The Art of the Book Review

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Reviewing a book is not dissimilar to reviewing your best friend.

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You can enthuse about what you love, confess to what you wish they did differently and generally try to make your friend come alive in your audience’s mind. But you know that not everyone will perceive their attractions as you do.

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So it is with a book review. There’s no point in following a formula as people’s tastes in books are as varied as their tastes in other people. Granted, it’s important to give the audience the basic information everyone wants: What is this book about? Where and when is it set? What genre is it - a memoir, a mystery, or a novel written in verse? Will it make the reader, cry, wonder or learn?

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But beyond those vital statistics, the art of a good book review lies in baring a reviewer’s authentic response in all its highly individual detail. That doesn’t mean explaining why the main character reminds you of that teacher at school… it’s offering up the details of what you loved; what made you think twice; what made you walk away, bored. It’s quoting the words, phrases or anecdotes that stayed with you. Unless of course those give the game away and so violate the only rule there is: no spoilers!

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If reviewing a book has similarities with reviewing someone you care about, then the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who tell you the punchline of your friend’s jokes and stories. Tell them why they’ll like or hate your friend, but don’t tell them anything more.

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Contributed by Terry Shakinovsky, author and book reviewer

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