Looks at what the author intended to do and whether or not he did it
Be between 50 and 1,500 words
The following is a guide to writing a book review; but, you need to know that they are just suggestions to think about.
Write down a summary of essential information, like title, author, copyright date, kind of book, price, subject matter of the book, and special features.
State the reason the author wrote the book.
Consider from what point of view the book was written.
Decide what the author was trying to accomplish.
Determine what kind of book is it, and who is the intended audience.
Discuss the author's style of writing and look at his cohesion, clarity, flow of the text, and use of precise words.
Think about how you were affected by the book and if any of your opinions or feelings change because of it.
Decide if the book met its goal and whether or not you would recommend it to others and why.
State the main topic of the book and the author's treatment of it. Also explain the development of the thesis, using quotes or references.
Discuss the author's descriptions and narration, pointing out whether he explained facts or tried to persuade the readers of the validity of an issue.
Analyze whether or not the book suited its intended audience and if it was interesting and thorough.
You may challenge his opinions and explain why you disagree with them. Include any information about the author that would establish his authority or that would be relevant to the review.
The way I handle a book review that has a plot is to mention very briefly the main part of the plot detailing only what is absolutely necessary to show the conflict.
For example, every decade | read War and Peace. Here's what I would say about the main plot.
The main plot shows the struggle Pierre goes though when he stays in Moscow as Napoleon enters. He has the idea that he will assassinate Napoleon. His plan is thwarted by a soldier who captures him and puts him with the other Russian prisoners who remained behind in Moscow. What follows is the events making up the retreat which are horrible in their details. And Pierre, an aristocrat, sees things not even the peasants he is with could begin to imagine. War and Peace is so long and so extensive that even this could be considered a sub plot.
War and Peace is some 1200 pages long (or more -- depending on the edition), so I would work on some of the subplots. For example, how did Natasha go from being the bell of the ball to an overweight dull middle age frump who seemed settled in her life, but totally uninteresting? How did Andre's death affect her when she was a very young girl and called upon to do nursing duty when she hardly understood the nature of his wounds and that he would eventually die? Sub plots are full of things that you can expand without giving away the main plot.
