What Should I Review?

Suggested topics and writing prompts for Reviewsday Tuesday

So you want to be a writer for Reviewsday Tuesday. Fantastic! I’m going to assume you’ve clicked on this article because you’ve read the Submission Guidelines and are ready to write your first review.

But where to start?

This article is meant to spark some inspiration for topics that would make an interesting review for my publication Reviewsday Tuesday, but of course, you’re welcome to use these ideas and prompts however you please. Other publications that specialize in prompt fulfilments include Ravyne Hawke’s Promptly Written and Christine Graves’s Amusing Responses.

1. Book Reviews

Now you might be thinking, “Well, duh. I know people review books.” Books are a very common topic for reviews, of course. But not every book review has to be a positive recommendation. Check out these different types of book reviews:

• Write about the worst book you’ve ever read. Why did you hate it so much? Name one particular thing that you hated the most.
• Rank the worst books you’ve ever read. Why are they bad? Do you think people should still read them?
• Reread a book you hated when you were forced to read it for school. What do you remember about it? Is it better or worse as an adult?
• Reread a book you loved as a child. Does it still make you feel the same?
• Rank classic books from best to worst. Who will win, The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mockingbird? Did you love Ulysses but hate Moby Dick?
• Review a book series. Which is the best book in the series? What are the overarching themes? Who is the best character?
• Compare a book to the movie version. What did the movie get right? What did it get wrong? What was cut? Why do you they think they did it that way?
• Compare two very different books. What do Dracula and Jane Eyre have in common? No seriously, I’m asking!
• Review an old book with a modern viewpoint. Does it “hold up” to modern standards? What would be different about it if it were published now?

2. Movie and TV Reviews

Like book reviews, movie reviews are really common. That doesn’t mean they have to be boring, though. Replace the word “book” in any of the above prompts, or use one of the following to start a unique movie review:

• Compare a movie to its remake. What was changed, and why? Which is better?
• Re-watch and review the first movie you ever saw in theatres. Yes, this will date you. Mine was Shrek.
• Review your mom’s/boyfriend’s/bestie’s favourite movie. Why do they like it so much? Do you agree with their assessment?
• Rank movies in a series. I dare someone to do the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Bonus points for including The Hobbit movies.
• Review an old movie using a modern lens. Would it be acceptable by today’s standards? Does it “hold up?”

Always remember to outline the criteria by which you’re judging something. For example, you might judge a show or movie based on its diversity; is there good representation of people from different races, cultures, sexualities, religions, etc., or does it rely on stereotypes or have a an all-male or all-white cast?

In my reviews of classic sci-fi, I followed the same format each time: I evaluated the characters, themes, visual effects, and script before offering a Verdict that answered the question: “Does it hold up?” Breaking up the review into these subsections allowed me to get all my thoughts organized and make a clear and concise evaluation.

Here are some metrics you might judge a TV show by, that aren’t applicable to movies:

• Is it bingeable? How many seasons does it have?
• Is it ongoing or likely to be renewed?
• Does the quality decline, or is it consistently good throughout different seasons?
• Was it cancelled without a resolution / does it end on a cliff-hanger?

You may also want to review just a specific episode of a show or a season. In that case, you’ll want to contextualize your review by summarizing the plot, characters, and timeline of the episode/season as it relates to the show overall.

4. Video Games

Like with movies and TV shows, people are always on the lookout for new games to play. Reviews can help them make informed decisions about what to buy, trigger nostalgia, or put them off a purchase they were considering. Here are some ideas:

• Compare a game to its sequel(s). Which is the best Mario Kart? How does Animal Crossing: New Horizons compare to the classic GameCube Animal Crossing?
• Rank the best cozy games. The Sims or Animal Crossing? Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon? What are some lesser known cozies that might appeal to this demographic of gamers?
• Rank the best first-person shooters.
• Share your favourite YouTube gamer or Twitch streamer.
• Review your experiences with gaming. What’s it like to game with strangers online? What’s the coolest thing you’ve built in Minecraft?
• Compare or rank gaming consoles. PS5 or X-Box 360? GameCube or Wii? Switch or DS? N64 or Atari?

5. Tech Reviews

With all sorts of new technology bombarding us every day, reviews of technology are increasingly relevant. Here are some kinds of technology you might be inspired to review:

• Gadgets: Apple or Android? Which iPhone model is the best? How do you choose a laptop? What’s the best vibrator (oh my!)? Rank vintage typewriters. Who makes the best watch?
• Appliances: How do you feel about Alexa? Do you get too attached to your Roomba? What’s the best microwave?
• Apps: Do you prefer Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp? What’s your favourite photo-editing software? Canva or Photoshop?
• Websites: What’s the best social media platform? What’s a cool website or online tool more people should know about?
• Medium features: Review new features as they come out, such as the new Author Verification badge, or existing features. How can Medium do better?

6. Travel-related Reviews: Places, Culture, Events

When people are traveling, they read reviews to decide where to go, what to do, how to spend money (or save money!), which hotels to stay at, what sights to see, et cetera. Reviewing places you’ve been — or, to be even more personal and knowledgeable, the place know best — can be a fun way to relive some memories and share experiences. Here are some ideas:

• Review a country or city you’ve traveled to.
• Tell us about your home town. What does a visitor need to know?
• Review a hotel or AirBnB. What’s the best place to stay in this area?
• Make a list of attractions for an area you know well. What are some cool things to see that visitors might miss?
• Write about your best vacation ever. What was the best part?
• Write about your worst vacation ever. What went wrong? What would you have done differently?
• Rank all the places you’ve been based on an arbitrary criteria. “I loved Zurich, but it ranks really poorly on the scale of places-where-I-don’t-have-to-walk-uphill.”
• Review an event. Concerts, parties, school plays, football games, you name it. Tell us all about an experience you had!
• Review venues. Review an art exhibit, gallery, or museum, sharing your thoughts on the artwork, the curation, and overall experience. Tell us about a concert hall, or a church, or a banquet space.
• Review a specific piece of art. What’s your favourite painting?
• Review a building. Is it architecturally significant, or just a cool house on your street?

7. Music

• Rank contemporary artists. What are your criteria? Best lyrics? Most emotive? Catchiest chorus?
• Write about the best concert experience you ever had.
• Rank an artist’s albums. What is the best Taylor Swift album and why is it Folklore?
• Compare songs on the same album. Which is better, Anti-Hero or Lavender Haze?
• What’s the best guitar solo ever performed?
• Write about a song you think is underrated.
• Compare songs that use the same tune. Under Pressure or Ice Ice Baby?
• Review a Spotify playlist. What would you have done differently if you were the one curating it?
• Write a book review in the form of a playlist. What songs remind you of the characters? If you were adapting it into a movie, what would the soundtrack be like?

We all have different tastes in music. Reviews are the perfect place to tell everyone why yours is better than everyone else’s.

8. Picking Favourites

In the movie Miss Congeniality (2000), there’s a joke where a contestant for the beauty pageant is asked to describe her perfect date. She answers:

“That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25th, because it’s not too hot and not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.”

While the joke is that this “dumb blonde” doesn’t understand that the MC was looking for an answer like “a candlelit dinner for two” or “a long walk on the beach,” she makes an excellent point: why can’t we have a favourite day of the year?

• Describe your perfect date. Interpret this prompt as either the MC or the pageant contestant would.

Here are some other “out there” review ideas about your favourite things:

• Review a time of day. Is sunrise better than sunset? Is your favourite time of day gloaming, or dusk, or dawn, or Friday night, or 3PM on a Saturday afternoon?
• Rank the days of the week or the months of the year.
• What’s the best holiday? We’ve already had someone review Easter, so check out Willow Dickerson’s review!
• Describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten. I want details. Tell us every taste, smell, sensation, texture.
• Name the worst fruit. What makes it the worst? The taste? The texture? The smell? The mouthfeel? The fact that it is constantly confused for a vegetable?
• What’s the best letter of the alphabet? Most people’s favourite letter is the first letter of their name. Do you balk the trend or toe the line?
• Review a language. What’s your favourite word in your native language? What’s your favourite language (is it your native tongue, or not)?
• What’s the best university major?
• Review your favourite colour. Is it the same as when you were a kid? Why are we asked to choose a favourite colour, anyway?
• Review your favourite candy, soda, or flavour. On the flipside, why not review your favourite vegetable?
• Review your favourite board game. Unless it’s Monopoly. If it is, just review Capitalism, I guess.
• Review a number. Do you have a lucky number? What makes it feel lucky to you?

9. Famous Things

People love to read about things they’ve heard of before. You know Schrödinger, the guy with the dead/not dead cat in a box? Turns out, he groomed young girls. Yikes! And what’s that transphobic author been up to lately? People want to read about famous people, places, and things, so get reviewing!

• Review a public figure, living or dead.
• Review a famous work of art. What made it famous? Does it live up to its reputation?
• Review a famous photograph. See above.
• Review a famous landmark. This one overlaps with the “travel” category.
• Rank well-known Creepy Pasta stories. Which one is the creepiest?
• Rate your favourite classic Internet memes. I can haz cheezburger?
• Share an unpopular opinion. What makes it unpopular?
• Write about something that’s (in)famous where you come from, but might be unknown to people in other places. Does your town boast the world’s largest ball of twine? Do you personally know the record-holder for longest game of hopscotch?

10. The Mundane

Our lives are made up of thousands of tiny experiences. Why not find inspiration in your daily life?

• Review your breakfast. It’s been called the most important meal of the day, but many people skip it.
• Review a smell.
• Review a colour or rank the colours of the rainbow.
• Rank the planets in our solar system. Do you consider Pluto a planet? What’s the best planet, and why?
• Review a body part. Presumably, part of your own body. Perhaps, part of someon else’s?
• Review your daily commute.
• Review your pet. Please include photos. I’m sure they are 10/10 a good pupper. But readers need specifics!
• Review your shower routine. Does anybody really lather, rinse, and repeat?
• Review an emotion.
• Review the act of reviewing. What’s it like to review things? Why do we do it?

There you have it, folks! A ton of writing prompts for things to review.

For helpful tips about writing a review, check out last week’s tip article, “How to Write a Review”:

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If you would like to write for Reviewsday Tuesday, check out the submission guidelines. I am eagerly accepting new writers at this time. Follow the publication here on Medium and also on Twitter.