Principles on

Writing
Critiques and
Reviews
 A review is a critical evaluation of a text,
event, object, or phenomenon.

Reviews can consider books, articles, entire

genres or fields of literature, architecture,
art, fashion, restaurants, policies,
exhibitions, performances, and many other
forms. This handout will focus on
book reviews.
The goal of a review is to evaluate or
judge something. We judge things every
day.
For example, you have a favorite band
or television show, and you like one
supermarket more than you like another.
These are judgements. When you write a
review, your job is to state your opinion or
judgement and support it. You do this by
presenting reasons and evidence.
 TIPS FOR
WRITING A GOOD
REVIEW
Read, watch, or listen to the work more
than once
 The first time you read or watch something,
get an overall sense of the work.
 Then think about its strengths and
weaknesses.
 Read or watch it again to confirm your first
impressions. This time, take careful notes.
 Be ready to change your mind if a closer look
sends you in a different direction.
 Provide essential information

Tell readers the complete title of the work

and the name of its author or creator.
Supply the publisher, publication date, and
other information about when the piece
was created and where readers or viewers
can find it.
Check your facts. The details in a review
must be accurate.
 Understand your audience
 Reviews appear in all sorts of places. You’ll find them
in local and national publications, online, and also in
specialized journals and neighborhood newsletters.
 Research the places you hope to publish your review,
and write accordingly. Think about what you need to
explain.
 General readers will need more background
information than readers of a publication aimed at
experts.
 Take a stand

 State your opinion of the work you’re

evaluating. Your review can be negative,
positive, or mixed.
 Your job is to support that opinion with details
and evidence.
 Even if readers disagree with you, they need to
see how you reached your conclusions.
 Explain how you’re judging the work

 Decide on your criteria, the standards you’ll use

to judge the book, show, or film.
 You might believe a novel is successful when it
has characters you care about and a plot that
makes you want to keep reading.
 State these criteria so your readers understand
what you believe.
 Introduce evidence to support your
criteria
 Support your judgments with quotations or
descriptions of scenes from the work. Also
consult outside sources.
 Have other critics agreed with your opinion of
this work? You may want to mention these
reviews, too.
 Always make sure to cite other writers’ work
correctly, if used.
 Compare and contrast

 Comparison can be a great way to develop your

evaluation.
 Suppose you claim that a film has wonderful,
original dialogue.
 Demonstrate this by sharing some dialogue
from another film that has stiff, wooden,
or clichéd dialogue.
 Use the contrast to prove your point.
 Do not summarize the entire plot

 Books, films, and television shows have

beginnings, middles, and endings.
 People read and watch these works in part
because they want to know what happens. Let
them enjoy their stories.
 Provide a general idea of what happens, but
don’t give away important secrets, especially
the end.