It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book in possession of good qualities must be in want of a review. Well, maybe not quite universally… I know a number of avid readers who’ve never left a review for a novel they’ve fallen for. At most, the cover might end up on Instagram, or the book will find itself passed on to a friend. Amazon, Goodreads and retailer websites remain untouched. Anyone reading this who works in publishing like myself knows the importance of book reviews not only to sales, but also as a way to brighten an author’s day as they see five stars shining back at them!
So why don’t more people review? I think a key reason is that the everyday reader (who happens not to run a book blog) doesn’t know where to begin with writing one, so it feels like too much effort – even if they could talk about it perfectly eloquently over a cocktail. In the spirit of this, here’s my attempt at offering a guide to writing a novel review, and my attempt to answer the question of what makes a good critique. Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments section. And most of all, don’t forget to get reviewing!
Finish the book first: It’s my pet hate when I see one star reviews for books with comments like ‘First chapter didn’t grab me. Gave up.’ It doesn’t do justice to the author or their work, and I don’t think you can get a true feel for a novel without taking it into account as a whole, and deciding if it’s ultimately a satisfying read. Plus, it could have the best second chapter you’ll ever read, but you’d never know.
Get creative: Before you put pen to paper, decide if pen and paper really is the best way to convey your thoughts on a book. Maybe you’re more of a talker than a writer. That’s fine – why not do a video review and get vlogging? In this blog post called ‘Crafting Creative Book Reviews’, someone has even written theirs in the form of a poem
Size matters not: Remember that there’s no exact right or wrong length for a review (but a review that’s bordering on novella length probably wouldn’t be very helpful). If time and effort is putting you off writing that all important review, a short and sweet one of a paragraph or two is perfectly fine. Or perhaps you’ve read a bunch of books lately and don’t have time for an epic review-writing session. So why not Tweet 140 character reviews, and tag the author or publisher on Twitter?
Lost the plot: A good review is not just a summary of the plot, but I see this all too often. Tell me how you felt about the characters – any favourites, and why? Did any particular language or descriptions jump out? Any themes that struck you? What didn’t work? A personal response about how the book made you feel is what makes a review engaging. Anyone could go on Google and find the publisher’s blurb.
No big spoilers! Need I say more…
Go compare: Can you suggest any other books or authors the work reminds you of? “If you like Y you’ll love Z” can feel a bit simplistic, but it’s a great pointer for potential readers. It’s worth including whether the author has written any other books of note to be aware of – especially if it’s part of a series.
To balance or not to balance: Don’t always feel your review has to be perfectly balanced and an objective split between the good and bad points if a book. I’ve read some advice about the importance of balanced books reviews, but I disagree and think if you love a work, why should you scrape the barrel for things you disliked for the sake of it? I used to write theatre reviews, and realised the balanced ones I did always felt formulaic. Just be honest and authentic.
The sum of its parts: A two-sentence summary or quick overview about your thoughts on the book can be handy for time-poor people who want a quick sense of whether the book’s worth reading. This is also seriously useful for marketing bods from the publisher. Here’s one I love about the new release Paradise Ghetto by Fergus O’Connell: “This novel took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. The passion for literature and the relationship between the two young women in this story is both uplifting and inspiring.
Starred-up: Don’t get bogged down spending ages worrying about what star ratings to give. Go with your gut. I once saw someone had given a novel 2 stars, because they were pissed off that Amazon wouldn’t let them give it 3.5 stars (the option was either three or four).
Get sharing: A review is of little use stuck on a laptop! Wondering what to do with those shiny new paragraphs you’ve written? Why not share on social media channels, like Facebook or Youtube/ BookTube. You could also post it on Amazon, Goodreads, the publisher’s website, or the sites for retailers like Waterstones and WHSmith. Don’t let the lack of your own book blog stop you posting anything (or better yet, set one up!).
Need that little bit of extra inspiration? Here are couple of great books review guides from Stylist Magazine and BookTrust.
Happy reviewing all!
Cover Girl 