How to Write a Book Review

Share your Book Thoughts for Fun or Profit

Jan 26, 2007

Book reviews are relatively short personal evaluations. Unlike lenghty book summaries, a good book review gives a sense of the work without giving away the ending.

This is particularly important with mystery novels, where half the fun of reading the book is trying to figure out the solution to the murder. Book reviews are, by definition, subjective, but the reviewer also needs to back up his views with examples of the book's literary merit. To just say that you don't like the book because it is set in Paris and you don't like Paris is way too arbitrary.

Four Components of a Book Review

In general, book reviews follow a pattern of four distinct components. They are: an overview, a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the book, your personal perspective, and biographical information about the author, if desired.

Overview

The overview should be, ideally, one or two paragraphs that give the reader a sense of the book's plot, setting, and tone without giving away too much of the plot. It's acceptable to talk about the action in the first few chapters, but avoid being too specific about the plot past that point. If the novel is part of a series, mention the repeat characters.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strengths and weaknesses section discusses the literary merit of the book. This is not a place to show off your literary prowess; just discuss the plot, theme, and characters in everyday terms. Does the plot make sense? Are the characters' actions believable? Does the book stay true to its central theme?

Personal Perspective

This is where you get to use your own experience and reading to evaluate the novel. If you've read all of the other books in the series and the latest one pales in comparision, say so. If the author has done a good job of re-introducing his characters, or setting up the plot, or teasing the reader towards a surprise ending, say that, too. Avoid superlatives, however. Your "best book in the world" means little to the person reading your review.

Author Information

With a few exceptions, such as Stephen King and James Patterson, most mystery authors are relatively unknown to their readers. As all writers bring a little piece of themselves to their work, it's usually interesting, and often illuminating, to learn more about the author's background. This information is usually available from the author's personal Web site or from the publisher's site.

Writing Reviews

Book reviews can be fun to write and are a good way to solidify your thoughts about a novel. Online book retailers, such as Amazon.com, give readers the opportunity to post reviews. Content sites, such as Associated Content and others, also accept book reviews. Writing reviews can be a good way to hone your writing skills while having fun reading books.

The copyright of the article How to Write a Book Review in Mystery/Crime Fiction is owned by Sandy Mitchell. Permission to republish How to Write a Book Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.