Book Review Worksheet
Book Summary Reference
Title:Author: / Readership
Young Adult = high school main character. Book written for teens.
New Adult = college-age
Adult = themes for adults
18+ = Erotic or gratuitous violence / Genre (romance, fantasy, mystery, etc):
Main Character(s):
Setting:
Point of View (1st person = “I was” sentences; 3rd person = “he was” sentences):
Does the Point of View (POV) alternate between characters?
0.Tagline / Summation
Give your overall reaction to the book or a summation of your review.
Examples:
Wow! <– That’s all you could get out of me for hours after reading this book.
OR Hogwarts meets X-Men’s Xavier’s School with an unforgettable romance.
OR My head hurts, my heart hearts, and I’m a little sick to my stomach (in a good way)
OR If you liked The Crucible, you'll love this YAre-imagining of the Salem Witch Trials.
1.Intro
Give the title, author, genre, and series info (or stand-alone) for the book.
Example:
FREEKS is a young adult paranormal romance by Amanda Hocking.
ORRomeo and Juliet meets Hell's Angels in this smart adult motorcycle romance, which straddles the genre lines between mystery, suspense, and erotic romance.
2.Why you decided to read the book
Did the cover call to you? Do you already know and love the author? Did you see a catchy ad and loved the blurb?
Example:
I’ve never read a book by Amanda so I really didn’t know what to expect, but the cover and the circus premise definitely piqued my interest, and I was excited to see what I find between the pages.
3. Expectations
How you felt going in to the book, how you felt when you finished, and whether the book met your expectations.
Example:
Though the storyline and writing were fairly well done, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. It’s a quick, enjoyable read, but it didn’t really seep into my heart nor did it ignite my imagination the way I’d hoped.
4.Summary
Write a short summary of the plot (without spoilers).
Example:
Elizabeth is sixteen, and she and her family have been hiding the fact that she's a witch her entire life. There's a good reason: they live in Salem, and it's the late 1600's. Theocracy rules, and any citizen who stands out seems not only peculiar but suspicious. The town is religiously extreme, isolated, and one false accusation of witchcraft away from mass hysteria, which is where DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND opens.
Example #2:
*May not be appropriate for readers under 18 due to sexual situations, violence, and/or language.
HARD RIDER has it all: deception, murder, forbidden love, a secret marriage, and an eternal conflict between rival gangs. Told in 3rd-person point of view, which alternates between Ram and June, the book opens with a steamy scene between the two, which does well to set the tone and gave me something to look forward to. Without that steamy prologue, I might’ve put this book down and missed a great story.
5. My Experience
What worked and what didn’t work for you? This can be however long or short you want to make it. Mention whether the main story line is tied up and whether there is a cliffhanger. Include whatever you want, but be sure to comment on the book the author wrote, and not the book you wish the author had written.
Example:
The world-building in EERIE and the sheer imagination involved in creating this new mythology are astounding. There are so many new creatures and characters I’ll never forget, like Hailey’s grumpy “loner” roommate, who just wants to be left alone but optimist Hailey can’t take a hint. And the villain, Cobon, who’s so creepy and gentlemanly at the same time and who’s so unapologetically sure of his “got to break a few eggs to make an omelet” attitude. The heroes are beautifully flawed, and I honestly didn’t know who to root for until the very heart-breaking end. This book is a perfectly paced, with great moments of edge-of-your-seat suspense coupled with the slow burn of unrequited love. Even though the book over 400 pages long, I read the whole thing in one night. I only wish it were LONGER so that I didn’t have to wait for the sequel to get more of the story. There is no happily ever after ending in this fairy tale, but the main story line is tied up wonderfully with a teaser chapter at the end to let us know more is coming (and hopefully soon).
6. How much did you skim?
Example:
I didn’t skim any of this book.
7. Romance / Language / Violence / Age Recommendation:
Here’s an example of a review mentioning some of the above elements:
8. My Experience
If there’s romance, is it sweet, steamy, or full-on erotic?
How much cussing is there?
If there’s violence, is it mild, moderate, or gory?
Recommend an age range for the book. If it’s erotic romance, it’s automatically 18+.
Example:
The romance is sweet, the violence mild, and I counted one F-bomb in this book. I’d recommend this for readers aged 14 and older.
9. Recommendation
Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, there are readers out there who will. Try to recommend an audience for this book.
Example:
Fans of Moning’s DARKFEVER will like the adventure and supernatural suspense of EERIE. The romance in EERIE will appeal to fans of TWILIGHT, and fans of HARRY POTTER will love the unique world and new mythology in a remote school setting.
10. Rating
For this review blog, use the following scale:
5 stars = You loved the book enough that you’d buy it in hard cover or buy a copy as a gift for a friend.
4 stars = You’re keeping this book because you enjoyed it or parts of it so much you just know you’ll read it again.
3 stars = You very much enjoyed this book, but you probably won’t read it again, even if you decide to keep it on your shelf.
2 stars = You didn’t really enjoy the book as much as you wanted and on the whole, it simply fell flat for you. You definitely won’t read it or any part of it again.
1 star = You finished reading the book, but there were so many issues with the writing/editing/story line that you were sorely disappointed and can’t in good conscience recommend the book at all.
DNF = You didn’t finish reading this book, because for whatever reason, it simply wasn’t for you. If what you read warrants a star-rating, you’ll use the above scale to rate what you did read, and you’ll try to recommend an audience for this book.