You will be called on to write many reports and papers in college or at a university. One of these is a book review, which you shouldn’t confuse with a book report. In a book report, you describe the book, its characters, and plot; however, in a book review you must also provide a critique of the book as well. A book review will be used, not to show an instructor that you have read and understand a book, but instead it will be used to determine whether a book is a good choice for inclusion in a report, as a source for some research you are conducting, or in a library or collection.
Just like a book report, before writing a book review, you should first read the book! Make notes along the way about positive and negative aspects of the book. If you are reviewing the book for inclusion as a source for a study or report, your notes should focus on aspects that have to do with your research. You may also want to read some outside commentaries or reviews to see if there are points that others bring out that you might have missed. Be sure to cite these sources if you use them in your review. Continue reading How to Write a Book Review