Introduction
How to Write a Book Review in 10 Easy Steps
Okay, so you have to write a book review. What do you need to do and in whatorder? Here's a 10-step process you can use to review any book.
1) Don't read the book.
At least, not yet. Instead, start by looking at it. Look for clues to the nature of the book you'll be reading. Is it a richly manufactured itemaimed at collectors? What does the cover illustration indicate the book will beabout? What sort of blurbs are included? How is it categorized by the publisher?All of these will tell you the book's target audience.
2) Don't read the book.
At least, not
quite
yet. Instead, open the book and flipthrough it. Look at how the words are arranged on the pages. Start with thelargest distinctions—the number of pages, the number of chapters, and so on.Then move to the size of paragraphs, how much of the book is dialogue, etc.This will tell you about the book's readability and how the author structured thebook.
3) Build a framework for taking notes.
You always focus better if you havesomething specific to look for and markers to pay attention to along the way.Start with the simplest things—the number of chapters, for example—and thenmove on to more complex tasks, such as questions you'll want to answer: "Whatmakes this book a classic?" or "What made this book 'speak for a generation' likethe introduction said it did?"
4) Read the book.
And as you do so...
5) Pay attention.
That isn't a disciplinary command like, "Don't let your mindwander!" Instead,
 pay attention to your reading experience
. This is the first realchallenge for most people. What caught your attention, and when were youbored? When was the book suspenseful? Which characters did you like, andwhy?
6) Review the book and take notes that let you explain its effects.
This is thesecond tough step for most people. Remember that note-taking framework youbuilt earlier? Now's the time to fill it in. Flip back through the book and write brief,purposeful notes. What happens in the first chapter—and
what was its effect onyou as a reader?Â
When you passed from one part of the book to the next—chapter, section, or setting—what kept your attention? This is the part mostpeople neglect, but it lays the foundation for the rest of the book review, so keepat it until you can do the following:
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