Periodically, I’m asked to give tips on writing reviews. I’m always glad to help people feel more comfortable spreading the word about books they love. I love to tell everyone about books that I love…and now that I’m an author, I know just how much a well written review — even if it’s a few sentences can help authors.
Many readers use the number of reviews as one way to decide whether or not to try a book or a new to them author. It’s really easy to write reviews! Really.
I’ve never taken a course on book reviews, and actually fell into writing them almost by accident.
So after I started a blog more years ago than I want to think about, it made sense to have books be a large part of that blog.
About the same time I joined ACFW. Through it’s e-loop, I got to know many authors. Often they ask for influencers — people who will read a book and if they like it tell people about it. I love to connect people. If you’ve read The Tipping Point, I fall clearly into that category. I am enthusiastic about anything I can do to connect people with a person or product I love.
That’s how I started, and now I can’t imagine not doing it. So, here’s a review I wrote recently and I’m going to insert explanation throughout to explain why I wrote what I did….
1) First Paragraph: A quick summary: Happy, happy sigh. This reader was swept away by Courtney Walsh‘s delightful Paper Hearts. It is one of those sweet romances that just has it all! (This is a way to quickly introduce the book and tell a bit about the book in general. Now on to the meat.)
2) Second Paragraph: set the stage. Abigail Pressman has a dream to expand her bookstore set in a tourist town in the Colorado mountains. All she needs to do is scrape together the funds to buy the building. Before she can do that a new doctor swings into town with the cash to buy her building. Before she really meets him, she knows he could threaten her future plans and happiness…not to mention her livelihood. Jacob didn’t intend to destroy her life, he just wanted to create a new one for himself and his daughter. Think You’ve Got Mail. But then the Valentine Volunteers get involved — think a Greek Chorus ala Letters to Juliet, and all kinds of shenanigans happen. (Now I’m telling a little about the characters and the plot. What resonated with me? Why might someone else like these elements? My goal is to give enough to intrigue and give a sense of the story…but never, ever, ever giveaway plot points! Those are sacred for the reader to discover on their own.)
3) Third Paragraph: Dive deeper into themes. This book is rich with secondary characters who beg to have books of their own, yet keep from stealing the show. Abigail is the kind of heroine I would love to sit down with and share cups of her special Love Peak brew. And the paper hearts are an excellent reminder to keep an eye on my personal romance and ways to keep it alive through good and bad times. (Sometimes if there’s a strong spiritual thread that resonated with me, I will include that here. This book has great themes, but the charm of it for me is the characters and the paper hearts. So that’s where I focused. But I always try to dig deeper than a plot summary. You can get that from the about the book section of most online retailers. What’s key here is to give the readers peeks into what makes this book special, memorable, perfect for them.)
4) Fourth Paragraph: the perfect summary and reader. This is a romance perfect for those who love a contemporary story filled with heart, characters you’ll adore, and a romance laced with enough angst and ahhhs to keep you reading. (I always try to summarize really quickly who the book is perfect for. I read very broadly, so all books I like aren’t for all readers. So I describe the reader who will like this type of book. )
Now here’s an older review:
ADAM by Ted Dekker
1) Setting the stage: I signed up – reluctantly – to read Ted Dekker. You see, I enjoyed some of his earlier books, then hit a point where they just weren’t my thing. Plenty of other people love them, but I had more than enough other books to invest my time in. (This beginning was important to me — I wanted to let readers understand that I used to like Dekker and then stopped. His plots became the same in a way that was important to me. I think knowing my frame of mind when I started reading the book lends credibility to what I will say about it next) Then ADAM arrived in yesterday’s mail. 8 hours later, I had consumed the book after some careful ribbing from my husband. That’s okay, he’ll consume it just as quickly on his next flight. (How much does a book grip me? Is it easy to put down? Do I read it almost obsessively? There are many books I enjoy, but can read over a week or more. Then there are others that I HAVE to read. If you read enough of my reviews, you quickly get a sense which category a book falls into)
2) Setting the Stage: Daniel Clark is a FBI behavioral scientist who is famous for his well-reasoned arguments that religion is one of society’s greatest antagonists. He’s killed by a serial killer but resuscitated. He and a fellow FBI agent go to extremes to try to recapture his memories of the moments prior to death. (These two short paragraphs give a sneak look at the plot. Especially with suspense, I am EXTREMELY careful not to give away key plots. I try to use the synopsis as a teaser…here’s a bit about the main character and the plot…do you want to know more?)
3) What I like about the book: The book has marvelous pacing – I literally couldn’t put it down. The only good news was I didn’t have anything else I had to get done last night! And the characters have great conflict. The plot is filled with twists that I didn’t anticipate, yet fit the classic Dekker book mold. (This sentence lets current Dekker readers know he hasn’t changed his stripes, ala John Grisham. But it also lets you know that it kept me, a suspense writer, guessing.)
Dekker uses magazine articles interspersed between chapters to fill in the gaps and make the serial killer more than a shadow. From page one you are learning the tragedy of his early years. It reminded me of the technique Brandilyn Collins used extremely well in her Kanner Lake series. (This is a unique plot device that is showing up more often in books. Some use it very well. Others not so much. This let’s readers know that it’s there — so if it really bugs you, this book may not be for you. But it also compares it to another author who uses this technique very effectively.)
The book also deals with the reality of the supernatural realm and the American viewpoint that it doesn’t really exist. The Catholic church is the main religion highlighted, and it is handled in a positive light. (Because it branches into some controversial religious topics I highlight them quickly without giving away the take and twists. I usually highlight the spiritual or some other aspect of growth in the characters.)
4) Perfect Audience: While I wouldn’t recommend this book for young teens, due to content, if you like a thriller with plenty of supernatural twists thrown in, then you will enjoy this book. (I included this because I think it is my duty to let others know if there is a reason I wouldn’t want someone to unknowingly hand it to a young person. I very rarely put caveats like this on a book, but I want people to trust my reviews. For example, right now I don’t think I would let A read this when she’s 14. She’s 7 now. But that may change. Other young teens may be able to handle the material, but parents need to know it could be an issue.)
So that’s how I write book reviews. What do you like to see in reviews? What makes them helpful for you?
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This is very helpful Cara. Thanks for taking the time to break it down into steps. And for including that part about not giving away plot points. I won’t say there’s nothing more discouraging to an author than coming across a review that gives away not only major plot points, but the actual ending… but it’s high on the list.
I too hate when people give away plot points. Yikes!
love this post. Thanks for the helpful, useful advice.
So glad it’s helpful!
I review books and products on Amazon. When reviewing a book I try to avoid long reviews because when I check out reviews the long ones turn me off. When I want to buy a book I check the reviews to find out how the other readers felt about the book. If it is the type of book I really want to read. How was it received by the other readers? I’m trying to find out if it has bad language or sexual content. As a Christian I don’t care for bad language in a book and I believe that intimacy is a private matter between two people and I prefer that it not be on the pages of a book I’m reading. Even some books that are considered to be Christian fiction are rather steamy and have bad language content.
I learned the hard way to not be a spoiler. I had constructive criticism once because I gave away too much info and I’m forever grateful that that person took the time to tell me what I was doing wrong. Therefore I try to keep my reviews short and to the point. I get more helpful votes when I do that.
Shirley
Great points, Shirley. For Amazon, shorter reviews can be great. It depends on what the prospective reader is looking for. And spoilers can ruin a book.
As a writer who enjoys giving reviews, I appreciate your formula. Helps me know I’m on the right track! and bonus: now I want to read Adam!!!
That’s the sign of a good review, right 🙂
Thanks for these points. I always hated writing reviews because I never know what to say. However, I started writing reviews for authors. I don’t like spoiling a book, I believe it steals the authors thunder. Sometimes I don’t even know what to write.
I only write very short reviews, only to point out how the book effected me. And how it will effect the reader. I’m learning how to write reviews that will intrigue a reader.
You’ve got a great starting point, Regina. Readers definitely want to know why you liked it. Thank for writing them.
Great tips, Cara!! Thanks.
Thanks, Becky!
Great article, Cara! I keep my reviews pretty short and usually don’t delve into the plot at all, but I read reviews of all lengths!
So true, Jill. And I’ll put the longer review on my blog and shorter ones online — except Goodreads. Thanks for all the reviews you write!
Thanks, I’m always learning how to be a better reviewer.
This was a wonderful post. I am writing quite a few reviews as an advance reader and also try to post short reviews on every book I read just to keep my writing skills honed. Quite honestly, this is the first advice I have ever read from an author to his/her reviewers that could be put to use so quickly and efficiently. Thank you.
Thank you, Rebecca. I may be an author, but I also love to share what I think about books. I fell into reviewing but find it a great way to talk up the books I like.