Ultimately, a review's purpose is to help a potential reader know if a particular book is right for them. So if you write reviews from that perspective, you may find yourself writing more effective (and upvoted) reviews.
Here's What Voracious Readers Look For
Here are the top things that Voracious Readers Only subscribers look for when choosing a new book, in no particular order. You don't need to address every item in your review.
- What did you enjoy the most? What didn't you like? Why?
- Is the book in a genre you normally read?
- Did the story hook you with the first chapter or did it take a while to get into? Was it a page turner?
- Did the author's writing style bring the story to life? Did you like their voice?
- Were there issues with the author's grammar that made the story confusing or hurt the flow of the novel?
- How did the story make you feel?
- Did the main character/s grow during the course of the novel?
- Did the story remind you of other books, movies, or TV shows? Who do you think is the intended audience for the book?
- What was most memorable about the book (the characters, the world, the descriptions, the action scenes, the themes, etc.)?
- Did the book live up to the blurb? Did it exceed it? Was there something the author left out that you think would make the blurb more exciting for a potential reader?
- Would you purchase the next book in the series or other novels by the author?
What Readers Don't Like to See
- Don't reveal spoilers.
- Don't write a long book report.
- Don't be rude or penalize a book because it's not in a genre you normally read.
- Short reviews like "I loved it!" are fine, but sharing WHY you loved the book (or hated it) is more helpful to a potential reader.
One Last Thing
In order to best comply with the terms and services of Amazon, Goodreads, and other sites where you might post a review, make sure to note that you received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only within your review.