author’s aims that you feel slightly differently about their work or see more positives than before.

Mention the good parts.

It’s important to mention any positive aspects to the book and how the positive and negative aspects stack up against each other to form your overall rating.

No book is perfect and every story has its flaws. Some have more than others but there’s usually still something positive you can throw in. There may even be whole chunks of your negative book review that speak about positive aspects.

Even if you would not recommend the book overall, it’s still important to mention these aspects, which may appeal to other readers who weigh these factors up differently. A balanced review is infinitely more useful to your readers than one which is wholly one sided. 

Despite this, I will give Marian Keyes credit for constructing a story that doled out plot twist after plot twist. I wasn’t really sure where the book was headed at all until the very last few pages. Keyes builds up a strong cast of secondary characters who are all well-fleshed out and have their own plot threads. This is the only advantage of the length of the book as it does mean these subplots are explored more deeply than they often are.  The Break Book Review , What’s Hot Blog

How could it have been improved?

One reason for writing negative reviews is to dissuade other readers from picking the book up. However, I like to think that something more positive can come from a negative review. 

Reviews are a way of letting an author know what you thought about their work. Whilst in most cases it’s unlikely the author will see your exact review, the general reception of the book will shape how they write in the future.

That’s why in cases where the book had lots of potential but ultimately let me down, I often suggest what would’ve made the reading experience better for me. It might help inform another budding author about how they want to write their own book – who knows!

It would’ve been more interesting to have half the number of accounts but with a little more depth on each person featured. Reading this made me feel like I was simply swiping through a large slideshow deck of similar morning routines. This book is a case of quantity of quality with heaps of accounts of people’s mornings routines but few specifics about how these routines helped these people get to their positions. It’s these crucial specifics that I usually find most motivating so this disappointed me.  My Morning Routine Book Review , What’s Hot Blog

RELATED: 24 Book Review Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing a Review

Consider which other readers may enjoy it.

Lastly, I always try to mention who this book might still appeal to. After all, book reviews are all a matter of opinion and just because I disliked it doesn’t mean every other reader will too.

Let’s say you are disappointed by a young adult novel because the romance took over from the action. There are many other young adult readers who absolutely love the teen romance aspects of these books and so they may adore it.

It’s important to consider what someone else may be able to gleam from this work, where possible. 

There you have my top tips for writing a negative book review. Many reviewers choose not to write negative reviews but personally I don’t think they’re all that scary and they’re a very important part of the book world! 

Pin now, read again later!

If you liked this post, check these out: Book Review Questions to Ask Before Writing a Review Book Blogging: How to Start a Book Blog Ultimate Guide to Affiliate Marketing for Book Bloggers 36 Book Blog Post Ideas All You Need to Know About Bookstagram Hashtags It’s Time for Book Bloggers to Get Paid. Book Bloggers Share their Thoughts on Influencer Marketing Beginner’s Guide to Instagram fo r Indie Author s

Founder & Editor of What’s Hot?

Cynthia Mejia

Wednesday 18th of August 2021

Loved your post. I have the opposite problem. I can gush about a book l loved. But writing a review for one I didn’t is much harder. Maybe it’s because of something you mentioned—that a reader’s reaction to a book can be very personal. I do look at negative reviews and very few are usually constructive. Most just seem to bash the book and/or author and those reviews I automatically discount because they don’t seem balanced to me. When I have left more constructive reviews, my goal is not to dissuade anyone else from picking up a book, but just giving them another lens through which that story was experienced. Your post, though, was very helpful! Thanks.

Sunday 27th of October 2019

Thank you so much for this post! I'm still relatively new to reviewing books and I just hate having to give a negative review. I have so much respect for anyone who has written a book that I hate to be one who might bring them down. Your tips are perfect and I'm putting them to use with the review I'm working on now. Thanks again!

You're welcome, Erin! So glad to hear that these tips have been of use to you!

CJ | A Well-Read Tart

Friday 28th of December 2018

These are really great tips to keep in mind, and I'm glad to find I'm already doing most of them! I have written several negative reviews lately (it was #DNFDecember, unfortunately), and while I didn't like the books enough to keep reading, I was still able to point out what WAS good (the author's ability to write well) and what other readers might enjoy that I specifically didn't (e.g., "slow burn" plot development). I feel it's important to be honest but never cruel, like you said. Someone worked hard on a book, whatever I think of it, and as someone who hopes to be a published author one day, I know I would be devastated if someone completely ripped apart my work. Of course, I occasionally DO come across books that make me go "how the EFF did this ever get published???," but I simply stop reading those and don't review them. If I can't say anything nice at all, it's best that I say nothing at all.

Thanks for the great tips!

Thursday 10th of January 2019

So glad you found the tips useful and very happy to hear you're already implementing some of these on your own reviews! Imagining what it would feel like if it was a review of YOUR work is such a great way to visualise what it could be like for someone on the receiving end of your criticism. I also don't think I've ever come across a book that only has negative reviews, which reminds me that it's all very subjective at the end of the day! Thanks for stopping by CJ!

Davida Chazan

Friday 21st of December 2018

YES! I always try to do this with books that don't come up to snuff! Thanks!

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Posted on Feb 20, 2020

Ten Ways to Handle Bad Book Reviews

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. Online, he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group . He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar , CassaFire , CassaStorm , and Dragon of the Stars . The author lives in the Carolinas with his wife. Learn more about Alex by checking out his website , following him on Twitter , or heading to his Bookbub profile ! In this guest post, he shares his tips for handling negative book reviews.

1. Refrain from responding to the reviewer

As much as you might want to respond (either politely or with harsh words), don’t do it. Once you’ve left a comment, sent out a Tweet, or posted to Facebook, your negative response will be out there for everyone to see. You might get a few fans to rally to your cause, but most people will view you, not the reviewer, as the villain. Even if you later delete it, the damage is done. Even sending an email is a bad idea as well. So refrain from adding fuel to the fire and keep your grumblings private.

2. Know that it’s part of the process

Guess what? We all get negative and unflattering reviews. It goes with the territory. Remember, you created art. Art is subjective and not everyone will like your book. You can’t please every reader. (And if you do, then you really didn’t say anything of value.) Shake it off and move on.

3. Laugh about it

What are you going to do — cry? Might as well laugh about it! Often a bad review is poorly written or so far-fetched, it makes no sense. So turn the tables and have a good chuckle about it. (Besides, it’s really difficult to stay angry when you’re laughing.)

4. Remember bad reviews add validity to good reviews

What do you think when a book has nothing but five-star reviews? You start to wonder, don’t you? Friends and family of the author, maybe? Paid reviews, perhaps? A couple of bad reviews means some readers were honest — which means the rest of the good reviews are probably honest as well. (Plus, sometimes people want to know if the book is really that bad, so they ended up reading it to find out!)

5. Look for constructive criticism in the review

Often two and three-star reviews will offer constructive criticism. Look for it. Is there any validity to what was said? Can you see areas where you can improve or issues you need to address? (Several reviewers didn’t like the fact there were no women in my first book. I listened and made sure there were several women in the next one, including a female main character. That book garnered better reviews than the first.) Learn from the bad reviews and write an even better book next time.

6. Don’t focus on the negative

We tend to focus on the negative. Even obsess over it! We can have a hundred great reviews and one bad one. Which one gets our attention? The bad one! Who cares? What do we do when calculating averages? We drop the top numbers and the bottom numbers. Do the same: ignore that bad review and don’t even factor it into the equation.

7. It’s just one person’s opinion

Everybody has an opinion. And they are just that — opinions, not facts. So one or two people didn’t like your book? Big deal! Out of millions of readers, that’s not even a drop in the bucket. (Unless all of your reviews are bad, of course!)

8. Don’t let bad reviews stop you

Yes, putting a book out there is scary and nerve-racking. It’s a creative endeavor, which makes it a little more personal. We can’t take reviews personally though. We have to believe in ourselves and not let bad reviews stop us. Have you ever encountered a jerk at your work? Did it cause you to give up and stop working forever? No! So don’t let a negative review from someone you’ve never met stop you from writing.

9. Write the next book

This is the best thing you can do! Just hunker down and write your next book. Show those naysayers that you are a great writer. Take your experience from the previous book and pour it into the next one. Really focus. You’ll be so busy writing, you won’t have time to worry about bad reviews.

10. Kill off the reviewer in your next book

If all else fails, just put that reviewer into your book as a murder victim or monster that's slain by the hero! You’ll feel so much better.

What other creative ways can you handle bad reviews? Leave your tips in the comments below! Or, if you're looking for ways to get  more reviews, check out our directory of blogs that focus on book reviews ! 

2 responses

Heather says:

21/02/2020 – 02:48

It's so important not to take this stuff personally! Great article! Heather

cie the ornery old lady says:

24/02/2020 – 01:02

I already responded to this post at the Insecure Writers' Support Group but just wanted to give Alex kudos. He has a lot of great advice. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person who can get ten good reviews and the bad one is the one that will stick with me. In order not to make my or my family's lives miserable, I refrain from reading any of my reviews, good or bad.

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8 Tips for Dealing With Negative Reviews of Your Book

A few months ago, when I asked what you’d like me to write about , one question that immediately popped out to me was from Sionnach, who queried not just about negative reviews but about “unfair” reviews:

How do you learn to live with reviews that are patently unfair? My last book had mostly good reviews. Two, however, were two stars who were upset about graphic content. I always include content warnings about violence and steam level. I write the first sentences of my blurbs to include words/phrases that suggest violence if it’s in the book.

I really don’t know what else to do. The steam level is similar to other books in my genre, and the violence/gore would barely receive an R rating if it were a movie. All I can think of is just live with the reviews, but it’s hard. I know writers are supposed to have thick skins, but I hate reviews that just seem unfair. They get in my head while I’m writing and alter things.

As writers, we write for many reasons , but two predominant ones are wanting to put something of ourselves out into the world and to have that something be received. As such, writing is a supremely vulnerable act. The fact that it is almost inevitably partnered with rejection at some phase only makes it more so— and our courage in doing it anyway even more boundless .

Certainly, I have received my share of negative reviews over the years. Some of them stung because they were a little too true. Others stung exactly because they were anything but true. Part of my arc as a writer, and a person in general, has been learning how to understand my own reactions to negative reviews, to manage the personal damage, and to mitigate future effects. To some degree, this involves improving as both a writer and a marketer. Mostly, it comes down to looking within and working on my own expectations and identities.

6 Possible Reasons You’re Bothered by Negative Reviews of Your Book

In a minute, I will share some tips about dealing with negative reviews of your book, based on what I’ve learned through my own experience over the years. But first, I want to examine a few different reasons why negative reviews of your book may be impacting you. Each scenario can have a slightly different effect on you and require a slightly different perspective in re-centering yourself.

1. The Reviewer Is Making Good Points

Ultimately, the reason negative reviews of your book hurt is because they  may be true. No author is perfect. Every story will legitimately deserve criticism of some facet.

Ironically, sometimes these are the sort of reviews that hurt the least. If you can recognize the validity of the criticism, at least you can do something about it . Even if it’s too late to correct the current book’s problems, you can at least learn from the advice and apply it to the next story.

2. The Reviewer Misunderstood the Book/Missed the Point Entirely

As Sionnach noted, perhaps the most frustrating type of negative review is the kind in which the reviewer seems to have misunderstood your intentions as a writer, or even entirely missed the point of the story. In response to Sionnach’s comment, Sara K. wisely noted:

I can’t tell you how to live with unfair reviews. However, as someone who has read tens of thousands of Amazon book reviews, I can tell you that getting a small percentage of unfair reviews is inevitable. (By “unfair” I mean books which say in the description “this has x” and a reviewer complains “this book has x.”) You’re not alone.

These reviews are frustrating because, really, what else are you gonna do? You can work to refine your presentation to create the correct expectations, but you will always encounter people who failed to pick up on the clues, however overt.

3. The Reviewer Was Cruel

Sometimes people are just mean. Even kindly worded negative reviews can hurt, but everything escalates when a reviewer’s language becomes personal, nasty, or even violent. Occasionally, these reviews can be easy to dismiss, when it’s obvious the reviewer is out of line and probably has a personal axe to grind that very likely did not originate with you or your book. Still, the effects of cruelty can linger long after you’ve rejected the person’s logic.

4. The Reviewer Made You Doubt Your Ability

This one is perhaps the most dangerous. Especially when you’re starting out, negative reviews (regardless of their merit) can make you feel invalidated as a writer. This is the single most important effect for writers to work through because you will  encounter negativity. Some of it will point straight at parts of your writing that genuinely need improvement; some of it will be nonsense. Part of the challenge of growing as a writer is learning to recognize the difference and to be threatened by neither—both because you can  and should improve where needed and because part of that improvement is learning to recognize when someone’s criticism is irrelevant.

5. The Reviewer Called Into Question Your Intentions

On occasion, reviews can get personal. This happens when a reviewer goes beyond simply analyzing your writing to making assumptions about you . Sometimes this is appropriate or at least unavoidable, depending on the nature of your writing. But sometimes reviewers will go so far as to assume that because “xyz” shows up in your story, you must be condoning it.

Even worse is when a reviewer makes negative assumptions about a writer based solely on the quality of the writing. For example, we sometimes see reviewers indicating that a writer must be “stupid” or “immature” or “shallow” simply because the reviewer found the style of writing lacking. When these comments are patently ludicrous, they may be easier to dismiss; other times they can hit home and stick around long after they’re welcome.

6. The Reviewer Is (Perhaps) Endangering Future Book Sales

Finally, there is the practical concern of fretting that a review of your book may negatively impact your sales. After all, potential customers  do factor in ratings and reviews when deciding whether to purchase.

The good news here is that negative reviews can actually work in your favor. For one thing, they may serve to warn off future “wrong” readers who wouldn’t like the book anyway. Second, they can lend credibility to a book, proving the good reviews are more likely to be legitimate.

You won’t have a marketing problem as long as the negative reviews don’t outweigh the positive reviews. If they do, that points to other problems that need rectifying.

All right, so you’ve received a negative review of your book. You’ve analyzed the review and your response to it to determine which of the above categories it best fits into. But it still stings. You still can’t get it out of your head.

What do you do now? Do you listen to and try to make course corrections? Or do you ignore the review and keep right on as you were?

The answer will be subjective to both you and the situation. To help you out, here are eight tips based the lessons I have learned in interacting with my own negative reviews.

1. Get Very Clear on Your Motives and Intentions

When a negative review bothers you—and I mean  bothers you—it’s a sign you’ve lost your own sense of center. In order to know which negative reviews to listen to and which to ignore, you need to get very clear on your own motives and intentions .

• Who are you as a writer?
• What are you here for?
• Why are you writing in general?
• Why did you write this specific story?
• What is your definition of success for this story?
• What were you trying to achieve with it?
• What did you already know was less than perfect about it—and you’re fine with?

Answering these question is not always a straightforward process. But the clearer you are in refining your own desires and goals for your writing, the clearer you will be in responding to other people’s opinions. If you know you want to write grimdark fantasy or cozy mysteries or lush literary fiction—and a reviewer doesn’t like that—then you can know they simply weren’t the right audience for your book and, as such, their opinions don’t matter that much.

2. Don’t Overthink It

If you’re keen on using negative reviews of your book to improve your writing, then good for you. But don’t overthink it.  Or overfeel it. Listen to your gut—aka, your intuition.

True intuition is neutral, without emotional defensiveness. If your initial response is anger or hurt, that’s not your gut telling you it agrees with the reviewer. Rather, your intuition is the quiet, confident voice that knows whether the criticism has merit or not.

For example, when someone says your romantic subplot didn’t work, you will  know at some level whether you agree with that or not. Either you realize they have a point, or you know that, in fact, your subplot worked exactly how you wanted it to. If you decide on the latter, don’t overthink your response. Trust your gut.

(However, there is a caveat. If you hear the same criticism again from a second source, that’s a sign you may want to revisit it.)

3. Don’t Give Other People More Authority Than You Give Yourself

The key to the above point is remembering that reviewers don’t automatically know more about writing and storytelling than you do.

Now, it’s absolutely true reviewers know themselves and their reaction to your story better than anyone. They know when they like something and when they don’t. But not everyone knows  why they don’t like it. Although they may complain about your writing, the real problem may in fact be that they had a bad day, something in the book tweaked their own personal triggers, or they’re just pompous and want others to  think they know what they’re talking about.

It’s also totally possible your reviewers do know more about storytelling and writing than you do. Many readers these days are very experienced and knowledgeable about story, even if they are not writers themselves.

The point here is that, either way, you don’t automatically have to believe that the opinions of negative reviewers deserve to have authority over your own understanding of story in general and this story in particular. Often, reviewers will be just plain wrong. Going out of your way to believe these reviews does no one any favors, you least of all.

4. Don’t Entertain Disrespect

The review format is a legitimate forum in which people can share honest opinions about books. There is nothing disrespectful about this. (Indeed, authors who bite back or complain may themselves be the disrespectful ones.) But there are lines. You do not have to entertain, even for a second, the opinions of someone who is not bothering to be respectful of you as a person or an artist.

It’s important to note that just because they dislike your book, this does not mean they are being disrespectful of you. But abusive language, name calling, shaming statements, unsolicited and patronizing attempts to “help” you, and bullying, among other inappropriate behaviors, don’t deserve a second glance.

If you feel shame or any of the other emotions that such reviews might be projecting onto you, that’s something for you to work on within yourself. It is not something that you should necessarily respond to (in 99% of instances, you’re probably wiser not to), but it is also not something you need to internalize or consider.

5. Examine Your Triggers

Negative reviews only hurt when they strike a nerve. Otherwise, they’re either a neutral background hum or useful information that can help you improve. Our own personal triggers can get in the way of both. Either we surrender authority to others without questioning the validity of their statements, or we become defensive to the point that we may be rejecting helpful advice that could improve our craft.

Regardless, the only way to work on this is to work on ourselves . Whenever a review stings, make it a practice to look within. The insecurities you’re feeling may have to do with your writing, but they may also have to do with pain points that did not originate with your art. Perfectionism is a common bane among writers , and when a review suggests a story is anything less than perfect (which it always  is), the pain we feel in response may have less to do with the story’s problems and more to do with an inner sense of shame that needs to be recognized and rehabilitated.

6. Calm Your Nervous System

If you’re triggered by negative reviews, for whatever reason, it is important to not only work through your discomfort logically and emotionally, but also within your nervous system itself. Many people these days suffer from anxiety that is specifically triggered by social media and other online conversations—of which book reviews are certainly a part.

One way to honor your nervous system is to remove as many of the negative stimuli as possible. In other words, simply stop reading reviews. If this isn’t possible (and even if it is), you can also work with techniques to retrain your nervous system. Some methods that have been successful for me include daily meditation and breathwork, tapping, and affirmations.

One technique that has been particularly helpful is that of mentally revisiting triggers while holding the tips of my fingers to my forehead. This keeps blood flow in the front of your brain, reversing the flight or fight response and retraining your nervous system to realize it’s okay even in the presence of triggering stimuli.

7. Up Your Writing Game

Of course, the best way to avoid negative reviews of your book is simply to write a better book . Use negative reviews as incentive and, where appropriate, guidance for improving your writing and your marketing. Although it’s important to fully acknowledge your mental, emotional, and physical responses to negative reviews, it’s also important to work through the difficulties. Use negative reviews as motivation to keep improving.

8. Take a Look at the Negative Reviews for Your Favorite Book

Finally, if all else fails in helping you feel better after a negative review of your book, take a minute to look up your favorite books on Amazon. Go read the one-star reviews. Particularly if it’s a popular book, there will be many . This can help bring perspective to the fact that art is subjective . Not everyone will like every book. Even books you think are perfect will have legitimate detractors. So the next time you face down a negative review of your own, you can remind yourself you’re in good company!

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! What’s your best advice for dealing with negative reviews of your book? Tell me in the comments!

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K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

So many helpful thoughts.

I’ve always liked “Don’t entertain criticism from people you wouldn’t go to for advice.” We simply don’t know who might post a review, so any attention we give them is an act of trust — and that can *always* be more than the review deserves.

This is such a solid point. It sounds intuitive, but it’s something many of us have to consciously work on. I was raised in environment that taught me (particularly as a female) to distrust myself in favor of other people’s opinions. The lesson that I don’t *have* to listen to everyone’s opinion was transformative and liberating for me, as both a person and a writer who receives reviews.

Here’s another problem: negative rankings on Amazon with no review words at all. Yes, I know that most Amazon readers who enter a rating do not include review words, but why would someone enter 1 or 2-stars? It feels like being trolled. I do worry it will hurt sales and hope the lack of words will encourage potential-readers to disregard the low rating.

BTW… I’ve noticed Amazon adding the ranking from Goodreads next to some book ratings. Has anyone else seen that?

On the whole I like that Amazon allows ratings without reviews, since I think many people are more inclined to leave a rating than a review. But it’s definitely a system that’s less accountable and therefore open to more abuse.

I haven’t noticed the Goodreads addition. I’ll have to take a look.

Great post! I took your advice & read some negative Amazon reviews of one of my very favorites, The Once and Future King. Wow, check this out:

“Once upon a time when I was much younger and stupider, I read this book and liked it. It seemed terribly moving…However, upon rereading this book in my middle age, I realize that I hate it and despise its author. Why? Because he took possibly the greatest tragedy of all time and turned it into a cross between a Monty Python sketch and a soap opera. No, not even Monty Python, because they were actually funny and could pull off a spoof. The humor here, despite its veneer of midcentury upper crusty English charm, is more like an ’80s sitcom. All it needs is a laugh track.”

I believe this falls into the “Misunderstood the Book/Missed the Point Entirely” category!

Hah! Perfect example.

With regard to criticism from random people, I’m of the opinion that these should always be ignored and the bad ones should elicit a similar emotional response as the the good ones. These people don’t know you or what your intentions are and yet they feel free to spew their ire because in their opinion you’ve crossed some imaginary line. It was their choice to read the book and if they were offended by anything you wrote that’s on them. They should do what any normal person would do when they encounter something not to their taste, put the book down and acknowledge they made an unfortunate choice in selecting it. Otherwise, you are allowing random people with different intellectual and moral backgrounds to affect you and that is just not right. There are choices to be made in every moment of our lives and those have to be left up to the individual. I may not ever want to see an X-rated movie but I would defend the rights of others to see whatever movie they wanted with my last breath. Otherwise, we are all Nazis. All writers, in my opinion, should be true to themselves and to their followers by writing what is genuinely in their hearts and minds, and the devil take the hindmost. What would happen to the human intellect if writers allowed random religious or other zealous fanatics to curtail the exploration of human motives and characteristics through censorship. The world would be a most boring and intolerable place.

“All writers, in my opinion, should be true to themselves and to their followers by writing what is genuinely in their hearts and minds, and the devil take the hindmost.”

I agree. At the end of the day, our authenticity is the only true gift we bring to the table. But presenting it is often easier said than done!

I had a review where the reader complained that it was an e-book and she didn’t read e-books. It was a verified purchase so the mistake was hers. I also had someone who thought “damn” was profanity. Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Yes, there are those reviews that are just so off-base that they tickle your funny bone. :p

Actually, that word *is* profanity to certain people. Including me. But still, not a reason to poorly rate the book. How many times was the word used in the book? ‘Cause if it was only a couple times, that’s not worth a bad review.

I, too, would like to say here that what constitutes profanity is not the same for everyone. Personally, I wouldn’t throw out an entire book or give it a bad review for a few “damn’s.” But on the other hand, many readers appreciate knowing ahead of time exactly what a book contains so they can use their own criteria for purchasing. We writers need to keep our intended audience in mind. Since books don’t have a rating system like movies do, a frank reviewer who points out certain issues is (hopefully) doing so as a service to others.

Actually the word “damn” appeared exactly once–the rest of the language was squeaky clean.

“O, the humanity!”

These are most useful, especially I think for writers who may still be fairly new in the published world and haven’t yet built up a thicker skin and developed the tools to assess clearly others’ comments.

Simply put, consider the source. If the comment has merit, learn from it how to improve your work on your next story. If the comment has no merit, dismiss it. Comments that are personal, nasty, unrelated to your book (in cases where the “reviewer” never read the book, which happens), or whatever else don’t deserve the time of day from you.

I posted an essay online many years ago, in which I explored the progression of the tomato from being considered a deadly fruit to its acceptance as an important addition to our table. The essay was sparked by a 19th Century newspaper account of someone announcing that he would eat tomatoes in public to prove that they were not poisonous. I found loads of similar articles and ended up likening the whole story to the game of “Telephone” or “Gossip,” in which a spoken piece of information is whispered from ear to ear and gets corrupted beyond recognition. I included links to all the references I had found. It was a fun romp. But someone blasted me for posting such hateful, vicious material (?). I found it both amusing and sad – amused by his absurd reaction, sad that his reaction was so violent. Over a story about the history of the edibility of the tomato. He must have been having a really bad day to be triggered like that.

I don’t know, tomatoes are a pretty volatile subject, if you ask me. (Just ask the one that exploded all over my shirt…) 😉

Yes, trying to cut tomatoes sometimes results in an explosion of sorts. (You really need a razor-sharp knife.) I blame that on the newer cultivars – growers prefer tougher skins on tomatoes for more intact shipping to market. This year, I’ve noticed that the skins on apples resemble cellophane – I can chew them forever, and they remain undamaged. I think it’s because of the drought conditions this year, apples being from a perennial plant.

But I digress …

Some bad reviews can actually sell your book. I have purchased a number of books because a reviewer complained about an aspect of it and that aspect happened to be something I enjoy reading about. Negative reviews can tell potential readers important info about what they’re considering reading and it may work in your favor.

Many years ago, a man who had appointed himself Lord High Reviewer gave everyone and everything the worst possible reviews. He panned the elementary school basketball team for poor plays, and the high school band for hitting the wrong note once or twice. He criticized the latest movies as all bad. He never had a good word. Calling him a pompous ass would be a compliment. As a result, everyone avidly read his columns in the paper for his invective du jour. The worse his review, the more eagerly people flocked to see or read or watch whatever he shredded. It didn’t help his cause when he peppered his column with high-falutin’ words that didn’t mean what he thought they meant, often resulting in adjectives that contradicted each other and their nouns.

He certainly entertained the whole county, although that clearly was not his intent.

You quoted me.

I’m blushing.

*scurries away.*

Thanks for sharing good thoughts! 🙂

Another great blog, Katie. Hey, y’all, count any review as a blessing! It means you’ve been published and those naggy negs are just jealous. Getting serious, though, it’s really important to remember none of us will please everyone all the time. My debut is coming out next year and I’ll be seventy. Though I am a sensitive soul, my hope is that at my age I’ve gained enough insight to embrace constructive criticism, ignore that which is off-base, and roll on. This has to be awfully hard for younger authors. People can be wickedly cruel. Just remember cruelty reflects badly on them, not on you.

I wrote a post a few years ago, musing on why audiences (myself included) take stories so personally. When we view a story as unsatisfactory, our response is often outrage on a personal level. I try to remember this when I’m on the receiving end, even though it can seem so unfair when you’re the creator.

Before I became an author, I did commissioned art work. I learned quickly that people’s opinions were just that, opinions, and not all would like my work. That didn’t mean it was bad, just not their taste. Artists and authors, and any endeavor, improves with practice. The more we do, the better we become. For reviews, it’s just their opinion, unless there is some validation to their comment.

Reviews can be tremendously validating, especially when you’re first starting out. At a certain point, however, you realize that if you’re going to invest your self-worth in the good reviews, you have to do that with the bad ones too–and you start taking them all with a grain of salt!

This post is solid gold!

It’s not worthwhile to worry about readers being swayed by unfair bad reviews; most people are not as dumb as they’d have to be for the unfair reviews to be an issue. If a reader says he hates mysteries, his 1 star review on a mystery matters little. If a reader loves mysteries, but thinks a particular one is badly written, and offers substantive objections, his 1 star review matters more.

If the weirdo who missed the point or thinks you’re endorsing evil is the only reviewer on your book, they may seem more threatening. But most people aren’t going to be swayed by the one review. Just like they won’t be swayed if the lone review is praising the book. To me the reviews have to reach a certain sample size before they pass the margin of “your best friends or ex-boyfriends are posting these reviews.”

In the tradpub arena, this is why publishers send out ARCs, so they can have advanced reviews ready to go when the book hits the streets. This is how those books have blurbs and endorsements from famous authors or book review columnists on the jacket. One thing I miss about my old newspaper is the bookcase with all the ARCs. Free books! I discovered several authors that way.

Indie writers can do similar with book bloggers, especially if you trust their reviews, and the reviewer likes the type of story you’re writing. That may be one way to combat the specific situation of the sole review being wrong or unfair. But otherwise, learn, laugh, or move on as applicable.

When I browsing for books to read and looking at reviews, I tend to put more stock in the four- or three-star reviews. Five-star reviews that gush and one-star reviews that hate are both interesting, but usually aren’t going to align with my own experience if I choose to read the book.

Thanks for a great post – very relevant to me I’d say.

I don’t mind a negative review if the person states why they didn’t like my book. Within reason. Recently someone posted a nasty personal review and I was annoyed and a bit upset. But then (in response to a question on Twitter about negative reviews) I began to think … you know what, who is this person and what gives them the right to be so downright mean?

The other thing is, if they thought the book was sooooo bad why on earth did they read the whole thing all the way to the end? Jeez – I wouldn’t. Life’s way too short.

So then I settled into a comfortable feeling of “they have no talent, therefore they’re just jealous”. Now, I have no idea if that’s true or not, and I don’t know the person anyway, so my feeling were completely internal and that made me feel better straight away.

Later, I wrote a short story called, “Death of an Amazon Reviewer” and that was great fun. Cathartic.

Your point about recognising the criticism may be true was also very accurate. So what do you do about that. Well, in my past I was a training consultant and I always asked for feedback to see if anything about the training course needed to be changed or improved or even taken out. I heard this piece of advice:

If one person calls you a horse, that’s their opinion and they’re entitled to it. If two people call you a horse, there might be something in that so go away and give it some consideration. But if three people call you a horse – go out and buy a saddle.

Thanks again for posting. Take care. Harry.

Thanks for sharing that little ditty. I’ve always said (as I do in the post) that “if two people agree” (and one of them can be me), then I need to take note. But I’m going to steal this for the future. It’s much pithier. 🙂

I look at one star reviews before buying a book. Why? Because it tells me what people disliked about it and I can decide if it is something it will bother me too. Nevertheless, with my favorite authors, I never check reviews but they earned my trust.

Totally. Once I’ve discovered an author I like, I don’t *want* to look at the reviews before I read it. I want my experience with the story to be mine alone.

As a writer, I found this post very interesting, informative, and helpful, especially in view of the fact that I just wrote a review of a fellow author’s ARC that I don’t know whether she will consider “negative” or not. I really wanted to encourage her, yet I felt bound to express honestly what I didn’t like. Why? Because, as a reader, I appreciate the negative reviews as much as the positive ones. The purpose of a review is to enlighten potential buyers, not necessarily to praise the writer. It’s SO helpful to know ahead of time if a book I’m considering investing $ in is, for example, poorly-written or -edited, basically erotica, full of language or violence, or in some instances, marketed as “inspirational” when it’s not. On the other hand, I also gave this book 5 stars because on the bottom line, I loved it! I just felt that both the writer and other readers would like to know where the story fell flat for me. It’s really hard to be balanced and fair to everyone, isn’t it?

Yes, once you’ve received reviews of your own, writing reviews for others becomes a whole new ballgame. For the most part, I no longer publish reviews for books that I rank as three stars or less. This is totally a personal decision, but particularly because I tend to review based on subjective factors (my experience with the story) rather than objective ones (overall quality of writing), I don’t want to ruin anyone’s day unnecessarily.

I don’t so much mind people complaining that the book includes something the author said it included – at least they’re not giving other potential readers a false idea of the book. What gets my goat is people complaining about the book based on things the book does not in fact contain.

For example, the main character in my first novel is an overprotected princess who is forbidden to use the stairs by herself – inspired by the Kensington System inflicted on Queen Victoria as a child. Of course she rebels & disobeys, but that didn’t stop one reviewer announcing that the main character is a pathetic person not capable of using stairs unaided.

Totally true. Misrepresentation is the toughest to deal with, because what are you going to do?

Thanks for the great article.

Thanks for stopping by!

One thing I learned from negative reviews is to properly set expectations on the cover or blurb. Most of the negative reviews I’ve received is because people were expecting something other than what I wrote.

Totally. I’ve learned this too. Many negative reviews can be avoided if a reader’s expectations are properly set up from the beginning.

Recently while listening to the editor of a small press, he said (in terms of one’s writing, not personally),, “Most people won’t like you.” It sounds disheartening at first, but it became a great lifter of weight of my shoulders, saying ‘Write what you want to write.’ And logically, think of it this way-most people therefore don’t like Stephen King. What? But he’s sold millions, probably earned a billion or more. But still. If you consider ALL readers all over the world and their tastes, it’s still true that most people won’t like him. So just keep writing, and hey, if you get a bad review, good, because at least someone read your book 🙂

This is a great reframe. It’s true: once you realize you *can’t* make everyone happy no matter what you do, you suddenly have the freedom to do what you want. The beautiful part is that, in doing so, you’re more likely to draw in the *right* readers for you anyway.

Thank you so much for this article! You’re so wonderful. I’m going to try everything, but I’m going to apply the forehead technique to my life at large.

My pleasure! Thank you for the post idea. I hope you have as much success with the technique as I have. I’ve made it a part of my morning practice for the last six months or so.

I once received a 2star review of my science fiction novel. Most of his critique was fine. His opinion, etc. But he also accused me of using friends to post all the positive reviews I’d received. I analyzed my reviews and broke them down into 3 categories: friends, acquaintances and strangers, showing that fully half of my strong reviews were by strangers. When I sent him that reply, he modified his review to remove the accusation. It was still 2 stars, but now I was okay with it. Out of 60+ reviews, that was my only 2star review.

Yeah, that kind of thing is just annoying and almost always out of line.

These are things every creative person needs to understand. Every point is excellent. Thank you for this article!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Super! Thanks.

Glad it was useful!

The “miss the point entirely” reviewer probably stresses me out the most (other than outright harassment) because it kicks fears about other people not getting me, however hard I am trying to communicate. Meghan Duam wrote an essay on this called “The Joni Mitchell Problem” that I found really interesting.

I could not read this immediately because it was TOO relevant and I was hopping mad. Now that I’ve read it – wonderful ideas.

My situation is I have a six book series, and the first book got it’s Amazon listing boogered up. Entirely 4-5 star reviews but I didn’t realize the problem immediately and by the time I gave up on Amazon ever fixing it, I needed a new edition and ISBN. Blank. No reviews. Previous edition not showing up in searches unless you use ISBN. Have to read the first book first. So there is a funneling effect – no one will find the other books unless they get to the first one.

And – BAM. A woman who took a local class from me and found the link to Book 1 in my email sig, paid her 99 cents for the privilege of posting a 1 star rating. No review because she only read enough to discover a POC/Muslim protagonist. I know her, she’s a raging MAGA-head. Now my whole series is cooked, cuz no one will have book 1 Recommended To You in Amazon with a 1-star average. I needed a couple of days to emerge from homicidal and come up with solutions: a video to attract anyone who wonders by, by accident and -most importantly – the ARC’s who are sending me emails about how much they love this that or another thing are being pressed to say it publicly with 4-5 stars. Those algorithms are math and we all know what a skew a 1 gives to an arithmetical mean.

Yeah, mean. Been writing books for a lot of years and never ran into such determined, vicious meanness before. Our times….

There are so many horror stories. I wish you the very best. There are few solutions to fight the crazies out there. My wish is that Amazon would do away with ratings/reviews completely. Let the description be the guide.

Victoria, I’m so sorry that happened to you. Amazon sucks sometimes, and mean people are always horrible.

What to do when the book review site owner has something against people with neurological disabilities….and they change aliases for their review site so they can spit bile only about these disabled authors? Danika Ellis at The Lesbrary does this about autistic/neurodivergent authors….all you have to do is find the negative reviews and then go to those authors’ websites and see that they are neurodivergent. What has she got against us?

With people like that, it’s not about you – whoever or whatever you may be – it’s about gaining attention because their souls have a gaping hole in them. They’re jealous of anyone else, including you, who has accomplished something good, like writing a book (an astonishing accomplishment in and of itself). They hate themselves, therefore they hate everybody else, so they strike out at anyone within reach. You just happen to be their victim-du-jour. No serious reader who sees what they post will give them the time of day. It’s painful, but it’s a waste of time, energy, and mental health to try to counter them, for they will not be reasoned with. (Think: Scrooge or The Grinch, both of whose hearts needed to grow a few sizes.)

I’m impressed with the abilities and insight of many autistic individuals. They all continually surprise me. They all have a great deal to share with the world. My younger brother is on the lower end of the autism spectrum – change is difficult for him, and he prefers one-on-one friendships – but he consistently shows me great resilience through his challenges.

Go well, my friend!

My ebook has been on Amazon for two years and the paperback for a bit less than that. I’ve considered it a success within my definition of success. It wouldn’t be Stephen King’s definition, but I felt good about my accomplishment and my handful of good reviews. Then came the dreaded review. It wasn’t even a bad review about my book but a bad review about a readability issue. She claimed there were blue highlights throughout the book, making it unreadable. That was bad enough, but the tone of the words were attacking me personally, alleging I didn’t bother to proofread my book and shame on me. I contacted KDP not just once, but three times and every time they verified to me there were no blue highlights. I asked for a copy of my conversation to verify there were no issues with my book. KDP suggested it might be with the device the reader used and she could contact them to troubleshoot that. It was already affecting my sales. Who is going to buy a book they can’t read. My mistake was in thinking I could appeal to the reviewers sense of fair play by informing her there were no issues with the book and that she might be able to talk to Amazon to fix the problem. I emailed her with a copy of the report and told her that her words hurt me personally and affected my sales. This was met with more hostility from her and another accusation that quality control was my responsibility. I think contacting KDP three times for a review of the book qualifies as quality control. She updated her review to say I sent her a scary email. Amazon won’t take down the review. I know life isn’t fair, but this isn’t a matter of an opinion about a story. It’s a falsehood that has killed my book. The fact there is no recourse is doubly disheartening.

Barbara, that’s terrible! It’s almost never good to contact the reviewer, though. They just get their back up even more. When I first started out, I wrote to a reviewer on GR who attacked me personally. All of her friends ganged up on me. I cried. Some people are just awful. I’m so sorry that happened to you for something she should have worked out herself.

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How to Write a Bad Review of a Book

Ahh, bad reviews—every new writer’s nightmare! Well, perhaps all writers’ nightmare? I’d like to think that you grow a thicker skin as you get further on into your career, gaining more confidence in your own skills and relying less on the validation of others. Either way, it’s fair to say that, as someone on the other end of reviews, I dread the prospect of getting negative feedback from readers. On the other hand, what else is a reader to do when they really didn’t enjoy a book?

Why you should write a review—even if it’s bad

Reviews are so important; there’s no denying that. They especially matter for new authors because having a certain number of reviews (positive or negative) is what will make our books more discoverable on sites like Amazon, allow us to reach more readers, and grow our careers.

In a world in which we very often make our purchases online, we as consumers are constantly checking the reviews to see if the product we plan to invest in is worth our money. As such, it’s important to leave negative reviews when you’re not happy…right?

Well, as a budding author myself , I have to admit that two contradictory tendencies have been growing inside of me:

1.) Because my own book is out there for the world to pass judgment on, I’ve grown even more uncomfortable about leaving negative reviews. I know so many indie authors like myself hang on every word and so I now think even more about the person on the other side of the feedback.

2.) However, as I read more craft books to hone my own writing skills, I’m learning more about what constitutes good writing. And that’s making me far more critical than I’ve even been about what I read. In the past, it was very unusual for me to ever give out 2- or 3-star rating, but now I do.

So, as someone who does occasionally have negative feedback on books, but who is also incredibly aware that this is a sensitive subject, I’ve realized that I needed to reach a compromise.

I believe we have to write fair, honest reviews whether they are positive or negative, but there are ways to go about doing so that are less nasty than some of the bad reviews out there.

I don’t claim to be an expert at this and I, myself, have committed some of the exact mistakes I’ll warn against here. However, I’m working to improve the way I approach negative book reviews and I hope that you will too. In the past, I just avoided them by not rating or reviewing anything, but this year I want to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and be honest about my opinions, without being too mean.

Personally, my choice of reading material is based almost solely on recommendation. I take what others who I trust say at face value and so I recognize that it would be misleading if I gave a positive review to book I truly didn’t enjoy it. I want to give back to the other readers and authors in my community by being honest about what I thought once I finish a book.

Even so, it feels very different to write a negative review about a product as subjective as a book. It’s not a piece of clothing that is objectively made of quality fabric or not. It’s someone’s heartfelt creation and it just may not have resonated with me—but that doesn’t mean it is inherently bad. So, this is how I now approach negative reviews.

How to write a bad review without being a bad person

1.) Actually write a review: This is something I rarely did in the past, but I’m making an effort to get better at it. Especially if you’re giving a low rating to a book, it can be really helpful to share your reasons why. That way, the author and potential readers aren’t left wondering. Instead, they actually know what it is about the book that you didn’t like. It’s completely possible that a writing style, character, setting, etc that you disliked will be someone else’s cup of tea! It’s helpful to pinpoint what it was about the book that made you give it a low score so that others can decide if that’s something they want to take into consideration or not.

2.) Be constructively critical: I think we all know the difference between constructive criticism and plain old makes-you-feel-awful criticism. Instead of saying blatantly negative thinks like “This book sucked” or “The story was so boring,” offer criticism that the author can actually use to improve. Perhaps you can say “The pacing was too slow for my liking” or “I couldn’t connect with the characters.” The more specific you can be, the better! For example, if you know what would have helped you to connect more with the characters, throw out the suggestion. You wouldn’t believe how much we, as authors, will latch on to those suggestions when they are delivered in a positive way. They truly may be used to improve our future work.

3.) Speaking of which, focus on YOUR experience: This is that typical “I” vs. “you” language that can make confrontations go far more smoothly. Instead of attacking the author and saying “She doesn’t know how to write” or “The plot was so predictable,” you can simply flip the script around to focus more on your personal experience. Statements like “I wasn’t a fan of the author’s writing style” or “Personally, I was able to see each plot twist coming” immediately feel far less combative, without actually changing the point you want to make.

4.) Add qualifiers to your review: What I mean by this is that it can be helpful to let others know if there are specifics about your expertise, your experience, your prior reading, etc that influenced your opinion about the book. Did you take three months to get through the book and possibly forget details for the storyline for that reason? Are you a subject-matter expert who might expect something different from the book than the average reader? It’s helpful to point out certain qualities you possess that may have influenced your review (but perhaps wouldn’t be factors for other readers).

Let me give an example: I recently wrote a review of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in which I said that I enjoyed reading the book and it did keep me wanting to read late into the night. However, because I’ve listened to the podcast Serial as well as watched the TV series Pretty Little Liars , the plot didn’t seem very original to me. For another reader who hasn’t listened/watched those other media, they will probably LOVE the book, but it was disappointing to me as someone who had already engaged with the same stories that I feel inspired the author.

5.) Whenever possible, say something positive: Finally, I find it’s nice to include at least one thing you enjoyed about the book so that your review doesn’t come across unnecessarily harsh. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder definitely kept me intrigued and I appreciated that the ending involved plot twists that I hadn’t expected, so I mentioned that. It’s very unlikely that a book is so bad that I can’t find something honestly positive to say about it.

Note: Whenever possible, I like to “sandwich” my constructive criticism with qualifiers or positive feedback. That way, although the same exact information is delivered, it’s easier to take as a writer and it also comes across as more considerate and fair to other readers. If you’re unfamiliar with the (totally non-technical) term “sandwiching,” what I mean is that I might open my review by talking about what I enjoyed, transition into my constructive criticism, and close with a qualifier or two—essentially keeping the negative “sandwiched” between the positive.

In all honesty, I know getting a 1- or 2-star review will sting no matter how it’s delivered. Still, as a writer, I believe that if these guidelines were followed in a negative review of my work I would not only be less hurt by it, but I would also be more willing to take that respectful, constructive criticism to heart and use it to improve my future work.

To sum up, please keep in mind that these are my personal feelings. We all have our own personal preferences and what I appreciate in a book is not necessarily what the next person will appreciate—the same goes for reviews! What do you think should (or should not) go into a negative book review? I would love to start a conversation about it in the comments below.

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This is Writing

How to Write a Book Review

By Kara Hutchings

A great book review is one that helps a reader decide whether they will pick up the book and read it. This article will provide guidance on how to write a book review. It will answer the question ‘what is a book review’, help you choose which book to review and explore the key elements that form a successful review.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional, student, or brand new to book reviewing, here’s our strategies and suggestions for writing an effective book review.

What you’ll learn in this article

The purpose of this article is to teach you how to write a book review. By reading this article you will learn the following: 

What is a book review?

• How to choose a book to review
• How to critically analyse a book
• The key elements of a book review
• Rating a book
• FAQs about book reviewing

Before you even pick up the book, it’s important to understand exactly what a book review is. 

A book review describes, analyzes and evaluates a book based on elements including writing style, plot, characters, significance, impact and fitness for purpose. The criteria for evaluating a book are explored in more detail below.

The most important part of a book review is the analysis and evaluation. A book review requires a critical evaluation meaning you must form an opinion about the book and support your opinion with evidence. Evidence from the book can include direct quotes, writing techniques, themes and character dialogue.

To ensure you are critically evaluating a book, it’s important to avoid falling into the trap of simply describing the plot and characters. Your opinion must be clearly stated, whether it’s positive or negative. The following is an example of a simple description, without any analysis or evaluation:

“The unnamed narrator, a woman writer, lives in Vienna with a man named Malina who works at a military museum, and she is conducting an affair with a Hungarian man named Ivan, who lives nearby and has two young children.” [1]

Book reviews can vary in tone and style, depending on the author of the review (i.e. whether you’re an academic writing a scholarly review, a journalist, or an amateur reviewer, etc) and the book you are reviewing. 

However, there are key elements that should always be addressed in order to create an effective book review. These include:

• a summary of the book,
• a critical assessment, and;
• a conclusion, including whether or not you would recommend the book to your audience.

You can read more about the key elements of a book review below. 

Choosing a book to review

The first and probably most important step of writing a book review is choosing the book you would like to review.

If you’re considering writing a book review then you most likely already have a book in mind. But if not, a good place to start is by thinking about your favourite author, or genre, and finding books in this area.

Don’t be afraid to choose a book from an author you love. Some people can feel intimidated by well-respected or famous authors and hence avoid being overly critical of them. But it’s important to choose a book that you’re actually interested in. 

Reviewing a book you don’t really want to read will feel too much like a school project.

If you’re truly interested in the book before you, you’ll find the time to properly research, carefully read, and form ideas about the book – all elements of a good book review.

If you’re hoping to get your review published online, it’s also best to select a recently published book. A newer book is less likely to have already been reviewed by another book reviewer and therefore more likely to get published.

Writing the book review

Now the fun part begins. Getting your opinion out there for the world to see. But there’s much more to a book review than simply writing. A sound structure, supported by thorough research, will ensure your book review gets the credibility it deserves.

Here’s how to get started:

Before you start writing

Before you jump into writing, it’s important that you do your research. It’s easy to know whether you do or don’t like a book. But why you have that opinion needs to be supported by research and evidence (i.e. the elements that inform your critical evaluation ).

• Download sample book reviews

A great place to start, particularly if this is your very first book review, is to read other reviews. Most of the reviews you read will follow a similar structure and touch on similar points, so use others as a guide for how you should be setting out your work. If you come across a book review that you find really engaging, ask yourself why it was so impactful and try to reproduce those elements in your own work. Because if the review was persuasive enough to encourage (or dissuade) you to read the book, it’s a successful book review.

You can browse professional book reviews from writers all around the world on websites including:

• The Telegraph (UK) website
• The New York Times Sunday Book Review
• The New York Review of Books
• National Library of Australia website
• The Australian newspaper website
• Kirkus Book Reviews
• This Is Writing

As you’re reading through the book reviews make sure to take notes on factors that will form the basis of your review

• What are the common elements of the book reviews you have read? 
• What do you like about the reviews? 
• Do you prefer reviews with controversial opinions? 
• Do you like when a serious tone is used, or do you prefer a more casual review? 
• What could you do better? 

2. Do your research

A good book review is one supported by thorough research.

Understanding the context in which a novel was written will help you form an opinion later when you start writing.

It’s difficult to form an argument about the author’s choice of language, for example, if you don’t understand the time period in which the novel was composed. If you’re reading a vampire mystery book, how can you evaluate the structure of the storyline if you don’t understand the elements of that genre?

There are a number of complex and competing elements that will influence the choices an author has made, so it’s crucial to understand the reasons behind their choices in order to form an opinion about things like style, tone, character development, plot and language. Here is a great example of a book review which considers the historical context in which the novel was composed.

To help you with your contextual research, use the below template as a starting point: 

In addition to the above criteria, you should also be reading actively and critically. As you’re reading, ask yourself questions like;

• how did the author structure their argument and how did they support it?
• has the book helped you understand the topic?
• And most importantly, would you recommend this book to others? 

We will explore how to form an opinion and making recommendations more in-depth below.

How long should a book review be?

The length of your book review depends on why you are writing the review and who it is for. Is it simply to provide your opinion to your social media followers, or are you trying to get published online? Is it for an academic purpose? Perhaps it is a university assignment.

Generally, book reviews are around 500 words. However, professional and academic book reviews can be thousands of words in length. If you’re interested in writing a professional book review, check out example book reviews on The Guardian online to get an idea of length. Ultimately, the more words you use, the more thorough your analysis can be. But always be conscious of keeping your writing concise and to the point.

If you are opting for a longer review (around the 1,000 word mark), you can break up long paragraphs of text by using headings and sub-headings. This helps make the content more digestible for the reader.

The elements of a book review

Now that you’ve finished reading the book, made extensive notes, and completed your research, it’s time to begin writing.

Any writer would know that a high-quality piece of writing is well structured. Your arguments should be developed in a logical manner, beginning with the context of the novel and a general overview of the plot, followed by an exploration of the author’s argument, your own opinions about the book, and ending with a conclusion – what rating do you give the book and would you recommend it to others.

The three key elements that you should include in your book review are:

• A summary of the content – including the plot, context, author’s argument, etc. (i.e. all the information you gathered in your initial research).
• A critical assessment of the book – your reaction to the book and whether or not it was effective in meeting its purpose.
• A recommendation – whether or not the audience you are writing for would appreciate the book.

Here’s a breakdown of each point:

1. Introduction

Your book review should begin with a captivating introduction to draw your reader in and make them want to continue reading. Generally, it’ll be around one sentence in length and give a quick overview of the main theme of the book. Here are two examples of short and snappy introductions that hook the reader in:

 “For every child kidnapped, another must be taken. Otherwise The Chain will be broken.” [2]

“Throughout college, Evvie, Maggie, and Topher were the best of friends. But time and the mistakes that come with simply being human may strain their love to the breaking point.” [3]

While trying to keep your introduction short, it’s important to also be concise. A complicated introduction can turn your reader away before they’ve even gotten to your analysis.

By trying to contain the introduction to a single, lengthy sentence , the below opening line is complicated and overloaded with commas, making it difficult to read:

The English nature writer Robert Macfarlane’s new book, “Underland: A Deep Time Journey,” has a title that evokes a burrowing theme park ride or an IMAX movie, and indeed, like Alice in Wonderland or Orpheus in the underworld, down we go. [4]

2. Describe the plot

Your introduction should lead into a description of the plot. In a few sentences, Include a description of the book’s setting, the main characters, and a loose summary of the plot. An outline of the storyline will help your audience decide whether or not they’re interested in reading the book.

However, make sure your introduction doesn’t give everything away. There should be just enough details to make the reader want to pick up the book, without giving away the whole story.

Not only do you want to touch on the plot of the book in your introduction, but you will also need to set the context. What is the historical, political, and/or social context in which the novel was written? What is the author’s background? What genre is the book written in? These questions set the scene for your critical assessment. Whether the author was successful in meeting their intended purpose will be informed by the reasons behind writing the novel.

3. Avoid spoilers

It almost goes without saying. Don’t spoil the book!

While your readers will want to know what the book is about, don’t rob them of experiencing genuine emotional reactions to the shocks and plot twists of the book. For example, if the main character dies at the end of the book, keep those details to yourself. There’ll be no point in your audience reading the book if they already know what happens.

It can be really tempting to reveal spoilers in your book review, because more often than not, the big shocks of the book are those that you want to talk about. When forming an opinion of the book’s effectiveness, your emotional reaction to surprising details are likely to be the evidence you need to prove the book’s effectiveness.

But it is possible to review a book without completely revealing the details if you choose your words carefully. After all, the purpose of your book review is to encourage others (or discourage if you didn’t enjoy the book) to read the book, and no-one is going to want to read the book if you’ve already told them the ending.

For example, ‘I Let You Go’ by Clare Mackintosh is renowned for having two ‘absolute stunner’ plot twist , however, this review on The New York Times only alludes to the twist enough to entice the reader to want to pick up the book, without completely  giving it away:

“The big plot twist in Clare Mackintosh’s first novel, I LET YOU GO, is genuinely shocking. The jolts that follow, right up until the last page, are pretty good too. And if you’re the kind of genre geek who jumps back to the ­beginning of a book to work out how you’ve been hoodwinked, you’ll find that the author has played fair and square.”[5]

4. Form an opinion

By far the most important part of writing a book review is forming an opinion. As we touched on earlier, your critical evaluation is what takes your writing from a simple summary of a book, to a review.

Keep in mind your critique doesn’t have to be all negative or all praise. A well-balanced book review would explore both sides so that the reader of your review gets the whole picture. A one-sided book review can give your audience the impression that your critique is an unfair assessment. Remember, a bad book takes just as long to write as a good one and every author deserves fair treatment. Even if you hated the book, you’ll be able to find some positives. And ultimately, make sure you are reviewing the book you read, not the book you wished the author had written.

Think back to the list you wrote when you were first reading the book. Here’s where those considerations come into play – the author’s background, the genre, the purpose of the book and the main thesis of the work are all elements that inform your opinion. Whether you did or did not enjoy the book can be supported by opinions based on factors such as whether the author effectively subverted traditional elements of the genre, or whether the author’s thesis didn’t challenge your way of thinking.

This review of the novel ‘Malina’ provides an example of the reviewer evaluating how the author’s academic experience influences her language style and the overall readability of the novel:

“Taken in bites, Bachmann’s prose is often lucid and powerful, enlivened by her poetic gifts. At length, she can be tough chewing. She wrote a doctoral dissertation on Heidegger and was a devoted reader of Wittgenstein’s “Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus,” though she’s nowhere near that tough. For every aphoristic dart she throws at the human condition (“the world is sick and doesn’t want a healthy force to prevail”), there is a sentence or meaning that remains tightly knotted, and a general lack of clear orientation prevails. Whatever verifiable facts about the plot and characters might exist beneath the novel’s psychological static, you can imagine Bachmann insisting, are none of your business.”[6]

Your book review will include multiple different arguments, so aim to break them down into separate paragraphs that each deal with individual aspects. And each paragraph should contain an evaluation with an example from the book to support it.

The following criteria can be used to help you form an evaluation: 

• objectivity
• thoroughness
• usefulness for intended purpose.

5. Include your favourite quotes

When making an argument you need examples to support your opinion. The easiest way to do this is by directly quoting the book.

For example, one of the key themes of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird , is prejudice and the following quote directly illustrates this theme:

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” [7]

The main thing to consider when quoting the book is to keep the quotes short. A lengthy quote will take up too many words and potentially overpower your review. A short quote will help to get your point across while still letting your work shine through. The purpose of including quotes is to simply bring your argument to light.

6. Provide recommendations to your audience

Would you recommend the book to your audience?

In order to recommend the book, you need to determine who your audience is. Who are you writing the book review for? Not every book is suited to every reader. For example, a book written under the magical realism genre, wouldn’t be recommended to an audience that enjoy non-fiction.

This goes back to the point above, it’s important to remember that your individual tastes don’t necessarily reflect those of your readers. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, there may be readers out there who it would appeal to so make sure you consider diverse tastes when making a book recommendation.

If you’re reviewing children, teenage or young adult books, it’s a good idea to give an ‘age-appropriateness’ recommendation. It can be tricky for parents when buying books for their children to know whether the book would be appropriate or not, so do the hard work for them. Check out Common Sense Media for ideas on how to give an age-appropriateness rating – this site rates books by age and learning value.

A captivating way to make a recommendation is to also compare the book to other similar ones. If the book you are reviewing has similar themes, characters, writing style, or is even composed by the same author, you will be able to make a recommendation based on how it compares to other work. You might write something along the lines of ‘If loved XXX book, you will love this one’. If your audience has already read the other book, they will be able to get a good idea of whether they will also like your book based on this comparison.

7. Rate the book

You might wonder if you’ve already expressed your opinion about the book throughout your review, why give it a rating as well?

Attaching a rating to your book review is a great way to give your audience an immediate sense of how you felt about the book. Before they even begin reading your review, they already know whether you’re recommending it or not.

The simplest way to rate a book is using a star rating. Goodreads uses a 5-star book rating system.

You can see the most popular books published in 2018 here based on the star rating. If you intend for your book review to be published on a website such as this, you will need to use the rating system provided by the site.

But if you’re self-publishing the review, you can choose whatever rating system that works best for you. You could break your rating system down into categories – maybe the book deserves four stars out of five for writing style, but only two stars for the plot development. It’s up to you.

8. Write a conclusion

The conclusion to your book review is the last thing your audience will read so you want to make sure it leaves them with a lasting impression. A reader has most likely come to your review to decide whether they will or won’t read the book, so if you want them to read the book, make it clear.

Your conclusion should follow general conclusion writing guidelines. The University of Melbourne suggests a conclusion should :

• Summaries the key points made in reaching your position; and
• Make a final comment on the topic.

While summarising the key points you should aim to balance the strengths and weakness of the book. What did the author do well? What could be improved upon? And remember, no new information should be included in the conclusion. Any interesting points you want to make about the book should be included in the body of your text.

This review of Laura Lippman’s ‘Lady in the Lake’ wraps up the book in the following short and sweet sentence:

The racism, classism, and sexism of 50 years ago wrapped up in a stylish, sexy, suspenseful period drama about a newsroom and the city it covers. [8]

9. Bibliographical details

A professional book review will also include a bibliographic citation of the book. Check out some examples on Kirkus Reviews to get an idea on how you can format your citation.

Here are the bibliographic details you should include in your review:

• Title: Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices)
• Author: Cassandra Clare
• Place of Publication: USA
• Date of Publication: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Date of publication edition: August 31, 2010
• Number of pages: 496
• ISBN number*: 978-1416975861

*ISBN or ‘International Standard Book Number’ is a unique identifier for books . It is used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers and other suppliers for ordering, listing, sales records and stock control purposes. It identifies the registrant as well as the title, edition and format of the book.

10. Editing

After you’ve completed the first draft of your book review, it’s time to start the editing process. Step away from your work for at least an hour to give your brain a rest. When you come back to review your work with fresh eyes, look out for the following:

• Is the paper well-organised?
• Are the transitions between paragraphs smooth?
• Have you backed up each point with evidence?
• Is there an introduction and a conclusion?
• Have you cited all your references?

Take the time to rewrite your work and make any changes necessary to improve it.

There are also some great tools that can assist in editing such as the Hemingway App . Copy and paste your work into the app and it will give you a readability score as well as highlight sentences that are too long and complicated.

Another useful tool is Grammarly . Grammarly is a handy application that detects spelling, punctuation, grammar, word choice, plagiarism and style, and suggests corrections. It’s also available as an app for both iOS and Android.

11. Proofread

The best way to undermine your credibility as a book reviewer is with spelling mistakes. To critique the work of another writer with a piece of writing that is littered with typos and incorrect punctuation tells your audience you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Before publishing your work, read over it a few times to catch any spelling or grammar errors, as well as double-checking your facts – including double-checking that the quotes and character names you referenced from the book are accurate, as well as the facts you’ve included about the author’s background.

If you’re not feeling confident in your proofreading skills, test yourself by reading this article from The Writing Centre . It contains seven errors (two punctuation errors, two grammatical errors and three spelling errors). See if you can spot them, then refer to this handout with the errors marked in red .

It might even be worthwhile also having another person proofread your work. Once you’ve read over your own work a few times it can be easy to miss things, so a fresh set of eyes could be useful in picking up any errors you haven’t. 

12. Have fun!

While it might seem like there are a lot of rules that go into writing a high-quality book review, the most important thing is that you enjoy what you’re doing! Your passion for the book you are reviewing will shine through in your writing.

If you have been book reviewing for some time and begin to feel burned out, take a break and remind yourself why you started writing book reviews in the first place – to share your love of reading with your fellow readers all over the world.

What is the objective of a book review?

The main purpose of a book review is to help a reader device whether to read the book themselves. For this reason, a book review should include a brief summary of the book’s content, characters and setting, as well as a critical evaluation on the success or effectiveness of the book.

Book reviews save other readers time and offer them a chance to connect with the book before they even pick it up. They help validate the worthiness of a book – if someone else enjoyed the book, I might enjoy it too .

Book reviews are also very important to authors . They give a book greater visibility and a higher chance of being found by readers whether it’s online, in bookstores, among book clubs or blogging communities. A book review is a great opportunity for an author to expand their reach, as well as a platform for other books written in a similar style or from the same genre to be found.

Can you use ‘I’ in a book review?

Whether or not you use first person to write your book review will ultimately come down to why you are writing the review.

An academic piece of writing, for example, would not use first person. So if you’re writing your review for a school, university/college assignment or to be published in an academic journal or magazine (for example, the Oxford Academic Journal of Communication ), avoid using first person.

If you’re writing the review for your personal blog or website, or writing customer reviews online, then it’s okay to be a little more casual. Depending on your writing style and the purpose of your website, first-person can make your review more personal and relatable for your audience. It’s easier to give an opinion about how you felt about a book when writing in the first person, for example – ‘I loved the way the author used XYZ to ABC’.

Where can I get my book review published?

If you’re looking to get your book review published, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to:

• Identify where you want your book review to be published

There are a number of journals devoted to book reviews if you’re interested in having your book review published in a scholarly journal like the Oxford Academic Journal of Communication , Cambridge University’s Historical Journal , or the Australian Book Review .

If you’re not interested in going down the academic route, there are a host of websites where you can publish your book review, including This is Writing. A quick Google search will help you find websites where you could potentially have your review published, or check out our list of ‘Book Blogs and Review Websites for Book Lovers ’.

Otherwise, you can self-publish your book review on your own website or blog.

• Reach out to the editor Once you’ve decided where you’d like your book review to be published, get in contact with the journal or website. Your email to the editor or website owner should include a brief introduction about yourself, the book you intend on reviewing and why you’d like to write a review for the publication.It’s important to do your homework before contacting the editor or website owner. If you have a book in mind, do a quick search of the journal or website to make sure the book hasn’t already been reviewed by someone else. It’s recommended to select a book that has been published in the last two years, as anything earlier has likely already been claimed by another reviewer.And above all else, be confident! Even if you’re brand new to book reviewing, it’s perfectly alright to reach out to editors to ask them to publish your work. Conta c t us at This is Writing to have your book review featured.
• Read the book and write the review Once the editor or website owner has accepted your proposal to write a review for their publication, it’s time to get started. Refer to our recommendations on how to structure your book review above. If you’re writing for a journal you might even be lucky enough to be sent a free copy of the book.
• Submit and wait After you’ve completed the final proofread of your work it’s time to submit it to the editor or website owner. Be sure to read the journal or website submission guidelines thoroughly. Each publisher will have unique submission guidelines relating to criteria such as spelling and grammar, and offensive content, etc. Most book review journals and websites will receive a large number of submissions, so if yours doesn’t meet the guidelines it’s not likely to be considered for publishing.If you haven’t heard back after a month, it’s worthwhile following up. Send a second email asking the editor or website owner if they’ve received your submission and tell them you’re looking forward to hearing from them. The most important thing is to keep it polite and respectful. And make sure to check the website’s submission guidelines first to see if there’s a general timeline for feedback before you start harassing them after only a few days!

Can I get paid to write book reviews?

Yes. There are a number of websites that will pay writers to create book reviews for their website.

If you’re just getting started and looking for a bit of unpaid book reviewing experience, a great place to start is by writing customer reviews on websites that sell books, such as Amazon . These websites allow customers to give a star rating for the product as well as leave a comment. On Amazon, others can then mark your review as ‘helpful’ so you’ll be able to get a good idea on how people feel about your reviewing. Interacting with other book lovers and reviewers can also help improve your own reviewing style and build an audience.

You can also share your book reviews via your social media platforms, or start your own website or blog to publish your book reviews. Check out these tips on how to create a website from the Queensland Government.

The book I have chosen to review is not the first book of the series, does it matter?

No. As mentioned earlier in this article , if you want your book review to be published, you should be aiming to review a recently released book. The newer the book, the less likely it has already been reviewed by another review. If the first book of a series was released five years ago, and the second book released this year, review the second book. Chances are, the first book has already been reviewed to death. Reviewing book two is a chance to create brand new content for your audience.

Despite this, it’s still worthwhile touching on the storyline of the novels that have come before your book in the series as this provides context on the effectiveness of the book. Was book two a good sequel to the first book? What was different? What was the same? If the reader of your review has already read the first book, a comparison between the two will help them decide if they want to read the next book of the series.

[1] John Williams. “ A Postwar Love Triangle in Which One Partner May Be Pure Fantasy ”. The New York Times . July 24, 2019. Viewed 25 July 2019.

[2] “ The Chain ”. Kirkus Review. Viewed 29 July 2019.

[3] “ The Friends We Keep ”. Kirkus Review . Viewed 29 July 2019.

[4] Dwight Garner. “ ‘Underland’ Offers Excellent Nature Writing From Deep, Dark Places ”. The New York Times . Viewed 29 July 2019,

[5] Clare Mackintosh. “ Clare Mackintosh’s ‘I Let You Go’, and More ”. The New York Times . Viewed 25 July 2019.

[6] John Williams. “ A Postwar Love Triangle in Which One Partner May Be Pure Fantasy ”. The New York Times . July 24, 2019. Viewed 25 July 2019.

[7] Harper Lee. “To Kill a Mockingbird”. J. B. Lippincott & Co . Chapter 3.

[8] “ Lady in the Lake ”. Kirkus Review . Viewed 27 July 2019.

Scott Mullins

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For many, leaving a negative review is the only way to fight back when they’ve been treated poorly, received bad service or simply got ghosted by a company that took their money.

But before you publish an angry review online that can be seen by thousands, if not more, consider taking the following steps to avoid legal repercussions, including walking away and never hitting “return.”

Write a draft

When writing a bad review, write a draft. That way, you can refine your words and not make the terrible mistake of publishing it prematurely, or worse, by mistake.

Once you’re finished, walk away from it for a few hours. Even let someone else read it. A little distance provides clarity. Feedback will ensure you don’t publish something you’ll later regret.

Simply state the facts about the incident. Don’t embellish, insult or make threats. Here are a few examples of what to write and what not to write:

• “The food was undercooked.”
• “It took 30 minutes for the waiter to take our order.”
• “We paid for a new roof and it’s still leaking.”
• “The food sucks. They don’t know how to cook. The meat was raw and smelled funny.”
• “The waiter didn’t know what he was doing. He kept flirting with customers while we were left to fend for ourselves.”
• “Their workmanship was shoddy. They used cheap materials. Showed up late. Charged more than the service was worth.”

Keep Evidence

Document your experience. Take photos and videos to back up your claim. Keep in mind sharing them on social media channels could create a problem. However, your evidence will help your case if you plan to take said business to court.

Note that if you plan to sue, don’t publish a bad review. Share your experience with an attorney who will speak for you. Let the law be your muscle.

Remember to behave and act honestly and justly even if you haven’t been treated with the same regard. Your good behavior will pay off in the end.

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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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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. 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 be improved? 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 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!

What is the difference between a book review and a report?

Who is the target audience for book reviews and book reports, how do book reviews and reports differ in length and content, can i write professional book reviews, what are the key aspects of writing professional book reviews, how can i enhance my book-reviewing skills to write professional reviews, what should be included in a good book review.

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Home » Writing » How to Write a Good Book Review

Tips for Writing a Good Book Review 

Now that you’ve prepped what you want to say, how you want to say it, and who you want to say it to, it’s time to start writing. Below we’ve gathered our favorite tips to help you write a good book review. Wait… make that a GREAT book review.

1. Include general information

Make sure to include all the relevant book information for your audience , including the title, author, genre, and publisher in your review. While not necessary, it is also helpful to include the number of pages, list price, and ISBN number.

2. Provide a brief plot summary

After the hook, you can then move on to the brief plot summary. This summary shouldn’t be too long, but it can be a paragraph that explains the basic plot so that the reader better understands if it’s a topic of interest. One pitfall to avoid is to give away spoilers in the plot summary. Don’t give away any plot twists, and err on the side of caution if you feel that the information is too much. For example, tell the reader that the plot has unexpected twists rather than explain any surprises in the summary.

3. Focus on the book, not the author

Keep in mind that your main job as a reviewer is to share your opinion on the book, not to critique the author. Keep the focus on the story. Avoid referencing pitfalls in any of the author’s past books or what you about them as a writer. You can provide a brief introduction to the story mentioning the author and past books, but don’t spend too much time focused on the author. The review should focus on the content of the book and its characters.

4. Be clear and specific

It is not enough to just say that you did or didn’t like the book. Let your readers know why. Make your thoughts clear as early as possible and explain the reasons why you liked or disliked specific storyline components and characters. Be specific about what you loved about the writing, what drew you to the characters, or what left you feeling lukewarm about the plot. You don’t need to explain every aspect of the book, but the reader should walk away with a sense that they understand the basic plot and determine from the review if they want to read the book for themselves.

5. Remain subjective

Not all book reviews have to be glowing, but they should be subjective. Rather than just saying you didn’t like something, support it by letting your readers know why. We all gravitate towards different things, so what may not appeal to you may appeal to someone else. If you remain subjective, then you can explain to the reader the basic story and let them decide for themselves. The review can include your likes and dislikes, but they should focus on what you felt the story did well and what parts of the story you didn’t like. However, the main focus of the review should be to explain the story so that readers can determine if they want to read the book further.

6. Avoid spoilers

We know it can be tempting, but do your best not to let any spoilers slip in your book review. Have you ever been excited to see the latest blockbuster hit (or watch the season cliffhanger to your favorite TV show) and then someone spoils the end before you even have time to watch? That is exactly what you don’t want to do to your reader. As you explain the book in your summary, ask yourself if what you are explaining ruins any surprises or twists. As you write the review, keep it vague. For example, explain that there is a major plot twist but don’t go into the specifics.

7. Be transparent

Always share if you received an incentive to review the book, got an advance copy, or have any connection to the author. Your readers will appreciate your honesty. Plus, it helps you avoid the negative impact on your credibility if they find out later. Getting paid for a review is a perfectly reasonable excuse to read a book, but it does allow readers to determine if you’re being unbiased. By specifying if you have any relationship with the author, the reader can better trust your opinion, even if they feel you’re being more biased.

8. Keep it short

While book reviews can be any length, it is always best to keep it short and succinct. Pull in your reader with a strong first sentence that sets the tone of the review and end with your recommendation. Remember, most people start to scan when something gets too long. A book review is a short summary, so writing a novel-length review loses reader interests. Keeping it short will ensure that your readers will dive into your likes and dislikes and use your reviews to determine if they have an interest in the books.

9. Proofread before posting

The quickest way to lose credibility is to post a review filled with typos. Make sure to give your final book review a thorough read before posting it and double check the spelling of any character names or places that you mention. Even better, ask someone else to read it over. It is always good to have a fresh pair of eyes proof to catch any typos. If you don’t have a family or friend who will help with proofreader, you can join a writing community where members offer test reads and proofreading. Make sure that you don’t post the review publicly, because search engines will index it and the review will no longer be unique content.

Also, keep in mind that you will want to write different book reviews for different sites. Don’t just copy and paste the same review. Google search engines scan for duplicate content and if flagged, your review won’t appear.

10. Add a hook

The hook is one or two sentences that grab the reader and convince them to keep going. It should be interesting, but it should also stick with the topic without misleading readers. The hook could be a simple statement that explains the main character of the book, or it could ask a question that resonates with the reader. Don’t make the hook too sensational to avoid sounding like a sales pitch. It should simply provide an introduction that grabs reader interests.

11. Explain what you liked about the book

Writing your own book review is a way to explain what you liked about it, and what you liked could be of interest to another reader. This section allows you to personalize the review. You can explain what you liked about the characters, who was your favorite character, what part of the book was your favorite, and if the book invoked any personal feelings (e.g., you laughed or cried).

12. Explain what you disliked about the book

You likely have something that you disliked about the book, and this section explains what you wish would have been different about the storyline or the characters. Just like the other sections, make sure that you do not reveal too much and give away important plot lines that could be considered spoilers for the rest of the story.

13. Include brief quotes as examples

Brief quotes provide readers with better insight into characters. Using quotes from characters will help the reader follow the plot summary and determine if the characters are people they can relate to. Avoid using excessively long quotes. Since the reader hasn’t read the book, a long quote could ruin plot twists or overpower the review.

14. Reference similar books

A great way to introduce readers to a specific book is to compare your book review with other books. For example, you can explain to the reader that they will like the current book you’re reviewing if they like another similar book. Alternatively, you can also compare characters between books to provide better insight into the story’s characters and the dynamic between individual characters.

Ready to make your own book? Get started quickly and easily with our free bookmaking software, Bookwright .

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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 .

23 Comments

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin is about a girl that shows no emotion befriending a ice dragon.

I chose this book based on the cover that had a little girl riding a ice dragon, and wondered what is about.

I really enjoyed the interaction the little girl had with the dragon.

I wondered how how the girl’s bond with the dragon.

Anyone who likes a coming of age story set in a fantasy will love this book.

Thanks for sharing your practice, Azure!

You’re welcome.

A interesting, at times perplexing, subject! And one on my mind lately,as I’ve agreed to do a few. I do enjoy giving reviews and am delighted when I can say, “This was a great book!” Or even, “I enjoyed this book.” It gets perplexing when I agree to review a book — and simply don’t like it. Then what to say? I hate to disappoint the writer but I’ve promised to give my honest opinion.

I’ve found some books mediocre and yet I see a dozen other reviewers saying “A great story!” Tastes do vary. But when there are obvious flaws I tend to skip all the best-friend-and-cousin reviewers and find the first person who says, “This writer has a problem with…” Usually there’ll be a number of reviewers who spot the same problems I do.

I like upbeat main characters, but not aggressive, belligerent, and/or self-centered ones. I like to meet in a story the kind of people I’d like to meet in real life— not people I’d avoid if possible. I recently read a book where the main character came across as insipid and the story only mildly interesting. Other reviewers said it was great and I know for this specific audience — readers who want a certain slant to a story — it was quite suitable. So I tried to cut the book some slack. Everyone has their limit as to how much blood and gore, smooching and snuggling, they are willing to read about.

Once I agreed to review a book and would have tossed it after the first chapter — for several reasons. A lot of “writer inserting facts for reader’s benefit”; teach/preach paragraphs; excess of description; attitudes of MCs. Once it’s live on seller’s sites like Amazon, what can you say? The one thing good it had going for it was the story line or theme. With a pro editor’s help it could have been a great story.

As for a review, one book I read lately was “A Clue for the Puzzle Lady” by Parnell Hall. It’s one of those “Stayed up half the night to finish it” books; I think anyone who likes a compelling cozy mystery would probably like it. Downside: I didn’t care for the “Puzzle Lady.” She’s a lush, hangs out at the bar getting sloshed. The upside: her sensible niece has a starring role —trying to keep her aunt on the straight-and-narrow and the mystery keeps you guessing until the end.

Christine, Thanks for sharing your insight! It sounds like you are approached often to review new books. It does make it tricky if it’s a request, especially outside your own preferences. Thanks for chiming in about your process, as I’m sure others will appreciate the perspective too. I’ll have to take a look at the Puzzle Lady– I do enjoy cozy mysteries. Sue

Here’s another cozy mystery book review in case you’re interested. I’m not approached by writers that often, but there are the Story Cartel, Book Bub and Goodreads, all sites where authors ask for review volunteers.

Reel Estate Ripoff by Renee Pawlish

The detective Reed Ferguson is a fan of Humphry Bogart, movie memorabilia of that era, and fancies himself a bit of a Sam Slade. Though not your super-sleuth, rather inept at times, he’s a likeable character. Told in first person, the story has a Philip Marlowe tone to it, but much tamer. Dialogue and story line are well done, the story well plotted and believable. I’d gladly read more stories about this particular gumshoe.

If you like cozy mystery books, I’ll send you a list later, Sue. Love them too and I’ve met many authors who write in this genre. Back on topic– you inspire me again to add some reviews to my Blog. I have been reading and writing many middle grade mysteries for a project! My latest favorite: “The World’s Greatest Detective” by Caroline Carson (who I hope to meet tomorrow in Arlington, VA!) My 12 year old grandson borrowed it and finished it before I could. “It’s the best mystery I ever read, Grandma! You’ ll never guess the ending with unpredictable twists!” What better review could we read. The target audience and I both highly recommend this 2017 mystery.

Adding it to my stack, Beth. Thanks!

Not wanting to sound life an idiot, but willing to risk it here among friends: What exactly is a cozy mystery?

Glad you asked! It’s a subgenre of mystery. The best examples of cozy mysteries are those by Agatha Christie. They usually avoid profanity, excessive gore/ violence, and sex. They focus more on the puzzle, sleuth, and their smaller world. Hope that helps!

Thanks, Sue.

Wonderful article. The first I have read by you. It especially gets those of us who don’t feel we have the formula down for review writing to be introduced to a form we can build upon with experience. You’ve kept it simple but you have given us the main ingredients needed for a good review. I printed this one off to look at the next few times I write reviews. Thank you.

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for reading and commenting!

I haven’t gone into all this. It’s a matter of time, Joe. I gad about all over the place, not knowing where I am or where I’m going. Within weeks, I’ll be 87. I’ve books of my own that I’d like to see reviewed. Even sorting them out, however, even finding where any of them are, would be a time burden. You see the fix?

Hi Dave, You aren’t alone in feeling the press of time for getting your stories out into the world. May I gently offer this: start with finding and sorting one. If you can’t find it, write it anew. You’ve probably grown in time and perspective since you wrote the first draft, which will make for a stronger story. Good luck. I’m cheering you on!

This is an article for me, because I am happy to receive a rating. I haven’t sold many books. But, at least some thinks that it was worth the time to read. That was refreshing. And, I think I wrote two reviews, so far. It was on Amazon.com. Thank you.

You’re welcome!

Hi, Sue. Thanks for the helpful advice. I did a review on Amazon for the first of a 7-part thriller titled ‘Mosh Pit (The Rose Garden Incident)’ by Michael Hiebert. [Here it is.]

“5.0 out of 5 stars Advance copy review. By A fellow author on September 18, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition I Recommend This Book Strongly

I enjoyed reading this first part of the thriller. The author’s opening chapter/prologue was fast paced, and set me in the middle of the inciting incident along with two of the main characters. After that thrilling opening, I felt the ensuing chapters moved at a more leisurely pace, and was about to grade them as less praiseworthy when I watched a lecture by Brandon Sanderson on YouTube about building three dimensional characters and realised Michael Hiebert had done exactly that by introducing the reader to the minutiae of other characters who had parts to play in the development of the story. So, instead of cardboard cutouts of bland stock characters, the author shows us real people with real concerns that the reader can relate to.and actually care about. I look forward to reading the rest of this intriguing thriller, and highly recommend it to all lovers of well-written, and well-crafted thrillers.”

I also reviewed Part 2 of the series, but that review is too long to post here.

Footnote: The author, Michael Hiebert, was so pleased with my reviews, he recently asked me to beta-read a short story collection he plans to publish in November.

Great review, John! I like how you shared a bit of your process as a reader too, in recognizing what the writer was doing with their characterization. Thanks!

Thank you, Sue.

Five out of five stars When I picked up a copy of “The Girl with All the Gifts,” by M R Carey, at the used book store, I somehow had it in my head that it was a YA dystopian novel along the lines of “Divergent” or “The Hunger Games.” While I would definitely say that I was not right about that, I wouldn’t say that I was completely wrong. I was, however, completely unprepared for a zombie novel–which is a good thing, cause I wouldn’t have read it, and I’m glad I did. Think “The Walking Dead” meets (why do I want to say ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night”?) “Peter Pan.” I really enjoyed seeing things from, the main character, Melanie’s point of view. Her limited knowledge of her own situation was intriguing, to say the least (and probably why I thought of “The Curious Incident”). I was a bit disappointed when the POV changed to another character’s, but, as the novel progressed, I found myself sympathizing with nearly all the characters–with one exception, and I’ll leave that for you to ponder when you read it. I wondered how much of the science was real, but not enough for me to research it myself. Although, based on other reviews, I guess most of the science about the fungus is real. I also wondered about the fate of the remaining ‘lost boys’ of the cities. If you liked…. well, I don’t know. I’m not typically a fan of things zombie, so I don’t have a comparison, but the book was somewhat similar to “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games” in that the main character goes through a hellluva time and comes out the other side with a plan for her future.

“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom is a true story about how one man found meaning in life when his doctors gave him a death sentence. Morrie was a college professor who passed on his new found wisdom in the last year of his life to a favorite student, the author, who chronicled his professor’s perspectives on death and dying.

I chose this book because of its philosophical topic, and because it is so well written that the words just jump off the page.

Knowing we are all mortal beings, I especially liked the insights, the tidbits of wisdom imparted by the dying man. Death is a subject that few, if any of us, ever talk about seriously with friends and family. The subject of death is verboten. We deny its existence. And, if we are religious, we pretend we will not really die, but we deceive ourselves and think we will live on in some afterlife existence for all eternity. But the professor, Morrie, learns some valuable life lessons from his impending death, and Mitch Albom was gracious enough to capture them in this short but eminently readable book.

I really liked the book because it is timeless. This true story will impart serious life lessons for all future generations, and will help us gain perspectives on our lives and the relationships with those we love the most.

R. Allan Worrell

Sue, I’ve been meaning to come back since this was first posted to tell you thanks for a great article. I seldom review books for alllllll the reasons you listed. This is a perfect tool and I’ll surely use it. Cathy

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How to Write a Great Book Review (Or at Least How Not to Write a Bad One)

More by john starke.

There are many who write better, clearer, and more persuasive reviews than I will ever produce. But, as my byline says, my duties at The Gospel Coalition include editing book reviews. At some level, I have to be able to say to a review, “Yes, that works!” or “No, let’s try something different.”

But I know you are a demanding reader who expects more from me than simply how to write a review that works. You want to know the stuff that turns a review that simply works into a review that’s great. And on the occasion of the launching of our new book review site , this is as good of a time as ever to give some answers to that question.

I want to ensure you that these mysterious “great” reviews do exist and not just in the world of Forms. There are excellent reviews that can shift the entire discussion on an issue much faster and more effectively than the book itself. Some reviews are thigh-slapping funny, much to the expense, unfortunately, of the authors. And then there are the reviews that when you are done, you say to yourself, “Yes! That’s what I needed to know!” So don’t assume that book reviews are only dull necessities.

But like every popular self-help book, where the title over-sells the content, I may not have the combination for greatness to offer. But let me give some suggestions that will certainly point you in the direction where greatness dwells.

(1) Forget everything you learned in seminary.

I could tell you horror stories of seminary students sending me the review they just handed in to their New Testament professor to see if we’d like it for publication. I’ll have more to say about this below, but Bible colleges and seminaries do not train you to write a readable, much less great, review. Chances are, their guidelines tell you to do the opposite of what you should to produce interesting reading. For there is a foul motive behind academic style manuals: to ensure the review never exposes that there may be an actual person behind the reviewer!

(2) Answer the question everyone is asking.

The obvious example is Love Wins . Is Rob Bell a universalist or not? That was the question, right? It won’t always be as obvious as Bell’s book. But you should try to find the key question people are asking about the book and, then, try to answer it.

And do not just answer the question of whether the author is right or not. That should go without saying. But ask the deeper questions. Here’s one more example. Christian Smith—you know, the “moralistic therapeutic deism” Christian Smith—is coming out with a book soon entitled, Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood . Surely, he is talking about the fruit of the youthful “therapeutic moralistic deism” crowd from Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers who are transitioning into adulthood. Just what is this “dark side”? What implications does this have for the family, marriage, or even the economy? Does Smith answer these questions?

(3) Don’t over-summarize.

If it’s not poor writing that kills a review, it’s often the misguided inclusion of too much summary. Here is another sour consequence from our seminary courses. Some forums, particularly academic journals, want more summary than we prefer on this site, while other publications have no use for them to all. But if you want to ensure that nobody finishes your review, then offer a chapter-by-chapter, detailed summary. Trust me, it’s hard enough for editors to not look for the quickest distraction.

Well, stop it! You are belaboring your readers for no good reason and working too hard in a strategy that produces no good fruit.

A review is close to greatness when the author minors on summary and majors on interaction and reflection. A good rule of thumb is to give your readers a sense for the book’s main argument and then include whatever context your interaction and reflection require. You don’t need to prove that you’ve read the book. Your readers will give you the benefit of the doubt, I promise.

(4) Show the consequences of an idea.

This is an important but dangerous point. It’s important, because ideas have consequences, and if a review is going to further the discussion, then the reviewer must show where the book’s conclusion leads. It’s dangerous, because in order to show consequences, the reviewer must make reasonable assumptions—stress on reasonable —and, unfortunately, reviewers don’t always have the logical equipment or forward-thinking ability to make this work. We should never be afraid to call a spade a spade, but many authors have foolishly been called heretics or accused of other egregious sins because of unreasonable assumptions.

Nevertheless, reviewers should warn their readers of bad and unfortunate consequences of ideas put forward in books.

There you have it. As I mentioned before, I don’t have the formula for greatness, but you should now have a sense of its substance.

I am aware that there is probably more to be said, and what I’ve said could have been said more eloquently. But what many readers of reviews intuit I have tried to put into words.

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How to Write Critical Reviews

When you are asked to write a critical review of a book or article, you will need to identify, summarize, and evaluate the ideas and information the author has presented. In other words, you will be examining another person’s thoughts on a topic from your point of view.

Your stand must go beyond your “gut reaction” to the work and be based on your knowledge (readings, lecture, experience) of the topic as well as on factors such as criteria stated in your assignment or discussed by you and your instructor.

Make your stand clear at the beginning of your review, in your evaluations of specific parts, and in your concluding commentary.

Remember that your goal should be to make a few key points about the book or article, not to discuss everything the author writes.

Understanding the Assignment

To write a good critical review, you will have to engage in the mental processes of analyzing (taking apart) the work–deciding what its major components are and determining how these parts (i.e., paragraphs, sections, or chapters) contribute to the work as a whole.

Analyzing the work will help you focus on how and why the author makes certain points and prevent you from merely summarizing what the author says. Assuming the role of an analytical reader will also help you to determine whether or not the author fulfills the stated purpose of the book or article and enhances your understanding or knowledge of a particular topic.

Be sure to read your assignment thoroughly before you read the article or book. Your instructor may have included specific guidelines for you to follow. Keeping these guidelines in mind as you read the article or book can really help you write your paper!

Also, note where the work connects with what you’ve studied in the course. You can make the most efficient use of your reading and notetaking time if you are an active reader; that is, keep relevant questions in mind and jot down page numbers as well as your responses to ideas that appear to be significant as you read.

Please note: The length of your introduction and overview, the number of points you choose to review, and the length of your conclusion should be proportionate to the page limit stated in your assignment and should reflect the complexity of the material being reviewed as well as the expectations of your reader.

Write the introduction

Below are a few guidelines to help you write the introduction to your critical review.

Introduce your review appropriately

Begin your review with an introduction appropriate to your assignment.

If your assignment asks you to review only one book and not to use outside sources, your introduction will focus on identifying the author, the title, the main topic or issue presented in the book, and the author’s purpose in writing the book.

If your assignment asks you to review the book as it relates to issues or themes discussed in the course, or to review two or more books on the same topic, your introduction must also encompass those expectations.

Explain relationships

For example, before you can review two books on a topic, you must explain to your reader in your introduction how they are related to one another.

Within this shared context (or under this “umbrella”) you can then review comparable aspects of both books, pointing out where the authors agree and differ.

In other words, the more complicated your assignment is, the more your introduction must accomplish.

Finally, the introduction to a book review is always the place for you to establish your position as the reviewer (your thesis about the author’s thesis).

As you write, consider the following questions:

• Is the book a memoir, a treatise, a collection of facts, an extended argument, etc.? Is the article a documentary, a write-up of primary research, a position paper, etc.?
• Who is the author? What does the preface or foreword tell you about the author’s purpose, background, and credentials? What is the author’s approach to the topic (as a journalist? a historian? a researcher?)?
• What is the main topic or problem addressed? How does the work relate to a discipline, to a profession, to a particular audience, or to other works on the topic?
• What is your critical evaluation of the work (your thesis)? Why have you taken that position? What criteria are you basing your position on?

Provide an overview

In your introduction, you will also want to provide an overview. An overview supplies your reader with certain general information not appropriate for including in the introduction but necessary to understanding the body of the review.

Generally, an overview describes your book’s division into chapters, sections, or points of discussion. An overview may also include background information about the topic, about your stand, or about the criteria you will use for evaluation.

The overview and the introduction work together to provide a comprehensive beginning for (a “springboard” into) your review.

• What are the author’s basic premises? What issues are raised, or what themes emerge? What situation (i.e., racism on college campuses) provides a basis for the author’s assertions?
• How informed is my reader? What background information is relevant to the entire book and should be placed here rather than in a body paragraph?

Write the body

The body is the center of your paper, where you draw out your main arguments. Below are some guidelines to help you write it.

Organize using a logical plan

Organize the body of your review according to a logical plan. Here are two options:

• First, summarize, in a series of paragraphs, those major points from the book that you plan to discuss; incorporating each major point into a topic sentence for a paragraph is an effective organizational strategy. Second, discuss and evaluate these points in a following group of paragraphs. (There are two dangers lurking in this pattern–you may allot too many paragraphs to summary and too few to evaluation, or you may re-summarize too many points from the book in your evaluation section.)
• Alternatively, you can summarize and evaluate the major points you have chosen from the book in a point-by-point schema. That means you will discuss and evaluate point one within the same paragraph (or in several if the point is significant and warrants extended discussion) before you summarize and evaluate point two, point three, etc., moving in a logical sequence from point to point to point. Here again, it is effective to use the topic sentence of each paragraph to identify the point from the book that you plan to summarize or evaluate.

Questions to keep in mind as you write

With either organizational pattern, consider the following questions:

• What are the author’s most important points? How do these relate to one another? (Make relationships clear by using transitions: “In contrast,” an equally strong argument,” “moreover,” “a final conclusion,” etc.).
• What types of evidence or information does the author present to support his or her points? Is this evidence convincing, controversial, factual, one-sided, etc.? (Consider the use of primary historical material, case studies, narratives, recent scientific findings, statistics.)
• Where does the author do a good job of conveying factual material as well as personal perspective? Where does the author fail to do so? If solutions to a problem are offered, are they believable, misguided, or promising?
• Which parts of the work (particular arguments, descriptions, chapters, etc.) are most effective and which parts are least effective? Why?
• Where (if at all) does the author convey personal prejudice, support illogical relationships, or present evidence out of its appropriate context?

Keep your opinions distinct and cite your sources

Remember, as you discuss the author’s major points, be sure to distinguish consistently between the author’s opinions and your own.

Keep the summary portions of your discussion concise, remembering that your task as a reviewer is to re-see the author’s work, not to re-tell it.

And, importantly, if you refer to ideas from other books and articles or from lecture and course materials, always document your sources, or else you might wander into the realm of plagiarism.

Include only that material which has relevance for your review and use direct quotations sparingly. The Writing Center has other handouts to help you paraphrase text and introduce quotations.

Write the conclusion

You will want to use the conclusion to state your overall critical evaluation.

You have already discussed the major points the author makes, examined how the author supports arguments, and evaluated the quality or effectiveness of specific aspects of the book or article.

Now you must make an evaluation of the work as a whole, determining such things as whether or not the author achieves the stated or implied purpose and if the work makes a significant contribution to an existing body of knowledge.

Consider the following questions:

• Is the work appropriately subjective or objective according to the author’s purpose?
• How well does the work maintain its stated or implied focus? Does the author present extraneous material? Does the author exclude or ignore relevant information?
• How well has the author achieved the overall purpose of the book or article? What contribution does the work make to an existing body of knowledge or to a specific group of readers? Can you justify the use of this work in a particular course?
• What is the most important final comment you wish to make about the book or article? Do you have any suggestions for the direction of future research in the area? What has reading this work done for you or demonstrated to you?

Academic and Professional Writing

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Bad Reviews Can Destroy a Small Business. But If You Get One, Here's How to Bounce Back. A one-star review can hurt your ego — and your business. But it's possible to prevent (and remedy!) this scary scenario.

By Rachel Davies Sep 24, 2024

This story appears in the September 2024 issue of Entrepreneur . Subscribe »

Online reviews matter, especially for small businesses. They're a chance to get unbiased feedback on how your business can improve. But low ratings can also skew your average and threaten your ability to attract new customers. According to Kelly Kurlychek of BetterReputation, a company that helps businesses and individuals maintain their online reputations , upwards of 90% of prospective customers are searching for reviews before making a purchase. "Your prospects are Googling you. If you aren't showing up at all, or in any kind of negative or even mediocre light, you are losing business," says Kurlychek.

So how do you avoid bad reviews? And what do you do if they come your way?

Related: Here's Why You Shouldn't Worry About Your Business Getting Bad Reviews

Adam Levy is co-owner of the Huntington, New York, yoga studio Sound Body & Mind , and he deals with the prospect of bad reviews head-on. His business has a five-star rating on Google, but maintaining that rating wasn't as simple as giving good service and waiting for positive reviews to flow in. For the past five years, Levy has taken a proactive approach, which hinges on automated emails that customers receive after each class. These emails encourage users to leave positive reviews, yes, but also suggest that customers get in touch directly with any critical feedback. "I think playing defense against a poor review before it can happen is equally as valuable as receiving a five-star review itself," Levy says. This strategy has opened a line of communication with customers who might otherwise take their complaints directly to Google reviews or Yelp.

Even so, Levy has had to handle the worst of the worst: a one-star review. "It instantaneously ruined my day," Levy says about the dispute, which centered on a customer trying to use a class package that had been expired for years. In moments like this, your gut reaction might be to respond immediately, but Kurlychek says it's better to take a beat and compose yourself, so your emotions don't impact your response. "Never get defensive," Kurlychek says. "Responding with facts is okay, but remain polite, and remember the customer is always right." That's exactly what Levy did. He connected with the customer over the phone to make sure no one's tone was being misread. He didn't directly ask the customer to remove their review — but because he displayed such genuine interest in resolving the issue, they removed it on their own after the call.

Related: 3 Tips for Dealing With Negative Reviews Like a True Entrepreneur

Similarly, Brian Mosko of Cured & Whey , a specialty food shop in Las Vegas with a 4.9-star average rating, finds that leaning into bad reviews is the best way to minimize the damage. "Everybody takes five stars with a dose of skepticism, but [prospective customers] go look at your one-, two-, and three-star reviews, and see how the business handles it," Mosko says. "[Does the business owner] attack the person and blame them? Or is there a well-thought-out response that kind of explains the situation?"

Even if you don't receive the ideal outcome that Levy did, with the voluntary removal of a bad review, responding to critical reviews with a compassionate comment is a good habit to develop. "Keep in mind that anyone reading these reviews are likely to be potential customers," Kurlychek advises. "They will find it much easier to put themselves in the shoes of that unhappy customer than in the shoes of the business owner. Offer a resolution publicly. And put real effort into every response."

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