how to write a book review for nonfiction

Lesley Ann McDaniel

Real Life~Pure Fiction

How to Write a Nonfiction Book Review

May 13, 2013

Do you love reading nonfiction books? Why not try your hand at reviewing them. 

What is a nonfiction book review?

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book. It isn’t just a summary, but gives commentary that will be uniquely yours as the writer of the review. The difference between a review of fiction versus nonfiction is that with the latter, the reviewer will evaluate the piece not so much on its entertainment value as on whether it fulfills its promise to solve a particular problem or deliver certain information.

Why write book reviews?

Reviews help books get noticed and gain credibility. Writers want to receive reviews to show readers that their book is widely-read and well-received.

Where are reviews posted?

These days, the answer is ‘lots of places.’ Many reviewers post book reviews on their own blogs. You can also post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, library websites, or submit them to other people’s review blogs. If you really want to get serious, there are a lot of literary journals that accept freelance reviews.

How long  should a review be?

That will depend largely on where you are planning to submit your review. Check for guidelines, and assume that you will write anywhere from 100 to 1500 words. Be succinct, but give enough to serve the purpose of the review.

Points to Consider:

●What if you really don’t like the book? Always write your reviews with integrity. If you honestly don’t like a book, write your review as if you are in a critique session with the author. Use positive words and avoid sarcasm.

●Take time to read reviews written by other readers, but keep in mind that many of them are not trained reviewers.

●Review the book that has been written, not the book you think the author  should  have written.  It isn’t fair to criticize an author for failing to achieve something he or she never intended to achieve.

Nonfiction Book Review Template:

Opening statement:  Include title and author.

What does the book promise to deliver to the reader? Another way to look at it is, what problem does this book promise to solve?

Does it accomplish what it sets out to accomplish?

If so, how?

If not, what could the author have done differently?

What makes this author uniquely qualified to write on this topic?

What is the tone of the book? Is it humorous and easy to relate to, or is it more dry and academic?

Overall impression:  This is where you give your personal take on the book.

Suggested points to include:

Was the book written in a way that you as a reader could easily relate to?

What was your favorite part of the book?

Do you have a least favorite part of the book?

If you could change something, what would it be?

Are there photos or illustrations? If so, are they effective in enhancing the book’s message?

Would you recommend this book?

What type of reader would enjoy this book?

There are so many wonderful nonfiction books out there. Have a great time reading and reviewing!

Have you written any nonfiction book reviews?

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy How to Write a Fiction Book Review .  

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May 20, 2013 at 1:19 pm

Thanks for some more helpful tips on writing book reviews Lesley.

October 16, 2020 at 12:01 pm

I am writing a review for a friend of my son who has a book on how to begin a blog. I thought the reminder you offered about illustrations was something I did not think about. The obvious alludes us sometimes.

December 29, 2014 at 12:25 pm

Very helpful, Lesly. I printed this out! Amy

December 30, 2014 at 10:27 am

Amy, I’m so glad you found the post helpful. Reviews are so important to the success of a book.

September 26, 2020 at 9:31 am

I am writing creative nonfiction book, how do I get contacts for reviewers of my book?

September 26, 2020 at 10:46 am

There are lots of ways to find reviewers. I’m not an expert on that, but if you google “how to get reviewers for your book,” you should find lots of ideas.

June 16, 2020 at 6:03 am

Thanks so much, Lesley for providing this information.!

June 16, 2020 at 7:13 am

My pleasure, Vicki. I’m glad you found it useful.

October 9, 2020 at 10:46 am

Lesley Thank you for a concise yet thorough piece on book reviews. I learned much. Best to you and yours.

October 9, 2020 at 10:56 am

I’m glad it was helpful for you, Jim.

November 8, 2020 at 9:43 am

This was really helpful. I’ve never done a non-fiction book review before, so I learnt a lot from this. Thank you!

November 8, 2020 at 11:34 am

I’m so glad it was helpful.

November 25, 2020 at 9:23 am

I’m writing a nonfiction book review for a class project. How do i make the review interesting and engaging?

November 25, 2020 at 9:48 am

What a fun class project! My best advice is to read examples of nonfiction reviews and pick out the ones that are interesting to you. What is it about those reviews that makes them stand out? Also, let your own voice and style shine through in your writing. Hope you get an A+!

May 10, 2022 at 11:34 pm

I read a lot of non fiction books and now have decided to start documenting my reviews..

Do you recommend I set up my own blog. I would prefer to do it on a platform that is popular.. That even the authors might pay a visit.

But I also want to include a summary of key points in the book. This way I can go back to the summary ant remind myself what the book was about

June 24, 2022 at 5:33 pm

I think setting up your own blog is a fantastic idea. Best to you!

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She Seeks Nonfiction

Social justice book reviews

How to Write a Nonfiction Book Review

Next week, I will be writing my 50th nonfiction book review on this blog. Learning brings me great joy, and when I learn fascinating things in my books, I can’t help but share them with you!

With Nonfiction November coming up, I know that many fiction book bloggers will try their hand at reading and reviewing nonfiction, and that many people aren’t used to it. There is often no character development, plot, setting, or allegory to critique, so what is left? Well, there is actually a lot to talk about, and I think reviewing nonfiction books is a lot of fun! I hope that through this post, my passion for writing nonfiction book reviews can inspire the unsure to give it a try.

There is not one correct way to write a book review. I write mine for fun, as a way to make blog posts that entertain me and hopefully my audience. Reviews make reading more fun and they help me to better engage as I read. They can even make it more bearable to finish a book I hate, because I know that my review will be interesting ! Regardless, here are some tips that help me write book reviews that I am proud of.

Mark up your book

I’ll start off with the obvious: I think that underlining and taking notes in nonfiction books is a great way to remember what you read and get ideas for your review as you go. My husband is adamant that my constant marking up of brand new books makes me a crazy person, and I can’t blame him for that. Some people can’t stand it.

If this is you— or if you read library books —then don’t worry! You can still use sticky notes or keep a separate notebook handy. I actually do this when I read books that are so old I would not dare deface them. Of course, e-readers make this easy; you can highlight and add notes without vandalizing anything. Finally, I know that a lot of people like to listen to nonfiction audiobooks, but I can’t imagine that you would absorb the information enough to make a review that way. But hey, if you can, more power to you!

Answer these three questions

I believe that each review will be as different as each book is, but there are a few questions that I attempt to answer no matter what.

Does it accomplish its goal?

First, I critique it according to its own criteria. Does the title promise that the book will deliver something specific? Is it meant to persuade you or inform you, and if so, how does it do? If a book’s title starts with “How to,” then you know exactly what the goal is. For example, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi did exactly that; Kendi repeatedly began sentences with, “To be an antiracist is to…” which is about as straightforward as it gets. On the other hand, How to Argue With a Racist by Adam Rutherford might sound like it gives responses to specific points you’d hear in an argument, but it doesn’t. (It was still a great book though!)

(Now that I’m on the topic, Let the People Pick the President:  The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College by Jesse Wegman does give line-by-line responses for arguments, which I thought was a great approach.)

There are more ways that a book can express its goal. Maybe the introduction lays out why the book exists at all. This is one thing I really appreciate about Richard Dawkins’ books. My feelings about the book as a whole are mixed (and my feelings about Dawkins as a person are lacking), but in the preface of The God Delusion , Dawkins lists out exactly how he is going to make his case for atheism. He promises to meet different readers where they are. “Do you believe X? Well, I explain this exact thing in Chapter X.” The man knows how to make a promise. Obviously, a preface does not need to be this explicit to make a book good, but it definitely made my review easier. This was especially great for me, as The God Delusion was only the second book I ever reviewed.

Do I like it?

Even though Adam Rutherford’s How to Argue With a Racist did not teach me how to argue with a racist, I still gave it a rave review. That’s because the second question I set out to answer is a simple one: Did I like the book? I’m the one writing the review, so I decide whether it’s a positive or negative one. This is when book reviews get really subjective, and why I love when there are many of the same book. No two people will have the same exact opinions about it. Many times, I have admitted that a book was probably good , but that I don’t think I was the right audience for it.

Does it speak to a target audience?

This brings me to the third question: do you know the book’s target audience? If there is no clear audience, then there’s a good chance the whole book is moot. Take this post, for instance. My intended audience is primarily fiction book bloggers who are trying out nonfiction book reviews for November. Hopefully other people will find something useful or entertaining out of it, but if you don’t care about books or reviews or blogging at all, then this post probably isn’t for you.

Decide whether you want to stick to a formula

If you have never written a nonfiction book review before, it can be easier to follow a formula and always know what you want to include in your review. A great example of this is fellow nonfiction book blogger Paula Ghete ‘s book reviews such as this one of Cosmos by Carl Sagan ( which you can compare to mine to see how greatly our styles vary). Her book reviews are structured this way:

Title:  Cosmos Author:  Carl Sagan Category:  Non-fiction, Science Rating:  5/5 10-Word Summary:  We can understand the Universe only if we study it. About Cosmos [short summary] What I like about Cosmos [list with bullet points and descriptions] What I don’t like about Cosmos [list with bullet points and descriptions]

In other book reviews, such as this one , Paula also included the following sections:

Quotes from The Idiot Brain [lists eight relatively short quotes] Should You Read The Idiot Brain? [succinct, defined answer]

Admittedly, her reviews are clearly written with SEO and readability in mind. Search engines love to say, “The more headlines and the shorter the sections, the merrier,” so that they know what the post is about. This also helps the reader to get Paula’s big ideas even if they don’t wade through the – gasp – paragraphs !

On the other hand, my review of Cosmos described how it left me speechless, why it was virtually unreviewable, why it made me almost cry watching the launch of NASA’s Perseverance, and why Sagan is so beloved in the atheist community .

Something fun about me is that I pretty much write whatever I feel like writing, which might make you think that I would not be the most qualified to tell you how you should write your own book reviews, but there I go again, writing whatever I feel like which includes this review-tutorial. Look, I’m just here for a good time.

How my own book reviews take shape

As I said earlier, each review can be as different as each book. This is more true for someone like me than for someone who is a little more organized like Paula Ghete, because I don’t really abide by any restraints. I don’t write only book reviews, so if a review takes me to another topic that I care about anyways, I’ll just talk about that. I love when a book simply inspires me to share what I’ve learned from it, or gives me the opportunity to ponder something I wouldn’t have thought of if I hadn’t read it.

The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels was a pretty informative book about—you guessed it—the Gnostic Gospels and Gnostic Christianity. I honestly didn’t have much to say about the book itself, but it caused me to compare early Gnostic Christianity to modern-day Progressive Christianity, list the similarities and differences, and pose the question to my Progressive Christian audience what they think of it.

My review of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism by Katherine Stewart had a similar fate. An actual review of the book was definitely present throughout my post on it, but it was a great chance for me to delve into my own experiences learning about Christian Nationalism , inside and outside of Stewart’s book. I also found myself comparing The Power Worshippers to Andrew Seidel’s The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American and explaining why the two books complement each other.

When I’ve read two or more books by the same author or on the same subject, I love to compare and contrast them or explain how they go together. I’ve done that with these, as well as books by Ibram X. Kendi , Ian Tattersall , Carl Sagan , and the two most famous works in the atheist community .

Final thoughts

As is the case with many of my book reviews, there is a lot more I could say. And like those, I often have to stop myself from rambling on ad nauseum . When this happens with a review , I have to just give the big idea, some fun facts, and then tell my audience that you really ought to read it for yourself. So I’ll do that here. I hope that my advice has helped you to see nonfiction reviews as a little less scary, and I encourage you to try writing them yourself! I’m so excited to read them!

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15 thoughts on “ how to write a nonfiction book review ”.

Great post! It was very interesting for me to read how you go about structuring and writing your non-fiction reviews. I also reviewed around 60 non-fiction books and I think I need to incorporate more headings and keep my paragraphs shorter. I have to say that I find reviewing non-fiction so much easier than fiction. Maybe because I can talk about real facts behind the author’s writing because it is sometimes difficult to guess ideas behind all the creativity and imagination of a fiction author. I love reviewing history, history of science and travel in particular.

Thanks! And history of science is one of my favorites too!

I wrote my first book review recently and found that I learned as much in writing the review as I did reading the book. Writing book reviews is fun.

I will often finish a book feeling one way about it, but after reviewing it and articulating my thoughts, I will feel an entirely new way about it. Sometimes it is to the extent that I have to change my Goodreads star rating after writing my review because I saw the book in a whole new way!

In my opinion, this is a useful post for any book review. I don’t write many, but I read mostly non-fiction. I plan to facilitate a Zoom book review group next Saturday (fiction and non-fiction). Your advice should be helpful for me to coax readers to explain more about the books they read. Suggestions are welcome. 🙂

That sounds so fun, good luck!

🙂 Thank you, Rebekah.

Absolutely brilliant post. Thanks for sharing!

Pingback: Links Nonfiction November #theOCBookGirl #nonficnov #nonfictionbookparty - The OC BookGirl

I’m delighted to have discovered your blog via #NonficNov, and appreciate you sharing your thoughts here. I’m going to be browsing around a while 🙂

Yay! I hope you love it! 😊

Thankyou for this article. I am really obsessed with the book Three Brothers from Virginia these days and I think the author Andy Lazris really has a gift to keep people interested in topics that are too boring.

Hey Rebekah, thanks for writing such a useful article. It was kind of a sleeper, I wasn’t expecting it to offer as much overall value as it did! As a new blogger myself I try and study the writing styles of other blogs that I read for research. I am writing the first review on my blog for “Outwitting the Devil by Napolean Hill”, and this post gave me a good idea of what to include. I also appreciate the free way of writing what you please, which is something I always thought I had to rein in so I didn’t sound annoying, but seeing that it’s not is refreshing. Finally, the depth of analysis of the info that the different books included that you reviewed was impressive. Really good writing and very useful thanks!

Glad you found it valuable Chris!

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MSL Book Review

Sample nonfiction book reviews.

Nonfiction Reviews

Bomb The Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon is an engaging non-fiction book which had me from the first page. The book begins with a Prologue: May 22, 1950 the FBI arrives at Harry Gold’s door; Harry, still in pajamas, stares at two agents with a search warrant for his home as they are investigating his spying activities from the 30s and 40s. The jig was up and Harry declares “There is a great deal more to this story. It goes way back, and I would like to tell it all.” Thus begins the tale of the Manhattan Project from its inception. Even though we know the outcome of the race and understand the destruction, the excitement of the academics working on the bomb is felt.

This is an intriguing story of WWII, the atomic bomb, and the historical figures who played major roles in the development of atomic power. Many pictures and excellent source notes, quotes notes, and index make this a well documented book. Included in the Epilogue is the original letter from Albert Einstein written to F.D. Roosevelt, advising that a new energy form had been discovered by splitting the atom and that it needed to be monitored. This book is an excellent companion book to the fictional  Green Glass Sea,  which is set in Los Alamos and is the story of children and wives of the men working on the Manhattan Project.

Author Steve Sheinkin crafts a compelling thriller about the development of the atomic bomb in his book,  Bomb: the Race to Build – and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon. Sheinkin, using effective narrative techniques, introduces readers to the major personalities involved in the Manhattan Project as the Americans raced to construct an atomic bomb while keeping the knowledge from the Germans during World War II. The book takes us from the US to Great Britain, Norway, Germany, Russia, and Japan where scientists, politicians, and spies are all engaged in winning the war (and becoming a world power) through the creation of the “ultimate weapon.”

This volume will be especially useful for middle and high school students conducting research on World War II weapons and war strategy, as well as those looking for biographical information on the Manhattan Project scientists. Along with a detailed index, the author provides copious source and quotation notes. Black and white photographs of the important personalities and bomb testing site are sprinkled throughout. An essential purchase for American history and science collections.

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

How to write a review of a non-fiction book.

What does my audience want to know about this book?

• The main point of the book.
• Why you decided to read the book.
• What they will learn by reading the book.
• The book's strong points and weak points.
• Why they should read the book.

What is my first impression of this book?

• The author's background and qualifications to write about the subject.
• How well the title describes the book.
• The information revealed in the author's introduction and the table of contents.
• The description of the book on the book cover.

What points stand out as I read this book?

• Is the writing style easy to understand? How well does the author get the point across? Does the author stay on topic?
• Did you learn something new? Does the book deliver on its promise? How helpful or informative was the book?
• Is the book innovative? Does it contain new and updated information? Does it make you think about the topic differently?

How should I organize and format the book review?

• Start with a brief summary of the book and its benefits, new discoveries, and timely advice. Keep your summary to 1 or 2 short paragraphs.
• Offer suggestions on how the book may be useful to readers. Does it solve a particular problem? Does it accomplish a specific task?
• Provide your critique and evaluation. Describe the parts that you found most interesting or helpful. And, tell your reader what you didn't like about the book.
• Close your book review by giving your honest opinion. Be brief and keep your personal input to 2 or 3 sentences.

What are some good examples of book reviews?

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.

7 comments:

A really good book review can truly make a huge difference. I frequently buy books based on the book reviews I have read and recommendations. I really wish books had ratings like movies. I think that is why I prefer book review recommendations instead of just picking a book up based on the cover. Often a reviewer will tell me if a book is too explicit or uses profane language.

Book reviews definitely have a place on the Web where we can't pick up a book in the bookstore and flip through the pages. Even though many retailers and publishers offer a preview of the introduction and first chapter or two, it just isn't the same.

I agree with Cynthia Sylvestermouse in that I prefer to read a personalized review from someone who has actually read the book and discloses its content from a rating standpoint too.

Thanks for a very good summary. I do write book reviews, mainly of fictional works - but with the odd non-fiction here and there. This was certainly very helpful for me. Also enjoyed the link to NC University - but I need to read that one over a couple of times, quite a lot to take in there.

Thank you for visiting! Yes, the link to NCU is long, but it is very informative and their example of turning a blank non-fiction book review into an excellent review is very helpful.

I know well-written book reviews can be very helpful when deciding to buy a book, especially if you are purchasing online without benefit of seeing the actual book. I've written a few fiction book reviews over the years, but will definitely keep these points in mind to refer to if I find a non-fiction book I wish to review. Thanks for these helpful hints, Coletta.

very good summary of how to write a non fiction book review!

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The only book review templates you'll ever need.

Whether you’re trying to become a book reviewer , writing a book report for school, or analyzing a book, it’s nice to follow a book review template to make sure that your thoughts are clearly presented. 

A quality template provides guidance to keep your mind sharp and your thoughts organized so that you can write the best book review possible. On Reedsy Discovery , we read and share a lot of book reviews, which helps us develop quite a clear idea what makes up a good one. With that in mind, we’ve put together some trustworthy book review templates that you can download, along with a quick run-through of all the parts that make up an outstanding review — all in this post! 

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review templates for every type of review

With the rapid growth of the book community on Instagram, Youtube, and even TikTok, the world of book commentary has evolved far beyond your classic review. There are now many ways you can structure a book review. Some popular formats include:

• Book reports — often done for school assignments; 
• Commentary articles — think in-depth reviews in magazines and newspapers; 
• Book blog reviews — short personal essays about the book; and
• Instagram reviews — one or two-paragraph reviews captioned under a nice photo. 

But while the text in all these review styles can be organized in different ways, there are certain boxes that all good book reviews tick. So, instead of giving you various templates to use for different occasions, we’ve condensed it down to just two book review templates (one for fiction and one for nonfiction) that can guide your thoughts and help you nail just about any review. 

⭐ Download our free fiction book review template  

⭐ Download our free nonfiction book review template  

All you need to do is answer the questions in the template regarding the book you’re reading and you’ve got the content of your review covered. Once that’s done, you can easily put this content into its appropriate format. 

Now, if you’re curious about what constitutes a good book review template, we’ll explain it in the following section! 

Elements of a book review template

Say you want to build your own book review template, or you want to customize our templates — here are the elements you’ll want to consider. 

We’ve divided our breakdown of the elements into two categories: the essentials and the fun additions that’ll add some color to your book reviews.

What are the three main parts of a book review?

We covered this in detail (with the help of some stellar examples) in our post on how to write a book review , but basically, these are the three crucial elements you should know: 

The summary covers the premise of the book and its main theme, so readers are able to understand what you’re referring to in the rest of your review. This means that, if a person hasn’t read the book, they can go through the summary to get a quick idea of what it’s about. (As such, there should be no spoilers!) 

The analysis is where, if it’s a fiction book, you talk more about the book, its plot, theme, and characters. If it’s nonfiction, you have to consider whether the book effectively achieves what it set out to do. 

The recommendation is where your personal opinion comes in the strongest, and you give a verdict as to who you think might enjoy this book. 

You can choose to be brief or detailed, depending on the kind of review you’re writing, but you should always aim to cover these three points. If you’re needing some inspiration, check out these 17 book review examples as seen in magazines, blogs, and review communities like Reedsy Discovery for a little variation. 

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Which additional details can you include?

Once you’ve nailed down the basics, you can jazz things up a little and add some personal flavor to your book review by considering some of these elements:

• A star-rating (the default is five stars but you can create your own scales); 
• A bullet-point pros and cons list; 
• Your favorite quotation from the book; 
• Commentary on the format you read (i.e., ebook, print, or audiobook);
• Fun facts about the book or author; 
• Other titles you think are similar.

This is where you can really be creative and tailor your review to suit your purpose and audience. A formal review written for a magazine, for instance, will likely benefit from contextual information about the author and the book, along with some comment on how that might have affected the reading (or even writing) process.

Meanwhile, if you’re reviewing a book on social media, you might find bullet points more effective at capturing the fleeting attention of Internet users. You can also make videos, take creative pictures, or even add your own illustrations for more personal touches. The floor is yours at this point, so go ahead and take the spotlight! 

That said, we hope that our templates can provide you with a strong foundation for even your most adventurous reviews. And if you’re interested in writing editorial reviews for up-and-coming indie titles, register as a reviewer on Reedsy Discovery !

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 How to Write a Quick and Easy Book Review  for Non-Fiction Books

Loreleislitlair.com.

You just finished reading a non-fiction book. Hopefully, you learned something new or gained a fresh perspective! But before you dive into your next read, consider sharing your thoughts with others, or writing down notes to remind yourself what resonated most with you. Remember, the length of your review doesn't matter.   What matters is your genuine feedback and enthusiasm for the book. A review can be just one well informed sentence. The more reviews a book receives, the greater its visibility and the more readers it reaches. So, let's get started!   Now… 

How to Write a Quick and Easy Book Review

Step  1: Star Rating Start by assigning the book a star rating. Be honest! Here's a guide:     ⭐️: Not my cup of tea   ⭐️⭐️: It was okay   ⭐️⭐️⭐️: I liked it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I enjoyed it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I loved it!   **Please do not give a book a one-star review for something that has to do with a mistake the vendor has made in delivering/ returning/ billing for it.   The author has no control over the book’s distribution, and the one-star review will drag down the average review rating significantly. That hurts the book’s visibility on Amazon for example, which hurts the author through no fault of her/his own.   Step 2: Hook Sentence/ Review Headline Grab the reader's attention with a sentence that includes any of the following:   Book title:   "XYZ by ABC" Author's name: "A captivating read from author ABC..." Star rating:  "I awarded ABC's XYZ a well-deserved 5 stars!" Step 3: Key Information Give readers a quick overview of the book to highlight what resonated with you. Include one or however many you think are useful: Genre: Is it self-help, history, biography, science, etc.? Subgenre :  Specify if it's a specific subgenre (e.g., personal finance, true crime, etc.) Series : Mention if it's part of a series and the book's number. Key Characteristics:   Briefly describe the book using 2-3 words (e.g., insightful, informative, thought-provoking). Appeal:   What piqued your interest? Was it the author's style, the engaging topic, or the insightful information? Specific Examples: Briefly mention a specific point or anecdote that resonated with you. Writing Style: Share your thoughts on the author's writing style. Was it clear, engaging, or humorous? Narrators of audiobooks:   Share your thoughts on the narrator's performance. Would you listen to more audiobooks by this narrator? Trigger Warning:   Briefly mention any sensitive topics covered in the book. Step 4:  Wrap Up    Conclude your review by stating any of the following: Recommendation:   Would you recommend the book? Future Reads:   Will you read more books by this author or series? Remember:   No spoilers! Be honest and genuine. Add your own voice and personality. Keep it concise and easy to read. If you didn’t like a book, explain why. Some may not like a book because the writing style was overly technical, or the concepts were too complex.  Others may be okay with that, and even be encouraged to read the book! By following these simple steps, you can craft a quick and helpful review that will help others decide whether to pick up the book. It also reminds you what you really thought of the book because as time passes, you may forget. Remember, your feedback can make a difference in someone's reading journey! See? QUICK and EASY!  

Review Examples

Here are some fictional examples with extra writing prompts… 1. Book Review with Hook Sentence and Key Information:   "Daring Greatly" by Brené Brown is a powerful book that encourages us to embrace vulnerability and wholehearted living. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️   This self-help book explores the concepts of vulnerability, shame, and courage. Brown's writing is honest, relatable, and research-based. She provides practical tools and exercises to help readers overcome their fears and live a more authentic life.   2. Review with Specific Examples:   "Atomic Habits" by James Clear is a practical guide to building positive habits and breaking negative ones. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️   Clear breaks down the science behind habit formation and provides actionable steps for lasting change. He uses real-life examples and relatable stories to illustrate his points. I found the "Four Laws of Behavior Change" particularly helpful in understanding how to form new habits and stick to them.   3. Review with Personal Appeal:   "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin is a delightful read that follows Rubin's year-long experiment to increase her happiness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️   This book is part memoir, part self-help guide. Rubin's writing is witty and engaging, and she shares her personal insights and struggles with humor and honesty. I found her "Happiness Project" framework to be a valuable tool for reflecting on my own life and identifying areas for improvement.   4. Review with Writing Style:   "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain is a thought-provoking book that challenges the extrovert ideal and celebrates the strengths of introverts. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️   Cain's writing is insightful and eloquent. She draws on research, personal anecdotes, and historical examples to support her arguments. This book helped me understand myself better as an introvert and gave me valuable insights into how to thrive in a world that often favors extroverts.   5. Review with Recommendation:   "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck is a must-read for anyone looking to achieve their goals. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️   Dweck explores the concept of mindset and how our beliefs about ourselves can shape our success. She introduces the concept of fixed and growth mindsets and provides strategies for developing a growth mindset that allows us to learn from challenges and persevere in the face of setbacks. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their performance and achieve their full potential.

I hope you find this post helpful. Please consider sharing it with anyone who may find it useful. Smiles, Lorelei

© 2024 Loreleis Lit Lair

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How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Review

by Pat Iyer

Someone asks you to write a non-fiction book review. This first question you need to answer is:

Is This a Good Subject for You?

Consider the subject matter. Do you know anything about it? Whether you do or not, does it interest you?

These really are separate questions. You might, for example, know a lot about a subject that bores you. You’re not going to enjoy reading about it, and you’ll do the author no favors by agreeing.

If the subject interests you, knowledge of it will obviously help you to point out how the strengths of the book. Even if you’re unfamiliar with it, you can have the valuable perspective of many potential readers in your position.

Whatever your knowledge level is, you can comment on the organization, pace, and general interest of the book.

Do You Feel Qualified to Write a Non-Fiction Book review?

By this I mean do you feel that you have the ability to critique the book? (Clearly many reviewers are free to offer their opinions, sometimes about topics that they are not knowledgeable about.)

You may think, “I’ve never done this before, and I wouldn’t want to let the author down.” That may or may not be a valid reason to turn down the request.

Lack of experience isn’t in itself a reason not to agree. “There’s a first time for everything” is a cliché, but it’s still true.

Ask yourself instead if, when you read books, you think of things that could make it better. You recognize what you find boring. You think of areas you’d like to know more about. In other words, you have a critical mind in the best possible sense. If you also have the ability to lucidly express your criticisms, you have another qualification.

However, if  you rarely read books, this is the best possible reason to decline the request.

Do You Consider Yourself a Fair Person If You Write a Non-Fiction Book Review?

When you must be critical in other areas of life: in personal matters, in terms of a job review, or any area of life, do you think of the most effective way to state your criticisms?

Do you take into account how the other person will receive what you say?

Do you structure your review in a way that offers constructive points for improvement?

If you can answer yes to all of the above, you are a good candidate to critique a book.

Do You Have Time to Do This?

How you answer this question is very important. Look at your schedule carefully. Is it going to stress you to do this? Is there a possibility that you will end up feeling impatient and resentful?

If so, decline. Whatever negativity gets connected with this additional responsibility may affect the quality of your review. That’s not fair to the author, and taking on something too burdensome isn’t fair to you.

If you commit to writing the review, then follow through. There are a surprising number of people who make promises and never carry them out.

If You Decline

Give the author a thoughtful and honest response. Say you appreciate the honor of being considered to write a nonfiction book review, and explain why you have to give his or her project a pass. Wish the author the best of success in the project.

Pat Iyer loves it when she gets reviews of her books on Amazon. Just saying.

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How to Write a Book Review in 5 Steps

By Hannah Yang

If you love to read books, you might be looking for ways to share your opinions about your recent reads.

Writing book reviews is a great way to engage with the book-loving community. If your reviews gain a large enough following, you might even get paid to read books—every reader’s dream come true!

So how exactly do you write book reviews?

This article will explain what a book review is and give you a step-by-step guide for writing a good one.

What Is a Book Review?

How to review a book in 5 steps, best book review examples, how to be a book reviewer.

A book review is a critical assessment of a recently published book. Looking at book reviews helps readers figure out which books to read next and which books to avoid.

The average book review is around 300–750 words. It includes a quick summary of the book, the reviewer’s evaluation of the book, and a recommendation about who should read this book.

It’s important not to confuse book reviews with book reports. A book report is a summary that proves you understood the book, often assigned to elementary school or middle school students.

Book reviews, on the other hand, should offer a unique perspective on a book. They’re often assigned to undergraduate or graduate students.

Professional book reviews can be published in academic journals, on the reviewer’s personal blog, or on platforms like Goodreads.

Here are five steps you can follow to write your own book review.

1. Briefly Summarize the Book

If you’re wondering how to start a book review, the answer is simple—start by summarizing the story!

A quick and objective summary, similar to the one you might find on the book jacket, gives your readers a sense of what the book is about. That way, they have enough context to understand the rest of your review.

If the book is nonfiction, you should include the major questions the book examines, the ways the book tries to answer those questions, and any relevant details about the author’s credentials.

If the book is a novel, you should include the genre, the main character, and the events that launch the main character into the story.

However, it’s important not to spoil the story for people who haven’t read it yet. A good rule is not to mention anything that happens after the midpoint of the story. Leave the rest for the readers to discover on their own.

2. Evaluate the Book’s Qualities

Once you’ve explained the premise of the book, it’s time to provide a more subjective evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. What do you want other readers to know about this book?

Here are some different aspects of a nonfiction book you can evaluate:

• Key takeaways (e.g. What did you learn? What’s the book’s argument?)
• Readability (e.g. What background knowledge do readers need to understand this?)
• Prose (e.g. How are the points communicated? What’s the author’s writing style?)

Here are some different aspects of a novel you can evaluate:

• Characters (e.g. How well-developed is the protagonist? The villain? The love interest?)
• Plot (e.g. Are there surprising twists? Subverted tropes? Plot holes?)
• Worldbuilding (e.g. Is the world of the story immersive? Unique? Original?)
• Theme (e.g. What questions does the story examine? How does it answer those questions?)
• Prose (e.g. Is the writing lyrical or plain? Funny or serious? Dense or digestible?)

Many reviewers focus on one aspect for each of the paragraphs in their review.

As much as possible, try to balance the good with the bad. If the entire review is glowing, or if the entire review is critical, it won’t feel as objective as one that mentions both positive and negative qualities.

Also, make sure you include spoiler warnings if you’re going to mention anything that happens after the midpoint of the story. Some book review platforms let you hide those passages of your review until readers click on them.

3. Include Quotes from the Book

Quotes from the book can serve as useful supporting evidence for your key points. If you say the book includes lyrical prose, make sure to include a passage that represents the lyrical style of the book, so your readers can see what you mean.

You can include well-written passages that showcase the author’s talent. If you disliked the book, you can also choose quotes that showcase what you disliked most.

4. Rate the Book

Many book review platforms, such as Goodreads, let you give a star rating to each book you review.

You can develop your own rating system if you’d like. For example, you could rate books on a scale of 1–5, 1–10, or even 1–100.

Some reviewers break down their ratings into multiple categories. For example, you might give a book five stars for its characters, but only two stars for its plot.

5. Give Your Recommendation

Finish your book review by stating whether or not you would recommend this book to others. That’s the main purpose of a book review, after all—to convince readers either to read the book or to skip it.

It can be helpful to say exactly what kinds of readers you’d recommend it to.

For example, you might write, “This book is perfect for anyone who loves swing dancing and slow-burn romance,” or “Don’t read this if you don’t like slow, atmospheric books that focus more on vibes than on plot.”

You can also recommend other books in the same genre that you think fellow readers will enjoy if they liked this one. “If you liked A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, we recommend The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.”

One way to learn how to write great book reviews is by reading them. Let’s look at a few examples of great book reviews you can use as inspiration.

Kirkus Reviews is a well-known American book review magazine. Here’s the beginning of their review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo , a historical fiction novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

An aging starlet with seven marriages behind her generously offers the rights to her memoir to an inexperienced writer—at a heartbreaking cost. Monique Grant is stunned when Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo grants an exclusive interview to her over more seasoned journalists, but when she’s also chosen to publish Evelyn’s final confessions after her death, she learns that the 79-year-old actress has enough life experience for them both. Growing up poor in Hell’s Kitchen, young Evelyn Herrera trades her virginity for a ride to Hollywood, changes her name, and climbs the rungs of the entertainment-industry ladder one husband at a time until she hits Oscar gold. To write her off as being calculating and fickle would leave out the difficulty of being a woman, especially a woman of color, trying to get by in the late 1950s without a man’s blessing.

Emily May is a UK-based book reviewer who’s one of the top-ranked reviewers on Goodreads. Here are the first few paragraphs of her Goodreads review of The Poppy War , a fantasy novel by R.F. Kuang.

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.” Holy hell, what did I just read?? A fantasy military school A rich world based on modern Chinese history Shamans and gods Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters Adorable, opium-smoking mentors That’s a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Finally, Book Geeks is a website that describes itself as “India’s best book blog.” Here’s the beginning of their review of Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5 SUBJECT: 4/5 CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5 RELEVANCE: 3.5/5 ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5 Eat Pray Love is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from Amazon and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be—maybe more like a chick-lit but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things—Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name—EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India), and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia).

There are many benefits to becoming a consistent book reviewer.

After you establish a following, many publishing houses will send you books for free in exchange for a review, which can be a huge perk. In some cases, you can even get paid for your reviews.

So how do you become a book reviewer? Here are a few tips:

Develop your own book reviewing style to give your reviews a more personal touch. Do you want to leave funny reviews that make readers laugh? Personal reviews that include anecdotes from your own life? Serious reviews that readers can trust for an objective opinion?

Start taking notes every time you read a book you’re planning to review. Recording your initial reactions can help you develop more insightful critiques.

Finally, set book reviewing goals and stick to them. For example, you might decide to start by reviewing one book a month. That way, you can turn reviewing into a consistent practice.

Good luck, and happy writing!

Be confident about grammar

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Hannah Yang

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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