Hello hello!

I figured it was about time to make a post about how I review books, and also how I read them! Let’s also get into what I’m reading for Digitally Lit and not for Digitally Lit :]

So let’s get this out of the way. I feel like sometimes I can come off as a little bit harsh in my reviews. I feel that as a writer myself, it’s important to analyze books not only for the story they might offer, or the knowledge they might contain, but also for the way they’re written. I like to pick apart books and peel back all of their layers. So here’s what I like to analyze for each story!

Characters
Were the characters fleshed out and well written?
Was the narrator likeable (if they’re supposed to be)?
Who was my favourite?
Would I be friends with these characters?
Were the characters good for driving the story forward?
Were the characters more active or passive?
Was this a character driven story, and was that suitable for the story?

Plot
Was the plot engaging?
Was it well paced?
Was the premise decently original?
Did many things happen, or nothing at all?
Was this a plot driven story, and was this suitable for the story?

Writing
Did I like the writing style?
Was it too wordy?
Did the author use too many big words?
Was the dialogue stiff and robotic?
Did I like the prose?

Morals/Themes
Did I agree/like the themes in this book?
Did I like the morals and/or life lessons that were being discussed?

Perspectives
What did I learn/gain from reading this book?
Did this book meet my expectations?
Did this book help me to expand my knowledge and see some things in a different light?
Did this book solidify existing beliefs that I already had?
Was I challenged by this book?
Did the author of this book share a similar worldview to me?

These are just some of my main criteria for reviewing a book! Of course, I know that not every single book will check all of these boxes, and there’s some parts of it that I’m missing, I’m sure. But I like to ask myself questions like these to make sure I have a good understanding of the story the author was trying to tell. Maybe it’s supposed to be an easy and light beach read, maybe it’s supposed to be thought provoking and philosophical. It can all ready depend on the kind of book I’m reading.

Now I would also like to get into how all of this aligns with Digitally Lit core values!

Digitally Lit’s core values are:

★ Critical thinking ★ Creativity ★ Empowerment
★ Equity & Collaboration ★ Integrity

As a youth ambassador, we are required to review the books that we have been paid to read honestly. Yes, we promote Atlantic Canadian books, but never would I accept a position that required me to hide what I really feel towards something. I have been with Digitally Lit for 4 years now, and I have rated books both negatively and positively. What I want to highlight today is that I may be harsh, but I never mean to insult or degrade anyone for the art they put out into the world, or their tastes in literature. Providing constructive criticism from the perspective of both a reader and writer myself, is something that not only strengthens my skills, but can help to strengthen others’ as well. I try to incorporate Digitally Lit’s core values in both my book reviews and content creation, to think critically and analyze what I read, to bring an aspect of creativity to keep others engaged in my content, to empower youth through reading, to collaborate with others and share ideas to work on projects, and to be integral and honest in all of my work.

Recent and current reads:

Currently Reading:
1984 ~ George Orwell
The Secret Garden ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Fellowship of the Ring ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes #1) ~ Arthur Conan Doyle

Past Digitally Lit Reads:
The Goodbye Girls 3/5 stars
Spirit of Summerwood 3/5 stars
Shoot Me 2/5 stars
Bertie Stewart is Perfectly Imperfect 3/5 stars
Journey to the Hopewell Star 3/5 stars

That is all for this post, I thank you so so much for reading, and I hope this post inspires you to interact more with the books you read.

God bless! Goodbye for now!
~Ariela