INSTRUCTIONS FOR BOOK REVIEW

This assignment is out of 10 marks

You will each write a Book Review maximum of 500 words (1 page) of any of
your recently read books for review and bring that write up to class. Please
write in a WORD document (not handwritten)
I have made groups for evaluation and we will learn how to do peer
evaluations. Will explain how we will score the same on Saturday

What to Include in Your Book Review

● A Hook

● Essential Book Information

● Basic Plot Summary

● Your Praise and Critique

● Your Recommendation
● Your Rating
A Hook

A “hook” is a line that catches your audience’s attention and piques their

interest so they’ll continue reading your review instead of scrolling past it.

Your hook could be a compelling or provocative statement:

Margaret Atwood’s subversive brilliance shines in new and unexpected ways with this
masterpiece.

Or even a question:

Ever wondered what the lovechild of ​Twilight​ and ​The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
would look like?

Essential Book Information

Share any general information about the book that is important for readers to

know. The title and author are an obvious choice. The year the book was

published may be relevant if it came out 10+ years ago. Be sure to mention if
the book is part of a series and whether it’s necessary to have read other

books in the series before this book.

Basic Plot Summary

Share a high-level synopsis of the plot so your audience gets the gist of what

the story is about. Best practice is to leave out the climax or ending of the

book and avoid giving away spoilers so you don’t ruin the story for your

audience.

It’s always better to err on the side of caution and say a plot has an
“unexpected twist” rather than revealing “the villain is the protagonist’s father!”

If you must include a spoiler, some review sites will let you hide spoiler

sentences, so your audience can choose whether they want to read it or not.

Sites like Goodreads also include a short synopsis or teaser on the book’s

web page, so providing an outline may sometimes be unnecessary. Use your

best judgment on whether sharing a synopsis will benefit your review.

Your Praise and Critique

This section is the most important part of your review and should be the

longest. Anyone can summarize a plot, but what is your unique take on this
book?

Simply saying a book was “good” or “bad”, or that you liked it or didn’t, isn’t

helpful. Let your audience know ​why​ you think it’s a great read, or why you

found it disappointing. Sharing these details will help your audience form their

own opinion of whether they would enjoy reading the book. For example:

The vivid language instantly transported me into the world, but there were several huge
plot holes that didn’t make sense.

I personally didn’t care for the protagonist; the snarky anti-hero schtick got old after a
while.

The writing was rough, with especially awkward dialogue, but I thought the premise of
the story was brilliant.

Your Recommendation

After sharing your praise and critique, let your audience know your

conclusions. Who do you think would enjoy this book?

Did you personally dislike it because of the time travel paradoxes, but think
that folks who like a good space opera would have fun with it?
Is this the 16th book in a series that was starting to grow stale, and you were

pleasantly surprised by some new characters?

Your Rating

Most review sites provide a star rating system. Let your audience know your

rationale for choosing a particular rating.

If you’re reviewing a book on your personal blog and using your own rating

system, be sure to explain this as well.

General Tips for Writing a Book Review

● Keep it Streamlined: Pay attention to length and make every word

count. Lengthy, rambling reviews are confusing and time-consuming to

read. Keep your readers with you by getting to the point.

● Remember to Proofread: Make sure your spelling and grammar are on

point. A review riddled with errors is confusing to read and may not be

taken seriously.

● Don’t Be Mean: Remember that you’re reviewing a book that another

human poured their heart and soul into to write. Express your honest

opinion, but don’t be nasty about it. Imagine if it were your book being

reviewed, how would you want a reader to express their critique?