As a book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, author, teacher, writing coach, and speaker Mandy Jackson-Beverly is given a selection of books to choose from to review. She’ll decide based on the book synopsis and author bio, and once she’s reviewing, there are multiple factors she takes into consideration, such as:
• Is it a character-driven plot? This is preferable to the plot driving the characters.
• Is there a sense of adventure and/or excitement?
• Proper syntax – or, the way in which words and sentences are placed together.
Legitimate book reviews, Jackson-Beverly explains, are not written in the first-person. Reviews should have evidence as to why something worked or didn’t work, and not just serve as a subjective look into the book.