A book review is a conscious effort by the writer to guide the reader, who, with a new book in his hands embarks upon a new journey full of endless possibilities. With a whole gamut of books on every conceivable subject the reader might find himself in a maze if there are no reviews to sieve out the good and the bad .Hence book reviews play a crucial role .They serve the purpose of highlighting the positive and negative aspects of a book, its central theme, utility to the reader and much moreA well crafted review should include the following aspects:

1 .It should clearly state the basics: Basic information includes the title of the book, the name of the author, and the publishers. It should also state the number of editions if any.

2. Outline the main theme: Every book has a central theme to it around which the story evolves. The reviewer should discuss that with the reader while keeping the surprise elements closely guarded.

3. Reflect on the genre of the book: Readers favor some genres over others. Review should clearly state whether it is a murder mystery , science fiction, a comedy etcetera.

4. Period and setting of the novel: The review should talk about the time period in which the novel is set. The reader would immediately be aware whether he is taking a dip into the past or riding the future waves.

5. Expose the writing style: Writing styles vary widely. A book may be an expository, narrative, descriptive or persuasive. Discussing the writing style would benefit the reader.
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6. Reveal the author's intent: Every book whether fiction or non-fiction has an intent or a message to the reader It may be subtle or obvious but the reader is definitely going to read something he hasn't read before. It's a new book after all!

7. Dig well into the author's area of expertise: It is a good idea that you read a few other works of the author as well. You can couple that information with the book you are reviewing to give a wider perspective to the reader.

8. Give the author his due : Appraise the book well vis-vis its strengths and weaknesses .Praise the author where the book excels in quality ,content and clarity and don't be afraid to point out the flaws.

9 .Give an objective assessment: An objective rating like a 5 on a scale of 10 or 3 out of 5 stars makes a direct impact on the reader.

10. Compare the book to similar contemporary works: A comparison is worth the effort if there are a wide number of books written on the same or similar topics.

11. Reasons why you would recommend this book (or vice versa): State crisply why this book will be a good one for the reader or why he should forgo this one.

12. Be careful of the target audience: The audience for the review may be multicultural, senior or a younger one. The reviewer should be able to steer the review to the likeability of his audience as well.

13. Biographical information: A mention of the prominent works and other achievements of the author would breed familiarity with the reader.

14. Nature of illustrations: For books that provide specific information to the reader a comment on the quality of illustrations is appreciated.

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