The Online Guide on How to Write a Good Book Review
First, what is a book review and why do people want them?
You have just read a book and are offering your opinion. Essentially, you are providing a mini-version of the book so someone else can decide for themselves if it's worth their money and time.
A book review is a description, analysis, and evaluation of a book. It talks about the quality, meaning, and significance of a book. It isn't just a short, 6 paragraph retelling. It's not a book report or a summary.
It's your reaction to the strengths and weaknesses of the material. It's how you felt about the book's purpose, content, and authority.
There is no right or wrong way to write a book review. Book reviews are personal and reflect your opinion. There is no minimum or maximal length. If you're writing one for an Amazon, you will need to be concise and to the point - but if you are writing for a magazine, you could run 1500 words or more.
One way to write it is to state what the author has tried to do, compare (in your opinion) how that author succeeded, and back it up with evidence.
Here's some guidelines:
1. Write an opening statement giving essential information about the book: title, author, first copyright date, type of book, general subject matter, special features (maps, color plates, etc.), price and ISBN. (In online reviews, this can be skipped, since it is part of the blurb for the book and that data is just a few paragraphs above.)