How to Write a Book Review A book review is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a retelling. It should focus on the book's purpose, content, and authority. A critical book review is not a book report or a summary. It is a reaction paper in which strengths and weaknesses of the material are analyzed. There is no right way to write a book review.
Book reviews are highly personal and reflect the opinions of the reviewer.
A review can be as short as 50-100 words, or as long as 1500 words, depending on the purpose of the review. State the author s purpose in writing the book. Sometimes authors state their purpose in the preface or the first chapter. Knowledge of the genre means understanding the art form. State the theme and the thesis of the book.