Thousands of books are published each year, and many never get the public attention they deserve.  Share your favorite underappreciated, neglected or unjustly forgotten books through our “Hidden Gems” Book Reviews!

Please send us your reviews of older or neglected favorites; books from small presses that may lack marketing budgets; notable books by up-and-coming authors; and other remarkable, unusual or noteworthy titles you have found in the Everett Public Library.

Please be sure to include with your review:

1. the author’s name (and translator, if appropriate)
2. the book title
3. your name or the screen name you wish to use for your review (unsigned reviews will be entered as Anonymous).

Send reviews to: libref@ci.everett.wa.us

If you would rather handwrite your review, print and fill out this PDF form and bring it to the Reference Desk, or mail it to Reference Dept., Everett Public Library, 2702 Hoyt Ave, Everett, WA 98201

We ask that the titles you review be in the Everett Public Library catalog. We will publish reviews that we feel meet our criteria.

We look forward to sharing your reviews!

Guidelines and Tips for Reviewers

Feel free to write in a style that is comfortable for you.  These tips may help you identify which aspects of the book you want to emphasize in your review. 

• Story or plot. Briefly discuss what happens in the book. Is it a page-turner? Are there multiple storylines? Does it unfold as a straight sequence of events or does it jump back and forth in time? Is the story more important than the characters, setting or use of language?  Avoid spoilers (don't give away the ending).
   
• Characterization. Are the characters realistic and memorable? Are the characters witty, likeable, conflicted, inconsistent? Is the narrator a reliable storyteller? Are people more important than the plot?
   
• Language or style. Does the author use language in powerful, evocative or unusual ways? Is the book serious literature or pure entertainment? Does it have unusual structural or stylistic components?
   
• Setting. Could the story be set anywhere, or is the sense of place important to the book? How does the setting affect the mood or tone of the story? Is the book set in a particular time in the past or future?
   
• Pace. Is it a page-turner? Do you want to savor every word? Was the book so good you wished it would never end?