Writing a Book Review : Down to the Details
Writing a book review.
First, it is one of the most important things you can do for an author. They survive on reviews. It can make or break your favorite author, so even if you only write reviews for books you Love, please do it.There is no perfect way to do it.
Reviews are a personal opinion about a book and everyone is going to have a slightly different opinion about it. So this is kind of how I do it. Do you do the same? What do you put in your reviews? What do you like to see?The Basics:
First I like to give a little background. Did I LOVE the story? What was my favorite part? Did the story WOW me? Usually the first mini paragraph usually give your the basics of if I loved it or not. I want that first bit that the author or reader sees to show them my first impression of the book. If you start a review by repeating the synopsis it can bore the reader and is no use in telling them what YOU thought of it.This can also be an indication of if you really loved the book. If a book really grabs you from the start, when you sit down to write that review you can't help but write about WHAT you loved about it.LOVED this book. It started strong and kept me hooked! Loved Jane and Jack!! Their story was SO GREAT to read!
The Nitty Gritty:
*Get Down and Dirty*
I like to always try to point out particular things that I loved about the book. Were the characters super lovable? Did you relate to them well? Tell the author. If you felt they weren't tell them that too.What about the book itself. Was is a really easy read that sucked you in? Did you have trouble putting it down? Tell the author that too. Tell your fellow readers. They want to know that you LOVED it.
The Not So Nice:
Was there stuff you didn't like? This is also stuff you should share with your fellow readers and authors. Don't be rude or mean though. Remember that your words can hurt as much as your actions can. For Example: You really didn't like the heroine.Saying "The Heroine Sucked. I hated her."
That mean.
Saying " I thought the heroine could use some more development, I found her unlikeable." is much better.
That way you still get your point across but aren'y being mean of bullying the author. Just because you didn't like something doesn't mean others won't. Share your opinion either way but do it in a nice fashion.Rating:
This is my star rating system. Kinda. It always fluctuates depending on the book. Then you have the 1/2 star problem. I hate that you can't do 1/2 stars. A lot of times I love a book but I know I don't LOVE it. I go by the math rule. 4.5 rounds to a 5. If I really love it then it will show IN MY REVIEW. See, they are important. But if you were going to give it a 4.5 then can you rationalize rousing it down? I can't so I usually don't. I don't review one star books usually. I don't really do 2 star either. If the book was terrible written and just bad I will rate it, but PM the author. I don't condone bullying.★★ It was okay, but the book was not for me.
★★★ I enjoyed the book. It was well written and kept my attention.
★★★★ Loved it. I really liked the story and it had fantastic characters. It left me wanting for me and lost in the world. Typically ends with a book hangover.
★★★★★ I LOVED it. I loved the story, the characters, and its development. The world in the story was great. Very well written and easy to follow. I had no complaints at all.
See. Rating doesn't have to be complicated. I will even admit that when is tarted this I did A LOT of just 5 star rating. If I liked the book it got 5 stars. As I started reviews more I came do understand a lot better and my reviews have grown from that. *I Hope*
Disclaimer:
This is just my way of writing reviews. Everyone does things different. I have had people ask me about ti before so I wanted to give you my little brief about it. Its all my opinion.From the Authors:
I think reviews should say something about what the reviewer liked in the book. If there were favourite scenes + why they recommend the book.
Finish the book, you never know how you will feel at the end... its my pet peeve, and be constructive. Tell me what you had issues with and what you enjoyed.
I would like a little more substance in a review. For example. I have a 2 star review that utilized 24 words in 3 short sentences- which the bare minimum Amazon requires for a review- and bare minimum just doesn't help.
What do YOU include in your reviews?
What do you hate seeing in reviews?
Comment below and share your opinions :)