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1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round Hardcover – January 9, 2024

• Print length 272 pages
• Language English
• Publisher S&S/Simon Element
• Publication date January 9, 2024
• Dimensions 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.38 inches
• ISBN-10 1668023601
• ISBN-13 978-1668023600
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ S&S/Simon Element (January 9, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1668023601
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668023600
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.38 inches
• #153 in Authorship Reference
• #463 in Creativity (Books)
• #1,070 in Writing Reference

About the author

Jami attenberg.

Jami Attenberg has written about food, travel, books, relationships, and urban life for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times (London), The Guardian, and others. She is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books of fiction, including The Middlesteins and All Grown Up, the memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You, and most recently, the national bestselling writing guide 1000 Words. Her work has been published in sixteen languages. She is also the founder of the annual #1000WordsofSummer project, and maintains the popular Craft Talk newsletter year-round. She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Wendy Laura Belcher

How to write an academic book review.

This article “Writing the Academic Book Review” was originally written by Belcher to aid participants in a workshop sponsored by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center in February 2003 and to encourage book review submissions to  Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies . Book reviews in the field of Chicano studies can be sent to  the journal; for information, see the  new submissions page. The article was updated in 2015. Cite as Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2003. “Writing the Academic Book Review.” Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. Last Modified 2015. Retrieved from https://www.wendybelcher.com/writing-advice/how-to-write-book-review/ on [month year]. See also the best-selling book of advice on writing, now in its second edition: Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success.

Why Write a Book Review?

Writing book reviews is not only the easiest and quickest route to publication, it is a good way to improve your writing skills, develop your analytical skills, learn how the journal publishing process works, and get to know editors. Since some libraries can’t buy books unless they have been reviewed and many individuals won’t buy books unless they have read a review, reviewing books can definitely advance your field. Indeed, scholars in smaller fields sometimes get together and assign books for review so that every book published in their field is reviewed somewhere. Just remember that book reviews do not “count” as much on a curriculum vitae as an academic essay. If you are doing more than two book reviews a year, you may be spending too much time on book reviews and not enough on your other writing.

Choosing a Book

Think about what kind of book would be most useful to you in writing your dissertation, finalizing a paper for publication, or passing your exams. Since book reviews do take time, like any writing, it is best to chose a book that will work for you twice, as a publication and as research. Alternatively, some recommend that graduate students focus on reviewing textbooks or anthologies, since such reviews take less background knowledge and editors can find it difficult to find people willing to do such reviews. Although the traditional book review is of one book, editors will often welcome book reviews that address two or more related books–called a review essay.

Choose a book that (1) is in your field, (2) is on a topic for which you have sound background knowledge, (3) has been published in the past two or three years, and (4) has been published by a reputable publisher (i.e., any press affiliated with a university or large commercial presses).

Books on hot topics are often of special interest to editors. It can also be rewarding to pick an obscure but useful book in order to bring attention to it. To avoid complications, it is best not to review books written by your advisor, spouse, or ex!

To identify a suitable book in your field:

• Look up the call number of the favorite book in your field and go to the stacks of your university library. Do a shelf search around the call number to see if anything similar or related has been published in the past couple of years.
• Go to any book database—your university library on-line, Worldcat , Amazon.com , the Library of Congress —and search using two or three keywords related to your field (e.g., Chicano fiction, Chicana politics, Latino demographics, Latina high school education) to find books in your area.
• Read magazines that review books before publication—such as Choice , Library Journal, or Kirkus Reviews —to get a sense for interesting books that will be coming out. You can get copies of books for review before they are published. Editors especially like reviews of just published books.
• Read those academic journals that list books recently received for review or recently published in their area. 
• Ask faculty members in your department for recommendations.

Once you have identified several books, locate copies and skim them. Pick the book that seems the strongest. Do not pick a book that has major problems or with which you disagree violently. As a graduate student, you do not have the protection of tenure and may one day be evaluated by the person whose book you put to the ax. If you really feel strongly that you must write a negative review of a certain book, go ahead and write the review. Academia is, after all, quite oedipal and young scholars do sometimes make their reputations by deflating those who came before them. Just realize that going on record in such a public way may have consequences.

Choosing a Journal

Identify several leading journals in your field that publish book reviews. One way to do this is to search an on-line article database or something like Book Review Digest , if your library has access. Using several key words from your field, limit your search to book reviews and note the journals where the results were published.

Before starting to write your review, contact the book review editor of one of the journals. This is important standard practice; in particular because most journals do not accept unsolicited reviews. You do not want to write an entire review of a book and send it to a journal, only to be told that they don’t accept unsolicited reviews or that a review of that very book is to appear in the next issue.

So, send a short e-mail to book review editors at prospective journals (most journals have websites with such information) identifying the book you would like to review and your qualifications for reviewing it. This e-mail need not be longer than two sentences: “I am writing to find out if you would welcome a review from me of [ Book Title ], edited by [editor] and published in 2012 by [pubisher]. I am currently writing my dissertation at Stanford on the history of the field of [name of a field related to book].”

Another reason why you want to contact the book review editor is that they often can get you the book for free. Publishers frequently send books for review straight to journals or, if the book editor directly contacts them, straight to you. Of course, you don’t need to wait for the book to start your review if you have access to a library copy. If you get a free book, make sure to write the review. A book review editor will never send you another book if you don’t deliver on the first.

If the book review editor says yes, they would like a review of the book from you, make sure to ask if the journal has any book review submission guidelines. In particular, you want to make sure you understand how long their book reviews tend to be.

If the book review editor says the book is already under review, move on to your next journal choice or ask the editor if they have any books on the topic that they would like reviewed. You are under no obligation to review a book they suggest, just make sure to get back to them with a decision. It is perfectly acceptable to say “Thanks for the suggestion, I’ve decided to focus on writing my prospectus/dissertation.”

Reading the Book

It is best, when writing a book review, to be an active reader of the book. Sit at a desk with pen and paper in hand. As you read, stop frequently to summarize the argument, to note particularly clear statements of the book’s argument or purpose, and to describe your own responses. If you have read in this active way, putting together the book review should be quick and straightforward. Some people prefer to read at the computer, but if you’re a good typist, you often start typing up long quotes from the book instead of analyzing it. Paper and pen provides a little friction to prevent such drifting.

Take particular note of the title (does the book deliver what the title suggests it is going to deliver?), the table of contents (does the book cover all the ground it says it will?), the preface (often the richest source of information about the book), and the index (is it accurate, broad, deep?).

Some questions to keep in mind as you are reading:

• What is the book’s argument?
• Does the book do what it says it is going to do?
• Is the book a contribution to the field or discipline?
• Does the book relate to a current debate or trend in the field and if so, how?
• What is the theoretical lineage or school of thought out of which the book rises?
• Is the book well-written?
• What are the books terms and are they defined?
• How accurate is the information (e.g., the footnotes, bibliography, dates)?
• Are the illustrations helpful? If there are no illustrations, should there have been?
• Who would benefit from reading this book?
• How does the book compare to other books in the field?
• If it is a textbook, what courses can it be used in and how clear is the book’s structure and examples?

It can be worthwhile to do an on-line search to get a sense for the author’s history, other books, university appointments, graduate advisor, and so on. This can provide you with useful context..

Making a Plan

Book reviews are usually 600 to 2,000 words in length. It is best to aim for about 1,000 words, as you can say a fair amount in 1,000 words without getting bogged down. There’s no point in making a book review into a 20-page masterpiece since the time would have been better spent on an academic essay that would count for more on your c.v.

Some say a review should be written in a month: two weeks reading the book, one week planning your review, and one week writing it.

Although many don’t write an outline for an essay, you should really try to outline your book review before you write it. This will keep you on task and stop you from straying into writing an academic essay.

Classic book review structure is as follows:

• Title including complete bibliographic citation for the work (i.e., title in full, author, place, publisher, date of publication, edition statement, pages, special features [maps, color plates, etc.], price, and ISBN.
• One paragraph identifying the thesis, and whether the author achieves the stated purpose of the book.
• One or two paragraphs summarizing the book.
• One paragraph on the book’s strengths.
• One paragraph on the book’s weaknesses.
• One paragraph on your assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.

Writing the Review

Once you’ve read the book, try to spend no more than one or two weeks writing the review. Allowing a great deal of time to fall between reading the book and writing about it is unfair to you and the author. The point of writing something short like a book review is to do it quickly. Sending a publication to a journal is always scary, sitting on the review won’t make it less so.

Avoiding Five Common Pitfalls

• Evaluate the text, don’t just summarize it. While a succinct restatement of the text’s points is important, part of writing a book review is making a judgment. Is the book a contribution to the field? Does it add to our knowledge? Should this book be read and by whom? One needn’t be negative to evaluate; for instance, explaining how a text relates to current debates in the field is a form of evaluation.
• Do not cover everything in the book. In other words, don’t use the table of contents as a structuring principle for your review. Try to organize your review around the book’s argument or your argument about the book.
• Judge the book by its intentions not yours. Don’t criticize the author for failing to write the book you think that he or she should have written. As John Updike puts it, “Do not imagine yourself the caretaker of any tradition, an enforcer of any party standards, a warrior in any ideological battle, a corrections officer of any kind.”
• Likewise, don’t spend too much time focusing on gaps. Since a book is only 200 to 500 pages, it cannot possibly address the richness of any topic. For this reason, the most common criticism in any review is that the book doesn’t address some part of the topic. If the book purports to be about ethnicity and film and yet lacks a chapter on Latinos, by all means, mention it. Just don’t belabor the point. Another tic of reviewers is to focus too much on books the author did not cite. If you are using their bibliography just to display your own knowledge it will be obvious to the reader. Keep such criticisms brief.
• Don’t use too many quotes from the book. It is best to paraphrase or use short telling quotes within sentences.

For further advice about writing for publication, see Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success by Wendy Laura Belcher (University of Chicago Press, 2019).

Writing the Academic Book Review

I no longer teach this course , but you might want to think about teaching it, so I provide the information here.

This workshop aids students in actually writing and publishing a book review for a peer-reviewed journal. At the first session, students receive instruction on why graduate students should (or should not) write book reviews, how to choose a book for review, how to chose a journal for submission, how to read a book for review, how to plan and structure a book review, and five common pitfalls of reviewing. Students also form small groups to discuss the book each plans to review.At the second meeting, students bring a draft of their book review for exchange and feedback. At the third meeting, students arrive with a final version of their essay to submit to an editor for publication.

This workshop is sometimes offered by a particular journal with the editors serving on a panel the first night to provide students with specific advice for submitting reviews to their journal. I did such a workshop for Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies , with the editors Chon A. Noriega and Alicia Gaspar de Alba.

Session 1, Week 1

• Introduction to book reviewing
• Selecting an appropriate book to review
• Five essential elements of any book review
• Typical errors graduate student reviewers make

Session 2, Week 10

• Assignment: First draft due
• Discussion of the writing process and challenges
• Exchanging and critiquing first drafts
• Some instructions on revising

Session 3, Week 16

• Assignment: Final draft due
• Working with editors and the publication process
• Refreshments

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Blog – Posted on Thursday, Nov 11

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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Oxford University Press's Academic Insights for the Thinking World

How to write a compelling book review

Sorry About That: The Language of Public Apology

• By Edwin Battistella
• August 11 th 2015

Summer is a time when many of us have a little extra time for reading. For me, that means Go Set a Watchman , some Haruki Murukami and James Lee Burke, plus summer mysteries and thrillers. It means catching up on what local authors and friends have published. And it means reading new books in my field and writing book reviews.

Book reviews are an essential but unappreciated genre. Reviewing is much more than service journalism. Book reviews are the first thing I look at in the Sunday paper, the first section I turn to when I get the latest issue of an academic journal. For publishers, reviews are an important way of getting the word out about books they believe in. For authors, reviews are much needed feedback, giving them both a sense of how their peers view their argument and validation that their work has not gone unread. For book reviewers themselves, writing reviews is an exercise in thinking about other peoples’ thinking and writing about other peoples’ writing.

How do you review several hundred pages of someone’s blood, sweat, and tears in just the 500 or 1,000 words allotted to you by an editor? Of course, it depends on the book—novels, anthologies, nonfiction, and reference books all have different constraints. But there are some general principles that will make reviewing something you can look forward to.

• First, pay attention to the deadline and length guidelines. Authors and publishers count on timely reviews—reviews that appear when the book is new. And editors have space limitations, even online, so you can speed things along by following guidelines.
• Leave yourself plenty of time, so that you can read the book a couple of times. Give it a quick skim, then a careful perusing (in the older sense of the word), carefully reading a chapter a day and taking notes. That gives you plenty of time to form an impression and think your evaluation through. What is the author’s point and who else cares about it? Did the author win your confidence? Overexplain? Preach? Drift? Was the exposition at the right level, well-supported and exemplified? Was the narrative propulsive and the characters and dialogue convincing? Pro tip: As I read nonfiction, I also take notes about things I might want to mention in classes or research ideas to follow up on later.
• Your job is to create a relationship between the reviewer, the book’s author, and potential readers.  To do that, you need to establish some context for the book. The best reviews quickly situate a book against some social, scientific, cultural, or disciplinary backdrop. A clever title or opening line helps, but it’s more than that. What important ideas or questions does this book address? Who would be interested in the book and why? A good review can amplify that background for readers and may even cause the author to think about the work in a new way. The opening of a Washington Post review of Allan Metcalf’s book,  OK: The Improbable History of America’s Greatest Word reads: “Probably there are as many theories about the origins of ‘OK’ as there are theorists to expound them…” If I am interested in that question, I’ll read on.
• Keep in mind that a review is also part summary. Sometimes a chapter-by-chapter summary is helpful, especially when the book is organized as an unfolding nonfiction exposition, historically or thematically. But often chapters can be grouped together more holistically (as you would in summarizing a fictional narrative), allowing you to more quickly focus on the cross-chapter theme an author raises rather than strictly on the exposition.
• As you summarize, try to fit the best examples from the book into the review, rather than just relying on a retelling of an author’s points. Try to refer to the material that brought the book alive for you, juxtaposing different examples to reinforce your reading of the book. Ben Zimmer’s New York Times review of Green’s Dictionary of Slang gives the flavor of the work itself by including the following examples in his piece: booze, crib, punk, and skeeve . Similarly, if you review an anthology or collection of essays, you have just enough space to discuss a few pieces in depth and will need to briskly note most of the others.
• Summary, however it is handled, should be combined with your evaluation of the book.  This is your honest judgement of what parts of the book are the strongest and the weakest. Where does the writing sparkle? Where does it lose its way? What might there be more of, or less? What is innovative and what is missing? Who is this book intended for, and who should pass it by? Give the reasons for your judgement, insofar as you can, and avoid being snarky. One of my professors, the late Samuel Levin, joked that he once wanted to begin a review saying, “This book creates a great void in the field.” But he didn’t. Book reviews are not the place for gratuitous put-downs (for example, “This is not a book to be tossed lightly aside. It should be thrown with great force” or “The covers of this book are too far apart.”)
• Book reviews are the time to practice the art of brevity and to polish your own writing. You will probably only have a few hundred words, so make each one count. Engage your readers by getting their attention and winning their confidence, by moving briskly through what you have to say, and helping them to decide if they want to read the book for themselves.
• Book reviews can lead to other review-like writing. You may find yourself asked to do a longer review article, basically a review of two or three books on the same topic. That’s your opportunity to put similar books in touch with one another and offer a more extended discussion on both the books and the topic. Another opportunity is the bibliographic essay, like those of Oxford Bibliographies . Here, writers survey the literature of an entire area: phonetics, dialectology, aphasia, you name it. The summary and evaluation aspects are concise annotations, while the background context takes place in paragraph-long overviews. For the bibliographic essay, the exciting challenge is to share your expertise with those who may be new to something, helping them to see the whole and establish a plan for further reading.

Following directions. Planning. Context. Summary. Evaluation. Your best writing. Those are the fundamentals. Book reviewing, like book writing, is a lot of work. But it matters to writers, readers, and publishers, and it is well worth the effort. Even in the dog days of summer.

Image Credit: “Library” by Stewart Butterfield. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr .

Edwin L. Battistella teaches linguistics and writing at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where he has served as a dean and as interim provost. He is the author of Sorry About That: The Language of Public Apology   (OUP, 2014),  Do You Make These Mistakes in English? (OUP, 2009), Bad Language (OUP, 2005), and The Logic of Markedness (OUP, 1996).

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[…] Oxford University Press – How to Write a Compelling Book Review (article by Edwin Battistella): https://blog.oup.com/2015/08/how-write-book-review/ […]

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Book Review Writing

Book Review Examples

Book Review Examples to Help You Get Started

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How to Write a Book Review - A Step By Step Guide

A Complete Book Review Format Guide For Students

Are you in desperate need of some assistance to up your book review writing game? 

We know that penning down a review can come off as a tricky challenge, but do not worry!

To help you write book reviews that carry the essence of the book and engage readers, we have collected a handful of book review examples in this blog. 

The included examples will enable you to understand different writing styles and approaches taken toward book review writing . So, you can use your words effectively to craft the perfect book review.

Let’s kickstart things off!

• 1. Good Book Review Examples for Students
• 2. Short Book Review Examples for Fiction Books
• 3. Non-Fiction Book Review Examples

Good Book Review Examples for Students

You might be a professional writer, or you may not have any experience in writing book reviews. Rest assured, we’ll show you how to write perfect book reviews with the help of a sample template and great examples.

See this template to know what you should include in your book review: 

Book Review Template

Here is a good book review example for 4th-grade students:

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Book Review Examples for Middle School Students

Reading reviews written by others can help you get a feel and flavor of good book reviews. Learning how to write a perfect book review can help students to:

• Critically analyze a text
• Give a personal opinion on the text
• Improve analyzing and critical thinking skills 

Here are some interesting book review examples suitable for middle school students. 

Book Review Example for Middle School Students

Book Review Example for Kids

Book Review of Any Book in 300 Words

Science Book Review Example

Book Review Examples For High School Students

Below, you can also find some good book review examples for high school students. These real-life examples can help you get a clear understanding of the standard book review format that you should follow.

Book Review Example for High School Students

Book Review Examples for Class 9

Book Review Example for Grade 10

Book Review Examples for College Students

As a college student, you are required to demonstrate that you have examined the book from different angles. The points you raise in your book review need to be supported with clear facts and evidence.

The following are some interesting critical book review examples for college students to learn how to write a perfect review. 

Book Review Example for Class 12

Short Book Review for Students

Conclusion of Book Review Example

Short Book Review Examples for Fiction Books

Fiction book reviews follow the same basic formula as writing book reviews of any other genre. For your help, we have compiled exciting examples of fiction book reviews that you can get valuable assistance from. 

Short Book Review Example for Fiction Books

Book Review of Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

“The Hazel Wood” by Melissa Albert is a work of fiction and falls into fantasy and young adult fiction genres. The novel revolves around fantastical fairy tales, and magical realism, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

Here is an example of a comprehensive review of the book Hazel Wood:

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Non-Fiction Book Review Examples

For reviewing a non-fiction book, you are required to describe the book and summarize major points of interest. You should evaluate the author’s contribution to a subject that you may know very little about.

Here is a great non-fiction book review example to help you come up with a critical perspective on a text. 

Non-Fiction Book Review Example

Hopefully, with the help of the above examples, you get a better idea of how to write a perfect book review.

To wrap it up,

Writing a great book review is a tricky task, no matter if you are a high school, college, or university student. Book review writing might seem like a simple task, but it requires excellent analyzing and critical thinking skills.

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Book Reviews

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews.

What is a review?

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. For a similar assignment, see our handout on literature reviews .

Above all, a review makes an argument. The most important element of a review is that it is a commentary, not merely a summary. It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the work’s creator and with other audiences. You can offer agreement or disagreement and identify where you find the work exemplary or deficient in its knowledge, judgments, or organization. You should clearly state your opinion of the work in question, and that statement will probably resemble other types of academic writing, with a thesis statement, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Typically, reviews are brief. In newspapers and academic journals, they rarely exceed 1000 words, although you may encounter lengthier assignments and extended commentaries. In either case, reviews need to be succinct. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:

• First, a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
• Second, and more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content. This involves your reactions to the work under review: what strikes you as noteworthy, whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how it enhanced your understanding of the issues at hand.
• Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience would appreciate it.

Becoming an expert reviewer: three short examples

Reviewing can be a daunting task. Someone has asked for your opinion about something that you may feel unqualified to evaluate. Who are you to criticize Toni Morrison’s new book if you’ve never written a novel yourself, much less won a Nobel Prize? The point is that someone—a professor, a journal editor, peers in a study group—wants to know what you think about a particular work. You may not be (or feel like) an expert, but you need to pretend to be one for your particular audience. Nobody expects you to be the intellectual equal of the work’s creator, but your careful observations can provide you with the raw material to make reasoned judgments. Tactfully voicing agreement and disagreement, praise and criticism, is a valuable, challenging skill, and like many forms of writing, reviews require you to provide concrete evidence for your assertions.

Consider the following brief book review written for a history course on medieval Europe by a student who is fascinated with beer:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, investigates how women used to brew and sell the majority of ale drunk in England. Historically, ale and beer (not milk, wine, or water) were important elements of the English diet. Ale brewing was low-skill and low status labor that was complimentary to women’s domestic responsibilities. In the early fifteenth century, brewers began to make ale with hops, and they called this new drink “beer.” This technique allowed brewers to produce their beverages at a lower cost and to sell it more easily, although women generally stopped brewing once the business became more profitable.

The student describes the subject of the book and provides an accurate summary of its contents. But the reader does not learn some key information expected from a review: the author’s argument, the student’s appraisal of the book and its argument, and whether or not the student would recommend the book. As a critical assessment, a book review should focus on opinions, not facts and details. Summary should be kept to a minimum, and specific details should serve to illustrate arguments.

Now consider a review of the same book written by a slightly more opinionated student:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 was a colossal disappointment. I wanted to know about the rituals surrounding drinking in medieval England: the songs, the games, the parties. Bennett provided none of that information. I liked how the book showed ale and beer brewing as an economic activity, but the reader gets lost in the details of prices and wages. I was more interested in the private lives of the women brewsters. The book was divided into eight long chapters, and I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to read it.

There’s no shortage of judgments in this review! But the student does not display a working knowledge of the book’s argument. The reader has a sense of what the student expected of the book, but no sense of what the author herself set out to prove. Although the student gives several reasons for the negative review, those examples do not clearly relate to each other as part of an overall evaluation—in other words, in support of a specific thesis. This review is indeed an assessment, but not a critical one.

Here is one final review of the same book:

One of feminism’s paradoxes—one that challenges many of its optimistic histories—is how patriarchy remains persistent over time. While Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 recognizes medieval women as historical actors through their ale brewing, it also shows that female agency had its limits with the advent of beer. I had assumed that those limits were religious and political, but Bennett shows how a “patriarchal equilibrium” shut women out of economic life as well. Her analysis of women’s wages in ale and beer production proves that a change in women’s work does not equate to a change in working women’s status. Contemporary feminists and historians alike should read Bennett’s book and think twice when they crack open their next brewsky.

This student’s review avoids the problems of the previous two examples. It combines balanced opinion and concrete example, a critical assessment based on an explicitly stated rationale, and a recommendation to a potential audience. The reader gets a sense of what the book’s author intended to demonstrate. Moreover, the student refers to an argument about feminist history in general that places the book in a specific genre and that reaches out to a general audience. The example of analyzing wages illustrates an argument, the analysis engages significant intellectual debates, and the reasons for the overall positive review are plainly visible. The review offers criteria, opinions, and support with which the reader can agree or disagree.

Developing an assessment: before you write

There is no definitive method to writing a review, although some critical thinking about the work at hand is necessary before you actually begin writing. Thus, writing a review is a two-step process: developing an argument about the work under consideration, and making that argument as you write an organized and well-supported draft. See our handout on argument .

What follows is a series of questions to focus your thinking as you dig into the work at hand. While the questions specifically consider book reviews, you can easily transpose them to an analysis of performances, exhibitions, and other review subjects. Don’t feel obligated to address each of the questions; some will be more relevant than others to the book in question.

• What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished?
• What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? What is the approach to the subject (topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive)?
• How does the author support their argument? What evidence do they use to prove their point? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author’s information (or conclusions) conflict with other books you’ve read, courses you’ve taken or just previous assumptions you had of the subject?
• How does the author structure their argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
• How has this book helped you understand the subject? Would you recommend the book to your reader?

Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the circumstances of the text’s production:

• Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the biographer was the subject’s best friend? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they write about?
• What is the book’s genre? Out of what field does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or literary standard on which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know. Keep in mind, though, that naming “firsts”—alongside naming “bests” and “onlys”—can be a risky business unless you’re absolutely certain.

Writing the review

Once you have made your observations and assessments of the work under review, carefully survey your notes and attempt to unify your impressions into a statement that will describe the purpose or thesis of your review. Check out our handout on thesis statements . Then, outline the arguments that support your thesis.

Your arguments should develop the thesis in a logical manner. That logic, unlike more standard academic writing, may initially emphasize the author’s argument while you develop your own in the course of the review. The relative emphasis depends on the nature of the review: if readers may be more interested in the work itself, you may want to make the work and the author more prominent; if you want the review to be about your perspective and opinions, then you may structure the review to privilege your observations over (but never separate from) those of the work under review. What follows is just one of many ways to organize a review.

Introduction

Since most reviews are brief, many writers begin with a catchy quip or anecdote that succinctly delivers their argument. But you can introduce your review differently depending on the argument and audience. The Writing Center’s handout on introductions can help you find an approach that works. In general, you should include:

• The name of the author and the book title and the main theme.
• Relevant details about who the author is and where they stand in the genre or field of inquiry. You could also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.
• The context of the book and/or your review. Placing your review in a framework that makes sense to your audience alerts readers to your “take” on the book. Perhaps you want to situate a book about the Cuban revolution in the context of Cold War rivalries between the United States and the Soviet Union. Another reviewer might want to consider the book in the framework of Latin American social movements. Your choice of context informs your argument.
• The thesis of the book. If you are reviewing fiction, this may be difficult since novels, plays, and short stories rarely have explicit arguments. But identifying the book’s particular novelty, angle, or originality allows you to show what specific contribution the piece is trying to make.
• Your thesis about the book.

Summary of content

This should be brief, as analysis takes priority. In the course of making your assessment, you’ll hopefully be backing up your assertions with concrete evidence from the book, so some summary will be dispersed throughout other parts of the review.

The necessary amount of summary also depends on your audience. Graduate students, beware! If you are writing book reviews for colleagues—to prepare for comprehensive exams, for example—you may want to devote more attention to summarizing the book’s contents. If, on the other hand, your audience has already read the book—such as a class assignment on the same work—you may have more liberty to explore more subtle points and to emphasize your own argument. See our handout on summary for more tips.

Analysis and evaluation of the book

Your analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs that deal with single aspects of your argument. This arrangement can be challenging when your purpose is to consider the book as a whole, but it can help you differentiate elements of your criticism and pair assertions with evidence more clearly. You do not necessarily need to work chronologically through the book as you discuss it. Given the argument you want to make, you can organize your paragraphs more usefully by themes, methods, or other elements of the book. If you find it useful to include comparisons to other books, keep them brief so that the book under review remains in the spotlight. Avoid excessive quotation and give a specific page reference in parentheses when you do quote. Remember that you can state many of the author’s points in your own words.

Sum up or restate your thesis or make the final judgment regarding the book. You should not introduce new evidence for your argument in the conclusion. You can, however, introduce new ideas that go beyond the book if they extend the logic of your own thesis. This paragraph needs to balance the book’s strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. Did the body of your review have three negative paragraphs and one favorable one? What do they all add up to? The Writing Center’s handout on conclusions can help you make a final assessment.

Finally, a few general considerations:

• Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written. You can and should point out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
• With any luck, the author of the book worked hard to find the right words to express her ideas. You should attempt to do the same. Precise language allows you to control the tone of your review.
• Never hesitate to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument. Be sure, however, to cite specific examples to back up your assertions carefully.
• Try to present a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience. You’re entitled—and sometimes obligated—to voice strong agreement or disagreement. But keep in mind that a bad book takes as long to write as a good one, and every author deserves fair treatment. Harsh judgments are difficult to prove and can give readers the sense that you were unfair in your assessment.
• A great place to learn about book reviews is to look at examples. The New York Times Sunday Book Review and The New York Review of Books can show you how professional writers review books.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Drewry, John. 1974. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: Greenwood Press.

Hoge, James. 1987. Literary Reviewing. Charlottesville: University Virginia of Press.

Sova, Dawn, and Harry Teitelbaum. 2002. How to Write Book Reports , 4th ed. Lawrenceville, NY: Thomson/Arco.

Walford, A.J. 1986. Reviews and Reviewing: A Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Write a Book Review: A Comprehensive Tutorial With Examples

You don’t need to be a literary expert to craft captivating book reviews. With one in every three readers selecting books based on insightful reviews, your opinions can guide fellow bibliophiles toward their next literary adventure.

Learning how to write a book review will not only help you excel at your assigned tasks, but you’ll also contribute valuable insights to the book-loving community and turn your passion into a professional pursuit.

In this comprehensive guide,  PaperPerk  will walk you through a few simple steps to master the art of writing book reviews so you can confidently embark on this rewarding journey.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, offering insights into its content, quality, and impact. It helps readers make informed decisions about whether to read the book.

Writing a book review as an assignment benefits students in multiple ways. Firstly, it teaches them how to write a book review by developing their analytical skills as they evaluate the content, themes, and writing style .

Secondly, it enhances their ability to express opinions and provide constructive criticism. Additionally, book review assignments expose students to various publications and genres, broadening their knowledge.

Furthermore, these tasks foster essential skills for academic success, like critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information. By now, we’re sure you want to learn how to write a book review, so let’s look at the book review template first.

Table of Contents

Book Review Template

How to Write a Book Review- A Step-by-Step Guide

Check out these 5 straightforward steps for composing the best book review.

Step 1: Planning Your Book Review – The Art of Getting Started

You’ve decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let’s take a step back and plan your approach. Knowing how to write a book review that’s both informative and engaging is an art in itself.

Choosing Your Literature

First things first, pick the book you want to review. This might seem like a no-brainer, but selecting a book that genuinely interests you will make the review process more enjoyable and your insights more authentic.

Crafting the Master Plan

Next, create an  outline  that covers all the essential points you want to discuss in your review. This will serve as the roadmap for your writing journey.

The Devil is in the Details

As you read, note any information that stands out, whether it overwhelms, underwhelms, or simply intrigues you. Pay attention to:

• The characters and their development
• The plot and its intricacies
• Any themes, symbols, or motifs you find noteworthy

Remember to reserve a body paragraph for each point you want to discuss.

The Key Questions to Ponder

When planning your book review, consider the following questions:

• What’s the plot (if any)? Understanding the driving force behind the book will help you craft a more effective review.
• Is the plot interesting? Did the book hold your attention and keep you turning the pages?
• Are the writing techniques effective? Does the author’s style captivate you, making you want to read (or reread) the text?
• Are the characters or the information believable? Do the characters/plot/information feel real, and can you relate to them?
• Would you recommend the book to anyone? Consider if the book is worthy of being recommended, whether to impress someone or to support a point in a literature class.
• What could be improved? Always keep an eye out for areas that could be improved. Providing constructive criticism can enhance the quality of literature.

Step 2 – Crafting the Perfect Introduction to Write a Book Review

In this second step of “how to write a book review,” we’re focusing on the art of creating a powerful opening that will hook your audience and set the stage for your analysis.

Identify Your Book and Author

Begin by mentioning the book you’ve chosen, including its  title  and the author’s name. This informs your readers and establishes the subject of your review.

Ponder the Title

Next, discuss the mental images or emotions the book’s title evokes in your mind . This helps your readers understand your initial feelings and expectations before diving into the book.

Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)

Take a moment to talk about the book’s cover. Did it intrigue you? Did it hint at what to expect from the story or the author’s writing style? Sharing your thoughts on the cover can offer a unique perspective on how the book presents itself to potential readers.

Present Your Thesis

Now it’s time to introduce your thesis. This statement should be a concise and insightful summary of your opinion of the book. For example:

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is a captivating portrayal of the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of love, class, and self-discovery with exceptional depth and authenticity.

Ensure that your thesis is relevant to the points or quotes you plan to discuss throughout your review.

Incorporating these elements into your introduction will create a strong foundation for your book review. Your readers will be eager to learn more about your thoughts and insights on the book, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking analysis.

How to Write a Book Review: Step 3 – Building Brilliant Body Paragraphs

You’ve planned your review and written an attention-grabbing introduction. Now it’s time for the main event: crafting the body paragraphs of your book review. In this step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of constructing engaging and insightful body paragraphs that will keep your readers hooked.

Summarize Without Spoilers

Begin by summarizing a specific section of the book, not revealing any major plot twists or spoilers. Your goal is to give your readers a taste of the story without ruining surprises.

Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes

Next, choose three quotes from the book that support your viewpoint or opinion. These quotes should be relevant to the section you’re summarizing and help illustrate your thoughts on the book.

Analyze the Quotes

Write a summary of each quote in your own words, explaining how it made you feel or what it led you to think about the book or the author’s writing. This analysis should provide insight into your perspective and demonstrate your understanding of the text.

Structure Your Body Paragraphs

Dedicate one body paragraph to each quote, ensuring your writing is well-connected, coherent, and easy to understand.

For example:

• In  Jane Eyre , Charlotte Brontë writes, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.” This powerful statement highlights Jane’s fierce independence and refusal to be trapped by societal expectations.
• In  Normal People , Sally Rooney explores the complexities of love and friendship when she writes, “It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys.” This quote reveals the author’s astute observations on the role of culture and class in shaping personal relationships.
• In  Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë captures the tumultuous nature of love with the quote, “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This poignant line emphasizes the deep, unbreakable bond between the story’s central characters.

By following these guidelines, you’ll create body paragraphs that are both captivating and insightful, enhancing your book review and providing your readers with a deeper understanding of the literary work. 

How to Write a Book Review: Step 4 – Crafting a Captivating Conclusion

You’ve navigated through planning, introductions, and body paragraphs with finesse. Now it’s time to wrap up your book review with a  conclusion that leaves a lasting impression . In this final step of “How to write a Book Review,” we’ll explore the art of writing a memorable and persuasive conclusion.

Summarize Your Analysis

Begin by summarizing the key points you’ve presented in the body paragraphs. This helps to remind your readers of the insights and arguments you’ve shared throughout your review.

Offer Your Final Conclusion

Next, provide a conclusion that reflects your overall feelings about the book. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression and persuade your readers to consider your perspective.

Address the Book’s Appeal

Now, answer the question: Is this book worth reading? Be clear about who would enjoy the book and who might not. Discuss the taste preferences and circumstances that make the book more appealing to some readers than others.

For example:  The Alchemist is a book that can enchant a young teen, but those who are already well-versed in classic literature might find it less engaging.

Be Subtle and Balanced

Avoid simply stating whether you “liked” or “disliked” the book. Instead, use nuanced language to convey your message. Highlight the pros and cons of reading the type of literature you’ve reviewed, offering a balanced perspective.

Bringing It All Together

By following these guidelines, you’ll craft a conclusion that leaves your readers with a clear understanding of your thoughts and opinions on the book. Your review will be a valuable resource for those considering whether to pick up the book, and your witty and insightful analysis will make your review a pleasure to read. So conquer the world of book reviews, one captivating conclusion at a time!

How to Write a Book Review: Step 5 – Rating the Book (Optional)

You’ve masterfully crafted your book review, from the introduction to the conclusion. But wait, there’s one more step you might consider before calling it a day: rating the book. In this optional step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the benefits and methods of assigning a rating to the book you’ve reviewed.

Why Rate the Book?

Sometimes, when writing a professional book review, it may not be appropriate to state whether you liked or disliked the book. In such cases, assigning a rating can be an effective way to get your message across without explicitly sharing your personal opinion.

How to Rate the Book

There are various rating systems you can use to evaluate the book, such as:

• A star rating (e.g., 1 to 5 stars)
• A numerical score (e.g., 1 to 10)
• A letter grade (e.g., A+ to F)

Choose a rating system that best suits your style and the format of your review. Be consistent in your rating criteria, considering writing quality, character development, plot, and overall enjoyment.

Tips for Rating the Book

Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:

• Be honest: Your rating should reflect your true feelings about the book. Don’t inflate or deflate your rating based on external factors, such as the book’s popularity or the author’s reputation.
• Be fair: Consider the book’s merits and shortcomings when rating. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, recognize its strengths and acknowledge them in your rating.
• Be clear: Explain the rationale behind your rating so your readers understand the factors that influenced your evaluation.

Wrapping Up

By including a rating in your book review, you provide your readers with additional insight into your thoughts on the book. While this step is optional, it can be a valuable tool for conveying your message subtly yet effectively. So, rate those books confidently, adding a touch of wit and wisdom to your book reviews.

Additional Tips on How to Write a Book Review: A Guide

In this segment, we’ll explore additional tips on how to write a book review. Get ready to captivate your readers and make your review a memorable one!

Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction

Keep your introduction precise and to the point. Readers have the attention span of a goldfish these days, so don’t let them swim away in boredom. Start with a bang and keep them hooked!

Embrace the World of Fiction

When learning how to write a book review, remember that reviewing fiction is often more engaging and effective. If your professor hasn’t assigned you a specific book, dive into the realm of fiction and select a novel that piques your interest.

Opinionated with Gusto

Don’t shy away from adding your own opinion to your review. A good book review always features the writer’s viewpoint and constructive criticism. After all, your readers want to know what  you  think!

Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)

If you adored the book, let your readers know! Use phrases like “I’ll definitely return to this book again” to convey your enthusiasm. Conversely, be honest but respectful even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea.

Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

Feeling lost? You can always get help from formats, book review examples or online  college paper writing service  platforms. These trusty sidekicks will help you navigate the world of book reviews with ease. 

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

Remember to uplift new writers and pieces of literature. If you want to suggest improvements, do so kindly and constructively. There’s no need to be mean about anyone’s books – we’re all in this literary adventure together!

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

When adding criticism to your review, be clear but not mean. Remember, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and cruelty. Tread lightly and keep your reader’s feelings in mind.

Avoid the Comparison Trap

Resist the urge to compare one writer’s book with another. Every book holds its worth, and comparing them will only confuse your reader. Stick to discussing the book at hand, and let it shine in its own light.

Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing a book review can be a delightful and rewarding experience, especially when you balance analysis, wit, and personal insights. However, some common mistakes can kill the brilliance of your review. 

In this section of “How to write a book review,” we’ll explore the top 7 blunders writers commit and how to steer clear of them, with a dash of  modernist literature  examples and tips for students writing book reviews as assignments.

Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries

Mistake: Diving headfirst into a plot summary instead of dissecting the book’s themes, characters, and writing style.

Example: “The Bell Jar chronicles the life of a young woman who experiences a mental breakdown.”

How to Avoid: Delve into the book’s deeper aspects, such as its portrayal of mental health, societal expectations, and the author’s distinctive narrative voice. Offer thoughtful insights and reflections, making your review a treasure trove of analysis.

Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken

Mistake: Spilling major plot twists or the ending without providing a spoiler warning, effectively ruining the reading experience for potential readers.

Example: “In Metamorphosis, the protagonist’s transformation into a monstrous insect leads to…”

How to Avoid: Tread carefully when discussing significant plot developments, and consider using spoiler warnings. Focus on the impact of these plot points on the overall narrative, character growth, or thematic resonance.

Riding the Personal Bias Express

Mistake: Allowing personal bias to hijack the review without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to support opinions.

Example: “I detest books about existential crises, so The Sun Also Rises was a snoozefest.”

How to Avoid: While personal opinions are valid, it’s crucial to back them up with specific examples from the book. Discuss aspects like writing style, character development, or pacing to support your evaluation and provide a more balanced perspective.

Wielding the Vague Language Saber

Mistake: Resorting to generic, vague language that fails to capture the nuances of the book and can come across as clichéd.

Example: “This book was mind-blowing. It’s a must-read for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Use precise and descriptive language to express your thoughts. Employ specific examples and quotations to highlight memorable scenes, the author’s unique writing style, or the impact of the book’s themes on readers.

Ignoring the Contextualization Compass

Mistake: Neglecting to provide context about the author, genre, or cultural relevance of the book, leaving readers without a proper frame of reference.

Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”

How to Avoid: Offer readers a broader understanding by discussing the author’s background, the genre conventions the book adheres to or subverts, and any societal or historical contexts that inform the narrative. This helps readers appreciate the book’s uniqueness and relevance.

Overindulging in Personal Preferences

Mistake: Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective assessment of the book’s merits.

Example: “I don’t like stream-of-consciousness writing, so this book is automatically bad.”

How to Avoid: Acknowledge personal preferences but strive to evaluate the book objectively. Focus on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, considering how well it achieves its goals within its genre or intended audience.

Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope

Mistake: Failing to mention the book’s target audience or who might enjoy it, leading to confusion for potential readers.

Example: “This book is great for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Contemplate the book’s intended audience, genre, and themes. Mention who might particularly enjoy the book based on these factors, whether it’s fans of a specific genre, readers interested in character-driven stories, or those seeking thought-provoking narratives.

By dodging these common pitfalls, writers can craft insightful, balanced, and engaging book reviews that help readers make informed decisions about their reading choices.

These tips are particularly beneficial for students writing book reviews as assignments, as they ensure a well-rounded and thoughtful analysis.!

Many students requested us to cover how to write a book review. This thorough guide is sure to help you. At Paperperk, professionals are dedicated to helping students find their balance. We understand the importance of good grades, so we offer the finest writing service , ensuring students stay ahead of the curve. So seek expert help because only Paperperk is your perfect solution!

What is the difference between a book review and a report?

Who is the target audience for book reviews and book reports, how do book reviews and reports differ in length and content, can i write professional book reviews, what are the key aspects of writing professional book reviews, how can i enhance my book-reviewing skills to write professional reviews, what should be included in a good book review.

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Want to write a perfect book review that readers enjoy? Discover how to pen a book review in 6 easy steps. To help you understand, we’ve included amazing examples of book reviews. 

We’ve also answered many questions you might have such as: How long should a book review be? How to start a book review? How to conclude a book review? For beginners, we’ve also mentioned the basic book review format. So without further delay, let’s begin! 

Get a professional review for your book! Learn more

What is a book review? 

A book review is the critical analysis of the book’s content and significance. It includes an evaluation of the plot, character development, and writing style. A good book review highlights the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Reviewers often include quotes to support the opinions mentioned in the book review. A book review is different from a book report which objectively describes the book’s main content. 

Now that we know what is a book review, let’s understand their length. 

How long is a book review? 

The length of a book review can vary, depending on the purpose and the medium used. Book reviews in newspapers, magazines, and journals can range from 500-2000 words. In contrast, book reviews by readers on platforms like Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, or Google can range from 50-500 words. 

Now let us see the 6 easy steps to write book reviews. Whether you’re writing book reviews for your assignment or book promotion, these steps will help! 

How to write a book review

• Note down the key points- This is an important step before writing a book review. Jot down your analysis about the characters, themes, plot, and your personal view. Also, note down the book title, author’s name, and any relevant information about the book. 
• Start with a strong introduction- Mention the author’s name, book title, themes, and main characters in the introduction. The introduction should give a very brief book summary without giving spoilers. 
• Analyze the book- Discuss the book’s strong points and weaknesses. This can include your opinion on the narrative pacing, writing style, character development , and structure. You can also compare it with books belonging to a similar genre. To enhance the review, you can also use relevant quotes to support your perspective. 
• Reflect on your experience- Describe how the book makes you feel. Did you find it engaging or was it slow-paced? Were you happy with the climax or did you expect more? 
• Conclude the review- Summarize the important points and end the review with a final evaluative statement about the book. This is where you can state whether you will recommend the book to readers or not. This is an important step in writing a book review. 
• Rate the book (Optional)- Depending on the platform requirements, you can rate the book out of 5 or 10. 

Now that we’ve seen how to write a book review, let’s see five amazing tips to create the perfect book review.

Top 5 tips to create an amazing book review 

Here are the top 5 tips to create the perfect book review: 

• Start with an attractive hook- Begin the review with an intriguing question or statement, capturing the book’s essence. For example, “In ‘The Enchanted Labyrinth’, every page takes you into a magical world of intrigue and wonder. 
• Discuss originality- Write what makes the book unique as compared to other books in the same genre. If the book highlights an unexplored theme or gives a unique take on a common theme, you can mention it in the book review. 
• Analyze worldbuilding- Review the fictional world created by the author (Its depth, complexity and detail). You can discuss how the setting of the story affected your experience as a reader. This is a good practice, especially while reviewing fantasy and science fiction novels. 
• Evaluate key themes- Discuss how the central themes of the story are seamlessly woven into the narrative. You can do this by highlighting how the characters’ relationships and choices reflect the themes. Describe how themes add depth to the story. 
• Edit and proofread- Once you’ve completed your book review, thoroughly check it. Correct any grammatical mistakes , spelling, and word choice errors. 

Book review examples

1. a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini .

“A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by Khaled Hosseini, is a profoundly moving story set against the backdrop of Afghan history. This novel tells the tale of two women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become entwined in a harrowing journey of friendship, suffering, and redemption.

Mariam, an illegitimate child, suffers from stigma and rejection from an early age. Her tragic story evolves when she is forced into an abusive marriage with Rasheed, a brutish shoemaker. Laila, born generations later, is initially a symbol of the new Afghanistan – hopeful and educated. Their shared struggles against the backdrop of Afghanistan crumbling under Taliban rule form the novel’s heart.

Hosseini’s writing is evocative, capturing the stark realities in Afghanistan while also highlighting the profound resilience of his characters. The author masterfully portrays the emotional landscapes of Mariam and Laila, making them vividly relatable.

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is more than a story of survival; it is a testament to the unyielding strength of human connection and endurance. This book is a must-read, not only for its storytelling brilliance but for its deep exploration of the often-unheard voices of Afghan women. It’s a heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful novel that stays with you long after the last page.

Now let’s see another example of a book review. 

2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 

“A Man Called Ove ” by Fredrik Backman is a heartwarming novel that takes readers on an emotional journey of its titular character, Ove. At first glance, Ove appears to be nothing more than a grumpy old man. However, as the story unfolds, we discover that there is so much more to Ove than meets the eye.

The novel skillfully explores themes of loss, grief, and the human capacity for change. Ove’s journey is one of rediscovery and redemption, as he learns to open his heart to the people around him. Backman’s writing is both poignant and humorous, capturing the essence of human relationships and the power of community.

Ove is a character who is easy to relate to, with his quirks making him all the more endearing. As we delve into his past through flashbacks, we understand the events that shaped him. These glimpses provide depth and complexity to his character, making him incredibly three-dimensional.

The supporting characters are equally charming and well-developed. Parvaneh, the pregnant neighbor, and her family are a refreshing contrast to Ove’s gruff exterior. Their interactions with Ove are both heartwarming and hilarious, playing an important role in his transformation.

What makes “A Man Called Ove” truly exceptional is its ability to elicit a wide range of emotions from its readers. It can make you laugh out loud on one page and bring tears to your eyes on the next. The story is a testament to the importance of human connection.

In conclusion, “A Man Called Ove” is a beautifully written novel that explores the themes of love, friendship, and the capacity for change. Fredrik Backman’s storytelling is both touching and humorous, and his characters are unforgettable. For those who appreciate heartwarming stories that inspire the soul, this book is a must-read.”

After seeing these book review examples, let’s see a simple book review template you can use. 

Book review template

The following template highlights a basic book review format and book review outline. You can use this template for reference. 

We hope this book review template and book review examples have inspired you to start writing. Now that you’ve understood how to write a good book review, you can begin brainstorming. Want to get a polished, professional book review? At PaperTrue, our team of experts can help you craft the perfect review for your book. Get in touch with us and forget all stress about how to do a book review. 

You can also take advantage of our self-publishing services like editing, book cover design, securing an ISBN, and creating a copyright page. This ensures that your book is ready for publication. Whether you want a simple edit or an end-to-end service package, we’re here to help! 

Here are some other articles that you might find interesting: 

• Top 10 Best Print-on-Demand Book Companies in 2024
• Top 10 Book Formatting Software for Authors in 2024
• What Is a Blurb? Meaning, Examples & 10 Expert Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a book review, what makes a good book review, how to end a book review, how to structure a book review, where to write a book review.

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Books | jami attenberg on her book ‘1000 words: a writer’s guide to staying creative, focused, and productive all year round’.

There were so many other things I could have gone with. That set of words seemed right at the time, roughly 90 seconds ago. Now I’m not so sure. Joan Didion once said that writing the first sentence of anything is difficult but by the time you’ve written two, you’re committed and should just keep plowing ahead. The problem is, self-doubt is part of the process. If you began January certain this would be the year you finally wrote a book, and now it’s late March and you’re still frozen in fear, you understand. You need motivation. You need someone like Jami Attenberg, of Buffalo Grove, in your head. She has this new book, “1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused and Productive All Year Round,” which is sort of the advice book equivalent of that friend who cheers beside a marathon route, tossing out enthusiasm and Gatorade.

It’s intended that way, Attenberg told me. She imagines people leaving her book on their desks and, whenever they can’t get started, reaching for words of unabashed support.

Better her than me.

I hate writing. I mean, I do it for a living, and I love it much of the time; there are those days when it brings a buoyant flush of confidence. But I also hate writing much of the time, too. Because it never gets easier. I once assumed it would. Years ago, when I was in college, on a whim, eager for advice, I called Roger Ebert at the Sun-Times and he answered his phone and I asked him how he was able to write so much, and he said he had a deadline right now and he didn’t have time to talk — which itself was an answer.

Writing advice arrives in many forms. The diaries of famous authors are windows into the struggle. Biographies, too. Chicago’s popular StoryStudio offers classes that guide you through finishing a book in one year. Rebecca Makkai, the acclaimed Chicago-based novelist, is its artistic director. During one of the many pitstops in Attenberg’s book, Makkai notes that her own first book took 10 years to finish, partly because she had children, and partly because she lost faith in what she was writing. Which is less than comforting. There are also classics on writing, full of practical advice both comforting and harrowing — Stephen King’s “On Writing,” William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well,” Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird.”

Attenberg, though, has never read a book of writing advice. When she began this one, she imagined she was writing something motivational and repetitive, like the self-help book she once read to stop smoking. Sometimes you need encouragement. So six years ago, Attenberg was sitting with a writer friend, talking about the difficulty of staying motivated. They decided to put themselves through a self-invented two-week boot camp of sorts. The goal was to write 1,000 words a day. After two weeks they’d have 50 pages of a book. Attenberg went online, tweeted about the project and soon, hundreds of strangers were joining them, committed to finishing 1,000 words every day for two weeks. Understand: At this point in her career, Attenberg had already written six books, including the bestselling novel “The Middlesteins.” She still needed motivation.

That’s how awful writing is.

Yet — get this — she loves writing.

“It’s fun,” she said. “I always felt this way. When you don’t have a lot of friends as a kid, it’s a way of making them. In Illinois, growing up, I was a nerdy bookworm. It felt natural to create playgrounds in my head. I’m 52 now and it’s still the most joyful thing — a great way to know yourself. I am writing books I want to read. I don’t hate writing like you say.”

In my defense: The euphoria you get from writing something you can stand is fleeting. James Baldwin, who said many smart things about so many things, has one of the smartest lines ever about the pain of writing: “Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but most of all, endurance.” He said the most important thing for a writer starting out is having someone who reads their work and says, “The effort is real.”

But how do you start?

Arthur Miller skipped spring break at the University of Michigan to write a play in six days. Norman Mailer flexed his skills by writing sci-fi that starred a shameless stand-in for Buck Rogers. Eudora Welty would dive right in, knocking out terrible first lines such as: “Monsieur Boule inserted a delicate dagger in Mademoiselle’s left side and departed with a poised immediacy.”

Attenberg was editor of the school newspaper at Buffalo Grove High School and a member of an after-school creative writing workshop. And like any writer at any age who is worth their stuff, she read constantly. (“I don’t know how far you can go if you don’t.”) She created story-filled zines and released them, one by one. These became her first book, a story collection. “I didn’t realize I was writing a book for a while there. I was just writing about dark visions of modern romance and putting them out, then a friend said I should do a book. But I struggled with what it meant to be a writer, and finding time to be one. Learning (story) structure was hard. I’m character driven and would happily have characters chit-chat. I struggled figuring out how to ‘make things happen.’

“The thing is, to start, you don’t go out Friday night. Write at lunch. Bring a notebook on public transportation. This writer, Deesha Philyaw, said be prepared to disappoint people. She meant her family. You carve from your life to support your creative self.”

And what if you suspect your idea is dumb?

Take heart. Dostoevsky said, “There is no subject so old that something new cannot be said about it.” When beginning a new book, John le Carré would remind himself: “‘The cat sat on a mat’ is not the first line… But ‘The cat sat on the dog’s mat’ could work.”

Attenberg knows she has something if she wants to go back to something she wrote. If she is hearing her characters days later, that’s a positive sign. “Usually, I will start to see scenes in the future. So I will write towards those scenes. I will see an ending and write towards it. But the ending is never the real ending, and it becomes a north star. I also have friends and editors who are great advisors, but you should never write towards a marketplace. It always changes. Write the thing you love and it’ll come across to others.

“I also don’t keep a list of ideas. I keep a list of titles. There’s always an idea in a great title. I keep tons of notebooks but I rarely go back to them. For new ideas, I might go to a mall and eavesdrop. You probably won’t find a great story on Twitter, but I do look at vintage clothing on Etsy. You imagine: Who might have owned this clothing? It’s a start.”

Terrific, now how do I stay focused?

Silence is helpful, but, you know, a lot of silence becomes distractingly surreal.

Attenberg listens to music, “but only sung in a foreign tongue or all instrumental.” I can’t write if there are lyrics at all in a piece of background music. Brian Eno’s dreamy soundscapes, such as the perfectly titled “Ambient 1: Music For Airports,” are ideal.

“Good one,” Attenberg said. “Movie soundtracks, too.”

Maya Angelou would rent a hotel room for a few months and leave her home at 6 a.m. every day and write on the hotel bed until 1:30 p.m. or so, then return the next day. Tennessee Williams would wake up before dawn and write with a glass of wine.

Yeah, but that sounds like people with money and time to stay focused.

I asked Attenberg how she figured out how to make money and stay a writer.

“I don’t know if I did,” she said.

Dear reader, if you still have dreams of being a writer but have a weak constitution for humility and struggle, stop reading here. Attenberg worked some in advertising, she was a temp, she would take off more time than allowed. “I went broke a bunch of times. For the first books, I was basically going back and forth between writing and another job. My family worried about me, but they also thought I made these decisions myself. I’d decided to focus on writing even if I didn’t become a bestseller. My fourth book was my breakthrough (“The Middlesteins”), but right before, I had no money in a bank, I had a lot of credit card debt, I didn’t have another career to go into and I had just been dropped by my publisher. Also, I was now 40 and couch surfing for long periods of time.”

For many, sleeping on couches at 40 would be a hard out.

Entire finished novels were scrapped. Advice from agents was left unheeded. None of this is remarkable or unusual for this profession. “Yet all along, I was making decisions to get me to this place,” she said. All of it — good, bad, soul-crushing — was part of becoming a writer. “It didn’t feel like a waste,” she said about the junked books, though the words sounded broader. “Sometimes you do something to get you to somewhere else. You go through the bad to get you to next thing. It’s all part of a bigger picture.”

Now start writing.

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How to Write a Book Review Tips

Book reviews are like guiding lights in the world of literature, helping readers navigate through countless stories. But writing a good review isn't just about summarizing a book – it's about making your thoughts resonate with the audience. 

Whether you're a writer, a critic, or someone who loves books, knowing how to prepare a book review can enrich your reading experience and contribute to the literary community. 

In this article, experts of our book review writing service break down the key elements and tips for compelling book reviews that spark conversation and excitement.

What Is a Book Review

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, where the reviewer discusses its content, themes, and overall impact. It typically includes a summary of the book's main points, the reviewer's analysis and opinions, and a recommendation for potential readers. The goal is to inform others about the book's strengths and weaknesses, helping them decide if it’s worth reading.

Later in the article, you’ll find a quality book review example for your inspiration and motivation. If you’re in a hurry, try our cheap essay writing service that covers all types of academic papers.

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How to Write a Book Review: Step-By-Step

Writing a book review might seem complex, but in reality, the process can be divided into only three steps:

Summarize the Book's Content

Book reviews summarize the source's content by providing a brief and clear overview of the main plot, key characters, and central themes without giving away any spoilers. This helps readers understand the essence of the book and sets the stage for your analysis and evaluation.

Actionable Tips:

• Read the Book Thoroughly: Ensure you grasp the full story, including subplots and character development.
• Highlight Key Points: Note down significant events, character arcs, and main themes as you read.
• Be Concise: Keep your summary short and to the point, focusing on the most important aspects.
• Avoid Spoilers: Do not reveal major plot twists or the book’s ending.
• Use Your Own Words: Write the summary in your own language to maintain originality and avoid plagiarism.
• Provide Context: Include the book’s genre, setting, and relevant background information to help readers understand the summary.
• Focus on Clarity: Ensure your summary is easy to read and understand, avoiding complex language or unnecessary details.

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Analyze and Evaluate

You’re always halfway through writing a book review! Next, you have to critically examine its elements, such as the writing style, character development, plot structure, and thematic depth. This step is where you share your personal insights and opinions, providing evidence from the text to support your views.

Conclude with a Recommendation

We’re almost reached the finishing line of the how to write a book review race. Conclude your review of a book with either a summary, recommendation, or addressing readers directly. This step provides a clear and concise verdict based on your analysis, helping potential readers decide if the book is right for them.

Dive into literary analysis with EssayPro . Our experts can help you craft insightful book reviews that delve deep into the themes, characters, and narratives of your chosen books. Enhance your understanding and appreciation of literature with us.

Book Review Structure

A book review outline usually follows a structured format with an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Introduction

This section introduces the book, mentioning its title, author, genre, and publication details. It gives a brief overview of the book's premise and main themes to provide context for the reader.

The main body offers a detailed analysis and critique of the book. It's divided into paragraphs focusing on specific aspects such as plot, characters, and writing style. Each paragraph provides evidence from the book to support the reviewer's analysis.

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The conclusion summarizes the reviewer's overall thoughts and impressions of the book, restating key points and the main argument. It often includes a recommendation for potential readers and may provide final reflections or insights about the book's significance.

Book Review Template

Here's a basic structure you can follow every time you’re tasked with such an assignment:

Extra Tips for Writing Better Book Reviews

Here are 11 extra tips for writing better book reviews:

• Look for essay topics that are interesting personally for you.
• Consider your audience and what they might want to know about the book.
• Be mindful not to give away major plot twists or endings that could ruin the reading experience for others.
• Use quotes or examples from the book to support your analysis and critique.
• Express your opinions openly, but respect the author and their work.
• Think about the book's historical, cultural, or social context when evaluating its themes and messages.
• Paint a vivid picture of the book's qualities using descriptive language to engage your readers.
• Acknowledge the book's strengths and weaknesses to provide a balanced review.
• Aim to be concise and to the point, focusing on the most important aspects of the book.
• Let your enthusiasm for the book shine through in your review to captivate your readers.
• Gain insights from reading other reviews to see different perspectives and approaches to reviewing books.

Book Review Example

As promised at the beginning of the article, we’d like to share a good example of a book review as it should be done by students either in school or college:

Final Thoughts

Book reviews empower students to become active participants in the literary conversation. They learn to contribute their unique perspectives and interpretations to the broader discourse. With a custom term paper writing service , learners can become true educational powerhouses who never miss deadlines.

Through critical engagement with literary sources, students develop a deeper understanding of complex themes and issues, honing their ability to think analytically and empathetically. At the end of the day, aren’t these two skills that every educated individual should possess? 

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How To Write A Book Review?

What to include in a book review, what is a book review.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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• How to write a book review | BookTrust. (n.d.-b). https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/writing-tips/writing-tips-for-teens/how-to-write-a-book-review/
• Book Reviews – The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2024, May 14). The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/book-reviews/
• Research Guides: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments: Writing a Book Review. (n.d.). https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments/bookreview  

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How to Write a Book Review: Writing Guide, Structure & Examples

Table of contents

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A book review is a critical evaluation of a book that provides a brief summary and  discusses its strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of a book review is to help readers decide whether or not to read the book. You should provide insight into the book's content and assess its significance.

Writing a book review is an essential skill that every student must possess. In particular, your teacher may require you to prepare a book review to widen your knowledge of a subject matter or let you practice evaluating ideas critically. Follow this article to discover how to review a book and complete such projects easily. Even if you have never written reviews before, with our step-by-step guidelines, you will understand the basics. Book reviews examples are also offered to bolster your grasp of key points. As a book review writer , you might use our recommendations to express your opinion and make your writing shine. Let’s get started!

What Is a Book Review: Definition

A book review is a detailed assessment of text based on content, plot and writing style. It involves thoroughly describing, analyzing, and evaluating what a text means. Reviews often assess writing quality, topic importance and coverage. Most book reviews are brief and generally include 500-1000 words. However, factors such as your assignment length, manuscript complexity, and overall purpose of an evaluation may lead to longer or shorter papers. Students are mainly asked to write a book review as practice in carefully reading, examining, and forming an informed opinion on a volume’s context and author’s views. Unlike a book critique , reviews are more focused on plot summary and recommendations rather than providing critical analysis . The real value of crafting good book review essays for students is that they enhance critical thinking, writing, and interpretation skills. Commentary is a vital aspect of this task as this enables you to enter into discussion and dialogue with a novelist and other readers.

Features of Book Reviews

Formulating book reviews is an important task, as it requires appraising another person’s work. This may have a significant influence on readers because it guides their verdict on whether to consider the text. Thus, knowing how to write a good book review is essential. These components are what makes a good book review:

• Provide a summary of a manuscript. Offer an overview of its purpose, argument, and perspective. Also, describe your topic and scope. This is an excellent way to introduce your review, as it offers context. Nonetheless, avoid giving too much information by keeping it nice and short.
• Offer critical evaluation. Assess the key elements such as themes, plot, character, and overall development, depending on the genre. Identify strong points, weaknesses, and how effective an author is in building their work.
• Give a rating. Recommend whether or not people should value it for its overall quality and authenticity. You can offer your general score using conventional techniques such as “seven out of ten”.

Book Review Outline

It is a good idea to start your paper by writing an outline of a book review. A decent layout usually begins with a heading or bibliographic data specifying the full title, publication place and date, author, and publisher. The second part of the structure of a book review is an introduction, consisting of a brief overview of the text, its purpose or audience, and your thesis statement or key observation.  The next section of your book review template is the body in which you describe the analysis and assessment of the manuscript. Here, describe its contents, argument, presentation, and evidence before offering your evaluation. A conclusion section follows where you tie together all raised points and offer your comments about the work. Finally, include a citation page for what you reviewed and any other sources used.  Here is a book review outline example:

• Discuss the cover and title
• Mention the author and date of publication
• Present a thesis statement focusing on the central points
• Provide a brief plot summary
• Present your main point
• Include supporting quotations
• Discuss the quotes and symbolism
• Wrap up your key points
• Share your final opinion
• Give recommendations

Things to Consider Before Writing a Book Review

As with all other essay genres that students complete, writing a book review requires considering several components. Therefore, if you are interested in knowing how to write a book review , make sure you attend to these aspects before beginning:

• Author Within your book review essay, you must discuss who the novelist is and their previous works concerning your analysis. For example, you can identify the author’s style, prizes or rewards, and what they are popular for.
• Genre Book reviews also include a genre. Examples are history, romance, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and science fiction, among others. This helps you recognize the work’s audience and overall purpose.
• Title In most cases, your heading corresponds to a text’s label. However, you can go further by examining how relevant a headline is to the work’s purpose. Maybe it conveys a specific message or reveals important themes.
• Main theme and ideas Your book review must highlight its central points. Evaluate how they are explored. Are they examined deeply or trivially? Besides, assess if it includes any repetitive motifs.
• Argument What is the author’s main argument or assumptions and conclusions? What evidence is used to support these claims? Also, identify if they are valid.
• Writing style Here, explore the major aspects of an author’s style, such as word choice and dialogue setup. Explain or assess how it fits into the broader literary domain.
• Plot Writing an academic book review also requires that you locate the main catalyst of the work’s contents or story. Describe any subplots and explain what happens as the action rises.
• Characters You should also recognize the main characters and their motivations. Additionally, explain if they are empathetic or convincingly drawn.
• Literary devices What techniques of analysis are used? Examples include allusions, sense appeal, quotations, imagery, metaphor, personification, characterization, dialogue, symbolism, etc.
• Quotations You can include short quotes as examples to get your points across when writing book reviews. This allows your reader to see exactly what you are talking about. Practice carefulness and avoid long quotes as they suppress your analysis and take up large spaces. Check our guide on how to cite a quote if you have questions.

Questions to Ask While Reading a Book

An initial step before starting to write your book review is engaging in the active reading of what will be evaluated. Do it once or a couple of times to understand what it is about. Composing an academic book review without going through this phase is unwise because it is like going to an exam without studying a course or unit. Ask yourself these questions as you dig into the manuscript:

• What is its genre?
• Do you know anything about who wrote it?
• Can you identify the main themes? Are they conveyed well?
• What is the main argument?
• What is the exact topic or subject?
• How are the arguments supported and structured?
• Can you identify how the events and characters relate to the subject matter?
• Does it contain a major conflict? How does this develop throughout the work?
• The author was trying to accomplish what?
• How has it helped you understand the topic? How do you feel about the text?

How to Write a Book Review Step-By-Step

Once you have answered the aforementioned questions and made assessments and observations, it is time to start writing analysis. To do this, you must be familiar with how to write a book review. Specifically, you should understand what to do, beginning from assessing the report to composing your review up to writing a conclusion. Below is a step-by-step description of how to do a book review:

1. Read a Book and Take Notes

The first phase of composing a book review involves reading it and taking notes on key points. Start by attending closely to the preface and introduction sections because most authors describe the reasons for writing, their views, and the perspectives of any contributors here. Consider the structure and table of contents to get a quick overview of what is inside. In addition, look at any graphics to gain insights into what strategies are used to enhance meanings and which kinds of readers are targeted. Go through the summaries and abstracts to understand an author’s viewpoint. Note down your observations, including the logic of what is presented, organization, and structure.

Additionally, identify if the information is new or developed based on previous works and existing ideas. Assessment should also include your view about how simple or hard it is to get a novelist’s standpoint and why. These transcripts will enable you to review a book effectively by revealing how distinctive it is and to what extent the author conveyed its motive. Learn more about how to write an academic book review in the sections below.

2. Develop an Outline of a Book Review

Writing an outline for a book review before constructing the actual piece helps ensure your work fulfills its goals. This is the basis of your entire task as it includes the major points you will address and gives you a reference point as you complete your schoolwork. A professional book review structure consists of at least five paragraphs. The main elements are the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Your academic book review template must cover all the primary arguments to be discussed, such as plot details, characters, themes, and other essential parts. Below you can see an example of how a book review can be outlined. Check best practices on how to outline an essay or review to organize your work properly. 

3. Write a Book Review Introduction

Start your book review with an anecdote or hook that conveys your argument succinctly. However, you can begin differently based on your audience and argument. Generally, you must include the author’s name, manuscript title, and primary theme. Besides, identify the work’s context in your book review introduction as this informs your claim. Also, offer relevant information about who the writer is and their stand in their field. Moreover, if you are not conversant with how to write a review of a book, remember that your thesis and that of the text are stated here.

How to Write a Book Review Introduction Example

Below is an introduction of a book review example. Examine it carefully and critically to deepen your understanding of composing this section.

John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in The Striped Pajamas, is based on real events during the Second World War. Published in 2006, it offers excellent information to teenagers who want to expand their historical knowledge. The novel follows a nine-year-old youngster, Bruno, whose father works as a Nazi soldier at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The story’s unfolding reveals what a curious boy lived during this desperate period in Germany.

4. Include a Brief Plot Summary

Next, write a book review summary to provide your audience with some background. Focus on pertinent events that occur throughout it, as this gives context. Be cautious here by not revealing the climax or ending because this does not form a major part of your analysis as you write your book review. Thus, keep this section short and brief, probably not more than two paragraphs, unless you are preparing an extended piece. Remember to prioritize your evaluation part. Your audience can also influence the necessary amount of synopsis. For example, if they have not read the work, you may need to offer a good summary. Nonetheless, if they have already gone through it, you can make a book review by examining more subtle arguments and highlighting your claim.

Example of Book Review Summary

Have a look at this example of a good book review summary:

Bruno, a nine-year-old boy, lives in a large house with his parents, sister, and maid during WW2 in Berlin. One day they all move to rural Poland occupied by Nazis after his father is promoted. Bruno identifies a concentration camp close to where they live but thinks it is a farm. A private tutor is allowed to teach him and his sister antisemitism and Nazi propaganda, but he struggles to understand lessons. He later befriends another young boy who lives on another side of a barbed wire fence.

5. Make an Assessment and Critique a Book

This is the main portion of a book review and includes your judgment and appraisal of what you read. You formulated a thesis at the beginning of the book review paper, which represents your view. Now, explain your reasoning. This is also a time for considering your notes and adding details from the manuscript, such as key themes, characters, and the author’s point of view. Here is how to write a book review essay for this segment:

• Which writing style is used? Emphasize precise usage of words and sentences, text flow, clarity, and cohesion.
• Describe how it affected you and if it changed any of your feelings or opinions.
• Explain whether the author met their purpose, if others should read the work, and why.
• Did the author describe facts or attempt to persuade the audience regarding the validity of a specific issue?
• Was it suitable for the intended readers? How interesting was it?

Book Evaluation Example

This example gives you an idea of how to write a book evaluation:

The novel is an excellent revelation for all as it describes the Holocaust events and terrors objectively. Its narration from two perspectives simultaneously was very entertaining. For example, initially, it involved a story from Bruno’s view in the course of the war, including which hardships were endured. Then, the same character was also used in telling a story from the view of being held in a Nazi camp. Here, the examination focuses on how prisoners were treated and the horrible conditions they lived in.

6. Make a Book Recommendation

After evaluating and critiquing the text, it is now time to reveal your thoughts about it. Writing a good book review requires that you identify or explain in this section how suitable it is to your audience. In other words, who will be interested in reading this work? Also, explain in your book review assignment whether you liked or disliked it and why. Ascertain which type of people would love it because not every text is right for everyone. Even if you disliked it, this does not mean that the manuscript is not appealing to others. Therefore, make your review of a book useful by helping people discover it. Besides, identify any surprises you encountered.

Book Recommendation Example

The following sample demonstrates how to write a book recommendation:

Being majorly fictional, this text contains numerous factual elements and describes a lot of ideas and themes requiring mature individuals to deduce and understand properly. Therefore, I do not recommend it to youngsters under 12 years old. However, if you want to gain better insights into the dark events of the Second World War, then this is a perfect copy for you. Its only downside is that the novel does not offer adequate details about events and themes.

7. Write a Conclusion of a Book Review

Your knowledge of how to write book reviews will be incomplete without understanding this section. In particular, you need a strong ending, just like any other writing task you have done previously. So, you have a basic idea about how to write a conclusion for a book review. Specifically, make your final appraisal without introducing new evidence. Nonetheless, you can include new thoughts that go beyond the manuscript if they extend your argument’s logic. In this part, you need to balance what you wrote and found into a single assessment. Ask yourself, what do all summaries and analyses add up to? Also, identify if additional research is required on the topic now that the text is written. Remember to highlight the work’s contribution to its field. Ensure to leave your audience with a well-justified and articulated final evaluation.

Book Review Conclusion Example

Still stuck or need a sample to jog your memory? Look at this example of a book review conclusion:

While the author’s style is plain and natural, there are some weaknesses and errors in how he develops his work. However, this does not stop the author from answering many questions and offering valuable views into the horrors of WWII for young people. His argument is vitally crucial when understanding and coming to terms with the Holocaust. No teenager in the world should go without being exposed to these disastrous events.

Book Review Format

When professors assign tasks, they often require you to comply with a specified design. You may also be left to select an appropriate layout from major styles such as Chicago, APA, or MLA. If you are not asked to use any one particular citation, keep in mind that the format of book reviews depends on your discipline. Therefore, find out how to format a book review from your school department.  Do not forget to format your citations accordingly. We advise reading more articles on how to cite a book in APA or MLA, should you need any help.

Book Review Examples

Examples of book reviews are provided below. Click on each one and explore sample templates in more detail. Please, take your time to read all samples since they highlight some key components of writing this type of work. Also, understand that a particular academic book review example is intended to help you practice your analysis skills, enhance your writing skills, and develop your knowledge of reviewing books. Example of book review essay 1

Sample book review 2

Book review essay example 3

Tips on How to Write Book Review

Your approach to composing a book review will vary and depend on what type of work and genre you are analyzing. However, when assessing a text, focus on how an author treats dialogue, setting, plot, and characters. In addition to viewing a book review sample for extra ideas, keep these tips in mind:

• Characters Are they believable, different, or similar during dialogue? Can you tell one from another?
• Plot Is it interesting enough? Does it emerge as original or has numerous dull parts? Identify if it has unresolved issues or is confusing. Remember that you do not know how to write a great book review if you cannot understand the plot.
• Comparison Think about other works in the same genre. How does this volume compare to theirs?
• Setting Can you visualize or imagine the described action? How is the setting used to create a mood?
• Writing style What style is used in developing the text? Is there a consistent style throughout?

Book Review Writing Checklist

Here is a checklist about how to write a book review for school or college. Use it to examine your book review or get another student or peer to assist you:

• checkbox Essential biographical details are provided.
• checkbox My introduction is interesting.
• checkbox I have identified the author and text title/type in my introduction.
• checkbox I stated what the work is about and offered adequate background information.
• checkbox I mentioned the book’s thesis and stated my claim.
• checkbox I described key points in the body, such as summary, purpose, arguments, intended audience, layout, organization, and sources.
• checkbox I backed up my description with evidence or quotations.
• checkbox I critically evaluated key areas.
• checkbox I discussed all strengths and weaknesses and summarized them.
• checkbox I included my rating and recommendations.
• checkbox I restated my thesis and offered a memorable ending.

Final Thoughts on How to Write a Book Review

This article described the whole process of reviewing a book. Completing these types of tasks should not be complicated or demanding if you follow the discussed guidelines and tips comprehensively. Cement your understanding by checking out how to write a book review example from a list of samples provided previously. Pay attention to how key ideas from this guide are implemented. Also, don’t forget to explore all the examples of good book reviews for a complete overview. There is no need for you to seek more information outside once you have read all the segments. Just start writing your assignment.

If you feel that it is difficult for you to handle your work, you can ask to ‘do my assignment for me’ at StudyCrumb . Our academic writing service will provide you with high-quality and timely paperwork that will help you get the highest grade.

FAQ About Book Reviews

1. what is the purpose of a book review.

Book reviews usually inform readers about a specific volume’s purpose, argument, and quality. They also explain how it fits into the existing literature. This can be helpful to others who have not read the work so that they can choose whether to go through it or if it’s worth their time and effort.

2. What to include in a book review?

The elements of a book review include a citation, introduction, relevance and intended audience, a brief plot summary or main arguments, critique, evaluation and importance, recommendation, and conclusion. The review offers a critical analysis, assessment, and connection to other relevant works. A reviewer also provides personal views and recommendations.

3. How to start a book review?

Start a book review by reading the work to understand elements such as writing style, plot, characters, literary devices, and the main argument. Then, summarize the major claims made throughout the manuscript by explicitly stating them in your introduction. Also, offer relevant context for your analysis and declare your thesis.

4. How to end a book review?

Finish your book review by giving your overall impression of the work. Conclude and summarize the strengths and weaknesses you found, demonstrate how useful the text is, identify its contribution to the wider field, and offer your recommendations. In addition, mention the type of audience who will benefit from reading it.

5. How long should a book review be?

Traditionally, a book review is usually about 500-1000 words long. However, be sure to have a clear idea regarding your assignment expectations since specific tasks mostly have guidelines. In general, however, most evaluations will not exceed 1000 words.

6. What to avoid when writing a book review?

These are what to avoid when writing your book review:

• Retelling a story without an in-depth analysis.
• Summarizing the text only without critical evaluation.
• Using imprecise language.
• Providing harsh evaluations rather than constructive assessments.
• Not using evidence to back up your views.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?

Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?

There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.

WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?

Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:

●     Engage critically with a text

●     Critically evaluate a text

●     Respond personally to a range of different writing genres

●     Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.

Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.

BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE

ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.

THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.

COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.

THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.

BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.

FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW

PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.

VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS

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This collection of  21 INDEPENDENT TASKS  and  GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS  takes students beyond the hype, special effects and trailers to look at visual literacy from several perspectives offering DEEP LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES by watching a  SERIES, DOCUMENTARY, FILM, and even  VIDEO GAMES.

ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW

As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:

●     Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?

●     Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.

●     Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.

●     Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.

●     Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.

●     Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.

BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:

●     Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?

●     Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?

●     Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?

●     Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots? 

A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!

The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.

Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:

i. Make It Personal

Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.

Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.

ii. Make It Universal

Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.

iii. Support Opinions with Evidence

A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.

EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW

As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc. 

It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.

The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BOOK REVIEW GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (TEMPLATE)

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Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .

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Can You Rescue a Writer With 1000 Words ?

Jami Attenberg, author of a new guide for writers, has ambitious creative goals. And she might have just transformed mine.

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

There was something about 1000 Words that immediately made my palms slick. I opened the cover of Jami Attenberg’s new writing guide—bound with tender, delicious wisdom from fellow authors Lauren Groff, Roxane Gay, Alexander Chee, and literally dozens of others—with the vaguely queasy sensation of a lovesick teenager catching her crush coming down the hallway. Ecstasy! Danger! Already, here I was overwhelmed at the gift: A handful of our culture’s most brilliant literary minds had deigned to encourage me, us, everyone, not only to write, but to put 1000 words on a page every day until those sentences manifested a book. Still, is there anything more effortless than to dream of writing, and blissfully neglect the doing?

It’s true, I already write for a living. What little time is not spent putting words on this website is, all too often, spent fantasizing about—or raining insults upon—those same words. But for several years, I’ve also been writing a book. By the time I set it aside in a fit of exhaustion a couple years back, I’d written 100,000 words of that book, a number I’d completely erased from my memory by the time Attenberg joined me on Zoom in December and asked—oh, by the way!—if I was writing a novel.

“Funny that you’d ask that,” I said, then demurred and sputtered and hemorrhaged excuses until I’d resolved to say, “Yes, I am.” Attenberg asked how far I’d made it in the draft. I answered with the first number that sprang to mind: a respectable 30,000 words. I did not intend to lie. Thirty-thousand simply seemed a realistic expectation of my younger self’s output, and I never would have dreamed I’d written 100,000 and forgotten .

Then, Attenberg told me to keep going. That, in essence, is the thesis of 1000 Words itself, a book born of the author’s own creative questing. A newsletter and writing community she launched in 2018 as an accountability practice (under the hashtag #1000WordsofSummer) quickly took on a life of its own as writers signed up to commit 1,000 words to a page every day of the summer. Attenberg—the bestselling author of seven fiction books, including The Middlesteins and All Grown Up , and a memoir—began reaching out to her friends, many of them acclaimed, well-established, and bestselling authors themselves. They contributed letters of encouragement and advice that she disseminated to her newsletter readers, and which she later gathered into this book for a wider audience to appreciate.

There are nuggets of insight in 1000 Words that I’m halfway convinced could rescue me from oblivion, or whatever the novel-drafting equivalent of that wretched limbo might be. But where the book—and Attenberg, by extension—truly triumphs is not through revelatory advice but in simple, earnest insistence: If you want to write, you should. Okay? Good. We’ve agreed. You have permission. Now try. Try again. The words will come if you will them.

I know the dangling carrot of a writing-focused New Year’s resolution is a tempting one, and my first instinct when Attenberg asked after my book was to commit myself to the 1,000 words she recommends...for every day of 2024. (Especially once I’d reopened my Google Doc and discovered a hundred of those thousands blinking back at me. If I could do this without even registering it, surely another, much improved 100,000 wasn’t impossible?)

But what I learned from interviewing Attenberg—a conversation replicated below—was this: It’s not the specific 1,000 words that will rescue a writer from stasis. It’s the belief that those 1,000 words are worth the time, energy, and (let’s be honest) agony it takes to produce them. To create something new is to siphon energy from the other corners of your life, many of which are arguably more important. That’s not an easy exercise to maintain under the best of circumstances, and few writers operate under the best of circumstances. Perhaps that’s why Attenberg insists the practice itself is so precious.

For what it’s worth, I was a fan of Attenberg long before 1000 Words hit shelves this month. But now I can promise—with the encouragement of many authors I’ve never met, and only a faint flutter of arrhythmia—that I’m writing a book.

1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round

Below, Attenberg discusses how 1000 Words went from hashtag to publication, and what creative “productivity” means in a culture hellbent on hustling.

When did it become clear to you that this accountability project could be—or perhaps already was—its own book?

It was a year ago last summer. And it was definitely not a thing I wanted to do. I thought, I only want to do it if this book’s going to be helpful , if it felt like it needed to exist, because that’s how I feel about any project that I work on. Is it like a living, breathing entity within these pages? So what I did was, I took all the letters that have ever been written [for the #1000Words newsletter] by all the contributors, and I just dumped them into a document and I read them all.

I felt supercharged at the end of it. I was like, Oh . I think not only does it need to be a book, but it made me feel like I could turn it into a book.

So then how did you go about the curatorial process of placing those letters in a particular order in the book?

[The book] is broken into a structure of four seasons; that was really the breakthrough moment for me. So when I started doing this [for the newsletter], and I would ask different authors to contribute their letters for #1000WordsofSummer, not everybody wanted to talk about being generative—because sometimes you’re just not generative, in terms of putting words on the page.

When I looked at all the letters, they told me what the structure was. I saw that it couldn’t just be summer; [the book] had to be something that you could use year-round. And so there became touchstone letters for me: Dantiel Moniz’s letter, it was the first letter that was really like, “I couldn’t do it this year. I had a lot of things going on in my life this year, but I’m giving myself grace.” We need to hear that we’re not always going to be able to be productive, but there are ways that we can take care of ourselves that will make sure that we’ll be productive in the future.

So the letters, sort of, helped me define the shape of [the book]. Then my editor and my agent definitely encouraged me to put my own voice behind it. So I did do that, and it still ended up feeling fresh for me, talking about these kinds of things.

We need to hear that we’re not always going to be able to be productive, but there are ways that we can take care of ourselves that will make sure that we’ll be productive in the future.”

When you were first starting this project—not the book, but #1000Words itself—when did you start reaching out to writers to contribute these letters?

From the get-go. Because I’ve been doing this for so long—my first book came out in 2006—I have met a lot of writers along the way, and I really treasure their friendships. And everyone has their go-to encouraging thing they want to say. So I reached out to some people almost immediately, and Megan Abbott was the first person to just go, “Yeah, here’s a great first easy encouraging little thing, a paragraph or two to tell us all that we can .” I just think that’s when the internet works at its best—and I still believe that it can—is when we stumble into communities with each other.

There’s been a lot of valid backlash against “productivity culture” in our society. But despite the fact that “being productive” is in the subtitle of this book, it zooms in on a different approach, one more geared toward creativity and humanity than economic output. So I’m curious: As you’ve helmed #1000Words, how have you re-conceptualized what so-called “productivity” means to you?

I think it’s like...there’s something in the book where I talk about why I write. And part of it is, yes, this is how I make my living. But also, I need to do it to satisfy myself creatively. It helps me in terms of my mental health issues. It’s how I communicate with the world. There’s so many aspects to why I think writing is important.

And so that is one of the reasons why the focus of this book is not about getting published. There’s some little bit of backdrop to that: Maybe you had a dream of getting published, and so I would like to encourage you to pursue your dream. But [the book] is definitely not about business matters at all. It’s about doing what you need to do in order to make yourself happy and feel fulfilled. Do you love to write? Then I want you to be able to feel like you can write. And actually do it.

I just know that I feel better when I write, and I want people to feel that same way, too.

Do you love to write? Then I want you to be able to feel like you can write. And actually do it.”

I write daily for work, and generally speaking, if I’m writing, I’m having a wonderful time. But there’s this fatigue that does eventually settle in—one that makes even the most exciting ideas more difficult to execute. I recognize that’s a common frustration amongst writers, and goes by a lot of different names. I’ll avoid mentioning the scariest one. How do you energize yourself to write, which, in my mind, is different than inspiring yourself to write?

I’m just trying to think about this, what I do. I mean, I would say definitely reading other people’s books, and when it’s a great book and you get to the end and you’re like, “Wow, they really did it,” it makes me want to really do it. I definitely get inspiration from reading other people’s work, or even going to see a cool movie or something like that, where it just feels like they did justice to the story that they were trying to tell.

“How do you feel the wow?” is what you’re saying. And you’re right, it’s not about getting inspired: Because you can walk down the street and hear a little piece of conversation and get an idea. Just eavesdrop for a while. There’s ideas all around. But you’re not saying that. You’re saying energy . I mean, sometimes I do have to get up and dance around the living room for 15 minutes. It’s like HIIT for your brain.

I would say definitely reading other people’s books: When it’s a great book and you get to the end and you’re like, “Wow, they really did it,” it just makes me want to really do it.

You’ll always find a sentence that you wouldn’t have gotten to if you hadn’t sat down and written it that day. And you write to that sentence and you’re like, “Okay, that’s why I did it.”

Like, “Ah, yeah. Okay. I guess I’ll keep going.”

That beautiful sentence.

That’s one of the things I appreciate about this book: It’s not so much about productivity in that every moment must be fruitful. It’s about making space in your life to do this rich, valuable thing that you might otherwise neglect.

I mean, it’s what I’ve done with my life, for sure. I’ve carved out that life for myself. [Writing] was the thing that made me happiest. After a long time of not feeling good and not knowing why I didn’t feel good, all of a sudden I recognized that I just needed to do this one thing over and over again. It doesn’t solve all your problems. But it helps. It sets you on a path that you can return to again and again.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE. 

What to Read

Shelf Life: Uzo Aduba

Chloe Gong’s Guide to an Author’s Life Online

Shelf Life: Jami Attenberg

Law Roach: ‘Retirement Gave Me So Much Power’

Why Does 'Slow Living' Seem So Impossible?

Shelf Life: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Coco Mellors on Writing 'Blue Sisters'

Shelf Life: Liane Moriarty

Shelf Life: Elizabeth Strout

Lauren Sánchez on the Power of Kindness

Shelf Life: Danzy Senna

Shelf Life: Rachel Kushner

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How to Write a Book Review: 3 Main Elements of a Book Review

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Feb 23, 2022 • 2 min read

A book review provides critique and analysis of a book for potential readers. Learn how to write a book review, so you can effectively share your opinion about a text.

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Parents' guide to, somewhere beyond the sea.

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Common Sense Media Review

Speeches vie with storytelling in Cerulean sequel.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the sequel to TJ Klune's best-selling 2020 fantasy The House in the Cerulean Sea . Like that book, it was technically written for adults but is popular among younger readers. The book returns to the magical island seen in Book 1 to find Arthur (a…

Why Age 14+?

In the past, an entire race of magical beings was massacred by humans—except for

Linus (an ex-bureaucrat) and Arthur (a phoenix) are in love, and their engagemen

"Pissed off," "handsome as crap," "poop," "feck off." Discussion of penises, clo

Adult characters drink alcohol socially. One is known to smoke a lot of weed. A

Any Positive Content?

Themes of family, friendship, respect of and support for differences, getting al

Author TJ Klune, who identifies as queer and asexual, is a big name in queer fic

Arthur, Linus, and their adult friends, magical and otherwise, are often flawed

Fantasy, lots of vocabulary ("an extraordinary conundrum," "euphemism," "prodigi

Violence & Scariness

In the past, an entire race of magical beings was massacred by humans—except for one survivor, now an adult, who's now a strong protector of the island and the kids. Flashbacks to the torments endured by Arthur (a phoenix) and other magical children being imprisoned, beaten, and forced into subservience to humans. A young yeti's parents were illegally killed by hunters, who got a slap on the wrist.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Linus (an ex-bureaucrat) and Arthur (a phoenix) are in love, and their engagement and upcoming wedding is a big theme; they share some sweet kisses, sometimes with a cheering section of kids. Discussion of plants' gender (a character says "I ate a girl ?"). Puberty is a mini-theme, as the older magical kids discover emerging powers like breathing fire, talking to fish, and squirting ink (which another character calls "nocturnal emissions").

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Pissed off," "handsome as crap," "poop," "feck off." Discussion of penises, cloacas, and who does and doesn't have them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adult characters drink alcohol socially. One is known to smoke a lot of weed. A kids' theater production involves a whiskey-drinking detective.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Themes of family, friendship, respect of and support for differences, getting along, and repairing past wrongs and making things better. Lots of debating what's right and wrong—and if that's different for different people at different times. Free will matters: Even though it would be nice to if everyone made the choices you like/wanted them to, it wouldn't end well. "Hate is loud. We are louder." "If you go into a situation expecting the worst, it may cloud your ability to see what good can come from it." Religion is viewed skeptically and depicted as stern, cruel, and intolerant.

Diverse Representations

Author TJ Klune, who identifies as queer and asexual, is a big name in queer fiction. Book characters include loving gay, lesbian, and nonbinary couples and their families, as well as magical beings, their families, and their human loved ones. Several magical characters are Black. Many characters, like a bearded dwarf girl who's an awesome gardener, have little use for stereotyped gender roles, which their oppressors don't like either (so they persist in trying to stuff them into various conventional appearances and roles instead). Christianity is seen as part of an oppressive regime and is mocked. The book's presumptively heterosexual characters are either villains or pawns of the oppressive regime.

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Positive Role Models

Arthur, Linus, and their adult friends, magical and otherwise, are often flawed and quirky, but they're also unrelenting in their determination to protect the kids, let them be their true selves, and be free to live their lives in peace—something often denied to them in the past. The kids return the loyalty. Seven-year-old Lucifer, who goes by Lucy and is said to be the son of Satan, is much feared in the outside world. Kids gamble. Chief villain Jeanine Rowder is cartoonish, scary, and feels ripped from contemporary headlines: "She supported legislation that would have made it illegal for children who come from queer families to talk about them, saying it would only confuse children who came from proper families. There were even rumblings about coming down hard on parents of transgender children seeking medical care."

Educational Value

Fantasy, lots of vocabulary ("an extraordinary conundrum," "euphemism," "prodigious," etc.), and lots of parallels to our world. Discussion of how people get into echo chambers with those who share their views and never hear about what else might be going on in the world. Also addresses moral philosophies, like whether the ends justify the means, or whether both the means and the outcome must be ethical. As in Book 1, mid-20th century pop music (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis, etc.) and rare recordings of it, are important to several characters, who frequently burst into song or scat singing.

Parents need to know that Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the sequel to TJ Klune's best-selling 2020 fantasy The House in the Cerulean Sea . Like that book, it was technically written for adults but is popular among younger readers. The book returns to the magical island seen in Book 1 to find Arthur (a phoenix, mostly in human form) and Linus (a former bureaucrat) as loving partners and parents to a crew of magical children: a sprite, a dwarf, a changeling, a wyvern, a blob-like sea creature, and a 7-year-old who's said to be the child of Satan. But their family is under threat from government agencies and bureaucrats bent on forcing them into a life of oppression. Many magical characters have survived horrific atrocities; for example, one is the sole survivor of her massacred race, and another's parents were killed by hunters. Puberty, and the forms it takes among magical beings, is a mini-theme, as is Arthur and Linus' impending marriage. There's a bit of crude language ("crap," "pissed off," discussion of penises, etc.), and Christianity is seen as oppressive and is mocked for its rituals. The importance of family, friendship, respect and support for differences, getting along, repairing past wrongs, and making things better are strong themes in the characters' quest for a safe place where everyone gets to be who they really are in peace. Author Klune, who identifies as queer and asexual, notes in his bio that he believes strongly in the availability of accurate, positive queer fiction.

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What's the Story?

SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA—specifically, on Marsyas Island— Arthur Parnassus (a phoenix who's in human form most of the time) and Linus Baker (a former bureaucrat) are providing six magical children with a safe, loving, supportive home where they can grow up to be their true and best selves. That includes Lucy, now 7, who's said to be the child of Satan and is also extremely fond of record stores and retro music. But their family is under threat from a government of, for, and by self-defined "normal" people that sows fear and paranoia about the kids and wants to snatch them back into the oppressive "care" system they've only recently escaped. And now yet another inspector is on the way.

Is It Any Good?

The characters' speechifying sometimes threatens to derail the narrative, but priceless moments are plentiful in TJ Klune's return to Marsyas Island, home of magical orphans and their protectors. In Somewhere Beyond the Sea , Arthur and Linus are determined to keep their unusual children safe from government oppression—and they're also determined to get married. As in The House in the Cerulean Sea , Klune's wild, imaginatively crafted characters are sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant, and sometimes heartstring-tugging—and they ask a lot of interesting questions.

The villains who are trying to destroy the family's quirky, loving paradise are often cartoonish and spout self-righteously xeno/homophobic tirades ripped from contemporary headlines, and the heroes sometimes respond in kind with earnest sermons of their own, which sometimes gets in the way of the complex character-building and storytelling. But if you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea , you'll be happy to return to this place and these characters—and savor some great triumphant moments.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about stories (like Somewhere Beyond the Sea ) that involve misfits and outcasts coming together to form loving families—and an outside world that's deeply threatened by this. What other stories do you know that have this theme? How do they turn out for the characters?

Arthur and Lucy have an interesting discussion about free will and what you should do if you somehow had the power to make people do what you wanted instead of what they chose. What if it were something really good and important? What do you think?

Have you ever had to deal with people who wanted you to conform to their version of what's "proper" and "normal" instead of being yourself? What was the situation, and how did you handle it?

Book Details

• Author : TJ Klune
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Teamwork
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Tor Books
• Publication date : September 10, 2024
• Number of pages : 406
• Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : September 24, 2024

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What to read next.

The House in the Cerulean Sea

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

When the Angels Left the Old Country

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• Brothers and Sisters

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books that slay

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The Right Move Summary, Themes and Review

The Right Move by Liz Tomforde is a sports romance that masterfully blends the fake-dating trope with heartwarming character growth and an emotional connection that feels both real and profound. At its core, it’s about two seemingly opposite individuals who find themselves unexpectedly living together, discovering that love doesn’t always have to be loud to be powerful. 

Indy, a fun-loving and passionate woman, moves in with Ryan, a reserved basketball star, after her world crumbles. Together, they navigate their differences, heal old wounds, and redefine what it means to be loved for who you truly are. Prepare for slow-burn tension and heart-melting moments.

The story begins with Indy Ivers, a lively, confident woman whose life takes a sudden turn when she finds out her longtime boyfriend has been cheating on her. Heartbroken and without a place to go, she finds refuge through her best friend, Stevie, who suggests Indy stay with her twin brother, Ryan Shay. 

Ryan is a famous basketball player with a reputation for being cold and distant, someone who values his solitude above all else. Initially reluctant, Ryan agrees to let Indy move in, though their last encounter didn’t exactly leave a great impression on him.

Ryan’s world is quiet, orderly, and far removed from the emotional chaos Indy brings into his life. 

He is a man burdened by his past experiences, often feeling that people are drawn to him only for his fame and wealth. Indy, on the other hand, wears her heart on her sleeve, exuding warmth and humor, but also struggling with her own insecurities, especially around the issue of infertility. 

Despite these differences, the two slowly begin to connect, thanks in part to their close living quarters.

As they settle into their unusual arrangement, the tension between them simmers. Ryan’s initial resistance gradually turns into curiosity, and he begins to see Indy as more than just an inconvenient roommate. 

She challenges his introverted nature and invites him into her world, one filled with spontaneity and emotional vulnerability. 

Their fake dating arrangement, originally set up to help Ryan navigate the pressures of his public life, quickly spirals into something neither of them anticipated.

Indy and Ryan’s growing friendship is marked by small, tender moments that quietly turn into something deeper. Ryan starts to let his guard down, showing Indy a softer, more thoughtful side that few people ever get to see. 

He begins to take care of her in ways that go beyond the superficial, such as learning sign language to communicate with her father and building her a special bookshelf. These gestures reveal a man who is deeply attentive, even if he struggles to express his feelings openly.

Their relationship becomes a dance between two opposites—Indy’s chaotic energy balancing Ryan’s need for control and quiet. 

The banter between them is filled with wit and charm, and the sexual tension builds at a steady, almost excruciating pace. As they open up about their pasts, including Indy’s heartbreak and Ryan’s deep-rooted trust issues, they find healing in each other’s company.

Eventually, the emotional walls come down, and their relationship blossoms into a profound love. Ryan, once reserved and hesitant, becomes fiercely protective and deeply invested in Indy’s happiness, while Indy learns to trust again. 

Their love story culminates in a beautiful, heartwarming ending that feels like the reward for all the emotional growth and sacrifices they’ve made along the way.

Ultimately, the book is a story of two flawed individuals finding solace in each other, proving that sometimes the quietest love can be the loudest.

The Healing Power of Vulnerability and Emotional Intimacy

One of the central themes in this story is the idea that true emotional intimacy can only be achieved through vulnerability, a theme explored with remarkable depth. Both Indy and Ryan enter the relationship with significant emotional baggage—Indy from her painful breakup and struggles with infertility, and Ryan from his trust issues and the fear of being used because of his wealth and status.

Their journey isn’t about grand declarations or quick solutions but about slowly peeling back layers of armor they’ve both worn for years. The narrative emphasizes how love doesn’t just happen when two people meet, but when they begin to share their most hidden fears, desires, and insecurities.

Ryan’s quiet, almost stoic demeanor masks a need to be accepted for who he truly is, not just as a celebrity athlete. Indy, who wears her heart on her sleeve, is initially overwhelmed by her emotions but learns to lean into them in a way that brings both of them closer.

The book portrays vulnerability not as a weakness, but as a necessary strength that leads to healing for both characters.

Reconstruction of Identity Through Relationships and Self-Acceptance

Another complex theme is the reconstruction of one’s identity through relationships, but also the importance of maintaining individuality. Both Ryan and Indy struggle with how they are perceived by others and what those perceptions mean for their self-worth.

Ryan, despite his fame, has been burdened by the notion that people see him only for his external success, leading him to close off emotionally. Indy’s identity crisis stems from her feelings of inadequacy following her breakup and her worries about her future, especially regarding her dreams of becoming a mother.

Their relationship becomes a catalyst for self-redefinition. Through their growing connection, Ryan begins to see himself not just as an athlete or a public figure but as someone worthy of love for who he truly is.

Similarly, Indy’s journey of self-acceptance reaches a pivotal moment as she realizes her worth does not hinge on societal expectations or past relationships. The novel, in this sense, portrays love not as an act of losing oneself but as an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen one’s identity.

Quiet Love as a Form of Fierce Devotion

The book delves into the theme that love doesn’t always need to be loud or dramatic to be meaningful. In fact, the novel argues that the quietest forms of love—small gestures, deep conversations, and mutual respect—can often be the most powerful and lasting.

Ryan’s character embodies this “quiet love,” as his affection for Indy is expressed not in grand romantic gestures but in subtle, meaningful actions that reflect his deep commitment. Whether it’s learning ASL to communicate with her father or quietly adjusting his routines to make her feel more at home, Ryan’s love language is rooted in attentiveness and thoughtfulness.

This contrasts with the often flamboyant, sweeping portrayals of love in romance novels. The story shows that consistency, reliability, and mutual understanding can be just as intense as passionate declarations.

Indy and Ryan’s love story, while it simmers rather than explodes, becomes all the more profound because of its quiet strength.

The Intersection of Personal Trauma and Romantic Relationships

This novel tackles the intersection of personal trauma and romantic relationships, portraying how past emotional wounds inevitably shape the way individuals approach love and intimacy. Both Ryan and Indy are haunted by their pasts—Ryan by the distrust bred from people who exploited his fame, and Indy by the pain of betrayal and infertility.

The novel does not shy away from showing how these traumas influence their interactions and perceptions of each other, especially in the beginning. Ryan’s hesitation to fully open up and Indy’s fear of being unlovable because of her past are realistic portrayals of how trauma can create emotional barriers.

However, rather than being obstacles to love, these traumas become central to the emotional depth of their relationship. The way they navigate each other’s wounds—with patience, understanding, and honesty—highlights the novel’s thematic exploration of how love can be a means of healing, not through fixing or saving one another, but through mutual acceptance and growth.

Emotional Growth and the Evolution of Love Through Communication

One of the more nuanced themes in the book is the evolution of love through communication, where growth comes not just from romantic attraction but from the way the characters learn to communicate effectively. Early on, both Ryan and Indy struggle with expressing their feelings—Ryan because he’s reserved and cautious, Indy because she’s overwhelmed by her emotions.

Their relationship becomes a testament to how communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship. It’s not just about sharing thoughts but about creating a safe space for each other to speak their truths without fear of judgment.

The novel emphasizes that love is not a static emotion but something that evolves as both partners learn to listen, compromise, and respect each other’s pace in communication. Ryan’s slow but steady progression from being closed-off to openly showing his vulnerabilities mirrors Indy’s shift from emotional turmoil to feeling secure and loved.

Their story is a celebration of how emotional growth is deeply tied to communication in a relationship.

The Concept of Unconventional Family and the Expansion of Love

Another intricate theme is the portrayal of unconventional families and how love can expand beyond traditional definitions. Indy’s complicated relationship with her dream of motherhood and her father’s disability adds a layer of emotional complexity to her character.

She finds a new kind of family with Ryan, but also through her bonds with friends and Ryan’s family. The book suggests that family is not only about blood relations or the conventional milestones of life (like having children), but about the people who support, care for, and grow with you.

Ryan, too, comes from a background where family dynamics are complicated by his fame and the distrust it brings. The way both characters create a sense of family with each other and those close to them underlines a broader thematic message: that love, in all its forms, is what truly defines family, rather than rigid societal constructs.

Love as a Catalyst for Personal Transformation

The final theme that weaves through the narrative is how love can serve as a catalyst for personal transformation. This transformation doesn’t diminish individuality but enhances it.

Both Indy and Ryan are changed by their relationship, but not because they are trying to fit into each other’s lives. Instead, their love helps them become fuller versions of themselves.

Ryan, who is initially withdrawn and emotionally stunted, finds a sense of freedom and peace in his relationship with Indy, which allows him to open up and embrace vulnerability. Indy, who starts off emotionally fractured from her past relationship, learns to trust again and rediscover her self-worth.

The novel presents love as a transformative force that doesn’t overpower personal identity but instead nurtures and elevates it. True growth in a relationship comes when both partners can be their most authentic selves while being with each other.

A tender, slow-burn sports romance that seamlessly blends the fake dating trope with heartfelt emotional growth. 

When I first saw the 550-page length, I was skeptical, but by the end, I was begging for more. Ryan Shay has officially set a new standard for fictional boyfriends—every man could learn a thing or two from this guy!

Indy Ivers is an absolute joy to follow. She’s fiercely independent, overflowing with charisma, and deeply caring toward the people in her life. From the beginning, it’s clear she just wants to be loved for who she is. 

Indy’s emotional vulnerability is both refreshing and relatable, especially as she navigates her desires for motherhood and tackles her insecurities head-on. She’s been hurt before, but watching her rebuild her self-worth was so satisfying. 

The way her growth was portrayed was exceptional; she didn’t settle for less than she deserved, which made her journey that much more rewarding to witness.

Ryan, on the other hand, is a more reserved character, and his development throughout the novel is equally captivating. He starts off as distant, wary of people taking advantage of him due to his wealth and success. But beneath that cool exterior is a man who loves deeply and attentively. 

His actions speak louder than words, as he demonstrates his affection in the most thoughtful, understated ways. The way he paid attention to Indy’s smallest preferences, like keeping her coffee just the right temperature, was incredibly endearing. 

His transformation from a guarded, emotionally detached man into someone willing to open up and trust again felt real and earned.

Together, Indy and Ryan share a chemistry that’s both electric and quiet at the same time. Their opposites-attract dynamic works beautifully, with Indy’s exuberant personality complementing Ryan’s calm demeanor. 

Their banter is sharp, witty, and filled with tension, while the moments where they support each other’s growth are deeply touching. The forced proximity situation only intensifies their connection, with every scene dripping with subtle, unspoken intimacy. 

I loved how they pushed each other outside their comfort zones, helping each other heal from past wounds while falling quietly and passionately in love.

Though their love story was slow-burning, it never dragged. The pacing felt natural as their friendship gradually transformed into something deeper. 

The fake-dating trope was integrated seamlessly into the plot, never feeling contrived or forced. I was particularly impressed with how the novel handled sensitive themes like infertility, adding depth and authenticity to Indy’s character.

This book is more than just a romance—it’s about finding comfort and growth through love. 

The emotional depth, character growth, and subtle romance left me swooning. Ryan Shay, with his quiet devotion and protective nature, is the ultimate book boyfriend, and Indy is his perfect match. 

Their story is heartwarming, emotional, and unforgettable, and I highly recommend it to any romance lover seeking a genuinely moving love story.

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Book Summary and Reviews of The Only Sound Is the Wind by Pascha Sotolongo

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The Only Sound Is the Wind

by Pascha Sotolongo

• Genre: Short Stories
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About this book

Book summary.

A captivating debut collection exploring longing, loneliness, and connection, in stories that feature Cuban American characters and uncanny, speculative twists.

In the tradition of narrativa de lo inusual (narrative of the unusual), The Only Sound Is the Wind combines the fantastic with the everyday, weaving elements of magical realism and surrealist twists to sharpen our view of human (and animal) connection. In the title story, the arrival of a mail-order clone complicates a burgeoning romance; a lonely librarian longing for her homeland strikes up an unusual relationship in the award-winning "The Moth"; when humans start giving birth to puppies and kittens in "This New Turn," a realignment of the natural order ensues. With a playful tenderness and satirical bent, The Only Sound Is the Wind explores solitude and communion, opening strange new worlds where characters try to make their way toward love.

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"These stories―these bewitching portraits of a melancholy dystopia―are spellbinding... . With this rich collection, Sotolongo joins the ranks of Margaret Atwood and Cristina Rivera Garza, and other masters of illusion." ―Timothy Schaffert, author of The Perfume Thief and The Titanic Survivors Book Club "In this gorgeous debut, Pascha Sotolongo lyrically blends the fantastical with stories of family, love, and longing. Within these pages are vampires, ghosts, invisible daughters, and near apocalypses, and just as readily, the stories of our secrets, our joys, our fears, and our dreams. A beautiful and spellbinding collection." ―Alexander Weinstein, author of Universal Love and Children of the New World "Captivating... . Pascha Sotolongo has written a book that's simply exceptional, filled with startling, surreal, and utterly spectacular stories that demand to be savored." ―Megan Kamalei Kakimoto, author of Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare

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Author Information

Pascha sotolongo.

Pascha Sotolongo's short fiction has been published in outlets including Narrative, American Short Fiction, Ninth Letter, and Pleiades. She teaches English and creative writing on the Great Plains.

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Boris Johnson Unleashed: No Narcissus ever stared more intently into the limpid waters of self-love

The former pm’s hero, churchill, is said once to have joked: ‘history will be kind to me, because i intend to write it.’ it’s a saying that johnson follows to the letter, with a prose style that is both super-rich and awesomely cheap, writes robert mccrum.

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L enin once reputedly said that there are decades where nothing happens, and weeks where decades happen. Soon after the millennium, the British Isles experienced a rush of history : a financial emergency, six general elections, five new prime ministers , a constitutional crisis, a pandemic – and then the death of the Queen .

Some have said that these were the nation’s worst years since the Napoleonic wars , and there is one politician who has blazed a meteoric trail across almost every page of this teeming history: Boris Johnson . But only now is he telling his story, for no less than a reported half a million pounds and counting.

At that price, never mind setting the record straight, he’ll have to deliver. But what is in the offing from such a maverick pen? As he might put it, a macédoine of regret, maybe mortification, and dismay? As the first parts of Unleashed are serialised, we finally get a hint of what might be to come.

Johnson’s predecessors have had their say. Cameron’s apologia, For the Record , was a stodgy anthology of special pleading, a mea culpa on stilts. Theresa May’s The Abuse of Power was not just deadly but dead on arrival, and sank without a trace.

Who else? There is, incorrigibly, the ludicrous lettuce queen herself. Liz Truss, in power for 49 days, wrote Ten Years to Save the West , a mad volume of 320 pages (or 6.5 pages per day) that was at once semi-literate, comically self-deluded, and weirdly confessional (aka self-serving). A shockingly low bar had been set.

Johnson, an accomplished journalist, had already begun to rehearse his lines before he was even prime minister. While Cameron et al were strutting across the stage, Boris was alleged to be writing – or not writing – a book about Shakespeare.

In light of what happened to him from 2019 (that freakish landslide election victory), by way of the pandemic, to 2022 (his hasty, ignominious exit), Shakespeare was possibly a useful primer, planting seeds he could nurture among the hothouse orchids of the memoirs.

Now, finally, that moment has come. Johnson’s tell-all version of events is shortly to be released in its full glory. He comes bounding into our midst, slobbering and wagging his tail, unmuzzled. Or, as his publishers put it, a little more decorously, Unleashed .

We are invited to “discover the unfiltered truth about Brexit, Covid, and the Conservative Party”. Unfiltered? Well, maybe. Nothing was more “filtered” than Johnson’s command of his conduct as the faux-scruffy tribune of the people. Actually, until its full publication on 10 October, his text is both tightly leashed and muzzled under a heavy embargo.

But even before we address the character of Johnson, and that of his premiership – its highs, lows, and tragi-comic denouement – the iron laws of British political autobiography dictate that some inevitable tropes will be on full display.

Like any opportunistic political memoir , Unleashed will have its share of truth-bending, score-settling, record-defending, and body-burying. Revenge is doubtless a dish best served cold. This one is served up exquisitely garnished with the choicest condiments, herbs, and spices.

Johnson’s narrative is already being offered to the public in its glossiest guise, as “gripping”, “unmissable”, and “unvarnished”. Painful though it is to bring this up, there are – to use an old English word – what we must call Johnson’s “truths” to reckon with.

During his scramble to the top of the greasy pole, and his vertiginous and hectic tenancy there that preceded his inevitable descent, Johnson was widely scorned as a bare-faced, and often quite incompetent, liar. And never more so than in the conduct of his signature campaign – his government’s response to Covid. That story is at the heart of Unleashed .

It will also be seasoned throughout with some tasty revelations about Brexit & Megxit. (Johnson is too much of a Fleet Street pro to miss the opportunity for name-checks of the King, Prince Harry, and the troubled Windsors.) Many a Westminster haruspex (entrail expert) will soon regale us with the most egregious examples of “Boris Bulls***”: the ex-PM’s porkies, stretchers, hummers, clankers, fibs, whoppers, falsehoods, and yankers (a British dialect term that is new to me).

Le style, c’est l’homme – and you can follow our hero’s literary career to detect other clues about the man and his character. Ever since 2014, it is known that Johnson nurtures a near-slavish devotion to the memory and achievements of Winston Churchill . How One Man Made History , the subtitle to his bestseller The Churchill Factor , is nothing if not candid.

In the business of “making history”, Johnson will no doubt remember that in an apocryphal conversation with Stalin, Churchill once boasted, in jest, that “History will be kind to me, because I intend to write it.”

Johnson is emphatically not Churchill, but he possesses something that every memoir-writer needs, and that Churchill had in spades – a voice.

Famously, the hero of World War Two once said of his wartime broadcasts: “It was the British people who had the courage of a lion; I simply had the luck to give the roar.” Johnson does not roar, but his bark is inimitable, and Unleashed will doubtless“sizzle” with the bogus “izzats” of self-justification when it is published in full.

Evelyn Waugh, who loathed Churchill, said the wartime leader was “a master of sham-Augustan prose”. Johnson would never dare, or want, to be Augustan in the manner of Edward Gibbon (he of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ), but his classical education has given him a way with lofty metaphors and a diverting turn of phrase.

He relentlessly tells us that he knows the tricks of ancient rhetoric: from chiasmus (reversal of word order) to ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), anaphora (repetition), and antithesis (opposition of ideas). The Churchill model suggests that, whatever else might be going on in Unleashed , Johnson’s style is pressed into the service of a crafty old Anglo-Saxon trick – POV (point of view). That this memoir will be cunningly self-centred throughout to an astounding degree is a no-brainer. No Narcissus ever stared more intently, or with deeper fascination, into the limpid waters of self-love.

If we pursue these classical allusions, however, we must concede that Boris also has an achilles heel. Where Churchill has natural oomph – gravitas, dignity, and grandeur –combined with an impish, even childlike levity, Johnson has only the instinctive frivolity of the man who longs to be loved to sustain him through the memoir’s trackless deserts of print.

Apropos frivolity, our “hero” is sometimes compared to the Bertie Wooster of those inimitable PG Wodehouse stories, but while Bertie and Boris are both Old Etonians, this is where the similarity ends. Bertie, a young twit who’s wholly and blissfully innocent, was never more (or less) than a lissom drone, a nincompoop in thrall to the sober genius of his manservant Jeeves, who describes his master as “mentally negligible”.

Contrariwise, Johnson is no fool, and is far from “mentally negligible”. In many ways, Bojo’s problem is that he’s just a bit too “ligible”, entangled in that self-inflicted web of deceit and dissimulation.

His prose style, combining the patrician and the popular, is a mix of Savoy Grill and metropolitan McDonald’s (at once super-rich and awesomely cheap). He is blissfully at home in his own company, a stranger to reticence or self-doubt. You will only ever catch Boris Johnson looking in the mirror to re-ruffle his blond thatch, or to disarray and loosen his shambolic tie.

If he’s not Bertie (or indeed, Jeeves), who is he? In his book The Churchill Factor , like lightning at a summer picnic, we get a few uncertain flickers. On one page, tellingly, there’s the suggestion that Churchill (and, by implication, his understudy) should be compared to Falstaff, a fellow who is, in his own words, “not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men”.

Now, while it’s true that the fat knight’s addiction to irony makes him a profoundly English hero – a natural reprobate, crowd-pleaser, and prince-charmer – he’s a lot of other things, too. As Ian McKellen so brilliantly demonstrated in Player Kings , Shakespeare’s Falstaff is a nasty piece of work: dissolute, immoral, cowardly, deceitful, dishonourable and intemperate: quite the opposite of his reputation, and beset by qualities that would make Johnson flinch.

If not Falstaff, then what about Banquo’s Ghost? He has strutted his hour upon the stage, and knows he’s eternally braided into history as a figure of myth and majesty. Does Unleashed , we wonder, contain a coded appeal for that great Shakespearean theme, the Second Chance?

Here’s a troubling and final known-unknown: does Johnson envisage a comeback? Once published in full, Unleashed will certainly be an exercise in the three Rs: Revenge, Record, and Relitigate. Does Johnson have the chutzpah – the sheer and unmitigated brass – to make a pitch for a fourth R: Redemption? In the words of HH Asquith, we’ll have to “Wait and see.”

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