Want to know the number one secret to writing the perfect book review?
There isn't one. That's it, blog post over! Just kidding... The truth is, a book review is an extremely personal, subjective thing, as is the process of actually reading a book. Think about it, how many times have you spoken to someone about a book you've both read and found that you've had differing opinions/feelings? Maybe you even both loved the book but your favourite character was someone different or there was a particular thing that you both had contrasting opinions about. Whilst you've both, in theory, read the same book, your own personality, experiences, mindset (and a whole load of other things) have shaped how you read and processed that book in a completely different way than the other person did, so in essence, you've both actually read a different book. That leads me to the trickiness of writing a book review, especially when it comes to 'negative' reviews because what's negative to you (or positive for that matter) might not be for someone else. Your thoughts and feelings towards a book and whether it was good or bad, what worked or what didn't is subjective to you and your preferences. Those same preferences might not apply to someone else and so the truth is, or at least this is the way that I see it, you can only be as honest as you can when writing a review. If you say that something didn't work for you, say why i.e. writing, 'I prefer a faster plot' is much more helpful to readers than 'the plot pacing was terrible' - the second phrasing leaves too many questions, why was it terrible? Was it too fast, too slow? etc. With the first phrasing, other fast-paced book lovers might choose to steer clear of this particular book but other readers who enjoy or prefer a slower-paced book might find their next favourite author. So, in summary, the secret to writing the perfect book review is to simply write how you feel, be honest but be descriptive. Simply writing that you don't like something, or that you do like something isn't much help because you're you and we're not, but maybe we share some reading interests/preferences and it'd be really helpful as readers to understand why you did/didn't like something. Oh, and just a personal preference from me, where possible, try to keep your reviews spoiler free. I HATE SPOILERS! For example, before watching any big movie (i.e. End Game) and TV Show (i.e. GOT) I avoid the internet and social media like the plague (as much as I can since I have to use it for work) and even with my efforts, some careless twit managed to ruin yesterday's episode for me, and it completely spoiled my mood. Surely the last thing you'd want to do is ruin a book for a reader? On My Endless Shelf, I try my hardest to keep reviews spoiler-free whilst still sharing my thoughts and feelings (and the occasional out-of-context snippets) and, in the case of sequels, I always put a warning at the start in case you haven't read the previous installment. Saying that, I'm only human and if you do spot a spoiler in any of my posts, feel free to let me know! What about you? What are your tips for writing the perfect book review and how do you feel about spoilers? Comments are closed.
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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