How To Write A Book Review

Book reviews are good for you, as a reader, for other readers, and for authors. Writing a quick review for yourself will help you remember how you felt about the book.  Sharing that review on Goodreads or social media will help others decide if they want to read it. Authors appreciate reviews and posting them can help drive sales. 

Writing reviews intimidates some people, but it’s not like writing a book report. It’s fine to write a simple review like “I liked this book because...” or “I hated this book because...” If you just couldn’t stand the main character or fell head over heels in love with the golden retriever the protagonist owned, just claim it. But if you want to do more than that, here are some tips.

First, what is the main impression you had of the book? A review on Amazon requires a title, so if you can summarize your reaction to the book in one sentence, that would make an excellent header for your review.

Once you have a title, summarize the book in a sentence or two. Just the bare minimum.

Expand a bit. Write a sentence or two about what you liked or didn’t like about the book. Was the plot engaging, boring, predictable, or original? Was the writing graceful, blunt, lyrical, affected, plain, or poetic? Were the characters well-rounded or flat? 

Finally, is there something that sets the book apart from others in its genre? A unique setting? A character who stood out? A different way of telling the story? Here’s the place to mention that.

Once it’s written, you can copy and paste your review to multiple sites! I review books on Goodreads, my Instagram feed, and Amazon.