WRITING A BOOK REVIEW C1 November, 2016

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 Title 
 Characters & plot
 What does it suggest? What was the story about? Who are the main characters? 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?

Your personal experience After reading Your personal experience Could you relate to any of the characters in the story? 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?

After reading Your recommendation Would you recommend this book to another person?

Adjectives to describe the writer Vocabulary Types of book Adjectives to describe the writer Adjectives to describe the story/book Fascinating Moving Brilliant Hilarious Gripping Well-written Entertaining A detective story A romantic novel An adventure story A science fiction novel A historical novel A humorous story A thriller Great Skilled Observant Gifted Perceptive Entertaining Depressing Fast-moving Thought-provoking Gripping Haunting Intriguing Moving Implausible

Useful Language What I liked What I disliked What I liked most was ..... The thing I liked most was ... I was pleasantly surprised by .......... It would appeal to ..... If you get a chance to .... What I disliked most was ..... I was disappointed by ...... I was disappointed with ..... My onluy criticism is that the plot is … The end of the novel is rather ... The donouement is .....

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

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 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. 1. Introduction What novel Type of novel who for 2. Main character Name First person Opinion 3. Style 1. descriptive

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 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) 4. Plot Impossible love Fight love 5. Opinion & Conclusion

The importance of introductions Film Reviews The importance of introductions

Room The spare yet emotionally sumptuous drama, based on Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue's award-winning 2010 novel that was inspired by similar real-life crimes, is not just a simple tale of terror or a suspenseful saga of survival, although it has elements of each scenario. Instead. “Room" is a soul-searing celebration of the impenetrable bond that endures even under the most unbearable of circumstances between a parent and a child. Roger Ebert 16th October, 2015

Brooklyn What a moving, emotionally intelligent and refreshingly old-fashioned movie this is. The narrative may be perfectly situated in the early 50s, but the style of film-making goes back further still, to a time when “women’s pictures” were the backbone of popular cinema. Contemporary audiences raised on overblown spectacle and overwrought romance may have to recalibrate their reactions to appreciate the rich rewards of director John Crowley’s best film since 2003’s unexpectedly punchy Intermission. But for those enamoured of the 30s and 40s heyday of Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck, Brooklyn feels like a breath of fresh air. Brooklyn The Guardian 8th Novemeber, 2015

Bridge of Spies The new Steven Spielberg film, “Bridge of Spies,” begins with a man in a mirror. The man is Colonel Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), and we see three versions of him in one frame: Abel himself, holding a brush; his reflected image; and a self-portrait that he is carefully painting, in oils. The whole thing is not just a dazzling composition with which to kick off a movie but a formal introduction to the world of espionage—a haven for multiple identities. The year is 1957, the winter solstice of the Cold War, and Abel is a Soviet spy. He lives in Brooklyn, and art is both his hobby and his cover story; he sets up an easel beside the Manhattan Bridge and, after a while, feels the underside of the bench on which he sits. There, stuck fast, is a nickel, which he takes home and slits open, like a chocolate penny, along the rim. Inside is a folded slip of paper, covered with code. We are only minutes into the movie, but anyone with a soft spot for tradecraft will already be melting with fascination. Abel, however, has been rumbled. The F.B.I., having observed him as fixedly as we have, bursts in and arrests him. The guy needs legal representation, but who will be man enough, or dumb enough, to defend a Red Menace at a time like this? The New Yorker 26th October, 2015

Your turn…

Book/Film Review Write 120-180 words in an appropriate style. Your teacher has asked you to write a review for a novel or a film 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.