What Makes a Good Review?

What Makes a Good Review?

By Ms. Byrnes, Librarian, Quaker Ridge

A good review should do two things for your reader; give them an idea of what the book is about so that they can see if they are interested in reading and give your opinion of the book. Remember that when you are writing your review and reading reviews that not everyone likes the same books.

On the right you will find some helpful hints to keep in mind when you are writing your book reviews.

Helpful Hints

• Before you write your review, jot down a few notes about what you want to say to organize your thoughts.
• While you're writing, try thinking of your reader as a friend. What would you want to tell them about the book that you read?
• Think about what genre the book is. Does the book fit into a type like mystery, adventure, historical fiction, or does it fall into more than one category? For example; The Lightning Thief is a fantasy with lots of action and adventure while When You Reach Me is a fantasy that is more of a mystery.
• Give a short summary of what the book is about. Remember, you don't want to give away the ending or any of the mystery of the book...so no spoilers!
• What do you like or dislike about the book? Is it funny? Is it exciting? Give specific examples from the book so that your reader can understand. When you're writing in your classroom you are always told "show, don't tell". You should do the same thing in your review. Show your reader why the book was funny, don't just tell them.
• Make sure your review explains how you feel about the book and why, not just what the book is about. A good review should share the reviewer's opinion and persuade the reader to read the book.