How to do a Book Review

Common Challenges

Book reviews are some of the most common assignments for students. They are often considered by many a tedious and an unpleasant task. Nonetheless, with better understanding of the assignment’s expectations, the task could be exciting. A book review entails critical evaluation of a specific text. It should therefore be descriptive and evaluative, while at the same time, focusing on the contents of the book, its purpose, and authority. Various challenges students face when writing their book reviews include:

a) Lack of understanding of assignment expectations: this entails the failure to comprehend what to include in the book review. In most cases, students often confuse book reviews with book reports. The ability to distinguish between the two is paramount.

b) Poor understanding of what to include in the review: book reviews are usually short assignments of about 2-3 pages. This presents challenges on the content to include especially when considering that books are usually in hundreds of pages.

Qualities of a Good Book Review

Writing a good book review requires a comprehension of the various purposes the review is supposed to fulfill. These purposes include informing the reader on the respective ideas developed in the book in relation to a specific subject. The review should equally demonstrate how the information acquired from the review process impacts on the student’s already established body of knowledge. Per, qualities of a good book review include:

a) It should be well encompassing and should focus on some key issues: this demands that the book review should be adequate enough to provide an overview of the whole book while at the same time focusing on specific chapters the student finds most important or relevant.

b) The book review should entail an account of the author’s contribution: the review should encompass such information as target audience, author’s approach, revealing meanings, and specific details about ideas in the book.

c) It should include the student’s reaction to the book: the student should evaluate the book’s contribution to a certain subject. In this, the student must establish their authority by displaying an in-depth understanding of the subject expounded in the book.

The Process of Doing a Book Review

The process of writing a book review requires a critical approach to the literally work. Book review guidelines stipulate various steps that define the book review process. These steps include:

Step 1: Book Reading and Note Taking

This step requires the student to keenly read the book to observe covert ideas in the book, the entailed characters, as well as the book’s setting. While doing this, the student should write down notes on emerging themes or ideas.

Step 2: Analyzing the Book’s Genre

This step entails evaluating how the content and ideas in the book fit in the existing body of knowledge on the subject the book advances. It may require further research on the subject matter. This research is essential in determining the approach of the author towards a specific subject.

Step 3: Identifying the Book’s major Themes

This step requires the student to determine the key message or ideas advanced in the book. Books encompass numerous messages or themes and the student must be able to categorically identify them. The preface, introduction, and references should be good starting points in helping you identify these messages and themes.

Step 4: Evaluating the Author’s Style

In this step, the student should examine how and whether the author’s style suits the target audience. This entails determining how effective the author has been in passing the message(s) to the readers.

Step 5: Evaluating the Book’s Development

This step entails evaluating how effectively the writer has built the book around the central messages or ideas. The student should look at how well some elements in the book have been covered and developed.

Step 6: Analyzing Literary Devices

This step requires the student to evaluate how the plot of the story has been developed. In doing so, the student should take note of such elements as setting, character, plot, symbols, tone, and mood. The student should go further and find a relationship between these elements and the central messages/ideas.

Step 7: Considering the Book’s Uniqueness

This step involves evaluating the book’s contribution to the field or subject. This is in consideration of the conventional guidelines and rules. It should also look into how the book influences the target audience.  

Step 8: Rewriting the Review

This step requires the student to go through their work to ensure that the ideas in the book review are coherent with the book’s content. Grammatical mistakes should equally be checked and corrected.     

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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