This document provides tips for writing a book review in 6 steps: 1) Read the entire book, 2) Hook the reader with an interesting opening, 3) Summarize the book without spoilers, 4) Offer an honest assessment and recommendation, 5) Give an overall conclusion, and 6) Revise the review with feedback. It encourages sharing your opinion to help others decide whether to read the book. The public library offers a Book Hookup service to find new books to review based on your interests.

1. with help from the Public Library of
Cincinnati and Hamilton County

2. For book lovers, there’s no better pastime
than reading!

3. But take it a step further by writing about
what you’re reading.

4. You already have an opinion, so share it with
others by writing a book review. Follow
these six tips to write your first book review.

5. Step 1: Read the book

6. While this might seem
obvious, it's important to
make sure you read the
book in its entirety.

7. Consider how the title,
preface, and table of
contents (if any) relate to
the story.

8. Does the book fit the genre?
What point of view was it written from?

9. What are some of your favorite quotes?

10. Step 2: Hook the reader

11. Authors must hook you into any book to
keep you engaged. The same goes for
someone reading your review. Make it
interesting and compelling so the reader will
keep reading.

12. Knowing who your target audience is will
help you find an angle that will interest them.

13. Step 3: Summarize
the book

14. Your reader probably hasn’t read the book
and is waiting for you to tell them if they
should. You’ll want to give them a basic
overview of the book without spilling too
many details or plot twists.

15. Step 4: Offer your
opinion

16. Make sure you give an
honest assessment of
the book. Would you
recommend it to your
audience?

17. Although objectivity is important in some
cases, here it’s okay to be subjective.

18. No matter what your opinion is about the
book, make sure you explain why you feel
the way you do.

19. Keep the author in
mind when offering
your opinion. How
does it compare to
their other works or
other authors in their
genre?

20. Step 5: Give a final
assessment

21. End your review by giving a final conclusion
and summarizing your findings.

22. What type of person would enjoy this book?

23. Step 6: Revision,
Revision, Revision
As with all writing, it’s essential to leave
some time for editing.

24. Have a friend
or family
member read
your review and
offer their
opinion.

25. Read your review out loud for perspective.

26. Now you’re ready to write your
review!

27. Use the Library’s Book Hookup service to
find the perfect book to review!

28. Just tell us a little bit about your reading interests
and our staff will send you a list of three books
chosen just for you. All you need is your Library
card number or username and PIN to get started.

29. For more information about Book Hookup,
visit CincinnatiLibrary.org.