Writing a book review can be surprisingly tricky.
Especially when you’re trying to sum up your thoughts without spoiling too much or sounding like a fan letter.
You might love a book to pieces, but putting that into words in a clear, structured way is where things often get messy.
This is where a book review template can help. 🤝
Instead of staring at a blank page, wondering where to begin, a template gives you a solid starting point. It breaks down your review into clear sections—like a summary, personal takeaways, themes or characters analysis, and final verdict—so you’re not left guessing what to include.
We’ve compiled links to effective review templates to help you craft book reviews that capture your insights, emotions, and the author’s purpose. Let’s dive in.
What are Book Review Templates?
A book review template is a clear, structured outline that helps you write reviews effectively. It guides you in organizing your thoughts and ensures you cover all the key elements—from the book title and plot summary to your personal evaluation and final recommendation.
Here are some important elements that these content writing templates should include:
✅ Introduces the book title, author, publisher, and publication date, and provides brief context
✅ States your overall opinion in a clear thesis
✅ Summarizes the plot concisely and presents the main character, setting, and key themes without major spoilers
✅ Highlights strengths and weaknesses, using examples to discuss character development, writing style, and tone
✅ Shares your critical opinion, compares the book with similar titles, and ends the comment with a clear recommendation
Top Book Review Templates at a Glance
Here’s a quick breakdown of our roundup:
| Template Name | Download Template | Ideal For | Best Features |
| Review Template | Get free template | Readers, students, bloggers | Modular sections, custom fields, status tracking |
| Heuristic Review Template | Get free template | Reviewers, critical readers | Heuristic checkpoints, scoring matrix, collaborative comments |
| Customer Satisfaction Survey Template | Get free template | Students, book clubs, review writers | Timeline/milestone tracking, sectioned outlines, drag-and-drop |
| Book Planning Template | Get free template | Reviewers, students, authors | Timeline, milestone tracking, sectioned outlines |
| Monthly Book Review Template by Adobe | Download this template | Monthly slots, numeric rating, minimalist design | Adobe PDF |
| Book Report Template by Adobe | Download this template | Creative prompts, drawing, moral reflection | Adobe PDF |
| Literary Plot Analysis Template by Adobe | Download this template | Characters, conflict, climax, resolution, devices | Adobe PDF |
| Book Review Template by Twinkl | Download this template | Young readers, classrooms | Visual prompts, drawing, printable/digital |
| Book Review Template by Discovery | Download this template | All ages, fiction/nonfiction | Dual-format, star ratings, pros/cons, quotes |
| Presentation Book Review Template by Slidesgo | Download this template | Visual learners, students, content creators | Editable slides, timelines, ratings, graphics |
| Book Review Template by Read Write Think | Download this template | Educators, students | Step-by-step prompts, printable, digital fill-ins |
| Book Review Template by Thompson Rivers University | Download this template | Academic reviewers, students | Four-part format, analysis prompts, PDF |
| Book Review Template by Freepik | Download this template | Teachers, young students | Visuals, rating scales, drawing fields |
| Book Review Template by World Book Day | Download this template | Early learners, group activities | Fill-in-the-blank, emotional reflection, quick completion |
| Mini Book Report Template by Teach Starter | Download this template | Elementary students | Foldable booklet, visual mapping, compact format |
| Book Review Template by Teachit | Download this template | Middle/high school students | Scaffolded questions, analytical prompts, editable |
What Makes a Good Book Review Template?
A good book review template helps writers stay focused, organized, and objective. Simultaneously, it encourages balanced opinions, reduces rating bias, and guides you through the documentation review process.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
- Separate sections to rate individual elements like plot, characters, and writing style
- Prompts for personal reflection, helping students explore how a book influenced their ideas or behavior
- A clear structure that keeps the review concise yet insightful, useful for both quick impressions and deeper analysis
- Space for quotes, favorite moments, or final thoughts, allowing creative and meaningful expression
- Flexibility in format to adapt the template for different genres—from fiction to business or self-help titles
16 Best Book Review Templates
Without further ado, here are 16 of the best book review templates to help you write pieces that are relatable to other readers.
Whether you’re working on book reports or posting Instagram reviews, these templates make it easier to structure your summary, analysis, and opinions.
1. Review Template
Originally designed for business project reviews, the Review Template can come in handy when structuring detailed book reports.
Think of your latest fiction book as a project—one with a plot, pacing, and characters that unfold across different phases.
This template allows readers to analyze each “stage” of the story, reflect on what worked (or didn’t), and organize feedback in a way that’s both critical and insightful.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Modular sections let you break down plot, pacing, and character arcs for granular analysis
- Built-in Custom Fields for action items and feedback loops—perfect for iterative review or group projects
- Customizable status tracking helps you monitor review progress and revisions
✨ Ideal For: Readers, students, or bloggers who want a structured, analytical approach to reviewing story progression and plot clarity.
💜 Bonus: AI Fields in make managing book reviews effortless by automatically analyzing each review to capture the overall sentiment, summarize the main points, and extract key details like highlights or recommendations.
Instead of manually updating fields, the AI keeps everything current—so as you write or edit your review, it instantly tags whether your feedback is positive or negative, generates a concise summary, and pulls out important insights. You can even customize what the AI extracts by writing your own prompts, making it easy to organize and understand your book reviews at a glance.
2. Heuristic Review Template
Primarily built for evaluating user experiences, the Heuristic Review Template can be creatively adapted to write book reviews focusing on structure, flow, and reader engagement.
Just like a UI, a fiction book or nonfiction title should guide its audience smoothly through its plot, characters, and key themes.
Using this template, you can pinpoint where the story excels, where it drags, and which parts might confuse or disengage readers.
The Heuristic Review Template is especially helpful for analyzing writing style and narrative clarity.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Heuristic checkpoints guide you through evaluating narrative flow, clarity, and engagement
- Scoring matrix enables an objective comparison across multiple books or review criteria
- Integrated comment fields support collaborative feedback and peer review
✨ Ideal For: Reviewers who want to evaluate a book’s structure, flow, and reader engagement with a UX-style lens.
🧠 Fun Fact: French novelist Honoré de Balzac kickstarted his writing marathons with up to 50 cups of coffee a day—no espresso, no progress. Ironically, the literary legend who energized European fiction may have been undone by his favorite fuel: caffeine overdose.
3. Customer Satisfaction Survey Template
Customer feedback and book reviews are similar: both reflect real experiences and honest opinions.
’s Customer Satisfaction Survey Template, primarily meant to capture customer feedback, can be a powerful tool for readers and reviewers who want to assess how well a book resonated with its audience.
You can use this template to evaluate the emotional impact, character relatability, and plot effectiveness of the book, as if it were a product being reviewed.
This review tool is especially helpful for students or book club members trying to write book reviews that go beyond personal opinion and consider what other readers might feel.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Timeline and milestone tracking help map out plot points and character development
- Sectioned outlines make it easy to reverse-engineer a book’s structure for detailed reviews
- Drag-and-drop task management lets you reorganize review elements as your analysis evolves
✨ Ideal For: Students or review writers looking to assess emotional impact and broader audience resonance beyond personal opinion.
4. Book Planning Template
While created for authors, this Book Planning Template is also a goldmine for those who want to understand the structure behind a fiction or nonfiction book deeply.
Here’s how it works: By reverse-engineering a story’s flow, main characters, and major plot points using this template, students and reviewers can gain insight into how the book was constructed.
It’s the best writing tool for breaking down themes, mapping out plot summary points, and organizing your review before you even start writing.
This approach is particularly useful for long or layered books, where staying organized is key to writing a clear, balanced book review.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Timeline and milestone tracking help map out plot points and character development
- Sectioned outlines make it easy to reverse-engineer a book’s structure for detailed reviews
- Drag-and-drop task management lets you reorganize review elements as your analysis evolves
✨ Ideal For: Reviewers who want to evaluate a book’s structure, flow, and reader engagement with a UX-style lens.
💜 Bonus: Brain MAX is your AI-powered desktop companion designed to make capturing and organizing your ideas effortless. When it comes to book reviews, Brain MAX’s Talk-to-Text feature is a game-changer.
Instead of typing out your thoughts, you can simply speak your impressions, favorite quotes, and key takeaways as they come to you—whether you’re on the go or relaxing at home. Brain MAX instantly transcribes your spoken words, helping you brainstorm and reflect in real time.
5. Monthly Book Review Template by Adobe
Simple yet effective, Adobe’s Monthly Book Review Template is effective for quick reflections and recurring book reports. This template covers the essentials—book title, plot summary, likes, dislikes, and a final rating.
The minimal format keeps your thoughts focused and your review easy to follow without skipping key elements.
The Monthly Book Review Template is especially helpful for building a consistent review habit, whether you’re documenting your favorite reads or critiquing a newly discovered fiction book.
The 10-point scale used in the template also encourages more thoughtful scoring by giving room for nuance.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Pre-formatted monthly slots encourage consistent review habits and easy archiving
- Numeric rating system supports nuanced scoring and trend tracking over time
- Minimalist design ensures fast loading and easy printing for offline use
✨ Ideal For: Habitual readers who want a consistent, quick way to reflect on books each month without skipping key points.
6. Book Report Template by Adobe
Are you a young reader or the parent of one? Then this Adobe Book Report Template will bring a creative twist to classic book reviews.
With writing prompt examples like drawing your favorite character and identifying the moral of the story, this template encourages deeper engagement while making the review process fun and reflective.
The Adobe Book Report Template also covers all the core elements—book title, author, genre, and a summary—giving kids a structured way to write about what they’ve read.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Pre-formatted monthly slots encourage consistent review habits and easy archiving
- Numeric rating system supports nuanced scoring and trend tracking over time
- Minimalist design ensures fast loading and easy printing for offline use
✨ Ideal For: Kids and parents seeking a creative, guided way to build early review-writing and comprehension skills.
7. Literary Plot Analysis Template by Adobe
Adobe’s Literary Plot Analysis Template dives straight into the heart of storytelling by focusing on classic narrative structure.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
First of all, it offers dedicated sections for:
✅ Characters
✅ Conflict
✅ Climax
✅ Resolution
✅ Literary devices
This makes the template a good option for anyone wanting to break down the plot of a fiction book in detail. Whether you’re writing a formal book report or a critical review, this template helps you analyze how the story unfolds and what makes it effective.
✨ Ideal For: Students and critical readers who want to analyze plot structure, literary devices, and story flow in depth.
8. Book Review Template by Twinkl
The Book Review Template by Twinkl offers a kid-friendly and engaging way to help young readers explore their opinions through structured reflection.
With prompts to identify the book title, author, plot summary, and main characters, this template by Twinkl also encourages creativity through drawing scenes or describing favorite parts.
Moreover, the template introduces key elements of a review while supporting literacy, comprehension, and critical thinking.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Visual prompts and drawing spaces support multi-modal learning and creativity
- Simple, guided questions help young readers build foundational review skills
- Printable and digital versions available for flexible classroom or home use
✨ Ideal For: Young readers exploring reviews for the first time with engaging visuals and simple prompts.
9. Book Review Template by Discovery
The Book Review Template by Discovery offers a practical and flexible format designed for nearly every type of review.
Divided into two focused versions—one for fiction books, one for nonfiction—it helps readers structure their thoughts clearly while covering essential elements like plot summary, character analysis, and personal recommendation.
Additionally, the template guides you through the review process with questions that prompt both reflection and evaluation.
You’ll also find creative add-ons, such as star ratings, pros and cons lists, and favorite quotes, to personalize each book review.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Dual-format options (fiction/nonfiction) adapt to any genre or reading level
- Star ratings, pros/cons lists, and quote fields personalize each review
- Guided question flow ensures thorough coverage of plot, characters, and recommendations
✨ Ideal For: Readers of all ages looking for a flexible, easy-to-use template with both structured questions and personalization.
10. Presentation Book Review Template by Slidesgo
The Presentation Book Review Template by Slidesgo is made for visual learners and presenters who want to bring their book reports to life.
Designed for Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Canva, this template allows readers to present any book using editable slides featuring plot summaries, character timelines, chapter maps, and visual ratings.
This format is perfect for students, book clubs, or bloggers who want to share reviews in a more engaging, interactive way—especially on platforms like YouTube or during classroom discussions.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Editable slides for plot summaries, timelines, and ratings make presentations dynamic
- Compatible with Google Slides, PowerPoint, and Canva for maximum flexibility
- Visual storytelling tools (maps, timelines, graphics) enhance engagement and retention
✨ Ideal For: Visual learners, students, and content creators who want to present book reviews interactively and creatively.
📮 Insight: 50% of our survey respondents report Friday as their most productive day. Fridays tend to have fewer meetings, and this, combined with the context accumulated from the workweek, could mean fewer disruptions and more time for deep, focused work.
Want to retain Friday-level productivity all week long? Embrace async communication practices with , the everything app for work! Record your screen with Clips, get instant transcriptions through Brain, or ask ’s AI Notetaker to step in and summarize meeting highlights for you!
11. Book Review Template by Read Write Think
Designed by educators and backed by the NCTE, the Book Review Template by Read Write Think is a reliable classroom staple for students across all grade levels.
This template guides young readers through the process of expressing their ideas, offering prompts to help them describe the book title, reflect on the plot, and share personal opinions.
Since this template is designed for early literacy development, it supports comprehension and critical thinking and encourages students to write book reviews with purpose.
Plus, teachers can also use this template to assess understanding and build classroom discussions around themes, characters, or genres.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Step-by-step prompts scaffold the review process for early literacy development
- Teacher-friendly format supports assessment and classroom discussion
- Printable worksheets and digital fill-ins cater to diverse learning environments
✨ Ideal For: Educators and students who want a classroom-ready format to support comprehension and expression.
💡 Pro Tip: Drowning in revisions and legalese? This How to Use AI to Review Documents guide shows you how to speed up document review and reduce costly errors with smart automation.
12. Book Review Template by Thompson Rivers University
The academic-style Book Review Template by Thompson Rivers University offers a no-fluff approach and follows a clear four-part format for writing book reviews.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
It comes with dedicated spaces for:
✅ Introduction
✅ Summary
✅ Analysis
✅ Conclusion
Reviewers are encouraged to include the book title, author, genre, and a concise plot summary while connecting to other texts or personal experiences.
The analysis section is particularly valuable, prompting specific opinions supported by examples—from character development and themes to writing style and layout.
✨ Ideal For: Academic reviewers and students writing formal, well-structured reviews with clear analysis and conclusions.
13. Book Review Template by Freepik
Bright, engaging, and visually appealing: The Book Review Template by Freepik can easily become your classroom option.
This template prompts students to list the book title, author, and genre; rate the book with a simple visual scale; and reflect on the story’s ending, favorite parts, and what they learned.
A standout feature is the space to draw your favorite scene, which adds a creative touch that encourages deeper connection and engagement with the characters and plot.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Bright, engaging visuals and rating scales make reviews fun and accessible for young students
- Drawing fields and reflection prompts encourage creative expression
- Downloadable in multiple formats (PDF, PNG) for easy classroom distribution
✨ Ideal For: Teachers and young students who want a colorful, creative option that combines visual engagement with thoughtful reflection.
14. Book Review Template by World Book Day
This Book Review Template by World Book Day is a fun and reflective tool that encourages young readers to share their thoughts and feelings about their favorite reads.
The template starts with prompts like naming your favorite character, explaining how the book made you feel, and even suggesting what you’d tell the author.
And if you have younger students who are just learning how to write book reviews in a personal and expressive way, this template offers a simple fill-in-the-blank format.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Fill-in-the-blank prompts simplify the review process for early learners
- Emotional reflection fields help children connect personally with the story
- Designed for quick completion, making it perfect for group activities or reading logs
✨ Ideal For: Early learners developing personal expression and emotional connection through simple, fun review formats.
15. Mini Book Report Template by Teach Starter
The Mini Book Report Template by Teach Starter turns the review process into a hands-on, creative project for young readers.
Structured like a foldable booklet, this template prompts students to fill in key details such as the book title, a short plot summary, and a drawing of the main character and cover.
There’s also space for a rating, personal reflections, and even a map of the story’s setting—helping students connect visually and emotionally with the book.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Foldable booklet design turns reviews into interactive, hands-on projects
- Visual mapping (character drawings, setting maps) deepens story comprehension
- Compact format is ideal for classroom displays or take-home assignments
✨ Ideal For: Elementary students who prefer hands-on, interactive templates to make the review process more engaging.
16. Book Review Template by Teachit
Need differentiated versions for various skill levels? This Book Review Template by Teachit is a classroom-ready, scaffolded resource.
This template encourages deeper reflection with questions about emotional impact, narrative technique, and comparisons to other books—helping students reflect while developing analytical skills.
This book review template is especially helpful for teaching the difference between personal opinions and textual analysis, making it a strong fit for English lessons or independent reading projects.
🌼 Why you’ll love this template
- Scaffolded questions support differentiated instruction for various skill levels
- Analytical prompts guide students to balance personal opinion with textual evidence
- Editable fields allow teachers to customize for independent or group work
✨ Ideal For: Middle and high school students learning to balance opinion with analysis and improve their critical thinking.
🧠 Fun Fact: When Les Misérables was released, Victor Hugo was on vacation and sent his publisher a one-character telegram: “?”. The reply? Just “!”. Possibly the shortest (and most successful) book review ever.
Book The Best Review For Yourself With
United Way Suncoast’s Creative Director, Jodi Salice, can’t get enough of :
You’ll feel the same way once you experience ’s flexible templates, including its book review template. Stay organized, structure book reports, and manage content from plot summary to final review.
Ready to write book reviews your readers will want to read? Sign up on !
Frequently Asked Questions
The four main parts of a book review are:
1. Introduction: Presents the book’s title, author, and a brief overview
2. Summary: Gives a concise description of the plot or main themes
3. Analysis/Evaluation: Discusses the strengths, weaknesses, and your opinions about the book
4. Conclusion/Recommendation: Summarizes your overall impression and states whether you recommend the book
A typical book review format includes:
Title and author of the book
Brief summary of the content
Analysis of key elements (such as characters, plot, writing style)
Personal evaluation and critique
Recommendation for potential readers
Structure your book review as follows:
1. Start with an introduction that includes the book’s details and your initial thoughts
2. Summarize the book without giving away spoilers
3. Analyze and evaluate the book’s components, such as plot, characters, and writing style
4. Conclude with your overall impression and recommendation
“The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. The story follows Alicia, a woman who refuses to speak after being accused of her husband’s murder. The author masterfully unravels the mystery through the eyes of her therapist, Theo. The plot twists are clever, and the pacing is excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspenseful, character-driven stories.”
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
