How to make a book review

The Book Review:

Although a book review, like a book report, spends some time discussing the content of
the book, its main purpose is not informational, but analytical and persuasive. The writer, in
analysing the content, format, argument, and context within which the book was written, argues
that the book is worth reading or not.

Preparing to Write the Book Review: Before you write the book review, you have to read the
book carefully, you should make notes on the following areas:

The Author:
 Background and qualifications
 Writing style
 Use of sources (see Bibliography & Table of Charts & Figures)
 His/her purpose in writing the book

Structure of the Book Review: The following format can be used for the Book Review. (Note:
you do not have to answer every question; these are only suggestions to guide your writing).

Introduction:

 A general description of the book: title, author, subject, and format. Here you can include
details about who the author is and where he/she stands in this field of inquiry. You can also
link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.

 A brief summary of the purpose of the book and its general argument or theme.

 Also include a statement about for whom the book is intended.

 Your thesis about the book: What is your opinion on the ideas of the book? Is it a
suitable/appropriate piece of writing about the problem for the audience it has identified?

Main Body
 Summary of the Content:

 Write at least 3-4 paragraph about the plot: (what was the chapter all about? Make a
summary of the chapter)

 What is the writer's style: simple/technical; persuasive/logical?

Analysis and Evaluation of the Chapter:

This part provides critical commentary and defines how well the author has reached the
objectives he or she had. This is the heart of your book review. You should discuss a variety of
issues here:

 How clearly is the book written?

 Is the author’s style effective, hard to perceive, engaging, and/or powerful?
 Did the author achieve his/her goal? How did he/she do this or fall short?
 What are the author's most important points? List at least two examples of how the author
proved or did not prove points he was trying to make.
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the text, are the author’s arguments convincing?
 What possibilities does the book suggest for the reader?
 What did the book leave out?
 How the book compares to others on the subject?
 What personal experiences do you have relating to the subject?
 Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?
 Have you ever done some of the things or felt some of the same things that the character
did?
 What did you like best about the chapter? What did you like least about the chapter?
 If you could change something in the book, what would it be?
 What is the author’s principal argument? What are her/his conclusions?
 What does the author choose to emphasize?
 Does the author’s presentation contradict or refute alternative interpretations?
 What methods of analysis does the author employ?
 What sorts of evidence does the author employ?
 Who is the author? Is he/she qualified to write this work?
 When was the work written? How relevant is it today?
 Is the book convincing in style and substance? Why or why not?
 Does the author accomplish her/his purpose?
 Is the author fair to his/her subjects, or is the author overly biased? Is the book accurate or
misleading?
 Does the author describe but not analyze?
 Does the author treat all available data equally well?
 Are all arguments in the book equally well supported? Is the book marred by
generalizations or speculations?
 Is the author's use of evidence adequate and convincing?
 Does the author omit possible alternative interpretations? Is the author's approach flexible,
or is it dogmatic?
 Is the book well-organized? Are all parts of the book equally well reasoned and developed?
 Is the book well written, or is it in some way repetitive, obscure, or confusing?
 To whom would the book appeal? What audience did the author intend?

Conclusion and Recommendation

The concluding paragraph is a brief accord that should restate the thesis statement in a
clear logical manner. Define whether readers should read the book. Make sure your conclusion
is tightly bound to your thesis.

 Tie together any issues raised in the review

 Would you recommend this book to another person? O What type of person would like this
book?
There is, of course, no set formula, but a general rule of thumb is that the first one-half to
twothirds of the review should summarize the author's main ideas while the remainder of the
report should evaluate the book.

References:

Include here the details of the book:

1. Year Published
2. Award Received
3. Name of Publisher
4. Link if the book gets online
5. How may version it Produce
6. Or anything about the book

Font style : Arial

Font size: 12
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EDITING: Questions to ask yourself

1. Does my introduction clearly set out who the author is, what the book is about, and what I
think about the value of the book? Yes or No

2. Have I clearly presented all the facts about the book: title, author, publication details, and
content summary? Yes or No

3. Is my review well organized with an easily identifiable structure? Yes or No

4. Have I represented the book's organizational structure and argument fairly and
accurately? Yes or No

5. Have I presented evidence from the book to back up statements I have made about the
author, his/her purpose, and the structure, research and argument of the book? Yes or No

6. Have I presented a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience? (Harsh
judgements are difficult to prove and show academic intolerance) Yes or No