How do you write your reviews?

In my Griffith University study I had thought I could major in Journalism, but last year I started thinking perhaps I could do two majors: the second one would be Creative Writing, which I have been doing for years and I love it! Courses I’d already done were Creative Writing, Forms and Structures and Writing the Short Story. This term I’m doing Writing Poetry and Documentary Scriptwriting. For the rest of this year I will do Writing Crime and Contemporary Romance and Writing for Children and Young Adults. All of those except documentary scriptwriting are required for the major.

After my stroke I had rushed in to get my first book published. I had written more than half of it before my stroke, and finished it after the stroke with my aphasia. It was published in 2015 and I had a library meeting for my presentation of it. Some of the people who came to that had already read the book and said that it was just right for them. I had read a review in Goodread which didn’t really have any comments about it, but gave me 1/5. I re-read the book again in the last couple of days and still wonder what those reviewers didn’t like about it.

This is what this blog is about – writing a review. The links here are how you can write a book review. Read them, and then perhaps re-read any book you haven’t enjoyed and re-review it!

Bookish: https://www.bookish.com/articles/how-to-write-a-good-book-review/

Bookish is a book club for people who enjoy books. The article is titled “Anatomy of a book review: Tips for writing a good book review”.

BookRiot: https://bookriot.com/2019/02/14/how-to-write-a-book-review/

This website is good - it has quite a few pages on different books, and also audio. It’s included in the Riot New Media Group. The article is titled “How to write a book review: 6 steps to take”.

The Writing Centre: https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/crinonfiction/

The University of Wisconsin - Madison might intend those who write ‘critical reviews’, but a critical review seems to be about any reviews, even if they scored a book 5/5!. Their website page says “Your stand must go beyond your ‘gut reaction’ to the work and be based on your knowledge (readings, lecture, experience) of the topic as well as on factors…”   

The Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/how-to-review-a-novel/

This page is titled “How to review a novel”. The writer, Mary-Kay Wilmers, looks at the various ways that a reviewer may approach the review. Wilmers has written a lot that you may need to skim over, but a lot of it applies to a review.

The Writing Center:  https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/book-reviews/

Based at the University of North Carolina ta Chapel Hill, this page suggests that is gives tips for critical reviews. As mentioned earlier, what is called a ‘critical review’ seems to be about any review.

If you have read these and want to review, just be aware of what a negative review can do for a writer: I believe that a review can give positive comments to any writer, whatever you think of them.

If you don’t think you can be positive, then simply don’t review!