it novel book review

Stephen King

1168 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1986

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"Maybe there aren't any such things as good friends or bad friends - maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when you're hurt and who help you feel not so lonely. Maybe they're always worth being scared for, and hoping for, and living for. Maybe worth dying for too, if that's what has to be. No good friends. No bad friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart."

“And almost idly, in a kind of side-thought, Eddie discovered one of his childhood’s great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought.” ——— “We lie best when we lie to ourselves.”

“And maybe, Richie thought, that's the scary part. How you didn't stop being a kid all at once, with a big explosive bang, like one of that clown's trick balloons. The kid in you just leaked out, like the air of a tire.”

“[…] It occurred to him that kids were better at almost dying, and they were also better at incorporating the inexplicable into their lives. They believed implicitly in the invisible world. Miracles both bright and dark were to be taken into consideration, oh yes, most certainly, but they by no means stopped the world. A sudden upheaval of beauty or terror at ten did not preclude an extra cheesedog or two for lunch at noon. But when you grew up, all that changed. You no longer lay awake in your bed, sure something was crouching in the closet or scratching at the window ... but when something did happen, something beyond rational explanation, the circuits overloaded. The axons and dendrites got hot. You started to jitter and jive, you started to shake rattle and roll, your imagination started to hop and bop and do the funky chicken all over your nerves. You couldn’t just incorporate what had happened into your life experience. It didn’t digest. Your mind kept coming back to it, pawing it lightly like a kitten with a ball of string ... until eventually, of course, you either went crazy or got to a place where it was impossible for you to function.”

“I loved you guys, you know. I loved you so much.” ————— ————— “Or so Bill Denbrough sometimes thinks on those early mornings after dreaming, when he almost remembers his childhood, and the friends with whom he shared it.”

”For 27 years, I dreamt of you. I missed you. I craved you.” -Pennywise, IT

We all float down here.

«The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years - if it ever did end - began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain»

It is an horror novel. The bowels of Derry, Maine, cyclically regurgitate every 27 years a dark and abject entity, infecting the city with hate, feeding on the fear of people (or directly some people flesh-and-blood).

It is an adventure novel. Seven clumsy kids band together after a tragedy. They have in common a pretty unhappy life. "The Losers Club" borns that way, and this is their story. Stephen King already did a practice run with The Body , but this time he tops himself.

It is a drama novel. The lost youth of a handful of a bunch of 12- year-olds, forced to give up their innocence to make room to a still-green sense of right and duty. The renewed fears of grownups not completely grow up, plunging down once again to the depths of despair.

And yet: It is a novel about friendship and solidarity, It is a novel about violence with violent stories of bullying and alcoholism, It is novel about redemption. It is a fantasy novel, a gothic novel, a coming-of-age story. It is a novel with a first-class style of writing, never boring. It is a novel that should be read two times, once as a kid and again as an adult, wearing the protagonist's skin as role-playing, and luckily I did. And after two readings, surely followed by a third one in the future, I can only express my thanks, as a reader, for the opportunity to read this wonder.

Evil just keeps on coming, it always does. The important thing is Good is ready each time to greet it properly. Kicking its arse.

«Il terrore che sarebbe durato per ventotto anni, ma forse anche di più, ebbe inizio, per quel che mi è dato sapere e narrare, con una barchetta di carta di giornale che scendeva lungo un marciapiede in un rivolo gonfio di pioggia»

Romanzo dell'orrore, questo It. Le viscere di Derry, nel Maine, rigurgitano ciclicamente ogni 27 anni un'entità nera e abietta che infetta d'odio il luogo che ha scelto a propria dimora, cibandosi delle paure degli abitanti (oltre che di qualche abitante stesso in carne ed ossa).

Romanzo d'avventura, questo It. Sette ragazzini un po' imbranati fanno gruppo in seguito ad una tragedia. Hanno in comune una vita piuttosto infelice. Nasce così il "Club dei Perdenti", e questa è la loro storia. Le prove generali Stephen King le aveva fatte con "Il Corpo" ( The Body ), ma qui si supera.

Romanzo drammatico questo It. La perduta giovinezza di un pugno di dodicenni, costretti ad abbandonare la spensieratezza per far posto ad un ancora acerbo senso del dovere e del giusto. Le paure rinnovate di adulti mai cresciuti fino in fondo, che si trovano di nuovo a sprofondare nell'abisso della disperazione.

Prima o poi il male ritorna, lo fa sempre. L'importante è che ci sia il bene ad accoglierlo come si conviene. A calci in culo.

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It by Stephen King

It, by Stephen King, was a book that impacted heavily upon my teenage years. It was at that time both the biggest - and the scariest - book I’d ever read and it is a book I remember most fondly. It is always a risk to revisit beloved books decades later - you’ve (hopefully) matured, which has both negatives and positives when it comes to re-reading, and like as not the revisited book is unable to pack the same punch it once did. And this was true of It, and also King’s other doorstopper, The Stand. They were both good reads but this time around I found issues and weaknesses that I gleefully missed and ignored when I was a teenager. Oh, how I miss being young...

It’s a book about childhood, in particular the special elements like friendships that seem they will last forever, days and lives that will last forever. I cannot think of many authors who can capture what it was like to be a kid better than King. He remembers things vividly and through his words allows us to remember the excitement, the awkwardness, the ability to laugh genuinely and hard at the dumbest of things. But it is not all fun, there are the bullies, there is the feeling of inadequacy and isolation. This is not just a horror story, indeed it is less about horror and more about coming of age.

As always with any book, you should focus on the positives first and foremost. As already mentioned, this is not  simply a horror book, the scary moments are few and far between and all the more powerful for it. This is a book that allows us to relive the most potent time of our lives - our childhood. King’s narrative details the young and adult lives of Bill, Richie, Stan, Bev, Eddie and Mike (The Loser’s Club) and at the same time bring to life the cursed town of Derry. And to be honest the book’s colossal length of just shy of 1,200 pages does not feel that long, especially when you are within the chapters that capture your imagination and fears most. There is much of worth and value within the pages and nostalgia plays a large part in the reading enjoyment. You’ll like these kids, they will remind you of yourself and your childhood friends, and the fact that adult life rarely pans out the way you’d thought and hoped it might will resonate with the large majority of adult readers.

However, if you speak to readers who did not enjoy It their reservations often focus on the same two areas. Many say it’s too long and too detailed, often pointlessly so. But the main recurring objection to the book is the ending, which I have to admit slightly disappointed me all those years ago and this time around left me feeling rather uncomfortable. It’s not just that the denouement is a bit of a let-down (which I feel it is) it is those now infamous few pages in which 6 boys and 1 girl (all aged 11) have sex in the sewers. It is very difficult to explain why this happened and what Stephen King intended but now I am older, and a father, it is such a strange event to occur than I find it almost inexplicable. And for many it ruins the hundreds of pages of excellent story and characterisation that went before.

As an exploration of childhood, growing up, friendship and facing both real and supernatural fears I still hold It up as a great book. But the ending, and the book’s length in general, will be unpalatable to many readers.

9/10 An exploration of childhood, growing up, friendship and facing both real and supernatural fears

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Review by Floresiensis

28 positive reader review(s) for It

Stephen King biography

Luke Williams from United Kingdom

The ending was quite good but didn’t leave anyone on a good ending. It just had complex vocabulary and descriptive words but not exciting ending.

Angelique from United States

Awesome book, I loved it

Felicia from United States

I preface this by saying I am a huge Stephen King fan and have been since 10 years old. I recently read IT as an adult in my 30's and here we go...This story is an undertaking to read at over 1000 pages, but I don't feel like the details are "filler" as some feel or too much. Stephen King is super detailed in all of his stories. IT was a beautiful story about childhood, facing fears, life long love and friendships, and finding inner strength and courage. There were so many parts of this story that I reread because of how beautiful it is. King's ability to remind you of feelings associated with childhood - fear, awkwardness, love, lonesomeness, best friends, bullies, etc - is amazingly relayed. I too feel that I know Derry and could draw a map of it. I feel now familiar with the Barrens, the library, Kansas Street - I feel this because he writes descriptions the viewer feels they can see. The picture is painted for you and it's a masterpiece. I will say I agree that the particular scene was jarring to me, but not enough to ruin the story for me. I've been reading King so long, you would think I couldn't be shocked anymore, however...but all of that aside, I fully recommend it, it's a fantastic read. It took me a month and I am an avid reader, reading to the detriment of all other things, so..but while this book is a commitment, I don't think the reader will be dissapointed.

Devin from US

Phenomenal, even despite the gargantuan size of the book. In all honesty, I think the book is too short. It consists of extremely realistic characters, a thrill-ride of scares, childhood nostalgia, and an overall great plot, you can't ask for much more. The only reason I don't give the book a solid 10 is because of the occasional (unnecessary) sexual nature of the book, but put aside King's occasional horniness, It is definitely a book worth reading.

Caleb from United States

I overall think the book was very interesting but I feel as if there was some unnessesary story in the book that just made it drag on and on at times but overall a really good read.

Jay from Israel

The span of emotions regarding this work by Stephan King is very interesting. I found the book a bit of a disappointment. Having read several of his books before and hearing great praise for IT, I downloaded the book with high hopes. The length of the book was an instant surprise, and as I later found out, a serious drawback. Yes, I belong to the group of readers who think that the book is loaded with much too many stories, narratives, characters and detail. So many that the names, places and times just get lost in the flood. Almost all of them are well written and interesting in their own right, but after a while, it becomes too much and irksome. Perhaps even more disappointing were the multiple climaxes at the end. So many things and characters that were endlessly built up throughout the book sort of fizzled out without much explanation, or detail, just when they were most expected. The list of characters in this respect is pretty long, but I won't mention them for sake of not spoiling things for new readers. I can't say I was shocked by the bit about the interaction between the children towards the end, but I truly don't get it, or why it was important. In summary, while I am not sorry I spent the time to read all of it, King has written better books.

Rick from United States

A long episodic novel, at times exciting, that mostly moved at a reasonable pace just enough to keep me engaged throughout. There were a few lags due to long winded details mixed with philosophical insights that I thought were fillers, but they were well written so I still felt captivated by King's command of the narrative. My only gripe was near the end when the kids did something that ruined the coming of age aspect of their epic adventure. I don't know what King was thinking when he'd decided to include this weird interplay between the kids; maybe he thought that upping the craziness and absurdity would satisfy readers' expectations and jolt them out of boredom, ensuring readers that the book would end without a controversial bang...but it didn't do anything for me other than feeling cheated, disappointed, and disgusted. For this reason, I thought it cheapened the novel and prevented it from becoming a true literary classic.

Ricky from California

Book is fantastic. The only reason people are complaining about the book is because they watch the movie before hand.

Brandon from United States

A fantastic book with a plethera of great characters, interesting scenes, and fantastic worldbuilding. For all the other bad reviews about "IT", the unneccesary parts you keep talking about is building up the world and characters, and was entertaining content nonetheless. He uses Jewish slurs and the N world to portray how it really was back in those times, as it was very common for them to be used. And for anyone who thinks they write "IT' in 500 pages or less and still have it be good, do it, and email me a copy, I'll give you a review. [email protected]

Steven from USA

This book is a real commitment. I just finished reading it, and I feel exhausted by it. I began it about 7 months ago and have been thoughtfully averaging about 50 pages a week. I give it 9 stars out of 10. I feel like I know this fictional town, and like I could draw a map of it. I'll miss it I think.

Tony from U.S.A

This book was by far the best book I have ever read. I just finished it and it is hard to let the characters go. Stephen King is a great writer! He leaves his audience in suspense and does not shy away from giving the full picture. I recommend it to all who enjoy fiction novels. It does have some heavy content. Amazing novel!

Alexander from United States

This book was just plain incredible. I didn't think I'd read all 1153 pages because I didn't like reading much anymore after school killed the joy of it. I just got the book because I had to get a book and I enjoyed the movie so I gave it a shot. Stephen King is an amazing writer, the amount of detail and characterization that goes on in this book kept me going. It did take me almost half a year though to read , since I procrastinate a lot. I enjoyed how the book took you from classic monster horrors that a child would dream up of like clowns, zombies, and spiders, to diving into all the real life horrors like racism, abuse, sickness, losing a loved one, homophobia, and just plain bullying. I love seeing the story unfold slowly learning along with the adults, what they did in the 50's and how they are gonna defeat the monster. Unlike others, I found the ending really satisfying but bittersweet. Would highly recommend picking up if you enjoyed the movie.

Diego from Panamá

This book is difficult to categorize in which age target is appropiate beacuse if you put for kids of 11 or 12 year old (as the main characthers of this book) the scences of the present part (in which the Loser's Club members are adults) have scences of sex and other things ,that the ones who read the book knows. But I think that teenagers and also kids (obviusly of 12 and 13 year old) should read this book because the lessons that they can carry carry off of this book and how the book results inspirational. The book have some errors as many of Stephen King books. For example: I feel that the reason of the members from Loser's Club to confront Pennywise are clonic, except Bill, who haved the most pragmatic reason to confront the clown, and the others feel like weak (but they compensate this with their tridimensionalitie and how realistic they are). Other error is that it feels kinf of convenient that Bill's father had knowledge of Derry's sewers and it feels much more convenient that he has not even asked his son what he would like to know. But the book in my opinion is an 8.5/10. Im not agree with the people who says that the book is bad because it has a slow narrative. I think that histories like these should have that hind of narrative because that help to develop the plot better and also have more time to introduce the characthers and know them. Pd: If some person notice a ortographic fault in my review, have mercy of mercy of me and im trying to learn english ;)

Anthony from Australia

Sensational. I think you'll find those who say it holds too much unnecessary information and detail are the same type of people who expect instant gratification in life and hold little to no imagination of their own. This book is art. This book delves into childhood and brings up image's of a past we all had, one filled with wonder, fantasy and terrors of things unseen. Only here, the terror is real. Stephen King introduces us to a world where the main characters are are so fleshed out, you develop an attachment to each one as though you are part of their group and with all of them for every step. The ending left me quiet and feeling slightly less, as though I had just said goodbye to good friends. It reminded me of those times I visited my own childhood home and despite wishing to stay had to leave once again. The sex between the group. I think it's says more about those who are revolted than it says anything about King. It's sexuality for me, was non existant. This was a bonding amongst seven young people that surpassed the norm. An expression of true love between the group who had been brought together, who were meant to all together. And it also made the ending, the forgetting, even more sad. Depsite the horrors inside this story, it's a world I wish was real. Such is the ability of Stephen King, one of the greatest novelists who will continue to live through the ages long after we're gone.

Maryanne from Australia

What is the recommend age to read this book?? Hi Maryanne, I myself read it first when I was 15 & it scared the living daylights out of me. I would recommend a minimum age of 15. Thanks - Lee @ Fantasy Book Review

Cameron from America

I would read this book for hours and loved every bit except for the intercourse at the end… like really?

Andrew from United Kingdom

I've just finished it and I miss the characters. I could see the light of the long summer days from when I was a kid (I was 11 years old in 1987, growing up in Poland). The book instantly brought back memories of how we played during summer holidays. To me, its not a horror story. It's a story about a lost childhood. How we grow up and forget all those beautiful moments and purple that used to be very important in our lives. How we can't even remember some of the names of our childhood friends. It reminds me a lot of Hearts In Atlantis, which I consider one of the most beautiful books about childhood I've ever read. I found parts where Mike Hanlon reports sightings of Pennywise from old Derry redundant. You won't miss anything off you skip those parts. I hated the real monster. It's kind of lazy of King to have gone in this direction. I also found the seed scene very weird and unsettling. Otherwise, a must-read. The ending clearly shows that it is a book about wonders of childhood and how growing up robs us of it.

June from India

A 1367 pages long mistake....the whole book could be just shortened to abt 250 pgs...unwanted detailing and unnecessary vulgarity at the end..

Caroline from United States

I abosutely LOVED this book!! I already watched the movie prior to reading it and it was interesting to see how they are alike and different. This book was definitely one of the best and well written books I have read. I will say some parts go into a lot of detail and are kind of boring, but overall it gets really intense and I could never put it down! I fell in love with the characters ever since I watched the movie and I felt the same while reading the book. This book is not only horror but a story full of friendship, childhood, and love. 100000/10 recommend.

Maine book fair from USA

Bob from Canter

Great book:))

Mark from Australia

I got “It” for my birthday and, as l am not an avid reader, l found the 1300+ pages quite daunting. Overall, l did enjoy the book but, like other reviews in this forum, King included a lot of detail about characters, places and events that could have been reduced. Obviously he needed to portray Derry as a town which had a horrible and evil history. I found the child sex scene a bit off putting but again King was trying to explain the special bond this group had. I didn’t mind the ending and will now have to see the movie.

Elyse from United States

People complain about the child orgy which is very subtle compared to a famous author I know. Clearly none of you have read Edward Lee books. You'll die of a heart attack.

Susanna from Australia

This was my first stephen king novel and after the first three chapters i nearly threw it out the window. Boy am i glad i didnt. I feel in love with the characters the town everything stephen wrote about made me feel like i knew them. I couldnt wait to finish it often thinking about the book during my wrking hours . It was a brilliant story that sent me on my path to read every stephen king novel i can find thank you

Duke from America

It is a great book to the end with deadlights and a giant turtle. The loser club charters were great

August Profumo from USA

It Book Review By August Profumo Its first victim was six year old George Denborogh. His (ten year old brother) Bill had built a paper boat and covered with hot wax, so that it could stay, dry and buoyant down the street during a stormy morning. George, who was wearing a yellow rain slicker with a hood and galoshes, chased it all the way down (splashing joyfully) from one side of the street to the other. But, when it suddenly shot down a storm drains’ mouth, he tried to snatch it with one arm while it was still swirling from vortices in the center, tantalizingly. But, IT tore his arm off—and he died of shock from losing too much blood. Then a few other children suffered similar fates, but IT always assumed the same form, a Clown with Orange pompons, aka Penny Wise. Then two gay men who were crossing their favorite bridge were assaulted in the Future by two anti-gay men. Then one hoodlum threw Adrian Mellon over the bridge, after using fists. Then he landed near a Storm drain, where IT a Clown lurked and then killed Mellon. So, the gay survivor’s attorney explained that, if he ever mentioned seeing the Clown, they’d lose the case. So, the Gay had to cover it up. So, currently the Derry Librarian (Mike Hanlon), who was a friend, called Bill on the phone and asked him to return to Derry since IT appeared to be happening again. It’s finely spun tale about a group of childhood friends that took an oath to return to their home (Derry, Main) to destroy, IT, since they had apparently failed as children. The group of seven friends struggles to overcome IT: a monster. When they were children, however, IT appeared to be a shape shifter: it automatically adapted its visage to coincide with the children’s greatest fear. Thus, IT appeared differently to everyone, according to the perceiver precepts. So, it looked like The Creature, The Werewolf, Frankenstein, The Mummy, a leper, a Giant Bird, or an Eye. This stems from watching horror movies at the Aladdin Theater with Bella Lugosi. Since this Period was 1958, a black and white TV was possible. So, when the friends were Adults IT, appeared to be two different types of giant spiders: One spiritual (eternal, dimensional or immortal), and the other mortal (flesh and blood that laid eggs). The friends must overcome both in order to triumph. The spiritual (IT) had to be defeated first before attempting to kill the body (IT). So, there were two separate battles. So, when the Turtle created the Universe (by accident), IT wasn’t included. So, IT had to create itself. The spiritual (IT) was sublime, courageous and cunning, thus, it was extremely tough to defeat. But, the body (IT) was bizarre, cowardly and naive and begged for its own survival and that of its spawn: one hundred eggs. It was trying to bargain. But, Ben crushed them all with his feet. It’s weaving back and forth superbly between when they were children and when they were Adults. So, you’ll be dying to read the next thread. A Vision for IT Bill and Ben had researched in the Library and concluded that since the Indians believed in Visions after being exposed to smoking logs in their lodges that they should try it. So, they gathered faggots and placed them inside their underground fort to ignite with matches later. Then Bill asked Beverly, if she’d be so kind as to not participate just in case they might have problems getting out. So, she could help. But, she asked everyone to draw lots from her matches, and even though, everyone drew fairly with a single match from her hand, ultimately, Bill ordered that everyone should participate including Beverly. Within a few hours, only Mike Hanlon and Richard Cozier remained within their smoking lodge—everyone else had driven out including their illustrious Leader: Bill. Then when they emerged—a few hours later—they were coughing slightly, but they were Ok. However, Bill asked them if they had had the desired vision—but they agreed that they had—and it was shared. IT hailed from outside the Earth (perhaps, from a different Universe). IT crashed over a million years ago and landed in Derry, Main. IT was eternal and a spiritual being. IT would sleep for about twenty-seven years, then awaken, and commence eating children’s bodies and souls. Bill discovers Silver when he comes back as an Adult When Bill revisited Derry as an Adult, he found his trusty old childhood bike again at a local store: Silver. So, he bought it. Then he called Mike Hanlon on the phone and asked if he could leave it there in his garage. He agreed. Then Bill had to walk it by propping its flat top tire up and balancing it on the bottom, precariously. So, he’s holding it up by its handle bars. Then he used two hands: one gripping the handle bars and the other the top flat tire. Then he walked forward a wee bit at time. So, when he arrived at Mike’s, he already had all of Bill’s tire kit gear and screw drivers ready (including a pump). Mike had bought everything about a month ago, and he had known why. Then Bill puts Silver on its seat and tests the wheels by spinning them a few times after finishing his repairs. Then he tightened some bolts and put a few more drops of 3-M gear oil on the chain. Then he beeps his horn, “Aaaauuuuuggguuuuuu.” Making a Dam Initially, Ben had a major scrape with three bad classmates who followed him from the Library to the Barrens where three children were building a dam: Eddie, Richey and Bill. (Ben had refused to allow their leader to copy from his Exam paper on the Last day of school). The Bad classmates had reaped havoc on their nascent dam by kicking it apart with their feet—and then stomping on it. But, when Ben arrived, he chucked a few stones furiously at them, driving them away—and the others friends assisted by throwing their own. So, Ben drew a side view diagram, with his notebook and pen, how to build a stronger Dam with wooden boards, supports, sand and gravel. Then they agreed to meet the next day to begin their new project. So, they started at 8am, Jun 4. But, their initial attempt had failed, so they had to pile a few more stones between the plywood planks. So, it took about three weeks. The dam was so successful that the local cop, Mr. Nell, told them that they had to take it down, since it caused the sewage lines to backup around town. He told them that if they tore it down (quickly) that he wouldn’t press charges. Beverly notices that her parents can’t see the blood in her bathroom She used the sink and toilet, but she saw a lot of blood suddenly gushing out of vents and spilling out, all over the floor. So, she had to clean it off herself with towels since her stomach, arms and legs were covered. So, she told her friends about it. So, the four boys: Eddie, Bill, Richey and Ben went to her house since her parents were gone for the day at work: her father was a Janitor and her mother was a waitress. But, they saw the mess. So, they helped her clean by buying new towels and then they took them to the local laundry mat to be cleaned. Beverley, remembered her parents having sex once with the bed springs crashing loudly up and down. Her friend explained to her about what she knew about it: “When the man finishes, he pees all over your bug.” Beverly as an adult was Living with her husband Tom who beat her up with his belt Beverly had married a successful business man who nevertheless beat her regularly with his own leather belt. Initially, he used it when he caught her smoking, since she had agreed to quit. But, once in awhile when she had received parking tickets, he’d hit her with it a few times. Then he’d say, “You’re going to get a Whipping!” just like his mother. But, Beverley believed that since her own father had hit her when she deserved it, that’s why she was submissive. But, when she told Tom that she’d be leaving for while in order to fulfill her prior commitments (although she didn’t say where) he went berserk. So, he went beyond the pale of a mere whipping with her. So, she retaliated in order keep to stay alive and to return to Derry, Main. After, escaping Beverly called her friend from a 7-11 from a pay phone and arranged to visit. Then she took a cab to her apartment and stayed there overnight, sleeping on the front room’s couch. Then the next morning, she explained what had happened—and her friend was a Pro-woman’s liberation type (like Rhoda Kellogg). So, her friend said, “You should’ve divorced your husband, Tom, years ago. Then she arranged for her plane’s departure to Derry, Main—and her friend dropped her off at the airport. Then Tom Visited Beverly’s Friend’s apartment and forced his way in—although initially she had dropped her guard for only a second. Then she was forced to reveal where Beverly had gone, because after beating her to a pulp the first time, he had threatened to kill her. So, Tom flew there. But, since he looked bad from his wife’s beating, the rental car agencies refused to rent him a car. So, Tom searched through the classified newspaper, searching for cars. Somehow, he found one, but he had to get the plates for it in the airport garage. Then he asked the seller via pay phone to drop a screw driver off to do it with, when he delivered the car to the airport. Then, when he arrived, he paid the kid $1,100 cash. The Refrigerator with Parasites in the Dump Beverley, had followed one Bad Guy to his favorite refrigerator in the Dump, where he kept a Zoo of half dead animals like cats, dogs, rats. Then when he opened the door, he was attacked by one Parasite type creature similar to a flying leech, with a huge proboscis, which poked a huge quarter inch in diameter hole in his arm, and started sucking his blood. So, he grabbed it with his free hand, squashing it dead. But, the blood that had oozed out of his wound on ground was his. Then another ten vile creatures emerged and attached themselves to him in the same revolting way, sucking all his blood out. Then, for the coup de grace, IT came by with a slightly different visage and dragged him off to eat. Then Beverly rejoins her friends and shows them what has happened to the Dump’s refrigerator. Then they followed her in order to ascertain, where the boy who was dragged off by IT, went. Then when they arrived within the vicinity, they saw a giant tunnel spiraling, downward. So, Beverly, who had her (Target) slingshot in her back pocket, pulled it out, and withdrew one of the two silver pellets from her front pocket, then aimed it, and finally shot at a creature that looked like a giant mosquito from hell. But, initially she had missed, but it had curved back magically and struck its target—making mince meat out of it—at the last second. The First Rock Fight Mike Hanlon was trying to escape from three bad classmates who had infiltrated by climbing over his fences and continued following him out. One claimed to have poisoned his dog. They hit each other with branches and pelted each other with small stones. So, they chased him to the Barrens wild country, where he was trying to shake them. That’s where the friends were, in their own territory. So, they had had plenty of ammo: round sedimentary stones against their arch enemies who were pursuing, strategically cached in pits. So, they succeeded in defending themselves, admirably. So, from that day onward they allowed Mike Hanlon to become a member of The Losers Club. So, he agreed to keep their vital secrets. But, after talking with him, they discovered that some of their experiences were shared: IT. Then Mike showed his friends his father’s entire collection of photos from Derry without asking for his permission, which included the Clown, doing round-offs, flip-flops and double whip backs, as entertainment for the children and handing out orange helium filled balloons that floated in the opposite direction of the wind without casting any shadows. (Bill had seen similar revealing pictures from his father’s albums with his little brother, George). Mike had seen IT in person as well. The Black Spot Fire Mike was talking to his father at the hospital just before he died of Cancer and he was taking morphine to kill the pain. He told him about when he was in the Army and patronized local off base drinking establishments during (Carrie Nation’s) Prohibition on the weekends, which was merited because he had worked extremely hard during the week. He got in trouble for going because somehow it got back to the CO. So, they allowed the blacks on his base to build their own club there. After, we refurbished its floors with oil, it opened everyday at 11am but it was like a cafeteria serving only Soda pop and cheddar burgers with French fries. Then after a while, we had live Jazz music on Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm to 2am. Indeed, it was so popular that people would come from across the state line, stay and danced all night long but they brought their own booze inside brown paper bags (like Canadian Whisky). Then about six hooded gang members with white robes and masks drove there in a white van and exited. Then they lit their kerosene torches with matches and used them to ignite the building inside, mainly by throwing them through the kitchen window. The front door was wide open, but because that was the only way out, it got jammed shut during the first ten seconds, since there was a stampede (about 300 people panicked). Then I was able to escape by jumping through the kitchen window, but I had to be careful not to cut my hands with broken glass. Then the sergeant showed up, driving a heavy steak truck. Then he got out and started to give orders to my friend and me. So, my friend hit the sergeant’s head with his fist, knocking him out cold. Then he jumped into the truck and rammed it into the flaming building. The first time he hit, he got hurt, but when he hit it again by putting it in reverse. Then when he finally hit it full force, a small crack appeared and a few people were able to scuttle out, escaping with smoke trailing behind. But, some were still on fire, so I started throwing buckets of water or hitting them with wet towels in order to extinguish it. The Epilogue Then at the very End, Bills wife, Audra, who had survived the ordeal with IT—in the catacombs, attached to a cocoons’ spun like thread—was stricken with catatonia. But, she still hasn’t recovered fully—even though Bill has grown bald from aging. So, Bill gets Silver ready—his trusty old bike from his childhood days with Playing cards on its spokes held there by close-pins. Then he takes her for a ride. Then when he says,” Hi Oh, Silver, Away!” she finally wakes up from her catatonic state like a miracle. Then she warns him to stop or he’ll kill them both with his foolishness. Then Audra, said, “I remember getting off the plane at Bangor, and I can’t remember a thing after that.” Analysis King continues writing until he’s satisfied with his Endings. But, because he’s hot-rodder, he’s rolling along inexorably forward from his own momentum like a giant wheel. So, it’ll take a while for him to stop because his accrued momentum (from velocity and mass) is insurmountably massive. His descriptions are still remarkably detailed, vivid and refreshing from beginning to end. He’s thoroughly immersed in his topic because he identifies closely with each character for their sake. So, he sees their perspectives and understands it utterly. Then his explanations are honest, profound and outstanding.

Martin from Austria

Never have I been this scared while reading a book!

Adam from Australia

This is a book that can shape your reading years as a child/teenager (I believe I was 10 when I first read IT) simply because it can reach out to those parts of your life that resonate most strongly with what the Loser's Club may experience away from the horror of IT. I have since read this novel several times since and while I can on occasion feel a bit impatient to reach critical points in the novel I also realize that those moments would not have the same impact without the time spent exploring the characters beforehand. I disagree with the comment about the length (which the above also mentions is not an issue for all) as I found that it created a complete journey for the main cast which may have been missed on a shorter page count. And also I was always surprised by the outrage about the scene where Beverly ties them all together during sex, to me it made sense in the situation of which it occurred given that they were trying to create a bond that would never be lost in the insanity they had witnessed and the lives ahead of them. I guess the purpose of this was in a sense that if they had not created some connection (and Stan's cutting of palms also follows) they would have never come back to end IT later on in their lives and what they had gone through as children would have accounted for nothing.

9.1 /10 from 29 reviews

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by Stephen King ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1986

King's newest is a gargantuan summer sausage, at 1144 pages his largest yet, and is made of the same spiceless grindings as ever: banal characters spewing sawdust dialogue as they blunder about his dark butcher shop. The horror this time out is from beyond the universe, a kind of impossible-to-define malevolence that has holed up in the sewers under the New England town of Derry. The It sustains itself by feeding on fear-charged human meat—mainly children. To achieve the maximum saturation of adrenalin in its victims, It presents itself sometimes as an adorable, balloon-bearing clown which then turns into the most horrible personal vision that the victims can fear. The novel's most lovingly drawn settings are the endless, lightless, muck-filled sewage tunnels into which it draws its victims. Can an entire city—like Derry—be haunted? King asks. Say, by some supergigantic, extragalactic, pregnant spider that now lives in the sewers under the waterworks and sends its evil mind up through the bathtub drain, or any drain, for its victims? In 1741, everyone in Derry township just disappeared—no bones, no bodies—and every 27 years since then something catastrophic has happened in Derry. In 1930, 170 children disappeared. The Horror behind the horrors, though, was first discovered some 27 years ago (in 1958, when Derry was in the grip of a murder spree) by a band of seven fear-ridden children known as the Losers, who entered the drains in search of It. And It they found, behind a tiny door like the one into Alice's garden. But what they found was so horrible that they soon began forgetting it. Now, in 1985, these children are a horror novelist, an accountant, a disc jockey, an architect, a dress designer, the owner of a Manhattan limousine service, and the unofficial Derry town historian. During their reunion, the Losers again face the cyclical rebirth of the town's haunting, which again launches them into the drains. This time they meet It's many projections (as an enormous, tentacled, throbbing eyeball, as a kind of pterodactyl, etc.) before going through the small door one last time to meet. . .Mama Spider! The King of the Pulps smiles and shuffles as he punches out his vulgarian allegory, but he too often sounds bored, as if whipping himself on with his favorite Kirin beer for zip.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1986

ISBN: 0451169514

Page Count: 1110

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Sept. 26, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1986

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A LITTLE LIFE

by Hanya Yanagihara ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015

The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.

Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.

Yanagihara ( The People in the Trees , 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.  

Pub Date: March 10, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-53925-8

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

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PERSPECTIVES

by Elin Hilderbrand ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2015

Once again, Hilderbrand displays her gift for making us care most about her least likable characters.

Hilderbrand’s latest cautionary tale exposes the toxic—and hilarious—impact of gossip on even the most sophisticated of islands.

Eddie and Grace Pancik are known for their beautiful Nantucket home and grounds, financed with the profits from Eddie’s thriving real estate company (thriving before the crash of 2008, that is). Grace raises pedigreed hens and, with the help of hunky landscape architect Benton Coe, has achieved a lush paradise of fowl-friendly foliage. The Panciks’ teenage girls, Allegra and Hope, suffer invidious comparisons of their looks and sex appeal, although they're identical twins. The Panciks’ friends the Llewellyns (Madeline, a blocked novelist, and her airline-pilot husband, Trevor) invested $50,000, the lion’s share of Madeline’s last advance, in Eddie’s latest development. But Madeline, hard-pressed to come up with catalog copy, much less a new novel, is living in increasingly straightened circumstances, at least by Nantucket standards: she can only afford $2,000 per month on the apartment she rents in desperate hope that “a room of her own” will prime the creative pump. Construction on Eddie’s spec houses has stalled, thanks to the aforementioned crash. Grace, who has been nursing a crush on Benton for some time, gives in and a torrid affair ensues, which she ill-advisedly confides to Madeline after too many glasses of Screaming Eagle. With her agent and publisher dropping dire hints about clawing back her advance and Eddie “temporarily” unable to return the 50K, what’s a writer to do but to appropriate Grace’s adultery as fictional fodder? When Eddie is seen entering her apartment (to ask why she rented from a rival realtor), rumors spread about him and Madeline, and after the rival realtor sneaks a look at Madeline’s rough draft (which New York is hotly anticipating as “the Playboy Channel meets HGTV”), the island threatens to implode with prurient snark. No one is spared, not even Hilderbrand herself, “that other Nantucket novelist,” nor this magazine, “the notoriously cranky Kirkus.”

Pub Date: June 16, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-316-33452-5

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: May 20, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015

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by Elin Hilderbrand

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‘It’ Review: Stephen King’s Killer Clown Faithfully Comes to Life, But Don’t Expect Any Surprises

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Supernatural coming-of-age stories, particularly those set in the ’80s, have become so entrenched in popular culture that it ‘s easy to forget where they came from. Stephen King ‘s sprawling 1986 novel “It” is a good place to start: In small-town Maine, a murderous shapeshifting clown faces down a group of adolescents who return as adults to finish the job years later. For decades, “It” has been the paradigm for stories about geeky kids who face terrifying threats and become grown-ups in the process. Its impact on the horror landscape is incalculable, reverberating in contemporary genre successes ranging from “The Babadook” to “Stranger Things.”

All of which makes a 2017 feature-length version into a tricky proposition. Setting aside that King’s novel already received one lengthy adaptation as a TV miniseries in 1990 with Tim Curry in the iconic role of Pennywise the clown, “It” must push beyond the familiarity of its tale to make the appeal new again. Director Andrés Muschietti pulls off that task by being slavishly committed to the source material and the resulting two-and-a-half hour horror-adventure saga winds up a serviceable adaptation and nothing more.

That’s not to say horror junkies won’t get their fix: littered with beautiful imagery, absorbing soundscapes, and adorable pre-teens facing unspeakable terror, “It” is Stephen King crack. The iconic plight of “The Losers Club,” the self-titled group of outcasts who realize the Pennywise has quietly murdered locals and preyed on their fears for decades while keeping most adults under its spell, unfolds much as the novel — even as it simplifies its appeal with jump scares.

Creepiness comes hard and fast: Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård, alternately snarling and cooing in a variation of Curry’s take on the role) pops up in a shadowy sewer entrance to mutilate and kill young Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) in a rainstorm. The mysterious event leaves his older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) reeling from guilt a year later, catapulting him on a journey for answers with his posse in tow. Bill, who copes with a stutter, and neighborhood bully Henry (Nicholas Hamilton, a crude caricature), hang out with neurotic bar mitzvah kid Stan (Wyatt Oleff), pampered Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), and foul-mouthed Richie (“Stranger Things” star Finn Wolfhard, ostensibly playing a variation on that show’s same scrawny whippersnapper). There’s also Mike (Chosen Jacobs), another target of bullying who may be a victim of racism, though the film never acknowledges as much.

Eventually, the group adopts new resident Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), a portly introvert who mainly serves the purpose of explaining how their sleepy suburbia is assailed by a monstrous clown that feeds on fear every 27 years for millennia. Complicated by the boys’ nascent testosterone, they are astonished to find the attractive Beverly (Sophia Lillis) forcing her way into the club. Rejected by the girls in her school due to cruel rumors about promiscuity, and coping with an abusive alcoholic father at home, she’s more at home with the Losers Club than anywhere else. While still somewhat objectified in the larger context of the film’s story — gags about the boys ogling her body and complimenting her hair are never too far away — the screenplay doesn’t go overboard, thankfully doing away with the book’s notorious underage orgy scene.

Still, Beverly winds up being one of several ways in which “It” maintains an antiquated vibe. With the setting upgraded from the ’50s to the ’80s, with “Gremlins” posters adorning bedroom walls and New Kids on the Block references bleeding into the soundtrack, “It” doesn’t just take place in the confines of a novel written during King’s peak creative output; it may as well have been made then.

While the effects stand out as markedly contemporary — Pennywise emerging, larger-than-life, from a projector and the astonishing visual of floating bodies that fill his underground lair chief among them — the most effective, unnerving aspects of the movie require no 21st century polish. Each member of the Losers Club encounters Pennywise in a different form corresponding to their individual fears, from Beverly’s “Carrie”-like encounter with blood bursting from a sinkhole to the gooey leper that chases Eddie through a yard, and these encounters stand out as masterstrokes of cinematic shock effects. Above all, the greatest effect of “It” involves Pennywise himself, with Skarsgård taunting and wiggling his eyebrows whenever the occasion calls for it. He’s less character than spooky gimmick, but a chilling one nonetheless.

Ultimately, “It” manages just as much depth as its monster. For much of King’s novel, Pennywise menaces because his threat is abstract; some locals imply that his existence defies tangible explanation. That primal horror opens all kinds of thematic angles around the anxieties of youth and the fears of mortality, but “It” only nods to these ideas. The movie displays more interest in using them as a gateway to catapult from one jump scare to the next.

Things pop up from the shadows right on cue. The clown cackles aplenty, mashes his awful teeth, and wiggles his eyebrows. As the kids discuss It’s legacy, ominous music sets in to underscore their tales. Repeat. Though gorgeously shot by Chung-hoon Chung, no amount of stunning visuals can rescue “It” from the thud of familiarity.

It’s hard not to imagine what director Cary Fukunaga might have done with the material. (He left the project over creative differences, but retains a screenwriting credit.) His first season of “True Detective” showed a capacity for implying deep-seated terror around unknown possibilities; that would serve “It” far better than the maximalist approach and blunt dialogue that dominates Muschietti’s treatment.

Then again, a killer clown from outer space isn’t the most subtle metaphor for childhood fears coming to life. Pennywise’s iconic line — “We all float down here, you’ll float too” — becomes a kind of rallying cry, the creature’s means of celebrating its capacity to defy the natural order of things and force its victims to accept the chaos of their lives. At times, the movie excels at portraying the dread of children forced to confront a world indifferent to their concerns. But no matter how many times Pennywise leaps out from unexpected places, it’s impossible to shake the feeling that we’ve been here many times before.

“It” opens nationwide on September 8.

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Book Review: It

This novel follows the lives of five kids in a town called Derry. They bond together over their terror of It, an evil being that has a hold of their small town. They struggle overcome It with little support or understanding from the world around them. I choose to read this book because I knew the movie was coming out but being the book freak I am, I wanted to read it before I saw the movie adaption. I have to say after seeing both the old movie, the new movie, and reading the book, that the book was the most scary of the three. King writes with zero censor and hits on topics typically labeled taboo. The thing I like most about this novel was its ability to really impact me and make my skin crawl. Since its a horror novel “creepy” or frightening things are bound to be included but for me the most alarming parts of this book were some of the more realistic events such as spouse and animal abuse. This novel was not at all predictable, you just had to keep reading to see how the story would unfold. I know most people are set off by the size of the book but I have to say I never found myself bored or thinking that the parts King wrote were irrelevant. This was the first Stephen King novel I’ve ever read but I would definitely recommend it and will be reading more of his work. Due to the fact that the story was unlike anything else I’ve ever read I would say it's one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Review: Stephen King knows 'You Like It Darker' and obliges with sensational new tales

After 50 years, Stephen King knows his Constant Readers all too well. In fact, it’s right there in the title of the legendary master of horror’s latest collection of stories: “ You Like It Darker .” 

Heck yeah, Uncle Stevie, we do like it darker. Obviously so does King, who’s crafted an iconic career of keeping folks up at night either turning pages and/or trying to hide from their own creeped-out imagination. The 12 tales of “Darker” (Scribner, 512 pp., ★★★½ out of four) are an assortment of tried-and-true King staples, with stories that revisit the author’s old haunts – one being a clever continuation of an old novel – and a mix of genres from survival frights to crime drama (a favorite of King’s in recent years). It’s like a big bag of Skittles: Each one goes down different but they’re all pretty tasty.

And thoughtful as well. King writes in “You Like It Darker” – a play on a Leonard Cohen song – that with the supernatural and paranormal yarns he spins, “I have tried especially hard to show the real world as it is." With the opener “Two Talented Bastids,” King takes on an intriguing, grounded tale of celebrity: A son of a famous writer finally digs into the real reason behind how his father and his dad’s best friend suddenly went from landfill owners to renowned artists overnight.

That story’s bookended by “The Answer Man,” which weaves together Americana and the otherwordly. Over the course of several decades, a lawyer finds himself at major turning points, and the same strange guy shows up to answer his big questions (needing payment, of course), in a surprisingly emotional telling full of small-town retro charm and palpable dread.

With some stories, King mines sinister aspects in life’s more mundane corners. “The Fifth Step” centers on a sanitation engineer has a random and fateful meeting on a park bench with an addict working his way through sobriety, with one heck of a slowburn reveal. A family dinner is the seemingly quaint setting for twisty “Willie the Weirdo,” about a 10-year-old misfit who only confides in his dying grandpa. And in the playfully quirky mistaken-identity piece “Finn,” a truly unlucky teenager is simply walking home alone when wrong place and wrong time lead to a harrowing journey.

A couple entries lean more sci-fi: “Red Screen” features a cop investigating a wife’s murder, with her husband claiming she was possessed; while in “The Turbulence Expert,” a man named Craig Dixon gets called into work, his office is an airplane and his job is far from easy. There’s also some good old-fashioned cosmic terror with “The Dreamers,” starring a Vietnam vet and his scientist boss' experiments that go terrifyingly awry. The 76-year-old King notably offers up some spry elderly heroes, too. One finds himself in harm’s way during a family road trip in “On Slide Inn Road,” where a signed Ted Williams bat takes center stage, and “Laurie” chronicles an aging widower and his new canine companion running afoul of a ticked-off alligator.

'Carrie' turns 50: Ranking iconic author Stephen King's best books turned films

King epics like “It” and “The Stand” are so huge the books double as doorstops, yet the author has a long history of exceptional short fiction, including the likes of “The Body,” “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” and “The Life of Chuck” (from the stellar 2020 collection “If It Bleeds” ). And with “Darker,” it’s actually the two lengthier entries that are the greatest hits.

“Rattlesnakes” is a sequel of sorts to King’s 1981 novel "Cujo," where reptiles are more central to what happens than an unhinged dog. Decades after his son’s death and a divorce results from an incident involving a rabid Saint Bernard, Vic Trenton is retired and living at a friend’s mansion in the Florida Keys when a meeting with a neighbor leads to unwanted visits from youthful specters. It both brings a little healing catharsis to a traumatizing read ("Cujo" definitely sticks with you) and opens up a new wound with unnerving bite.

Then there’s the 152-page “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” which leans more into King’s recent noir detective/procedural era. School janitor Danny gets a psychic vision of a girl who’s been murdered and he tries to do the right thing by informing the police. But that’s when the nightmare really begins, as he becomes a prime suspect and has his life torn asunder by the most obsessed cop this side of Javert. Danny’s all too ready to be his Valjean, a compelling sturdy personality who fights back hard – and the best King character since fan-favorite private eye Holly Gibney .

“Horror stories are best appreciated by those who are compassionate and empathetic,” King writes in his afterword. And with “You Like It Darker,” he proves once more that his smaller-sized tales pack as powerful a wallop as the big boys.

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The 10 Best Book Reviews of 2020

Adam morgan picks parul sehgal on raven leilani, merve emre on lewis carroll, and more.

The pandemic and the birth of my second daughter prevented me from reading most of the books I wanted to in 2020. But I was able to read vicariously  through book critics, whose writing was a true source of comfort and escape for me this year. I’ve long told my students that criticism is literature—a genre of nonfiction that can and should be as insightful, experimental, and compelling as the art it grapples with—and the following critics have beautifully proven my point. The word “best” is always a misnomer, but these are my personal favorite book reviews of 2020.

Nate Marshall on Barack Obama’s A Promised Land ( Chicago Tribune )

A book review rarely leads to a segment on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams , but that’s what happened to Nate Marshall last month. I love how he combines a traditional review with a personal essay—a hybrid form that has become my favorite subgenre of criticism.

“The presidential memoir so often falls flat because it works against the strengths of the memoir form. Rather than take a slice of one’s life to lay bare and come to a revelation about the self or the world, the presidential memoir seeks to take the sum of a life to defend one’s actions. These sorts of memoirs are an attempt maybe not to rewrite history, but to situate history in the most rosy frame. It is by nature defensive and in this book, we see Obama’s primary defensive tool, his prodigious mind and proclivity toward over-considering every detail.”

Merve Emre on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ( The Point )

I’m a huge fan of writing about books that weren’t just published in the last 10 seconds. And speaking of that hybrid form above, Merve Emre is one of its finest practitioners. This piece made me laugh out loud and changed the way I think about Lewis Carroll.

“I lie awake at night and concentrate on Alice,  on why my children have fixated on this book at this particular moment. Part of it must be that I have told them it ‘takes place’ in Oxford, and now Oxford—or more specifically, the college whose grounds grow into our garden—marks the physical limits of their world. Now that we can no longer move about freely, no longer go to new places to see new things, we are trying to find ways to estrange the places and objects that are already familiar to us.”

Parul Sehgal on Raven Leilani’s Luster ( The New York Times Book Review )

Once again, Sehgal remains the best lede writer in the business. I challenge you to read the opening of any  Sehgal review and stop there.

“You may know of the hemline theory—the idea that skirt lengths fluctuate with the stock market, rising in boom times and growing longer in recessions. Perhaps publishing has a parallel; call it the blurb theory. The more strained our circumstances, the more manic the publicity machine, the more breathless and orotund the advance praise. Blurbers (and critics) speak with a reverent quiver of this moment, anointing every other book its guide, every second writer its essential voice.”

Constance Grady on Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ( Vox )

Restoring the legacies of ill-forgotten books is one of our duties as critics. Grady’s take on “the least famous sister in a family of celebrated geniuses” makes a good case for Wildfell Hall’ s place alongside Wuthering Heights  and Jane Eyre  in the Romantic canon.

“[T]he heart of this book is a portrait of a woman surviving and flourishing after abuse, and in that, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall feels unnervingly modern. It is fresh, shocking, and wholly new today, 200 years after the birth of its author.”

Ismail Muhammad on Anna Wiener’s Uncanny Valley ( The Atlantic )

Muhammad is a philosophical critic, so it’s always fun to see him tackle a book with big ideas. Here, he makes an enlightened connection between Wiener’s Silicon Valley memoir and Michael Lewis’s 1989 Wall Street exposé, Liar’s Poker.

“Like Lewis, Wiener found ‘a way out of unhappiness’ by writing her own gimlet-eyed generational portrait that doubles as a cautionary tale of systemic dysfunction. But if her chronicle acquires anything like the must-read status that Lewis’s antic tale of a Princeton art-history major’s stint at Salomon Brothers did, it will be for a different reason. For all her caustic insight and droll portraiture, Wiener is on an earnest quest likely to resonate with a public that has been sleepwalking through tech’s gradual reshaping of society.”

Hermione Hoby on Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs ( 4 Columns )

Hoby’s thousand-word review is a great example of a critic reading beyond the book to place it in context.

“When Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs  was first published in 2008, the then-governor of Tokyo, the ultraconservative Shintaro Ishihara, deemed the novel ‘unpleasant and intolerable.’ I wonder what he objected to? Perhaps he wasn’t into a scene in which the narrator, a struggling writer called Natsuko, pushes a few fingers into her vagina in a spirit of dejected exploration: ‘I . . . tried being rough and being gentle. Nothing worked.’”

Taylor Moore on C Pam Zhang’s How Much Of These Hills Is Gold ( The A.V. Club )

Describing Zhang’s wildly imaginative debut novel is hard, but Moore manages to convey the book’s shape and texture in less than 800 words, along with some critical analysis.

“Despite some characteristics endemic to Wild West narratives (buzzards circling prey, saloons filled with seedy strangers), the world of How Much Of These Hills Is Gold feels wholly original, and Zhang imbues its wide expanse with magical realism. According to local lore, tigers lurk in the shadows, despite having died out ‘decades ago’ with the buffalo. There also exists a profound sense of loss for an exploited land, ‘stripped of its gold, its rivers, its buffalo, its Indians, its tigers, its jackals, its birds and its green and its living.’”

Grace Ebert on Paul Christman’s Midwest Futures ( Chicago Review of Books )

I love how Ebert brings her lived experience as a Midwesterner into this review of Christman’s essay collection. (Disclosure: I founded the Chicago Review of Books five years ago, but handed over the keys in July 2019.)

“I have a deep and genuine love for Wisconsin, for rural supper clubs that always offer a choice between chicken soup or an iceberg lettuce salad, and for driving back, country roads that seemingly are endless. This love, though, is conflicting. How can I sing along to Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, and Merle Haggard knowing that my current political views are in complete opposition to the lyrics I croon with a twang in my voice?”

Michael Schaub on Bryan Washington’s Memorial ( NPR )

How do you review a book you fall in love with? It’s one of the most challenging assignments a critic can tackle. But Schaub is a pro; he falls in love with a few books every year.

“Washington is an enormously gifted author, and his writing—spare, unadorned, but beautiful—reads like the work of a writer who’s been working for decades, not one who has yet to turn 30. Just like Lot, Memorial  is a quietly stunning book, a masterpiece that asks us to reflect on what we owe to the people who enter our lives.”

Mesha Maren on Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season ( Southern Review of Books )

Maren opens with an irresistible comparison between Melchor’s irreverent novel and medieval surrealist art. (Another Disclosure: I founded the Southern Review of Books in early 2020.)

“Have you ever wondered what internal monologue might accompany the characters in a Hieronymus Bosch painting? What are the couple copulating upside down in the middle of that pond thinking? Or the man with flowers sprouting from his ass? Or the poor fellow being killed by a fire-breathing creature which is itself impaled upon a knife? I would venture to guess that their voices would sound something like the writing of Mexican novelist Fernanda Melchor.”

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Themes and Analysis

By stephen king.

'It' is a book that taps into themes that relate to our daily lives, from seeking revenge to coming of age and maturity.

Article written by Joshua Ehiosun

C2 certified writer.

‘It’  is about the story of seven 11-year-old children called the losers club, who face a monster called It.   Though they have a different life and social problems and face constant bullying, they still fight off the monster who showed himself in their greatest fear. Twenty-seven years later, after a series of tragic events awaken It. The Losers club fight It   once again, defeating him once and for all.

The Victory of Good Over Evil

Throughout the entire book of ‘ It ,’ the losers club faced evil in different forms. From facing Henry Bowers, a bully who terrorized them to facing It and facing the family and social problems they had, they triumphed in the end. It showed that though the losers club were inexperienced weaklings fighting a monster as old as the universe, their will to fight for what was good triumphed over the evil that had encompassed their town, Derry.

Even twenty-seven years after their first encounter, the Losers club had to face the evil they had defeated again. Even though they were grownups, the club still had to fight much evil manifesting in the form of their personal lives, relationships, and love lives. The triumph of the Losers club over their life problems and It showed that good wins in the end.

Stephen King showed bravery as a virtue possessed by the members of the Losers club. Throughout the book, the losers club showed valiance and bravery in dealing with the situations around them.

The bravery of the Losers club contradicted the name they gave themselves, and that bravery led to them ending the monster twenty-seven years later. Ben showed bravery as he fought It, killing him. Other members of the Losers club also showed bravery as they fought It   in the form of their fears. The Losers club also fought their social problems with bravery by defeating Henry, who had terrorized them for a long time. Twenty-seven years after their valiance had made them send ‘It’ to sleep, the Losers club still stood their ground in ending It once and for all.

Coming of Age

The coming of age is a major theme Stephen King defined in his book.  ‘It’  is the journey that showed how each member of the losers club matured into brave adults. The book showed the transition of every member of the losers club from childhood into adulthood. The crucial point marking their transition into adulthood was Beverly having sex with the boys, this showed the losers club getting rid of their innocence and transitioning into adulthood.

Though the losers club showed bravery, they were terrified throughout the book. Stephen King defined  ‘It’  as an epitome of fear as each member of the Losers club had a cross to bear. The burden each member of the Losers club had made It exploit them in the form of what they feared the most. The entire group experiences fear in its final form, with Bill having to face the spirit of his dead brother, whom he loved but got killed by It.

Fear coursed throughout the book as horror kept seeping from the corners, making everyone experience it. Each grueling scene from the book enhanced the feeling of a monster watching and waiting to pounce on its reader. Fear also leads to the death of many people in the book, from Stan killing himself twenty-seven years after they had first fought the monster due to him too scared to want to face ‘It’ again to Tom Rogan dying from fear and shock of seeing It in its final form.

‘It’  showed that though people get brave amid trouble, fear is a tool even more powerful when it is in the form of what we dread the most.

The need to get revenge was Stephen King’s weapon to add elements like bravery into the story of  ‘It.’  Bill was just a stuttering little boy whose drive to get revenge for his dead brother leads him to fight a powerful ancient entity. Stephen King showed that revenge knows no age as the losers club were only but a bunch of children fueled by revenge and a goal to defeat the monster that had terrorized them.

Stephen King did not limit the drive for revenge to only the losers club as other characters in the ‘ It’ sought vengeance. Henry swore vengeance on the losers club after they won in a stone fight. Henry’s quest for revenge was the tool used by It to cajole Henry into wanting to kill the Losers club. Though he was arrested and sent to an asylum, Henry’s quest for vengeance did not stop as he returned for his pound of flesh 27 years later.

Another character who sought revenge was the monster It itself. Having felt defeated by children, It sought to destroy the lives of the losers club by targeting their loved ones, specifically Audra, Bill’s wife, though It got a part of its revenge by killing Eddie.

Analysis of Key Moments In  It

• In October of 1957, George gets killed by a clown who called himself Pennywise after his boat had washed down the gutter.
• The following year, a group of bullies led by Henry Bowers tries to hurt a fat 11-year-old boy call Ben, who escapes and meets six other kids, namely Eddie, Richie, Stan, Beverly, Mike, and Bill. They name themselves the losers club.
• The Losers club share their experience of encountering a monster that came in the form of their fears. They call the entity It.
• The Losers club link murders and tragic events to It as they start unraveling how long the monster had been terrorizing Derry.
• Mike tells the group how he was chased by a prehistoric bird making the group figure out that It was more ancient than they thought.
• The Losers club fight and win Henry and his gang in a stone fight with Henry promising revenge.
• The Losers club decides to perform a native American smoke hole ceremony to hallucinate It’s origin. The group discovers It was millions of years old, and it hibernates for 27 years, awakening after a tragic event.
• Henry breaks Eddie’s arm in July, hospitalizing him.
• Beverly witnesses the death of Patrick, one of Henry’s gang members. The Losers club head to the scene where writing from ‘It’ warned them to steer off his path.
• It tells his story of how he existed in a void between our universe and other universes. He called the void the macro verse.
• The Losers club fights a werewolf, an alternate form of It. They successfully injure the werewolf with two silver slugs Ben made.
• It sends Henry after the club giving him a switchblade with which he killed his father.
• Henry and his friends head into the sewers to kill the losers club but face Frankenstein, an alternate version of It. Henry’s friends die, but he escapes and is sent to an asylum by the authorities.
• Bill discovers a ritual called the ritual of Chud, which made him enter the macro verse where he met Maturin, the turtle who created the universe.
• Bill finally forces It to sleep with the help of Maturin, who told him he could only win through the battle of wills.
• Twenty-seven years later, It awakens, and Mike calls the group to fulfill the promise they made to return should anything happen again.
• On getting a call, Stan kills himself, writing ‘It’ on the wall.
• The group of now six decides to kill It once and for all.
• The group fights alternate forms of It separately while exploring the town to refresh their memory.
• Audra, Bill’s wife, Tom Rogan, Beverly’s husband, and Henry also arrive in Derry.
• Henry attacks Mike and is injured. After being instructed by It, Henry tries to kill Eddie but dies in the process.
• Tom kidnaps Audra and brings her to It, where he dies of shock with Audra entering a state of catatonia.
• The Losers club head to fight It but get lost in its mind after using the ritual of Chud.
• Eddie sacrifices himself to save his friends, and Bill finally kills It.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language of  It

The tone used throughout  ‘It’  was a scary, frightening, and threatening tone. Throughout the entire book, Stephen King used terrifying explanations to make the reader feel on edge. The book itself makes each character be in a scary situation where one wrong move could blur the line between life and death. Throughout It Stephen King ensured scenes explicitly inflicted fear on the reader’s mind.

Though each character exhibited a little bit of freedom from the author, they still conformed to the rules of the book, which allowed them to face the terror unleashed at every angle of perspective by the storyteller. Stephen King’s deliberate alternation between timelines and his epistolary writing form, which used a combination of letters, magazine articles, and news clippings from books, gave ‘It’ true realism, which made each part of the story have a vivid effect on the reader.

The last part of  ‘It’  showed Stephen King’s exceptional use of figurative language. The statement read:

Or so Bill sometimes thinks on those early mornings after dreaming, when he almost remembers his childhood and the friends with whom he shared it.

Is a metaphor comparing a dreamer, who remembers to a storyteller who writes, and it shows they are bound by the same fate. Other figurative languages include similes and personification. An example is Ben’s poem which reads:

Your hair is winter fire, January embers. My heart burns there, too.

This was a poem written by Ben for Beverly. The poem acts as Ben’s tool in telling Beverly what he felt for her.

Narrative Point of View

As a post-modernist novel, there are many techniques adapted in the writing if ‘It.’ Stephen King employed writing in the third person/omniscient point of view. This perspective of writing allows the storyteller to be the sole controller of events happening in the story. Stephen King’s epistolary form of writing was also adapted in creating ‘It’. Epistolary writing involves the use of quotes, news clippings and literary materials from others to make a writing more realistic and give life to characters and events.

Analysis of Symbols in  It

Bill’s old bicycle represents something Stephen King portrays throughout the book, the innocence of childhood, something Bill and the rest of the losers club eventually lose when they matured into adulthood. Silver also represented not wanting to let go of the past and the memories we keep with us even when let go of everything else.

Bill made a boat for George to play with, but instead, George dies because of the paper boat Bill made. The paper boat represents a painful past for Bill, a haunting feeling that he was responsible for the death of his brother, George. This feeling eventually becomes Bill’s greatest fear, a fear used against him by ‘It.’

Derry’s Canal

Derry’s canal represents something that relates to our society today. ‘It’ represents the evil and corruption beneath a society that seems okay.

The Refrigerator

The refrigerator used by Patrick represents what happens when one stores their deepest darkest thoughts for a long time. The fridge represents a mind tormented with dark thoughts, thoughts that eventually ends up killing one.

Though a character in the book, It symbolizes something else, one’s greatest fear. It was a monster who manifested in the form of what its prey feared, giving it an upper hand. The book showed that if not tamed, one’s fear could end up being our waterloo.

What is the main theme of ‘It’ ?

The main theme of It is the victory of good over evil. It represents the embodiment of evil, while the Losers club represents the force of good.

Is ‘It’ appropriate for children?

No, It is not appropriate for children and even 13-year-olds. the book’s raw depiction of gruel deaths, profane language, and pre-aged sex makes it inappropriate for children

Is ‘It’ based on a true story?

No, It is a work of fiction, and Stephen King’s inspiration was the children’s story Three Billy Goats Gruff.

What is Stephen King’s writing style?

Stephen King uses an epistolary form of writing where he takes news clippings and quotes from other books giving an outstanding realism to his stories.

Did Audra die in ‘It’ ?

No, she entered a catatonic state on seeing the true form It. She was revived by Bill after he took her on a ride on Silver, his old bicycle.

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About Joshua Ehiosun

Joshua is an undying lover of literary works. With a keen sense of humor and passion for coining vague ideas into state-of-the-art worded content, he ensures he puts everything he's got into making his work stand out. With his expertise in writing, Joshua works to scrutinize pieces of literature.

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Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

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Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

Continue reading

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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. 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 be improved? 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 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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‘Same as It Ever Was’ is a witty, sympathetic take on motherhood

Claire Lombardo’s novel is engaging enough to entertain you through the summer and thoughtful enough to justify its considerable heft.

Women have never had to look far for condescending advice about why they should embrace the joys of child-rearing, but lately the guidance has sounded unusually suspect.

In March, during a speech on International Women’s Day, noted family guy Vladimir Putin declared, “Motherhood is an exquisite purpose for women.”

Two months later, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker chimed in with his own wisdom. Addressing “the ladies” graduating from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., the 28-year-old football player said, “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

Summer reading

And some brave cultural warrior who hides behind the pseudonym Peachy Keenan has just published “Domestic Extremist,” a hammy collection of anti-feminist cant. “We don’t need more daycare subsidies,” Keenan claims. “Most babies are already born with high-quality affordable childcare built right in — otherwise known as ‘their mother.’”

None of these reactionary voices — or others who have floated up recently in the bog of conservative sanctimony — has anything fresh to offer. But they do suggest the unsettled position of so many women struggling to reconcile their aspirations with the demands of raising children.

This is, unsurprisingly, a subject that female novelists have explored at least since Edna Pontellier experienced an “awakening” and walked into the sea. Almost a century later, the wife and mother in Anne Tyler’s “ Ladder of Years ” also wandered off on the beach, but at least she walked away from the water . This is progress.

As a society, though, we’re still stubbornly deluded about the experience of motherhood, which has inspired a subgenre of stories about women who, in extremis, leave their children either temporarily or permanently. Just last month, Miranda July published “ All Fours ,” an erotic novel about an artist who pretended to go to New York but was really holed up in a hotel room just a few miles from her husband and child. It’s hilarious and provocative.

Now, as a variation on this theme, comes Claire Lombardo’s “ Same as It Ever Was .” But don’t be misled by the weary tone of that title. This is a big novel, engaging enough to entertain you through the summer and thoughtful enough to justify its considerable heft. While many novels are too long, “Same as It Ever Was” takes full advantage of its 500 pages to traverse the whole life of Julia Ames, a woman who makes peace with motherhood slowly and haphazardly.

The story comes to us in two twisted strands, a double helix of past and present. As the wife of an adoring husband and the mother of a bright preschooler, Julia should be enjoying languid days of maternal bliss. But instead, Lombardo writes, “she felt entirely unmoored, brooding, usually while staring pensively into the middle distance like a disenfranchised Victorian nursemaid.” There’s no use complaining, of course, not when her husband, Mark, has to work so hard. “Mark was more vocally allowed to rue his responsibilities; that was just the way the world worked.” Julia, meanwhile, must uncomplainingly endure “the loneliness of motherhood; the deadly ennui of the day-in-day-out.”

This is, indeed, the same as it ever was, but Lombardo’s witty, sympathetic take on motherhood exudes the sharp scent of fermented apple juice and a full diaper. “It was a cliché to be this person,” Julia realizes, which only makes her self-pity sting more. “She got bored just thinking about it, the sadness over nothing, the fact that she was resentful of the easiest life in the world.” And what’s worse, all the other young mothers and their early-achieving toddlers are thriving. Lombardo seems to understand from experience what it feels like to join a playgroup in which every other woman was a “pure Ativanned Stepford brahmin, luxuriously sweatpanted and improbably gaunt, a ponytail that looked like it would whisper about you when you left the room.”

In that fragile state of despair, Julia attracts the notice of an older woman named Helen who spots her crying at the botanic garden. Helen invites her out for ice cream, then over to her large, gracious house. Sage and maternal, she’s a model of competence — a lawyer who raised five sons and maintains an idyllic marriage. What’s most astonishing to Julia is that this superwoman “actually enjoyed her life.”

Helen gently draws out Julia’s anxieties and reassures her that she’s not a sociopath, that what she’s feeling is perfectly normal, valid, even endurable. With the tweedy ease of upper-class confidence, she tells Julia that her little boy “deserves to have a mom who isn’t miserable.” Helen’s personality and home life are so inspiring that Julia’s depression fades even as she begins “drifting further and further from her husband.”

I love the way an atrial flutter of suspicion beats through these scenes of Julia’s heartfelt devotion to her new friend. Surely, Helen is just mentoring a younger mother who needs encouragement — right? — but Lombardo plays across such a symphonic range of emotions that all kinds of dark tones can be heard rumbling beneath the surface of this intense relationship.

And then Julia meets Helen’s youngest son, an “unfathomably handsome man-child” who’s having some adjustment issues of his own. Does he work part time at a used-book store? Does he wear flannel shirts with the sleeves “pushed up to the sexiest degree possible”? Of course he does. In fact, his musculature strikes Julia as so pronounced that she’s reminded of “a college anatomy course,” which suggests she’s either sex-starved or an osteopath. In any case, Julia starts to wonder if this gorgeous man could be the solution to her twin burdens of maternal failure and matrimonial loneliness.

All this becomes even more fascinating two decades later when we see that old romantic crisis lurking in the shadows of Julia’s present life. Still married to Mark, she’s now the mature mother of a graduate student and a moody teenager. But this is not an ideal home; it’s a real one. “They are a family,” the narrator notes, “whose clock is always slightly askew, affections misplaced and offenses outsized.”

In Lombardo’s carefully structured plot, we come to see how Julia has toiled to move beyond the influence of her own bad mother, a woman who once felt trapped by poverty, unreliable men and a daughter she never really liked. She had no intention of cramming her lumpy inadequacies into the one perfect form of selfless, buoyant motherhood — part June Cleaver, part Pietà.

For Julia, that maternal legacy instills a determination to be different, to find some way to love her children — and maybe, someday, even herself. But when fresh challenges scratch beneath the surface of her settled life, old anxieties about her fitness as a mother swell up again.

Lombardo has such a fine eye for the weft and warp of a family’s fabric. She understands the chemistry of that special epoxy of irritation and affection that keeps a marriage glued together. One finishes “Same as It Ever Was” with the satisfaction of knowing this complicated woman well — and the poignant disappointment of having to say goodbye.

Ron Charles reviews books and writes the Book Club newsletter for The Washington Post. He is the book critic for “ CBS Sunday Morning .”

Same as It Ever Was

By Claire Lombardo

Doubleday. 498 pp. $30

More from Book World

Love everything about books? Make sure to subscribe to our Book Club newsletter , where Ron Charles guides you through the literary news of the week.

Check out our coverage of this year’s Pulitzer winners: Jayne Anne Phillips won the fiction prize for her novel “ Night Watch .” The nonfiction prize went to Nathan Thrall, for “ A Day in the Life of Abed Salama .” Cristina Rivera Garza received the memoir prize for “ Liliana’s Invincible Summer .” And Jonathan Eig received the biography prize for his “ King: A Life .”

Best books of 2023: See our picks for the 10 best books of 2023 or dive into the staff picks that Book World writers and editors treasured in 2023. Check out the complete lists of 50 notable works for fiction and the top 50 nonfiction books of last year.

Find your favorite genre: Three new memoirs tell stories of struggle and resilience, while five recent historical novels offer a window into other times. Audiobooks more your thing? We’ve got you covered there, too . If you’re looking for what’s new, we have a list of our most anticipated books of 2024 . And here are 10 noteworthy new titles that you might want to consider picking up this April.

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9 New Books We Recommend This Week

Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.

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Sometimes books confirm our familiar sense of the world, and sometimes they disrupt it by transporting us to places we could never have encountered on our own. This week’s recommendations do the latter in spades, with close-up looks at worlds and stories most of us will never experience firsthand, from disastrous space missions to a military bribery scandal to daily life in the restrictive state of North Korea. In “The Wide Wide Sea,” Hampton Sides takes readers back to Captain James Cook’s third voyage, and in “The Work of Art,” Adam Moss interviews dozens of creative people to get at their methods of invention. Finally, in fiction, we have new novels from Claire Messud, R.O. Kwon, Allen Bratton and Elise Juska. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

THIS STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY Claire Messud

Unfolding over seven decades and across the globe — from Algiers to Sydney and Buenos Aires — Messud’s elegant, affecting new novel is inspired by her family’s history, that of a French Algerian family buffeted by war and harboring a scandalous secret.

“Readers of Claire Messud’s other superbly written novels will recognize the agile precision of her prose in her newest one. … Messud manages to let time’s passage itself supply great feeling.”

From Joan Silber’s review

Norton | $29.99

FAT LEONARD: How One Man Bribed, Bilked and Seduced the U.S. Navy Craig Whitlock

In this masterly investigation, full of sex and consumption, the Washington Post reporter Whitlock draws on 10 years of research to show how Francis Leonard became a wealthy military contractor, making millions off the American taxpayer in one of the Navy’s worst corruption scandals in recent history.

“Whitlock’s book is a farce of the highest order, as richly stuffed as the liver of a foie gras goose. His reporting is astonishingly detailed.”

From Nicolas Niarchos’ review

Simon & Schuster | $32.50

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Chemical Science

Structural-model-based genome mining can efficiently discover novel non-canonical terpene synthases hidden in genomes of diverse species †.

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Life and Food Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi 2-8050, Nishi-ku, Niigata, Japan E-mail: [email protected]

b Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Ikarashi 2-8050, Nishi-ku, Niigata, Japan E-mail: [email protected]

c Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-4-37 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan E-mail: [email protected]

d Frontier Research Center for Advanced Material and Life Science, Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, North 21 West 11, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan

e PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan

Non-canonical terpene synthases (TPSs) with primary sequences that are unrecognizable as canonical TPSs have evaded detection by conventional genome mining. This study aimed to prove that novel non-canonical TPSs can be efficiently discovered from proteins, hidden in genome databases, predicted to have 3D structures similar to those of class I TPSs. Six types of non-canonical TPS candidates were detected using this search strategy from 268 genome sequences from actinomycetes. Functional analyses of these candidates revealed that at least three types were novel non-canonical TPSs. We propose classifying the non-canonical TPSs as classes ID, IE, and IF. A hypothetical protein MBB6373681 from Pseudonocardia eucalypti (PeuTPS) was selected as a representative example of class ID TPSs and characterized. PeuTPS was identified as a diterpene synthase that forms a 6/6/6-fused tricyclic gersemiane skeleton. Analyses of PeuTPS variants revealed that amino acid residues within new motifs [D(N/D), ND, and RXXKD] located close to the class I active site in the 3D structure were essential for enzymatic activity. The homologs of non-canonical TPSs found in this study exist in bacteria as well as in fungi, protists, and plants, and the PeuTPS gene is not located near terpene biosynthetic genes in the genome. Therefore, structural-model-based genome mining is an efficient strategy to search for novel non-canonical TPSs that are independent of biological species and biosynthetic gene clusters and will contribute to expanding the structural diversity of terpenoids.

• This article is part of the themed collection: 2024 Chemical Science HOT Article Collection

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Structural-model-based genome mining can efficiently discover novel non-canonical terpene synthases hidden in genomes of diverse species

T. Abe, H. Shiratori, K. Kashiwazaki, K. Hiasa, D. Ueda, T. Taniguchi, H. Sato, T. Abe and T. Sato, Chem. Sci. , 2024, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D4SC01381F

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