We all understand that a review is, first, an evaluation of a work, and it most often gives an answer to the essential question of the reader, whether the person who wrote the review liked or did not like it. If you want a written review to be as interesting, objective, and detailed as it can be, use and follow the simple steps.
The First Thing Is to Follow a Given Structure
Primarily, you need to include only two things in a written review of the work. This is a story about what is written in the book (what it is about) and your personal opinion about it (you write because you liked and hooked the book or vice versa – this is a negative review). So, when you start writing a review, you should follow this structure:
- A brief overview of the book’s contents, a list of the main characters, and, perhaps, an indication of the central theme;
- Your personal opinion about this book, you liked it, caused negative emotions or made you indifferent with regret about the time spent on it.
And now is the time to move on to a detailed analysis, which may include the following assessments: the persuasiveness of the characters of both the primary and secondary characters; how the work corresponds to the given genre; degree of intrigue; the uniqueness of the plot; the complexity of the composition and so on. Everything that you find interesting and worthy of special mention.
A very responsible and undoubtedly significant moment is a personal reflection. After all, if the book is deep and made you think about it, staying in the plot for a while, pushed your thoughts about the topic raised by the author or the characters, you realized something, realized that we are not all trembling creatures. Still, we have the right – do not be silent, let other book lovers learn about it. Tell us about it in the review, making it unique and personal.
The Right Balance: Less Retelling of the Text, More of Your Emotions
Of course, a good review should undoubtedly talk about the content of the work – and it should include more content than in the classic annotation. But it is necessary to understand that the statement is better to make short. It is not needed to describe all details and actions of each hero. It is unlikely that people who are unfamiliar with the work will be grateful for the spoilers.
Keep Asking Yourself, “Why?”
Why did I get so hooked on the work? Why does my eye tremble at the actions of the hero? Why did I understand that other books by this author will be read and will decorate my shelf? Why do I have to tell everyone that you can’t waste time on this book? Why don’t I regret reading this book to the end? Why did the tears flow from my eyes, sometimes from empathy, sometimes from laughter? Why can this book be compared to books by classical authors? Why should it be read at this age? Asking yourself such questions and writing down the answers to them, you will already see an almost ready and excellent review.
Accept Interpretations
If the work is intense and outstanding, it will inevitably have several interpretations. After all, a brilliant author writes so that everyone in his work would find and see something of their own. Describe in the review your analysis of the book, what you found, how you understood and interpreted what you read. It is no secret that the book is not a monologue of the writer. It is a conversation between the writer and the reader, so your interpretation will heat the new reader’s interest in the book. Include this item in your review plan.
Try to Compare the Work with Other Works of the Author
If you know this author, you have read his other books. Then it’s just a hand – feel free to draw parallels. Your thoughts and critical eye will be exciting. Indicate whether recognizable author traits are traceable. Or maybe this book stands out? Whether the new book helped to better understand the previous ones or vice versa, before embarking on it, you will recommend reading other works that can be taken as a sample. And don’t forget the standard comparison – a new book is better or weaker than the previous one. Such a comparative literature analysis will be both interesting and valuable.
Decorate Your Review with Associations and Comparisons
It is human nature to compare and choose everything (though not always correctly). If, while reading a book, you remembered three more – be sure to write about it. Such a comparison will reveal the genre of the work more deeply, attract fans of such stories and add color to your text. And a little advice – try not to compare the classic scheme of “better or worse,” but to point out the general and different. And if suddenly you go further and are ready to compare the book with a film, music, or artwork – do not be afraid to tell about it. The reviewer is always entitled to his point of view.
These rules will help write the first reviews, and then such work will be simple, straightforward, and enjoyable for you. Good luck!
