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What is a Book Review

 A book review describes and evaluates a book, and makes an argument. It is more of a commentary than just a simple summary. Both fiction and non-fiction books are reviewed. Book reviews are often published in newspapers, magazines, online, and in scholarly/peer reviewed  journals. Book reviews for popular books are often published before the book is published or around the time that they become available. Reviews for more scholarly books often appear a year or two after the publication date.

Search Suggestions

  • You can try the search box on the library home page or one of the library databases.
  • Begin by conducting a search with the author and titles.
  • Knowing the date of publication helps to narrow your search.
  • Some databases will allow you to narrow to review or criticism. 

Parts of a Book Review

  • Most book reviews include the author, title, and year of publication
  • Non-fiction book reviews often analyze the book, discuss major topics, and may include the author's credentials.
  • Some reviews compare or contrast the book with other works on similar topics.
  • The review may include omissions, biases, and/or additions to the field of study

Book Review Databases

Additional Sources of Book Reviews