be you book review

Book Review: Be You!

by Lorna McGrath | Book Reviews , MFA , Tomorrow's Child

Written by Peter H. Reynolds

Peter H. Reynolds is a favorite children’s book writer who has started a social change agency called FableVision with his brother, Paul. Their idea was to help “create stories that matter, stories that move.” This book is full of words that describe different characteristics that lead humans to their own uniqueness. They are phrases that always start with “be.” What a wonderful verb. He uses phrases such as be ready, be kind, be okay with reaching out, be persistent, and many more. This is an enjoyable and inspiring book for people of all ages.

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Be You! Hardcover – Picture Book, March 3 2020

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An Amazon Best Book of 2020!

Be curious...

Be adventurous...

Be brave...

Discover a joyful reminder of the ways that every child is unique and special, from the beloved creator of The Dot , Happy Dreamer , and New York Times bestseller, The Word Collector . Here, Reynolds reminds readers to "be your own work of art." To be patient, persistent, and true. Because there is one, and only one, YOU.

In the tradition of books like Oh, the Places You'll Go! and I Wish You More comes a wholly original, inspirational celebration of individuality as only Peter H. Reynolds can create!

Reading age 4 - 8 years
Print length 32 pages
Language English
Grade level Preschool - 3
Lexile measure 500L
Dimensions 22.86 x 1.27 x 29.21 cm
Publisher Orchard Books
Publication date March 3 2020
ISBN-10 1338572318
ISBN-13 978-1338572315
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About the author.

PETER H. REYNOLDS is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including Happy Dreamer , The Word Collector , Say Something! , Be You! , and Our Table . He is also the illustrator of When Thing Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide. In 1996, he founded FableVision with his brother, Paul, as a social change agency to help create "stories that matter, stories that move." He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, with his family.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orchard Books; Illustrated edition (March 3 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1338572318
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338572315
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.86 x 1.27 x 29.21 cm
#186 in Children's Books on Self-Esteem & Self-Respect
#335 in Children's Books on Emotions & Feelings
#4,205 in Literature & Fiction for Children (Books)

About the author

Peter reynolds.

Thanks for the tremendous support of my work which includes books I have written and illustrated, (The Dot, Ish, Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector) as well as collaborations, (Someday with Alisan McGhee, the Judy Moody series with Megan McDonald, Going Places with my twin brother, Paul, and the I AM series with Susan Verde)

My children's media company, FableVision, located in Boston, is dedicated to crafting "stories that matter, stories that move." I also make creativity tools for the classroom - FableVision LeanMy twin brother, Paul, and I founded an independent bookshop in Dedham Square, MA called The Blue Bunny. www.bluebunnybooks.com

Much of my work is designed to inspire all of us to navigate our true potential - to be brave, original, inspirational, inspired, and active.

My hope is that my work will also inspire YOU to make YOUR mark - and see where it takes you.

Let's stay connected - follow me on twitter - @peterhreynolds : )

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Be You! Paperback – January 1, 2020

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Language English
Publisher scholastic
Publication date January 1, 2020
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ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08GL6KG6B
Publisher ‏ : ‎ scholastic (January 1, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7 years, from customers
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
Best Sellers Rank: #800,128 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books )

About the author

Peter reynolds.

Much of my work is designed to inspire all of us to navigate our true potential - to be brave, original, inspirational, inspired, and active.

My hope is that my work will also inspire YOU to make YOUR mark - and see where it takes you.

Let's stay connected - follow me on twitter - @peterhreynolds : )

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

by Peter H. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020

Both beautiful and inspiring as graduation gift or guide to life.

An inspirational picture book offers life advice for readers who want to be themselves.

Replete with sparkling, often quirky illustrations of children living their best lives, this book is a gorgeous guidebook for those seeking encouragement while encountering life’s challenges. The children featured—a racially diverse group ranging from infants to preschoolers—cheerfully navigate the various injunctions that flow through the text: “Be curious.…Be adventurous.…Be persistent.…Be kind.” What is remarkable about the book is that even though the instructions and the brief sentences explaining them are at times vague, the illustrations expand on them in ways readers will find endearing and uplifting. Those depicting painful or challenging moments are especially effective. The “Be persistent” double-page spread shows a child in a boat on stormy seas; it’s rich with deep blues as it emphasizes the energy of wind and rain and struggle in the face of challenge. Together with the accompanying repeated phrase “Keep going, never stop. Keep going, never stop. Keep going, never stop,” this spread arrests readers. By contrast, the “Be kind. Be understanding” spread simply presents two children’s faces, one cast in blue and the other in gold, but the empathy that Reynolds conveys is similarly captivating. While there is no plot to pull readers through the pages, the book provides rich fodder for caregivers to use as teachable moments, both informally and in classroom settings.

Pub Date: March 3, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-338-57231-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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More by Marc Colagiovanni

BOOK REVIEW

by Marc Colagiovanni ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE AND A REALLY SOFT PILLOW!

by Peter H. Reynolds & Henry Rocket Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

by Carin Bramsen & illustrated by Carin Bramsen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2013

A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.

A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.

He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.

Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

More by Carin Bramsen

by Carin Bramsen ; illustrated by Carin Bramsen

by Kirsten Bramsen & illustrated by Carin Bramsen

PERFECTLY NORMAN

From the big bright feelings series.

by Tom Percival ; illustrated by Tom Percival ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2018

A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.

A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.

Norman, a “ perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival ( The Magic Looking Glass , 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal ,” but he can be “ perfectly Norman .”

Pub Date: May 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Book Reviews

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write a book review, a report or essay that offers a critical perspective on a text. It offers a process and suggests some strategies for writing book reviews.

What is a review?

A review is a critical evaluation of a text, event, object, or phenomenon. Reviews can consider books, articles, entire genres or fields of literature, architecture, art, fashion, restaurants, policies, exhibitions, performances, and many other forms. This handout will focus on book reviews. For a similar assignment, see our handout on literature reviews .

Above all, a review makes an argument. The most important element of a review is that it is a commentary, not merely a summary. It allows you to enter into dialogue and discussion with the work’s creator and with other audiences. You can offer agreement or disagreement and identify where you find the work exemplary or deficient in its knowledge, judgments, or organization. You should clearly state your opinion of the work in question, and that statement will probably resemble other types of academic writing, with a thesis statement, supporting body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Typically, reviews are brief. In newspapers and academic journals, they rarely exceed 1000 words, although you may encounter lengthier assignments and extended commentaries. In either case, reviews need to be succinct. While they vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:

First, a review gives the reader a concise summary of the content. This includes a relevant description of the topic as well as its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
Second, and more importantly, a review offers a critical assessment of the content. This involves your reactions to the work under review: what strikes you as noteworthy, whether or not it was effective or persuasive, and how it enhanced your understanding of the issues at hand.
Finally, in addition to analyzing the work, a review often suggests whether or not the audience would appreciate it.

Becoming an expert reviewer: three short examples

Reviewing can be a daunting task. Someone has asked for your opinion about something that you may feel unqualified to evaluate. Who are you to criticize Toni Morrison’s new book if you’ve never written a novel yourself, much less won a Nobel Prize? The point is that someone—a professor, a journal editor, peers in a study group—wants to know what you think about a particular work. You may not be (or feel like) an expert, but you need to pretend to be one for your particular audience. Nobody expects you to be the intellectual equal of the work’s creator, but your careful observations can provide you with the raw material to make reasoned judgments. Tactfully voicing agreement and disagreement, praise and criticism, is a valuable, challenging skill, and like many forms of writing, reviews require you to provide concrete evidence for your assertions.

Consider the following brief book review written for a history course on medieval Europe by a student who is fascinated with beer:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, investigates how women used to brew and sell the majority of ale drunk in England. Historically, ale and beer (not milk, wine, or water) were important elements of the English diet. Ale brewing was low-skill and low status labor that was complimentary to women’s domestic responsibilities. In the early fifteenth century, brewers began to make ale with hops, and they called this new drink “beer.” This technique allowed brewers to produce their beverages at a lower cost and to sell it more easily, although women generally stopped brewing once the business became more profitable.

The student describes the subject of the book and provides an accurate summary of its contents. But the reader does not learn some key information expected from a review: the author’s argument, the student’s appraisal of the book and its argument, and whether or not the student would recommend the book. As a critical assessment, a book review should focus on opinions, not facts and details. Summary should be kept to a minimum, and specific details should serve to illustrate arguments.

Now consider a review of the same book written by a slightly more opinionated student:

Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 was a colossal disappointment. I wanted to know about the rituals surrounding drinking in medieval England: the songs, the games, the parties. Bennett provided none of that information. I liked how the book showed ale and beer brewing as an economic activity, but the reader gets lost in the details of prices and wages. I was more interested in the private lives of the women brewsters. The book was divided into eight long chapters, and I can’t imagine why anyone would ever want to read it.

There’s no shortage of judgments in this review! But the student does not display a working knowledge of the book’s argument. The reader has a sense of what the student expected of the book, but no sense of what the author herself set out to prove. Although the student gives several reasons for the negative review, those examples do not clearly relate to each other as part of an overall evaluation—in other words, in support of a specific thesis. This review is indeed an assessment, but not a critical one.

Here is one final review of the same book:

One of feminism’s paradoxes—one that challenges many of its optimistic histories—is how patriarchy remains persistent over time. While Judith Bennett’s Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600 recognizes medieval women as historical actors through their ale brewing, it also shows that female agency had its limits with the advent of beer. I had assumed that those limits were religious and political, but Bennett shows how a “patriarchal equilibrium” shut women out of economic life as well. Her analysis of women’s wages in ale and beer production proves that a change in women’s work does not equate to a change in working women’s status. Contemporary feminists and historians alike should read Bennett’s book and think twice when they crack open their next brewsky.

This student’s review avoids the problems of the previous two examples. It combines balanced opinion and concrete example, a critical assessment based on an explicitly stated rationale, and a recommendation to a potential audience. The reader gets a sense of what the book’s author intended to demonstrate. Moreover, the student refers to an argument about feminist history in general that places the book in a specific genre and that reaches out to a general audience. The example of analyzing wages illustrates an argument, the analysis engages significant intellectual debates, and the reasons for the overall positive review are plainly visible. The review offers criteria, opinions, and support with which the reader can agree or disagree.

Developing an assessment: before you write

There is no definitive method to writing a review, although some critical thinking about the work at hand is necessary before you actually begin writing. Thus, writing a review is a two-step process: developing an argument about the work under consideration, and making that argument as you write an organized and well-supported draft. See our handout on argument .

What follows is a series of questions to focus your thinking as you dig into the work at hand. While the questions specifically consider book reviews, you can easily transpose them to an analysis of performances, exhibitions, and other review subjects. Don’t feel obligated to address each of the questions; some will be more relevant than others to the book in question.

What is the thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world you know? What has the book accomplished?
What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? What is the approach to the subject (topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive)?
How does the author support their argument? What evidence do they use to prove their point? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author’s information (or conclusions) conflict with other books you’ve read, courses you’ve taken or just previous assumptions you had of the subject?
How does the author structure their argument? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
How has this book helped you understand the subject? Would you recommend the book to your reader?

Beyond the internal workings of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the circumstances of the text’s production:

Who is the author? Nationality, political persuasion, training, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the biographer was the subject’s best friend? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they write about?
What is the book’s genre? Out of what field does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or literary standard on which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know. Keep in mind, though, that naming “firsts”—alongside naming “bests” and “onlys”—can be a risky business unless you’re absolutely certain.

Writing the review

Once you have made your observations and assessments of the work under review, carefully survey your notes and attempt to unify your impressions into a statement that will describe the purpose or thesis of your review. Check out our handout on thesis statements . Then, outline the arguments that support your thesis.

Your arguments should develop the thesis in a logical manner. That logic, unlike more standard academic writing, may initially emphasize the author’s argument while you develop your own in the course of the review. The relative emphasis depends on the nature of the review: if readers may be more interested in the work itself, you may want to make the work and the author more prominent; if you want the review to be about your perspective and opinions, then you may structure the review to privilege your observations over (but never separate from) those of the work under review. What follows is just one of many ways to organize a review.

Introduction

Since most reviews are brief, many writers begin with a catchy quip or anecdote that succinctly delivers their argument. But you can introduce your review differently depending on the argument and audience. The Writing Center’s handout on introductions can help you find an approach that works. In general, you should include:

The name of the author and the book title and the main theme.
Relevant details about who the author is and where they stand in the genre or field of inquiry. You could also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.
The context of the book and/or your review. Placing your review in a framework that makes sense to your audience alerts readers to your “take” on the book. Perhaps you want to situate a book about the Cuban revolution in the context of Cold War rivalries between the United States and the Soviet Union. Another reviewer might want to consider the book in the framework of Latin American social movements. Your choice of context informs your argument.
The thesis of the book. If you are reviewing fiction, this may be difficult since novels, plays, and short stories rarely have explicit arguments. But identifying the book’s particular novelty, angle, or originality allows you to show what specific contribution the piece is trying to make.
Your thesis about the book.

Summary of content

This should be brief, as analysis takes priority. In the course of making your assessment, you’ll hopefully be backing up your assertions with concrete evidence from the book, so some summary will be dispersed throughout other parts of the review.

The necessary amount of summary also depends on your audience. Graduate students, beware! If you are writing book reviews for colleagues—to prepare for comprehensive exams, for example—you may want to devote more attention to summarizing the book’s contents. If, on the other hand, your audience has already read the book—such as a class assignment on the same work—you may have more liberty to explore more subtle points and to emphasize your own argument. See our handout on summary for more tips.

Analysis and evaluation of the book

Your analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs that deal with single aspects of your argument. This arrangement can be challenging when your purpose is to consider the book as a whole, but it can help you differentiate elements of your criticism and pair assertions with evidence more clearly. You do not necessarily need to work chronologically through the book as you discuss it. Given the argument you want to make, you can organize your paragraphs more usefully by themes, methods, or other elements of the book. If you find it useful to include comparisons to other books, keep them brief so that the book under review remains in the spotlight. Avoid excessive quotation and give a specific page reference in parentheses when you do quote. Remember that you can state many of the author’s points in your own words.

Sum up or restate your thesis or make the final judgment regarding the book. You should not introduce new evidence for your argument in the conclusion. You can, however, introduce new ideas that go beyond the book if they extend the logic of your own thesis. This paragraph needs to balance the book’s strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. Did the body of your review have three negative paragraphs and one favorable one? What do they all add up to? The Writing Center’s handout on conclusions can help you make a final assessment.

Finally, a few general considerations:

Review the book in front of you, not the book you wish the author had written. You can and should point out shortcomings or failures, but don’t criticize the book for not being something it was never intended to be.
With any luck, the author of the book worked hard to find the right words to express her ideas. You should attempt to do the same. Precise language allows you to control the tone of your review.
Never hesitate to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument. Be sure, however, to cite specific examples to back up your assertions carefully.
Try to present a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience. You’re entitled—and sometimes obligated—to voice strong agreement or disagreement. But keep in mind that a bad book takes as long to write as a good one, and every author deserves fair treatment. Harsh judgments are difficult to prove and can give readers the sense that you were unfair in your assessment.
A great place to learn about book reviews is to look at examples. The New York Times Sunday Book Review and The New York Review of Books can show you how professional writers review books.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Drewry, John. 1974. Writing Book Reviews. Boston: Greenwood Press.

Hoge, James. 1987. Literary Reviewing. Charlottesville: University Virginia of Press.

Sova, Dawn, and Harry Teitelbaum. 2002. How to Write Book Reports , 4th ed. Lawrenceville, NY: Thomson/Arco.

Walford, A.J. 1986. Reviews and Reviewing: A Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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

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

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

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

What is a Book Review?

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

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

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

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

Table of Contents

Book Review Template

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

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

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

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

Choosing Your Literature

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

Crafting the Master Plan

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

The Devil is in the Details

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

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

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

The Key Questions to Ponder

When planning your book review, consider the following questions:

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

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

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

Identify Your Book and Author

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

Ponder the Title

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

Judge the Book by Its Cover (Just a Little)

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

Present Your Thesis

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summarize Without Spoilers

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

Support Your Viewpoint with Quotes

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

Analyze the Quotes

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

Structure Your Body Paragraphs

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

For example:

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

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

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

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

Summarize Your Analysis

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

Offer Your Final Conclusion

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

Address the Book’s Appeal

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

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

Be Subtle and Balanced

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

Bringing It All Together

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

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

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

Why Rate the Book?

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

How to Rate the Book

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

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

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

Tips for Rating the Book

Here are some tips for rating the book effectively:

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

Wrapping Up

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

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

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

Hook ’em with an Intriguing Introduction

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

Embrace the World of Fiction

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

Opinionated with Gusto

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

Express Your Love (or Lack Thereof)

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

Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

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

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

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

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

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

Avoid the Comparison Trap

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

Top 7 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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

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

Succumbing to the Lure of Plot Summaries

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

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

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

Unleashing the Spoiler Kraken

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

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

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

Riding the Personal Bias Express

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

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

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

Wielding the Vague Language Saber

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

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

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

Ignoring the Contextualization Compass

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

Example: “This book is dull and unoriginal.”

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

Overindulging in Personal Preferences

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

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

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

Forgetting the Target Audience Telescope

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

Example: “This book is great for everyone.”

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

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

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

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

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

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing a Book Review

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Book reviews typically evaluate recently-written works. They offer a brief description of the text’s key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

Readers sometimes confuse book reviews with book reports, but the two are not identical. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 words. If you are looking to write a book report, please see the OWL resource, Writing a Book Report.

By contrast, book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. They typically range from 500-750 words, but may be longer or shorter. A book review gives readers a sneak peek at what a book is like, whether or not the reviewer enjoyed it, and details on purchasing the book.

Before You Read

Before you begin to read, consider the elements you will need to included in your review. The following items may help:

Author: Who is the author? What else has s/he written? Has this author won any awards? What is the author’s typical style?
Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, romance, poetry, youth fiction, etc.? Who is the intended audience for this work? What is the purpose of the work?
Title: Where does the title fit in? How is it applied in the work? Does it adequately encapsulate the message of the text? Is it interesting? Uninteresting?
Preface/Introduction/Table of Contents: Does the author provide any revealing information about the text in the preface/introduction? Does a “guest author” provide the introduction? What judgments or preconceptions do the author and/or “guest author” provide? How is the book arranged: sections, chapters?
Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: Book jackets are like mini-reviews. Does the book jacket provide any interesting details or spark your interest in some way? Are there pictures, maps, or graphs? Do the binding, page cut, or typescript contribute or take away from the work?

As You Read

As you read, determine how you will structure the summary portion or background structure of your review. Be ready to take notes on the book’s key points, characters, and/or themes.

Characters: Are there characters in the work? Who are the principal characters? How do they affect the story? Do you empathize with them?
Themes/Motifs/Style: What themes or motifs stand out? How do they contribute to the work? Are they effective or not? How would you describe this author’s particular style? Is it accessible to all readers or just some?
Argument: How is the work’s argument set up? What support does the author give for her/findings? Does the work fulfill its purpose/support its argument?
Key Ideas: What is the main idea of the work? What makes it good, different, or groundbreaking?
Quotes: What quotes stand out? How can you demonstrate the author’s talent or the feel of the book through a quote?

When You Are Ready to Write

Begin with a short summary or background of the work, but do not give too much away. Many reviews limit themselves only to the first couple of chapters or lead the reader up to the rising action of the work. Reviewers of nonfiction texts will provide the basic idea of the book’s argument without too much detailed.

The final portion of your review will detail your opinion of the work. When you are ready to begin your review, consider the following:

Establish a Background, Remember your Audience: Remember that your audience has not read the work; with this in mind, be sure to introduce characters and principles carefully and deliberately. What kind of summary can you provide of the main points or main characters that will help your readers gauge their interest? Does the author’s text adequately reach the intended audience? Will some readers be lost or find the text too easy?
Minor principles/characters: Deal only with the most pressing issues in the book. You will not be able to cover every character or idea. What principles/characters did you agree or disagree with? What other things might the author have researched or considered?
Organize: The purpose of the review is to critically evaluate the text, not just inform the readers about it. Leave plenty room for your evaluation by ensuring that your summary is brief. Determine what kind of balance to strike between your summary information and your evaluation. If you are writing your review for a class, ask your instructor. Often the ratio is half and half.
Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
Publisher/Price: Most book reviews include the publisher and price of the book at the end of the article. Some reviews also include the year published and ISBN.

When making the final touches to your review, carefully verify the following:

Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher.
Try to read from the vantage point of your audience. Is there too much/enough summary? Does your argument about the text make sense?
Should you include direct quotes from the reading? Do they help support your arguments? Double-check your quotes for accuracy.

More From Forbes

12 books for dealing with grief, bereavement or loss.

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Joan Didion, author of "The Year of Magical Thinking," speaks at the College of Marin in Kentfield, ... [+] California in February, 1977.

Grief is a profound and complicated experience. The process of grief entails far more than just sadness—it often takes control, and fills us with countless confusing and exasperating emotions. Yet through it all, many people find the most solace in the written word.

Books about loss can be a comforting companion. They offer us unexpected insights and stories—and sometimes even laughter—through the most unimaginably challenging times. Whether it’s a novel that transports you to another world, a memoir that shares the rawness of loss or a self-help guide with practical advice, books on grief can be a powerful means to rediscover life after loss.

Top Books On Grief And Grieving

In this list, I’ve gathered 12 books for bereavement that approach grief from different angles. Each provides a unique perspective on navigating the path toward acceptance and peace. Based on user reviews and therapist recommendations, these books can be a thoughtful gift for a grieving friend or a meaningful addition to your personal post-loss journey.

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

When Breath Becomes Air is a poignant memoir from the late Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at the age of 36. The 2016 biography offers a candid look at Kalanithi’s journey—from a dedicated surgeon to a patient facing his own mortality—as he grapples with the transition from saving lives to understanding the value of his own.

This book is an ideal read for anyone trying to come to terms with terminal illness—their own or of a loved one. Its raw and introspective narrative can resonate deeply with anyone who has faced loss or is searching for meaning while anticipating grief. You can find the memoir at Penguin Random House .

The Best Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes, Tested For Months

North carolina legislators want to ban masks, even for health reasons, behind the growth of san diego wave fc in their third nwsl season, 2. on grief and grieving by elizabeth kübler-ross & david kessler.

On Grief and Grieving is a seminal work by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, published in 2005. The book explores the well-known five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance—providing a framework for understanding the complex emotions that accompany loss.

Through real-life examples and compassionate insights, the authors delve into how these stages manifest and how to navigate them. This book is particularly beneficial for those seeking structure in their grieving process, those who appreciate a more clinical approach to understanding grief or those seeking a guided path through mourning. It can be purchased at Simon & Schuster .

3. Notes On Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a bittersweet reflection on loss. The 2021 memoir follows Adichie’s experience with the sudden death of her father, exploring the waves of emotion, memory and deep sense of absence that follow such a significant loss. Through a series of intimate essays, Adichie shares her grief with raw honesty and vulnerability.

This book is an ideal purchase for those who appreciate heartfelt narratives and are seeking comfort from someone who knows and understands the reality of unexpected grief. It can be especially helpful for those looking for a sense of shared experience, and the solace that can come from knowing they’re not alone in their feelings of loss. You can find the memoir at Penguin Random House Canada .

4. The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke

The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke is a touching memoir, published in 2011, that explores the deep and complex emotions that accompany the loss of a loved one. O’Rourke reflects on her experience of losing her mother to cancer, the slow unraveling of her life and the process of rebuilding in the aftermath.

The book provides an unrefined account of the pain, confusion and disorientation that often follows the death of a close family member. The Long Goodbye is especially valuable for those coping with long-term illness—either themselves or vicariously—offering a voice that speaks to the drawn-out nature of grief. O’Rourke’s memoir can be found at Penguin Random House .

5. The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science Of How We Learn From Love And Loss by Mary Frances O’Connor

The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor is an enlightening exploration of the neuroscience behind grief, published in 2022. O’Connor, a renowned neuroscientist and grief expert, delves into the brain’s response to loss and provides a scientific perspective on the grieving process.

She explains how different areas of the brain contribute to the experience of grief, covering topics like why grief can be so overwhelming and how it evolves over time. This novel is ideal for readers seeking insight on why we grieve, and how we can learn to cope with loss from a logical, research-based, neurological standpoint. You can find the book at HarperCollins .

6. The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, a profound memoir published in 2005, is a deeply personal account of grief and loss. Didion explores the sudden death of her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, and the subsequent confusion and shock that followed.

Through her candid and introspective retelling, Didion delves into the surreal experience of grief, and the struggle to accept reality while yearning for the impossible. This book is ideal for those who have lost a partner or spouse, as it offers a compassionate exploration of the chaotic emotions that often accompany this profound loss. You can find Didion’s memoir at Penguin Random House .

7. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a compelling and emotionally charged novel. Published in 2011, the story follows a young boy coping with his mother’s terminal illness, who is visited by a monster. Through a series of intense and often unsettling tales, the monster helps him confront his deepest fears and the harsh realities surrounding him.

This book masterfully weaves together elements of fantasy and psychological depth. It’s particularly suited for younger readers and teens dealing with grief, as it helps readers make sense of the complex and unimaginable nature of grief. However, its universal themes and gripping storytelling make it resonant for anyone seeking an empathetic portrayal of the grieving process. You can find the novel on the Walker website.

8. PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern is a heartwarming novel that was published in 2004. The story follows a young widow struggling to cope with the sudden loss of her husband. Before his death, he writes a series of letters containing instructions and messages intended to help her navigate her grief. As she reads, she slowly heals, finds hope and learns to live without him by her side.

This book is ideal for those seeking an uplifting approach to grief, with moments of humor and warmth amid sorrow. It is an ideal novel for those who have lost a partner or spouse, or anyone looking for a comforting read that celebrates love even in the face of loss. The novel is available from Hachette .

9. It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine

It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine—a grief advocate and psychotherapist—is a compassionate guide to navigating grief, published in 2017. It offers a refreshing perspective on loss, challenging conventional wisdom about how people “should” grieve. She emphasizes that grief is not something to be fixed or rushed, but instead embraced as a natural part of the healing process.

This book is ideal for those who feel external pressure to “move on” quickly, as it validates the diverse emotions that often accompany grief. It creates a safe space to explore the realities of living with loss—without judgment or pressure to conform. You can find the book on the Sounds True website.

10. Bearing The Unbearable: Love, Loss, And The Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joanne Cacciatore

Bearing the Unbearable by Joanne Cacciatore is a powerful exploration of bereavement, published in 2017. Cacciatore, a leading grief counselor and researcher, delves into the profound pain that comes with losing a loved one, shares personal stories from her own experience and those of her clients, and emphasizes that grief is a natural response to love and should be honored rather than suppressed.

This guide is best suited for those dealing with deep and intense grief, particularly after the loss of a child or a tragic event. It is an ideal read for people seeking empathy and practicality following profound loss. You can find the book at Explore .

11. Grief Is The Thing With Feathers by Max Porter

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter is an innovative and poetic novel published in 2015. It tells the story of a family reeling from the sudden death of their mother, with the central figure being a shape-shifting character who enters their lives to help them navigate the aftermath. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the grieving father and his two young sons, exploring the confusing and sometimes surreal emotions that accompany grief.

This book is an ideal purchase or gift for those who appreciate experimental narratives and poetic storytelling. It’s especially suited for readers seeking a more abstract and metaphorical exploration of grief, offering an imaginative approach to understanding the process of healing. The novel is available from Faber .

12. It’s Okay To Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too) by Nora McInerny Purmort

It's Okay to Laugh by Nora McInerny is a heartfelt and humorous memoir published in 2016. McInerny describes her journey through a series of major life events, including the loss of her husband to brain cancer, the miscarriage of her child and the death of her father—all within a short span of time. Despite the heaviness of these experiences, she brings a lighthearted and irreverent approach to her storytelling, balancing grief with moments of humor and warmth.

This book is ideal for those who believe that laughter can be a healing balm, even during loss and grief. McInerny’s honest and relatable voice offers a refreshing perspective on navigating grief with a touch of humor. You can find the memoir at HarperCollins .

Bottom Line

Books can be an unexpected source of comfort and enlightenment during times of grief. These 12 carefully selected books span memoirs, guides and novels, each offering a unique perspective on bereavement. Whether you’re seeking empathy, guidance or a touch of humor, these books can empower you through your journey of healing and remembrance.

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The Book You’re Reading Might Be Wrong

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

If Kristi Noem never actually met the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, then how did that anecdote make it into her memoir? The answer, after these three stories from The Atlantic :

It’s not a rap beef. It’s a cultural reckoning.
Trump flaunts his corruption.
Who really has brain worms?

The Art of the Check

The newsletter you’re reading right now was reviewed by a fact-checker named Sam. Sam spent about an hour this afternoon scrutinizing my words and sentences, and making sure the quotes from my interviews match my recordings. You know what probably didn’t get that kind of review? The book on your nightstand. Or, as it happens, Noem’s new memoir.

Book publishers don’t employ fact-checking teams, and they don’t require a full fact-check before publication. Instead, a book is usually reviewed only by editors and copy editors—people who shape the story’s structure, word choice, and grammar. An editor might catch something incorrect in the process, and a lawyer might examine some claims in the book to ensure that the publisher won’t be sued for defamation. But that’s it. University presses typically use a peer-review process that helps screen for any factual errors. But in publishing more broadly, no one checks every date, quote, or description. It works this way at all of the Big Five publishers, which include HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and Macmillan. (None of these publishers responded to my requests for comment.)

Whaaat?! you might be thinking, spitting that Thursday glass of merlot all over your screen as every book you’ve ever read flashes before your eyes. Was it all a lie? The answer is no. But books absolutely do go out into the world containing factual errors. For most books, and especially for memoirs, “it’s up to the author to turn in a manuscript that is accurate,” Jane Friedman, a publishing-industry reporter, told me.

A few writers will go out and pay for their own fact-checker. Many don’t—including, evidently, Noem, who, as you may have heard by now, shot her dog in a gravel pit. That incident , which the South Dakota governor wrote about in her memoir, No Going Back , seems to be true. But a passage about the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is probably not. In the book, Noem claims to have met Kim during a congressional trip where he “underestimated” her. At least one former congressional staffer has said that that meeting never happened. And after being questioned about it, Noem’s office said it would be correcting a few errors in the book.

A simple fact-check could have prevented this particular embarrassment for Noem: A checker would have called others who were part of the delegation to verify whether the meeting had taken place. So why don’t publishers fact-check, to avoid this problem in the first place? From the publisher’s perspective, hiring a team of checkers is “a huge expense,” Friedman said—it would “destroy the profitability” of some books. And there are logistical challenges: Fact-checking memoirs, for example, can be difficult, because you’re dealing with people’s memories. But magazines do it all the time.

If authors want their work checked, they generally have to pay for it themselves. Many of my Atlantic colleagues have hired fact-checkers to review their books. But the process is cumbersome and expensive—the editorial equivalent of an “intensive colonoscopy,” as one colleague described it to me recently. The checker pores over every word and sentence of the book, using multiple sources to back up each fact. She listens to all of the author’s audio, reviews transcripts, and calls people to verify quotes. The whole process can take several weeks. One fact-checker I spoke with charges $5,000 to $8,000 for a standard nonfiction book. Others charge more. It makes sense, then, that, as Friedman said, the number of authors who opt for independent fact-checking “is minuscule.”

So what of Noem’s book? Her publisher, Center Street, which is a conservative imprint of Hachette, had a decision to make when the error was discovered: It could conduct an emergency recall of Noem’s books, pulling all of them back from bookstores and Amazon warehouses around the country, and print new, accurate copies, Kathleen Schmidt, a public-relations professional who writes the Substack newsletter Publishing Confidential , explained to me. But that would have been incredibly difficult, she said, given the logistics and extreme expense of both shipping and paper. Center Street issued a statement saying it would remove the Kim anecdote from the audio and ebook versions of No Going Back , as well as from any future reprints. (Noem’s team did not reply to a request for comment about her fact-checking process.)

This means that, for now, Noem’s book, which was officially released on Tuesday, will exist in the world as is. Many people will buy it, read it, and accept as fact that Noem once met—and was underestimated by—Kim Jong Un.

Books have always had a certain heft to them—sometimes literally, but also metaphorically. We tend to believe a book’s contents by virtue of their vessel. “People might be a little less likely to do that if they understood that the publisher is basically just publishing whatever the author said was correct,” Friedman told me.

Maybe this latest incident will spark a change in the publishing industry—but it probably won’t. For now, people should think critically about everything they read, remembering, Friedman said, “that [books] are fallible—as fallible as anything else.”

The blurb problem keeps getting worse.
The wrath of Goodreads

Today’s News

Last night, President Joe Biden said that if Israel launches a large-scale invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, the U.S. would stop supplying Israel with certain weapons and artillery shells.
House Democrats overwhelmingly joined Republicans in rejecting Representative Majorie Taylor Greene’s motion to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Barron Trump, Donald Trump’s 18-year-old son, was selected to be a Florida delegate at the Republican National Convention, where he will participate in nominating his father for president.
The Weekly Planet : Scientists are debating whether concepts such as memory, consciousness, and communication can be applied beyond the animal kingdom , Zoë Schlanger writes.
Time-Travel Thursdays : 50 years ago, the architect Peter Blake questioned everything he thought he knew about modern building, Sam Fentress writes.

Explore all of our newsletters here.

Evening Read

A Fundamental Stage of Human Reproduction Is Shifting

By Katherine J. Wu

In recent decades , people around the world, especially in wealthy, developed countries , have been starting their families later and later. Since the 1970s, American women have on average delayed the beginning of parenthood from age 21 to 27 ; Korean women have nudged the number past 32 . As more women have kids in their 40s , the average age at which women give birth to any of their kids is now above 30, or fast approaching it, in most high-income nations. Rama Singh, an evolutionary biologist at McMaster University, in Canada, thinks that if women keep having babies later in life, another fundamental reproductive stage could change: Women might start to enter menopause later too. That age currently sits around 50, a figure that some researchers believe has held since the genesis of our species. But to Singh’s mind, no ironclad biological law is stopping women’s reproductive years from stretching far past that threshold. If women decide to keep having kids at older ages, he told me, one day, hundreds of thousands of years from now, menopause could—theoretically—entirely disappear.

Read the full article.

How to Write a Book Review: Awesome Guide

A book review allows students to illustrate the author's intentions of writing the piece, as well as create a criticism of the book — as a whole. In other words, form an opinion of the author's presented ideas. Check out this guide from EssayPro - book review writing service to learn how to write a book review successfully.

What Is a Book Review?

You may prosper, “what is a book review?”. Book reviews are commonly assigned students to allow them to show a clear understanding of the novel. And to check if the students have actually read the book. The essay format is highly important for your consideration, take a look at the book review format below.

Book reviews are assigned to allow students to present their own opinion regarding the author’s ideas included in the book or passage. They are a form of literary criticism that analyzes the author’s ideas, writing techniques, and quality. A book analysis is entirely opinion-based, in relevance to the book. They are good practice for those who wish to become editors, due to the fact, editing requires a lot of criticism.

Book Review Template

The book review format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction
Describe the book cover and title.
Include any subtitles at this stage.
Include the Author’s Name.
Write a brief description of the novel.
Briefly introduce the main points of the body in your book review.
Avoid mentioning any opinions at this time.
Use about 3 quotations from the author’s novel.
Summarize the quotations in your own words.
Mention your own point-of-view of the quotation.
Remember to keep every point included in its own paragraph.
In brief, summarize the quotations.
In brief, summarize the explanations.
Finish with a concluding sentence.
This can include your final opinion of the book.
Star-Rating (Optional).

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How to Write a Book Review: Step-By-Step

Writing a book review is something that can be done with every novel. Book reviews can apply to all novels, no matter the genre. Some genres may be harder than others. On the other hand, the book review format remains the same. Take a look at these step-by-step instructions from our professional writers to learn how to write a book review in-depth.

Step 1: Planning

Create an essay outline which includes all of the main points you wish to summarise in your book analysis. Include information about the characters, details of the plot, and some other important parts of your chosen novel. Reserve a body paragraph for each point you wish to talk about.

Consider these points before writing:

What is the plot of the book? Understanding the plot enables you to write an effective review.
Is the plot gripping? Does the plot make you want to continue reading the novel? Did you enjoy the plot? Does it manage to grab a reader’s attention?
Are the writing techniques used by the author effective? Does the writer imply factors in-between the lines? What are they?
Are the characters believable? Are the characters logical? Does the book make the characters are real while reading?
Would you recommend the book to anyone? The most important thing: would you tell others to read this book? Is it good enough? Is it bad?
What could be better? Keep in mind the quotes that could have been presented better. Criticize the writer.

Step 2: Introduction

Presumably, you have chosen your book. To begin, mention the book title and author’s name. Talk about the cover of the book. Write a thesis statement regarding the fictitious story or non-fictional novel. Which briefly describes the quoted material in the book review.

Step 3: Body

Choose a specific chapter or scenario to summarise. Include about 3 quotes in the body. Create summaries of each quote in your own words. It is also encouraged to include your own point-of-view and the way you interpret the quote. It is highly important to have one quote per paragraph.

Step 4: Conclusion

Write a summary of the summarised quotations and explanations, included in the body paragraphs. After doing so, finish book analysis with a concluding sentence to show the bigger picture of the book. Think to yourself, “Is it worth reading?”, and answer the question in black and white. However, write in-between the lines. Avoid stating “I like/dislike this book.”

Step 5: Rate the Book (Optional)

After writing a book review, you may want to include a rating. Including a star-rating provides further insight into the quality of the book, to your readers. Book reviews with star-ratings can be more effective, compared to those which don’t. Though, this is entirely optional.

Count on the support of our cheap essay writing service . We process all your requests fast.

Dive into literary analysis with EssayPro . Our experts can help you craft insightful book reviews that delve deep into the themes, characters, and narratives of your chosen books. Enhance your understanding and appreciation of literature with us.

Writing Tips

Here is the list of tips for the book review:

A long introduction can certainly lower one’s grade: keep the beginning short. Readers don’t like to read the long introduction for any essay style.
It is advisable to write book reviews about fiction: it is not a must. Though, reviewing fiction can be far more effective than writing about a piece of nonfiction
Avoid Comparing: avoid comparing your chosen novel with other books you have previously read. Doing so can be confusing for the reader.
Opinion Matters: including your own point-of-view is something that is often encouraged when writing book reviews.
Refer to Templates: a book review template can help a student get a clearer understanding of the required writing style.
Don’t be Afraid to Criticize: usually, your own opinion isn’t required for academic papers below Ph.D. level. On the other hand, for book reviews, there’s an exception.
Use Positivity: include a fair amount of positive comments and criticism.
Review The Chosen Novel: avoid making things up. Review only what is presented in the chosen book.
Enjoyed the book? If you loved reading the book, state it. Doing so makes your book analysis more personalized.

Writing a book review is something worth thinking about. Professors commonly assign this form of an assignment to students to enable them to express a grasp of a novel. Following the book review format is highly useful for beginners, as well as reading step-by-step instructions. Writing tips is also useful for people who are new to this essay type. If you need a book review or essay, ask our book report writing services ' write paper for me ' and we'll give you a hand asap!

We also recommend that everyone read the article about essay topics . It will help broaden your horizons in writing a book review as well as other papers.

Book Review Examples

Referring to a book review example is highly useful to those who wish to get a clearer understanding of how to review a book. Take a look at our examples written by our professional writers. Click on the button to open the book review examples and feel free to use them as a reference.

Book review

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is a novel aimed at youngsters. The plot, itself, is not American humor, but that of Great Britain. In terms of sarcasm, and British-related jokes. The novel illustrates a fair mix of the relationships between the human-like animals, and wildlife. The narrative acts as an important milestone in post-Victorian children’s literature.

Book Review

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’ consists of 3 major parts. The first part is all about the polluted ocean. The second being about the pollution of the sky. The third part is an in-depth study of how humans can resolve these issues. The book is a piece of non-fiction that focuses on modern-day pollution ordeals faced by both animals and humans on Planet Earth. It also focuses on climate change, being the result of the global pollution ordeal.

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How To Write A Book Review?

What to include in a book review, what is a book review.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

How Long Should a College Essay Be: Simple Explanation

Get Paid to Read: 18 Legitimate Sites That Pay Reviewers

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Blog – Posted on Tuesday, Sep 24

Get paid to read: 18 legitimate sites that pay reviewers.

Serious question: do you want to get paid to read? You might laugh it off at first, thinking that that sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. You can get paid for spending time on what you love: reading books.

Of course, the key to this #hack is book reviewing, where you offer your personal opinion of a book after you’re done with it. (If you’d like to learn more, check out this post to discover how to write a book review .) Because books are constantly being published, book reviewers are generally always in demand.

So whether you’re a voracious reader of nonfiction, genre fiction, classics, or indie books, there’s probably an outlet that’s willing to compensate you if you read (review) for them! Without further ado, here’s a definitive list of the 17 sites that will help you get paid to read. If you want to cut to the chase and find out which of them is the right fit for you, we recommend first taking this quick quiz:

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Then read on for the full list of all of the ways to get paid while reading!

1. Kirkus Media

💸 Pay: Freelance basis

👀 More information: Check here

If you’ve ever lingered on a book’s Amazon page before, you’ll have heard of Kirkus Reviews. It’s one of the most respected sources of book reviews out there, publishing many of the blurbs that you’ll see on Amazon, or on the cover of your favorite titles.

You have to wonder: where do all of these reviews come from? That’s where you come into the picture. Kirkus Media lists an open application for book reviewers. As of right now, they’re specifically searching for people who will review English and Spanish-language indie titles. Some of the qualities that they want in reviewers include: experience, a keen eye, and an ability to write about a 350-word review in two weeks’ time.

To apply, simply send your resume and writing samples! You can find out more about this opportunity here .

2. Reedsy Discovery

💸 Pay: Tip basis

A powerhouse in the world of indie books, Reedsy Discovery gives book reviewers the chance to read the latest self-published books before anyone else. You can browse through hundreds of new stories before picking one that piques your interest. And if you’ve built up a brand as a book reviewer on Reedsy Discovery, you can liaise with authors who contact you directly for a review.

Its application process is pretty simple: just complete this form to be selected as a book reviewer. Once you’re accepted, you can start looking through the shelves and reading immediately. One more thing: book reviewers can get tips for their book reviews. Readers can send $1, $3, or $5 as a token of appreciation (which, let’s be honest, all book reviewers deserve more of).

If this system intrigues you, you can “discover” more about how it works on this page .

3. Any Subject Books

Any Subject Books is a full-suite self-publishing service. More importantly for you, it hires book reviewers on a book-by-book basis to help them review new books.

They’re big on in-depth, honest, and objective reviews. No fluff here! They’re also happy to give you books in your preferred genres, so if you’re a voracious reader of war fiction, you won’t typically be asked to read the latest paranormal romance hit (or vice versa).

Sadly, Any Subject Books is not currently open to book reviewer applications, but check back again — this could change at any time.

4. BookBrowse

BookBrowse reviews both adult fiction and nonfiction, and some books for young adults. The site focuses on books that are not only enjoyable to read, with great characters and storylines, but that also leave the reader knowing something about the world they did not before. Reviewers also write a "beyond the book" article for each book they review.

5. Online Book Club

💸 Pay: $5 to $60

Online Book Club’s FAQ begins with a warning for all aspiring book reviewers: “First of all, this is not some crazy online get-rich-quick scheme. You won't get rich and you won't be able to leave your day job.”

That daunting reminder aside, Online Book Club’s setup is pretty reasonable, not to mention straightforward. You’ll get a free copy of the book and you’ll get paid for your review of that book. Moreover, it’s one of the few sites that’s transparent about their payment rates (anywhere between $5 to $60). To begin the sign-up process, simply submit your email here .

6. U.S. Review of Books

U.S. Review of Books is a nation-wide organization that reviews books of all kinds and publishes those reviews in a popular monthly newsletter. The way that it works for a book reviewer is simple: when a book title is posted, reviewers can request to read it and get assigned.

A typical review for U.S. Review of Books is anywhere between 250 and 300 words. They are looking particularly for informed opinions and professionalism in reviews, along with succinctness. To apply, submit a resume, sample work, and two professional references via email. But we’d recommend that you check out some previous examples of their book reviews here to first get a better sense of what they’re looking for.

7. Women’s Review of Books

💸 Pay: $100 per review

Women’s Review of Books is a long-running, highly-respected print publication that’s a part of Wellesley Centers for Women. This feminist magazine has been published for 36 years and is looking for more book reviewers to join their force.

If you plan on writing reviews for Women’s Review of Books , you should be aware that its reviews are published “in the service of action and consciousness.” Most of its writers are also academics, journalists, or book reviewers with some years of experience behind them. If you meet these qualifications and are accepted, you’ll be compensated $100 per review.

To pitch then a review, send them an email with a quick proposal. For more details, click here .

8. eBookFairs

eBookFairs primarily helps authors grow their author platforms, but it also has a Paid Book Reader program where readers can earn money by, you guessed it, reviewing the books listed on their site.

Note that they do have clear instructions on what qualifies as a review, so do read their guidelines carefully before applying to make sure you can meet them. For instance, the review must be at least 250 words, you must allow at least 3 days between reviews submitted, and it must provide helpful feedback for the author. There are also a limited number of paid reader positions available.

💸 Pay: Variable

If you’re a freelancer, you’re probably already familiar with Upwork! One of the biggest marketplaces for freelancers, Upwork has fingers in every industry’s pie. So it won’t be a surprise to learn that people who are looking for freelance book reviewers regularly post listings on its marketplace.

Because each job caters to an individual client, the requirements and qualifications will differ. It might be a one-time project, or the gig might turn into a long-running collaboration with the client. Generally, the listing will specify the book’s genre, so you’ll know what you’re getting before you agree to collaborate with the client on the other end.

To begin, you’ll need to sign up as a freelancer on Upwork. Find out more information on Upwork’s FAQ page!

10. Moody Press

💸 Pay: Free ARCs

Moody Press is a nonprofit publishing house of Christian titles and Bible study resources. If this is your niche, you’ll definitely be interested in Moody Press’ Blogger Review Program! As part of the program, you’ll get free copies of book published by Moody Press.

Like some of the other programs on this list, you won’t get paid for your review, but you will get a free book. Moody Press also asks you to write your honest review within 60 days of reading it. To get a feel for it, try joining the MP Newsroom Bloggers Facebook group , where you can directly interact with existing members of the program.

11. New Pages

💸 Pay: Variable

Not interested in writing anything longer than 300 words? Are quick flash book reviews more your pace? If so, becoming a NewPages reviewer might be just your speed. NewPages.com is an Internet portal to small presses, independent publishers and bookstores, and literary magazines. More importantly, they’re looking for short book reviews (generally between 100 and 200 words) on any recent literary magazine or book that you’ve read.

If you’re already a fan of books from small presses or unknown magazines, even better: that’s exactly the kind of reviewer NewPages wants to work with. If you’d like to look through some of their past book reviews to see if your style matches, check out their book review archive here .

12. Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is an online magazine focused on international book publishing and all that that entails. More pertinently, it regularly reviews both traditionally published and self-published books, which means that it does occasionally have a call for book reviewers. As of right now, it’s closed to applications — but if you check its Jobs page every once in a while, you might see an opening again.

13. Tyndale Blog Network

Tyndale Blog Network runs a program called My Reader Rewards Club, which is based on an innovative rewards system. If you join as a member, you can earn points for certain actions that you take on the site (for instance, inviting a friend to the program and sharing a direct link to MyReaderRewardsClub.com on Facebook each fetches you 10 points).

Writing a review for a Tyndale or NavPress book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble gets you 10 points, with a maximum limit of 50 points in 30 days. In turn, you can use your accumulated points to receive more books off of Tyndale’s shelves. If this sounds like something that may be up your alley, check out their FAQ here.

14. Booklist Publications

💸 Pay: $12.50 to $15 per review

Booklist is the American Library Association’s highly respected review journal for librarians. Luckily for freelance writers, Booklist assigns freelance book reviews that vary from blog posts for The Booklist Reader to published book review in Booklist magazine.

As the site itself suggests, it’s important that you’re familiar with Booklist Publication’s outlets (which include Booklist magazine, the quarterly Book Links , and The Booklist Reader blog) and its writing style. Reviews are generally very short (no longer than 175 words) and professionally written. You can discover more of its guidelines here — and an archive of previous Booklist reviews here .

To apply, contact a relevant Booklist editor and be prepared to submit a few of your past writing samples.

15. Instaread

💸 Pay: $100 per summary

Not interested in writing critical takes on the books that you read? Then Instaread might be for you. Instaread has an open call for book summaries, which recap “the key insights of new and classic nonfiction.”

Each summary should be around 1000 to 1500 words, which makes it a fair bit lengthier than your average flash book review. However, Instaread will compensate you heartily for it: as of 2019, Instaread pays $100 for each summary that you write. You can peruse Instaread’s recommended Style Guide on this page , or download Instaread from your App Store to get a better feel for the app.

16. NetGalley

If you’ve dreamt about becoming an influencer in the book reviewing community, you may want to give NetGalley a look. Put simply, NetGalley is a service that connects book reviewers to publishers and authors. Librarians, bloggers, booksellers, media professionals, and educators can all sign up to NetGalley to read books before they’re published.

How it works is pretty simple. Publishers put digital review copies out on NetGalley for perusal, where NetGalley’s members can request to read, review, and recommend them. It’s a win-win for both publisher and reviewer: the publisher is able to find enthusiastic readers to provide an honest review for their books, and the reviewer gets access to a vast catalog of books.

The cherry on top is that NetGalley membership is 100% free! Simply use this form to sign up. And if you’d like more information, you can dip into their FAQ here .

17. getAbstract

Are you an avid reader of nonfiction books? getAbstract is a site that summarizes 18,000+ nonfiction books into 10-minute bites. Their Career Opportunities page often includes listings for writers. At the time of this post’s writing, getAbstract is looking for science and technology writers who can sum up the latest magazine articles and books. They pay on a freelance basis, so apply through their website to get further details.

18. Writerful Books

💸 Pay: $10 to $50

Writerful Books is an author services company that provides everything from beta reading to (you guessed it) book reviewing. As such, they’re always on the lookout for book reviewers with fresh and compelling voices.

One of the benefits of this gig is that you can review any book that you want for them (although they prefer contemporary award-winning American, Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, and New Zealand authors). Getting a regularly paid gig with Writerful Books isn’t a guarantee, but if you regularly publish quality reviews for them, they may contact you.

To apply, you’ll have to be able to provide previous book review samples. Here’s the job listing if you’re curious to learn more about this role.

If you're an avid reader, sign up to Reedsy Discovery for access to the freshest new reads — or apply as a reviewer to give us your hot takes!

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Goodreads vs. StoryGraph: Which is Better in 2024?

Making the switch to StoryGraph might seem daunting, but if you’ve found yourself frustrated with Goodreads, then it's worth taking the time to jump ship! StoryGraph is an excellent alternative and is in many ways better than Goodreads.

The 40 Best LGBT Books of the Century

Now that the literary industry is more diverse and representative than ever, the world is teeming with wonderful books featuring queer characters, so you’ll be spoiled for choice. Here's our list of the 40 best LGBT books, from enduring classics to refreshing new releases — en...

100 Best Fantasy Series Ever

Reading (or listening to!) fantasy is the ultimate escape: from stress, work, and indeed all of life’s more mundane realities. Because what’s

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If you loved ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ Kevin Kwan’s latest won’t disappoint

“Lies and Weddings” is another chapter in Kwan’s fantasy of conspicuous transnational consumption and love against the odds.

In the opening pages of Kevin Kwan’s new novel, “ Lies and Weddings ,” a man is impaled on a crystal chandelier. Even in the act of reading that, I was wondering how it could happen. Somebody, I figured, could be crushed by a chandelier or else impaled by a chandelier, if it landed just so, but impaled on a chandelier? Where would the pointy bits even go?

I spent some time trying to picture it — I even Googled to see if it had happened to anybody ever — but, of course, I was missing the point. In Kwan’s universe, things happen for the plain and happy reason that he wants them to. Pose an objection, he’s already galloping on, and if you want to go along for the ride — as millions of readers have — you have to suspend your private laws of probability, and then, once you do, it will all be over quickly and sunnily.

“Lies and Weddings,” in short, is another chapter in Kwan’s fantasy of conspicuous transnational consumption and love against the odds. The basic template is familiar to anyone who has read “Crazy Rich Asians,” or seen its indecently entertaining film version. Hong Kong-born Arabella, the Countess of Greshamsbury, has made it her mission in life to arrange advantageous dynastic marriages for her three English Chinese children. She is particularly keen on landing a princess for her only son and heir, a hot and feckless wannabe artist named Rufus.

In Arabella’s path lie three formidable obstacles, none of which she yet knows about. Her global chain of luxury hotels is mortgaged to the brink. Decades of unchecked family spending have emptied the Gresham trusts. And Rufus has long since consecrated his heart to the girl next door: Eden Tong, daughter of the Gresham family doctor and a kind and conscientious physician herself. She is also (unless you count her father and the myriad servants) the only not-rich person in the entire book, which makes her by default its heroine.

The action proper begins in Hawaii, where Arabella’s oldest daughter is set to marry a half-Norwegian prince in a wedding for the ages. Things go wrong almost from the start. Eden throws up during a whale-watching expedition. Rufus discloses his true feelings over a hot mic. And a truly inconvenient volcanic eruption sends the A-list crowd scurrying. (Joan Collins chips a nail.) From that disaster, “Lies and Weddings” swivels toward fresh disasters, from London to Paris to Marrakesh to L.A. to Texas to Venice to — well, I lost track at some point, but Kwan fans will recognize the arc. Alliances are made and unmade. Fortunes are won and lost. Rich people, trying to get richer, outwit themselves. Poor girls, armed with only their own stubborn integrity, stake a claim on happiness.

And the laugh lines arrive punctually. “Maxxie’s father is down to his last Bacon and the mama only has a ranch full of useless llamas.” “Come on, you know alcoholics only exist in America.” “We had Fran Lebowitz to dinner, don’t you remember? If we can charm her, we can bloody well charm anyone.” “You always think you’re having a stroke, but unfortunately you never actually do!”

A photographer in his previous life, Kwan has a gimlet eye for how fat cats strut: the Earl of Greshamsbury, for instance, in his “perfectly pressed ruby-red corduroy trousers and a pale blue Ede & Ravenscroft Sea Island cotton shirt rolled up to the elbows.” Kwan knows where all his characters have been to school, what they drive, how their rooms are furnished, and whatever he can’t squeeze into the text he folds into a stream of cheeky meta-footnotes: “The Princess of Wales has made it known that she prefers to be called Catherine, so for God’s sake please stop calling her Kate Middleton.” (Which he just has.) “In Los Angeles, complete strangers will give you a full-body hug upon meeting you for the first time. ... You will never, ever see them again.”

One might expect all this taxonomy to bring Kwan’s characters to more dimensional life, but if anything, it pins them more fiercely to the page, prisoners of their coordinates (as used to happen to Tom Wolfe’s characters). The rich may be different from you and me, but, in “Lies and Weddings,” they’re awfully alike, whether they’re walking about on heated Portoro marble floors or mounting weddings with 50 hot-air balloons or organizing very intimate affairs with 150 of their closest friends.

Are we to revel in or recoil from their unheeding hedonism? Behind every great fortune, it has been said, there is a crime, and Kwan makes a point of noting what wealth can wreak — poverty, racism, exploitation, environmental degradation — but he’s too canny a showman to let any of these critiques linger. In the world of rom-com fantasy, being wealthy has always been a hell of a lot more fun than being poor. If some guy’s going to be impaled on a chandelier, please God, let it be crystal.

Louis Bayard, a Book World contributing writer, is the author of several novels, including “Jackie & Me” and the upcoming “The Wildes.”

Lies and Weddings

By Kevin Kwan

Doubleday. 448 pp. $29

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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.

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'If' movie review: Ryan Reynolds' imaginary friend fantasy might go over your kids' heads

Even with likable youngsters, a vast array of cartoonish characters, various pratfalls and shenanigans, and Ryan Reynolds in non- Deadpool mode, the family comedy “IF” isn’t really a "kids movie" – at least not in a conventional sense.

There’s a refreshing whiff of whimsy and playful originality to writer/director John Krasinski’s bighearted fantasy (★★½ out of four; rated PG; in theaters Friday), which centers on a young girl who discovers a secret world of imaginary friends (aka IFs). What it can’t find is the common thread of universal appeal. Yeah, children are geared to like any movie with a cheery unicorn, superhero dog, flaming marshmallow with melting eye and assorted furry monsters. But “IF” features heady themes of parental loss and reconnecting with one’s youth, plus boasts a showstopping dance set to Tina Turner , and that all leans fairly adult. Mash those together and the result is akin to a live-action Pixar movie without the nuanced execution.

Twelve-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) doesn’t really think of herself as a kid anymore. Her mom died of a terminal illness, and now her dad (Krasinski) is going into the hospital for surgery to fix his “broken heart,” so she’s staying with her grandma (Fiona Shaw) in New York City.

When poking around her new environment, Bea learns she has the ability to see imaginary friends. And she’s not the only one: Bea meets charmingly crusty upstairs neighbor Cal (Reynolds) as well as his IF pals, like spritely Blossom (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and overly sensitive purple furry monster named Blue (Steve Carell). They run a sort of matchmaking agency to connect forgotten IFs whose kids have outgrown them with new children in need of their companionship, and Bea volunteers to help out.

'Welcome to Wrexham': Ryan Reynolds talks triumph, joy and loss of new season

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Bea is introduced to an IF retirement community located under a Coney Island carousel with a bevy of oddball personalities in the very kid-friendly middle section of the movie. “IF” low-key has the most starry supporting cast of any movie this summer because of all the A-listers voicing imaginary friends, an impressive list that includes Emily Blunt and Sam Rockwell as the aforementioned unicorn and superdog, Matt Damon as a helpful sunflower, George Clooney as a spaceman, Amy Schumer as a gummy bear and Bradley Cooper as an ice cube in a glass. (It's no talking raccoon, but it works.)

One of the movie's most poignant roles is a wise bear played by Louis Gossett Jr. in one of his final roles. Rather than just being a cameo, he’s nicely central to a key emotional scene.

While the best family flicks win over kids of all ages, “IF” is a film for grown-ups in PG dressing. The movie is amusing but safe in its humor, the overt earnestness overshadows some great bits of subversive silliness, and the thoughtful larger narrative, which reveals itself by the end to be much more than a story about a girl befriending a bunch of make-believe misfits, will go over some little ones’ heads. Tweens and teens, though, will likely engage with or feel seen by Bea’s character arc, struggling to move into a new phase of life while being tied to her younger years – not to mention worrying about her dad, who tries to make light of his medical situation for Bea.

Reynolds does his part enchanting all ages in this tale of two movies: He’s always got that irascible “fun uncle” vibe for kids, and he strikes a fun chemistry opposite Fleming that belies the serious stuff “IF” digs into frequently. But unless your child is into old movies, they probably won’t get why “Harvey” is playing in the background in a scene. And when “IF” reaches its cathartic finale, some kiddos might be wondering why their parents are sniffling and tearing up – if they're still paying attention and not off playing with their own imaginary friend by then.

A nighttime photograph of Samuel Locklear, who is wearing a long navy blue jacket and grinning while holding a larger man, Leonard Francis, who is standing on a chair. Francis is smiling with his mouth agape and holding up a glass of red wine.

Bribing the Navy Is Easier (and More Entertaining) Than You Might Think

In “Fat Leonard,” Craig Whitlock investigates one of the worst corruption scandals in U.S. military history.

Rear Adm. Samuel Locklear III, left, pretending to lift Leonard Francis off the floor at a dinner party in 2003. Locklear has denied having any involvement in Francis’ misdeeds and was cleared of wrongdoing by the Navy. Credit... NCIS-DCIS

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By Nicolas Niarchos

Nicolas Niarchos is a freelance journalist whose writing on military matters has appeared in The Nation and The New Yorker. He is at work on a book about the supply chain for battery metals.

May 13, 2024
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FAT LEONARD: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy, by Craig Whitlock

In ports throughout the Western Pacific, the brave officers of the United States Navy gulped down lobster thermidor , truffle royale, Osetra caviar, white asparagus custard and kombou seaweed jelly; they guzzled gallons of Cristal and Dom Pérignon; they puffed boxes of Cohiba cigars.

Near the end of a meal, they sometimes received what Leonard Glenn Francis , the venal military contractor who was picking up the tabs, called “oriental dessert”: an “armada” of sex workers hired to flash their breasts and perform intimate acts.

An attendee described one of Francis’ dinners as a “Roman orgy.” At one of Francis’ most sordid parties, in Manila in 2007, a replica of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s corncob pipe was used as a sex toy. At least one of Francis’ dinners cost more than $3,000 a head. In return, Navy officials looked the other way as his companies charged far above the regional rate to service American vessels.

In “Fat Leonard,” a masterly investigation into one of the Navy’s worst scandals in modern times, the Washington Post journalist Craig Whitlock brings to bear 10 years of research to show how Francis came to be known as Leonard the Legend, Mr. Make-It-Happen, Fat Bastard, and, most of all, as Fat Leonard.

Francis rose from fairly comfortable origins on the Malaysian island of Penang and followed his father into the family business in the 1980s as a “husbanding contractor,” providing services like food and water delivery, bilge pumping, tugboat hiring and a whole manner of other prosaic but important logistical tasks that fleets need to operate.

His plan, Whitlock writes, was to become the Malaysian Aristotle Onassis. He learned early that the captains of merchant ships, “after weeks at sea, gladly accepted his offers to get drunk and meet women” in return for “all sorts of favors.” When the U.S. Navy came into the equation, in the early 1990s, Francis went into overdrive. “The Navy’s byzantine accounting policies made it easy for Francis to jack up his prices with minimal resistance,” Whitlock notes. (While no one knows exactly how much Francis stole, he has admitted to making at least $35 million off the U.S. taxpayer.)

The word “farce” comes from the French word for “stuffing” and originally referred to the stuffing of comedies into serious religious plays. 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, thanks to the “several terabytes” of leaked government data he was able to obtain. Reading “Fat Leonard,” you almost feel sick at the amount of consumption that Francis visited upon the U.S. sailors who became his lap dogs in exchange for champagne, sex and cash.

By 2013, he was on a first-name basis with captains and admirals and even had the power to redirect U.S. Navy ships to ports where he could make the most money off them. As Francis became wealthier, his weight ballooned to almost 500 pounds. Whitlock tracks this detail with perhaps too much glee, but he also usefully makes clear that the magnate’s girth was yet another tool in his box: Francis repeatedly used tales of his gastric bypass surgery to show his vulnerable side and build a rapport with officers.

Whitlock is particularly good at revealing the way that Francis profited from the “entitlement” of Navy officers who seemed to think that they had a God-given right to accept freebies in return for wasting U.S. government funds and leaking classified information, including ship schedules. In 2011, a captain’s wife returned a Versace handbag she was gifted by Francis not because of ethics concerns but because the gold lettering was cracked. Before a dinner in 2007, an officer wrote that rather than having one type of champagne, he’d “like to compare”: “Dom Pérignon, Cristal and Bollinger’s.” At another party, that same officer poured champagne off the top of a skyscraper in Singapore, just to show that he could.

Unsurprisingly, Francis led a squalid existence. As Whitlock notes, he “treated women as expendable objects,” rotating between multiple mistresses and sequestering one of his partners away from her children.

In 2015, two years after Francis was finally arrested, he pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges and faced up to 25 years in prison. He eventually managed to barter and charm his judges and prosecutors into letting him live in a luxury mansion in San Diego while he awaited sentencing. He even hired his own guards, Pablo Escobar-style. Francis made a mistake, however: He escaped to Venezuela, where he was captured and used as collateral in a 2023 prisoner exchange with the United States.

In many ways, Francis is the antihero of Whitlock’s book, with the Navy and its officers filling the role of villains. Francis collected kompromat on his clients, photos of officers carousing and signed dinner menus, but he doesn’t seem to have needed to use much of it while he was in business, so willing were his marks to receive gifts.

After Francis’ arrest, the Navy stymied scrutiny and tried to protect culprits, despite the serious national security implications of the leaks that Francis was able to extract. As one of Whitlock’s sources tells him, “Leonard Francis would have made a wonderful intelligence officer.”

In the end, scores of Navy top brass were let off lightly while lower ranks were thrown under the bus. Francis is set to be sentenced soon , but, as Whitlock makes clear, the culture of entitlement he exploited has gotten off scot-free.

FAT LEONARD : How One Man Bribed, Bilked and Seduced the U.S. Navy | By Craig Whitlock | Simon & Schuster | 460 pp. | $32.50

Explore More in Books

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Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

The end of 'Bridgerton' season three, part one features a book fan-favorite carriage scene between Penelope and Colin. Here's how the TV show compares.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Bridgerton" season three, part one and "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton."
The final scene in season three, part one, has been highly anticipated by fans of the book series.
Here's how it differs from the book the season is based on.

" Bridgerton " season three, part one, rewards fans with a highly-anticipated carriage ride scene in the final moments of episode four.

In the new season of "Bridgerton," one of Netflix's most popular franchises, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) is moving on from her hopeless crush on her close friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). However, in episode four, Colin realizes he is in love with Penelope and tries to stop her from marrying her suitor.

In the final scene of episode four, Penelope is forced to return home from the society ball alone after Colin scares off her suitor. Colin gets in her carriage before it can leave and admits his true feelings.

The pair then make out, with a string cover of Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" playing in the background, until they are interrupted by the carriage stopping outside Colin's house.

Undeterred, Colin asks Penelope to come inside with him.

"For God's Sake, Penelope Featherington. Are you going to marry me or not?" Colin says after Penelope is confused by his request.

This scene largely resembles Colin's proposal in " Romancing Mr. Bridgerton ," the book this season is based on. The TV adaptation is very different from the book, but "Bridgerton" showrunners are likely keenly aware that bringing in moments like this can send book fans into a frenzy on social media, creating more buzz for the series. Even ahead of the season, "Bridgerton" fandom was freaking out when a teaser clip hinted at a mirror sex scene from the book.

Here's how the proposal plays out in " Romancing Mr. Bridgerton " and what this may mean for season three, part two.

Colin proposes after finding out Penelope is Lady Whistledown

In "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," Penelope asks Colin to kiss her because she is worried she will never be kissed, similar to the scene in season three, episode two. However, the kiss leads to a disagreement because Penelope thinks Colin is only kissing her out of pity. Colin then leaves without apologizing.

A few days later, Colin goes to Penelope's house to apologize but sees her enter an unmarked carriage and decides to follow her. The carriages drive into the center of London, and once Penelope reaches her destination, Colin discovers she's Lady Whistledown , a notorious anonymous gossip writer.

This change may mean there's a rocky road ahead for Polin

Season three of "Bridgerton" diverts from the book by not including the big search for Lady Whistledown. But Penelope is still keeping a big secret from her fiancée — that she is Lady Whistledown — which could lead to a fight between the couple when it comes out.

Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale), the city's modiste, and Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), Colin's sister, both know Penelope is Lady Whistledown and could accidentally reveal Penelope's secret.

In part one, Eloise tries to protect her family from Penelope, fearing she would gossip about them again, so she may use the secret to put a stop to Colin and Penelope's engagement.

Alternatively, Eloise has already shown her callous nature regarding secrets in season three, which could mean she could reveal it to her new best friend, Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen). Cressida already dislikes Penelope and would likely be more than happy to reveal the secret or blackmail Penelope, like she does in "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton."

Penelope and Colin could still get in a fight without a big Lady Whistledown reveal. In the book, Colin is angry with Penelope when he discovers her secret identity because he feels inadequate compared to her. After all, she is an accomplished writer, and he has no legacy.

If he discovers Penelope's secret, that inadequacy could still be central to the couple's disagreement, even if Lady Whistledown's anonymity is not threatened.

"Bridgerton" season three, part two, premieres on June 13.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

Main content

Chemical Society Reviews

Controllable synthesis of high-entropy alloys.

* Corresponding authors

a The Institute for Advanced Studies, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

b College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China E-mail: [email protected] , [email protected]

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) involving more than four elements, as emerging alloys, have brought about a paradigm shift in material design. The unprecedented compositional diversities and structural complexities of HEAs endow multidimensional exploration space and great potential for practical benefits, as well as a formidable challenge for synthesis. To further optimize performance and promote advanced applications, it is essential to synthesize HEAs with desired characteristics to satisfy the requirements in the application scenarios. The properties of HEAs are highly related to their chemical compositions, microstructure, and morphology. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the controllable synthesis of HEAs is provided, ranging from composition design to morphology control, structure construction, and surface/interface engineering. The fundamental parameters and advanced characterization related to HEAs are introduced. We also propose several critical directions for future development. This review can provide insight and an in-depth understanding of HEAs, accelerating the synthesis of the desired HEAs.

Graphical abstract: Controllable synthesis of high-entropy alloys

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J. Liang, G. Cao, M. Zeng and L. Fu, Chem. Soc. Rev. , 2024, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D4CS00034J

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Be You! by Peter H. Reynolds
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Be You! Hardcover - Picture Book, March 3, 2020. by Peter H. Reynolds (Author, Illustrator) 4.9 2,384 ratings. Teachers' pick. See all formats and editions. A New York Times Bestseller!Creative visionary of The Word Collector, Happy Dreamer, and The Dot, #1 New York Times bestseller Peter H. Reynolds creates a joyful celebration of ...
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PETER H. REYNOLDS is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, and Our Table.He is also the illustrator of When Thing Aren't Going Right, Go Left. by Marc Colagiovanni.. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide.
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Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Dot (Le point de départ), I Am Human (Je suis humain), Happy Dreamer (Joyeux rêveur), The Word Collector (Le collectionneur de mots), Say Something! (Ta voix compte), and Be You! (Toi!).His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated ...
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Sample. Be You! Hardcover - Picture Book, March 3 2020. by Peter H. Reynolds (Author, Illustrator) 4.9 2,283 ratings. See all formats and editions. A New York Times Bestseller!Creative visionary of The Word Collector, Happy Dreamer, and The Dot, #1 New York Times bestseller Peter H. Reynolds creates a joyful celebration of individuality--and ...
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Be You! by Peter H. Reynolds
PETER H. REYNOLDS is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, and Our Table.He is also the illustrator of When Thing Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide.
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This book's encouragement to kids to find their voices can also be used to start a conversation about how they can make a difference in their world." -- Kirkus Reviews. Praise for The Word Collector: "Peter H. Reynolds always manages to walk a delicate line with his books - make that a couple lines: weighty but not weighed down.
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Review by Louis Bayard. May 18, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT. 5 min. In the opening pages of Kevin Kwan's new novel, " Lies and Weddings ," a man is impaled on a crystal chandelier. Even in the act ...
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Book Review: 'Fat Leonard,' by Craig Whitlock
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Templates and Examples and Expert Help: Your Trusty Sidekicks

Be a Champion for New Writers and Literature

Criticize with Clarity, Not Cruelty

Avoid the Comparison Trap