WRITING A BOOK

REVIEW
C1
February, 2018
Writing a book review

What is a book review?

A book review describes, analyzes and evaluates.

The review conveys an opinion, supporting it with evidence
from the book.
While reading, consider

What does it suggest? What was the story about?

Title

Characters & Who are the main characters?

plot Are they credible?
What do they do in the story?
Do the main characters run into any problems?
Adventures?
Who is your favourite character and why?
After reading

Your personal experience

 Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?
 Have you ever done or felt some of the things, the characters did?

Your opinion
Do you like the book?

What was your favorite part of the book?

Do you have a least favorite part of the book?

If you could change something, what would it be? MODALS

After reading

Your recommendation
 Would you recommend this book to another person?
 What type of person would like this book?
Vocabulary
Types of book Adjectives to describe the
story/book

Great Fascinating
A detective story
Skilled Moving
A romantic novel
Observant Brilliant
An adventure story
Gifted Hilarious
A science fiction
Perceptive Gripping
novel
Entertaining Well-written
A historical novel
Depressing Entertaining
A humorous story Fast-moving
A thriller Thought-provoking
Gripping
Haunting
Intriguing
Moving
Implausible
Useful Language

What I liked What I disliked

 What I liked most was .....  What I disliked most was .....

 The thing I liked most was ...  I was disappointed by ......

 I was pleasantly surprised by ..........  I was disappointed with .....

 It would appeal to .....  My onluy criticism is that the plot is …

 If you get a chance to ....  The end of the novel is rather ...
 The donouement is .....
Inversion

 I have never seen such a beautiful rose.  Never have I seen such a beautiful rose.
 We do not accept credit cards under any  Under no circumstances do we accept credit
circumstances. cards.
 I had hardly begun to speak, when I was  Hardly had I begun to speak, when I was
interrupted. interrupted.
 I did not realise what had really happened  Not until the last moment did I realise waht had
until the last moment. really happened.
An example

Twilight
Review

Twilight is the story of Edward and Bella’s romance. Forget any vampire
romance you have read before, Twilight is so unique it is almost like it is in its own
genre. The book is marketed at Young Adult readers but it has the ability to cross
age barriers and will satisfy both teenagers and adults alike.

The story is told in first person from the perspective of Bella, so the reader
only ever know what she knows, making Edward and his family a mystery that is
slowly unravelled through out the book. Even by the end of the book I was still
thirsting for more of the Cullen family back story - hopefully their characters might be
developed further in future books. Bella herself is a well written and realistic
character, shy and lacking in confidence, her sarcastic inner voice narrates the story
for the reader.

Twilight is simply and yet beautifully written. The descriptions of Forks

leave you feeling like you can almost smell the damp air and hear the rain falling on
the roof.
Review
The romance between Edward and Bella is both touching and
compelling. There is a melancholic feel to their impossible love, yet at the same
time they both are unwilling to give up hope that their relationship is not
doomed. The book reaches a fever pitch of excitement as the romance between
Bella and Edward turns into a frantic race to stay alive.

I have heard Twilight described as “a vampire story for people who don’t
like vampire stories” and I think I would agree with that. This book really has
something for everyone. Young adult readers, vampire fans or romance readers
will all find Twilight to be an appealing story. For a Young Adult novel the book is
quite long but don’t let that put you off reading it because each page is to be
savoured. Believe me, this is one book that you won’t want to end. (324 words)
Review

Twilight is the story of Edward and Bella’s romance. Forget any vampire
romance you have read before, Twilight is so unique it is almost like it is in its own 1. Introduction
genre. The book is marketed at Young Adult readers but it has the ability to cross 1. What novel
age barriers and will satisfy both teenagers and adults alike. 2. Type of novel
3. who for
The story is told in first person from the perspective of Bella, so the reader
only ever know what she knows, making Edward and his family a mystery that is 2. Main character
slowly unravelled through out the book. Even by the end of the book I was still 1. Name
thirsting for more of the Cullen family back story - hopefully their characters might 2. First person
be developed further in future books. Bella herself is a well written and realistic 3. Opinion
character, shy and lacking in confidence, her sarcastic inner voice narrates the
story for the reader.

Twilight is simply and yet beautifully written. The descriptions of Forks

leave you feeling like you can almost smell the damp air and hear the rain falling on 3. Style
the roof. 1. descriptive
Review
The romance between Edward and Bella is both touching and 4. Plot
compelling. There is a melancholic feel to their impossible love, yet at the same Impossible love
time they both are unwilling to give up hope that their relationship is not Fight love
doomed. The book reaches a fever pitch of excitement as the romance between
Bella and Edward turns into a frantic race to stay alive.

I have heard Twilight described as “a vampire story for people who don’t
like vampire stories” and I think I would agree with that. This book really has
something for everyone. Young adult readers, vampire fans or romance readers
5. Opinion &
will all find Twilight to be an appealing story. For a Young Adult novel the book is
Conclusion
quite long but don’t let that put you off reading it because each page is to be
savoured. Believe me, this is one book that you won’t want to end. (324 words)
FILM REVIEW
Schindler’s List - Introduction

Steven Spielberg's Schindler`s List is based on a true story of a shrewd and

unscrupulous German businessman. Oskar Schildler and his journey towards self-
actualization. He comes to Nazi occupied Poland in search of economic prosperity.
However, he is completely transformed by seeing the horrors of Nazi atrocities towards
Jews during the tumultuous years of World War II. He risks his life and goes bankrupt to
save more than a 1000 Jews from certain death in concentration camps. A gut-
wrenching, heart-rending and emotional portrayal of the European Jews suffering
genocidal persecution during World War II. The film is Spileberg’s masterpiece, and an
uplifting affirmation of the enduring human spirit.
Main character and plot

Liam Neeson plays a convincing Oskar Schindler, a man of deep foresight who takes
business opportunity to make money from the Nazi's uprising power. Meanwhile, the
Jews in Poland were being forced to relocate to larger cities. They were being placed in
suffocating ghettos, turned into unpaid slaves and finally, exterminated brutally in
concentration camps.

In the meantime, Schindler starts a wartime company to make cookware and utensils.
He hires an accountant, Itzhak Stem, who cleverly ensures that Schindler’s workforce
includes the most vulnerable and cherished members of Krakow’s Jewish community,
thus, saving them from a living nightmare.
Conclusion

At the end of the film, there is a sequence of overwhelming emotional impact, involving
the actual people who were saved by Schindler. We learn that "Schindler's Jews" and
their descendants today number about 6,000 and that the Jewish population of Poland is
4,000. The obvious lesson would seem to be that Schindler did more than a whole nation
to spare its Jews. That would be too simple. The film's message is that one man did
something, while in the face of the Holocaust others were paralyzed. Perhaps it took a
Schindler, enigmatic and reckless, without a plan, heedless of risk, to do what he did. No
rational man with a sensible plan would have gone as far. In a nutshell, a must-see.
Your turn…
Book/Film Review

Write approximately 220 words in an appropriate style.

Your teacher has asked you to write a review for a novel or a book you like.

The best reviews will go in the school magazine.

Review the book or the film giving your opinion and saying whether or not you
would recommend it.