The Do's and Don'ts of Writing a Review

I wrote about the importance of leaving a review. Now I want to talk about the Do's and Don'ts on how to write one. 

🔸Don't give away the plot!

I can't tell you how many times I come across this! It's not a book report, you're not explaining the entire book! 

You are telling people how it made you feel, about the characters (were they well developed). What's the genre? Where does the story take place? Are the descriptions accurate? What did you rate it? Why did you rate it that way? 

Don't giveaway the plot, it's not fair to the author or future readers. 

🔸Don't pick on the author!


Never, ever is it okay to make a review a personal attack on an author! So you didn't like the book, fine that happens. But it's never fine or okay to let your frustrations out on said author. What is okay is to write out reasons why you didn't enjoy the book; poor formatting, over use of a particular word, phrase or action. Maybe it's poor character development. But never is it okay to be demeaning to an author. Remember, what you say is a reflection on yourself. 

🔸Do be honest!

Did the book have all of the elements that make it a good book "For You"? As each of us is unique and different, it's the same when it comes to our reading criteria requirements, those things  that makes a book good for Us. 

🔸Try something New!

I look at book genres like lemons and people's reactions to them- to some, they smell sweet, to others they smell tart and then there are the people that won't go near them because they say that they don't like lemons, even though they've never smelled one.  Lemons are like books, there's so many different types. Open your mind! By the way, it's Meyer Lemons that smell the sweetest. 

I hope that I've been able to clear a few things up for you. Go out and write a review that you can be proud of. It doesn't need to be 3 pages long (I avoid those like the plague). It can be short, sweet and go the point in as little as 2 sentences.