by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted
Book reviews. They’re the lifeblood of the reader—and the author. Authors need them to push them up into the Amazon eye, while readers want to know about the book. Is it worth their time, money, and effort to purchase and read? Both are valid needs and equally important. But how do we pen a useful book review? You may ask, “Is it useful?” And the response is yes. There’s a difference between an author-written book review and a useful book review.
When I troll through the reviews on a few of my books, I can spot an author-written review in a split second. Authors tend to review the entire story, including the plot and characters, and let the world know if the author did a good job mechanically (plus they recount the entire story). That is not a book review, in my opinion—it’s a critique.
As you begin to write a review, remember the reason. A review is a way to let other readers know if you enjoyed the book or if you felt it was a disappointment. That’s all the reader wants to know. They don’t want you to divulge every little detail and plot point. They don’t care about mechanics or arc. So, as we progress through this post, I’m going to give you some pointers on how to really write a book review and show you an example. Now, keep in mind that I am not the be-all and end-all of writing reviews, but I think you will see a difference.
A review should demonstrate how a book impacted you. Did you like it? Was it memorable? Did it move you? Were the characters ingrained in your mind so that you missed them when the book was done?
I read a quaint little book written by German author Carsten Henn called The Door-To-Door Bookstore.
I began my review like this:
…The cover drew me in immediately with its bright colors and embossed parts, which, as I ran my hand over it, made the book almost seem alive. I pulled the book to my face and took in the smell. Perfect. Then opened it to the first page and read.
Carsten Henn, the author, immediately took me to Germany and inside the doors of an old, yet ornate, bookstore. Wooden shelves with fancy carving, books neatly stacked, and a bookseller who loved the stock. The archaeology of this store said, "I'm old, but I'm here to stay." And I was immediately captivated.
I didn’t need to tell the reader every character. Instead, I told them why I picked the book up in the first place and then what happened when I opened it to the first page. I didn’t need to break the story down into writing details that the regular reader couldn't care less about. I filled it with the reasons why I purchased the book—information readers want to know.
Next, I filled it with nuggets that hopefully made the reader want to read the book. Sometimes, as authors, we spend far too much time detailing the story instead of sharing the relationship of the story. Sometimes we put down the writer’s pen and pick up the reader's desire.
I rarely label a book with anything other than good, excellent, or not so good, simply because I can’t bear to disappoint or overbuild a reader’s expectations. Still, The Door-to-Door Bookstore had taken me, yanked me inside, and refused to let me leave before I met the characters and the heart of Carl. Thumbing through the chapters, I noticed word count didn’t mean anything to Mr. Henn, nor did page length. He only wanted me to walk the cobblestone road to the homes of the “quirky” at best, customers of Carl. You see, Carl hand-delivered books to clients who were a little odd. He met a little girl, who, despite his efforts to rid himself of her, insisted he would be her friend. There were moments when I laughed out loud at the determination of this little girl. If we could all only have such tenacity.
Still, the book was about books. Yeah, I know. A book about books. About readers. About how an aging bookseller cared for his patrons. The more I read in this little masterpiece, the more I wanted to walk arm-in-arm with Carl. The more I wanted to meet the odd readers he strove to be sure their reading needs were met.
The key to selling books is to convince the reader that the story is worth reading, not to break apart every plot point. Remember this when you write a review. If you loved a book, make the readers love it too. That’s the purpose of a book review. If you dislike a book, don’t be mean, but pick out things that were good and simply let the reader know this wasn’t a book that met your expectations. Again, that’s all the reader cares about.
After you finish this little gem, take time to know people. Meet them, engage them, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll become like Carl the bookseller—excited to turn the page of a person and see how their story impacts you, or more so, how your passion, love, and caring impact them.
Perhaps my suggestion on how to write a useful book review will fall on deaf ears, but I hope not. As an author, don’t forget why you write. Don’t lose sight of “story” and of the relationships that are formed through reading. When you write, every word should be poured over, thought through, tweaked so that the love you write them with is conveyed to the reader. And then, when you write your next book review, remember those same things. Share why you loved the story and what made you fall in love with it. Move your readers so they cannot help but purchase the book. Sometimes we’re too sterile. Too “authorish.” After all, why do you write? We should write to love our readers into loving to read. Something to ponder on that next book review.
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