Figuring out how to write a good book review can seem intimidating. What should you include? How can you find the right words to convey your feelings about the book? To make matters worse, there’s so much advice out there about what you should or shouldn’t do.
The truth is, writing a review doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It’s simply your opinion as a reader, regardless of how long or short it may be.
Why Reviews Matter
We live in an age where customer reviews are available for everything from toothpaste to cars. Before making a purchase, buyers want to know what previous customers think of a product. By expressing your opinion of a novel, you assist other readers in finding their next favorite book or avoid one they might not enjoy.
Reviews are also an easy way to support your favorite authors because they help sell books. Your comments about a novel on Amazon or Barnes & Noble could influence whether a browsing reader purchases it.
On a platform like Goodreads, when you share your review, all your followers will see it. This boosts the book’s visibility and helps the author reach a wider audience. It’s the online equivalent of word-of-mouth advertising.
Book Reviews Are Not for Authors
Reviews are for other readers, not authors. Let me explain.
We love reading positive reviews! For me, whether someone jumps in my inbox, tags me on Instagram, or writes a detailed review on a retailer site, each one is like a shot of adrenaline. But over the years, I’ve heard the occasional author express disappointment that a review didn’t provide constructive feedback on what worked or didn’t work for the reader. Regardless of what you may have heard, that’s not your responsibility as a consumer to provide.
As authors, we should always try to level up our story-telling skills, but the average reader is not obligated to assist us in that endeavor. That’s why we have beta readers and editors.
Where to Post Reviews
Here’s a brief list of places where reviews can be posted:
- Book retailer sites (e.g., Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play)
- Audiobook retailer sites (e.g., Audible, audiobooks.com, Everand)
- Library apps (e.g., hoopla, Overdrive)
- Bookbub
- Facebook groups
- Online book cataloguing and social networking sites (e.g., Storygraph, Goodreads, LibraryThing)
- Your blog
- Social media (only tag the author in positive reviews)
- YouTube
The Basics of a Good Book Review
Don’t overthink it. A book review is your opportunity to share your overall impression of a story, and it can be as simple as a sentence or two: Loved it! Couldn’t put it down!
My Goodreads review of Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre was two sentences: Another great twisty story by Torre that kept me up at night. Nothing is as it seems.
For The Ex by Alafair Burke, I wrote one sentence: Absolutely fantastic—can’t say enough good things about this twisty tale.
In addition to your impression of the book, you can mention specific aspects you enjoyed, such as the plot, the characters, or how the book made you feel. You could include a quote from the book and even mention if you’d recommend it and to whom.
Three Book Review Templates
I have three book review templates to share with you. These structured guides should help you feel comfortable writing your thoughts, and they range from short and sweet to a more in-depth analysis.
I’ll use reviews of my romantic suspense Hunted Through Italy as examples.
Template 1: Short and Sweet Review
I’ve already provided examples of this above. The Short and Sweet template is perfect for sharing your immediate thoughts in a concise manner. It works well on book retailer sites, book cataloguing sites, and social media when you want to give a general recommendation without going into too much detail.
Length: 1-2 sentences
Formula: OVERALL IMPRESSION + REASON YOU ENJOYED THE BOOK (optional)
Template 2: Thoughtful but Simple Review
Thoughtful but Simple works well for retailer sites and book cataloguing sites where you want to add more context.
Length: 1-2 paragraphs
Formula: OVERALL IMPRESSION + REASON YOU ENJOYED THE BOOK + ASPECTS YOU LIKED (e.g., characters, unique plot, engaging writing, or plot twists) + RECOMMENDATION (optional)
Example from Amazon: This was amazing! I couldn’t put it down. Zaire and Buck were everything. Instant connection was well written. Admiration and growing desire between them were too. Good plot and twists that kept the pages turning. Spicy passion and vulnerability that accompanies deep feelings. Just great!
OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was amazing!
REASON YOU ENJOYED THE BOOK: I couldn’t put it down.
SPECIFIC ASPECTS YOU LIKED: Zaire and Buck were everything…
Template 3: Detailed Essay Review
The Detailed Essay review lets you unpack a book and works well on retailer sites, book cataloguing sites, and blogs. It will sometimes include the reader’s perceived strengths and weaknesses of the story.
Length: 2 or more paragraphs
Formula: INTRODUCTION + PLOT SUMMARY (spoiler-free) + ANALYZE ELEMENTS (e.g., characters, theme, plot, or writing style) + OVERALL IMPRESSION + RECOMMENDATION (optional)
Example from Romance in Color: The USA TODAY bestselling author, Delaney Diamond has written an intense international bodyguard romance that features Zaire Nichols, a multilingual interpreter and Atticus “Buck” Swanson, a member of the CIA’s Omega special missions team. The backdrop for this story is the eternal city, Rome. What could possibly happen to cause a quiet, reserved interpreter to be assigned to a highly skilled black ops agent? Well, I invite you to take a trip to Rome, Italy, and enter the world of romance, danger, and suspense-Delaney Diamond style.
Someone is following Zaire. In addition to this, her roommate is “off the radar.” Yet, Zaire keeps her composure and reports to work with the intention of telling her boss about a conversation she overheard and recorded. Before she could do this, Zaire is almost run over and forced to seek shelter at the US embassy in Rome. That’s where Buck comes in. He is assigned to escort Zaire back to the US in one piece. The recording she has just might be a clue to two previous embassy bombings in Malaysia and Liberia, and in six days there will be another. Where? Well, that is THE question.
Buck has his work cut out for him because keeping Zaire safe from the danger that is constantly on their heels is not going to be an easy task. Buck and Zaire find themselves caught up in a high espionage situation that places them both in jeopardy. Get ready for a thrilling adventure that not only brings Buck and Zaire close as a couple but will have you turning pages as they uncover who is behind all the mayhem that inevitably threatens the government of the United States.
There are no redeeming qualities for the “bad” guys in this story. It’s all about power and money. The storyline is tense, and the carnage is high. I can really see this story developing into a screenplay and becoming a movie. It’s that good! The Epilogue is everything where you can finally get to “woo-sah.”
I recommend HUNTED THROUGH ITALY for your reading pleasure. It is a perfect addition to your summer reading list.
Additional Tips
If you’re new to writing reviews, start small. Writing a good book review shouldn’t be difficult or take a lot of time. Short and Sweet is perfectly fine. Then you can graduate to Thoughtful but Simple reviews and eventually to Detailed Essays, if you’re so inclined. I use all three, so do what feels comfortable for the specific book you’ve read. As you become more comfortable writing reviews, you might want to design your own templates.
Here are a couple more tips to help you write a good book review.
- Be honest but respectful.
- Critique the book and not the author.
- Write in your natural voice and don’t worry about sounding “literary” or stress about perfectionism.
- Use a spoiler tag when mentioning spoilers.
Final Thoughts
Instead of being stuck wondering what to write, you now have three guides to work with. Go through your list of read-but-not-reviewed books, choose a couple to write a review for, and try applying the templates to them. Hopefully, the process will be easier.
As a reader, I often look at reviews to help me decide whether to buy a book, especially if it’s by a new-to-me author. As an author, I appreciate every single positive review, and I even quote them when promoting my stories.
I mentioned this before, but reviews help readers discover our books, so if you’ve ever written a review for one of mine or shouted it out on social media, a big “Thank You!” for taking the time to do that.
Download Your Copy
If you’d like a printable chart of the book review templates, click this link for a PDF copy.
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QUESTION: Which review template is more your style: Short and Sweet, Thoughtful but Simple, or Detailed Essay? Do you read reviews before purchasing a book?
