What is a Book Review?

sraamin

What is a Book Review?

Some things, one may believe, are pretty in terms of being explained and answered: They make perfect sense without detailed explanations. For instance, there may be something you use every day or is just part of your life, and it simply doesn’t need explanation. It just is because it is so simple and not complicated at all. That is until you start to explain it, and then you find that it is not as easy as you originally thought.

So, what is a book review?

It’s a review of a book. Okay, and that is….? It’s what I thought of the book. Very true, but it could be so much more. A real book review is much more complicated than that. It goes much further than just saying if a book was enjoyable for not. It gives an explanation so the reader of the review can determine if your opinion should be factored in their decision to purchase and/or read the books.

A book review is a powerful tool that should be wielded with extreme caution and pride. It can go so much farther than a mere statement of liking or disliking a book. It explores a book in a way to help both potential readers and the author. It digs down into characters, plot, and more.

Simple yet not quite so simple.

Is it an Opinion? This is the obvious answer to what a book review is. It is as a whole an opinion you are giving on the book you have read. Did you enjoy it? Did you dislike it? What did you think about the book? If you could sum up what a book review is in just a word, it would be opinion.

Now keep in mind that an opinion is not a fact. It might be a fact about how you felt, but remember that doesn’t mean it is a fact with everyone else. If you love a certain genre, style, or storyline, it doesn’t mean everyone else will agree with you.

But that also doesn’t mean that your opinion is not valuable.

Your opinion helps readers find the books they love.

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It also includes a few other things as well.

1. What wasn't in it but what many of us expected.

2. How it dealt with a relevant subject compared to others [writers] before them.

3. Did it answer a question/s that the book said it would.

4. How it built up the story line and how was it received by the critics.

5. Why a book failed to satisfy the requirements of a given topic (if and when relevant).

6. Does it live up to the author's style if they are a regular writer.

7. How it is collectively both overseas and in other places outside of its regular market.

8. Why it was so successful on a particular occasion more than at any other time/s.

9. If the genre selected is particularly difficult at all.

10. If the author is falling behind slightly or a lot compared to his/her earlier works and compared to others in the same field.   

sraamin

You cannot review every type of book the same way. Fiction books cannot be reviewed the same as non-fiction. Children’s books cannot be reviewed the same way you review an adult mystery story. Each type as its own focus and points to consider. Yet as you look over these sections, there are some basic steps that apply to all books.

This is one thing many reviewers don’t think about. As you read, take notes. It could be in a notebook, journal, or sticky notes. There are some ereaders that allow you to do that as you go along which makes it really cool and easy to refer back to when you write your review.

Not everyone is able to write a review immediately after finishing a book. Also, it might take several days or more to actually read the entire book. That means some things you wanted to mention will get lost in the deep recesses of your mind. Taking notes as you go along will help you remember what you wanted to say in your review.