I am including the “Instructions for Book Review” in “additional materials” as well as a few other documents to help. The instructions are quite vague but you’re supposed to follow the guidelines in that document
Wha hi hand i ab
Thi had ill hel ie a bk eie, a e ea ha ffe a ciical eecie a e. I
ffe a ce ad gge e aegie f iig bk eie.
Wha i a eie?
A eie i a ciical ealai f a e, ee, bjec, hee. Reie ca cide bk, aicle,
eie gee eld f lieae, achiece, a, fahi, eaa, licie, ehibii, eface,
ad a he f. Thi had ill fc bk eie. F a iila aige, ee had
lieae eie.
Abe all, a eie ake a age. The ia elee f a eie i ha i i a cea,
eel a a. I all ee i dialge ad dici ih he k cea ad ih
he adiece. Y ca ffe ageee diageee ad ideif hee d he k eela
decie i i kledge, jdge, gaiai. Y hld cleal ae ii f he k i
ei, ad ha aee ill babl eeble he e f acadeic iig, ih a hei aee,
ig bd aagah, ad a ccli. See had age.
Ticall, eie ae bief. I eae ad acadeic jal, he ael eceed 1000 d, alhgh
a ece leghie aige ad eeded ceaie. I eihe cae, eie eed be
ccic. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:
• First, a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. Thi iclde a elea decii
f he ic a ell a i eall eecie, age, e.
• Second, and more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content. Thi ile
eaci he k de eie: ha ike a eh, hehe i a effecie
eaie, ad h i ehaced deadig f he ie a had.
• Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience would
appreciate it.
Becming an ee eiee: hee h eamle
Reieig ca be a daig ak. See ha aked f ii ab ehig ha a feel
alied ealae. Wh ae ciicie Ti Mi e bk if e ee ie a el
elf, ch le a Nbel Pie? The i i ha eea fe, a jal edi, ee i a
d ga k ha hik ab a aicla k. Y a be ( feel like) a ee,
b eed eed be e f aica adiece. Nbd eec be he ieeca
ea f he cea, b caef beai ca ide ih he a aeia ae
eaed dge. Tacf icig ageee ad diageee, aie ad ciici, i a aabe,
chaegig i, ad ie a f f iig, eie eie ide ccee eidece f
aei.
Cide he fig bief b eie ie f a hi ce ediea Ee b a de h i
faciaed ih bee:
Jdih Bee Ae, Bee, ad Bee i Egad: We W i a Chagig Wd, 1300-
1600, ieigae h e ed be ad e he ai f ae d i Egad.
Hiica, ae ad bee ( i, ie, ae) ee ia eee f he Egih die. Ae
beig a -i ad a ab ha a ciea e deic
eibiiie. I he ea feeh ce, bee bega ae ae ih h, ad he caed
hi e di bee. Thi echie aed bee dce hei beeage a a e c ad
e i e eai, ahgh e geea ed beig ce he bie becae e
abe.
The de decibe he bec f he b ad ide a accae a f i ce. B he
eade de ea e e ifai eeced f a eie: he ah age, he de
aaia f he b ad i age, ad hehe he de d eced he b. A a
ciica aee, a b eie hd fc ii, fac ad deai. Sa hd be e
a ii, ad ecic deai hd ee iae age.
N cide a eie f he ae b ie b a igh e iiaed de:
Jdih Bee Ae, Bee, ad Bee i Egad: We W i a Chagig Wd, 1300-1600
a a ca diaie. I aed ab he ia dig diig i ediea
Egad: he g, he gae, he aie. Bee ided e f ha ifai. I ied h
he b hed ae ad bee beig a a ecic acii, b he eade ge i he deai
f ice ad age. I a e ieeed i he iae ie f he e bee. The b
a diided i eigh g chae, ad I ca iagie h ae d ee a ead i.
Thee hage f dge i hi eie! B he de de dia a ig edge f he
b age. The eade ha a ee f ha he de eeced f he b, b ee f ha he
ah heef e e. Ahgh he de gie eea ea f he egaie eie, he
eae d cea eae each he a a f a ea eaaii he d, i f a
ecic hei. Thi eie i ideed a aee, b a ciica e.
Hee i e a eie f he ae b:
Oe f feii aadee ha chaege a f i iiic hiiei h
aiach eai eie e ie. Whie Jdih Bee Ae, Bee, ad Bee i Egad:
We W i a Chagig Wd, 1300-1600 ecgie ediea e a hiica ac
hgh hei ae beig, i a h ha feae agec had i ii ih he ade f bee. I
had aed ha he ii ee eigi ad iica, b Bee h h a aiacha
eiibi h e f ecic ife a e. He aai f e age i ae ad
bee dci e ha a chage i e de eae a chage i ig
e a. Cea feii ad hiia aie hd ead Bee b ad hi
ice he he cac e hei e be.
Thi de eie aid he be f he ei eae. I cbie baaced ii ad
ccee eae, a ciica aee baed a eici aed aiae, ad a ecedai a
eia adiece. The eade ge a ee f ha he b ah ieded deae. Mee, he
de efe a age ab feii hi i geea ha ace he b i a ecic gee ad
ha eache a geea adiece. The eae f aaig age iae a age, he aai
egage igica ieeca debae, ad he ea f he ea iie eie ae ai iibe. The
eie ffe cieia, ii, ad ih hich he eade ca agee diagee.
Deeloping an assessmen: before o rie
Thee i deiie ehd iig a eie, ahgh e ciica hiig ab he a had i
ecea befe aca begi iig. Th, iig a eie i a -e ce: deeig a
age ab he de cideai, ad aig ha age a ie a gaied ad e-
ed daf. See had age.
Wha f i a eie f ei fc hiig a dig i he a had. Whie he
ei ecica cide b eie, ca eai ae he a aai f eface,
ehibii, ad he eie bec. D fee bigaed adde each f he ei; e i be
e eea ha he he b i ei.
What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If he ah aned ge ne idea fm he
bk, ha ld i be? H de i cmae cna he ld kn? Wha ha he bk
accmlihed?
What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? De he ah ce he bjec adeael? De he
ah ce all aec f he bjec in a balanced fahin? Wha i he aach he bjec
(ical, analical, chnlgical, deciie)?
How does the author support her argument? Wha eidence de he e e he in? D nd
ha eidence cnincing? Wh h n? De an f he ah infmain ( cnclin)
cnic ih he bk e ead, ce e aken j ei amin had f
he bjec?
How does the author structure her argument? Wha ae he a ha make he hle? De he
agmen make ene? De i eade ? Wh h n?
How has this book helped you understand the subject? Wld ecmmend he bk eade?
Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the
circumstances of the text’s production:
Who is the author? Nainali, liical eain, aining, inellecal inee, enal hi, and
hiical cne ma ide ccial deail ab h a k ake hae. De i mae, f
eamle, ha he bigahe a he bjec be fiend? Wha diffeence ld i make if he
ah aiciaed in he een he ie ab?
What is the book’s genre? O f ha eld de i emege? De i cnfm dea fm he
cnenin f i gene? Thee ein can ide a hiical liea andad n hich
bae ealain. If ae eieing he bk ee ien n he bjec, i ill be
iman f eade kn. Kee in mind, hgh, ha naming alngide naming
be and nlcan be a ik bine nle e ablel ceain.
Writing the review
Once hae made beain and aemen f he k nde eie, caefll e
ne and aem nif imein in a aemen ha ill decibe he e hei f
eie. Check hand n hei aemen. Then, line he agmen ha hei.
Y agmen hld deel he hei in a lgical manne. Tha lgic, nlike me andad academic
iing, ma iniiall emhaie he ah agmen hile deel n in he ce f he eie.
The elaie emhai deend n he nae f he eie: if eade ma be me ineeed in he k
ielf, ma an make he k and he ah me minen; if an he eie be ab
eecie and inin, hen ma ce he eie iilege beain e (b nee
eaae fm) he f he k nde eie. Wha fll i j ne f man a ganie a eie.
Introduction
Since m eie ae bief, man ie begin ih a cach i anecde ha ccincl delie hei
agmen. B can indce eie diffeenl deending n he agmen and adience. The Wiing
Cene hand n indcin can hel nd an aach ha k. In general, o shold inclde:
The name f he ah and he bk ile and he main heme.
Relean deail ab h he ah i and hee he/he and in he gene eld f ini. Y
cld al link he ile he bjec h h he ile elain he bjec mae.
The cne f he bk and/ eie. Placing eie in a famek ha make ene
adience ale eade ake n he bk. Peha an iae a bk ab he
Cban elin in he cne f Cld Wa ialie beeen he Unied Sae and he Sie
Unin. Anhe eiee migh an cnide he bk in he famek f Lain Ameican cial
memen. Y chice f cne infm agmen.
The hei f he bk. If ae eieing cin, hi ma be dicl ince nel, la, and h
ie ael hae elici agmen. B idenifing he bk aicla nel, angle,
iginali all h ha ecic cnibin he iece i ing make.
Y hei ab he bk.
Smma f cnen
Thi hld be bief, a anali ake ii. In he ce f making aemen, ll hefll be
backing aein ih cncee eidence fm he bk, me mma ill be dieed
hgh he a f he eie.
The necea amn f mma al deend n adience. Gadae den, beae! If ae
iing bk eie f clleage eae f cmehenie eam, f eamle ma an
dee me aenin mmaiing he bk cnen. If, n he he hand, adience ha alead
ead he bkch a a cla aignmen n he ame k ma hae me libe ele me
ble in and emhaie n agmen. See hand n mma f me i.
Anali and ealain f he bk
Y anali and ealain hld be ganied in aagah ha deal ih ingle aec f
agmen. Thi aangemen can be challenging hen e i cnide he bk a a hle, b i
can hel diffeeniae elemen f ciicim and ai aein ih eidence me cleal. Y d
n neceail need k chnlgicall hgh he bk a dic i. Gien he agmen an
make, can ganie aagah me efll b heme, mehd, he elemen f he bk.
If nd i efl inclde cmain he bk, kee hem bief ha he bk nde eie
emain in he ligh. Aid eceie ain and gie a ecic age efeence in aenhee hen
d e. Remembe ha can ae man f he ah in in n d.
Cnclin
Sm eae hei make he nal jdgmen egading he bk. Y hld n indce ne
eidence f agmen in he cnclin. Y can, hee, indce ne idea ha g bend he bk
if he eend he lgic f n hei. Thi aagah need balance he bk engh and
weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. Did the body of your review have three negative paragraphs and
one favorable one? What do they all add up to? The Writing Center’s handout on conclusions can help you
make a nal assessment.
In revie
Finall, a fe general consideraions:
Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written. You can and should point
out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never
intended to be.
With any luck, the author of the book worked hard to nd the right words to express her ideas. You should
attempt to do the same. Precise language allows you to control the tone of your review.
Never hesitate to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument. Be sure, however, to cite specic
examples to back up your assertions carefully.
Try to present a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience. You’re entitled—and
sometimes obligated—to voice strong agreement or disagreement. But keep in mind that a bad book
takes as long to write as a good one, and every author deserves fair treatment. Harsh judgments are
dicult to prove and can give readers the sense that you were unfair in your assessment.
A great place to learn about book reviews is to look at examples. The New York Times Sunday Book
Review and The New York Review of Books can show you how professional writers review books.
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the
handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to nd the latest publications on this topic.
Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the
citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation
tutorial.
Drewry, John. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: The Writer, 1974.
Hoge, James O. Literary Reviewing. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987.
Sova, Dawn B. and Harry Teitelbaum. How to Write Book Reports. 4th ed. Lawrenceville, NY: Thomson/ARCO.
2002.
Walford, A.J., ed. Reviews and Reviewing: A Guide. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1986.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0
License.
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The
Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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