Book Review Template 2021

Below is the (updated) template that I have designed for my book reviews for both here and elsewhere.  I am hoping that I will be able to provide a more in depth, helpful and proactive review for books with this template.

---- start of template ----

**WARNING!!!!  May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**

Book Title:
Author:
Format:
Page Count/Location:
Book Genre(s):

Categories for Ratings are in alphabetical order and are my variation(s) on the CAWPILE rating system.  There will be 2 numbers (X/Y) .. first number will represent a constructive rating, the second number representing a personal rating.

Each topic rated 0-10

0-2 = extremely poor, DNF'd (or seriously considered it), difficult to complete
3-4 = somewhat poor although not as bad as "0-2", may have had *some* redeeming qualities
5-6 = mediocre, neutral
7-8 = really good
9-10 = outstanding, exceptional

Then you average the 5 individual ratings to get the overall x out of 10 rating for the book.  Once that is done, the overall rating is converted into the following star rating.

0 - 2 = ⭐  (1 star)
3 - 4 = ⭐⭐  (2 stars)
5 - 6 = ⭐⭐⭐  (3 stars)
7 - 8 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (4 stars)
9 - 10 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  (5 stars)

A.  Characters:
B.  Cover Art & Design:
C.  Enjoyment:
D.  Plot (Storyline):
E.  Writing Style & Editing:
F.  Variable: Genre, Relating (optional):


***Additional Aspects of Book that I am reviewing (optional)***

**Pros:
**Cons:

**Honorable Mentions:

**Memorable Quotes:

**Personal Like/Dislike:

**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under?  
If no, why not?

**Final Notes:

Final Rating:
Notes on Rating:

**Desscription of what I consider when rating each category**

A.  Characters:  Are they well developed? Is their progression in the story believable, understandable or do they make little to no progression at all? Does their progression (or non- progression), understandable and/or believable (makes sense)? Are they likable or not? If not, is it understandable, within the parameters of the book, that they not be likable? Do they "act their age" and if not, does it make sense, within the borders of the story,?  Are there aspects of their personality that doesn't "fit"? Are there characters that could have a bigger spot in the story, and thereby brought about a bigger/better understanding or progression (etc) to the ending of the book?  Is there a diversity with the characters ( 0 = no diversity, 5 = much diversity ) on "whatever" level ?

B.  Cover Art & Design:  Basically, does it relate to the book/story?  Does it represent the story well or not?  Does it tie in to the genre well or not?  Is it graphically and/or artfully well done or not? Does it leave the reader with a good feeling or bad, or chaotic or ... ? 

C.  Enjoyment:  Is this story enjoyable or not? Does it leave you feeling good? Does it make you think?  Does it stay with you even after you finished the book? If enjoyed, would you recommend it to others?  Were there aspects of book that some might consider "triggers" and, if so, what? 

D.  Plot (Storyline):  Is it written well? Is it believable?  Does it flow well, or is it choppy/chaotic? Does it keep the reader interested, or do you have to struggle to keep with it, to understand it, to stay interested?  Is the story line *original* or does it seem like a cookie cutter plot of various, other books?  If the story is set in the past, does the atmosphere (or setting) properly reflect that?  If this is a fantasy setting, are the characters and atmosphere and other aspects well defined and understandable?  Is there anything about the plot/storyline that seems "off"?  In other words, does the atmosphere/setting reflect the genre - or plot - of the book?

E.  Writing Style & Editing:  was it well written on a grammatical level?  Were there a lot of errors?  Was the level of writing on an amateur or higher level?  Do they have a good command of descriptions, of character and story progression(s)?  Is their writing style similar to other author(s) and, if so, who?  If this is an established author, have you noticed a progression or growth in their writing with this book (vs prior books)?   **(Please note: if the book is an ARC, items like errors and grammar might not be part of rating as ARCs tend to be rough drafts and not the final copy.)**

F.  Variable: Genre Relating:  Based on the main genres listed for the book, does it do a good job of meeting the parameters of that genre(s).  If not, why?

---- end of template ----

Input/Feedback is welcome.

When I do the actual review, I won't put the whole template in there - just the items to complete.  For example, the category descriptions at the bottom won't be in the review(s).

To get an idea, here is a book review using the template:

https://the-book-nest.blogspot.com/2021/01/review-between-me-you-by-allison-winn.html

Thanks and hope you enjoy my future reviews!!