There is no right way to write a book review. Book reviews are highly personal and reflect the opinions of the reviewer. A review can be as short as 50-100 words, or as long as 1500 words, depending on the purpose of the review. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow to ensure that the review is complete.

A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book. It is not a retelling of the story, book report, or summary of the plot.

A valid review should focus on the book’s purpose, content, and authority.

It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. It should include a statement of what the author has tried to do, evaluate how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and present evidence to support this evaluation.

Basic Requirements

The reviewer must know two things in order to write a critical review: knowledge of the work and knowledge of the genre.

• Knowledge of the work demands not only an attempt to understand what the author’s purpose is and how the component parts of the work contribute to that purpose, but also some knowledge of the author–his/her nationality, time period, other works etc.
• Knowledge of the genre (biography, fiction, non-fiction, historical) means understanding the art form and how it functions. Without such understanding, the reviewer has no historical or literary standard upon which to base his/her evaluation.

Preliminary Mechanical Steps

• Read the book with care.

• Note effective passages for quoting.
• Note your impressions as you read.
• Allow yourself time to assimilate what you have read so that the book can be seen in perspective.
• Keep in mind the need for achieving a single impression which must be made clear to the reader.

Minimum Essentials of a Book Review

• Description, not a summary, of the book. Sufficient description should be given so that the reader, as he reads the review, will have some understanding of the author’s thoughts. This account of the contents of a book can often be woven into the critical remarks.

• Something about, not a biography of, the author. Biographical information should be relevant to the subject of the review and enhance the reader’s understanding of the work under discussion.
• An appraisal, preferably indirect, through description and exposition and based on the aims and purposes of the author. While a critical review is a statement of opinion, it must be a considered judgment including:
  1. A statement of the reviewer’s understanding of the author’s purpose
  2. How well the reviewer feels the author’s purpose has been achieved
  3. Evidence to support the reviewer’s judgment of the author’ achievement.

The Review Outline

The review outline enables you to get an over-all grasp of the organization of the review, to determine what central point your review is going to make, to eliminate inessentials or irrelevancies, and to fill in gaps or omissions.

By examining the notes you have made and eliminating those which have no relationship to your central thesis, and by organizing them into groups, several aspects of the book will emerge: e.g., theme, character, structure, etc. After ordering your topics–determining in what sequence they will be discussed–write down all the major headings of the outline and then fill in the subdivisions. Keep in mind that all parts of the outline should support your thesis or central point.

The Draft

When you are ready to write, the opening paragraph, like the concluding one, is in a position of emphasis and usually sets the tone of the paper. Among the various possible introductions are:

• A statement of the thesis

• A statement of the author’s purpose
• A statement about the topicality of the work or its significance
• A comparison of the work to others by the same author or within the same genre
• A statement about the author

The main body of the review should logically develop your thesis as organized by your outline. Changes in the outline may need to be made as you write and transitional paragraphs introduced, but the aim should be toward logical development of the central point. Quoted material should be put in quotation marks, or indented, and properly footnoted.

The concluding paragraph may sum up or restate your thesis or may make the final judgment regarding the book. No new information or ideas should be introduced in the conclusion.

Write the first draft, not stopping to fine tune the phrasing, but aiming to get onto the paper all that you have to say.

After some time has elapsed, read the draft critically, noting where it is ambiguous, incomplete, overwritten, etc.

Read the second draft, checking for errors in grammar and punctuation, and making sure that you have said just what you meant.

Steps in Revising the Draft

1. Allow some time to elapse, at least a day, before starting your revision.
2. Correct all mistakes in grammar and punctuation as you find them.
3. Read your paper through again looking for unity, organization and logical development.
4. If necessary, do not hesitate to make major revisions in your draft.
5. Verify quotations for accuracy and check the format and content of references.

Writing the review

Writing a book review is much like writing any other short essay. There is no universal formula, but following a few basic guidelines can simplify the task.

Review your notes and list the points you’d like to make.

Arrange those points in a logical order. Time spent now on organization not only produces a strong, clear structure, but also allows you to concentrate on phrasing when you write the first draft. One possible way of setting up the essay is like this:

1. A brief description of the subject, aim, and scope of the book
2. An outline of its thesis and its bias
3. A detailed assessment of the author’s main contentions
4. An evaluation of the book’s major strengths and weaknesses
5. A survey of topics not yet covered (sources, illustrations, indexes, etc.)
6. An assessment of the book’s place in the literature of its subject

Type the final draft.

Proofread the typed copy, and correct as necessary to ensure that it is free from errors.