Title: Subtitle: Author: Genre:

Appearance: 5

Plot:

Book Review Mini-Critique

Below you will find ratings (scale of 1-5) with descriptions for the major parts of your book followed by your Readers’ Favorite review. Although these are general ratings we hope they will give you an insight into how others may view the different components of your book.

These are the opinions of your reviewer, and although your reviewer is not an expert literary critic or professional editor, they are at the very least, an avid reader of books just like yours.

Saving Bobby
Heroes and Heroin in One Small Community Renee Hodges
Non-Fiction – Memoir

The appearance of a book can make a significant impact on the experience of a reader, whose enjoyment is often enhanced by an enticing cover, an intriguing table of contents, interesting chapter headings, and when possible, eye-catching illustrations.

The characters of a book should be well defined with strengths and flaws, and while they do not have to be likable, the reader does have to be able to form a connection with them. The tone should be consistent, the theme should be clear, and the plot should be original or told from a unique perspective. For informative books — those without plot and characters–this rating refers primarily to your concept and how well you presented it.

5

Development: 5

Formatting: 5

Marketability: 5

Overall Opinion: 5

Development refers to how effectively you told your story or discussed your topic. The dialogue should be realistic, the descriptions should be vivid, and the material should be concise and coherent. Organization is also a key factor, especially for informative books — those without plot and characters. The order in which you tell your story or explain your topic and how smoothly it flows can have a huge impact on the reader’s understanding and enjoyment of the material.

Formatting is the single most overlooked area by authors. The way in which you describe scenes, display dialogue, and shift point of view can make or break your story. In addition, excessive grammatical errors and typos can give your book an amateurish feel and even put off readers completely.

Marketability refers to how effectively you wrote your book for your target audience. Authors may include content that is above or below the understanding of their target reader, or include concepts, opinions or language that can accidentally confuse or alienate some readers. Although by its nature this rating is very subjective, a very low rating here and poor reviews may indicate an issue with your book in this area.

The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is the official Readers’ Favorite review rating for your book.

Review:

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite

Saving Bobby: Heroes and Heroin in One Small Community by Renee Hodges is an insightful book for all readers who deal with people with addiction. Bobby’s story is heartrending and chronicles his journey from an addict having suicidal tendencies to getting himself back on track. The book is also the story of his Aunt Renee, who took him in during his lowest phase and worked together with him to get him back on the road to recovery. The story is about love, healing, help, determination, and redemption, and will create an impact on the lives of many who are traversing the same path. It is a wonderful book that sheds light on many aspects of life; the difficulty of overcoming addiction, the stigma of shame attached to it, and emotional scarring.

This book is a must-read for everyone as it opens our eyes to addiction and the shame associated with it. Addiction is a disease and the book encourages everyone to reach out to their neighbors and help them recover. The author speaks about the topic extensively without keeping any secrets. I love her decision to be honest about addiction, making readers understand that healing does not work around shame and secrecy. The Book Club questions at the end of the book make it useful for interactive sessions in communities while discussing addiction and dealing with addicts. The questions will make readers ponder on what they have read and the importance of reaching out. The narration is excellent, honest, and straightforward, and will connect with readers.