Book reviews are a common academic task that students often misunderstand or underestimate. You may see that you have to write a book review and think to yourself that it’s as simple as a summary or opinion, but it’s actually much more than that, and requires some key features to get a stellar grade. Even strong essay writers may be well-versed in argumentative or reflective papers, but still struggle to find the right way to construct a book review. In this article, you’ll learn what professors actually expect out of your book review, and take these ideas into learning how to write an article review as well.
What a Book Review Actually Is (and What It Isn’t)
A book review is a critical, academic evaluation, not a summary or personal reaction to a piece of reading. It analyzes the author’s argument, the evidence or methods they use to construct their argument, and how that argument contributes to a broader field or conversation. Rather than a book report, which is focused on a summary of main ideas, or a reflection, which is more experience or emotion-focused, a book review focuses more on the quality of the author’s techniques, how well they expressed their ideas, and whether their main argument was effective on you, as the reader. It requires more critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis than a book report or reflection.
With this in mind, a book review should be clear, instructional, and practical rather than literary or overly creative. The focus of a book review is to provide a precise evaluation of the writing and how successful the author was in getting their point across.
What to Include in a Book Review
Even if you have a general idea of how to write a book review, it’s most important to know the specific things your professor expects to see as they’re grading it. The core components of a book review that your professor is looking for are:
- A brief summary that includes the context of the book and author
- The central argument and thesis that the author is asserting
- A critical evaluation of the author’s evidence and reasoning for their argument
If you focus on these three components, you’re on your way to a successful book review. As you’re refining, make sure you pay attention to the balance between the summary to orient the reader, and the analysis of its content. The worst thing you can do when writing a book review is to include more description than analysis.
When you read this, you may be wondering how to go about critically evaluating or analyzing the author’s argument and evidence. Many students will divert to describing the writing because they aren’t sure how to analyze it. So, there are a couple of things you can pay attention to specifically, which will help you analyze a book:
- Focus on the strengths and limitations: what did the author do well, and what was less convincing?
- How relevant was the book to the current field of study?
- How useful is this book, compared to others in the same field?
These are some questions you can ask yourself to start writing your evaluation, and expand as you see fit. Focus on these components while maintaining an objective, academic voice rather than trying to persuade or promote the book to the reader. Your main goal with a book review is to provide valuable insight into the impact, usefulness, and success of the author and book.
How to Structure a Book Review
Now that you have an understanding of the focus you should maintain when writing a book review, let’s get into the details of what your book review should actually look like. You should always start with your professor’s assignment guidelines or rubric to guide the structure, but if you don’t have any guidance on where to start, here’s a basic pathway you can follow:
Overview
In your overview, you’ll focus mainly on the book, discussing the main points that it walks through and the central argument that the author is trying to get across. Think about the necessary components of the book that the reader would need to know, so they can understand what the book is about and what the author is trying to say.
Analysis
To write an analysis, think about the evidence that the author is using to support their main argument. An analysis goes deeper into the specific aspects of the book that the author uses to create impact.
Evaluation
When evaluating, you are judging for the reader whether the book was successful in its goal or not. In contrast to an analysis, where you are studying the mechanisms the author uses to get their point across, here you are discussing the usefulness, impact, and success of that evidence, and whether it actually supports the author’s main claims.
How to Write a Good Book Review
With the structure above, you’re on your way to a solid book review that meets your professor’s expectations. To make that book review actually good, there are a few more things you should focus on as you’re writing, editing, and revising:
Focus on Clarity, Precision and Objectivity
As you’re writing, your main focus should be on making sure your statements can be easily understood by the reader, and aren’t complicated by using extra words or explanations. You should also constantly ask yourself whether your writing is biased or whether it’s grounded in examples from the book to support your analysis and evaluation.
Use Specific Examples
The best way to ensure objectivity is to make sure anything you say in your review is supported by specific examples within the text. This makes your review seem more trustworthy and objective, making your readers trust your evaluation even more.
Write for an Academic Audience
Your audience, in most cases, should be academic, meaning you should avoid casual language, personal opinions, or shorthand writing. Make sure your writing is grammatically correct and utilizes academic vocabulary to get across your ideas.
How to Write a Critical Book Review
A critical book review is analytical, not negative. When being critical, you are called to question common assumptions made in the book, assess the methods the author uses to get their point across, and identify gaps or limitations that you notice. Your critique should be respectful and utilize specific examples to support your views, rather than relying on your personal opinion. You should situate the book within a broader scholarly conversation and discuss how well it contributes to that conversation when you can.
How to Review a Book for Different Learning Levels
Of course, the expectations for a book review may change depending on the age, course level, and purpose. Therefore, your tone, depth, and complexity of writing should match the audience that you’re writing to.
How to Write a Book Review for Kids
For kids, you should focus on a simple summary and your basic reaction, reflecting your level of comprehension of the material, rather than critiquing or evaluating. Use accessible language and clear explanations, and emphasize storytelling.
How to Write a Book Review for School
At this level, introduce basic analysis alongside your summary. Make sure you identify the main ideas of the book and create a simple evaluation: what worked, and what didn’t? Don’t worry about advanced theoretical framing or context.
How to Write a Book Review for College
For college, focus on all the components we’ve discussed so far. Emphasize:
- Argument analysis
- Evidence evaluation
- Academic tone
On top of this, make sure you’re relying on specific examples with citations to support your claims about the book, and utilize an advanced critique that’s specific to the field of study.
How to Write a Short Book Review
If you’re tasked with writing a shorter book review, around 250 to 500 words, focus on prioritizing the central argument of the author and the key strengths or weaknesses that the book has to offer. Even though it’s shorter, avoid trying to summarize the entire book, and instead narrow your content to focus on analysis and evaluation.
Book Review Template
Introduction
- Provide background information here, including the title, author, and year the book was published.
- Ask yourself what information is necessary for the reader to know before they begin reading your book review.
- What is the author’s main argument or purpose in writing the book?
- Thesis: What is your overall evaluation of the book?
Brief Summary
- Summarize the central ideas of the book; avoid chapter-by-chapter summaries.
- What are the key claims the author makes?
- How does the author choose to develop their argument?
- Avoid retelling the book’s storyline
Analysis
- What evidence does the author use to support their purpose?
- How does the author frame their argument?
- What specific examples support this?
- What organization or structure does the author use to clarify their points?
Evaluation
- Discuss the quality of the evidence
- How clear was the author’s argument?
- What gaps, weaknesses, or unanswered questions do you have, and why?
- What bias or assumptions does the author introduce?
- Use specific examples from the text to support your claims
Conclusion
- Think about the main takeaways that the reader should have gotten from reading your book review.
- Who is the book useful for, and how is it relevant to the broader conversation?
- Summarize the overview, analysis, and evaluation of the book briefly, and provide the call to action that the reader should take as a result.
Book Review Example
Below is an abbreviated version of a book review so you can see the necessary components in action:
In The Perpetrator and the Perpetrated by Dale Farrington, the author explores the story behind the criminal mind and the realities of those experiencing and perpetrating criminal acts. Farrington’s central purpose is to communicate to the reader that rehabilitation of violent criminals requires a deep understanding, and at times, an empathic view of their motivations behind deviant behaviors, urging readers to hold two differing perspectives at the same time, as many counselors must do. Overall, the book is both informative and compelling, and successfully addresses the inner conflict that many counselors face when working with homicidal criminals.
The Perpetrator and the Perpetrated traces the life of a serial killer and his victims simultaneously, switching perspectives between chapters. Farrington combines psychological research components with anecdotal evidence to guide the reader through an understanding of attachment, social belonging, and trauma as contributors to both the victim's and the criminal’s experience. Rather than focusing solely on blame, Farrington discusses the neutrality that counselors must hold when hearing the stories of both victims and perpetrators alike.
The main components of evidence that Farrington decides to use in constructing her book are anecdotal evidence and peer-reviewed research. These contribute to a multimodal view of supporting information, which would lead a reader to understand the nuances of deviant behavior, as well as the trauma suffered by victims of violent crime. Additionally, Farrington utilizes a non-linear storyline to express the idea of holding multiple viewpoints simultaneously, seeking to reflect the charge of counselors in this field.
The book’s greatest strength is its ability to make complex concepts accessible to a general audience. Farrington explains the significance of attachment theory clearly while maintaining an engaging narrative. Additionally, the author’s extensive and varied research strategies and frequent shifts between perspectives lend to a slightly disjointed, yet compelling flow of the argument.
Overall, The Perpetrator and the Perpetrated is a valuable and thought-provoking book that raises important questions that are relevant to the field of counseling. It would be especially useful for students studying forensic psychology to consider how theories of psychology contribute to an individual’s decision to perpetrate, and the lived experiences of the victim.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Book Review
Even though these are folded in throughout the rest of this article, it is absolutely paramount that you avoid:
- Excessive summary
- Stating your personal opinion without evidence or examples
- Vague praises or criticisms
- Retelling the plot
- Using informal language
- Ignoring the author’s main argument
Misunderstanding the assignment as a summary or reflection is the most frequent issue that students experience, so if you avoid this, you’re already on a good track to success.
Mastering the Art of Book Reviews
A book review is an undervalued skill-building assignment. A book review is not a one-off task, but emphasizes your ability to critically read, write academically, and analyze content using clear examples. Instead of viewing it as another item on your task list, look at your book review as a practice for research papers, literature reviews, and scholarly discussions that you’ll need to be successful academically. Once you understand the purpose and expectations, with some practice, you’ll be a pro at reviewing any piece of writing.
