Blog Tour Stop - Guest Post - What Makes a Good Book Review

Welcome to the blog tour stop for Rebecca Graf's 'How to Write a Book Review', for her visit she has written a guest post about what makes a good book review.

 

What Makes a Good Review?
 

A lot of what goes into the answer of this question really depends on what you are looking for in the review. It all depends on you, the reader.

A good review is not necessarily one that gives a book good marks. It is one that is honest and tactful. Let me sum it up this way. When you read a review, what are you looking for? Only five stars? No. You want to know if you really should buy this book.

• Does the book have the elements you like? – A good review will give you insight into the book so you can tell if you would like. Do you like strong female characters? A good review will tell you if they are in there. Do you like sensitive men? A good review will tell you if he is between the pages.
• Does it contain things that turn you off? – I don’t like a lot of needless foul language. So, I appreciate a review that warns me of it. Do you hate historical fiction books that aren’t historically accurate in setting? Then you want a review that warns you if that is the case. There is nothing so frustrating as buying a book and realizing that it is everything that you dislike in a story.
• What is important to you as a reader? – Do you want an intricate plot or a fast-paced one? Do you like certain writing styles?  A good review will reveal all that and help guide you in your book purchases.

A good review communicates clearly to other readers. It shows the pros and cons of a book from the eyes of the reader. It is not personal nor does it get nasty.

I had someone tell me that one of my reviews was bad because I didn’t give it more than two stars. The issues I pointed out were ‘personal’. To a degree all reviews are personal as they are personal opinion, but a good review goes beyond that and gives the reason for each opinion. In that particular review, I noted how there was no references to information found in that particular non-fiction book. Statistics were spouted and sources were only vaguely referenced if at all. That bothered me greatly as most of the book seemed to be a rant and not the professional, thought-provoking book it was advertised to be. The commenter did not see my review as good because I rated a book they loved low. Rating does not reflect a good or bad review. Others thanked me for the good review as they wouldn’t have liked it at all due to the issues I pointed out and would have been angry for wasting the money.

Remember that a good review can be a one star or a five star as long as it is done in a polite way and gives the reasons for the opinions stated.

How to Write a Book Review by Rebecca Graf

Have you wondered what makes a good book review? Have you wondered what you might be missing in writing a book review? You can find out how to write a quality book review in these pages.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Graf was born in Russellville, Kentucky but grew up in Dothan, Alabama. She graduated from the University of Montevallo with an accounting degree. Given the chance to try her hand at writing, she began writing online articles leading to her first published book, A Gift for a Mouse. From there she ventured into romance, mystery, comedy and drama. The passion of writing was discovered. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children.

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