Monday 10 June 2019

How I Write My Book Reviews


Ive been debating sharing this post for months now, but my fear of it not being good enough held me back until I finally decided to just do it. These are the points I use to write my reviews, but Im by no means an expert so I want your input as well. Id love to keep adding talking points to this list and make the whole reviewing process easier so let me know if you think anythings missing. My reviews dont always include all the points mentioned below. Some are in every review while others Ill only talk about if I formed a strong opinion on it.


My trouble area is the writing, Im usually not the best at explaining why I like or dislike it. For the longest time I felt like my reviews werent getting any better, but after stumbling on some author writing advice posts I found noticeable improvement in my reviews so you could try that. Theres also the obvious reading a variety of reviews from other readers, but Ive always done that so the author advice posts was a real gold mine.

Some people summarize most of the book in their reviews, but I like to keep my summaries short and vague. I prefer going into books not knowing much so I try to give other readers the same courtesy. However the reviews that summarize a lot of the book are great for series refresher so I do still read them from time to time. No shade to anyone who does this. Every review style is valid. This list is based on my spoiler free book reviews. Okay now lets start.

Characters:


- Whose Point of View Does It Follow
- Personality Traits: Strengths & Weaknesses
- Was Their Voices Different From One Another
- Are They Realistic /Include Antagonist
- What Motivates Them & Whats Their Goal
- Did Their Decisions Make Sense
- Did They Change or Learn Anything
- Were You Able to Connect With Them
- Any Favorite or Least Favorite Characters/ Why
- Was There Any Romance, Family, or Friendships

Plot:


- What Was the Conflict (Avoid Spoilers or Skip)
- Was it Believable or Authentic
- Did It Have Any Plot Holes
- Was It Well Paced
- Did It Have Enough Action or Tension
- Was It Plot Or Character Driven / Mix
- What Were The Meaningful Themes
- Was It Predictable Or Mysterious

World:


- Did Anything Inspire The Setting
- Did It Have Any Mythology or Lore
- Was There Any Magic or Futuristic Tech
- Was There Any Unique Creatures
- Was It Well Explained And Easy to Understand
- How Vivid & Immersive Was It
- Any Elements You Wanted More Info About
- Elements You Liked & Disliked/ Why

Writing:


- Was It Straight To The Point Or Detailed
- Was It Repetitive or Overly Wordy
- How Easy Was It to Read
- Was There Any Made Up Words
- Good Balance Between Dialogue and Exposition
- Did the Dialogue Feel Natural /Any Banter
- Did it Have Any Beautiful Prose or Quotable Lines
- Did It Flow Well Or Have Any Confusing Jumps


Id really appreciate any comments letting me know what points are missing so I can add them. Thanks for Reading!

2 comments:

  1. This is a good post! My review for each book depends on their storyline and genre. Sometimes, I omit some points that I'd like to discuss if I think it will spoil the other readers. Even if I want to include it, it's better to send it to the publisher directly to let them know that you've seen those points.

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    1. Chels @Crazy4Books5 July 2019 at 22:13

      Thank you so much! Ill also omit some points that arent necessary. It makes for a more consice review.

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