A book review describes, analyzes, and evaluates the quality, meaning, and importance of a book. It is not to be retold, and it is not a book report or summary. A review is a comment. While there is no “correct” way to write a review, some essential information is needed in each one. Fiction and nonfiction books differ not only in content but also in the components that should be in a review. Let’s look at some tips to keep in mind when writing a fiction book review. I will use one of my books in the examples.
First of all, don’t reveal the story, the climax, the end of the book. Use occasional quotes from the book to support or explain the points of the review.
The first paragraph should include the title of the book and the name of the author. Sometimes publication information such as the ISBN, publisher, type of book, and general subject is noted.
Example of a first paragraph: The base robbers club, by V. Gilbert Zahel, follows the progress of a high school baseball team on its way to a championship. Apart from the team, they also help solve a mystery plaguing the community. Published by 4RV Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-84728-220-0, the book appeals to those who are interested in sports, mystery, and adventure.
Other points to be discussed, in different paragraphs, are the following:
Characters: Are the characters flat or round? A round character is multidimensional. Round characters make the story more interesting and believable; therefore, it is important to analyze the use that the author makes of three-dimensional characters or flat characters.
Example of character representation: Ryan Scott is not only an excellent athlete, but he also cares about others. He helps find the thief in the story; he then wants to help the young man who stole money from the locker room. An example in which he acted as a peacemaker on the team is shown in the following excerpt: Ryan came to a stop next to Colby, slipping his arm around the shorter boy’s shoulders. “Hey Colby, calm down. Josh is just repeating what he heard. I heard my dad say the same thing about some criminals.” With a slight smile, Ryan turned to Josh. “Josh, what does the preacher say about forgiving? What have we learned in church about forgiving others?”
Theme: A book’s theme may not be written verbatim, but the review should note how the author reveals or develops the theme(s). Mention whether you, as the reviewer, agree or disagree with the author’s points and why.
Theme example: The author supports moral values and actions throughout the book. However, the message is not preachy or forceful, but the theme flows throughout the story. The author’s views are strong and young readers need to take notice and learn to accept.
Plot: Are the various plot elements handled well? Plot elements include the introduction, conflict, climax, and conclusion.
plot example: The base robbers club he introduces the conflict, the problem in the first two chapters of the book, both the start of the games that lead to a successful season and the lack of money in the locker room. The suspense builds as the team plays the game and tries to help find the thief. The climax is unique, as is the reaction of the team members.
Author information: V. Gilbert Zabel, who also writes as Vivian Gilbert Zabel, for adult books, and Granny Zabel, for children’s books, both played baseball and helped coach a baseball team. His interest and background in sports, as well as with children, can be found within the pages of this book.
Give a brief summary of the book: Give an overview, but don’t reveal the climax or conclusion of the plot.
Summary example: The Jonesville Chargers, a baseball team of high school-aged boys, pursue championship dreams and the solution to a mystery plaguing their team.
Give your opinion about the book: Tell how the book affected you. Say if the book is interesting, entertaining, or memorable. Would you recommend the book to readers? Why or why not?
Opinion example: enjoy it The base robbers club because I got carried away by the chronicle of a team’s season, the games and the attempt to find a thief. This book will appeal to readers ages ten to fifteen who love baseball. Young sports fans will be better off having read the book.
Important note: Getting the grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and other components of good writing right are just as important in a review as they are in writing a book. Reviews are a way of writing.
The suggestions can be arranged differently or combined, and some others can be added. Some can be removed, but most of the information should be somewhere in the review.