Writing a Book Review

Getting started

 

Below is a list of questions about your book. If

you answer them carefully and in detail you can

use your answers to form a detailed book

review which gives your opinion of the book.

 

Answer in sentences to form paragraphs under

the following headings rather than numbering

your answers or using bullet points.

 

Plot

 

What happened in the story?

What was the story about?

What length of time did it cover? (this is the amount of time that passes during the

course of the story, not how long it took you to read it)

Was what happened unusual? Ordinary?

What was the opening of the story like? Exciting?   Slow? Dramatic? Dull?

How did the events of the story follow on from each other?

What was the climax of the story? How did it end?

 

Characters

 

Who were the main characters?

What were they like?

Were they described in much detail?

Which did you find most interesting? Most sympathetic? (if you find a character

sympathetic, you like them as you can understand their feelings. Perhaps you

have had a similar experience to them)

What kind of relationships and / or conflicts were there?

Did these characters change throughout the story?

 

Comments on Style

 

Was the story written in the first or third person?( ‘I’ or ‘he / she’)

How important was this to the story?

Was the setting described in detail?

Were feelings and attitudes described in depth?

Was it a good story? Why?

What was your favourite moment in the story? Why?

Were there any moments (or characters) that might have been improved? If so,

what changes would you make?

 

General

 

Do you think the writer had a particular reason for telling this story?

How did you feel during and after reading it?

Do you think you learned anything from the book about people? Ways of life?

How would you compare it to other books you’ve read?

What else do you think is important to say about it?

Would you recommend this book / read another by the same author?

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