Western Mindanao State University

College of Liberal Arts

English Department

Requirement to be submitted during the final examination week

Final Paper (Book Review)

You are expected to submit a book review, as final paper, from the list of Great Books. In writing a book
review, you need to follow the format and structure on how to write a book review.

Below are tips and guide on book review writing. The article below on How to Write a Book Review is
from blog.essaybasics.com.

To know more about book review writing kindly follow the link here https://blog.essaybasics.com/how-
to-writea-book-review/

How to Write A Good Book Review

A book review is a summary of a book that you have read. You should review all aspects of the story. A
book review is therefore written after reading (you may always order review at writing service without
reading a book) because without reading the book it is difficult to figure out what it is all about and the
review will, therefore not make sense. A wide reader will have an easy time in book review writing. This
article highlights the guidelines for review writing.

Content of this article

1. Preparations

2. Structure elements

3. Tips for writing

4. How to conclude

5. Samples

1. Preparation for writing a book review

- Most people do not know how to write a book review. The following are the guidelines to writing.
First, know some information about the author, like some of his other books and some basic knowledge
as it opens up your mind on what to expect as you begin reading.

- Read the chosen book when very alert. As you read, make sure that you take down notes. The notes
written should be relevant and important. Ensure that you document the very important parts of the
book such as the theme, characters and what the plot is.

- Make sure that the notes written are detailed to avoid referring to the book too much when making
the draft copy.
- Establish what the major themes of the book are. A book has about two or three major themes. Relate
the themes to the contemporary society and understand why the author decided to pick on those
themes. Be keen to see how the themes blend with one another

- As you read, notice the weak points of the book. This could be character building or plot. Any weak
point in the book should be highlighted to ensure that it is not left out.

- Highlight the uniqueness of the text. Why do you find the book unique in its way? What separates it
from all others of the same genre? It takes a keen eye and a vivid reader to know why a book is unique.

- Based on your assumption, why do you think that the book is a success? It is derived from your
opinion. It might be a success or a failure.

2. Structure of a review

There are different book review structures. The key review tips to consider are as follows. Whichever
the format used, these should be inclusive.

A. Making a draft
The first step to writing a successful book review is always to make a review draft. It is a rough
outline for a book review. It includes gathering up the notes taken and making a body out of
them. Place the notes in chronological order and write in prose form what you think should be
included in the book review. Being the book review introduction, it is written without making
any corrections. The draft is the skeleton of the review and gives an overview of how the final
copy should be. Know the book review structure to use.

B. The heading The heading is written in bold and capital letters. Write the name of the book
and the author.

C. Introduction In the introduction for a book review, explain who you are. In a paragraph, states
that the review is about a book you have read. Start with a couple of sentences that describe
what the book talks about. However, do not reveal any plot twists or character plays. In the
introduction write about the author and his other works. Reveal whether or one needs to read a
particular book to follow or not. The introduction should not contain any spoilers. The in-
troduction lays the foundation for the review.

D. Summary The summary includes details about the book. While writing the summary, book
review outlining should be observed. It shows how you feel about the book, how it is written
and how the story is told.

3. Tips for good writing

The key book review tips to consider in book review writing are:

Character development

Consider the following questions in character development. Did the characters feel real to you and why?
How well did the characters grow in the book? Explain to your readers what you think about how well
the author developed the characters in the book. Show a pattern of development from the start.
Prologue

The prologue of the book gives an overview of what to expect in the book. As you read, identify whether
or not the author stuck to the intended theme. Did you feel the relevance of the theme or did it come
off as just another book? This is what sells the book.

4. How to conclude a book review

In a book review conclusion, the writer can state whether or not they have any books they have written.
Give a possible link to other book reviews done.

Critique

This is the conclusion of a book review, and it explains what you did not like about the book. It could be
ending or the story. Was the conclusion to your liking? Or would you have preferred if it ended in a
particular way? For example, would you have preferred a happy ending and not a cliffhanger? Compare
the book to others of its kind and state the differences. It allows the reader to see that the review was
based on a large pool of books.

Ensure that the review outline is the recommended one. Recommend the audience you think would
find the book interesting and why for example the youth, couples or entrepreneurs. You can also rate
the book