Book Review Instructions

Exercise 6. Paper 2. 150-200 words. 16 marks.

You have just finished reading a book that your friend gave you for
your birthday. You found out that a few other students read the
same book and you talked to them about it. You now decide to write
a review of the book for your school magazine.

Here are some comments from other students:

The story was poorly written. I found it inspiring

Write a review for your school magazine.

The comments above may give you some ideas, and you can also use some ideas
of your own.
Your review should be between 150 and 200 words long.
You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your review, and up to 8 marks
for the language.

Model Answer:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White is a mystery novel by Wilkie Collins, published in 1859. The
story, set in 19th-century England, revolves around five characters – an art
teacher called Walter Hartright, two half-sisters Marian and Laura, the villain Sir
Percival and the mysterious woman in white.
At the start of the story, the ghostly figure of a woman dressed in white
appears to Walter. She tries to tell him something before he departs for
Cumberland, in north-west England, to start a job as a private art teacher.
When he arrives in Cumberland, he’s surprised that one of his students, Laura,
is very similar to the woman in white. Laura and Walter fall in love, but can’t
stay together because Laura is to be married to Sir Percival, a cruel and
dishonest man who also hides a terrible secret.
What is the secret? Who is the woman in white and what is she trying to warn
Walter about? These questions keep readers guessing. However, when I first
read the book, I felt like giving up after the first few pages, which would have
been a mistake. This was just Collins’ clever way of making readers wait before
unfolding the gripping mystery. Behind the story, the readers also uncover the
truth about the morals of Victorian England. It’s definitely well worth reading.
Title
Introduction: to inform
Title, author, genre, main characters and date of release.

2nd body paragraph: to describe

Short summary (2-3 sentences)
Provide a short summary of the plot in your own words that does not give away (or
spoil) the exciting parts of the story. Make sure that you write with expression and
that your topic sentence “hooks” the reader. Finally, try not to include opinions in
this portion of the review.

3rd body paragraph: to analyse

Additional Information
In this section you will include some additional information about the book or
author so readers can better understand your recommendation. Examples include:
• Favorite quotation: Introduce the quotation in your own words so the reader can
understand what’s happening in that part of the story. Make sure to use quotation
marks and explain to the reader why you liked the quotation.
• Favorite character: Describe your favorite character and their traits. Was the
character believable?
• Author’s purpose: Why do you think the author wrote this book? Was it to
persuade, entertain, inform, or teach?

4th paragraph: to advise

Recommendation
Tell others if you would recommend the book. Explain why you would or would
not recommend this book to others. Be specific so your readers really understand
what you liked or disliked about the book.