How to Write a Book Review Good morning, today's lecture is about how to write a book review. First of all, let me explain to you what a book review is. A book review is a descriptive and critical or evaluative account of a book. Like the book report, it provides a summary of content and an analysis of structure, yet you will also assess the value of a book and recommend the book to other readers. There are two approaches to book reviewing: the descriptive and the critical. A descriptive review is one in which the writer, without over-enthusiasm or exaggeration, gives the essential information about a book. This is done by description and exposition, by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the author, and by quoting striking passages from the text.