Reviews: General Outline

The following is the breakdown that I will be using for every review that I do. You'll notice that there are many things in italics ... this is just things I write down to remind myself what to look for when I review a story.


General Information

Title of Book - include book number if part of series and website of said series.
Author - include author website (or blog) if available.
Number of Pages
Publisher - include Publisher location.
Release Date

Genre
Themes

Synopsis - include source of synopsis.

Additional Information - include book excerpts, trailers, or other promotional items.


What Is Reviewed

The review will typically be in two paragraphs to keep my train of thought straight. One paragraph will be my take on the whole story ... kind of like my own longer version of a synopsis. The second paragraph will be all of the specifics including the list below. Don;t be intimidated by the list, it's just what I look at when I go to review a book.

Cover Art - does the cover grab your attention? does it fit the story?
Synopsis - does it make me want to open the book and start reading immediately?
Prologue (if available) - does it move you into the story smoothly? or if it's an excerpt from later in the book, does it give you enough to make you want to continue reading?
Point of View - is it too limited, too broad, or just right?
Writing Style - is it classy? funny? does it fit the atmosphere of the story?
Character Development - do the characters have dimension? can you relate to them? do they grow?
Action/Adventure - is there a lot of action? or is the story more about drama?
Plot - is it original? intriguing? planned out well?
Ending - is it fitting to the story? too expected, or was it surprising?
Epilogue (if available) - does it wrap the story well? does it open the story to a sequel?


Rating System

- It makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside!
- A really great read!
- A little disconnection, but still worth the read!
- Too many questions unanswered, but someone will like it!
- If you HAVE to read it, rent it from the library.

If for some reason I think a book is deserving of more than the rating, but less deserving of the rating above it, I'll insert a "½". It helps me sleep at night and gives you a better feel of the rating.

Reviews that are rated UNDER 3 butterflies will typically not get posted, unless otherwise directed by the author/publisher. For a better explanation of this and the rating system, please read the Review Policy.


Miscellaneous

Summary of Review - typically one sentence finalizing my impression of book.

Target Audience - what kinds of people I think would enjoy this type of book.

Source of Book - the means of acquiring reviewed book: purchased, gifted, an ARC, or e-Book.

Books By Author - additional books by the author, for anyone that may be interested.

Reviews: The Policy

This blog is relatively new, as reviews start [officially] on January 1, 2010.

Genres I Enjoy MOST
Genre to be reviewed is not limited to this list.

• Young Adult
• Paranormal Romance
• Love & Romance
• Mystery
• Horror & Thriller
• Fantasy
• Science Fiction
• Chick-Lit
• True Crime
  

Time Frame

If I am reviewing a book for you, please give me time. I can typically fly through about three decent novels a week, but I cannot give you a definite deadline on when I will be done. I have a full-time job and this blog is something I do as a hobby on the side. If the book intrigues me enough, it will probably take me less time to finish it compared to others.

*If the book is an Early Review, it will automatically be bumped up in priority and I will post a review typically a month before its release date - if I receive it that early.


How I Review

First thing's first: I have to pick out a book. I buy books constantly with my own money and on occasion I receive a book/manuscript to be reviewed from others. If it's given to me, I try to make it top(ish) priority. If it's a part of my own collection, I typically just randomly select a book off of my shelf. I will also re-read books that I have read in order to refresh my memory and review it for this blog.

If I accept a novel from an author, published or otherwise, it is almost guaranteed that I will review the book. However, in the unlikely case that I cannot finish the book to review it, I am more than willing to return the book to the author or pass it along to a fellow blogger in order for it to be reviewed. Usually, this isn't the case. I rarely find a book that is so hideous (in my opinion) that I want to throw it at the wall and curl up in the fetal position in an attempt to forget it - I just like to cover all of my bases. I used to live by the 100 page rule (give it 100 pages before you give up on it), but now it seems I'm so obsessive in my readings that I absolutely have to finish the book ... no matter how bad it may be.

Reviewing is a process for me that starts before I actually finish the book and sit down to write a review. I like to take notes while I'm reading. My reviews generally include cover art, plot, synopsis, ending, writing and of course my personal opinion about the book in general. You get extra points for witty dialogue and general LOL-moments in the story. Points are taken off if I have any questions written down after I have completed the novel. At the end of the review, I post my overall rating of the book.


Ratings

My rating system is my favorite part because I like to use butterflies as my stars! Overall, my rating system is very generic. I will rate the book on a scale from one to five "stars". Below is how the stars add up.

- The book is pretty much solid gold. Everything reviewed lives up to the standards. This is a book I can pick up, read and follow effortlessly with no questions whatsoever. After I'm finished reading it, I want to pick up the phone IMMEDIATELY to call my best friend/fellow bookworm to demand that she reads it next.

- The book is still incredible and definitely recommended. It pretty much lived up to the hype and there is very little to criticize.

- The book is worth reading, but something is missing. There was a hole in the plot, one of the main characters wasn't fleshed out well, OR the ending was completely unnecessary/unbelievable.

- After reading the book, I was left scratching my head. There are holes in the plots, the characters are one-dimensional, and/or the writing isn't my cup of tea.

- After reading the book, I threw it up against the wall and went to my happy place.

There are half ratings, too. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find it in my heart to take away half of a butterfly, so I just use "½" instead. ;)

If a book isn't at least three stars, I typically won't post it. Why? I know from experience that a lot of readers are deterred by really horrible ratings/reviews of a book. Like I said before, everyone has their own taste in books and I don't want to be the reason that someone won't give a book a chance. If in the event this happens when I am reviewing for an author, I will send an e-mail to said author explaining my reasons for not posting a review and we will work out details from there.


Bookmarks, Swag, Other Products

I will gladly accept any bookmarks/swag that you would be willing to send to me. These items are always taken as prizes to give out during any future contests that may be hosted at this blog.

I am also willing to review other products that my readers might enjoy; especially when it is reading-related.


FIC FRIDAYS

Fic Fridays is something I have decided to start that I don't see a lot of on review blogs. While this blog is primarily a book review blog, I have decided to open up reviews to something else that I hold close to my heart: fiction stories written by aspiring writers. If you have a story on Fictionpress or on Fanfiction that you want reviewed, please contact me. I also beta read for some from time to time, so send me an e-mail and I'll let you know if I have time to beta for you as well. =)