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. Although there is no “correct” way to write a review, there is some essential information needed in each one. Fiction and non-fiction books have differences 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 author’s name. Sometimes publication information such as ISBN, publisher, type of book, and general subject matter are noted.
Example of a first paragraph: The base stealers club, by V. Gilbert Zahel, follows the progress of a high school baseball team on their way to a championship. Apart from the team, they also help solve a mystery that plagues the community. Published by 4RV Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-84728-220-0, the book appeals to those 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, the analysis of the author’s use of three-dimensional characters or flat characters is important.
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 he wants to help the young man who stole money from the locker room. An example where he acted as a peacemaker on the team is shown in the following excerpt: Ryan stood 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: The theme of a book may not be written word for word, 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 themes 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 realize and learn to accept.
Graphic: Are the various elements of the plot handled well? Plot elements include the introduction, the conflict, the climax, and the conclusion.
Plot example: The base stealers club 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 games 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 under the name 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 in the pages of this book.
Give a short summary of the book: Give an overview, but don’t reveal the climax or conclusion of the plot.
Summary example: The Jonesville Chargers, a high school-aged baseball team, pursue championship dreams and the solution of 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?
Example opinion: enjoy it The base stealers club because I got carried away chronicling a team’s season, games and trying 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: Having correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and other components of good writing are just as important in a review as they are in writing a book. Reviews are a way of writing.
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.
