The crowd sourced review site I have chosen is GoodReads. I use this website frequently and find it very useful and I like having the app on my mobile device as it provides easy and instant access. I enjoy reading about what other people are reading and you can add your own comments on book choices, recommendations and can even chat to people about books online.

I have chosen the review by Pam Withers for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is well written and particularly persuasive. She highlights that the below book is one of the best books on climate change out there. This is a bold statement to make and certainly gives her 5 star rating some grounding. She then moves on to give the reader some worthy reasons as to why she holds this opinion about the book. She uses adjectives such as ‘engaging’ and ‘readable’ to describe the book which holds relevance with factors to consider for youth books. She deems the book ‘memorable’ and ‘rich in stories’ which convince the reader that is indeed a great book.

Nevertheless, in order to trust a review it is a worthwhile search process to do some background research into the write of the review. On Goodreads you can discover more about a reviewer, simply by clicking on their name and then you can view a profile which can include various details, websites, and user activity.

When I clicked on pamwithers. I discovered an abundance of information that proved her credibility such as being able to click on her own website to discover she is an author of award-winning, best-selling young-adult outdoor sports and adventure books.

I find that the reviews seem mostly genuine on Goodreads, though I have occasionally noticed users using it in an inappropriate or even abusive way. It is therefore always essential to assess the credibility of an online review by doing some background research on the writer.