How I Write Reviews
May. 3rd, 2026 07:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingHere’s a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown:
1. A basic description of what I’m reviewing: title, author, genre, tone.
2. A description of the premise that doesn’t use marketing language.
3. The complicating twist that turns the premise into a story.
4. The main characters and their relationships.
5. The setting and/or context, and what’s interesting about it.
6. The themes and why they resonate.
7. Praise for the style, art, translation, etc.
8. A personal reflection on what I enjoyed.
9. A direct pitch to the target audience.
I generally don’t write negative criticism for four reasons. First, every piece of art is a miracle. Second, each of us only has so many days on this earth. Third, I prefer not to platform bullshit. And fourth, the sort of author who feels confident about putting overt sexism, racism, etc. into their work is also the sort of person who won’t hesitate to launch a vendetta against a reviewer who calls it out.
Also, something that reviewers really like to do is open in a style that I call “2010s recipe blog,” which involves writing two or three paragraphs about a summer you spent with your grandparents or a book you read in college (or whatever) before you mention the work that you’re supposed to be reviewing. There’s a place for this in a certain type of literary magazine, but I generally find it annoying and pretentious as an opener. It’s important for a writer to bring a unique perspective to their review, but it’s also important to respect your readers and not bury the lede.
1. A basic description of what I’m reviewing: title, author, genre, tone.
2. A description of the premise that doesn’t use marketing language.
3. The complicating twist that turns the premise into a story.
4. The main characters and their relationships.
5. The setting and/or context, and what’s interesting about it.
6. The themes and why they resonate.
7. Praise for the style, art, translation, etc.
8. A personal reflection on what I enjoyed.
9. A direct pitch to the target audience.
I generally don’t write negative criticism for four reasons. First, every piece of art is a miracle. Second, each of us only has so many days on this earth. Third, I prefer not to platform bullshit. And fourth, the sort of author who feels confident about putting overt sexism, racism, etc. into their work is also the sort of person who won’t hesitate to launch a vendetta against a reviewer who calls it out.
Also, something that reviewers really like to do is open in a style that I call “2010s recipe blog,” which involves writing two or three paragraphs about a summer you spent with your grandparents or a book you read in college (or whatever) before you mention the work that you’re supposed to be reviewing. There’s a place for this in a certain type of literary magazine, but I generally find it annoying and pretentious as an opener. It’s important for a writer to bring a unique perspective to their review, but it’s also important to respect your readers and not bury the lede.
