How (and Why) to Write a Book Review
If you’re a writer, you’re probably a reader, too. Consider taking this activity you already do and enjoy and turning it into your own mini-MFA course by writing about what you read.
Writing book reviews can be an excellent professional development tool for authors. Why? Knowing you’ll be writing about a book changes how you read it: Rather than getting lost in the language, you read more analytically, with an eye toward structure, character development, and logic.
Over time, you also start to reflect more actively on your reading experiences: If you’re enjoying a book, why is that? What elements are really working for you? If you’re not enjoying a book, why not? If a character feels two-dimensional, or their arc feels contrived or unrealistic, what could the author have done to improve the character development? If the author’s argument doesn’t make sense to you—if it feels weak or if you vehemently disagree with it—is that an issue with the book’s content or the way the author has presented those ideas? What would you have done if this were your book?
All of this analysis and reflection teaches you lessons you can apply to your own writing.
Even if you’d rather read purely for pleasure, it’s worth taking 10 minutes after you’ve finished a book to jot down your thoughts. I’ve made this a regular practice for years, and without fail, even if I think I’ve got nothing to say about a book, once I start writing, I find that’s not true. As Flannery O’Connor said, “I don’t know so well what I think until I see what I say” (similar quotes have been attributed to E. M. Forster, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Didion, and Stephen King, among others). By the time I finish writing my book review, I understand it on a much deeper level than I did when I first sat down at my keyboard.
There’s no single correct format for a book review, but if you need a little structure to start writing reviews for your own professional development, or if you’d like to submit your reviews to publications, feel free to use the framework I typically follow, below, as a starting point.
What Is the Purpose of a Book Review?
But before we dive in, let’s back up to discuss the traditional purpose of a book review. Again, a book review that you write for your own education can be anything you want or need it to be. But a traditional book review evaluates a book, with the ultimate goal of helping the reader of the review decide whether to read it.
A review may also examine a book’s place in the wider culture or use the book as a way into a broader discussion of the book’s subject. For example, a reviewer may use a memoir that centers on the author’s immigration from Somalia to the US as the jumping-off point for a more general discussion of the immigrant experience in America.
What Information Does a Book Review Include?
FICTION and NARRATIVE NONFICTION
Metadata: book title, author name, publisher name, publication date
Side note: Keeping tabs on who’s publishing the books you’re reading is a great way to see patterns—are your favorite books all from the same small group of publishers? Which presses publish the kinds of books (subject or style) you’d like to write? Once you’ve identified the publishers whose tastes seem to be most aligned with yours, you can begin to look for trends in those publishers’ books. This is market research you can apply to your own book project.
A brief summary of the plot
An analysis of at least one (ideally more) of the following:
Theme
Character development
Narrative arc
Pace
Language/tone/style
The book’s intellectual or cultural context: How does this book build off others in the genre? Is the book in conversation with, or has it influenced, the wider culture?
Quotes and examples from the book to give readers a sense of the book’s style and back up critical evaluations
Evaluation: Does the book accomplish what it sets out to do? What elements work? What elements don’t?
EXPOSITORY/INFORMATIONAL NONFICTION
Metadata: book title, author name, publisher name, publication date
A summary of the book’s main idea, theme, or argument
An analysis of at least one (ideally more) of the following:
Theme
Logic and clarity of the argument and whether the argument is well-supported by evidence
Structure
Pace
Language/tone/style
The book’s intellectual or cultural context: How does this book build off others in the genre? Is the book in conversation with, or has it influenced, the wider culture?
Quotes and examples from the book to give readers a sense of the book’s style and back up critical evaluations
Evaluation: Does the book accomplish what it sets out to? What elements work? What elements don’t?
“BONUS” INFO (generally nice to have, but not necessary or appropriate for every review)
Close analysis of a scene or detail that’s representative of the book’s themes or style
Relevant biographical information/context (including previous works by the author)
Comparison of the book with the author’s previous work or other books on the subject or in the genre
Answers to the questions: Who (among the target audience) will enjoy this book? Who probably won’t?
Relevant background info on the reviewer: We all approach works of art from a specific perspective, and that perspective colors what we see and how we write about it. When possible, make these perspectives and biases explicit. Especially if you're writing about subject matter that departs from your own experience or doesn’t align with your identity, consider discussing your identity so the reader of the review understands where you’re coming from.
What Are the Qualities of a Stand-Out Book Review?
Cohesion: Great reviews make an argument about the book. There’s a main idea, even if it’s loose, that ties the piece together.
Flow: The review flows logically from its opening to its conclusion.
Precision: Every sentence serves a unique purpose, and there’s no vague language.
Inventiveness: What’s your unique angle on this book? Help the reader see it with new eyes.
Connection to broader themes: The review moves from the book’s specifics to more universal themes or the wider implications of the book’s ideas.
How Do I Structure My Review?
There’s an infinite number of ways to structure a compelling review. But if you’re stuck, try this default structure. (You can always move the pieces around later.)
Opening: Introduce the book, author, publisher, publication date, and the book’s theme or premise (for fiction) or topic or argument (for nonfiction).
Fiction example: “In The Golden Spoon (Atria, 2023), a cozy mystery, six amateur bakers descend on a stately manor in Vermont for the tenth season of Bake Week, a baking competition show. The stakes are high: The winner of the ‘golden spoon’ will receive a cookbook publishing deal.”
Fiction example: “Claire-Louise Bennett’s lauded 2015 debut, Pond (shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize), captured the interior life of an unnamed protagonist living a solitary life in the Irish countryside. Bennett returns to a similar premise in Checkout 19 (Riverhead, 2022): In this engrossing autobiographical novel, the protagonist (again unnamed) is even more solitary, and so consumed by imaginary worlds that they become her very identity.”
Nonfiction example: “In her intimate essay collection Translating Myself and Others (Princeton University Press, 2022), Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri (Interpreter of Maladies) reflects on the rewards and challenges of writing in and translating from a non-native tongue. Best known for her English-language fiction, Lahiri also writes in Italian, which she learned as an adult, and her essays explore her limitations in the language.”
Nonfiction example: “In Rise and Fall of the 80’s Toon Empire (Createspace, 2017), Jason Waguespack analyzes the pop culture ascent of cartoon stars such as He-Man and Strawberry Shortcake and examines the factors leading to the industry’s near-demise. For anyone dismissing the business of kid’s television as child’s play, Waguespack reveals the risks, controversies, and money involved in bringing beloved characters like Inspector Gadget and the ThunderCats to millions of young viewers.”
Plot/content summary
Analysis: What works? What doesn’t?
Conclusion: Give your ultimate evaluation of the book, compare the book to other books in the genre/on the subject, and/or discuss the book’s broader intellectual or cultural context.
Fiction example: “The Golden Spoon is a debut, and it feels like one. The baking-show setting, manor descriptions, and cozy vibe will likely be enough to win over many readers. But those expecting the quirky characters of Nita Prose (The Maid), the delightful twists of Anthony Horowitz (Magpie Murders), or the stylish writing of Richard Osman (The Thursday Murder Club)—all authors to whom Maxwell has been compared—may find The Golden Spoon wanting.”
Fiction example: “Checkout 19 is an exemplar of autofiction. Unfortunately, the much-maligned genre has a reputation for being tedious and overdone: The solipsism, stream-of-consciousness, lack of plot—all can be tiresome in the wrong hands. But Bennett proves there are still fresh angles on the search for self.”
Nonfiction example: “Appropriately—and in contrast to her razor-sharp sentences—Lahiri lets her essays remain loose and a little messy. She finally accepts that she can’t force her theory of translation into a box, tied up with a bow. She doesn’t answer all the questions she poses, but it’s immensely satisfying to watch the drama of her thought unfold, and language lovers will find her journey to acceptance fascinating.”
Nonfiction example: “Still, there’s gripping tension in observing the various animators, producers, broadcasters, and toy companies alternately wooing and repelling each other, and cartoon aficionados will revel in Waguespack’s comprehensive foray into the gritty backstories behind the animated charm.”
