On Writing Reviews
Book reviews are an underappreciated genre. For the author, a review can provide feedback on their writing and allow them to engage with others about the impact. For the reader, a review can introduce them to a new author, idea, and beautiful piece of literature. For the book reviewer themselves, writing a book review provides them an opportunity to think through another person’s ideas and writing.
There’s a process of writing a book review that most students, novice bloggers, and Goodreads users partake in. It usually works in four parts:
- Provide a brief summary of the book
- Evaluate the stronger and weaker elements of the book
- Provide examples from the text to back up your points
- State your recommendations to the reader
It’s a standard formula that gets the job done. But, generally, reviews written like this can lack colour and depth. They’re less likely to entice the reader to engage with the text.
So, take the formula above. Read it. Digest it. And continue reading to learn how you can make it better. Each book carries its own constraints for the reviewer, but there are some general principles you can follow to develop an engaging and thoughtful book review.
Read the book several times
Read carefully. Annotate the book if you feel like it, leaving comments when a certain passage strikes you. Take notes. After finishing the book, go through it again. This time, skim the chapters and see what sticks out. This will help you understand the general overview of the book and absorb the work.
Here are some questions you may want to ask while reading: What is the author writing about? What statement are they trying to make, if any? How does the work make you feel? What does it remind you of?
Create a relationship between the book, the author, and potential readers
It’s likely that your reader hasn’t read the work you’re reviewing. For that reason, it’s important to establish the context of the book, whether the backdrop be social, scientific, cultural, or disciplinary.
What important ideas or questions does the book address? Who would be interested in the book and why? Why should someone be interested in the book?
Don’t just summarize. Tell a story
A great review doesn’t just summarize the work, but provides a narrative structure that details what the book is about, who the author is, the context of the work, and the reviewer’s personal evaluation of the book.
You may want to start with a short anecdote about the author’s life that relates to how they conceived of the book, or you might share a personal story about how you came across the book or how it made you feel while reading it. Then, you can dive into the summary while using examples from the book to strengthen your evaluation.
Whatever you write, it should hook the reader and make them intrigued about the book. You’re leading them along an abbreviated journey of the book. Show them what intrigues you about the writing, what revolts you, what makes you linger, what makes you rush to the end of each chapter.
Explain Why the Reader Should Care
Even if this is the reader’s 100th time engaging with the reviewed text, it’s important you give them a reason to care about what you’re saying. It’s especially important if this is the reader’s first time hearing about the book you’re reviewing. The question at the top of their mind is likely “why should I care?”
Readers care about writing that is pleasurable, adds value to their lives, speaks about something that is close—literally or figuratively—to them, or answers a question they may have. At the very least, your review should cover one (or all) of these areas. The fact that you are reviewing a book means you’re half-way there since books can be all those things: pleasurable, valuable, personable, and knowledgeable.
And while we’ve been writing solely about book reviews, there’s no reason to limit yourself. We accept a wide range of reviews—of movies, albums, art, documentaries, the A&W Spicy Habanero Chicken Sandwich. Just make sure you give us a reason to care about what you’re reviewing.
Feel ready to submit your review to Archetype? Go to our submissions page to review general guidelines and submit!