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The Literary Edit

Review: The BFG – Roald Dahl

Unlike his novels Matilda and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, both of which have been made into film adaptations starring Hollywood A-Listers including Jonny Depp and Danny De Vito, The BFG has been untouched since the 1989 animated version which, along with the book, has captured the hearts of both adults and children worldwide.

First published in 1982, it tells the story of Sophie, who is snatched one morning from her orphanage by the Big Friendly Giant. He takes her back to his home in Giant Country where she encounters lots of strange goings-on, including child-eating giants and snozzcumbers. The BFG reveals to Sophie that he is the only friendly giant in Giant Country and secretly collects dreams, which he then distributes to the bedrooms of children all over the world. An unlikely friendship develops between Sophie and the BFG in what is ultimately a tale of trust and of friendship.

Known for his ability to both scare and delight readers worldwide, Dahl is the only children’s author to appear four times in the BBC Big Read and having written such an abundance of charming tales it’s easy to see why. In a time when many children are brought up watching television rather than reading books, I’m going to end on my favourite Roald Dahl quote:

“So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

go throw your TV set away,

and in its place you can install,

a lovely bookcase on the wall.”

About The BFG

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

About Roald Dahl

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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2 comments on “Review: The BFG – Roald Dahl”

one of my favorite books in elementary school. read it to my 4year old for bed this summer. he was on the edge of the bed when the giant comes down the street in the opening chapter.

I never actually read this one when I was younger though I did adore the film – my favourite Roald Dahl books when I was younger were Fantastic Mr Fox and The Magic Finger!

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Girl befriends goodhearted giant in funny fantasy.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It's full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms ("Am I right or am I left?" "Hopscotchy…

Why Age 9+?

The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of children. Their names underscore

Sophie tells the BFG that kids drink Coke and Pepsi.

The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobscottle like it is a "bottle of

Any Positive Content?

Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of gold. The BFG risks his own s

Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG seems very scary at first, bu

When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles should rise up or sink down, it

Violence & Scariness

The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of children. Their names underscore their brutality: Bonecruncher, Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler, Childchewer, Meatdripper, Gizzaardgulper, Maidmasher, Manhugger, and Butcher Boy.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobscottle like it is a "bottle of rare wine." Three men drink too much beer and fall into a pit of giants.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of gold. The BFG risks his own safety to save human lives.

Positive Messages

Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG seems very scary at first, but the more he and Sophie get to know one another, the better they understand each other's language.

Educational Value

When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles should rise up or sink down, it will make kids think about the science of bubbles. When the BFG talks about how humans in different regions taste, readers will learn names of different countries.

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It's full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms ("Am I right or am I left?" "Hopscotchy," "Delumptious," "Whizzpopping") that could be challenging for young independent readers to decipher, but the book makes a great read-aloud. There are some scary and suspenseful moments for little Sophie, and readers learn that the bigger giants eat children, but there's no graphic violence. Alcohol is mentioned a couple of times, but none is consumed "onscreen." One small warning for parents of impressionable children, though: Sophie and the BFG debate the delights and offenses of burping vs. farting, and a couple of scenes when the BFG passes gas are among the funniest in the book. The book does include lots of humor, as well as a brave hero and heroine, and wonderful, unlikely friendships. The BFG was made into an animated film (1989) and a live action/CGI movie (2016) directed by Steven Spielberg .

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (10)
• Kids say (28)

Based on 10 parent reviews

Can be read two ways...

Really good, funny book, what's the story.

Roald Dahl's THE BFG begins late at night when a little orphan girl named Sophie is the only one awake. She goes to the window and sees a giant walking down the street, carrying a suitcase and peering into people's windows. When the giant sees her, he grabs her and takes her back to his cave in Giant Country. Sophie is afraid that she'll be eaten, but her new friend, the Big Friendly Giant, explains in his own sideways version of English that though the other giants in this land are twice his size and eat children all over the world, he eats nothing but disgusting snozzcumbers -- a mythical vegetable.

Sophie also learns all about the ways the BFG captures dreams in Dream Country and secretly blows dreams into people's sleeping heads. One day, Sophie finds out that the other giants are planning to gallop to England, where they'll eat up lots of children. That's when Sophie and the BFG hatch a plan to mobilize Her Majesty the Queen's soldiers to stop the kid-eating giants once and for all.

Is It Any Good?

This funny fantasy about a girl and a friendly giant has loads of appeal for young readers, from action to wordplay to gross-out humor. Each of the late Roald Dahl's books has a special quality that sets it apart, and in this case, it's silly, smart, hilarious playing with language. The BFG has never been to school, and "sometimes is saying things a little squiggly." Kids who got a laugh out of Willy Wonka's reference to "snozzberries" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will find even more to giggle about here. All of the babblement makes The BFG a delightful book to read out loud. The story also has plenty of suspense (for youngsters) even as it just keeps getting funnier, all the way to the rewarding finish.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the funny things the giant says in The BFG . Do any of them seem familiar? Do you like the way he talks?

What do Sophie and the BFG have in common that helps them become good friends?

Have you read other books by Roald Dahl ? What does The BFG have in common with the other Dahl books that you like?

Book Details

• Author : Roald Dahl
• Illustrator : Quentin Blake
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Publication date : May 21, 2006
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 11
• Number of pages : 208
• Last updated : December 13, 2018

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

James and the Giant Peach

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The BFG by Roald Dahl Review

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Roald Dahl was a GIANT of an author as well as a man, being 6ft 6” (1.98m) tall. He was a master storyteller who has been delighting children and adults alike with his writing for decades (his books have sold upwards of 250 million copies worldwide). His scrumdiddliumtious tales are still delighting readers today, long after his death in 1990.

In 1982 he published The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) as a full children’s novel, with a short version of it originally being told as a bedtime story in the 1975 children’s book Danny, Champion of the World.

Sophie is an eight-year-old orphaned girl who lives in an children’s home with several other girls. One night when she cannot sleep, and despite the orders of the cruel disciplinarian orphanage owner Mrs Clonkers, she gets out of bed and looks out of the window over the deserted London streets. But the witching hour is no time for people to be awake, especially young children, and she sees something she shouldn’t! A 24ft giant with a wrinkly face, enormous ears and a dark cloak is wandering around carrying a suitcase and a trumpet, looking in windows and occasionally blowing in something he takes from his suitcase into the rooms of the sleeping occupants. Scared, Sophie jumps back into her bed and hides under the covers. But she has been noticed by the giant who promptly reaches into her window and plucks her off her bed, whisking her away to his cave in a desolate strange and distant land – a faraway land known as Giant Country.

Sophie is only a small girl, and the giant is, well, a 24ft giant of a man so she is terrified that he is going to eat her. She pleads for life, but the giant just laughs. The giant explains that whilst most giants eat human beans, The BFG prefers eating snozzcumbers and has no interest in eating her but the other nine man-eating giants outside of his cave most certainly will if they see her. The nine other giants are not so nice though and are twice the size of The BFG, who spends his days catching dreams, letting loose with the most tremendously loud whizzpoppers (farts to you and me), and eating the vilest food ever created in the form of snozzcumbers. As giants need very little sleep, he spends his nights blowing good dreams into the windows of sleeping children (at least he is not blowing whizzpoppers through the windows).

The other giants don’t even have as nice and friendly names as The BFG, they are:

• The Fleshlumpeater
• The Bloodbottler
• The Manhugger
• The Meatdripper
• The Childchewer
• The Butcher Boy
• The Maidmasher
• The Bonecruncher
• The Gizzardgulper

Sophie is told, in muddled speech (the giants speak in a language known as Gobblefunk), that she is now in Giant Country for the rest of her life as if she were to be taken back home she would tell everybody about the giants, and they would be hunted. If that wasn’t upsetting enough, she is also told that the nine 50ft man-eating giants just outside the door travel to different countries throughout the world every night devouring human beans (that would be human beings in English), especially children human beans.

Sophie is appalled at the news of the giants travelling around devouring chidlers (children) and hatches a plan with The BFG to visit London and the Queen and stop the other giants.

Overall, bash my eyebrows, The BFG is an excellent GIANT of a story that young readers will find delumptious. With Dahl’s expressive and inventive use of language, children will love the tale of Sophie, The BFG and the nine man-eating giants.

Whilst it is a dark tale of child kidnap, bullying (The BFG is bullied by the other giants because he is a lot smaller than them and doesn’t eat human beans), man-eating giants and friendship, the story is delightfully told using eight year old Sophie as the brave, sassy, intelligent and curious hero.

If I were to speak like The BFG in Gobblefunk then I is thunking that this is an excellent tale of friendship and doing what is right, one that even Dahl’s Chickens may enjoy – sorry, that pesky giant again, I obviously mean Charles Dickens.

A very clever story with interesting and well-developed characters written with Dahl’s trademark dark humour and expressive use of language that we all love. You will have to read it and let me know Am I Right or Am I left (if you can’t speak in Gobblefunk, that means right or wrong).

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £9.99 (Hardback) / £6.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)

Available to buy from Amazon here .

DISCLOSURE:  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.

Click here to read more reviews of books by Roald Dahl

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Book Review: The BFG by Roald Dahl

I’m thrilled to officially introduce you to my superhero son, Matt. He’s been part of this blog since it’s beginning with kids crafts , and a craft video as well. He’s my little bookworm and I’m happy to have him sharing reviews each month for some of his favorite books. I’m going to let him take it away…

Today my dad asked me what makes me happy . I said, “Well, a good book always cheers me up.” Then my dad had a great idea. Why not write book reviews for my mom’s blog since I love reading so much. I thought it was a great idea and decided to get started. I just had to think of what book I would choose to review. It was hard to choose just one!

I am going to review one of my favorites, The BFG . This book is a Roald Dahl classic. This book features a giant called, the BFG, who snatches up a little girl named Sophie. Together Sophie and the BFG, which stands for the “big friendly giant”, go on an adventure filled with angry 50-foot tall man eating giants, the Queen of England, and the place where dreams are made, literally.

My eight-year-old sister has recently read this book. Here is a little interview I had with her:

Warning this part contains spoilers!  

Me : What do think the best part of the book was? Lucy : When Sophie bravely stabbed a giant in the foot, when they went to collect the dreams so they could give them to the children of the world, and when Sophie awoke in the witching hour.

Me : What was the scariest part of the book for you? Lucy : For me the scariest part was when I found out that the giants loved to eat people and leave their bones in their beds.

Me : What age group do you think this book is appropriate for and why? Lucy : It’s a great book for kids about 8 and older. It’s a great book for that age group because the BFG isn’t educated and talks with made up words sometimes.

I think that this book is a great book for kids filled with adventure and fun. That is the conclusion to my book review on The BFG. Remember I will be doing one of these every month. So long for now, see you soon.

Matthew is a creative kiddo who loves to read. His favorite books are Fablehaven, Ender's Game, and Harry Potter. He also loves to play minecraft, eat blueberries, and go mountain biking.

My kids all LOVE this book! My six year old got it for his birthday last year and we read it as a family and now he has taken it to school so his teacher can read it to the class!

Great post and review Matt!! I love this idea and can’t wait to read next month’s! Roald Dahl is my all time favorite author and I am really looking forward to my kids being old enough to love his books as well.

This was one of my favorite books growing up!! I loved seeing it on here today!

Great review! My kids loved that book when they were young.

This is AWESOME!!! I have little bitty boys and I only hope that they have the love of reading that I do and that you have instilled in your children.

Matt, you did an excellent job and I hope this is the start of many great things for you! Kudos!

I loved this review! Roald Dahl is an awesome author and BFG is a favorite. I can’t wait to hear which book you’ll review next. You probably have hundreds… possibly thousands to choose from! :)

I have always loved this book! Keep up the great reading!

great job, matt! I remember loving that book myself when I was a kid. I’m sure Cate will love reading your book reviews every month, too!

Book Review – The BFG

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The BFG by Roald Dahl (Waterstones Exclusive) – Book Review

Published 03/08/2016 · Updated 21/04/2022

The BFG Author – Roald Dahl Illustrator – Quentin Blake Publisher – Penguin Books Ltd Pages – 197 Release Date – 23rd June 2016 Format – hardcover Reviewer – Stacey

Filled with never-before-seen illustrations by Quentin Blake, this limited edition of The BFG is part of a year of celebrations to mark 100 years since Roald Dahl’s birth. It includes an exclusive new foreword in which Quentin tells the fascinating story behind his long collaboration with Roald Dahl and these never-before-seen pictures.

The Big Friendly Giant once looked rather different. His marvellous ears were rounder, he wore an apron and on his feet were a pair of boots. Quentin Blake thought the book was already on the way to the printers when he got a call; Roald Dahl had a few changes to make. So Quentin visited Roald Dahl at home for the first time and together, around the kitchen table, they recreated the giant, with his waistcoat and sandals that we know today. But what would become of Quentin’s original drawings? Tucked away in a drawer in his studio, they’ve been seen by not a goggler – until now.

‘ We is in DREAM COUNTRY . . . This is where all DREAMS is beginning. ’

On a dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant. Luckily it is the BIG FRIENDLY GIANT, the BFG, who only eats snozzcumbers and glugs frobscottle. But there are other giants in GIANT COUNTRY: fifty-foot brutes who gallop far and wide every night to find human beans to eat. Together with her friend the BFG, Sophie sets out to rid the world of trogglehumping giants forever…

To coincide with the cinema release of ‘The BFG’, and 100 years since author Roald Dahls birth, Waterstones has released an exclusive limited edition book that is full with never-before-seen illustrations by Quentin Blake.

I’ve been hard pushed to find one person who likes Roald Dahl’s books who doesn’t think that this story is one of his best works, it is certainly my favourite Roald Dahl book.

The story, following orphan Sophie and the BFG, is enchanting and magical, but it also includes some gruesome scenes, as the not to friendly giants go for lunch, with their choice of food being children.

Roald Dahl had a real knack for making his stories come to life. His books are all fun and interesting and they keep kids hooked to the pages with their elaborate stunts, tricks and characters. He understood children, and could really get to the heart of what they liked and were interested in.

This book is a keepsake, I’m not sure it’s one that you would want to give to a young child to read, more of a ‘children’s book for an adult’. The newly released illustrations are beautiful and being that there are only 5,000 copies, you really are getting a wonderful, classic book that you can treasure forever.

Book Reviewed by Stacey

Purchase link – only 5,000 copies were made, which have now all sold out..

Tags: Author Book Book Blog Book Blogger Book Review Children's Fiction Five Stars hardcover Review Roald Dahl Stacey

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The BFG by Roald Dahl – review

‘My favourite character is the BFG because he is really clever and caring and he’s always ready to help’

One night the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) comes to Sophie’s house during the witching hour. Sophie hides under her duvet because she thinks he is a bad giant. When you read on you will find out about their amazing adventures.

The main characters are the BFG, Sophie, the Queen and the Giants. My favourite character is the BFG because he is really clever and caring and he’s always ready to help.

I like the illustrations Quentin Blake did. He is really good at drawing.

I really liked this book. It was quite difficult to read but it was an excellent book.

My favourite bit is when the Queen’s footmen make the BFG a cup, knife, fork, spoon, table and chair.

I would recommend this book to a friend if they were over the age of seven because some bits are sad.

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Novel Study - The BFG by Roald Dahl - Activity Pack

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

28 July 2022

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21 high-quality activites to support the teaching of the BFG, by Roald Dahl.

The BFG vocabulary definition 2. The BFG vocabulary synonyms 3. The BFG role on the wall adjectives (Sophie, The BFG and The Bloodbottler) 4. The BFG role on the wall similes (Sophie, The BFG and The Bloodbottler) 5. The BFG adjective descriptions 6. The BFG simile descriptions 7. The BFG description paragraphs 8. Dream jars drawing activity 9. Dream labels drawing activity 10. Dream labels writing activity 11. Acronym search 12. Book VS movie spot the differences 13. Comic book template . 14. The BFG book review 15. The BFG visualising and drawing activity 16. The BFG visualising and writing activity 17. The BFG story mountain 18. The Great Plan activity 19. The BFG - conscience alley activity . 20. The BFG dream catching instructions 21. The BFG Vocabulary game

Bonus - display cards wth the BFG characters, 1 per A4 as well as 2 per A4.

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by Roald Dahl

• The BFG Summary

As the book starts, a young girl named Sophie lies in bed in an orphanage. She can’t sleep, and sees a strange sight in the street. A giant man is walking in the street, carrying a suitcase and what looks like a trumpet. He sees Sophie, who runs to her bed and tries to hide. This doesn’t work, and the giant picks her up through the window. Then, he starts to run incredibly fast, until he reaches a large cave, which he enters.

When he sets Sophie down, she begins to plead for her life, believing that the giant will eat her. The giant laughs, and explains that most giants do eat human beings, and that the people’s origins affect their taste. For example, people from Greece taste greasy. The giant then says that he will not eat her, as he is the BFG, or the Big Friendly Giant.

The BFG then explains that he must stay with her forever, as no one can know of his existence. He warns her of the dangers of leaving his cave, as his neighbors are sure to eat her if they catch her. The BFG then explains what he was doing with the trumpet and suitcase. He catches dreams, stores them in the cave, and then gives the good ones to children all around the world. He destroys the bad ones. The BFG then explains that he only eats snozzcumbers, which are disgusting vegetables that taste of frogskins. Another giant, the Bloodbottler, then storms in. Sophie hides in a snozzcumber and is nearly eaten by the Bloodbottler.

After this, Sophie and the BFG vow to make the other giants disappear. The BFG and Sophie then partake in some frobscottle, which is a carbonated liquid that causes extreme flatulence. After this, the two go to Dream Country to catch some dreams and the BFG shows Sophie his collection of dreams. Later, Sophie has an idea on how to beat the other giants. She has the BFG give the Queen of England a dream that shows the malevolent giants. This frightens the Queen and wakes her up, at which point Sophie explains that her dream was real. The Queen then vows to help the two.

With other countries' assistance, they construct a giant pit. With the BFG’s help, they lure the other giants into the trap, where they can’t eat anyone else. Instead, they must eat snozzcumbers. At the end, it is revealed that the BFG and Sophie live in a mansion, where Sophie is teaching the BFG how to read and write, and the BFG is actually writing the book.

The BFG Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The BFG is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The mood is mysterious and exciting.

How many dreams did the BFG mix together?

The BFG mixed about fifty dreams together.

Sophie sat watching him but said nothing. Inside the big jar, lying on the bottom of it, she could clearly see about fifty of those oval sea-green jellyish shapes , all pulsing gently in and out, some...

The BFG's name?

The BFG introduces himself as the Big Friendly Giant, but the other giants call him Runt.

Suddenly, a tremendous thumping noise came from outside the cave entrance and a voice like thunder shouted, ‘Runt! Is you there, Runt? I is hearing you...

Study Guide for The BFG

The BFG study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The BFG
• Character List

Essays for The BFG

The BFG essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The BFG by Roald Dahl.

• The Cannibalization of Youth in Classic Fairy Tales from Grimm, Dahl, and Others

Wikipedia Entries for The BFG

• Introduction

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Blog – Posted on Thursday, Nov 11

The only book review templates you'll ever need.

Whether you’re trying to become a book reviewer , writing a book report for school, or analyzing a book, it’s nice to follow a book review template to make sure that your thoughts are clearly presented. 

A quality template provides guidance to keep your mind sharp and your thoughts organized so that you can write the best book review possible. On Reedsy Discovery , we read and share a lot of book reviews, which helps us develop quite a clear idea what makes up a good one. With that in mind, we’ve put together some trustworthy book review templates that you can download, along with a quick run-through of all the parts that make up an outstanding review — all in this post! 

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review templates for every type of review

With the rapid growth of the book community on Instagram, Youtube, and even TikTok, the world of book commentary has evolved far beyond your classic review. There are now many ways you can structure a book review. Some popular formats include:

• Book reports — often done for school assignments; 
• Commentary articles — think in-depth reviews in magazines and newspapers; 
• Book blog reviews — short personal essays about the book; and
• Instagram reviews — one or two-paragraph reviews captioned under a nice photo. 

But while the text in all these review styles can be organized in different ways, there are certain boxes that all good book reviews tick. So, instead of giving you various templates to use for different occasions, we’ve condensed it down to just two book review templates (one for fiction and one for nonfiction) that can guide your thoughts and help you nail just about any review. 

⭐ Download our free fiction book review template  

⭐ Download our free nonfiction book review template  

All you need to do is answer the questions in the template regarding the book you’re reading and you’ve got the content of your review covered. Once that’s done, you can easily put this content into its appropriate format. 

Now, if you’re curious about what constitutes a good book review template, we’ll explain it in the following section! 

Elements of a book review template

Say you want to build your own book review template, or you want to customize our templates — here are the elements you’ll want to consider. 

We’ve divided our breakdown of the elements into two categories: the essentials and the fun additions that’ll add some color to your book reviews.

What are the three main parts of a book review?

We covered this in detail (with the help of some stellar examples) in our post on how to write a book review , but basically, these are the three crucial elements you should know: 

The summary covers the premise of the book and its main theme, so readers are able to understand what you’re referring to in the rest of your review. This means that, if a person hasn’t read the book, they can go through the summary to get a quick idea of what it’s about. (As such, there should be no spoilers!) 

The analysis is where, if it’s a fiction book, you talk more about the book, its plot, theme, and characters. If it’s nonfiction, you have to consider whether the book effectively achieves what it set out to do. 

The recommendation is where your personal opinion comes in the strongest, and you give a verdict as to who you think might enjoy this book. 

You can choose to be brief or detailed, depending on the kind of review you’re writing, but you should always aim to cover these three points. If you’re needing some inspiration, check out these 17 book review examples as seen in magazines, blogs, and review communities like Reedsy Discovery for a little variation. 

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Which additional details can you include?

Once you’ve nailed down the basics, you can jazz things up a little and add some personal flavor to your book review by considering some of these elements:

• A star-rating (the default is five stars but you can create your own scales); 
• A bullet-point pros and cons list; 
• Your favorite quotation from the book; 
• Commentary on the format you read (i.e., ebook, print, or audiobook);
• Fun facts about the book or author; 
• Other titles you think are similar.

This is where you can really be creative and tailor your review to suit your purpose and audience. A formal review written for a magazine, for instance, will likely benefit from contextual information about the author and the book, along with some comment on how that might have affected the reading (or even writing) process.

Meanwhile, if you’re reviewing a book on social media, you might find bullet points more effective at capturing the fleeting attention of Internet users. You can also make videos, take creative pictures, or even add your own illustrations for more personal touches. The floor is yours at this point, so go ahead and take the spotlight! 

That said, we hope that our templates can provide you with a strong foundation for even your most adventurous reviews. And if you’re interested in writing editorial reviews for up-and-coming indie titles, register as a reviewer on Reedsy Discovery !

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How to Write a Great Book Review: 6 Templates and Ideas

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Whether you’ve loved or hated your recent reads, writing book reviews can be a fun and satisfying process. It’s a great way to unpack messages and information from a story, and it also helps you remember key elements of a book for much longer than you usually would. Plus, book reviews open up some interesting and exciting debates between readers with different opinions, and they also help others decide which books to read next .

Table of Contents

Where Can You Post Book Reviews?

Back in the old days, book reviews were reserved for leading publications and journals, but now, anyone can create their own book reviews, and they’re popping up almost everywhere.

Social Media

Bookworms have taken over social media, with hashtags like # bookstagram drawing in millions of readers from around the internet to share thoughts, ideas, inspiration, and of course, reviews.

Book blogs are also blowing up right now, and plenty of avid readers are making a solid income by writing and sharing their book reviews this way. You can either create your own from scratch or write guest posts and reviews for already established blogs.

Goodreads is the undisputed online home of books. It’s a great place to find inspiration for your next reads, browse other people’s book reviews, and of course, add your own reviews, too.

If you post a review of a popular book on Goodreads, it’s bound to be seen by a huge audience. Plus, it’s a great way to advertise your blog if you have one, as the Goodreads guidelines allow you to insert a link within the body of your review.

The world’s largest bookstore gets an incredible amount of traffic, so it’s one of the best places to get your reviews seen by the masses. But bear in mind that there are more rules and regulations for Amazon book reviews than on some of the other platforms listed here. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the guidelines first, or your submission could be rejected.

Booktube is a Youtube community dedicated to reviewing, discussing, and recommending books. If you’re comfortable in front of a camera, vlogging your book reviews on Booktube is an excellent alternative to the more traditional written book reviews above. It’s also a great way to get noticed by viewers around the world.

Some Booktube reviewers make their entire income from their channel, so if you’re passionate about reviewing and want to turn it into a living, this is a great avenue to explore.

Get Paid for Your Book Reviews

Some of the platforms I’ve listed above, like Booktube, Instagram, and blogging , allow you to get paid for your book reviews if you generate enough traffic, but getting to that level takes a lot of dedication, time, and patience.

Thankfully, there are plenty of websites that pay reviewers on a freelance basis. Here are three of the most popular:

Remember, each site has strict submission guidelines and requirements that you’ll need to check carefully before writing and submitting a review.

Kirkus Reviews

The Kirkus Reviews magazine, founded in 1933, is one of America’s oldest, most respected book reviewing companies.

They accept reviews around 350 words in length, and once you’re assigned the gig, you have a two-week submission deadline.

Kirkus is always on the lookout for new book reviewers, but you’ll need to prove you have experience and talent before they’ll accept your submissions. The best way to do this is to create a professional-looking portfolio that showcases your previous reviews, both paid and unpaid.

Booklist is a subgroup of the American Library Association. They feature all kinds of book reviews, both fiction and non-fiction, and publish them online and in print.

They pay their reviewers on a freelance, book-by-book basis. Their rates aren’t going to make you rich (around $12- $15 per review), but it’s a great way to gain some professional experience and build your book review portfolio without having to work for free.

Booklist has various publication outlets, such as their quarterly in-print magazine, a reader’s blog, and top book lists. Plus, they also accept pitches for book-related news and author interviews.

Online Book Club

This free-to-access community of bibliophiles has been going for over ten years, with a million active members and counting.

To join their professional freelance team, you’ll first have to submit an unpaid review to help them to determine if you’re worth hiring. If your review makes the cut, then your next submission is paid at a rate varying between $5 and $60, depending on the book’s length, the quality of the review, etc.

One of the major stipulations of Online Book Club is that your reviews are in-depth and honest. If you don’t like the book, never put a positive spin on it for the sake of it. ( The same goes for any book review platform you post on. )

It’s also worth noting that with Online Book Club, you’ll never pay for the books you review. So even if they reject your submission, you’ll still get a free book out of it.

How to Write a Book Review?

Book reviews can range from a simple tweet to a full-length essay or long-form blog post and anything in between.

As I mentioned above, some book review sites and platforms have strict guidelines and parameters to follow. But if you’re writing a book review for social media, your own blog, or any other purpose that lets you take the reins, then the following ideas will give you some help and inspiration to get started.

But before we dive in, let’s take a look at four key elements that a comprehensive book review should contain.

1. Information about the author and the name of the book

You might want to include any accolades that the author has received in the past and mention some of their previous notable works.

Also, consider the publication date; is the book a brand-new release, a few years old, or a classic from another century?

2. A summary of the plot

Writing about the plot takes skill and consideration; if your description is too thorough, you risk ruining the book for your audience with spoilers. But on the other hand, if you’re too vague on the details, your review can lack depth.

Consider your audience carefully, and if you feel like your book review contains even the slightest hint of spoilers, always add a warning at the beginning so people can decide for themselves whether to read on.

3. Your evaluation

This is the part where you get to describe what you feel about the book as a whole and give your opinion on the different elements within it. But, again, don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of positively evaluating books you didn’t actually like; no one wants to read a false review, so if you didn’t like it, explain why.

4. Your reader recommendation

Who might the book appeal to? Is it suitable for all audiences? In your opinion, is it a universal must-read, or should people avoid it?

Keep in mind that the purpose of most book reviews is to help the reader decide whether or not they would like to read it themselves. What works for you might not work for others, so consider this when writing your recommendations.

6 Book Review Templates and Ideas

1. the traditional approach.

Most traditional fiction reviews, like the ones found in newspapers and other popular publications, are based on the following format…

Introduction

The introduction is a paragraph or two which includes:

• Key information that the reader needs to know. For example, the book’s title, the author’s name, the publication date, and any relevant background information about the author and their work.
• A brief one-sentence summary of the plot. This sets the general scene of what the book is about.
• Your overall opinion of the book. Again, keep it brief. (you can delve deeper into what you liked and disliked later in the review).

This is the main body of your book review, where you break down and analyze the work. Some of the key elements you might want to examine are listed below. Approach each element one at a time to help your analysis flow.

• The characters
• The setting
• The structure of the story
• The quality of the writing

What did you notice about each one, what did you enjoy, and what did you dislike? Why?

The conclusion is usually the shortest part of a traditional book review, which usually contains:

• A summary of your thoughts about the book as a whole
• Your reader recommendation

Remember that unless you’re writing a book review for a pre-existing publication, there are no rules that you need to follow. This traditional format can be adapted to suit your own style, the book you are reviewing, and your audience.

Also Read : BEST FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

2. Social Media Book Reviews

Book reviews posted on social media tend to have a more relaxed tone than a traditional book review. Again, there are no set rules, but here are a few guidelines and suggestions for posting reviews on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

• Include an eye-catching image

This is essential on Instagram, but whatever social media platform you’re posting on, including a great photo will draw people in to read your review.

In the Instagram world, photos of books taken directly from above are called ‘flat lays.’ You can keep it simple and just snap the front cover, or you can get creative and shoot your book flat lay against an interesting backdrop or include items related to the story.

• Break up your review into short, bite-sized paragraphs

This rule applies to most web content, but it’s even more important on social media, where everyone competes for your reader’s attention.

Big blocks of text are much harder to follow and a sure-fire way to lose your reader’s attention before they even get started. Instead, stick to short paragraphs of one, two, or three sentences, and include spaces between each one.

• Know your character limit

At just 280 characters, Twitter is by far the stingiest of the major social media platforms when it comes to the length of posts. That’s why most people choose platforms like Instagram or Facebook for book reviews. That being said, you can still use Twitter as a way of linking to them once they go live.

Instagram is considerably more generous with its 2,200-character limit, but if you have a lot to say about the book you’re reviewing, it can still be limiting.

If you want to post a more comprehensive review on social media, Facebook is your best bet; they have an upper limit of 63,206 characters.

Whichever platform you post on, remember to factor any hashtags into your character limit too.

• Keep it succinct

Book reviews on social media perform better when sentences are concise. This helps to combat the character limit issue I mentioned above and gets your point across quickly, without the fluff.

Readers on platforms like Instagram and Facebook flit from post to post, so if you don’t say what you mean in as few words as possible, you’ll risk losing your audience altogether.

• Don’t be afraid of emojis.

Love them or hate them, emojis convey mood and emotion where words can sometimes fail us. They also add an extra visual element to a post, help to break up blocks of text and keep the tone informal.

Of course, there’s no rule that you have to include emojis in your social media book reviews, but if you’re already comfortable using them elsewhere, consider incorporating them here too.

• Add a star rating

Star ratings instantly tell your audience whether you loved the book or not before they read a single word of your post. It’s also another visual element to help draw your audience in to find out more.

• Avoid spoilers

I’ve already touched on spoilers above, but it’s essential to avoid them on social media book reviews. That’s because unsuspecting users are scrolling from post to post on these platforms with no way of knowing what’s coming next. As a result, it’s very easy to read something you can’t unread.

• Consider tagging the author and publisher.

But ONLY do this if you enjoyed the book and your review is favorable. It’s not good online etiquette to tag in the creators if you’re posting a scathing critique; it’s mean-spirited, and it could lead to a social media squabble, which the internet has enough of already.

3. Goodreads and Amazon Book Reviews

Both Goodreads and Amazon allow anyone to upload a review of any book, so they’re great places to get started if you’re new to the reviewing world. Plus, you can post more in-depth and lengthy reviews than you can on social media platforms.

There are endless ways to write reviews for sites like these, but if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, here’s a good template that will help you to flesh out your ideas.

• Star Rating

Sites like Goodreads and Amazon usually ask for a 1-5 star rating before writing your review. 3 is your baseline which translates to “pretty good.” It can be tempting to rush straight in for a 5 star if you loved a book, but where possible, try to reserve this rating for books that really blow you away.

• A Brief Synopsis

Reviews on these sites appear directly under the book listing, so generally, there’s no need to mention the author, title, or publishing details. Instead, you can dive straight into a quick overview of the plot, using the official publisher’s summary to help you if needed.

Avoid revealing any significant details or spoilers, but include enough to outline the story and give context to the rest of your review.

Talking about how the book made you feel is a good place to start. Did you learn something you didn’t know before? Was it a page-turner or a hard slog? Were there any twists you did or didn’t see coming? Mentioning the existence of a plot twist is usually deemed ok, as long as you don’t reveal what it is.

Next, examine the book’s various elements, including the characters, setting, and plot, using examples. You might even want to include some direct quotes from the book, as long as they don’t give too much away.

Just like the traditional book review format, conclude it with a summary. Are you glad you read it? Who might enjoy this book, and who should avoid it?

4. Listicle Book Reviews

Listicles are articles and blog posts structured like a numbered list. An example from the book review world is “10 reasons why you need to read X by X”.

These types of reviews are particularly well suited to blog posts, as they’re an excellent way to encourage people to click on your link compared with a less attention-grabbing traditional format.

That being said, listicle book reviews tend only to work if your feedback is positive. Using this format to review a book you hated risks alienating your audience and coming across as harsh and judgemental. Less favorable reviews are better presented in a more traditional format that explores a book’s different aspects one by one.

5. An Essay Style Analysis

An essay-style review isn’t technically a review, as it delves much deeper into the work and examines it from multiple angles.

If you’re not limited to a word count and want to dissect an author’s work, then an in-depth essay-style analysis can be a great addition to your blog. Plus, they’re generally written for people who have already read the book, so there’s no need to worry about spoilers.

But when you’re writing more than 500 words about a book, it can be easy to ramble or go off on a tangent. Here’s an example format to keep you on track:

• Include the author’s name, the title of the book, and the date of publication.
• Is the book a standalone novel or part of a series?
• What made you choose this book in the first place? Have you read any of the author’s previous work?
• Describe the cover. Does it draw you in? Is it an appropriate representation of the book as a whole?

Set the Scene

• Include an overview of the plot.
• Did you have any expectations or preconceived ideas about the book before you read it?

Your Review

Discuss the following elements one at a time. Use quotes or direct examples when talking about each one.

• Describe the geographical location, the period in time, and the environment.
• Is the setting based on reality or imagination?
• How does the setting help to add mood and tone to the story?
• Give an overview of the main characters and their backgrounds.
• Discuss the significant plot points in the story in chronological order.
• What are the conflicts, the climaxes, and the resolutions?
• How does the author use literary devices to bring meaning and life to book?
• For example, discuss any elements of foreshadowing, metaphors, symbolism, irony, or imagery.
• What are the overall themes and big ideas in the story? For example, love, death, friendship , war, and coming of age.
• What, if any, are the morals within the story?
• Are there any underlying or less prominent themes that the author is trying to portray?

Your Opinion

• Which elements were successful, and which weren’t?
• Were the characters believable? Did you want them to succeed?
• In the case of plot twists, did you see them coming?
• Are there any memorable scenes or quotes that particularly stood out to you? If so, why?
• How did the book make you feel? Did it evoke any strong emotions?
• Did the book meet your preconceived expectations?
• Were you satisfied by the ending, or did you find it frustrating?
• Summarise the plot and theme in a couple of sentences.
• Give your overall opinion. Was the book a success, a failure, or something in between?
• Include a reader recommendation, for example, “this book is a must-read for anyone with a love of dystopian science fiction.”
• Include a star rating if you wish.

6. Create Your Own Book Review Template

If you plan on becoming a regular book reviewer, it’s a good idea to create your own unique template that you can use for every book you review, whether you’re posting on a blog, website, or social media account.

You can mix and match the various elements of the review styles above to suit your preferences and the types of books you’ll be reviewing.

Creating a template unique to you helps build your authority as an independent reviewer and makes writing future reviews a lot easier.

Writing book reviews is a great way to get even more out of your reading journey. Whether you loved or hated a title, reviewing it will help you remember and process the story, and you’ll also be helping others to decide whether or not it’s worth their time, too.

And who knows, you might fall in love with writing book reviews and decide to pursue it as an additional source of income or even a new career!

Whatever your book reviewing plans and goals are, I hope the templates, tips, and ideas above will help you get started.

Do you have any advice for writing a great book review? Let me know in the comments below!

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Buy This Book * More books by Roald Dahl

The well-loved story of a big friendly giant who spirits a child out of bed to the land of the child-eating giants. The BFG is one of Dahl’s most lovable character creations. Whether galloping off with Sophie nestled into the soft skin of his ear to capture dreams as though they were exotic butterflies; speaking his delightful, jumbled, squib-fangled patois; or whizzpopping for the Queen, he leaves an indelible impression of big-heartedness.

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

• Roald Dahl lists the characters (including humans and giants) in the book at the start. Could you write a sentence / paragraph to describe each one?
• The story begins with Sophie in a silent dormitory. Think of somewhere that is silent and think of words to describe how it feels to be there.
• Imagine what might happen in ‘the witching hour’. Write a story about one of these things.
• Read the last sentences of the first chapter and predict what might be coming up the street.
• Roald Dahl uses lots of similes to describe the BFG (‘an arm as thick as a tree trunk’, and ‘nose as sharp as a knife’). Can you make up some more?
• Imagine that you have just been picked up by a pair of giant hands. Write a story about what happens next  (see Resources below) .
• The BFG uses lots of made up words. Can you think of some more and say what they mean? Could you make a dictionary / glossary for your words?
• Think of words to describe snozzcumbers!
• Describe your favourite dream? What happened? How did it make you feel?
• Write some new labels for dream jars? (see Resources below).
• The giants are afraid of Jack, the famous giant-killer. Can you retell that story to a friend?
• BFG is an acronym. Can you find out other acronyms that people use? Could you make up some of your own?
• The BFG uses a book by Charles Dickens to learn how to write. Can you find out about this author?
• Write a recipe for a new dream. What ‘ingredients’ will you need? Think about the order that you will need to mix them in? Could you write some instructions to teach somebody else how to make this dream?
• Describe a dream that you would like to have… or think of a nice dream that you could mix for somebody else.
• Make an acrostic using the letters in ‘The BFG’  (see Resources below) .
• Imagine that the BFG wrote another book. What might it be about?
• Listen to the  audiobook version of the story . Could you record passages from the text using different accents / expression / sound effects to make it interesting to the listener?
• Read the  play version of the story  and prepare your own performance. You could also use this video for inspiration:

• Watch the  cartoon version of the story . How does it compare to the book? Could you write a review of the book and the film?
• Think of words to describe each of the giants. Use this video for inspiration:

• Think about the measurements that we might use to work out how tall the BFG is. How could we measure how long his stride is?
• The BFG has enormous ears so that he can hear ‘absolutely every single twiddly little thing’. Use this as a starting point for learning about sound and how we hear.
• The BFG describes how he can hear plants and trees because they are alive? How do we know that they are alive? What life processes do they have?
• The BFG hates eating snozzcumbers. Plan a tasty (and healthy) meal for him!
• Find out about dreams. What are they? Why do we have them?
• The bubbles in frobscottle go downwards, but bubbles in most drinks go upwards. Find out why drinks have bubbles and why they travel in the way that they do!
• Plan, record and edit a trailer for a new movie based on the book. Use this example for inspiration:

• Draw a new giant. Will it be friendly or nasty?
• Make a picture which shows the inside of the BFG’s suitcase after he has been dream-catching.
• Draw a picture of a dream inside a jar  (see Resources below) .
• The BFG uses a trumpet to blow dreams into children’s bedrooms. Find out how trumpets work and describe the sounds that they make.
• Listen to one of the songs from the film. Could you compose a song to use in a new movie adaptation of the book?

• The giants travel to lots of different places to find humans to gobble up. Can you identify some of them on a map? Could you find out about each country?
• Draw a map showing the locations in the story, e.g. the orphanage, the village street where Sophie first sees the BFG, Giant Country, Buckingham Palace.
• Draw a map of the giants’ cave.
• If possible, go on a trip to the  Roald Dahl Museum  to find out more about the author and his life.
• The BFG dreams of having an ‘elefunt’ to ride through green forests on. What are your dreams?
• The BFG is picked on by the other giants. Use this as a starting point for discussions about bullying and how we can help those who are affected by it.
• The BFG explains that ‘human beans is killing each other much quicker than the giants is doing it’. Think of ways of encouraging peace throughout the world.

Giant Hands Writing Prompt

Download File

The BFG Acrostic

I Want My Hat Back

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Home / Find a book / The BFG

By Roald Dahl, and and, Quentin Blake

1561 reviews

Every night, when the world is sleeping, big gruesome giants guzzle up whoppsy-whiffling human beans. And there’s only one giant who can stop them – the BFG . He’s the kindest giant there is and, with his friend Sophie in his top pocket, he sets out to rid the world of the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater and all their rotsome friends forever…

Definitely recommend it to my friends. I liked the friendly giant and wish to befriend one some day!

I like the whizzpopping and when Sophie met the Queen

This second favourite Roald Dahl book, after James and the Giant Peach.

Lovely story . Keeps me engrossed

This book is amazing !!

loved reading this having watched the movie too.

I like this story

Because I like the giants

Sophie was stollen by a giant and he was a friendly giant

I like it because I’ve seen the movie then read the book and it was a really good book I enjoyed it

It was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in giants and fantasy!

This book was really good! I will read it again

I liked it because it is kind of like a life lesson. It is a life lesson because the giants kept on eating people and then they were trapped in a cage with only snozzcumbers to eat. I would recommend it to people who like fun and adventures.

I like Roald dahl

A very amusing book and recommended to all children, this book is a fantastic read. The character I liked the most was the BFG, followed shortly by Sophie and the Queen. I least liked characters were the giants (excluding the BFG). In this book, there are giants, children, adults including the Queen, and tons and tons of dreams.

I thought this one was really funny

Love the film also to this book

It was so funny

I really liked the BFG because he speaks in an unusual way which makes me laugh!

I really like the author, Roald Dahl, because he puts in lots of information even when he could have put less!

I liked the part that the bIodbottIer and his friends were caught eating People

My favourite character is the BFG because he spoke in a very funny way. I am pretending to be the BFG now. ''I is liking the the majester the queen because the majester is very nice.''

Another Roald Dahl book that I have loved, I love how the BFG looks after Sophie and shows her his world of what foods his friends eat and protects her from the bad giants

The big friendly giant has been very friendly.And he has been very nice to Sophie in big friendly giant’s cave.

A little bit scary

The thing I enjoyed about this book was that at the beginning of it,the BFG was speaking gibberish.(All of it was very funny.)

I enjoyed reading the BFG. Especially when they saw the Queen and when they collect magic dreams. I liked it when Sophie saved the day by stabbing the Bloodbottler with the Queens brooch. And I liked it when they captured the nasty giants. I would recommend it to my friends.

This book is very exiting!

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