Writing a book review is not fun.
No, no. Let me rephrase that: The idea of writing a book review isn’t fun.
Writing the book review itself can actually be quite enjoyable. Once you set aside a little time, sharing your thoughts on a book you read with the rest of the world can be a rewarding experience.
There are generally two reasons people don’t like to write reviews.
- They don’t have the time.
- They don’t think they know how.
That’s it. And luckily, both of these can be remedied.
Do you remember having to write book reports in school? We had to answer specific questions, were expected to fill a certain number of pages, we had to deep analyses…
It felt like such a chore, and this is coming from someone
1) likes books!
2) loves to write (duh!)
3) and someone who likes to share her opinions with the world. (double duh!)
But reviews aren’t book reports.
For one, they aren’t mandatory. And for two, they aren’t graded.
Why leave a review?
Because it really helps the author. It increases visibility. It provides social proof. More visibility and social proof lead to more sales, which lead to more reviews…creating a lovely, virtuous cycle.
People start to notice the author more. So the author can write more books because they can actually pay their bills.
Your review might be the reason someone decides to buy (or not buy) the book. So, you are also helping out fellow readers.
Now, at this point, Dan Brown will live just fine if you don’t review his latest book. I just opened up my Amazon tab and typed in Dan Brown. He has thousands (or even tens of thousands of reviews) on his books.
So, people will leave reviews, and he can live if he doesn’t get the 16,000th one. (I love Dan Brown by the way. I’m just pointing out how successful and well-known he is.) Readers also have plenty of information to decide whether to pick up their next book or not.
On the other hand, other writers aren’t so lucky. We have to work really hard to get those initial reviews, and even getting to double digits takes a lot of work in the beginning.
So, you make authors really happy.
Are there rules to how to write a review?
Yes, and no.
The more specific you are about what you like and don’t like about the book (without spoiling things of course), the more you will help out readers and authors.
Authors will treat it as feedback, and readers can make a more informed decision.
Just saying something like “this book rocks”, or “this sucks!” doesn’t help anyone.
If you liked the book, give examples.
If you didn’t like the book, you guessed it, give examples.
And it is also okay to be neutral about the book, or have both enjoyed some parts and disliked the others.
Things to consider when writing a review (so it becomes easy and fast):
For fiction
Note: You don’t have to mention all of these. These are just ideas to get you started. Usually, a well-written paragraph suffices. A few paragraphs? The writer will think they are in heaven. But even a few coherent and specific lines will do if you are in a hurry.
– Writing style/author’s voice.
How was it? How did it make you feel? What was good? What was lacking? Who do you think they are similar to? In what way?
– Characters.
Were they interesting? Were they memorable? Who was your favorite? Who did you hate? Did you hate the character because the author meant for you to, or did you just not connect with the protagonist at all?
– Plot.
Was it fun? Engaging? Scary? Boring? Full of surprises? A mess?
– Ending.
Was it satisfactory? Was it what you expected? Was getting what you expected good or bad, in terms of the genre/this book’s story?
– Pacing.
Did the author keep you awake at night, or did you have to force yourself to keep your eyes open? You can just say it lagged at times, or that you appreciated the flow.
– Dialogue.
Enough? Too much? Too little? Was it funny? Did it sound natural? In character? Interesting? Were there too many monologues?
– Genre.
Was this book a good example of its genre?
– The future.
Would you consider reading more from this author?
– The future of the characters/storyworld.
Would you like to see more adventures from these characters? Which ones? Why?
This can inspire/motivate the author to create more books featuring these characters.
For non-fiction
– Did you find the information useful?
– Did the author deliver on what they promised?
– Was it entertaining and/or informative? Was it interesting?
– Was it comprehensive enough? Did you find it too short or too long? Or was it the right length?
– What did you think of the writer’s voice? Their writing style? Their use of language?
– Would you consider reading more from this author?
– What could the author have done better?
– Would you like to learn more from the author? If so, what? This not only motivates the author, but it helps them create a book that is better suited to their target audience’s wants and needs.
What to avoid
– Don’t give spoilers. Some people still swear at the people who ruined The Sixth Sense’s ending, and it’s understandable. The ending makes that movie, really.
– Don’t blame the writer for your own mistakes.
If this is a 3-book series where you need to have read the first ones to follow the plot, and this was noted on the product page, then don’t start at book 3.
If you have and found it hard to follow and rate the book at 1, well…you know where this is going. Please don’t be that reader.
– Don’t be nasty. Is it really the worst book you’ve ever read? And even if it is, do you really need to put it that way?
Maybe list what hasn’t worked for you and expand on that.
You can be critical and leave a not-so-positive review without being rude and sending the author to a potential breakdown.
– Consider if you are in the target audience.
If you are an expert, a book for newbies might not appeal to you.
If you are a romance reader, you might not enjoy a psychological horror.
– Be specific.
Did you find the characters unbelievable? Or did you feel like you’ve known the protagonist all your life?
Did you think the main romantic couple made a good match?
Were the subplots satisfactory and relevant, or did they seem redundant?
Take some notes.
With the questions above to get you going, take a few notes.
It’s okay to go back to the book for a couple of pages to refresh your memory. I often do.
Then write your review in a coherent manner.
You don’t actually need to be answering the questions. You can write the first few things that come to your mind, give it a quick read to see if it’d make sense to an outsider, and publish it.
But do make sure it is easily readable through punctuation and good grammar. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just understandable.
It gets easier after the first few!
Like most things, practice makes perfect. Words will be pouring out of your mouth and onto the screen in no time.
Where to leave the review?
– Amazon and/or the retailer you purchased it from.
If an author is available on Amazon, they will appreciate a review there. But if you bought the book on Kobo, go ahead and leave it there. (This applies to all retailers.)
To leave a review on Amazon, you scroll down on the book’s page, and on the left-hand side, you’ll see the write a product review button.
Click on it. Rate it, write your review, and click submit.
You’re good to go.
– Goodreads. Goodreads is a great place for reviews, but I prefer it if readers can leave the review on Amazon first.
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Don’t leave a review if you don’t want to, or if you are really crunched for time. But know that authors and readers appreciate it a great deal.
A Sample Review
Let’s write a review right now:
A book review I write for a Jack Reacher novel might go like this (Because this is a series, everything I said so far goes for every Jack Reacher book):
Jack Reacher is the epitome of the badass, tough protagonist that you’ll definitely want on your side if you get in trouble. He is fair, cares about justice, and people and the truth matter more than the law.
Each book follows Jack Reacher on a different adventure against different villains, but the books always deliver with fast pacing, fun dialogue, tight plots, and great fight scenes.
I honestly would love to be Jack Reacher even for a day.
…. (and yes, I’d continue this with my comments on that particular JR book.)
See, even the protagonist had me going…Yes, I really love Lee Child and Jack Reacher.
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Your reviews can be longer or shorter. More or less detailed. More positive or negative.
At the end of the day, it is just you telling other people what you liked (and/or didn’t) like something and why.
Reviews Readers Left for My Books
Below are some of my favorite lines from reader reviews for my romcom drama A Change Would Do You Good (Amazon affiliate link):
You can read these reviews in their entirety on Goodreads.
“I loved this story and all of the wonderful characters in it. The author has given them all such unique personalities and the way that they interact with each other in this tiny apartment complex will have readers laughing until they cry.”
“There is a happy ending although I would definitely love to see what is in store for more of their futures! A fun read I could not put down!”
“Nice story with compelling subplots…”
“It portrays several characters who connect to each other in some way. The chapters are divided into little sections — always from a different point of view — so the reading is very dynamic and you never get tired of following someone’s story.”
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For more inspiration, below are two reviews I wrote:
Review for Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking (non-fiction)
Passport Control: Review for Gila Green’s Novel
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Go ahead. Write a review. It’s actually fun. At the end of the day, you’re sharing what you liked (or didn’t like) with fellow readers.
(Note to self: Remember to leave reviews more often!)
