My Review Process

So. Reviews… amirite?

Honestly, thinking up this post was a trip in and of itself in the sense of when thinking about my elusive writing process when it comes to reviews…. it’s an enigma. But frankly, are reviews easy to write?

No.

Yet you’d think I’d get better at it after five-ish years…

No.

Okay, I’ll give myself some credit, I’m alright.

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I can’t even brag on my method of reviewing because if I’m keeping it short and sweet: word. vomit. Nevertheless, I should probably elaborate.

I had written a post a while ago on how I annotate my reads which is also a chaotic experience and considering I had to refer back to said post… just know I still don’t know what I’m doing.

Because, when I’m scribbling in my notebook of notebooks now delegated to my notes app, I’m not writing much. I write about how I feel, but overall, it’s never really useful in the end?? However, as I’ve grown into the reviewer I am today I’ve realized that there are other things I need to take into account.

the beginning

❥ mini synopsis

❥ funny? story time?

I have a tendency to bounce between should I give a quick synopsis of the book? Even though I copy/pasted the synopsis from Goodreads?

But then occasionally I’ll try to be funny, or tell a joke, or give backstory on… something. To be frank, there isn’t any one way I start off my reviews, it really just depends on how I felt about said book or how my day went.

the meat

❥ setting

❥ plot

❥ themes

❥ characters

❥ gripes/gush

Of course there’s setting, themes, plot, etc– but if y’all have been here a while, I have an inclination to lean towards characters. Characters can really make or break a book for me, but I know focusing on the entire book and its contents is something I need to work on. I try and dedicate a paragraph to each of the things I listed above.

Yet, there’s always that paragraph or two that has me either ranting my ass off or yelling from the roof tops that this book is… trash or amazing. I know, I’m original. In all honesty, I don’t really have a set format on what gets discussed first here, again it depends on how I’m feeling.

the end

❥ spoilers

❥  an awkward attempt at an organic ending

Soooo fun fact: ever since high-school, I have always struggled to end an essay? One of my weakest attributes, if I could end every essay/review/anything-I-write with well… that’s it bye it’d make my life that much easier. But I can’t. so I’m big sad.

I attempt to at least give an overall feelings recap and a do I recommend segment, but normally that last paragraph ends up being one or two sentences. Maybe three if I’m trying hard enough.

Then there’s also spoilers, which would come before the final thoughts paragraph. Of course, I’d do some coding to hide said spoilers, but I usually add those to books I had major issues with. Like… rage inducing issues, you know Which is why you don’t see many spoilers in my reviews… even though fun fact again I love spoilers. So much.

the wrap up

I have this ritual of rereading my reviews out loud. It helps me see if this review sounds like me. I always want each review I write so have the feeling of me reading it to you, to have my voice and my mannerisms and just… ME. It also helps with the editing process, finding typos which I’m still bad at, don’t judge me.

Then there’s the polishing it up, making it look pretty and color coordinated. All that good stuff.

But yeah…. that’s it. Bye!

Reviews! What’s your process? I still very much so don’t know what I’m doing, but I see growth over here and that’s all that matters. Do you take good notes while reading? Is it all vibes? Are you critically looking at everything? Let me know in the comments below!