How to Write a Book Critique - Complete Guide from Patrick Carfizzi

When you write a book critique, you neither summarize it nor retell its plot. To write a good piece, you need to be clear about the purpose and features of critical evaluation. So what is a book critique? 

A book critique is a critical evaluation and analysis of a literary work. It focuses on the strong and weak points of a book in terms of style, plot, argument, character development, etc. Writing a book critique, you enrich your understanding of literary works and provide valuable information for other readers. 

To write a good book critique, you need to be well versed in literary criticism and have some technical knowledge. Note that your critical response should also be objective and based on actual evidence from the book. We'll show you a book critique example to guide you through the writing process. 

What to Do Before You Start Your Book Critique

 

Writing a book critique isn't easy. To approach this task, read the book, analyze it carefully, and make a detailed plan. We'll help you with a book critique template, but first, have a look at some tips from a professional paper writing service or get help from essayhub.com research paper writers on how to critique a book:

  • Read the book carefully and don't rely on existing summaries. This way, you'll understand the author's message properly.

  • Find good book critique samples and analyze their style and structure. 

  • Make your review more objective by using evidence from the text. Provide quotes and comment on them to support your point of view. 

  • Structure your critique to make it easier for the reader to follow your thoughts.

  • A book critique should be balanced. Highlight strong and weak points equally. 

  • Suggest a strong thesis and support it with diverse arguments.

Headshot of Bass-Baritone, Patrick Carfizzi

Recommendations

Write recommendations for other readers in your book critiques to help them decide whether the work is worth reading. Briefly provide your general impression and include a couple of supporting sources for your opinion. If your critical analysis is strong enough, recommendations will come naturally, providing further insight into the quality of the book. Make sure you also include a complete reference list if you use any direct or paraphrased quotes.

Special Book Critique Format from Patrick Carfizzi

Patrick Carfizzi developed his own format for writing a book critique. You can use it to structure your own book critiques and make them more professional, or you can buy essay critiques from a reliable writing service. The format includes five elements that are discussed below.

Introduce Author Details

Start your critique by introducing the book and its author. You can do research on their biography and qualifications to identify factors that might have influenced the author's thesis and point of view. Keep the introduction brief and include only those facts that can empower your critique.

Purpose of the Book

Your book critique also needs to outline the purpose of the book. Think about the message it conveys and the target audience. It will help you to determine the book's contribution and purpose as well as the author's thesis.

Book's Contents

 

In this part, your goal is to overview the key themes that the author raises in the book. Summarize the main ideas that they use for the argument based on your reading notes. Focus not only on the subject of the book but also on the author's particular perspective. 

Critical Analysis

 

Critical analysis forms the bulk of your book critique. There is a good service essayservice.com. It includes your own critical comments regarding the subject matter and its presentation in the literary work. Don't forget to address clarity and coherence as well as the author's style. You should mention whether you agree with the author's assertions. If not, provide a counterargument with sufficient evidence to prove your point of view.

Book Critique Outline

Use this book critique sample outline to organize your writing:

Introduction

  • Introduce the book

  • Introduce the author 

  • Outline the purpose of the book

  • Write the thesis statement

Body

  • Overview the content of the book

  • Provide critical analysis of content, subject, evidence, style, etc.

  • Provide evidence for book critiques

Conclusion

  • Restate the thesis statement 

  • Write your general opinion

  • Offer recommendations

Additional Tips for Your Critical Evaluation

Critical evaluation is the most important part of a book critique. It entails various criteria. Here is the list of useful tips: 

 

  1. Analyze the credibility of the author and their credentials. 

  2. Focus on the purpose of the book. Did the author achieve their goal and prove the thesis?

  3. Evaluate the evidence provided by the author. Is it adequate and convincing?

  4. Address distortions and exaggerations in the text, if any.

  5. Evaluate the structure and organization of the book. 

  6. Use a book critique template to organize your writing. 

  7. Talk about the characters and their development.

  8. Comment on the tone and language of the literary work. 

  9. Write whether you consider the book convincing. Why? Why not? 

  10. Evaluate the conclusions the author arrives at.

  11. Think about the alternative interpretations of the subject matter. 

  12. Comment whether there is any information that the author leaves out.

Book Critique Example from Patrick Carfizzi

Patrick Carfizzi said in an interview, that when he wrote a book critique he used advice of essay writing services where you can buy dissertation on domyessay.com or get help with your any assignment.

There are a lot of book critique examples from Patrick Carfizzi that can help you learn how to evaluate books. Here is one of them:

Biography of Patrick Carfizzi

Patrick Carfizzi is a bass-baritone Metropolitan Opera performer who has recently celebrated the twentieth anniversary of his debut. However, opera is not his only passion. Patrick has also become a literary critic and developed his own way of writing a book critique. As a lot of people seek his advice, Patrick Carfizzi wants to share his guide, How to Write a Book Critique, on his website.