July 24, 2019. A one-sided book review can give your audience the impression that your critique is an unfair assessment. So the first thing we need to talk about, according to the cue card, is the “kind of” book. Understanding the context in which a novel was written will help you form an opinion later when you start writing. Everything is easier when you have a plan. It almost goes without saying. If you’re interested in having your book reviewed by professional reviewers, get in touch with us at This is Writing. These include: You can read more about the key elements of a book review below. She has got the prestigious Nobel Prize for Peace in 2014. Your passion for the book you are reviewing will shine through in your writing. [1] John Williams. Here’s my recording of the sample answer. Doing a book is a HUGE time commitment, even if you start with a copy-edited dissertation manuscript. a book you have recently read paragraph writing. In a few sentences, Include a description of the book’s setting, the main characters, and a loose summary of the plot. Any interesting points you want to make about the book should be included in the body of your text. Writing a dissertation is a lot like writing a book. There are also some great tools that can assist in editing such as the Hemingway App. Was book two a good sequel to the first book? If you have been book reviewing for some time and begin to feel burned out, take a break and remind yourself why you started writing book reviews in the first place – to share your love of reading with your fellow readers all over the world. If you’re not feeling confident in your proofreading skills, test yourself by reading this article from The Writing Centre. A good book review is one supported by thorough research. It’s up to you. It’s easy to know whether you do or don’t like a book. Write a letter to your friend describing a historical place you have visited. If you’re interested in writing a professional book review, check out example book reviews on The Guardian online to get an idea of length. [7] Harper Lee. But it is possible to review a book without completely revealing the details if you choose your words carefully. TED-IELTS is in no way affiliated with the TED non-profit organization. Why was the book written? There are a number of websites that will pay writers to create book reviews for their website. The criteria for evaluating a book are explored in more detail below. A critical assessment of the book – your reaction to the book and whether or not it was effective in meeting its purpose. So I have thought of writing this letter. For example, this book review of The Bird King is between 800 and 900 words and uses headings throughout the text. What was different? “To Kill a Mockingbird”. William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. Goodreads uses a 5-star book rating system. It might even be worthwhile also having another person proofread your work. And most importantly, would you recommend this book to others? [4] Dwight Garner. Learn how your comment data is processed. The book is “I am Malala” written by Malala Yousafzai. The Cue Card: Describe a book you have read recently. For example, a book written under the magical realism genre, wouldn’t be recommended to an audience that enjoy non-fiction. In this part of the exam, as you probably know, you are expected to speak for about two minutes on a given topic. It’s hard to give the genre because it’s a quite unusual book; however, it is both a drama and a mystery to some degree. What was its name, and who was the author? This is because these events exist outside of time as they are immortalized in a text. The following criteria can be used to help you form an evaluation: When making an argument you need examples to support your opinion. You could break your rating system down into categories – maybe the book deserves four stars out of five for writing style, but only two stars for the plot development. I’m currently working towards my dream of becoming a published fiction author and writing about it. Chances are, the first book has already been reviewed to death. Whether you did or did not enjoy the book can be supported by opinions based on factors such as whether the author effectively subverted traditional elements of the genre, or whether the author’s thesis didn’t challenge your way of thinking. And ultimately, make sure you are reviewing the book you read, not the book you wished the author had written. – no, the final part of the question makes it clear that you don’t have to have liked it, Should I talk about the plot? If you’re hoping to get your review published online, it’s also best to select a recently published book. For example, one of the key themes of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is prejudice and the following quote directly illustrates this theme: The main thing to consider when quoting the book is to keep the quotes short. If you are opting for a longer review (around the 1,000 word mark), you can break up long paragraphs of text by using headings and sub-headings. What are the common elements of the book reviews you have read? Analyse the topic and ask yourself what exactly you should talk about. But always be conscious of keeping your writing concise and to the point. Her book is really inspiring. What is the author trying to achieve? Check out these tips on how to create a website from the Queensland Government. A great place to start, particularly if this is your very first book review, is to read other reviews. What did the author do well? A book review requires a critical evaluation meaning you must form an opinion about the book and support your opinion with evidence. “A Postwar Love Triangle in Which One Partner May Be Pure Fantasy”. I really enjoyed this book. Viewed 29 July 2019. For example, my students always talk about “Jobs” when they mean “Steve Jobs.” So make sure you know the name. These questions set the scene for your critical assessment. This goes back to the point above, it’s important to remember that your individual tastes don’t necessarily reflect those of your readers. Is there an introduction and a conclusion. Here is a video about describing movies. And remember, no new information should be included in the conclusion. a conclusion, including whether or not you would recommend the book to your audience. She’s always been passionate about writing and it was half way through her degree that she realised she was ready to ditch law and pursue a career in writing. Write a letter to a friend describing the good book you have read recently. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. Any writer would know that a high-quality piece of writing is well structured. A captivating way to make a recommendation is to also compare the book to other similar ones. – yes, that is possible, Must it be a book that I enjoyed? Kirkus Review. Required fields are marked *. Despite this, it’s still worthwhile touching on the storyline of the novels that have come before your book in the series as this provides context on the effectiveness of the book. Don’t forget, we’re still learning so don’t worry if your still getting criticisms on how to write them Book: Researching and Writing Your Assignment by Scott Marsden & Alison Butler (2010) Viewed 29 July 2019. ©COPYRIGHT 2014 - 2020. There are so many kinds of novels. A book review describes, analyzes and evaluates a book based on elements including writing style, plot, characters, significance, impact and fitness for purpose. In order to recommend the book, you need to determine who your audience is. What are the major themes and how were they revealed? It’s difficult to form an argument about the author’s choice of language, for example, if you don’t understand the time period in which the novel was composed. all the information you gathered in your initial research). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A sound structure, supported by thorough research, will ensure your book review gets the credibility it deserves. Your conclusion should follow general conclusion writing guidelines. Here’s where those considerations come into play – the author’s background, the genre, the purpose of the book and the main thesis of the work are all elements that inform your opinion. Generally, book reviews are around 500 words. Copy and paste your work into the app and it will give you a readability score as well as highlight sentences that are too long and complicated. You might write something along the lines of ‘If loved XXX book, you will love this one’. Note also the verb “detail” in that second paragraph. Copyright 2014 - 2020 by This is Writing   -  Designed by Thrive Themes On Amazon, others can then mark your review as ‘helpful’ so you’ll be able to get a good idea on how people feel about your reviewing. If you come across a book review that you find really engaging, ask yourself why it was so impactful and try to reproduce those elements in your own work. Posted by David S. Wills | Jan 6, 2018 | IELTS Tips, Speaking, YouTube | 0 |. This review of Laura Lippman’s ‘Lady in the Lake’ wraps up the book in the following short and sweet sentence: A professional book review will also include a bibliographic citation of the book. Do you prefer reviews with controversial opinions? It will answer the question ‘what is a book review’, help you choose which book to review and explore the key elements that form a successful review. The three key elements that you should include in your book review are: Your book review should begin with a captivating introduction to draw your reader in and make them want to continue reading. Hi, I’m Scott the founder of This is Writing. Even if you hated the book, you’ll be able to find some positives. There are a number of complex and competing elements that will influence the choices an author has made, so it’s crucial to understand the reasons behind their choices in order to form an opinion about things like style, tone, character development, plot and language. If you’re reviewing children, teenage or young adult books, it’s a good idea to give an ‘age-appropriateness’ recommendation. Instead, write the ideas you want to discuss or the vocabulary you may need. I am well too. They help validate the worthiness of a book – if someone else enjoyed the book, I might enjoy it too. What was the same? After you’ve completed the first draft of your book review, it’s time to start the editing process. A great book review is one that helps a reader decide whether they will pick up the book and read it. We don’t know why the plane crashed although it seems like an accident. Remember, a bad book takes just as long to write as a good one and every author deserves fair treatment. Write a letter to your friend about your favourite sport. Don’t spoil the book! But it’s important to choose a book that you’re actually interested in. But why you have that opinion needs to be supported by research and evidence (i.e. Check out Common Sense Media for ideas on how to give an age-appropriateness rating – this site rates books by age and learning value. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You could be asked about your favorite book or a book you really love, but in this case we will just look at a book you have read recently: Once you have read the cue card, you must think about it quickly. Provocative? Today we’re going to look at a question from IELTS speaking part two, also known as the “long answer” question. They shot her for propagating education for girls. It’s been long since I received your last letter. The book is “I am Malala” written by Malala Yousafzai. It contains seven errors (two punctuation errors, two grammatical errors and three spelling errors). January 28, 2020 January 28, 2020. admin. Is it a horror novel or a coming-of-age story? In this case, of course we first have to think about the book itself. The order in which you give the details is not important. most popular books published in 2018 here, The University of Melbourne suggests a conclusion should, This review of Laura Lippman’s ‘Lady in the Lake’, Check out some examples on Kirkus Reviews, refer to this handout with the errors marked in red. Before they even begin reading your review, they already know whether you’re recommending it or not. While it might seem like there are a lot of rules that go into writing a high-quality book review, the most important thing is that you enjoy what you’re doing! Whether you’re a seasoned professional, student, or brand new to book reviewing, here’s our strategies and suggestions for writing an effective book review. A reader has most likely come to your review to decide whether they will or won’t read the book, so if you want them to read the book, make it clear. Before publishing your work, read over it a few times to catch any spelling or grammar errors, as well as double-checking your facts – including double-checking that the quotes and character names you referenced from the book are accurate, as well as the facts you’ve included about the author’s background. It’s important you take into consideration while planning that some parts of the question simply aren’t possible to talk about that much. Is it simply to provide your opinion to your social media followers, or are you trying to get published online? Not only do you want to touch on the plot of the book in your introduction, but you will also need to set the context. A newer book is less likely to have already been reviewed by another book reviewer and therefore more likely to get published. Ultimately, I was not disappointed. This happens at the beginning of the book, and after that we get the back story of the people who were on the plane. When forming an opinion of the book’s effectiveness, your emotional reaction to surprising details are likely to be the evidence you need to prove the book’s effectiveness. You can see the most popular books published in 2018 here based on the star rating. The newer the book, the less likely it has already been reviewed by another review. If any of you have any alternative ways to write an assignment/dissertation, then please feel free to comment below. Read Time : 198 Minutes. I hope you are well by the grace of the Almighty. I am sure you will like it too. Because if the review was persuasive enough to encourage (or dissuade) you to read the book, it’s a successful book review. If you’re reading a vampire mystery book, how can you evaluate the structure of the storyline if you don’t understand the elements of that genre? There’ll be no point in your audience reading the book if they already know what happens. Not every book is suited to every reader. A great way of learning how to do this effectively is to go on Wikipedia or IMDB and then find descriptions of movies. What is the historical, political, and/or social context in which the novel was written? It’s easier to give an opinion about how you felt about a book when writing in the first person, for example – ‘I loved the way the author used XYZ to ABC’. Don’t expect much measurable research impact either. One paragraph on your assessment of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching. Most of those words can be re-used for describing books: Next you should really think about the plot of the novel. However, professional and academic book reviews can be thousands of words in length. – yes, that is fulfilling the third bullet point. An outline of the storyline will help your audience decide whether or not they’re interested in reading the book. Don’t write down sentences or else you’ll only have enough to speak for ten or twenty seconds. Book reviews are also very important to authors. No. Therefore, you can talk about any of the cue card suggestions first or last. Education. However, you … Interacting with other book lovers and reviewers can also help improve your own reviewing style and build an audience. But if you’re self-publishing the review, you can choose whatever rating system that works best for you. However, be sensible and think of a logical order in your head. When you come back to review your work with fresh eyes, look out for the following: Take the time to rewrite your work and make any changes necessary to improve it. Write a letter to your friend about your favourite hobby. “‘Underland’ Offers Excellent Nature Writing From Deep, Dark Places”. Ultimately, the more words you use, the more thorough your analysis can be. As I said, there are many IELTS cue cards about books. Of course, as we’ve discussed before, you really shouldn’t write too much. Depending on your writing style and the purpose of your website, first-person can make your review more personal and relatable for your audience. But she miraculously survived. Otherwise, you can self-publish your book review on your own website or blog. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. This article will provide guidance on how to write a book review. Write a Letter to Your Friend Inviting Him to Spend the Summer Vacation with You, Write a Letter to Your Friend Describing How You Spend Your Recent Summer Vacation, Write a Letter to Your Friend Describing the Picnic You Have Enjoyed Recently.