How (and Why) to Write a Book Review People Want to Read

WHY write a book review?

Fair question! And there are many compelling reasons to write a book review.

By the way, a “review” is simply any opinion you share about a book. Could be written text (as the example above) or video. Could be a one-liner (“Highly recommend!” or “Not my jam”) or a whole blog post.

Whether you share your review to a retail site (Amazon, B & N) or a review site (Goodreads, Storygraph), or your own social media, it all comes under the review umbrella. Honestly, even talking about a book with a friend over lunch counts!

Here are some marvelous things that happen when you write a book review:

• Other readers may be influenced by your opinion (oh, the power!)
• You may discover a whole new group of readers with whom you can share great book recs. You may even decide to do a “buddy read” or form a book group. (hello, social life!)
• You’ll create a written record of the books you’ve read and whether you liked them or not. (I love tracking my reads on Storygraph and Goodreads – so easy to look back and access my reading history)
• Publishers may reach out to offer you free books and exclusive sneak peeks of highly desirable upcoming releases. (no more FOMO!)
• You may be asked to become a valuable member of an author’s Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) team and have the opportunity to help a book gain momentum

And here are some wildly awesome things that MAY happen:

• You may never have to pay to read another book in your whole life.
• The author may come across your review and ask if they can use a quote as a “cover blurb,” thus making you as famous as they are (or vice versa)
• You could become a TikTok or YouTube “book influencer.” People will throw money at your feet just for the chance to be mentioned on your channel.

Having convinced you why writing book reviews is a great activity to undertake, here’s how to write a book review like a pro without spraining your brain…

First, some hard truths about reviews:

• Reviews matter. A lot.
• Regardless of your own personal weighting system, star ratings lower than 3/5 can really damage a book’s chance for success. My general rule of thumb is not to use a star rating if I can’t, in good conscience, give at least 4 stars. I stick to words alone and try to mix in as many positive points as I can. There’s always something nice to say, even if it’s simply the book’s premise.
• “Reviews are for readers,” so they say. But here’s the truth – authors not only read them, we scour reviews for back cover “blurb” material and quotable snippets to share in our marketing material. We pay A LOT of $$ to distribute free books to review sites like Net Galley, largely hoping for those review nuggets. Also, authors are human beings, and we see what you post – even if you don’t tag us.
• READ THE BOOK if you’re going to review it. ESPECIALLY if you’re on an ARC team or a blog tour. ‘Nuf said.

How am I qualified to opine?

I’ve been on both sides of the book review situation literally hundreds of times.

From the reader’s perspective, I understand the importance of maintaining your integrity as a reviewer. If you really feel a book is poorly written, you don’t want to jump up and down for everyone you know to read it. You want to balance honesty with kindness. When in doubt, I always lean toward kindness. If you’d like a sampling of the reviews I’ve written, you can check me out on Goodreads or Storygraph.

Suffice it to say, I’ve been around the block on this one. And yet, I too sometimes struggle with reviewer’s block, SO –

Here are some prompts:

This is not a template – it’s a menu of ideas! Many “pro-level” reviewers develop their own template for every book they review. Personally, I like to keep it loose and highlight whatever strikes me most powerfully for each individual book. Use these prompts however you like!

Summarize the story

Briefly say what the story is about. Use the author’s cover blurb if you’d like. This could include main characters, genre, length, any tropes you came across while reading, any trigger warnings you feel are important, general audience for the book. Indicate which format of the book you read (print, ebook, audio), especially if that contributed to your evaluation.

*Try not to include spoilers, but if you feel the need to do so, it’s only polite to warn folks beforehand.

Give your overall impression using any or all of these metrics:

• What kind of emotional response did this story draw from you?
• Did you enjoy reading/listening to this story overall?
• Did you have to “DNF” (Did Not Finish) and if so, why?
• Was this a quick read or a slog?
• Did this book meet your expectations (based on the hype, the cover, familiarity with the author/series, what you’d heard, etc.)?
• Did the book surprise you?
• Are you eager to read the next in series/another book by the author?

Share your thoughts on the main story elements:

[Note– these are not necessarily meant to be positives or negative points]

• Characters – Did you have a favorite? Did an unexpected side character steal the show? Were these characters relatable? Likeable? One-sided (all women are good, all men suck). Did you CARE about them? Did you root for them? Are you obsessed even after finishing the book?
• Plot – Did the action drive the story? How did you like the pacing? Were the key scenes (whether steamy or battle scenes) realistic? Intimate? Entertaining or cringy? Did the ending satisfy?
• Dialogue – Did you find the dialogue to be realistic or forced? If you were hoping for playful banter, is that what you got?
• Themes or tropes – Can you name any themes or tropes? Did you enjoy the treatment of this theme or trope in the book? (This seems especially helpful and common with romance or other genre books)

Did you learn anything from reading this book?

Perhaps more obvious when reading non-fiction or historical fiction, this question could apply to any book if you reflect on some of these cues:

• Was the setting thought-provoking, be that place or time?
• Was there a specific topic that was explored in a way that was new to you? (a character’s passion for wine, unique occupation, mythology, a certain event or psychological angle)
• Were you motivated to learn more about anything after reading the book?

Share any favorite quotes

Many ereaders allow you to highlight as you read, which makes sharing a favorite quote quite easy.

Your recommendation

Maybe the most important part of any review!

• Would you recommend this book in general? To whom?
• Compare or contrast with other books you’ve read – “Fans of Hunger Games will enjoy the heartbreaking love triangle…”
• Any trigger warnings to share?

The End.

Without totally spoiling the book, share if/how the ending was satisfying or disappointing.

*

Do you write a book review for every book you read? What’s your strategy?

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