My Book is Reviewed on Meridian! And What Makes a Good Review?

I was so thrilled to see my book reviewed by Jennie Hansen in Meridian Magazine this morning.  Here's a little of what she had to say.  "Kidnappings, terrorist threats, confusion over who to trust, explosions, and the added element of personal and family dynamics keep the plot of Julie Bellon's latest novel rolling at breakneck speed."

So I'm doing a little happy dance over it.  You can click here to read the entire review and then tell me what you think.

As a book reviewer and someone who's been on the other end and had their books reviewed, I've been thinking a lot about what makes a good book review.  For me, it has three things.

1.  A good book review is more than a recap.  It talks about what you liked and didn't like about the plot, characters, setting, or whatever else moved you as a reader.

2.  A good book review offers more than, "I really liked it," or "I hated it."  I think readers want to know why you liked it.  Or why you didn't like it.  Were the villains particularly well-written?  Was the setting easily imagined?  Were there too many typos?  What spoke to you?

3.  A good book review will couch criticism in a positive sandwich.  Like, I really enjoyed this about the book, this didn't work for me, but overall it was something I would read again.  Does that make sense?  Even in books I don't particularly care for I can find something positive to comment on.  Of course not everyone believes this is a must, but in today's world, I think emphasizing positives without diminishing constructive criticisms is sorely needed.

What do you think?  What makes a good review to you?