How to Write a Book Review: 3 Main Elements of a Book Review

A book review is a critical examination of a book that includes a plot summary, details about the main characters and main themes, and a positive or negative review of the author’s writing style. Book reviews bring new books to a potential reader's attention and provide readers with opinions on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. This content helps readers form their own thoughts about whether to read the book or skip it. Professional writers working for periodicals, review sites, academic journals, and literature review publications write book reviews.

Book reviews are different from book reports; a book review provides a critical analysis of the book for its intended audience, while a book report summarizes the book’s plot and the author’s arguments without a critical point of view. However, the two forms share certain elements: Both include basic information like the book title and author’s name, the type of book (fiction or nonfiction book), and a synopsis of the main points of the plot. Book reports are common assignments for elementary, middle, and high school students as part of their reading or literature curriculums.

The primary elements of a book review include:

1. 1. Analysis: This is where readers find out if you think this is a good book or a great book. Your analysis examines the quality of the author’s prose and the construction of the plot. This assessment of the key parts of the book helps potential readers decide if they should read the book. Some book reviews include a rating, such as a letter grade or star rating.
2. 2. Basic bibliographic information: Include the essential information about the book, like the title (and any subtitles), author’s name, publisher, and date of publication. In addition, reviews often include the number of pages and feature an image of the book cover.
3. 3. Summary of the book’s subject and themes: Summarizing the book’s subject and primary themes, or the author’s argument in the case of a nonfiction book, are essential elements of a book review. Include details about the main points, characters, and the book’s genre.

Here are three tips to help you with writing book reviews:

1. 1. Back up your argument with examples. Critical analysis needs supporting evidence. Saying a book is good or bad won’t suffice; a book review requires a thorough examination of the plot, writing style, and characters. Examples taken directly from the book provide strong support for critical points made in the body paragraphs of your review.
2. 2. Compare and contrast. Noting similarities between the book and other published works gives your intended audience a more robust picture of the book’s merits. Note if the writer is a first-time author or if the book is part of a series (in this case, compare this book to the writer’s other work).
3. 3. Focus your summary on essential plot points. Plot synopses are short, concise, and refrain from revealing too much. Avoid including spoilers, especially if the plot hinges on a surprise revelation (like in a mystery novel).

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