Finding Book Reviews

Example Questions That Can Be Answered Using This FAQ

• How can I find a review of the latest John Grisham novel using the Internet?
• I’m trying to find reviews of Galatea 2.2, by Richard Powers.

There are many sources both on and off the Web for book reviews. Here are some of our favorites.

• One of the most comprehensive listings of web sites which contain book reviews is AcqWeb’s Directory of Book Reviews on the Web. AcqWeb’s list divides the sites into various categories such as "General Review Sites", "Children’s and YA Books", "Literature and Fiction", etc.
• The online bookstore Amazon is also a good source to check. For many recently-published books, the page about the book will often include a plot summary and excerpts from published reviews of the book. Amazon users will often add "customer comments", as well, giving their opinions of the book.
• Offline, look through Book Review Index and Book Review Digest, which are likely to be available in print form at your local public library. These indexes, published yearly, provide citations to book reviews available in magazines and newspapers, which should also be available at your library. Book Review Index indexes more periodicals, but Book Review Digest includes excerpts from reviews.

Also, be aware that your ability to find reviews of a book will be somewhat dependent on when the book was published and how obscure or famous the author is. When you search for a book review, you should also know when your book was published. Many online sources of reviews do not go very far back.

You may also want to look at our document on Finding Literary Criticism.

Students may also be interested in our FAQ on Writing Book Reports/Reviews.