I have no intention to echo what others have written, I do try to make sure that my reviews don't not sound cliché or repetitive. I want this to be "My interpretation" of what I've read. I don't give a 5 star review lightly, the book has got to touch me emotionally in order to get that. Sometimes I will use a favorite quote or two from the book in my review.
You might notice that I have quite a few 5 star reviews, but what you don't see is that I am rather selective in the books that I choose to read.
It bothers me greatly when I see a review that does nothing but quote verbatim the cover of the book or the blurb that is posted on Amazon. My ultimate non-favorite reviews are ;
"buy this book, it's great"
"Worst waste of my money and my time"
"OMG"
Instead of these unimaginative one liners, why not tell us prospective readers why you think it's a great book or why you think it's not.
I've got this little set of self imposed rules, they're more of a guideline really as to how to write a review, maybe they'll help you to write your own;
*I don't like to leave a review less than a 3, why? Because I don't think that it's fair to the author. No author intends to publish a bad book, they've invested hundreds if not thousands of hours into the research and writing of their books. Be respectful of that process. I encourage you to do the same! I've been known to write the author and let them know how I felt about their book before I ever do something that I think is mean. I like to give authors a second chance, sure I might not have liked one of their books, I like to think that I'm open minded enough to try a second one. I did that a few months ago and found myself delighted in the authors second book. It came to me that I might not have been the right "target audience" for the first book, and I stated that in my review
*Always be positive. Constructive criticism on the authors writing can be helpful, but be positive about it. Do they need an editor? Mention it briefly that they might need help in that area but don't harp on it. Maybe it's formatting, again be helpful in your suggestions not rude or condescending.
*Don't personally attack the writer, there's no reason to do such a thing-EVER! If you think that the characters in a particular book are poorly fleshed out, immature, whiny or shallow, say that. When giving a review where you write that you think the author is immature and can't write-that's a personal attack.
*Spoilers- do you really need to include one in giving your review? Not everyone wants to know who the bad guy was, what the big secret was, who dies or what the argument was about that drove our main character apart. But if for some reason you feel the need to include those things be kind enough to give a spoiler warning. The words SPOILER ALERT should be clearly written in bold. At the top of your review you should include the words "Review Containers Spoilers" and then before you write the actual spoiler write **SPOILER ALERT**. The author and other readers will appreciate that kind of respect being given.
* To every writer/author, their book is their baby, treat their baby with care and respect. And just because a book isn't to your personal liking, it doesn't necessarily mean that others won't find it enjoyable. Be honest in what you write but also don't be rude and condescending.
Now with that said, it's time to write some reviews.
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