amazon book review sample

Sample Easy Book Review & Template To Use on Amazon (or anywhere else)!

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Last Updated on October 10, 2023 by Sarah McCubbin

Customer book reviews on Amazon are a valuable resource for both authors and other customers. Many of us use these reviews on a regular basis to help us sift through the titles there for the perfect one for our situation. This book review template and sample book review will make it easy for you to write a great review!

(Affiliate Disclosure: Purchases made through links on this page may result in me earning a small commission. Thank you!)

In 2021, I was helping my brother and friend launch their new real estate book on Amazon. They needed reviews for their book. We had a launch team of family, friends and supporters. But I realized that as people bought the book, it didn’t necessarily translate into reviews. Why? I think it is because there is SO MUCH in a book and people don’t know know how to narrow that down into something helpful…so they don’t write a review. So, I put out an explanation of how to write reviews…and this book review template…and the reviews began to trickle in. Funny enough though, this became the most popular post on my blog even though it had nothing to do with my main content. I hope YOU find it helpful and if you think there are other things I should add, send me an email to [email protected] . Happy Reading!

Table of Contents

Why Are Book Reviews Important?

Book reviews help potential buyers know if a book will meet their specific needs.

Here is an example of how a book review would save a customer from purchasing a book that isn’t right for them:

You are on a diet and need some new recipes. Great! You go looking for a low-sugar cookbook and find one with a lot of 5-star reviews which seems promising. It also has some 1 and 2-star reviews. Out of curiosity, you start reading the low reviews and realize that the comments all mention that this cookbook uses a lot of sugar substitutes in place of regular sugar.

Perhaps your actual diet goal is whole foods eating plan (no sugar substitutes) that is low-sugar but your search did not have all those details because you weren’t thinking about it that way. However, when you read the reviews, you realized…Nope..this cookbook is not the one for me.

These reviews saved you a lot of frustration and prevented you from ordering a book that did not meet your needs.

What Should I Include in My Book Review?

Your review is likely only going to be about 5 or 6 sentences. That is a short amount of space to include all or some of the following:

• Amazon will require that you Title your review. So pick a short title that gives readers an idea of how your review might help their situation (i.e. “From No Cooking Skills to Almost-Gourmet Chef Nearly Overnight” as a title for a book on cooking for beginners.
• Why you bought the book
• What you hoped to learn from the book
• How the book helped you (or didn’t help you)
• Who would you recommend this book to?
• Did the book live up to it’s claims
• Comments about specific formats of the book (i.e. the Kindle book is poorly formatted or the print size in the paperback version is printed too light to read easily)
• If you have expertise in the area of the book, you can agree or disagree with the author’s premises. A positive review from an “expert” will add to their credibility, but a negative review from an expert will detract from the author’s credibility…so use this carefully.

What Should I NOT include in My Book Review?

• Details about poor shipping times. These have nothing to do with the book and can be left on the seller’s review page.
• Any mention of your relationship to the author (i.e. “I’m Bill’s mom…sister…friend…neighbor…etc”) It is fine for these people to review the book…just don’t put it in the review itself.

Amazon Rules For Customer Reviews

How Long Should My Review Be?

Reviews can be long or short. They can be 1 sentence or 5 paragraphs. The important thing is that if you take the time to review it you are giving value to someone who reads your review…that your intention is to help the next person.

A Sample “Fill In the Blank” Non-Fiction Book Review

I got this book because ( problem you needed to solve ). I thought ( BOOK TITLE ) might give me more information about ( fill in the blank ). I was not disappointed. This book helped me so much. I learned a lot about ( what are some things you learned in the book ). Moving forward, I know I’ll be able to ( what you plan to do ). I highly recommend this book to anyone who ( fill in the blank with the type of person who would benefit from this book).

Obviously, your review does not have to follow that format or use every sentence. If you have more thoughts to add, definitely do that. The most important thing is that your review is honest and adds value to other potential readers.

If you need more information about writing Amazon book reviews including the rules and how to use stars, please read: How to Write a Good Book Review on Amazon. I hope this template is helpful. If you think other things should be added, please send me an email at [email protected] . Have a great day!

How to Write a Book Review On Amazon: 10 Approved Steps

• February 20, 2024

Table of Contents:

How to write a book review on amazon, 1. choose a book you enjoyed, 2. understand the genre, 3. read attentively, 4. personal reflection is key, 5. structure your review, 6. be honest and balanced, 7. keep it concise and engaging, 8. edit your review, 9. post your review on amazon, 10. share your review, final words:.

Writing a book review can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, especially if you love sharing your thoughts about books. This guide is here to help you learn how to write a book review on Amazon effectively. Whether you’re reviewing fiction vs nonfiction or any other genre, these steps will ensure your review is insightful and helpful to others. Remember, a great review doesn’t require you to be an experienced critic or to have the skills to write a book with no experience . Let’s Jump in!

The first step to writing a book review is picking a book you love. It might be a novel, a memoir, or an exciting non-fiction work. Think about a book that made you smile, kept you turning the pages, or even changed your thoughts. This could be from a range of top story writers  or twitter ghostwriter you admire. When you write about something you enjoy, your words come alive. Your readers can feel your joy and excitement. This makes your review not just informative but also a pleasure to read. Your enthusiasm can inspire others to pick up the book, too!

Knowing the genre you are reviewing is important. This knowledge shapes your review. Like fiction, look at how the story unfolds, who the characters are, and what happens in the plot. It’s about the journey, the twists and turns, and the emotional ride. In nonfiction, focus on how clear and strong the information and arguments are. Ask yourself: does this book teach, persuade, or inform effectively? Understanding the genre helps you highlight the right aspects of the book, making your review more useful and insightful for your readers. It’s like choosing the right tool for the job – it makes everything more effective and fitting.

To write a book review full of insights, reading with full attention is crucial. Go deep into the book’s themes, the writer’s unique style, and how the story moves. Notice how the book makes you feel or think. Are you excited, curious, or moved? Write down these feelings and thoughts. These notes are precious. They help you remember your initial reactions and impressions. When you start writing your review, these notes will guide you, helping you share a genuine and engaging perspective. Reading attentively is like being a detective, looking for clues to understand the story better.

Think deeply about how the book touched you. Did it open your eyes to new ideas or keep you entertained from start to finish? Sharing your personal experience is crucial. It adds a special, relatable quality to your review. Your reflections show how a book can impact a reader. They make your review a list of observations and a story of your encounter with the book. When readers see your journey with the book, it helps them connect more with your review. It’s like sharing a part of your reading adventure with them.

A good book review has a clear structure. Start with a brief book summary like Haunting Adeline , followed by your analysis and personal reflections. Finally, conclude with your overall thoughts and recommendations.

Being honest is vital when you write a book review. If certain parts didn’t catch your fancy or seemed off, it’s important to say so. But remember, balance is crucial. Even if the book wasn’t to your liking, try to spot the good bits. Maybe the writing style was excellent, or some chapters were engaging. Sharing both the ups and downs makes your review trustworthy. It shows you’ve looked at the book from all angles, which is helpful for other readers. They get a full picture, not just one side. So, while being honest, also be fair. It’s like giving a complete map, not just a part of it.

Make your review short and sweet. Long reviews might lose your reader’s interest. Aim for clear, straightforward points. Mix up your sentence lengths – some short, some a bit longer. This keeps your writing lively and easy to follow. Using simple, everyday words helps, too. It makes your review easy to read and understand. Everyone appreciates a review that gets to the heart of the matter without wandering off into too many words. It’s like giving a clear, quick snapshot rather than a long movie.

Before posting, spend some time editing your review. Look for any spelling mistakes or grammar slip-ups. Consider hiring a book editor if needed. Read it aloud to hear how it sounds. Does it flow nicely? Are your points clear? A well-edited review stands out for its clarity and smoothness. It’s like polishing a gem – the extra effort makes it shine. Remember, a few minutes of editing can greatly enhance your review’s impact and readability.

Once your review is polished and ready, it’s time to share it on Amazon. Browse through the page of the book you’ve reviewed. Look for the ‘Write a Customer Review’ button – it’s usually easy to find. Click it, and then paste your review into the box provided. Don’t forget to also give the book a star rating. This rating helps others get a quick sense of your overall opinion. It’s a simple yet important step, like putting the final stamp on your thoughts about the book.

Don’t keep your review to yourself – share it with friends and on your social media platforms. Your thoughts and insights on the book might be what someone else needs to find their next great read. It’s like spreading a bit of joy and knowledge. Your review could spark interest or start a lively book discussion. It’s a simple action, but your opinion can influence and guide others in their reading choices. Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to great books!

Writing a book review is not just about summarizing a book. It’s an opportunity to express your thoughts, feelings, and insights about your reading. Whether you’re discussing books from professional book writers , your review can be a valuable guide for other readers. So, next time you finish a book, take a moment to share your experience on Amazon. Your review could be the one that inspires someone to pick up their next great read!

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How to Write Book Reviews on Amazon That People Will Read

With so many titles available on Amazon, it can help to leave book reviews. Here's how to write ones that people will actually read.

Amazon has almost a quarter of a billion titles in popular demand. A good review can help spread the word about great titles and best-selling books.

Writing book reviews on Amazon can help readers find the perfect matches for their book lists. It's also one of the best ways to show readers that you're an experienced and knowledgeable person who can provide valuable insights into a book.

Here, we share some tactics you can use to write book reviews on Amazon that people will want to read.

1. Carry Out Thorough Research

If you're going to write a book review, it's important to know what you're talking about. Consider doing some research on the book itself, and the author's overall body of work.

There are plenty of books out there, so you'll need to convince readers what they're missing out on by not reading them. The more familiar you are with the content of the book and its author’s other work, the more credible your opinions will be.

Read up on the author's background and reputation to get a sense of their writing style. Doing so will help you understand the author's perspective, and you'll be able to make an informed decision on whether to recommend the book.

2. Use Correct Keywords and Active Voice for Your Target Audience

The next step is to identify who your audience is and what they want from your review. Do they want advice on how to improve their business? Do they want information on how to use technology in their daily lives? Or do they just want an entertaining read that makes them laugh?

Once you know who your audience is, it's time to start thinking about how exactly you'll address their expectations from a book. We recommend writing in an engaging tone and using real-life examples from the story so that everyone can relate easily with what you're saying.

3. Stay Up-to-Date With Amazon's Community Guidelines

You should make it a point to adhere to Amazon's Community guidelines while posting book reviews on the site. To be eligible for reviewing a book or product, you would have to spend at least $50 on Amazon.

Make sure your views are informative and constructive. These must be genuine and reflect your honest opinion of the book you've read. That said, they should not contain spoilers or excessive promotion for other products or services that are unrelated to the original content.

4. Use Appropriate Headlines

A key aspect of a book review on Amazon, or any other platform for that matter, is to craft an appealing headline. This should be short, sweet, and catchy.

You'll also need to make sure that you have a strong introduction before diving into the main body of your review. It's tempting to just touch upon the points in the blurb from the back cover, but that's not going to work.

A compelling introduction should grab the reader's attention with a powerful hook or an interesting fact about the book. Take a moment to think about what makes this book unique. What makes it worth reading?

For instance, you can try and highlight in a sentence how their life will change if they read this book, or by explaining why they need to read it in order to accomplish something important in their life today or tomorrow (like improving their career).

5. Apply Proper Formatting and Include Images or Videos

Book reviews go a long way in helping potential readers decide whether they want to buy a book or not.

Make sure your review is informative, not promotional. Readers should have all the information they need to decide whether that book is for them. You can include at least one quote or fact from the book, if you need to, but don't overdo it.

Use bullet points and bolded letters or italics to highlight key points in the text. You can also try doing a video review if that is something you're comfortable with. Use appropriate images or videos that may be helpful.

Given the huge sea of content on the Internet, you should exercise caution when it comes to reading others' reviews or doing your own research. We recommend checking tips to spot fake reviews online .

6. Give an Insightful and Unbiased Opinion

Follow up your introduction with your unbiased opinion or analysis. Talk about the best parts of the book and explain why you feel so.

You can also mention any issues that may come up while reading the book. You can talk about them in terms of how they affect your understanding of the story, or how they impact your ability to connect with characters (in fiction) in some way or another.

Your reviews might vary with genres, such as fiction or non-fiction. When reviewing nonfiction titles, your review should consider the author's writing style, accuracy and clarity, structure, and logic.

In the case of fiction books, it all comes down to a compelling plot, characters who are memorable, and an ending that leaves readers wanting more. Your review should look at the characters, setting, and plot. It should also consider whether there were any significant flaws in these areas.

For example, if you're reviewing a fantasy novel, you might discuss how well its characters were developed and how convincingly they interacted with each other. You might also comment on whether there were any plot holes or inconsistencies in the narrative.

You should include what you liked or disliked about the book. You may mention whether you agree with the author's point of view. Reedsy recommends using an appropriate tone and style for note-worthy bestseller reviews.

7. Assign Star Ratings Wisely

Reviews are a great way for you to share your opinions on what you read, but star ratings are the first touchpoint where readers often decide whether to go for a purchase, so you should assign your star rating wisely.

The ratings you give your reviews carry distinct persuasive weight and can either make or break a book. Reviewers who write three-star and four-star reviews with honest, constructive criticisms are more likely to be read than reviewers who write very brief one-star reviews, which are often unconstructive rants.

8. Use a Book Review Template

You can always start off with a book review template to help you get started. You can find them for free on sites like Sample Templates, which will give you a basic outline of everything that needs to go into each book review.

Use them to submit a well-structured and readable review. It will help you focus on the most important aspects of the book.

Download: Sample Templates (Free)

9. Feel Free to Provide a Recommendation

You can leave a recommendation if you found a book extremely engaging and helpful. Consider if the book is something that would interest your target audience. While this is by no means necessary, reviews which include recommendations are more likely to be read by others.

If you're a new or experienced author, here's a list of tips on how to get positive reviews for your book .

Make Your Reviews Stand Out

Writing book reviews can be rewarding and fun, but it's also very hard to write them well. In order to get people to read your reviews, you have to ensure they're good.

And that means maintaining both a consistent level of authority and clarity in your reviews—no easy feat! With some practice, however, you should be able to take your reviews from average to outstanding by playing off the elements mentioned above. And there are other platforms for you to take your love of reading to as well.

• GET YOUR BOOK REVIEWED
• GET AMAZON REVIEWS
• SPR BOOK AWARDS
• BETA READERS
• BOOK MARKETING SERVICES
• BOOK REVIEWS
• PRIVACY POLICY

How To Write A Good Book Review – The Amazon Review

In this series, we take you through the anatomy of a book review..

What does it take to write a book review? What are the different types and uses of book reviews? What is a Beta review anyway, and do you need one?

This second installment looks at how to write Amazon Customer Reviews.

How To Write An Amazon Book Review

Eligibility.

An Amazon Customer Review must be written by someone who has read the book and has an Amazon account. You don’t have to have bought the book from Amazon.  You can only review on Amazon if:

• You have spent more than $50 on Amazon in the last twelve months and have an Amazon account
• Your account on Amazon is in good standing, i.e. you have not been banned from writing reviews on Amazon previously for any of the reasons below.

The review will only show up as a Verified Purchase if you bought the book on Amazon and you review it on the same account.

Before You Start

• You cannot write a review for another author as ‘swapsies’ as this counts as a biased review situation. Nobody is going to give a one-star review in a reciprocal situation, so Amazon does not allow this scheme.
• You cannot earn tokens or credits of any kind writing book reviews to trade for other authors to write reviews for you. There are new ‘book review services’ that claim it’s OK to do this. No, it is not. These services are acting against Amazon terms and will likely be shut down soon. Don’t get involved with any service that tells you it’s OK to earn reviews by writing reviews, nor any that sell tokens to trade for reviews.
• Writing reviews for friends or family is not allowed either.
• There was a craze where people would write that their review was ‘in exchange for a free book’, and thought that if they mentioned this exchange, it would be seen as legitimate behavior by Amazon. Na-ah. Leave out any wording about ‘exchange’ or ‘swap’ or ‘I wrote this review for…’ – It’s the easiest way to get your account blocked.
• If you review an ARC, there is no need to declare it in your review. An ARC should be exactly like the book on sale, so review it as such. However, unless you buy the book on sale, it will not be a Verified review on Amazon.

You can read the Community Guidelines for Amazon Customer Reviews here.

Why Should I Write Amazon Reviews?

• Other authors deserve your feedback, as you would deserve it if it were your book. Just make sure they didn’t ask for it in return for anything.
• Building up a critical armory when you read is essential for a writer. Reading books by your peers and seeing if you can see the cracks is a really great way of understanding story, even when it’s flawed. One way to do this is to write your thoughts in an Amazon Review.
• The Amazon community is full of readers and writers. It’s a good place to share tips and ideas with others interested in books.

Structuring Your Amazon Review

Remember you only have 5000 characters to give your opinion, with the best reviews coming in between 70 – 100 words.

I bought this book as I am interested in cozy mysteries set in beach communities, like this one.

I found the character of Marcy very well-written. She is a protagonist anyone can cheer for, with many issues, but also a lot of strength and hope. The setting is meticulously described, and the murder case itself is exciting and emotional in equal measures.

I wish that we had learned more about why the murderer did it in the brief time we spend after the case is solved.

However, this book ticks all the boxes in this genre and will please fans of Big Little Lies and Patricia Fisher.

• The photo upload is not an opportunity for you to add a photo of yourself! You should only add a photo of the book, or you holding the book. Reviews with videos and photos get the most traffic, so if you want to build your profile on Amazon, this could be a good way of doing so.

If you would like to promote to a list of readers who review on Amazon, browse our services here: https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/spr-bestseller-book-packages/

Read Part 1 of this series “How To Write An Editorial Review” here.

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What if I dislike the book? I normally don’t post a negative review, and simply resolve to never buy another book from that author again. But every now and then I come across a book with so many inconsistencies, or characters that are Too Stupid To Live, or one too many historical anachronisms, or secondary characters that exist only to be plot points, that I simply have to warn readers. I know I’ve appreciated it when other reviewers give well-written and thought-out negative reviews.

Good question. I think constructive criticism can be helpful to an author in a review. We often have authors come to us to get their book looked at after receiving reviews mentioning problems with editing or story, so we recommend honesty in your reviews!

How long should it take you to get 100 reviews, if you are traditionally published? ( http://www.maryhill-wagnerauthor.com )

That really depends on what advertising and promotion efforts you are making, and how large your mailing list is. It takes quite a big push to get any reviews at all, which is why we offer the mailer promo service to help authors get exposure, where we have an extensive reader list who like to review books.

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How To Write A Review On Amazon: Proven Methods

• December 1, 2023

Table of Contents:

• Amazon's Review Guidelines

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Review

Log in to amazon:, find the product:.

• Click on 'Write a Review':

Give Your Rating:

Write your review, add photos or videos (optional):, check your work:, submit your review:, structure and content, start with a clear title:, describe what you bought:, share your experience:, talk about the good parts:, mention anything that could be better:, think about who would like it:, wrap it up:, check your writing:, additional elements, add photos or videos:, use star ratings:, talk about how it helps you:, compare it to other things:, avoiding common review mistakes, stay on topic:, be honest, but kind:.

• Don't Write Too Little or Too Much:

Check Your Spelling and Grammar:

Q1: what is the connection between amazon reviews and the book trailer guide blog keyword.

• Q2: How can understanding the Author's Purpose Factors help write effective Amazon reviews?

Q3: Why are Book Reviews Significance and important for authors and publishers?

Q4: can you recommend ways to find book publishers, as mentioned in the find book publishers keyword, q5: do amazon reviews have any impact on book editing services.

When shopping online, especially on a large marketplace like Amazon, reviews are the guiding stars for consumers. They offer invaluable insights into product quality, usability, and customer satisfaction. This is particularly true for books and literary works, where opinions can significantly sway potential readers’ decisions. For authors and publishers, especially those utilizing  Book Writing Services , reviews are not just feedback; they’re essential tools that help gauge the readers’ reception and enhance the visibility of their work.

Amazon reviews bridge the gap between the author’s intent and the reader’s expectations. They serve as a platform for honest, transparent communication about the product, helping future buyers make informed decisions. In a digital age where physical examination of products isn’t possible, these reviews become the eyes and ears of the online shopper. Understanding the art of writing an effective Amazon review is crucial for anyone looking to contribute meaningfully to this community.

Amazon’s Review Guidelines

Writing reviews on Amazon is like having a friendly chat about a product, but there are some rules to follow. First, always tell the truth in your reviews. Share what you think and how you feel about the product. Making up stories or saying things that aren’t true isn’t allowed.

You should also only talk about the product in your review. Don’t write about how fast it arrived or the people who sold it to you. The review is just for sharing what you think about the product itself.

Remember to be nice and polite in your reviews. Don’t use mean words or say bad things about other people. Amazon wants everyone to feel safe and happy when they read the reviews.

It’s also important not to write reviews for things you got for free or paid to discuss. Your review should be about something you chose yourself and used yourself.

Following these rules helps make Amazon a good place for everyone to learn about products. It’s like being a helpful guide for others who want to buy things online.

Writing a review on Amazon is easy and fun! Here’s how you can do it:

First, you need to sign in to your Amazon account. If you don’t have one, you can easily make one.

Next, go to the page of the product you want to review. This could be a toy, a book, or anything else you bought.

Click on ‘Write a Review’:

You’ll see a button or link on the product page that says “Write a Review.” Click on that.

Amazon asks you to give stars to the product. If you loved it, give it five stars! If not, you can choose fewer stars.

Now, you can write about what you think. Tell others what you liked or didn’t like. You can talk about how the product works or if it’s fun or useful. Try to write a few sentences so people can understand your opinion.

If you want, you can add pictures or videos of the product. This helps other people see what it’s like.

Before you submit your review, read it again. Ensure it says what you want and is easy to read.

Finally, click the button to submit your review. Amazon will look at it, and if it follows the rules, they will put it on the product page.

Remember, your review is a big help to others. It’s like advising a friend about what to buy. So, write honestly and kindly, and have fun sharing your thoughts!

Writing a great review is like telling a story about what you bought. Here’s how to make your review good and helpful for others:

Think of a short sentence that shows what you think. Like “Super Fun Game!” or “Really Comfy Shoes.”

Write about what the product is. If it’s a book, what’s it about? If it’s a toy, what does it do? This helps people understand what you’re talking about.

Tell people what you did with the product and how it worked. Did it make you happy? Was it easy to use? Your story can help others decide if they want it, too.

What did you like best? Maybe the toy was really fun, or the book was very exciting. People like to know what’s great about something.

If there was something you didn’t like or think could be improved, it’s okay to say so. Just be nice about it. Maybe the toy broke easily, or the book had hard words.

Is it perfect for kids, adults, or someone who loves cooking or sports? Helping others know if it’s right for them is super helpful.

End your review with a final thought. Would you tell your friends to buy it? Do you want to use it every day?

Read your review again to ensure it’s easy to read and has no mistakes. You want everyone to understand your advice!

Remember, your review is like a helpful tip to others. By telling your story and sharing your thoughts, you make shopping on Amazon fun and easy for everyone.

Adding extra things to your review can make it even more helpful. Here are some cool ideas:

If you can, take pictures or a video of what you bought. It’s like showing your friends what you’ve got. They can see the size, color, or how it works. It’s really useful, especially for things like toys or clothes.

You can also choose how many stars to give when you write a review. Five stars mean you love it, and one star means you didn’t like it much. This helps people see quickly what you think.

If the product made your life better or easier, tell people about it! Maybe a new lunchbox keeps your food fresh longer, or a book taught you something cool.

If you’ve used something similar before, you can compare them. Like, “This scooter is faster than my old one,” or “This puzzle is harder than the puzzles I usually do.”

When you write a review, it’s like being a helpful guide. But sometimes, people make little mistakes. Here’s how to avoid them:

Keep your review about the product. Don’t talk about how long it took to arrive or problems with the store. Just focus on what you bought.

Always tell the truth about what you think. If you don’t like something, it’s okay to say so. But remember to be nice. Don’t use mean words or be too harsh.

Don’t Write Too Little or Too Much:

Try not to write just a few words like “It’s good” or “I don’t like it.” Give a little more detail. But also, don’t write a super long story. Just enough to help others understand why you liked or didn’t like the product.

Read your review again before you send it. Make sure the words are easy to read and understand.

A1: Amazon reviews can benefit authors who have utilized the services of Book Writing Founders to increase the visibility of their work, which can be complemented by creating engaging book trailers as suggested in the  Book Trailer Guide .

Q2: How can understanding the Author’s Purpose Factors help write effective Amazon reviews?

A2: Understanding the  Author’s Purpose Factors  is essential as it allows reviewers to analyze a book’s intent and effectively communicate how well it achieves its goals in their Amazon reviews.

A3:  Book Reviews Significance  lies in their potential to influence readers’ decisions, boost a book’s reputation, and help authors, especially those using Book Writing Services, gain valuable feedback.

A4: While the article primarily focuses on writing Amazon reviews, you can find book publishers by researching literary agents, attending writing conferences, and utilizing online resources dedicated to connecting authors with publishers.

A5: Yes, indeed, amazon reviews can indirectly impact  book editing services by reflecting the quality of a book. Positive reviews indicate effective editing, while negative reviews may raise concerns about editing quality.

Indeed, you do something important whenever you write a review on Amazon. Your words help lots of people decide what to buy. It’s like being a helper who gives advice. Sharing your honest thoughts and feelings about a product makes shopping easier and more fun for everyone.

So, remember how much your review can help next time you buy something on Amazon. Take a little time to write down what you think. You’re not just talking about a product; you’re part of a big community where everyone helps each other. That’s a cool thing to do.

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How to Write a Good Review on Amazon

Let’s say that you just finished reading a book that you loved. Perhaps it was even one of Emerald Lake Books’ latest titles. Whatever it was, following it up with a review is a good habit to get into.

Reviews provide encouragement, feedback and constructive criticism for authors, which is something we all stand to benefit from.

But reviews also serve to help future buyers and prospective readers decide whether a title is right for them or not. Your honest review can help them decide whether to invest their time and money in a book.

So let’s take a few minutes to understand how to write a compelling review for Amazon.

Every review consists of three parts: a star rating, the review itself and a headline or title for the review.

Understanding Star Ratings

Every item on Amazon can be quickly critiqued by selecting a star rating from 1 to 5. So as you’re thinking about the book you’ve just read (or any other product you’ve just finished trying), the first step is to figure out what star rating to assign to it.

Amazon’s definition of each of the stars is:

• 5 – I love it
• 4 – I like it
• 3 – It’s okay
• 2 – I don’t like it
• 1 – I hate it

Short and sweet, but easy to decipher.

As much as every author loves to receive five-star reviews, it’s also unrealistic to expect everyone to love the same book. A five-star review should be reserved for when the book has everything: strong writing, solid content, great editing, etc.

Ultimately, the test is this: If this is a book that you know all your friends and family should read, and that you know you’ll be reading again, then it’s five-star worthy.

Elements of a Good Review

Once you’ve chosen your star rating, you’ll be asked to write your review. This is the bulk of what you have to say about the book you’ve just read. While you can write anything you want here, you can make your review ultra-useful by including the following information:

• Write the review as if you’re explaining to a friend why they should read the book. While the author is certainly interested in what you have to say about their book, it’s a prospective reader who’s going to base their decision about whether to read the book based on what you share.
• Include something about the book itself so that prospective readers understand what it’s about.
• Share something that stood out to you or resonated with you. What was it? Why did it impact you the way it did?

Remember, your review is about the book and how it impacted you. It is not about you or about any technical difficulties you may have had with downloading it. So make sure that you stay on topic if you want to write a compelling review.

Give It a Compelling Headline

After you’ve written your review, summarize it by giving your review a compelling headline. Some reviewers use this as a call-to-action directed at a prospective buyer. Others use it to accentuate a key point in their review.

Whatever your preference is, use it as a means of capturing the reader’s attention so that they take the time to read what you’ve had to say about the book.

A Word of Caution

Amazon has a clearly stated policy against friends and family writing reviews for an author’s book. In their estimation, if you have a close relationship with an author, you’re unlikely to write an unbiased review.

Therefore, keep your review focused on the book itself and not on the author. Amazon does actively seek out reviews that give the impression of a close personal relationship with the author and removes them without warning.

So don’t let your review go to waste. Keep it focused on the book and its value to a prospective reader.

Want to Learn More?

Amazon has a great set of FAQs for customer reviews that answer many frequently asked questions as well as a clearly stated set of customer review guidelines .

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How to Write a Book Review: The Complete Guide

by Sue Weems | 23 comments

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If you've ever loved (or hated) a book, you may have been tempted to review it. Here's a complete guide to how to write a book review, so you can share your literary adventures with other readers more often! 

You finally reach the last page of a book that kept you up all night and close it with the afterglow of satisfaction and a tinge of regret that it’s over. If you enjoyed the book enough to stay up reading it way past your bedtime, consider writing a review. It is one of the best gifts you can give an author.

Regardless of how much you know about how to write a book review, the author will appreciate hearing how their words touched you.

But as you face the five shaded stars and empty box, a blank mind strikes. What do I say? I mean, is this a book really deserving of five stars? How did it compare to Dostoevsky or Angelou or Dickens?

Maybe there’s an easier way to write a book review.

Want to learn how to write a book from start to finish? Check out How to Write a Book: The Complete Guide .

The Fallacy of Book Reviews

Once you’ve decided to give a review, you are faced with the task of deciding how many stars to give a book.

When I first started writing book reviews, I made the mistake of trying to compare a book to ALL BOOKS OF ALL TIME. (Sorry for the all caps, but that’s how it felt, like a James Earl Jones voice was asking me where to put this book in the queue of all books.)

Other readers find themselves comparing new titles to their favorite books. It's a natural comparison. But is it fair?

This is honestly why I didn’t give reviews of books for a long time. How can I compare a modern romance or historical fiction war novel with Dostoevsky? I can’t, and I shouldn’t.

I realized my mistake one day as I was watching (of all things) a dog show. In the final round, they trotted out dogs of all shapes, colors, and sizes. I thought, “How can a Yorkshire Terrier compete with a Basset Hound?” As if he'd read my mind, the announcer explained that each is judged by the standards for its breed.

This was my “Aha!” moment. I have to take a book on its own terms. The question is not, “How does this book compare to all books I’ve read?” but “How well did this book deliver what it promised for the intended audience?”

A review is going to reflect my personal experience with the book, but I can help potential readers by taking a minute to consider what the author intended. Let me explain what I mean. 

How to Write a Book Review: Consider a Book’s Promise

A book makes a promise with its cover, blurb, and first pages. It begins to set expectations the minute a reader views the thumbnail or cover. Those things indicate the genre, tone, and likely the major themes.

If a book cover includes a lip-locked couple in flowing linen on a beach, and I open to the first page to read about a pimpled vampire in a trench coat speaking like Mr. Knightly about his plan for revenge on the entire human race, there’s been a breach of contract before I even get to page two. These are the books we put down immediately (unless a mixed-message beachy cover combined with an Austen vampire story is your thing).

But what if the cover, blurb, and first pages are cohesive and perk our interest enough to keep reading? Then we have to think about what the book has promised us, which revolves around one key idea: What is the core story question and how well is it resolved?

Sometimes genre expectations help us answer this question: a romance will end with a couple who finds their way, a murder mystery ends with a solved case, a thriller’s protagonist beats the clock and saves the country or planet.

The stories we love most do those expected things in a fresh or surprising way with characters we root for from the first page. Even (and especially!) when a book doesn’t fit neatly in a genre category, we need to consider what the book promises on those first pages and decide how well it succeeds on the terms it sets for itself.

When I Don’t Know What to Write

About a month ago, I realized I was overthinking how to write a book review. Here at the Write Practice we have a longstanding tradition of giving critiques using the Oreo method : point out something that was a strength, then something we wondered about or that confused us, followed by another positive.

We can use this same structure to write a simple review when we finish books. Consider this book review format: 

[Book Title] by [book author] is about ___[plot summary in a sentence—no spoilers!]___. I chose this book based on ________. I really enjoyed ________. I wondered how ___________. Anyone who likes ____ will love this book.

Following this basic template can help you write an honest review about most any book, and it will give the author or publisher good information about what worked (and possibly what didn’t). You might write about the characters, the conflict, the setting, or anything else that captured you and kept you reading.

As an added bonus, you will be a stronger reader when you are able to express why you enjoyed parts of a book (just like when you critique!). After you complete a few, you’ll find it gets easier, and you won’t need the template anymore.

What if I Didn’t Like It?

Like professional book reviewers, you will have to make the call about when to leave a negative review. If I can’t give a book at least three stars, I usually don’t review it. Why? If I don’t like a book after a couple chapters, I put it down. I don’t review anything that I haven’t read the entire book.

Also, it may be that I’m not the target audience. The book might be well-written and well-reviewed with a great cover, and it just doesn’t capture me. Or maybe it's a book that just isn't hitting me right now for reasons that have nothing to do with the book and everything to do with my own reading life and needs. Every book is not meant for every reader.

If a book kept me reading all the way to the end and I didn’t like the ending? I would probably still review it, since there had to be enough good things going on to keep me reading to the end. I might mention in my review that the ending was less satisfying than I hoped, but I would still end with a positive.

How to Write a Book Review: Your Turn

As writers, we know how difficult it is to put down the words day after day. We are typically voracious readers. Let’s send some love back out to our fellow writers this week and review the most recent title we enjoyed.

What was the last book you read or reviewed? Do you ever find it hard to review a book? Share in the comments .

Now it's your turn. Think of the last book you read. Then, take fifteen minutes to write a review of it based on the template above. When you're done, share your review in the Pro Practice Workshop . For bonus points, post it on the book's page on Amazon and Goodreads, too!

Don't forget to leave feedback for your fellow writers! What new reads will you discover in the comments?

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Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

23 Comments

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin is about a girl that shows no emotion befriending a ice dragon.

I chose this book based on the cover that had a little girl riding a ice dragon, and wondered what is about.

I really enjoyed the interaction the little girl had with the dragon.

I wondered how how the girl’s bond with the dragon.

Anyone who likes a coming of age story set in a fantasy will love this book.

Thanks for sharing your practice, Azure!

You’re welcome.

A interesting, at times perplexing, subject! And one on my mind lately,as I’ve agreed to do a few. I do enjoy giving reviews and am delighted when I can say, “This was a great book!” Or even, “I enjoyed this book.” It gets perplexing when I agree to review a book — and simply don’t like it. Then what to say? I hate to disappoint the writer but I’ve promised to give my honest opinion.

I’ve found some books mediocre and yet I see a dozen other reviewers saying “A great story!” Tastes do vary. But when there are obvious flaws I tend to skip all the best-friend-and-cousin reviewers and find the first person who says, “This writer has a problem with…” Usually there’ll be a number of reviewers who spot the same problems I do.

I like upbeat main characters, but not aggressive, belligerent, and/or self-centered ones. I like to meet in a story the kind of people I’d like to meet in real life— not people I’d avoid if possible. I recently read a book where the main character came across as insipid and the story only mildly interesting. Other reviewers said it was great and I know for this specific audience — readers who want a certain slant to a story — it was quite suitable. So I tried to cut the book some slack. Everyone has their limit as to how much blood and gore, smooching and snuggling, they are willing to read about.

Once I agreed to review a book and would have tossed it after the first chapter — for several reasons. A lot of “writer inserting facts for reader’s benefit”; teach/preach paragraphs; excess of description; attitudes of MCs. Once it’s live on seller’s sites like Amazon, what can you say? The one thing good it had going for it was the story line or theme. With a pro editor’s help it could have been a great story.

As for a review, one book I read lately was “A Clue for the Puzzle Lady” by Parnell Hall. It’s one of those “Stayed up half the night to finish it” books; I think anyone who likes a compelling cozy mystery would probably like it. Downside: I didn’t care for the “Puzzle Lady.” She’s a lush, hangs out at the bar getting sloshed. The upside: her sensible niece has a starring role —trying to keep her aunt on the straight-and-narrow and the mystery keeps you guessing until the end.

Christine, Thanks for sharing your insight! It sounds like you are approached often to review new books. It does make it tricky if it’s a request, especially outside your own preferences. Thanks for chiming in about your process, as I’m sure others will appreciate the perspective too. I’ll have to take a look at the Puzzle Lady– I do enjoy cozy mysteries. Sue

Here’s another cozy mystery book review in case you’re interested. I’m not approached by writers that often, but there are the Story Cartel, Book Bub and Goodreads, all sites where authors ask for review volunteers.

Reel Estate Ripoff by Renee Pawlish

The detective Reed Ferguson is a fan of Humphry Bogart, movie memorabilia of that era, and fancies himself a bit of a Sam Slade. Though not your super-sleuth, rather inept at times, he’s a likeable character. Told in first person, the story has a Philip Marlowe tone to it, but much tamer. Dialogue and story line are well done, the story well plotted and believable. I’d gladly read more stories about this particular gumshoe.

If you like cozy mystery books, I’ll send you a list later, Sue. Love them too and I’ve met many authors who write in this genre. Back on topic– you inspire me again to add some reviews to my Blog. I have been reading and writing many middle grade mysteries for a project! My latest favorite: “The World’s Greatest Detective” by Caroline Carson (who I hope to meet tomorrow in Arlington, VA!) My 12 year old grandson borrowed it and finished it before I could. “It’s the best mystery I ever read, Grandma! You’ ll never guess the ending with unpredictable twists!” What better review could we read. The target audience and I both highly recommend this 2017 mystery.

Adding it to my stack, Beth. Thanks!

Not wanting to sound life an idiot, but willing to risk it here among friends: What exactly is a cozy mystery?

Glad you asked! It’s a subgenre of mystery. The best examples of cozy mysteries are those by Agatha Christie. They usually avoid profanity, excessive gore/ violence, and sex. They focus more on the puzzle, sleuth, and their smaller world. Hope that helps!

Thanks, Sue.

Wonderful article. The first I have read by you. It especially gets those of us who don’t feel we have the formula down for review writing to be introduced to a form we can build upon with experience. You’ve kept it simple but you have given us the main ingredients needed for a good review. I printed this one off to look at the next few times I write reviews. Thank you.

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for reading and commenting!

I haven’t gone into all this. It’s a matter of time, Joe. I gad about all over the place, not knowing where I am or where I’m going. Within weeks, I’ll be 87. I’ve books of my own that I’d like to see reviewed. Even sorting them out, however, even finding where any of them are, would be a time burden. You see the fix?

Hi Dave, You aren’t alone in feeling the press of time for getting your stories out into the world. May I gently offer this: start with finding and sorting one. If you can’t find it, write it anew. You’ve probably grown in time and perspective since you wrote the first draft, which will make for a stronger story. Good luck. I’m cheering you on!

This is an article for me, because I am happy to receive a rating. I haven’t sold many books. But, at least some thinks that it was worth the time to read. That was refreshing. And, I think I wrote two reviews, so far. It was on Amazon.com. Thank you.

You’re welcome!

Hi, Sue. Thanks for the helpful advice. I did a review on Amazon for the first of a 7-part thriller titled ‘Mosh Pit (The Rose Garden Incident)’ by Michael Hiebert. [Here it is.]

“5.0 out of 5 stars Advance copy review. By A fellow author on September 18, 2016 Format: Kindle Edition I Recommend This Book Strongly

I enjoyed reading this first part of the thriller. The author’s opening chapter/prologue was fast paced, and set me in the middle of the inciting incident along with two of the main characters. After that thrilling opening, I felt the ensuing chapters moved at a more leisurely pace, and was about to grade them as less praiseworthy when I watched a lecture by Brandon Sanderson on YouTube about building three dimensional characters and realised Michael Hiebert had done exactly that by introducing the reader to the minutiae of other characters who had parts to play in the development of the story. So, instead of cardboard cutouts of bland stock characters, the author shows us real people with real concerns that the reader can relate to.and actually care about. I look forward to reading the rest of this intriguing thriller, and highly recommend it to all lovers of well-written, and well-crafted thrillers.”

I also reviewed Part 2 of the series, but that review is too long to post here.

Footnote: The author, Michael Hiebert, was so pleased with my reviews, he recently asked me to beta-read a short story collection he plans to publish in November.

Great review, John! I like how you shared a bit of your process as a reader too, in recognizing what the writer was doing with their characterization. Thanks!

Thank you, Sue.

Five out of five stars When I picked up a copy of “The Girl with All the Gifts,” by M R Carey, at the used book store, I somehow had it in my head that it was a YA dystopian novel along the lines of “Divergent” or “The Hunger Games.” While I would definitely say that I was not right about that, I wouldn’t say that I was completely wrong. I was, however, completely unprepared for a zombie novel–which is a good thing, cause I wouldn’t have read it, and I’m glad I did. Think “The Walking Dead” meets (why do I want to say ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night”?) “Peter Pan.” I really enjoyed seeing things from, the main character, Melanie’s point of view. Her limited knowledge of her own situation was intriguing, to say the least (and probably why I thought of “The Curious Incident”). I was a bit disappointed when the POV changed to another character’s, but, as the novel progressed, I found myself sympathizing with nearly all the characters–with one exception, and I’ll leave that for you to ponder when you read it. I wondered how much of the science was real, but not enough for me to research it myself. Although, based on other reviews, I guess most of the science about the fungus is real. I also wondered about the fate of the remaining ‘lost boys’ of the cities. If you liked…. well, I don’t know. I’m not typically a fan of things zombie, so I don’t have a comparison, but the book was somewhat similar to “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games” in that the main character goes through a hellluva time and comes out the other side with a plan for her future.

“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom is a true story about how one man found meaning in life when his doctors gave him a death sentence. Morrie was a college professor who passed on his new found wisdom in the last year of his life to a favorite student, the author, who chronicled his professor’s perspectives on death and dying.

I chose this book because of its philosophical topic, and because it is so well written that the words just jump off the page.

Knowing we are all mortal beings, I especially liked the insights, the tidbits of wisdom imparted by the dying man. Death is a subject that few, if any of us, ever talk about seriously with friends and family. The subject of death is verboten. We deny its existence. And, if we are religious, we pretend we will not really die, but we deceive ourselves and think we will live on in some afterlife existence for all eternity. But the professor, Morrie, learns some valuable life lessons from his impending death, and Mitch Albom was gracious enough to capture them in this short but eminently readable book.

I really liked the book because it is timeless. This true story will impart serious life lessons for all future generations, and will help us gain perspectives on our lives and the relationships with those we love the most.

R. Allan Worrell

Sue, I’ve been meaning to come back since this was first posted to tell you thanks for a great article. I seldom review books for alllllll the reasons you listed. This is a perfect tool and I’ll surely use it. Cathy

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How To Write An Amazon Book Review

by Katie | Jun 19, 2017 | Book Reviews , Writing and Publishing

:: Your words are as important to an author as an author’s words are to you: Please leave a book review.

Authors depend on book reviews written by readers. If you read a lot of books, and you don’t know this yet, you can read about why here , and here , and other places too. It’s good information to have. Writers and readers have always had a close relationship, unless maybe if you’re Jonathan Franzen telling Oprah you’re too good for her book club but then in that case I don’t know what to do with you.

In any event, I recently had a conversation with good friend who happens to be very smart and also a radiologist (!!), and she told me she loved my novels but had no idea how to leave a review on Amazon. I thought that was hilarious and also worthy of a blog post.

So, dear friend (you know who you are), this blog post is for you. Here’s how you leave a book review on Amazon.

[Accessibility note: Images below are screenshots from Amazon.com that visually demonstrate the written instructions.]

Step 1. Navigate to the book’s page on Amazon.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You do not need to have purchased the book on Amazon to leave a review on Amazon. In fact, DON’T purchase the book on Amazon. Go buy it at your local indie bookstore, and then leave a review on Amazon. HAHAHAHA.

(For the purposes of this demonstration I’m using a great book I recently read that is probably way not literary enough for Jonathan Franzen. THE BOOK WAS AMAZING. Go buy it .)

2. Scroll down to the Customer Reviews section of the page, located just under the author’s bio. There is a button that says, “Write a customer review.” CLICK IT.

3. You will be taken to the “Your Reviews” page. Cool! The book you have selected to review will be at the top.

4. Click the answer to “How is the author’s writing?” and the review panel for that book will expand. Super!

5. Now you can answer the questions and click on the scale of 1-5 stars.

Obviously this AMAZING book gets 5 stars.

6. Click inside the box that says “Write your review here” and write. Provide a TITLE for your review. THEN, click the SUBMIT button!

What should you write? Start with 1-2 sentences (or more) that will help readers understand how you feel about the book. If you want to write more, great! But don’t make writing book reviews such a burden that you don’t want to do it.

7. You’ll be taken back to the “Your Reviews” page where you’ll get a confirmation message.

You will receive an email from Amazon when your review is posted. OMG wasn’t that super easy. Let’s do it again.

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Tips for Writing Terrific Amazon Book Reviews: A Guide for Book Lovers

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As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.

Writing a book review on Amazon can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not sure where to start. However, leaving a thoughtful and helpful review can greatly benefit both the author and potential readers. In this article, you’ll find tips and tricks to help you write terrific Amazon book reviews that are informative, engaging, and helpful.

First and foremost, it’s important to read the book thoroughly before writing a review. This may seem obvious, but it’s crucial to have a complete understanding of the book’s content and message. Take notes while you read and jot down any questions or thoughts that come to mind. This will help you write a detailed and thoughtful review that accurately reflects your experience with the book.

When writing your review, include a summary of the book’s plot and main themes. This will give readers an idea of what the book is about and help them decide if it’s something they would be interested in reading. Additionally, share your thoughts and opinions on the book, but be sure to back them up with specific examples from the text. This will help readers understand your perspective and make an informed decision about whether or not to read the book .

Understanding Amazon’s Book Review System

The Role of Amazon Reviews

Amazon reviews are a crucial element in a book’s success on the platform. They serve as a way for readers to share their opinions and experiences with a particular book, and they also help other potential readers decide whether or not to purchase it. Reviews can also impact a book’s overall rating, which can affect its visibility on Amazon’s website.

Amazon Algorithm and Categories

Amazon’s algorithm plays a significant role in determining which books are shown to potential buyers. The algorithm takes into account various factors, such as the number of reviews a book has, the overall rating of those reviews, and the relevance of the book to a particular category. It’s essential to understand the categories that Amazon assigns to books because they can affect a book’s visibility and overall success on the platform.

Community Guidelines and Trust

Amazon has strict guidelines in place to ensure that reviews are authentic and trustworthy. These guidelines prohibit paid reviews, fake reviews, and reviews from individuals who have a personal or business relationship with the author or publisher. Amazon also has a system in place to detect and remove reviews that violate their guidelines. This helps to ensure that readers can trust the reviews they read on Amazon and make informed purchasing decisions.

In summary, understanding Amazon’s book review system is crucial for both readers and authors. Reviews play an essential role in a book’s success on the platform, and it’s essential to follow Amazon’s guidelines to maintain trust and authenticity. By understanding Amazon’s algorithm and categories, authors can optimize their book’s visibility and increase their chances of success on the platform.

The Importance of Book Reviews

Book reviews are essential for both readers and authors. They provide valuable feedback and help potential readers decide whether to purchase a book or not. In this section, we will explore the influence of book reviews on readers, the impact on authors, and the importance of verified purchase and credibility.

Influence on Readers

Book reviews play a significant role in the decision-making process of readers. They provide insights into the book’s content, writing style, and overall quality. Positive reviews can encourage readers to buy a book, while negative reviews can deter them. Readers often rely on book reviews to make informed decisions about their purchases.

Impact on Authors

Book reviews are crucial for authors as they help them improve their writing and understand their audience better. Positive reviews can boost an author’s confidence and help them gain more readers. Negative reviews can be a learning experience for authors, providing them with insights into what readers didn’t like about their book . It helps them improve their writing and create better content in the future.

Verified Purchase and Credibility

Verified purchase reviews are especially important as they provide credibility to the review. Amazon verifies that the reviewer has purchased the book, making the review more trustworthy. Verified purchase reviews also carry more weight and influence potential readers more than non-verified reviews.

In conclusion, book reviews are essential for both readers and authors. They provide valuable feedback and help create a better reading experience. Verified purchase reviews carry more weight and provide credibility to the review. As a reader, leaving a review can help other readers make an informed decision, while as an author, it can help improve your writing and gain more readers.

Preparing to Write a Review

Writing a terrific Amazon book review requires careful preparation. Before you start writing, you need to read the book thoroughly, take note of key details and impressions, and understand your audience.

Read the Book Thoroughly

To write an insightful and informative book review, you need to read the book carefully from cover to cover. This means taking the time to understand the author’s message, themes, and characters. It’s also important to pay attention to the writing style, pacing, and structure of the book.

Note Key Details and Impressions

As you read the book, take notes of key details and impressions that stand out to you. This could include memorable quotes, plot twists, or character development. It’s also important to note any weaknesses or areas where the book could be improved.

Understand Your Audience

When writing a book review, it’s important to consider your audience. Who are you writing for? What do they want to know? Are they looking for a recommendation or a detailed analysis? Understanding your audience will help you tailor your review to their needs.

By taking the time to prepare before you start writing, you’ll be able to write a more thoughtful and helpful book review. Remember to be neutral, clear, and knowledgeable in your writing, and avoid making exaggerated or false claims.

Crafting Your Review

When it comes to crafting a terrific Amazon book review, there are several things to keep in mind. Crafting your review involves providing a clear rating, structuring your review, discussing content and writing style, providing analysis and honest opinion, and writing a conclusion and recommendation.

Starting with a Clear Rating

The first step in crafting your review is to provide a clear rating. This helps readers quickly understand your overall opinion of the book. When providing a rating, it’s important to be honest and fair. Avoid making exaggerated or false claims that could mislead readers.

Structuring Your Review

Structuring your review can help readers follow your thoughts and understand your opinion more easily. Consider using headings, bullet points, or numbered lists to organize your review. This can also help you stay focused and ensure that you cover all the important points.

Discussing Content and Writing Style

When discussing content and writing style, it’s important to be specific and provide examples. This helps readers understand what you liked or didn’t like about the book. Avoid making generalizations or unsupported claims.

Providing Analysis and Honest Opinion

Providing analysis and honest opinions is perhaps the most important part of crafting a terrific Amazon book review. This involves going beyond simply summarizing the book and instead offering your thoughts and insights. Be sure to support your opinions with evidence from the book.

Writing a Conclusion and Recommendation

Finally, when writing a conclusion and recommendation, summarize your overall opinion of the book. Be sure to explain why you would or wouldn’t recommend it to others. This can help readers decide whether or not the book is right for them.

Best Practices for Review Submissions

Following amazon’s formatting guidelines.

When submitting a book review on Amazon, it is essential to follow their formatting guidelines. This ensures that your review is easy to read and understand. To format your review correctly, make sure to use proper grammar and punctuation. Use paragraphs to separate your thoughts and ideas, and avoid using all caps or excessive exclamation points.

Avoiding Spoilers and Excessive Plot Detail

When writing a book review, avoiding spoilers and excessive plot detail is crucial. This is especially important if you are reviewing a book that has not yet been released. Avoid giving away too much information about the plot or characters, as this can ruin the reading experience for others. Instead, focus on the overall themes and writing style of the book.

Editing Before Submission

Before submitting your book review, it is essential to edit and proofread your work carefully. This ensures that your review is free of errors and easy to read. Take the time to read through your review several times and make any necessary changes. Consider having a friend or editor review your work as well to catch any mistakes you may have missed.

Overall, following these best practices for review submissions can help you write a terrific Amazon book review. By formatting your review correctly, avoiding spoilers and excessive plot detail, and editing before submission, you can create a review that is informative, engaging, and helpful to other readers.

Leveraging Social Media and Other Platforms

Social media and other platforms can be valuable tools for promoting your Amazon book reviews and connecting with other reviewers and authors. Here are some tips for leveraging these platforms to enhance your book review experience.

Sharing Reviews on Social Media

Sharing your Amazon book reviews on social media can help increase your visibility and reach a wider audience. Consider sharing your reviews on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, using relevant hashtags to make it easier for others to find your reviews.

When sharing your reviews on social media, be sure to include a summary or excerpt from your review, along with a link to the book’s Amazon page. This can help entice others to read your full review and potentially purchase the book.

Engaging with Other Reviewers and Authors

Engaging with other reviewers and authors can be a great way to expand your network and gain new insights and perspectives on books. Consider following other reviewers and authors on social media and engaging with their content by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts.

You can also participate in book clubs or online forums dedicated to discussing and reviewing books. These platforms can provide a space for you to connect with like-minded individuals and share your thoughts and opinions on books.

Overall, leveraging social media and other platforms can help enhance your Amazon book review experience and connect you with a wider community of readers and authors.

Advanced Tips for Seasoned Reviewers

Creating a review blog or video content.

For seasoned Amazon book reviewers, creating a review blog or video content can be a great way to expand your reach and influence. By creating a dedicated platform, you can share your reviews with a wider audience and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

When creating a review blog or video content, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind. Choose a niche that you are passionate about and that you have a lot of knowledge about. This will help you create content that is valuable and engaging for your readers or viewers.

In addition, make sure that your blog or video content is well-designed and easy to navigate. Use clear headings, bullet points, and images to break up your content and make it more visually appealing. This will help keep your readers or viewers engaged and interested in your reviews.

Building an Email List for Book Recommendations

Another advanced tip for seasoned Amazon book reviewers is to build an email list for book recommendations. By collecting email addresses from your readers or viewers, you can send them regular updates on your latest reviews and recommendations.

To build an email list, start by offering a free resource or incentive in exchange for people’s email addresses. This could be a free e-book, a discount code for a book you’ve reviewed, or access to exclusive content on your blog or video channel.

Once you have a list of subscribers, make sure to send them regular updates on your latest reviews and recommendations. Use a clear and engaging subject line to encourage people to open your emails, and include a call-to-action to encourage them to click through to your blog or video content.

Overall, creating a review blog or video content and building an email list for book recommendations are two advanced tips that can help seasoned Amazon book reviewers expand their reach and influence. By following these tips, you can establish yourself as an authority in your niche and build a loyal following of readers or viewers.

In conclusion, writing a terrific Amazon book review is not rocket science. It takes a little bit of effort, but it can be a rewarding experience. The key is to be honest, informative, and concise. Don’t forget to proofread your review before submitting it, and try to use formatting such as bold and italics to make it easier to read.

Remember that writing a good book review is not just about helping the author, but also about helping other readers. By sharing your thoughts and opinions, you can help other people decide whether or not to read the book. So take the time to write a thoughtful and well-crafted review, and you just might make someone’s day.

Happy reading!

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How to Write a Great Book Review: 6 Templates and Ideas

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Whether you’ve loved or hated your recent reads, writing book reviews can be a fun and satisfying process. It’s a great way to unpack messages and information from a story, and it also helps you remember key elements of a book for much longer than you usually would. Plus, book reviews open up some interesting and exciting debates between readers with different opinions, and they also help others decide which books to read next .

Table of Contents

Where Can You Post Book Reviews?

Back in the old days, book reviews were reserved for leading publications and journals, but now, anyone can create their own book reviews, and they’re popping up almost everywhere.

Social Media

Bookworms have taken over social media, with hashtags like # bookstagram drawing in millions of readers from around the internet to share thoughts, ideas, inspiration, and of course, reviews.

Book blogs are also blowing up right now, and plenty of avid readers are making a solid income by writing and sharing their book reviews this way. You can either create your own from scratch or write guest posts and reviews for already established blogs.

Goodreads is the undisputed online home of books. It’s a great place to find inspiration for your next reads, browse other people’s book reviews, and of course, add your own reviews, too.

If you post a review of a popular book on Goodreads, it’s bound to be seen by a huge audience. Plus, it’s a great way to advertise your blog if you have one, as the Goodreads guidelines allow you to insert a link within the body of your review.

The world’s largest bookstore gets an incredible amount of traffic, so it’s one of the best places to get your reviews seen by the masses. But bear in mind that there are more rules and regulations for Amazon book reviews than on some of the other platforms listed here. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the guidelines first, or your submission could be rejected.

Booktube is a Youtube community dedicated to reviewing, discussing, and recommending books. If you’re comfortable in front of a camera, vlogging your book reviews on Booktube is an excellent alternative to the more traditional written book reviews above. It’s also a great way to get noticed by viewers around the world.

Some Booktube reviewers make their entire income from their channel, so if you’re passionate about reviewing and want to turn it into a living, this is a great avenue to explore.

Get Paid for Your Book Reviews

Some of the platforms I’ve listed above, like Booktube, Instagram, and blogging , allow you to get paid for your book reviews if you generate enough traffic, but getting to that level takes a lot of dedication, time, and patience.

Thankfully, there are plenty of websites that pay reviewers on a freelance basis. Here are three of the most popular:

Remember, each site has strict submission guidelines and requirements that you’ll need to check carefully before writing and submitting a review.

Kirkus Reviews

The Kirkus Reviews magazine, founded in 1933, is one of America’s oldest, most respected book reviewing companies.

They accept reviews around 350 words in length, and once you’re assigned the gig, you have a two-week submission deadline.

Kirkus is always on the lookout for new book reviewers, but you’ll need to prove you have experience and talent before they’ll accept your submissions. The best way to do this is to create a professional-looking portfolio that showcases your previous reviews, both paid and unpaid.

Booklist is a subgroup of the American Library Association. They feature all kinds of book reviews, both fiction and non-fiction, and publish them online and in print.

They pay their reviewers on a freelance, book-by-book basis. Their rates aren’t going to make you rich (around $12- $15 per review), but it’s a great way to gain some professional experience and build your book review portfolio without having to work for free.

Booklist has various publication outlets, such as their quarterly in-print magazine, a reader’s blog, and top book lists. Plus, they also accept pitches for book-related news and author interviews.

Online Book Club

This free-to-access community of bibliophiles has been going for over ten years, with a million active members and counting.

To join their professional freelance team, you’ll first have to submit an unpaid review to help them to determine if you’re worth hiring. If your review makes the cut, then your next submission is paid at a rate varying between $5 and $60, depending on the book’s length, the quality of the review, etc.

One of the major stipulations of Online Book Club is that your reviews are in-depth and honest. If you don’t like the book, never put a positive spin on it for the sake of it. ( The same goes for any book review platform you post on. )

It’s also worth noting that with Online Book Club, you’ll never pay for the books you review. So even if they reject your submission, you’ll still get a free book out of it.

How to Write a Book Review?

Book reviews can range from a simple tweet to a full-length essay or long-form blog post and anything in between.

As I mentioned above, some book review sites and platforms have strict guidelines and parameters to follow. But if you’re writing a book review for social media, your own blog, or any other purpose that lets you take the reins, then the following ideas will give you some help and inspiration to get started.

But before we dive in, let’s take a look at four key elements that a comprehensive book review should contain.

1. Information about the author and the name of the book

You might want to include any accolades that the author has received in the past and mention some of their previous notable works.

Also, consider the publication date; is the book a brand-new release, a few years old, or a classic from another century?

2. A summary of the plot

Writing about the plot takes skill and consideration; if your description is too thorough, you risk ruining the book for your audience with spoilers. But on the other hand, if you’re too vague on the details, your review can lack depth.

Consider your audience carefully, and if you feel like your book review contains even the slightest hint of spoilers, always add a warning at the beginning so people can decide for themselves whether to read on.

3. Your evaluation

This is the part where you get to describe what you feel about the book as a whole and give your opinion on the different elements within it. But, again, don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of positively evaluating books you didn’t actually like; no one wants to read a false review, so if you didn’t like it, explain why.

4. Your reader recommendation

Who might the book appeal to? Is it suitable for all audiences? In your opinion, is it a universal must-read, or should people avoid it?

Keep in mind that the purpose of most book reviews is to help the reader decide whether or not they would like to read it themselves. What works for you might not work for others, so consider this when writing your recommendations.

6 Book Review Templates and Ideas

1. the traditional approach.

Most traditional fiction reviews, like the ones found in newspapers and other popular publications, are based on the following format…

Introduction

The introduction is a paragraph or two which includes:

• Key information that the reader needs to know. For example, the book’s title, the author’s name, the publication date, and any relevant background information about the author and their work.
• A brief one-sentence summary of the plot. This sets the general scene of what the book is about.
• Your overall opinion of the book. Again, keep it brief. (you can delve deeper into what you liked and disliked later in the review).

This is the main body of your book review, where you break down and analyze the work. Some of the key elements you might want to examine are listed below. Approach each element one at a time to help your analysis flow.

• The characters
• The setting
• The structure of the story
• The quality of the writing

What did you notice about each one, what did you enjoy, and what did you dislike? Why?

The conclusion is usually the shortest part of a traditional book review, which usually contains:

• A summary of your thoughts about the book as a whole
• Your reader recommendation

Remember that unless you’re writing a book review for a pre-existing publication, there are no rules that you need to follow. This traditional format can be adapted to suit your own style, the book you are reviewing, and your audience.

Also Read : BEST FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

2. Social Media Book Reviews

Book reviews posted on social media tend to have a more relaxed tone than a traditional book review. Again, there are no set rules, but here are a few guidelines and suggestions for posting reviews on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

• Include an eye-catching image

This is essential on Instagram, but whatever social media platform you’re posting on, including a great photo will draw people in to read your review.

In the Instagram world, photos of books taken directly from above are called ‘flat lays.’ You can keep it simple and just snap the front cover, or you can get creative and shoot your book flat lay against an interesting backdrop or include items related to the story.

• Break up your review into short, bite-sized paragraphs

This rule applies to most web content, but it’s even more important on social media, where everyone competes for your reader’s attention.

Big blocks of text are much harder to follow and a sure-fire way to lose your reader’s attention before they even get started. Instead, stick to short paragraphs of one, two, or three sentences, and include spaces between each one.

• Know your character limit

At just 280 characters, Twitter is by far the stingiest of the major social media platforms when it comes to the length of posts. That’s why most people choose platforms like Instagram or Facebook for book reviews. That being said, you can still use Twitter as a way of linking to them once they go live.

Instagram is considerably more generous with its 2,200-character limit, but if you have a lot to say about the book you’re reviewing, it can still be limiting.

If you want to post a more comprehensive review on social media, Facebook is your best bet; they have an upper limit of 63,206 characters.

Whichever platform you post on, remember to factor any hashtags into your character limit too.

• Keep it succinct

Book reviews on social media perform better when sentences are concise. This helps to combat the character limit issue I mentioned above and gets your point across quickly, without the fluff.

Readers on platforms like Instagram and Facebook flit from post to post, so if you don’t say what you mean in as few words as possible, you’ll risk losing your audience altogether.

• Don’t be afraid of emojis.

Love them or hate them, emojis convey mood and emotion where words can sometimes fail us. They also add an extra visual element to a post, help to break up blocks of text and keep the tone informal.

Of course, there’s no rule that you have to include emojis in your social media book reviews, but if you’re already comfortable using them elsewhere, consider incorporating them here too.

• Add a star rating

Star ratings instantly tell your audience whether you loved the book or not before they read a single word of your post. It’s also another visual element to help draw your audience in to find out more.

• Avoid spoilers

I’ve already touched on spoilers above, but it’s essential to avoid them on social media book reviews. That’s because unsuspecting users are scrolling from post to post on these platforms with no way of knowing what’s coming next. As a result, it’s very easy to read something you can’t unread.

• Consider tagging the author and publisher.

But ONLY do this if you enjoyed the book and your review is favorable. It’s not good online etiquette to tag in the creators if you’re posting a scathing critique; it’s mean-spirited, and it could lead to a social media squabble, which the internet has enough of already.

3. Goodreads and Amazon Book Reviews

Both Goodreads and Amazon allow anyone to upload a review of any book, so they’re great places to get started if you’re new to the reviewing world. Plus, you can post more in-depth and lengthy reviews than you can on social media platforms.

There are endless ways to write reviews for sites like these, but if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here’s a good template that will help you to flesh out your ideas.

• Star Rating

Sites like Goodreads and Amazon usually ask for a 1-5 star rating before writing your review. 3 is your baseline which translates to “pretty good.” It can be tempting to rush straight in for a 5 star if you loved a book, but where possible, try to reserve this rating for books that really blow you away.

• A Brief Synopsis

Reviews on these sites appear directly under the book listing, so generally, there’s no need to mention the author, title, or publishing details. Instead, you can dive straight into a quick overview of the plot, using the official publisher’s summary to help you if needed.

Avoid revealing any significant details or spoilers, but include enough to outline the story and give context to the rest of your review.

Talking about how the book made you feel is a good place to start. Did you learn something you didn’t know before? Was it a page-turner or a hard slog? Were there any twists you did or didn’t see coming? Mentioning the existence of a plot twist is usually deemed ok, as long as you don’t reveal what it is.

Next, examine the book’s various elements, including the characters, setting, and plot, using examples. You might even want to include some direct quotes from the book, as long as they don’t give too much away.

Just like the traditional book review format, conclude it with a summary. Are you glad you read it? Who might enjoy this book, and who should avoid it?

4. Listicle Book Reviews

Listicles are articles and blog posts structured like a numbered list. An example from the book review world is “10 reasons why you need to read X by X”.

These types of reviews are particularly well suited to blog posts, as they’re an excellent way to encourage people to click on your link compared with a less attention-grabbing traditional format.

That being said, listicle book reviews tend only to work if your feedback is positive. Using this format to review a book you hated risks alienating your audience and coming across as harsh and judgemental. Less favorable reviews are better presented in a more traditional format that explores a book’s different aspects one by one.

5. An Essay Style Analysis

An essay-style review isn’t technically a review, as it delves much deeper into the work and examines it from multiple angles.

If you’re not limited to a word count and want to dissect an author’s work, then an in-depth essay-style analysis can be a great addition to your blog. Plus, they’re generally written for people who have already read the book, so there’s no need to worry about spoilers.

But when you’re writing more than 500 words about a book, it can be easy to ramble or go off on a tangent. Here’s an example format to keep you on track:

• Include the author’s name, the title of the book, and the date of publication.
• Is the book a standalone novel or part of a series?
• What made you choose this book in the first place? Have you read any of the author’s previous work?
• Describe the cover. Does it draw you in? Is it an appropriate representation of the book as a whole?

Set the Scene

• Include an overview of the plot.
• Did you have any expectations or preconceived ideas about the book before you read it?

Your Review

Discuss the following elements one at a time. Use quotes or direct examples when talking about each one.

• Describe the geographical location, the period in time, and the environment.
• Is the setting based on reality or imagination?
• How does the setting help to add mood and tone to the story?
• Give an overview of the main characters and their backgrounds.
• Discuss the significant plot points in the story in chronological order.
• What are the conflicts, the climaxes, and the resolutions?
• How does the author use literary devices to bring meaning and life to book?
• For example, discuss any elements of foreshadowing, metaphors, symbolism, irony, or imagery.
• What are the overall themes and big ideas in the story? For example, love, death, friendship , war, and coming of age.
• What, if any, are the morals within the story?
• Are there any underlying or less prominent themes that the author is trying to portray?

Your Opinion

• Which elements were successful, and which weren’t?
• Were the characters believable? Did you want them to succeed?
• In the case of plot twists, did you see them coming?
• Are there any memorable scenes or quotes that particularly stood out to you? If so, why?
• How did the book make you feel? Did it evoke any strong emotions?
• Did the book meet your preconceived expectations?
• Were you satisfied by the ending, or did you find it frustrating?
• Summarise the plot and theme in a couple of sentences.
• Give your overall opinion. Was the book a success, a failure, or something in between?
• Include a reader recommendation, for example, “this book is a must-read for anyone with a love of dystopian science fiction.”
• Include a star rating if you wish.

6. Create Your Own Book Review Template

If you plan on becoming a regular book reviewer, it’s a good idea to create your own unique template that you can use for every book you review, whether you’re posting on a blog, website, or social media account.

You can mix and match the various elements of the review styles above to suit your preferences and the types of books you’ll be reviewing.

Creating a template unique to you helps build your authority as an independent reviewer and makes writing future reviews a lot easier.

Writing book reviews is a great way to get even more out of your reading journey. Whether you loved or hated a title, reviewing it will help you remember and process the story, and you’ll also be helping others to decide whether or not it’s worth their time, too.

And who knows, you might fall in love with writing book reviews and decide to pursue it as an additional source of income or even a new career!

Whatever your book reviewing plans and goals are, I hope the templates, tips, and ideas above will help you get started.

Do you have any advice for writing a great book review? Let me know in the comments below!

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How To Write A Good Book Review On Amazon

Imagine this.

You have just finished the last page of a great book and that familiar feeling of emptiness runs over you.

You stop for a moment and think to yourself, “What now?” because the book that has really hit home with you is now over.

How can you reflect on your experience and share it with others?

Go to Amazon (or your favorite bookseller) and write a fair and honest book review !

If you are wondering how to write a book review, you have come to the right place.

As a self-published author , you know how valuable book reviews are.

They can validate your hard work and ensure you that people are benefiting from your dedication to the book.

It is also a chance for you to read some constructive feedback to keep in mind for your future books.

It is important for you to spread the love to other authors by writing helpful book reviews so their books can move up the ranks in Amazon’s algorithm.

While you are probably thrilled to get some feedback and positive comments on your work, other self-published authors also appreciate the opinions of other readers.

Writing reviews will also make you more credible as an author because it will show that you are able to look at a book objectively to see if it portrayed its intended message and then give your subjective opinions on the content.

While it is great to give other authors reviews, you are writing the review for potential future readers, not for the author.

You give a review of a book so other readers can decide if it is worth their time and money to read.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is important to avoid writing reviews for authors that you have a personal relationship with, not only because it’s against Amazon’s rules, but also because you are likely to bring in your own bias.

Further, it is not acceptable to write or receive a review for any kind of compensation.

This also introduces a sense of bias to the book review that will not help other readers get an honest feeling as to whether this book is right for them or not.

Amazon has Customer Review Guidelines that set specific rules for giving and receiving book reviews on their website.

These guidelines are set forth to ensure that their customers are able to get truthful information about books when reading the reviews posted on their site.

There are some things you will want to keep in mind when writing any book review.

First, you want to be honest and allow readers to find you to be a trustworthy source of information. Doing so may even encourage them to look into books that you have authored.

If your opinions about the subject of the book are strong, be sure to still write an objective review of the book itself.

Don’t make the claim that a book is either extremely well-written or extremely poorly-written based on your opinion of the subject.

If the book is written by a fellow self-published writer, remember that you are working in a small community. You don’t want to write something that will come back and haunt you later.

Be respectful of your fellow authors.

Writing a Review for Fiction Books

Writing a review for non-fiction books, amazon’s bestseller ranking, here are some more specific tips on how to write a book review for fiction and non-fiction books..

There are several things you will want to include in your book review format for a fiction book to help potential future readers get information that is valuable to them.

First, you want to mention the title, author, and genre of the book . This will immediately narrow down the readership to only those who are interested in the idea of the book.

Then you will want to provide a brief synopsis including the main characters and a brief look into the plot.

In this section, you will want to be cautious to not give away anything that might ruin the book for the potential reader.

You can then move on to explain your personal impression of the book.

Some things you may address would be the credibility (or lack thereof) of the characters, the issues that the main characters have to face, the names of the characters you connected to (and why), your favorite (and least favorite) parts of the book, and if you would recommend it to other people.

When you are giving your personal impression, make sure you are writing about the story, not about yourself.

For example, you can mention how the ending was predictable, but don’t say something like, “I hate love stories.”

Doing this will have people wondering why you read the book in the first place.

Finally, mention what type of reader may especially enjoy the book.

You want to be able to gain the trust of other readers, so being honest about who may particularly like this book and who may find it to be a bit lacking is important.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you are doing this. You want to write a review on how the book was written, not how you think it should have been written.

Your opinion in this matter is not going to help other readers decide if they want to read this book.

However, it is important to add some of your personal thoughts into the review instead of providing people with a summary similar to a book report.

It is good to give your opinion about the book’s quality beyond its content, just don’t go off on a tangent suggesting various endings or other directions in which the book could have gone.

Writing a review for non-fiction books looks a bit different than reviews for fiction books.

You will want to start your review with background information about the author and the information in the book. State why the author is (or is not) a trusted source of information on the subject at hand.

You then want to let the reader know what the author’s goal was when writing the book. Is the goal to inform readers?

To persuade them to do something? To teach them?

The important second step of this is to let the reader know if the author succeeded in meeting their goal.

Provide a summary of the book and an evaluation of its contents.

What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Describe the tone and writing style of the book and its potential value for its intended audience. Did the author present an effective argument?

Were the conclusions that were made by the author reasonable?

Did the author give any recommendations and were they practical?

Be objective in answering this question and provide book readers with the facts.

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You are able to give between one and five stars to a book, depending on how much you enjoyed it.

It is important, however, to think very carefully before giving either a one or a five.

Your five-star reviews should be left for books that have great writing, great editing, and an impactful storyline that makes you want to read it multiple times.

While it may seem like the nice thing to do is to give five stars to every book that you think is pretty good, it does not help potential readers really know if this book is worth their time.

If a book is written and edited well, you should not give it fewer than three stars.

You can give an explanation in your review telling readers why you did not like a book, but if it is well-written and you give it one or two stars, you are making your review too subjective.

You must allow other readers the chance to make their own decision on the content of the book because others may find the content to be great.

Unless a book has absolutely no redeeming qualities at all and the writing has errors and typos, do not give a one-star review.

As a self-published author, you likely know that poor reviews are very distressing to authors, especially if they stand no ground.

Also, getting a negative review from a fellow author can be even more painful than if it is from just a reader in passing.

Authors often focus on the negative points in reviews, even if they are mainly positive, so be careful to tread lightly.

Knowing the potential lasting effect that a negative review can have on an author’s reputation and personal feelings should show you the importance of leaving thoughtful reviews.

While this does not mean you have to be gentle in your criticism, it is important to be careful in the delivery of your opinions.

It is important to note that every book may have something about it that you don’t like.

In this case, it is best to lighten up your book critique and find some ways to put a positive spin on your comments.

For example, if you read a book on a subject and it is geared more towards beginners but doesn’t suggest that in the book’s title, say something like, “This book is a great tool for people who want to brush up on the basics” or something to that effect.

You can be critical without being harsh.

In conclusion, the trick to writing an effective book review is to approach the task in a systematic way.

Keep your focus on the main points you want to communicate to future readers and think about what readers want to get out of your review.

Book reviews should communicate the quality and style of the book without giving away so much detail that readers no longer feel the need to read the book to get more information.

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How to Write a Book Review: A Comprehensive Tutorial With Examples

You don’t need to be a literary expert to craft captivating book reviews. With one in every three readers selecting books based on insightful reviews, your opinions can guide fellow bibliophiles toward their next literary adventure.

Learning how to write a book review will not only help you excel at your assigned tasks, but you’ll also contribute valuable insights to the book-loving community and turn your passion into a professional pursuit.

In this comprehensive guide,  PaperPerk  will walk you through a few simple steps to master the art of writing book reviews so you can confidently embark on this rewarding journey.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a critical evaluation of a book, offering insights into its content, quality, and impact. It helps readers make informed decisions about whether to read the book.

Writing a book review as an assignment benefits students in multiple ways. Firstly, it teaches them how to write a book review by developing their analytical skills as they evaluate the content, themes, and writing style .

Secondly, it enhances their ability to express opinions and provide constructive criticism. Additionally, book review assignments expose students to various publications and genres, broadening their knowledge.

Furthermore, these tasks foster essential skills for academic success, like critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information. By now, we’re sure you want to learn how to write a book review, so let’s look at the book review template first.

Table of Contents

Book Review Template

How to write a book review- a step by step guide.

Check out these 5 straightforward steps for composing the best book review.

Step 1: Planning Your Book Review – The Art of Getting Started

You’ve decided to take the plunge and share your thoughts on a book that has captivated (or perhaps disappointed) you. Before you start book reviewing, let’s take a step back and plan your approach. Since knowing how to write a book review that’s both informative and engaging is an art in itself.

Choosing Your Literature

First things first, pick the book you want to review. This might seem like a no-brainer, but selecting a book that genuinely interests you will make the review process more enjoyable and your insights more authentic.

Crafting the Master Plan

Next, create an  outline  that covers all the essential points you want to discuss in your review. This will serve as the roadmap for your writing journey.

The Devil is in the Details

As you read, note any information that stands out, whether it overwhelms, underwhelms, or simply intrigues you. Pay attention to:

• The characters and their development
• The plot and its intricacies
• Any themes, symbols, or motifs you find noteworthy

Remember to reserve a body paragraph for each point you want to discuss.

The Key Questions to Ponder

When planning your book review, consider the following questions:

• What’s the plot (if any)? Understanding the driving force behind the book will help you craft a more effective review.
• Is the plot interesting? Did the book hold your attention and keep you turning the pages?
• Are the writing techniques effective? Does the author’s style captivate you, making you want to read (or reread) the text?
• Are the characters or the information believable? Do the characters/plot/information feel real, and can you relate to them?
• Would you recommend the book to anyone? Consider if the book is worthy of being recommended, whether to impress someone or to support a point in a literature class.
• What could improve? Always keep an eye out for areas that could be improved. Providing constructive criticism can enhance the quality of literature.

Step 2 – Crafting the Perfect Introduction to Write a Book Review

In this second step of “how to write a book review,” we’re focusing on the art of creating a powerful opening that will hook your audience and set the stage for your analysis.

Identify Your Book and Author

Begin by mentioning the book you’ve chosen, including its  title  and the author’s name. This informs your readers and establishes the subject of your review.

Ponder the Title

Next, discuss the mental images or emotions the book’s title evokes in your mind . This helps your readers understand your initial feelings and expectations before diving into the book.

Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)

Take a moment to talk about the book’s cover. Did it intrigue you? Did it hint at what to expect from the story or the author’s writing style? Sharing your thoughts on the cover can offer a unique perspective on how the book presents itself to potential readers.

Present Your Thesis

Now it’s time to introduce your thesis. This statement should be a concise and insightful summary of your opinion of the book. For example:

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is a captivating portrayal of the complexities of human relationships, exploring themes of love, class, and self-discovery with exceptional depth and authenticity.

Ensure that your thesis is relevant to the points or quotes you plan to discuss throughout your review.

Incorporating these elements into your introduction will create a strong foundation for your book review. Your readers will be eager to learn more about your thoughts and insights on the book, setting the stage for a compelling and thought-provoking analysis.

How to Write a Book Review: Step 3 – Building Brilliant Body Paragraphs

You’ve planned your review and written an attention-grabbing introduction. Now it’s time for the main event: crafting the body paragraphs of your book review. In this step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of constructing engaging and insightful body paragraphs that will keep your readers hooked.

Summarize Without Spoilers

Begin by summarizing a specific section of the book, not revealing any major plot twists or spoilers. Your goal is to give your readers a taste of the story without ruining surprises.

Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes

Next, choose three quotes from the book that support your viewpoint or opinion. These quotes should be relevant to the section you’re summarizing and help illustrate your thoughts on the book.

Analyze the Quotes

Write a summary of each quote in your own words, explaining how it made you feel or what it led you to think about the book or the author’s writing. This analysis should provide insight into your perspective and demonstrate your understanding of the text.

Structure Your Body Paragraphs

Dedicate one body paragraph to each quote, ensuring your writing is well-connected, coherent, and easy to understand.

For example:

• In  Jane Eyre , Charlotte Brontë writes, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.” This powerful statement highlights Jane’s fierce independence and refusal to be trapped by societal expectations.
• In  Normal People , Sally Rooney explores the complexities of love and friendship when she writes, “It was culture as class performance, literature fetishized for its ability to take educated people on false emotional journeys.” This quote reveals the author’s astute observations on the role of culture and class in shaping personal relationships.
• In  Wuthering Heights , Emily Brontë captures the tumultuous nature of love with the quote, “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This poignant line emphasizes the deep, unbreakable bond between the story’s central characters.

By following these guidelines, you’ll create body paragraphs that are both captivating and insightful, enhancing your book review and providing your readers with a deeper understanding of the literary work. 

How to Write a Book Review: Step 4 – Crafting a Captivating Conclusion

You’ve navigated through planning, introductions, and body paragraphs with finesse. Now it’s time to wrap up your book review with a  conclusion that leaves a lasting impression . In this final step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the art of writing a memorable and persuasive conclusion.

Summarize Your Analysis

Begin by summarizing the key points you’ve presented in the body paragraphs. This helps to remind your readers of the insights and arguments you’ve shared throughout your review.

Offer Your Final Conclusion

Next, provide a conclusion that reflects your overall feelings about the book. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression and persuade your readers to consider your perspective.

Address the Book’s Appeal

Now, answer the question: Is this book worth reading? Be clear about who would enjoy the book and who might not. Discuss the taste preferences and circumstances that make the book more appealing to some readers than others.

For example:  The Alchemist is a book that can enchant a young teen, but those who are already well-versed in classic literature might find it less engaging.

Be Subtle and Balanced

Avoid simply stating whether you “liked” or “disliked” the book. Instead, use nuanced language to convey your message. Highlight the pros and cons of reading the type of literature you’ve reviewed, offering a balanced perspective.

Bringing It All Together

By following these guidelines, you’ll craft a conclusion that leaves your readers with a clear understanding of your thoughts and opinions on the book. Your review will be a valuable resource for those considering whether to pick up the book, and your witty and insightful analysis will make your review a pleasure to read. So conquer the world of book reviews, one captivating conclusion at a time!

How to Write a Book Review: Step 5 – Rating the Book (Optional)

You’ve masterfully crafted your book review, from the introduction to the conclusion. But wait, there’s one more step you might consider before calling it a day: rating the book. In this optional step of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the benefits and methods of assigning a rating to the book you’ve reviewed.

Why Rate the Book?

Sometimes, when writing a professional book review, it may not be appropriate to state whether you liked or disliked the book. In such cases, assigning a rating can be an effective way to get your message across without explicitly sharing your personal opinion.

How to Rate the Book

There are various rating systems you can use to evaluate the book, such as:

• A star rating (e.g., 1 to 5 stars)
• A numerical score (e.g., 1 to 10)
• A letter grade (e.g., A+ to F)

Choose a rating system that best suits your style and the format of your review. Be consistent in your rating criteria, considering writing quality, character development, plot, and overall enjoyment.

Tips for Rating the Book

Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:

• Be honest: Your rating should reflect your true feelings about the book. Don’t inflate or deflate your rating based on external factors, such as the book’s popularity or the author’s reputation.
• Be fair:Consider the book’s merits and shortcomings when rating. Even if you didn’t enjoy the book, recognize its strengths and acknowledge them in your rating.
• Be clear: Explain the rationale behind your rating so your readers understand the factors that influenced your evaluation.

Wrapping Up

By including a rating in your book review, you provide your readers with an additional insight into your thoughts on the book. While this step is optional, it can be a valuable tool for conveying your message subtly yet effectively. So, rate those books confidently, adding a touch of wit and wisdom to your book reviews.

Additional Tips on How to Write a Book Review: A Guide

In this segment, we’ll explore additional tips on how to write a book review. Get ready to captivate your readers and make your review a memorable one!

Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction

Keep your introduction precise and to the point. Readers have the attention span of a goldfish these days, so don’t let them swim away in boredom. Start with a bang and keep them hooked!

Embrace the World of Fiction

When learning how to write a book review, remember that reviewing fiction is often more engaging and effective. If your professor hasn’t assigned you a specific book, dive into the realm of fiction and select a novel that piques your interest.

Opinionated with Gusto

Don’t shy away from adding your own opinion to your review. A good book review always features the writer’s viewpoint and constructive criticism. After all, your readers want to know what  you  think!

Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)

If you adored the book, let your readers know! Use phrases like “I’ll definitely return to this book again” to convey your enthusiasm. Conversely, be honest but respectful even if the book wasn’t your cup of tea.

Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

Feeling lost? You can always get help from formats, book review examples or online  college paper writing service  platforms. These trusty sidekicks will help you navigate the world of book reviews with ease. 

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

Remember to uplift new writers and pieces of literature. If you want to suggest improvements, do so kindly and constructively. There’s no need to be mean about anyone’s books – we’re all in this literary adventure together!

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

When adding criticism to your review, be clear but not mean. Remember, there’s a fine line between constructive criticism and cruelty. Tread lightly and keep your reader’s feelings in mind.

Avoid the Comparison Trap

Resist the urge to compare one writer’s book with another. Every book holds its worth, and comparing them will only confuse your reader. Stick to discussing the book at hand, and let it shine in its own light.

Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing a book review can be a delightful and rewarding experience, especially when you balance analysis, wit, and personal insights. However, some common mistakes can kill the brilliance of your review. 

In this section of “how to write a book review,” we’ll explore the top 7 blunders writers commit and how to steer clear of them, with a dash of  modernist literature  examples and tips for students writing book reviews as assignments.

Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries

Mistake: Diving headfirst into a plot summary instead of dissecting the book’s themes, characters, and writing style.

Example: “The Bell Jar chronicles the life of a young woman who experiences a mental breakdown.”

How to Avoid: Delve into the book’s deeper aspects, such as its portrayal of mental health, societal expectations, and the author’s distinctive narrative voice. Offer thoughtful insights and reflections, making your review a treasure trove of analysis.

Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken

Mistake: Spilling major plot twists or the ending without providing a spoiler warning, effectively ruining the reading experience for potential readers.

Example: “In Metamorphosis, the protagonist’s transformation into a monstrous insect leads to…”

How to Avoid: Tread carefully when discussing significant plot developments, and consider using spoiler warnings. Focus on the impact of these plot points on the overall narrative, character growth, or thematic resonance.

Riding the Personal Bias Express

Mistake: Allowing personal bias to hijack the review without providing sufficient evidence or reasoning to support opinions.

Example: “I detest books about existential crises, so The Sun Also Rises was a snoozefest.”

How to Avoid: While personal opinions are valid, it’s crucial to back them up with specific examples from the book. Discuss aspects like writing style, character development, or pacing to support your evaluation and provide a more balanced perspective.

Wielding the Vague Language Saber

Mistake: Resorting to generic, vague language that fails to capture the nuances of the book and can come across as clichéd.

Example: “This book was mind-blowing. It’s a must-read for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Use precise and descriptive language to express your thoughts. Employ specific examples and quotations to highlight memorable scenes, the author’s unique writing style, or the impact of the book’s themes on readers.

Ignoring the Contextualization Compass

Mistake: Neglecting to provide context about the author, genre, or cultural relevance of the book, leaving readers without a proper frame of reference.

Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”

How to Avoid: Offer readers a broader understanding by discussing the author’s background, the genre conventions the book adheres to or subverts, and any societal or historical contexts that inform the narrative. This helps readers appreciate the book’s uniqueness and relevance.

Overindulging in Personal Preferences

Mistake: Letting personal preferences overshadow an objective assessment of the book’s merits.

Example: “I don’t like stream-of-consciousness writing, so this book is automatically bad.”

How to Avoid: Acknowledge personal preferences but strive to evaluate the book objectively. Focus on the book’s strengths and weaknesses, considering how well it achieves its goals within its genre or intended audience.

Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope

Mistake: Failing to mention the book’s target audience or who might enjoy it, leading to confusion for potential readers.

Example: “This book is great for everyone.”

How to Avoid: Contemplate the book’s intended audience, genre, and themes. Mention who might particularly enjoy the book based on these factors, whether it’s fans of a specific genre, readers interested in character-driven stories, or those seeking thought-provoking narratives.

By dodging these common pitfalls, writers can craft insightful, balanced, and engaging book reviews that help readers make informed decisions about their reading choices.

These tips are particularly beneficial for students writing book reviews as assignments, as they ensure a well-rounded and thoughtful analysis.!

Many students requested us to cover how to write a book review. This thorough guide is sure to help you. At Paperperk, professionals are dedicated to helping students find their balance. We understand the importance of good grades, so we offer the finest writing service , ensuring students stay ahead of the curve. So seek expert help because only Paperperk is your perfect solution!

What is the difference between a book review and a report?

Who is the target audience for book reviews and book reports, how do book reviews and reports differ in length and content, can i write professional book reviews, what are the key aspects of writing professional book reviews, how can i enhance my book-reviewing skills to write professional reviews, what should be included in a good book review.

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Blog • Book Marketing

Posted on Aug 11, 2021

Amazon Editorial Reviews: An Indie Author’s Secret Weapon

Love ’em or hate ’em, book reviews are an indispensable part of the publishing process. Not only does a positive review let people know your book exists in the first place, but it also helps readers decide whether to take a chance on it.

Most of the time, self-published authors obsess over user reviews: star ratings and short write-ups that any random user can post on a book’s Amazon page. And while user reviews are certainly valuable — we’ve found that a given book needs at least 10 positive ratings before most readers will consider buying it — don’t overlook the power of professional editorial reviews.

Reviews from the people who know best

Major publishers will bend over backward to secure editorial reviews from publications, like Vanity Fair and The New Yorker , as well as respected figures like popular authors and authorities on the book’s subject. Getting this seal of approval from an institution is something they can promote on the book jacket, on a subway ad, and indeed on the book’s Amazon page.

This post will focus on the power of displaying editorial reviews on Amazon. We’ll show you some of the places where you can secure editorial reviews, then give you some top tips for making them shine on your book page.

Getting reviews in time for your Amazon launch

In addition to showing readers that a trustworthy professional thinks your book is the bee’s knees, the other key advantage to an editorial review is that you can display it on your Amazon book page before your launch date.

This is a departure from standard user reviews. According to Kindle Direct Publishing ’s terms of use, user reviews can only be posted after a book’s release date — in theory, to prevent the page from flooding with fabricated reviews, as most readers wouldn’t even have access to the book yet. So to make sure your book’s Amazon page has enough “review-power” during your launch week and pre-sale period, you must start securing editorial reviews in the months before.

FREE RESOURCE

The Guide to Getting Book Reviews

Learn to pitch your book to potential reviewers with our handy checklist.

Of course, most of the big-name review outlets — national magazines and the like — will have their hands full with big releases from major publishers. But if you’re a humble indie author, don’t panic: there are plenty of reviewers online who are looking for books just like yours! Here are a few promising editorial review outlets to try. 

Reedsy Discovery

Reedsy Discovery is a network of over 1,000 professional reviewers. For $50, you can submit your book to the entire pool, or pitch it directly to individual reviewers who specialize in your genre or seem like they might enjoy your subject.

You can even specify your launch date to ensure your reviewer knows to publish their review by that day. And once the review is published, not only will it appear on a dedicated Discovery page with its own URL, but the book itself will be featured in that week’s Discovery feed for users to upvote — and maybe even in our newsletter to over 250,000 readers.

Book review blogs

You can cast a wider net by searching for book review blogs in your genre and pitching your book to them for a review. Some will charge a fee for an unbiased, professional, and prompt review, while others will do it for free —  but not always with the same gravitas, availability, or expedience. Learn more about how to get editorial reviews from book bloggers .

Which book review site is right for you?

Find out here! Takes 30 seconds

Endorsements

Sometimes confusingly called “blurbs” or “testimonials”, these short reviews are offered by experts and specifically intended for promotional use (as opposed to longer reviews that can be used for promotion, but are primarily meant to inform readers).

In fiction, these experts are often other authors — in a perfect world, it should be someone fairly prominent who writes in your genre. If a Brandon Sanderson fan sees his blurb on the Amazon page for your sci-fi epic, there’s a very good chance they’ll be swayed by his opinion!

For nonfiction, the criteria are a little broader: your testimonials can come from fellow authors, experts in your subject matter, and/or those who have benefitted from your book. So even if you’re unable to get Malcolm Gladwell to endorse your book, you can surely find someone with some kind of authority — someone whose opinion your target audience will trust.

And even if you already have esteemed publications backing you, it never hurts to add more editorial reviews from a variety of sources. For example, in amongst the glowing magazine reviews and celebrity endorsements for James Clear’s Atomic Habits is a testimonial from a military doctor:

For more tips on this, check out this Reedsy webinar on securing endorsements .

Now, let’s jump ahead a bit to when you’ve gathered some sweet reviews and endorsements for your book. How do you add them to your Amazon page?

Upload your reviews through Author Central

KDP’s user interface, Amazon Author Central , isn’t always the easiest to navigate — so for everyone’s benefit, here’s how to load up your editorial reviews step-by-step.

1. Log onto Amazon Author Central and go to “BOOKS”

Once you log onto your Amazon Author Central dashboard, you can view what your author page looks like in different regions and give feedback. But don’t let that distract you — you want to click on BOOKS, either from the center of the dashboard or the tab in the upper left corner of your browser window.

2. Select the book(s) for which you want to add a review

When you’ve selected the book format and edition that you want to add a review to, click on “Edit book details”. If you have more than one format or edition, you’ll have to add the reviews to each version separately, but this won’t take long if you have everything already on hand.

3. Select “Edit” next to “Review”

Once you’ve opened the overview for the correct edition, select “Edit” next to “Review” to either add new reviews or edit older ones. Then preview the review, hit “Save changes”, and presto: a brand new editorial review to bolster your Amazon page!

So you’ve figured out how to upload editorial reviews — and if you play your cards right, you’ll have your pick of testimonials. How do you pick which reviews to display, and which elements of them to highlight?

Cherry-pick your quotes and make them stand out!

Once you have reviews to post, don’t get too excited and just start copy/pasting them in their entirety. Your goal here is to curate your reviews for maximum impact, which means you should pick the best line or two from each review — coordinating your quotes such that each one says something unique about your book.

For example, say you receive the following editorial reviews (abridged for convenience):

1. “I was hooked from start to finish. A hypnotically compelling story, full of characters you love to hate, only for them to turn all your assumptions on their heads. The pacing was taut, with answers expertly doled out — it’s a domestic fiction novel with the pounding heart of a thriller. Would recommend it for fans of Meg Wolitzer and Gillian Flynn alike…”

2. “This is a fantastically compelling read. The characters took up residence in my psyche and refused to leave. I felt a particular connection to Sophie, the cheery suburban mother battling an onslaught of invisible demons. The way she never hesitated to make sacrifices for her children, bleeding internally all the while, reminded me far too much of the matriarchs in my own family…”

Both these reviews mention the compelling story and strong characters, so make sure one review’s Amazon blurb doesn’t repeat the other. From these reviews, in particular, you might pull the unique genre description from the first and the quote about the characters from the second.

As well as avoiding repetition, Amazon offers a few other suggestions in the editorial review guidelines...

Don’t paraphrase and make sure your source is legit

As per Amazon’s guidelines:

Reviews should consist of transcribed text from reputable sources. The name of the source should be credited after the quotation.

In short, you’re not allowed to edit or paraphrase what a reviewer has written, and the review cannot be something your uncle’s cousin said. An exception might be if your uncle’s cousin is an actual, seasoned reviewer or someone who has some authority in your book’s subject matter — but basically, don’t include any ol’ user review in this section.

Keep your quotes short

Quotes from outside reviews should follow “fair use” copyright guidelines and be limited to 1-2 sentences. 

Copyright law in most countries allow you to include short quotes from a published text (in this case, a review) for educational, editorial, or critique purposes. If you replicate more than just a few sentences, you run the risk of breaking copyright guidelines — which is not a cool thing for an author to do. So from the reviews above, you’d take quotes of about this length:

“I was hooked from start to finish. A domestic fiction novel with the pounding heart of a thriller.”

“The characters took up residence in my psyche and refused to leave.” 

This is a blurb, not War and Peace

Limit your reviews to 3,000 characters.

Regardless of what Amazon says, 3,000 characters are way too many. Even the most acclaimed books on Amazon only have a few hundred characters in their Editorial Review sections. Your prospective readers don't want to read whole essays about your book — again, just cherry-pick the most impactful, complimentary quotes.

Don’t include “forbidden” details

Having covered what you should include in your editorial reviews, here are the details you shouldn’t include (again, as per Amazon’s restrictions):

• External links (e.g. to your author website)
• Personal information like email addresses or phone numbers
• Advertising or promotional links
• Price information
• Information that is subject to change (e.g. temporary campaign information)

Apart from all this, everything else is up to you!

Do format the text for maximum impact

Amazon Author Central’s text edit feature is a bit limited, though it does allow you to use bold text, italicized text , bullet-point lists, or numbered lists. Just because you can format your text, doesn’t mean you need to make every other word stand out. Your goal is to help Amazon customers who are scanning the page to see what you want them to see.

Most people don’t actually remember what the review says, but they will notice who said it or what their qualifications were. So what you highlight will differ depending on the review itself. For instance, you might emphasize:

• The reviewer's name (if they’re well known in relevant circles) 
• Their qualifications, or 
• A publication that they work for.

Note that if you’re copying text from other word processing programs, some of the previous formattings may transfer and slow down the page. It’s, therefore, better to either write it directly into the box or copy your reviews from a plain text editor like TextEdit or Notepad.

And with that, congratulations: you’ve finished setting up your editorial reviews! In the indie publishing space, editorial reviews are a bafflingly underused feature of books’ Amazon pages. But with the help of this article, you should have all the information to take full advantage of them — before your competition realizes what they’re missing.

Continue reading

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Book Review Examples

Posted by Stephanie Chandler | Dec 5, 2019 | AMAZON OPTIMIZATION - MEMBERS ONLY , Blog , MARKETING - MEMBERS ONLY , Nonfiction Book Marketing | 0

We’ve rounded up some real-world examples that demonstrate well-written book reviews. Feel free to share this post with people from your own tribe who can benefit from studying how simple reviews should be written on Amazon and beyond.

Book Review Examples (From Amazon and edited/modified as needed)

Educated is a moving and powerful memoir. The author grew up in a survivalist family in Idaho, as the youngest child. She was not homeschooled—instead, she simply didn’t go to school at all, due to her father’s mistrust of public schools. In an effort to escape abuse, she decides to go to college, and by her force of will, does well enough on the ACT to get into Brigham Young University. This memoir is a story of her internal struggle—to believe her own version of her life and to have the strength to break away from her past. It gives a glimpse into a way of life that most of us will never know, and it’s an inspiring story of one woman’s ability to change her future. Read this book now!

Rising Strong by Brene Brown is a thorough and thought-provoking page-turner. This book takes a seeker on a journey to self-discovery; not only by providing helpful tools that encourage curiosity and introspection, but by also taking the reader’s hand and walking step-by-step through real life examples. The author’s willingness to be candid and vulnerable throughout allows for a beautifully relatable transformation. She shares knowledge, understanding and experience in a masterful book that can enrich readers’ lives in many ways. Don’t pass this book by; it’s well-worth your time.

Jim Collins’s Good to Great shows how American companies struggle to get out of the “B zone” of mediocracy and become the best. He compares and analyzes good companies against the great ones with data, charts, and graphs. He also shows how “Level 5” leaders respond to chaos when monopolies become exposed to competition, and gives readers practical tools for responding to a wide variety of challenging business situations. There are many lessons to be discovered here and I believe that everyone in business should read this book.

Jenny Lawson is the voice so many of us have been looking for years. In Furiously Happy, she is brutally and unflinchingly honest. You will cry with her, not only because the stories are heartbreaking, but because you see yourself or someone you love in her words. You will laugh with her to the point that you are cackling out loud and people think that you’re insane. But the most important message she teaches readers is that it’s okay to be broken. It’s okay to not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel because everything will eventually be okay. There is a whole tribe of people out there just like you, and she is their leader. Read it. Pass it on. Buy it for a friend. Seriously, you will love this book.

James Clear’s Atomic Habits is different because it covers an enormous amount of ground in the larger area of self-improvement while seamlessly tying all these ideas back into the central theme of habits.One of the core concepts in Atomic Habits is to focus on the small improvement. The impact a 1% improvement per day can make may appear negligible at first, but Clear makes a compelling argument that in the case of habits, thinking small produces the biggest results over time.

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement,” explains Clear. Over the months and years, the accumulated effect of small habitual daily behaviors is staggering. Clear’s book is intensely practical, giving you a huge toolkit of organized and named strategies you can apply immediately to create and strengthen positive habits and stop the negative ones. The book is conversational, and includes many interesting stories, making it easy to read – and hard to put down (I read it cover to cover in one day). It’s possible this might become your most highlighted personal improvement book because every page is packed with memorable and quotable gems of advice. Highly recommended.

If you’re looking for a better understanding of how your mindset affects your opinions , self-worth, outlook on the world, personal limitations and the trajectory of your life, read Carol Decker’s Mindset now. There are many case studies in the book about celebrities, corporate leaders, and sports legends displaying the different mindsets, and these real-world examples make for a fascinating read. If you want to learn more about yourself and those around you, this book will be a great investment in your success.

Have you written a review for a book you’d like to share with us? We’d love to see more examples in the comments below!

About The Author

Stephanie Chandler

Stephanie Chandler is the founder of the Nonfiction Authors Association and Nonfiction Writers Conference , and author of several books including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan . A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, and Wired magazine. Visit StephanieChandler.com to learn more.

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How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?

Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?

There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.

WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?

Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:

●     Engage critically with a text

●     Critically evaluate a text

●     Respond personally to a range of different writing genres

●     Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.

Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.

BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE

ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.

THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.

COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.

THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.

BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.

FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW

PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.

VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS

⭐ Make  MOVIES A MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR CURRICULUM  with this engaging collection of tasks and tools your students will love. ⭐ All the hard work is done for you with  NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

This collection of  21 INDEPENDENT TASKS  and  GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS  takes students beyond the hype, special effects and trailers to look at visual literacy from several perspectives offering DEEP LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES by watching a  SERIES, DOCUMENTARY, FILM, and even  VIDEO GAMES.

ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW

As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:

●     Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?

●     Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.

●     Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.

●     Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.

●     Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.

●     Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.

BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:

●     Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?

●     Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?

●     Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?

●     Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots? 

A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!

The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.

Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:

i. Make It Personal

Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.

Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.

ii. Make It Universal

Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.

iii. Support Opinions with Evidence

A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.

EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW

As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc. 

It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.

The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BOOK REVIEW GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (TEMPLATE)

101 DIGITAL & PRINT GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS FOR ALL CURRICULUM AREAS

Introduce your students to 21st-century learning with this GROWING BUNDLE OF 101 EDITABLE & PRINTABLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS. ✌ NO PREP REQUIRED!!! ✌ Go paperless, and let your students express their knowledge and creativity through the power of technology and collaboration inside and outside the classroom with ease.

Whilst you don’t have to have a 1:1 or BYOD classroom to benefit from this bundle, it has been purpose-built to deliver through platforms such as ✔ GOOGLE CLASSROOM, ✔ OFFICE 365, ✔ or any CLOUD-BASED LEARNING PLATFORM.

Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .

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Amazon Book Reviews: How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon for Free

POSTED ON Apr 8, 2024

Written by P.J McNulty

When it comes to Amazon book reviews, they are necessary to proactively market your book.

There’s almost nothing as important as Amazon book reviews when it comes to generating consistent book sales month after month and creating an effective book marketing strategy.

It’s not enough to publish your book and hope reviewers will find you. They almost certainly won’t. You need to work hard to find them and convince them to review your book.

But even that isn’t enough!

If you go about getting Amazon book reviews the wrong way, you risk incurring the wrath of Amazon. Your book will sink before it ever stood a chance of succeeding.

Related: Amazon Self-Publishing

So how can you get the Amazon book reviews you need in an ethical and effective way?

We’ve gathered together everything you need to know.

This guide to Amazon book reviews covers:

Why are amazon book reviews important, how many book reviews do i need on amazon.

• How to get your book reviewed on Amazon

Can I review my own book on Amazon?

Book review services , can i contact the top reviewers on amazon.

• Does Amazon support editorial reviews

Guidelines for Amazon reviews

Why does amazon remove book reviews.

If you’re new to the world of self-publishing , it might be unclear why there is so much importance placed on getting Amazon book reviews.

After all, if you create a good book, produce an attractive cover, and write a catchy description, shouldn’t that be enough?

As much as we might see our book as special, Amazon won’t.

At least, not at first. And neither will the vast majority of book browsers.

While the benefits of self-publishing are well-known, there are also some challenges you need to overcome in order to experience success.

One such challenge is the abundance of books released on Amazon.

The vast majority of books are lost amidst the noise. New titles are added to Amazon every few minutes, and there are endless titles already available. 

What does this mean for you?

If you want to see your book reach the right readers, you need to do everything in your power to get it in front of them. 

One of the most powerful ways to do that is by ensuring your book has reviews.

A lack of Amazon book reviews harms your book’s prospects in two ways. 

First, a book without reviews is unlikely to even get noticed by the vast majority of book browsers.

Second, even if people do somehow stumble across your book, they are unlikely to borrow or buy it without a credible number of Amazon book reviews.

Here are the benefits to make your reviews worth it:

• Trust. Book reviews are especially important when you’re just starting out as an author on Amazon . Put yourself in the shoes of a customer. Why should they trust your book? They almost certainly haven’t heard of you. Reviews overcome this problem. When people see that others have been helped or entertained by a book, it gives them the confidence they will experience the same result.
• Algorithm. Amazon is famous for having one of the most powerful and effective algorithms out there. The company explores and experiments with every possible way to get customers to spend more. Reviews are a huge signal to Amazon that your book is worth promoting. Without a respectable number of Amazon book reviews close to the time of launch, your book will miss out on the immense power of Amazon’s promotional machinery.
• External promotion. There are plenty of promotional services out there willing to help introduce your book to readers who are likely to benefit from it. However, most of them require you to have a certain number of positive reviews before they will even consider your book. You can also promote this on your author platform .
• Feedback. Reviews are also a valuable source of feedback on your work. Yes, even the negative ones! You can get a sense of what readers did and did not like about your book and take this feedback on board for your future releases. 

When it comes to success on Amazon, it’s almost impossible to overstate just how important reviews are.

Now that you know the benefits of reviews for your book, let’s take a closer look at exactly how to get them.

Getting people to take the time to review your book isn’t always easy, especially when you’re new to the self-publishing scene.

Given the difficulty of getting reviews, it’s natural to wonder just how many you need. 

No matter what people might say, there is no magic number that you need. It varies from book to book.

However, there are some proven principles and guidelines you can use to inform the number of reviews you aim to get.

• Check competing books. Take the time to check out other books that your ideal reader might be interested in. For example, which books rank for your keywords? Which books are selling well in your intended categories ? Try and look for books of similar stature to your own. How many reviews do they have? How many would you need to seem respectable in the eyes of a buyer choosing between your book and a competing title?
• Aim for 10 minimum. 10 reviews seems to be the number that starts to move the needle for a lot of authors. When you’re putting together your initial strategy, make 10 book reviews the minimum number you aim for. 
• 20 is ideal. If you’re capable of proactively getting 10 people to leave an Amazon review of your book, you’re more than capable of getting 20! Just double down on what you’re doing. We’ll explore exactly how shortly. 
• Don’t go overboard. After a certain number of Amazon book reviews, you’re unlikely to experience much extra benefit. The effort needed to seek out reviews is not commensurate to the benefits you will experience. Also, after getting a large number of reviews, buyers are likely to review your book of their own accord. You won’t need to seek them out. 30-50 reviews is a good guideline here, but a lower number may suffice depending on the books you are competing against. 
• Your promo strategy. Many authors make book promotion sites or services an integral part of their Amazon book marketing strategy. If you have a particular promotional site you want to be featured on, you’re probably going to need a certain number of Amazon book reviews to be eligible.

Even though there isn’t a particular number of Amazon book reviews that’s right for every book, there’s definitely a number that’s right for yours.

Use the above ideas to find it and make this a target you strive to hit.

Sadly, no. Some authors might think it's a good idea to review their own book to get some initial momentum going for their Amazon book reviews, but that's against the rules specified in Amazon's Guidelines .

How to get Amazon book reviews

So how should you go about getting the reviews you need for your book to succeed?

Seeking out Amazon book reviews in the right way isn’t just a matter of doing what’s likely to get results.

It’s also a matter of respecting Amazon’s rules and regulations. If you fail to do so, you run the risk of having your reviews removed.

If you’re unsure of how to get the reviews your book needs, here are some effective techniques.

• Set up a review plan prior to launch. A lot of authors learn the hard way that you can’t leave Amazon book reviews to chance. You need to have a clear plan in place way ahead of your book launch . This should involve a clear approach to hit your review target number as close to the time of your book going live as possible.
• Reach out to existing readers. Do you have an email list of readers? Have you written anything in the past? Even if you don’t have books out, do you have a blog with readers? Could you leverage your author network to promote your book to another writer’s fans? Existing readers, either your own or another author’s, are a great potential source of Amazon book reviews.
• Use social media. While social media is a valuable source of potential reviewers of your work, you should approach it with caution. If Amazon’s algorithm deems you to have a close connection with people on social media, their reviews of your book may be removed. In spite of that, it’s still worth utilizing options such as Facebook reading groups, relevant hashtags on Twitter or Instagram, visual platforms like Pinterest , and even Tik Tok if you have a younger audience, to seek out people who might be interested in your book. 
• Consider offline readers. Most authors will focus their review approach on the online world. By seeking out book clubs, library groups, and other interested communities offline, you open the door to a rich source of potential reviewers that many other authors aren't aware of.  
• Create a launch team . One of the easiest ways to get reviews at launch is to have a big launch group on your side before your book ever drops on Amazon KDP. I recommend having a team of around 100 people who will reach an advanced reader copy in exchange for their authentic review. That way, when your book launches, you can have tons of Amazon book reviews straight away. If you aren't sure how to build a launch group, there are companies that will help you put one together. At selfpublishing.com, our Elite Package guarantees your first 100 authentic Amazon book reviews.
• CTA in your book. There’s no harm of asking for Amazon book reviews within your book itself. You can also include a link in the ebook version to make it as straightforward as possible.

Be aware that by asking for Amazon book reviews in any of the ways mentioned, you are seeking something of value from them. To make them want to take the time to help you, you need to frame your request in the right way.

Related: Amazon Book Description HTML: Making Words Look Better

Instead of coming across as self-serving or even desperate, why not base your review request around:

• Feedback. If people respect your work they are likely to want to help you out as an author. If you make them feel like their feedback is valued, you are more likely to get a review.
• Helping other readers. Another angle to take is appealing to a sense of community among readers. Rather than making your request for Amazon book reviews about yourself, make it about informing fellow readers about a book that might benefit or entertain them.
• A promotional price point. It’s human nature to love a good deal. By emphasizing your book being offered at a low price point for a limited time, you tap into the psychological appeal of both value and scarcity, making it more likely that people will see it as worthwhile to review your book.

Combining the right sources of potential Amazon book reviews with the right type of request is the best way to get your book the review score it needs.

As well as seeking out relevant readers by yourself, a range of professional book review services exist.

While this can form a valuable part of your overall approach to Amazon book reviews, you need to be careful.

Amazon is known for being incredibly strict about people selling reviews. Many people on Fiverr have experienced this firsthand!

The Amazon review guidelines are elaborated on a little later in this guide, but as a general principle, always avoid paying for a review directly. That includes offering a gift of some type.

Instead of paying for a review on Fiverr, consider using one of these services:

• Goodreads book giveaways
• Rainbow Book Reviews

If you’re considering paying for a review service, make sure to check both of these two things before investing your money:

• Compliance. Ensure any review service you’re considering is compliant with Amazon’s rules and regulations. Otherwise, you risk losing your money, having the review removed, and possibly even worse consequences if Amazon feels you’re being particularly underhanded.
• Results. Check out what kind of results a review service promises, and what kind of success they’ve had in the past. Have they produced good results for books similar to yours? What kind of ROI can you expect?

Book review services can be a valuable way to help your book get the momentum it needs. Just make sure you’re dealing with a reputable and effective service provider.

No, the top Amazon reviewers are no longer available.

In the past, a popular way of seeking Amazon book reviews involved trying to find and contact the top reviewers on Amazon.

This may have worked well back in the day, but it’s not really something to pursue in the here and now. 

The top Amazon reviewers no longer have emails available to reach out to. Even when they did, the odds of having a top reviewer take the time to check out your work was pretty slim. 

Does Amazon support editorial reviews?

What exactly is an editorial review, and why does it matter for your book?

So far, we’ve talked about customer Amazon book reviews, which are exactly what they sound like. A customer reads your book and leaves their opinion. If they purchased it from Amazon, this would count as a verified review. 

The other type of review to utilize is the editorial review. This involves a trusted source such as a magazine or publication giving their take on your book.

While editorial reviews aren't included in your book's review score and don't show up with the customer reviews, this is actually a good thing. 

Some of the main benefits of editorial reviews are:

• They won’t get lost in the middle of the (hopefully) large number of customer reviews your book has
• You can add them to your Amazon Author Central page
• You are allowed to leverage your connections as Amazon can’t remove these in the way that they can remove customer reviews
• A reputable publication or individual may carry more weight in the mind of a potential book buyer than an unknown customer reviewer

There’s no denying the value of editorial reviews, but think of them as icing on the cake. 

Make customer reviews your priority, at least initially, as they will move the needle in terms of the Amazon algorithm.

Spend some time around the indie author community and you’ll come across some fairly angry writers.

A common source of frustration is the seemingly ever-changing Amazon review rules.

In reality, the Amazon review guidelines aren’t as bad as you might have heard.

You can check out the full picture here , but some basic principles include:

• You can’t pay for Amazon book reviews. It’s absolutely prohibited to exchange money for a review of your book.]
• You can’t ask for conditional reviews. Although it’s completely fine to ask for someone to review your book, you cannot request they review it in a certain way. Asking for an honest review is the best approach.
• You can’t review a rival book. If Amazon feels someone is negatively reviewing a rival product of any type, they will remove that review.
• You can’t rely on friends and family. Amazon states that reviews from close personal connections are not allowed. This can involve being friends with people and interacting on social media.
• You can’t offer gifts. It’s not permissible to over an Amazon gift card or anything else whatsoever in exchange for a review. You can offer an ARC of your book but that’s all.

While it’s definitely worth respecting the Amazon review guidelines, try not to worry too much. As long as you’re operating from a place of good faith, the worst that will happen in the majority of cases is Amazon will remove some of your reviews.

Amazon can remove reviews for violations of any of the guidelines mentioned above. 

However, some of the most common reasons for a review to be removed are:

• You have reviewed your own book
• Someone with the same address as you has reviewed your book
• A reviewer has attempted to leave multiple reviews of your work
• The review is obscene, defamatory, or otherwise unacceptable
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The Glucose Goddess Method: The 4-Week Guide to Cutting Cravings, Getting Your Energy Back, and Feeling Amazing Kindle Edition

• Print length 193 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher S&S/Simon Element
• Publication date May 2, 2023
• File size 71130 KB
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BHTLFFMC
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ S&S/Simon Element (May 2, 2023)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2023
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 71130 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 193 pages
• #1 in Diabetic & Sugar-Free Cooking (Kindle Store)
• #9 in Weight Maintenance Diets
• #9 in Weight Loss Diets (Kindle Store)

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Jessie inchauspe.

Jessie Inchauspé is a French biochemist and author. She is on a mission to translate cutting-edge science into easy tips to help people improve their physical and mental health. In her first book, Glucose Revolution, a #1 international bestseller translated into 41 languages, she shared her startling discovery about the essential role of blood sugar in every aspect of our lives, and the surprising hacks to optimise it. Jessie is the founder of the wildly popular Instagram account @GlucoseGoddess, where she teaches over one million people about transformative food habits. She holds a BSc in mathematics from King’s College, London, and an MSc in biochemistry from Georgetown University.

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27 Things From Amazon With Such Great Reviews, You May Want To Own Them Yourself

The reviews don't lie, people.

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Popular products from this list

A family-size inflatable pool because you'll love cooling off and relaxing in your own yard even if you don't have a real pool.

A jigsaw puzzle board because it has little drawers built into it, so you can sort the pieces by color and move the puzzle around the house, even after you've already started working on it.

A travel-size pack of Wet Ones wipes that kill roughly 99.9% of bacteria, so even when you're out and about, you and your fam can avoid any not-so-fun messes.

1. A travel backpack aka the real-life version of Mary Poppins' bag. Seriously, you'll be SHOCKED by how much you can fit in here. Instead of just unzipping from the top, this pack opens like a book, so you can load and unload it with the same ease you would a regular suitcase.

Promising review: “I love this bag! I bought it for my frequent two-to-three-day business trips. It holds everything I need for those trips with room to spare. I also packed it for vacation. It fit five pairs of shorts, five T-shirts, three polos, underclothes for five days, pajamas, swimsuit, and toiletries.” — Matthew B. Courtney

Price : $39.99 (available in three colors)

2. A pair of durable Teva Tirra sandals with super-supportive, molded insoles that will feel like they were designed specifically for your feet.

Promising review: "I walk 10 miles/day most every day. I have to have supportive shoes when I walk. Mostly I wear high end running shoes but I have found that I can walk very comfortably with this Teva Terra sandal. The support is outstanding. The sandals wear well and last for a long time. I look forward to the warm weather months when I can walk in Teva’s again. Great sandal." — S. Kessler

Price: $40.80+ (available in women's sizes 5–12 and 25 colors)

3. A carry-on friendly travel Gillette razor  if you're the type of person who likes a good, clean shave and wants to get nice and smooth while you're on the go. 

It comes with one handle and five blade refills!

Promising review : "I got this for a vacation and it was great! The little carrying container is awesome, and keeps you from having a weird, loose razor floating around in your suitcase. Plus the heads are the same as a regular-sized razor , so you can keep using it when that one is worn out!" — Tegan H

Price:   $9.99

4. A bottle of  Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant  for minimizing the appearance of pores, soothing acne-prone skin, and smoothing out texture. Lots of reviewers noticed results within 24 hours!

BuzzFeed Shopping contributor  Rachel Dunkel  looooves this stuff: "Not my skin above, but I 100% vouch for this liquid exfoliant's amazingness. It's helped to even out my skin tone and control the hormonal acne around my mouth. It's the only thing I feel like has actually helped start to slow down those breakouts, and for that, I'm forever thankful. I apply a thin layer in the morning and at night after cleansing and before moisturizing."

Promising review: " MIRACLE IN A BOTTLE. I have every skin issue you can think of. I’ve spent probably thousands on a multitude of different products, trying to find one that would at least make a dent. I’ve had many procedures and many trips to the dermatologist. Nothing I’ve ever used, nothing I’ve ever done, has made such a profound difference in the appearance of my skin. Having rosacea, my face often felt hot, bumpy, and burned. While my complexion is naturally fair and pink, this has seriously covered all my bases in a gentle and effective way. I’ve been trying to turn my skin around for YEARS! This was the product that did it. If I could give it 100 stars, I would. It has seriously changed my life!" — hc

Price :  $13+ (available in two sizes)

5. A pair of high-waisted quick-dry running shorts  with pockets that are lightweight so you can crush your fitness goals without literally sweating your butt off. Also, though, you can totally just laze around in these, too, if you'd prefer! 

Promising review : "Buy these right now! I saw these on TikTok as an alternative to a pair of Lululemon shorts. I would say the feel of these is more similar to Nike shorts than Lulu, but the cut is great, and the liner keeps them out of your nooks and crannies when working out. I have already ordered another pair! Sizing is the same as it would be with Nike shorts as well, but I prefer these to the traditional Nike shorts." — Amazon Customer

Price :  $22.99+  (available in women's sizes XS–3XL and 16 colors)

6. A pack of  24-karat gold cooling eye gels  to reduce puffiness, moisturize, and strengthen skin. This product is formulated with hydrating superstar hyaluronic acid, plumping collagen, and brightening seaweed that'll leave your under-eyes feeling rejuvenated.  

Promising review : "Their shape is perfect for not missing any area under the eyes and they're super comfortable to wear. They stick well and don't fall off, yet pull off easily when done. My skin felt the difference immediately and I can actually see results after my third application. I'm in my 40s and had a fair amount of puffiness and dark spots, but these have smoothed out the puffiness and lightened the dark spots. My skin actually feels tighter and smooth. This is a nice product to make you feel luxurious at home without high costs. " — Angela Dooling

Price:   $9.95  for a 10-pack (also available in packs of 20 and 30)

7. A pair of  printed bike shorts  because you're tired of only wearing leggings to the gym. Plus, you can wear these under a dress or skirt to avoid uncomfortable chafing in the summer heat.

Promising review: " This product is perfect for all outdoor activities! I recently got into bike shorts because I was tired of my thighs chafing when I run, hike, and bike. These shorts are shorter than other bike shorts, but long enough to prevent chafing. The patterns are perfect and vibrant, and the cloth is so soft. They are incredibly breathable and comfortable for lounging in or taking on a long run or bike ride. " — Kindle Customer

Price :  $14.99+ (available in sizes XS–XXL, 19 colors/patterns, and in sets of two)

And here's a similar plus-size version  (sizes XL–4X) for $19.99+ .

8. A set of 16 facial sheet masks  packed with brightening vitamin E and plumping collagen so you can treat yourself to a much-needed self-care moment when you (finally) have a second to relax. 

Promising reviews: "On Friday or Saturday night, if my daughter doesn't have to work, we'll kick back with fruity drinks, foot rubs, and face masks. These masks leave our faces feeling fresh and hydrated and don't make my acne-prone skin break out. The only problem with getting a variety pack, we inevitably argue over who gets some of the more interesting variants. I've yet to use the 'snake' one because she always points out that I was sorted as a Hufflepuff and she's Slytherin, so naturally, she gets it. You can't argue with that logic." — Amelia E.

" These masks are an incredible bargain! They all have the same basic ingredients, which are excellent, and each mask has a different specific ingredient for skin smoothing, moisturizing, pigmentation...you name it! They are made in Korea and contain excellent ingredients. I slap one on for 20 minutes every morning after washing my face, before the rest of my routine. They are very moisturizing, and they’re absolutely dripping in serum. " — Daba

Price :  $11.99

9. A pack of extra-soft  makeup blending sponges  to flawlessly apply your makeup, leaving you with a skin-like finish, regardless of what type of foundation you use. 

Promising reviews: "If you got here because of TikTok, then just go ahead and add to cart. These babies are so much softer than the Real Techniques sponges  and, in my opinion, better at blending than Beauty Blender ." — Cassandre

"I had been seeing these all on TikTok, so you know if it's on there, it's going to be good! I had tried so many different beauty sponges and had not had any luck. But with these ones, I fell in love. They are so soft, and they work amazing dry or wet. Super easy to clean. My makeup looks amazing as well. Definitely recommend!!!" — Allison

Price :  $9.95

10. A trendy, lightweight pair of New Balance 608 V5 Cross Trainers  lined with supportive foam inserts for a day of exploring Disneyland or just taking your pup on a walk around the neighborhood. 

Prime members: You can  try before you buy !

Promising review:  "New Balance is my go-to brand. They fit well, and are comfortable to walk in. They're the one brand I can wear that truly fits my wide feet; they're sturdy and hold up to constant wear.  This particular pair is a double-winner — the expected high-quality product, and I got a huge discount for buying a 'used, like new' pair from Amazon. They're in mint condition and were packaged well. Glad I went for the sale!" — Knitting Granma

Price: $49.93+  (available in women's sizes 5–12, including narrow and wide fits, and three colors)

11. A pack of Colgate disposable toothbrushes because there's nothing worse than arriving at work only to realize you forgot to brush your teeth and your breath smells like the pits of hell.

Promising review: "Late sleeper? Sometimes barely conscious as you rush to get ready for work and run to the car so you won't be late? Maaaybe forgot to brush your teeth even though you're supposed to be an adult? Yeah, me too. These things freshen and clean and a bag of them are always in my purse. Wish they sold them in giant bulk." — Lindsay E Murdock

Price: $19.96 for a 96-pack

12. A travel-size pack of Wet Ones wipes that kill roughly 99.9% of bacteria, so even when you're out and about, you and your fam can avoid any not-so-fun messes.

Promising review: “Convenient and gentle wipes for on-the-go use! Being a mother of one, I often purchase large blocks of Wet Wipes for use at home. However, carrying them while on the go became increasingly heavy and inconvenient, so I decided to get these pocket wipes.

Since these wipes are not specifically marketed for babies, I was initially concerned about potential irritation to my son's delicate skin. To my relief, these wipes proved to be extremely gentle and caused no adverse reactions whatsoever.

One of the standout features of these wipes is the excellent seal that effectively locks in moisture. This ensures that the wipes stay fresh and moist even after being opened several times, making them perfect for travel or when you're out and about. ” — Nodoka Sugiyama

Price:   $17.53  for a 10-pack

13. A hard-side spinner with 360-degree wheels, a smooth telescoping handle, and the ability to expand at the flick of a zipper. What more can we ask for??

Promising review: “I do a lot of international travel. My bags always get beat up. I decided to buy this one, hoping it’d live up to its great reviews. It did exactly that! The wheels make it easy to move throughout airports; the design made it easy to identify; it is light; compartments are great . ” — Anastasia Price

Price : $139.99+ (available in three sizes, 17 colors, and various sets)

14. A portable door lock  to help ease any anxiety, if you're traveling by yourself. It's easy to set up, fits right in a carry-on or suitcase, and will help you feel a little more safe if you're staying in a hotel room on your own. 

Promising review: "My apartment door has a deadbolt but no lock on the door handle. The latch is also misplaced, so if it’s not dead-bolted, anyone can just push my door open. It took a few tries to get this right, but it makes me feel much more secure, and it’s easy to use when you get the hang of it!   I also take this with me when traveling as it fits almost all doors. Definitely recommend." — Anna

Price:  $14.99

15. A slick, portable fan , so whether you're hiking in the mountains or stomping through the streets this summer, you'll be able to keep your ~cool~.

Promising review: "This fan has saved my sweaty butt several times now. I originally bought it for travel to the PNW — the room I was staying in had no air conditioning — but this baby lasted the whole night on my bedside table keeping me nice and cool." — Jessica Bunch

Price:   $14.37+ (available in four colors) 

16. A pack of Neutrogena individually packed makeup remover wipes in case you need to touch up your makeup in a pinch. I bring these with me literally everywhere, and they are a godsend (especially when you need to help a girl in the bar bathroom who's crying).

Promising review: "I keep some in my purse and some in my travel bag. They are the best for sleepovers or weekends away. It’s hard to find wipes that don’t burn my eyes cuz I wear heavy eye makeup but these don’t give me any irritation. Each pack is a single wipe and I took one to my best friend's birthday the other night all I needed was one to get all my makeup off." — Gabrielle Homberg

Price:  $6.84  for a 20-pack

17. A dual tripod and selfie stick with a wireless remote, so you can always get the perfect pic for the 'Gram. Pics or it didn't happen, right?

Promising review: "Great build and can even hold an iPad Pro with the right mount. It’s very light and when compacted all the way down. I mainly use it when I on a video call or taking photos. Even fully extended it seems pretty sturdy when you are on flat and even ground. Remote control works with iPhone 14 pro." — Christian Rozal

Price: $19.99+  (available in four sizes and three colors)

18. A Lego flower bouquet  that makes for a beautiful table centerpiece and won't wilt after a few days. You'll have so much fun assembling it and will take pride in your work when guests ask where you got it!  

Promising review : "When I saw the picture of this product on the box, I underestimated how beautiful they'd be in actuality. Great present for my wife! Best of all: no watering, wilting, or replacing. They brighten up the room!" — D. M. Thompson

Price :  $47.99

19. A cat tree for your furry friend that comes with a scratcher post, ladder, hammock, and more, so your kitty can keep themselves entertained for hours and get their nightly zoomies taken care of.

Promising review : "I just got it in and set up today, but my cat loves it already. She really likes napping in the hammock and sitting on the top level. Before I even got halfway through setting it up, she was already climbing and scratching it." — Sam R. 

Price: $65.71+ (available in five colors) 

20. A jigsaw puzzle board because it has little drawers built into it, so you can sort the pieces by color and move the puzzle around the house, even after you've already started working on it.

Promising review: "I love this and should have bought it years ago. I love that it has drawers to help sort the pieces and keep them from disappearing. It also makes it easy to put the puzzle away if needed." — td3

Price: $49.99

21. A water table full of fun gadgets and mechanisms, so your little one can have tons of fun outdoors this summer with their own mini-waterpark! Tbh, I feel like I could have a lot of fun with this, too...

Promising review: "Product itself is great. Pretty easy to put together, took two of us about 30 minutes to put it together. Most importantly, my 2-year-old had a blast playing with it. It is perfect to learn motor skills and get wet on a hot day." — Alyssa

Price: $79.99

22. A jar of Fly by Jing Sichuan chili oil if you crave a spicy kick on pretty much anything you eat. Reviewers say this is amazing on anything from stir-fry dishes to ice cream!

Promising review: "I have seen this all over social media but was hesitant because it's not cheap. However, everyone was giving it such glowing reviews I just had to know if it was just hype or not! I'm happy to report it's absolutely delicious . I just ordered my second jar. It's not a huge jar, but it lasts for a while; you don't need much to really flavor a dish! It's smokey and spicy, with interesting crunch from the peppers. Definitely a game-changer!" — Erin Kross

Price: $8.99+ (available in three sizes and two flavors)

23. A family-size inflatable pool because you'll love cooling off and relaxing in your own yard even if you don't have a real pool.

Promising review: "Great escape at a great price! This pool is big enough for two adults and two or more children. It’s very comfortable and easy to fill and drain. The price is very affordable, and the pool's material is thick enough to withstand most kids." — Vicki Hills

Price: $48.28+ (available in six sizes and shapes, five colors, and with a pump)

24. A tumbling composter made of 100% recycled resin for the environmentally conscious person who wants to cut down on food waste and make nutrient-dense fertilizer for their garden.

Promising review: "This thing was so easy to assemble and what a gem! Love the dual chambers. Use the directions on the website provided or the printed directions and you’ll have her together in no time. Easy to spin and holds a good amount. So glad to be decreasing my waste and making great soil for my garden. Happy composting!" — Danielle

Price: $64.89+  (available in two sizes) 

25. A shiatsu foot massager with soothing heating power and adjustable pressure levels to help you unwind after a long day and treat yourself to some self-care.

Promising review: "Hands-down, the best foot massager I’ve ever had. It’s very intuitive and easy to use. It comes with two remote controls for those who have a hard time bending over to adjust the intensity or pressure. The kneading is not hard or mechanical feeling. There’s also a roller that hits that magic spot on and around the heel. You can select all the way from a gentle to a really deep massage. It has a heat setting that delivers the best warmth to aching feet. I couldn’t be happier with this machine. It works!" — Amazon Customer

Price: $129.99

26. A Ninja air fryer — if you don't have one already, what century are you living in? This beauty roasts, reheats, dehydrates, and more, so you can make tons of yummy meals without the hassle! It's like a million appliances in one!

Promising review: "All I wanted was crispy nuggies...And I got amazing crispy chicken nuggets thanks to this thing! Probably never going to use the oven ever again!" — Lily 

27. And last but not least, a sleek, modern 40-ounce tumbler that'll keep your drinks nice and cool for hours (or even days!!) so that you can stay hydrated during the warmer months and look good while doin' it.

Promising review: "This cup is my new favorite possession! I am obsessed with it. The quality is amazing. It's so pretty! I take this thing everywhere with me, and if I don't have it, I feel sad. LOL. I can fill it 1/3 or 1/2 way with ice and the rest with water, and two days later, there is still ice in the cup! It is amazing, and I recommend to anyone! 1,000 out of 10!!!" — Amazon Customer

Price: $24.98+  (available in two colors and 25 colors)

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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Amazon restricts reviews on Kristi Noem’s controversial book citing ‘unusual activity’

Amazon is preventing its users from writing reviews for South Dakota governor Kristi Noem’ s new book due to “unusual reviewing activity” as the Republican faces massive backlash for writing about killing her dog .

When a user tries to write a review for Ms Noem’s book No Going Back , a notice pops up: “Amazon has noticed unusual reviewing activity on this product. Due to this activity, we have limited this product to verified purchase reviews.”

The book, released on Tuesday, also only has one star on Amazon, as of Wednesday morning.

“We want Amazon customers to shop with confidence knowing that the reviews they see are authentic and trustworthy,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Independent in a statement.

“If we notice unusual reviewing activity, we will occasionally limit reviews to verified purchases only.”

The Independent has contacted Ms Noem for comment.

The “unusual reviewing activity” warning came after Ms Noem received considerable flack after excerpts from her book were released about when she killed her 14-month-old wire-haired pointer Cricket two decades ago.

“I hated that dog,” she wrote in her memoir, detailing that Cricket was “untrainable”, “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog”.

“At that moment,” Ms Noem continued, “I realized I had to put her down.” She admitted that “it was not a pleasant job... it had to be done”.

Seemingly everyone , from X users to comedians to Fox News to Hillary Clinton , has slammed her decision to slay her dog.

Regardless of the barrage of scrutiny , the South Dakota governor has repeatedly defended her decision.

In the immediate backlash, she posted on X, defensively: “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.”

In another post, she wrote: “I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book.”

When a Fox News anchor pressed the Republican governor about shooting her dog, Ms Noem in turn accused the host of “not hearing from real Americans that live on farms and ranches” before once again defending the slaying.

“I made a decision as a mom, and I’m a grandma, that the safety of my children and safety of people was what I needed to decide, protecting them from a very dangerous animal,” she said.

Ms Noem’s controversial book has arrived as former president Donald Trump eyes potential running mates. Although Ms Noem has been considered to be on his veep shortlist , she seems to have killed her chances – long before the dog-killing story surfaced.

Six sources told Politico that she had been “cast aside” as Mr Trump’s potential running mate long before the dog scandal came out.

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