useful vocabulary for book review

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CAE Review – Phrase Sheet

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This is essentially the same as my CPE sheet but with the title and word limit changed. Download it here:

To feast/gorge on (eat a lot of)

To eat/drink to your heart’s content

Devour/gobble up

Aromas wafting from the kitchen

Cheap – economical/reasonably-priced

Expensive – pricey/costs an arm and a leg

€20 a head (per person) Killer Lines: Were I to sum up … in one word, it would be…

… left a lot to be desired (wasn’t good enough)

…more than lives up to the hype (is as good as everyone says it is)

… is by far and away the best … you’re likely to … this year

… really raises the bar (sets a higher standard)

… sets the benchmark for other (others will be judges against how good it is)

… ticks all the right boxes

… holds up well in comparison with …

…comes off badly in comparison with … Grammar check list Have you included?

· An inversion (not only/no sooner/seldom)

· An inverted conditional (Were we to…)

· A participle clause (Being…/Having gone…)

· A double comparative (The more we… the more)

· A cleft sentence (What is most crucial is…)

· Idioms

Author: Tim Warre

Barcelona based English Teacher, blogger and sometime actor and director. View All Posts

2 thoughts on “ CAE Review – Phrase Sheet ”

Pingback: Vocabulary on films and restaurants | AVANZADO 2 Cristina's Blog

Incredibly useful, cheers Tim!

Book reviews Structure and language

Book reviews are sometimes used on undergraduate courses, and frequently appear in academic journals. This page considers what a book review is , how to structure one , and provides some language for writing a book review .

What is a book review?

A book review describes and critically evaluates a (usually recent) book. Like any kind of review, for example a review of a film or television programme, it will offer a description of the main points, consider the strengths and weaknesses, and give an overall evaluation, in order to allow the reader to decide whether or not it will be of interest to them and therefore a good investment of their time and money. Book reviews are sometimes used as assignments on undergraduate courses, and are a common component of academic journals. They are typically short pieces of work, around 500-750 words in length. They may sometimes be shorter or longer, but will rarely exceed 1000 words. A book review should not be confused with a book report, which is a relatively short and purely descriptive assignment, common in high school (rather than university) courses.

Structure of book reviews

A book review will usually begin with bibliographic information . This means details such as the name of the book, the name(s) of the author(s), and the publisher. Other details may be helpful, for example date and place of publication, format, edition, number of pages, price and ISBN.

The text of the review should begin with an introduction . As the review will be fairly brief, it is common to begin with an anecdote or quotation which captures the main idea of the book. The introduction will identify the author and title, specify the type of book, and state the book's subject matter. Further background detail to place the book in context may be given, for example previous work by the author in the same field, prior work by other writers in the same field, or information about the book series (if the book is part of a series). The thesis of the book, i.e. its specific contribution, may also be given, along with your own thesis, i.e. your initial appraisal of the work and key observations.

The main body of the review will provide description and critical evaluation of the text. These may be dealt with separately, with description first and evaluation next, or in combination. Although the evaluation is the more important part, the description may still take up half or two thirds of the content of the main body, in order to lay the foundation for the evaluation.

The description of the text will summarise the book. Evidence from the book, such as quotations, may be used to support the points. This part might give information on the following areas, which can later be used as criteria for evaluating the book:

content of the book (possibly by chapter-by-chapter);
the author's purpose;
the intended audience;
the author's arguments and themes;
sources used in the book;
how the book is organised or laid out.

The critical evaluation will present your reaction to the book. You might compare it to other (similar) books in the field, and consider its relative strengths and weaknesses. In this part you may respond to the areas above by considering key questions, as follows, to further highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

Content of the book . Is everything included? Is there too much information? Is anything essential left out?
The author's purpose . Has the author succeeded in their purpose?
The intended audience . Is the book appropriate for the intended audience? Why (not)? Who else might benefit from reading it?
The author's arguments and themes . How valid or effective are the arguments and themes? Do you agree with the author's opinions? Why (not)?
Sources used in the book . How strong are the sources? Are there enough?
How the book is organised or laid out . Is it organised in a logical or useful way? Are there any problems? Is the layout clear and easy to use?

Finally, there should be a conclusion to the book review. This will sum up your thoughts on the book. This means summarising the book's strengths and weaknesses, indicating whether this is a useful book, whether it will make a lasting contribution to its field, whether you recommend it, and who will benefit from reading it.

Note that the above is the structure for a book review for a non-fiction work, which is the most common kind of review for university study. For a work of fiction, a similar approach can be used, though in place of the points for argument and sources, you would consider setting, plot, characters, use of language and voice when describing the book, and consider how effective each of these elements are when evaluating it.

Language for book reviews

It is important is to make sure that your views are distinct from the author's. This can be done by using the author's name, or referring to 'The author' or 'The book'.

The following phrases might be useful for summarising the contents of the book.

The book is divided into the following parts.
This text is divided into four main chapters focusing on...
Section one of the book details...
The opening chapter focuses on...
The second section explores...
Chapter three...
The next chapter...
The final chapter...

The following phrases can be used to highlight weaknesses.

The book would benefit from...
A nice addition to the book would be...
The weakest area of the book is...
The only/main/greatest weakness/drawback of the book is...

The following phrases can be used to indicate a suitable audience for the book.

The book should appeal to those who...
This book is applicable to...
It would be an excellent resource for...
The book is particularly interesting for...
The book will be of interest to...
This book is highly recommended to...
... are likely to find the book useful.
... would find it valuable.

The following adjectives can be used to give a positive review (negatives of these can be used for a negative review).

informative
interesting
well-organised
substantial
comprehensive

Example review

An example book review, as well as exercises for book reviews, can be found in the book Academic Writing Genres: Essays, Reports & Other Genres , part of the EAP Foundation series of books. You can use the form below to download a sample of the book .

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Like the website? Try the books. Enter your email to receive a free sample from Academic Writing Genres .

Below is a checklist for book reviews. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

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Find out more about research proposals in the next section.

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Go back to the previous section about literature reviews .

Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 27 December 2022.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

Annotated Bibliography
Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
Group Presentations
Dealing with Nervousness
Using Visual Aids
Grading Someone Else's Paper
Types of Structured Group Activities
Group Project Survival Skills
Leading a Class Discussion
Multiple Book Review Essay
Reviewing Collected Works
Writing a Case Analysis Paper
Writing a Case Study
About Informed Consent
Writing Field Notes
Writing a Policy Memo
Writing a Reflective Paper
Writing a Research Proposal
Generative AI and Writing
Acknowledgments

A book review is a thorough description, critical analysis, and/or evaluation of the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, often written in relation to prior research on the topic. Reviews generally range from 500-2000 words, but may be longer or shorter depends on several factors: the length and complexity of the book being reviewed, the overall purpose of the review, and whether the review examines two or more books that focus on the same topic. Professors assign book reviews as practice in carefully analyzing complex scholarly texts and to assess your ability to effectively synthesize research so that you reach an informed perspective about the topic being covered.

There are two general approaches to reviewing a book:

Descriptive review: Presents the content and structure of a book as objectively as possible, describing essential information about a book's purpose and authority. This is done by stating the perceived aims and purposes of the study, often incorporating passages quoted from the text that highlight key elements of the work. Additionally, there may be some indication of the reading level and anticipated audience.
Critical review: Describes and evaluates the book in relation to accepted literary and historical standards and supports this evaluation with evidence from the text and, in most cases, in contrast to and in comparison with the research of others. It should include a statement about what the author has tried to do, evaluates how well you believe the author has succeeded in meeting the objectives of the study, and presents evidence to support this assessment. For most course assignments, your professor will want you to write this type of review.

Book Reviews. Writing Center. University of New Hampshire; Book Reviews: How to Write a Book Review. Writing and Style Guides. Libraries. Dalhousie University; Kindle, Peter A. "Teaching Students to Write Book Reviews." Contemporary Rural Social Work 7 (2015): 135-141; Erwin, R. W. “Reviewing Books for Scholarly Journals.” In Writing and Publishing for Academic Authors . Joseph M. Moxley and Todd Taylor. 2 nd edition. (Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield, 1997), pp. 83-90.

How to Approach Writing Your Review

NOTE: Since most course assignments require that you write a critical rather than descriptive book review, the following information about preparing to write and developing the structure and style of reviews focuses on this approach.

I. Common Features

While book reviews vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features. These include:

A review gives the reader a concise summary of the content . This includes a description of the research topic and scope of analysis as well as an overview of the book's overall perspective, argument, and purpose.
A review offers a critical assessment of the content in relation to other studies on the same topic . This involves documenting your reactions to the work under review--what strikes you as noteworthy or important, whether or not the arguments made by the author(s) were effective or persuasive, and how the work enhanced your understanding of the research problem under investigation.
In addition to analyzing a book's strengths and weaknesses, a scholarly review often recommends whether or not readers would value the work for its authenticity and overall quality . This measure of quality includes both the author's ideas and arguments and covers practical issues, such as, readability and language, organization and layout, indexing, and, if needed, the use of non-textual elements .

To maintain your focus, always keep in mind that most assignments ask you to discuss a book's treatment of its topic, not the topic itself . Your key sentences should say, "This book shows...,” "The study demonstrates...," or “The author argues...," rather than "This happened...” or “This is the case....”

II. Developing a Critical Assessment Strategy

There is no definitive methodological approach to writing a book review in the social sciences, although it is necessary that you think critically about the research problem under investigation before you begin to write. Therefore, writing a book review is a three-step process: 1) carefully taking notes as you read the text; 2) developing an argument about the value of the work under consideration; and, 3) clearly articulating that argument as you write an organized and well-supported assessment of the work.

A useful strategy in preparing to write a review is to list a set of questions that should be answered as you read the book [remember to note the page numbers so you can refer back to the text!]. The specific questions to ask yourself will depend upon the type of book you are reviewing. For example, a book that is presenting original research about a topic may require a different set of questions to ask yourself than a work where the author is offering a personal critique of an existing policy or issue.

Here are some sample questions that can help you think critically about the book:

Thesis or Argument . What is the central thesis—or main argument—of the book? If the author wanted you to get one main idea from the book, what would it be? How does it compare or contrast to the world that you know or have experienced? What has the book accomplished? Is the argument clearly stated and does the research support this?
Topic . What exactly is the subject or topic of the book? Is it clearly articulated? Does the author cover the subject adequately? Does the author cover all aspects of the subject in a balanced fashion? Can you detect any biases? What type of approach has the author adopted to explore the research problem [e.g., topical, analytical, chronological, descriptive]?
Evidence . How does the author support their argument? What evidence does the author use to prove their point? Is the evidence based on an appropriate application of the method chosen to gather information? Do you find that evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does any of the author's information [or conclusions] conflict with other books you've read, courses you've taken, or just previous assumptions you had about the research problem?
Structure . How does the author structure their argument? Does it follow a logical order of analysis? What are the parts that make up the whole? Does the argument make sense to you? Does it persuade you? Why or why not?
Take-aways . How has this book helped you understand the research problem? Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not?

Beyond the content of the book, you may also consider some information about the author and the general presentation of information. Question to ask may include:

The Author: Who is the author? The nationality, political persuasion, education, intellectual interests, personal history, and historical context may provide crucial details about how a work takes shape. Does it matter, for example, that the author is affiliated with a particular organization? What difference would it make if the author participated in the events they wrote about? What other topics has the author written about? Does this work build on prior research or does it represent a new or unique area of research?
The Presentation: What is the book's genre? Out of what discipline does it emerge? Does it conform to or depart from the conventions of its genre? These questions can provide a historical or other contextual standard upon which to base your evaluations. If you are reviewing the first book ever written on the subject, it will be important for your readers to know this. Keep in mind, though, that declarative statements about being the “first,” the "best," or the "only" book of its kind can be a risky unless you're absolutely certain because your professor [presumably] has a much better understanding of the overall research literature.

NOTE: Most critical book reviews examine a topic in relation to prior research. A good strategy for identifying this prior research is to examine sources the author(s) cited in the chapters introducing the research problem and, of course, any review of the literature. However, you should not assume that the author's references to prior research is authoritative or complete. If any works related to the topic have been excluded, your assessment of the book should note this . Be sure to consult with a librarian to ensure that any additional studies are located beyond what has been cited by the author(s).

Book Reviews. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Book Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Hartley, James. "Reading and Writing Book Reviews Across the Disciplines." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57 (July 2006): 1194–1207; Motta-Roth, D. “Discourse Analysis and Academic Book Reviews: A Study of Text and Disciplinary Cultures.” In Genre Studies in English for Academic Purposes . Fortanet Gómez, Inmaculada et al., editors. (Castellò de la Plana: Publicacions de la Universitat Jaume I, 1998), pp. 29-45. Writing a Book Review. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Book Reviews. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Suárez, Lorena and Ana I. Moreno. “The Rhetorical Structure of Academic Journal Book Reviews: A Cross-linguistic and Cross-disciplinary Approach .” In Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos, María del Carmen Pérez Llantada Auría, Ramón Plo Alastrué, and Claus Peter Neumann. Actas del V Congreso Internacional AELFE/Proceedings of the 5th International AELFE Conference . Zaragoza: Universidad de Zaragoza, 2006.

Structure and Writing Style

I. Bibliographic Information

Bibliographic information refers to the essential elements of a work if you were to cite it in a paper [i.e., author, title, date of publication, etc.]. Provide the essential information about the book using the writing style [e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago] preferred by your professor or used by the discipline of your major . Depending on how your professor wants you to organize your review, the bibliographic information represents the heading of your review. In general, it would look like this:

[Complete title of book. Author or authors. Place of publication. Publisher. Date of publication. Number of pages before first chapter, often in Roman numerals. Total number of pages]. The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle over American History . By Jill Lepore. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010. xii, 207 pp.)

Reviewed by [your full name].

II. Scope/Purpose/Content

Begin your review by telling the reader not only the overarching concern of the book in its entirety [the subject area] but also what the author's particular point of view is on that subject [the thesis statement]. If you cannot find an adequate statement in the author's own words or if you find that the thesis statement is not well-developed, then you will have to compose your own introductory thesis statement that does cover all the material. This statement should be no more than one paragraph and must be succinctly stated, accurate, and unbiased.

If you find it difficult to discern the overall aims and objectives of the book [and, be sure to point this out in your review if you determine that this is a deficiency], you may arrive at an understanding of the book's overall purpose by assessing the following:

Scan the table of contents because it can help you understand how the book was organized and will aid in determining the author's main ideas and how they were developed [e.g., chronologically, topically, historically, etc.].
Why did the author write on this subject rather than on some other subject?
From what point of view is the work written?
Was the author trying to give information, to explain something technical, or to convince the reader of a belief’s validity by dramatizing it in action?
What is the general field or genre, and how does the book fit into it? If necessary, review related literature from other books and journal articles to familiarize yourself with the field.
Who is the intended audience?
What is the author's style? Is it formal or informal? You can evaluate the quality of the writing style by noting some of the following standards: coherence, clarity, originality, forcefulness, accurate use of technical words, conciseness, fullness of development, and fluidity [i.e., quality of the narrative flow].
How did the book affect you? Were there any prior assumptions you had about the subject that were changed, abandoned, or reinforced after reading the book? How is the book related to your own personal beliefs or assumptions? What personal experiences have you had related to the subject that affirm or challenge underlying assumptions?
How well has the book achieved the goal(s) set forth in the preface, introduction, and/or foreword?
Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

III. Note the Method

Support your remarks with specific references to text and quotations that help to illustrate the literary method used to state the research problem, describe the research design, and analyze the findings. In general, authors tend to use the following literary methods, exclusively or in combination.

Description : The author depicts scenes and events by giving specific details that appeal to the five senses, or to the reader’s imagination. The description presents background and setting. Its primary purpose is to help the reader realize, through as many details as possible, the way persons, places, and things are situated within the phenomenon being described.
Narration : The author tells the story of a series of events, usually thematically or in chronological order. In general, the emphasis in scholarly books is on narration of the events. Narration tells what has happened and, in some cases, using this method to forecast what could happen in the future. Its primary purpose is to draw the reader into a story and create a contextual framework for understanding the research problem.
Exposition : The author uses explanation and analysis to present a subject or to clarify an idea. Exposition presents the facts about a subject or an issue clearly and as impartially as possible. Its primary purpose is to describe and explain, to document for the historical record an event or phenomenon.
Argument : The author uses techniques of persuasion to establish understanding of a particular truth, often in the form of addressing a research question, or to convince the reader of its falsity. The overall aim is to persuade the reader to believe something and perhaps to act on that belief. Argument takes sides on an issue and aims to convince the reader that the author's position is valid, logical, and/or reasonable.

IV. Critically Evaluate the Contents

Critical comments should form the bulk of your book review . State whether or not you feel the author's treatment of the subject matter is appropriate for the intended audience. Ask yourself:

Has the purpose of the book been achieved?
What contributions does the book make to the field?
Is the treatment of the subject matter objective or at least balanced in describing all sides of a debate?
Are there facts and evidence that have been omitted?
What kinds of data, if any, are used to support the author's thesis statement?
Can the same data be interpreted to explain alternate outcomes?
Is the writing style clear and effective?
Does the book raise important or provocative issues or topics for discussion?
Does the book bring attention to the need for further research?
What has been left out?

Support your evaluation with evidence from the text and, when possible, state the book's quality in relation to other scholarly sources. If relevant, note of the book's format, such as, layout, binding, typography, etc. Are there tables, charts, maps, illustrations, text boxes, photographs, or other non-textual elements? Do they aid in understanding the text? Describing this is particularly important in books that contain a lot of non-textual elements.

NOTE: It is important to carefully distinguish your views from those of the author so as not to confuse your reader. Be clear when you are describing an author's point of view versus expressing your own.

V. Examine the Front Matter and Back Matter

Front matter refers to any content before the first chapter of the book. Back matter refers to any information included after the final chapter of the book . Front matter is most often numbered separately from the rest of the text in lower case Roman numerals [i.e. i - xi ]. Critical commentary about front or back matter is generally only necessary if you believe there is something that diminishes the overall quality of the work [e.g., the indexing is poor] or there is something that is particularly helpful in understanding the book's contents [e.g., foreword places the book in an important context].

Front matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality:

Table of contents -- is it clear? Is it detailed or general? Does it reflect the true contents of the book? Does it help in understanding a logical sequence of content?
Author biography -- also found as back matter, the biography of author(s) can be useful in determining the authority of the writer and whether the book builds on prior research or represents new research. In scholarly reviews, noting the author's affiliation and prior publications can be a factor in helping the reader determine the overall validity of the work [i.e., are they associated with a research center devoted to studying the problem under investigation].
Foreword -- the purpose of a foreword is to introduce the reader to the author and the content of the book, and to help establish credibility for both. A foreword may not contribute any additional information about the book's subject matter, but rather, serves as a means of validating the book's existence. In these cases, the foreword is often written by a leading scholar or expert who endorses the book's contributions to advancing research about the topic. Later editions of a book sometimes have a new foreword prepended [appearing before an older foreword, if there was one], which may be included to explain how the latest edition differs from previous editions. These are most often written by the author.
Acknowledgements -- scholarly studies in the social sciences often take many years to write, so authors frequently acknowledge the help and support of others in getting their research published. This can be as innocuous as acknowledging the author's family or the publisher. However, an author may acknowledge prominent scholars or subject experts, staff at key research centers, people who curate important archival collections, or organizations that funded the research. In these particular cases, it may be worth noting these sources of support in your review, particularly if the funding organization is biased or its mission is to promote a particular agenda.
Preface -- generally describes the genesis, purpose, limitations, and scope of the book and may include acknowledgments of indebtedness to people who have helped the author complete the study. Is the preface helpful in understanding the study? Does it provide an effective framework for understanding what's to follow?
Chronology -- also may be found as back matter, a chronology is generally included to highlight key events related to the subject of the book. Do the entries contribute to the overall work? Is it detailed or very general?
List of non-textual elements -- a book that contains numerous charts, photographs, maps, tables, etc. will often list these items after the table of contents in the order that they appear in the text. Is this useful?

Back matter that may be considered for evaluation when reviewing its overall quality:

Afterword -- this is a short, reflective piece written by the author that takes the form of a concluding section, final commentary, or closing statement. It is worth mentioning in a review if it contributes information about the purpose of the book, gives a call to action, summarizes key recommendations or next steps, or asks the reader to consider key points made in the book.
Appendix -- is the supplementary material in the appendix or appendices well organized? Do they relate to the contents or appear superfluous? Does it contain any essential information that would have been more appropriately integrated into the text?
Index -- are there separate indexes for names and subjects or one integrated index. Is the indexing thorough and accurate? Are elements used, such as, bold or italic fonts to help identify specific places in the book? Does the index include "see also" references to direct you to related topics?
Glossary of Terms -- are the definitions clearly written? Is the glossary comprehensive or are there key terms missing? Are any terms or concepts mentioned in the text not included that should have been?
Endnotes -- examine any endnotes as you read from chapter to chapter. Do they provide important additional information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the body of the text? Should any notes have been better integrated into the text rather than separated? Do the same if the author uses footnotes.
Bibliography/References/Further Readings -- review any bibliography, list of references to sources, and/or further readings the author may have included. What kinds of sources appear [e.g., primary or secondary, recent or old, scholarly or popular, etc.]? How does the author make use of them? Be sure to note important omissions of sources that you believe should have been utilized, including important digital resources or archival collections.

VI. Summarize and Comment

State your general conclusions briefly and succinctly. Pay particular attention to the author's concluding chapter and/or afterword. Is the summary convincing? List the principal topics, and briefly summarize the author’s ideas about these topics, main points, and conclusions. If appropriate and to help clarify your overall evaluation, use specific references to text and quotations to support your statements. If your thesis has been well argued, the conclusion should follow naturally. It can include a final assessment or simply restate your thesis. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion. If you've compared the book to any other works or used other sources in writing the review, be sure to cite them at the end of your book review in the same writing style as your bibliographic heading of the book.

Book Reviews. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Book Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Gastel, Barbara. "Special Books Section: A Strategy for Reviewing Books for Journals." BioScience 41 (October 1991): 635-637; Hartley, James. "Reading and Writing Book Reviews Across the Disciplines." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 57 (July 2006): 1194–1207; Lee, Alexander D., Bart N. Green, Claire D. Johnson, and Julie Nyquist. "How to Write a Scholarly Book Review for Publication in a Peer-reviewed Journal: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Chiropractic Education 24 (2010): 57-69; Nicolaisen, Jeppe. "The Scholarliness of Published Peer Reviews: A Bibliometric Study of Book Reviews in Selected Social Science Fields." Research Evaluation 11 (2002): 129-140;.Procter, Margaret. The Book Review or Article Critique. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Reading a Book to Review It. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Scarnecchia, David L. "Writing Book Reviews for the Journal Of Range Management and Rangelands." Rangeland Ecology and Management 57 (2004): 418-421; Simon, Linda. "The Pleasures of Book Reviewing." Journal of Scholarly Publishing 27 (1996): 240-241; Writing a Book Review. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing Book Reviews. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University.

Writing Tip

Always Read the Foreword and/or the Preface

If they are included in the front matter, a good place for understanding a book's overall purpose, organization, contributions to further understanding of the research problem, and relationship to other studies is to read the preface and the foreword. The foreword may be written by someone other than the author or editor and can be a person who is famous or who has name recognition within the discipline. A foreword is often included to add credibility to the work.

The preface is usually an introductory essay written by the author or editor. It is intended to describe the book's overall purpose, arrangement, scope, and overall contributions to the literature. When reviewing the book, it can be useful to critically evaluate whether the goals set forth in the foreword and/or preface were actually achieved. At the very least, they can establish a foundation for understanding a study's scope and purpose as well as its significance in contributing new knowledge.

Distinguishing between a Foreword, a Preface, and an Introduction . Book Creation Learning Center. Greenleaf Book Group, 2019.

Locating Book Reviews

There are several databases the USC Libraries subscribes to that include the full-text or citations to book reviews. Short, descriptive reviews can also be found at book-related online sites such as Amazon , although it's not always obvious who has written them and may actually be created by the publisher. The following databases provide comprehensive access to scholarly, full-text book reviews:

ProQuest [1983-present]
Book Review Digest Retrospective [1905-1982]

Some Language for Evaluating Texts

It can be challenging to find the proper vocabulary from which to discuss and evaluate a book. Here is a list of some active verbs for referring to texts and ideas that you might find useful:

account for
demonstrate
distinguish
investigate

Examples of usage

"The evidence indicates that..."
"This work assesses the effect of..."
"The author identifies three key reasons for..."
"This book questions the view that..."
"This work challenges assumptions about...."

Paquot, Magali. Academic Keyword List. Centre for English Corpus Linguistics. Université Catholique de Louvain.

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Blog – Posted on Wednesday, Apr 03

How to write a book review in 3 steps.

If the idea of reading for free — or even getting paid to read — sounds like a dream come true, remember that it isn’t a pipe dream. There are many places aspiring book reviewers can read books for free, such as Reedsy Discovery — a new platform for reviewing indie books. Of course, if you’re giving serious thought to becoming a book reviewer, your first step should be learning how to write a book review. To that end, this post covers all the basics of literary criticism. Let’s get started!

The three main steps of writing a book review are simple:

Provide a summary: What is story about? Who are the main characters and what is the main conflict?
Present your evaluation: What did you think of the book? What elements worked well, and which ones didn’t?
Give your recommendation: Would you recommend this book to others? If so, what kinds of readers will enjoy it?

You can also download our free book review templates and use it as a guide! Otherwise, let’s take a closer look at each element.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

How to write a review of a book

Step 1. provide a summary.

Have you ever watched a movie only to realize that all the good bits were already in the trailer? Well, you don’t want the review to do that. What you do want the summary to do is reveal the genre, theme, main conflict, and main characters in the story — without giving away spoilers or revealing how the story ends.

A good rule of thumb is not to mention anything that happens beyond the midpoint. Set the stage and give readers a sense of the book without explaining how the central issue is resolved.

Emily W. Thompson's review of The Crossing :

In [Michael] Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl. Read more...

Here are a few more reviews with well-written summaries for you to check out. The summary tend to be the longest part of the book review, so we won’t turn this post into a novel itself by pasting them all here: Le Cirque Navire reviewed by Anna Brill, The Heart of Stone reviewed by Kevin R. Dickinson, Fitting Out: The Friendship Experiment reviewed by Lianna Albrizio.

Non-fiction summary tip: The primary goal of a non-fiction summary is to provide context: what problems or issues has the book spotted, and how does it go about addressing them? Be sure to mention the authors of the title and what experience or expertise they bring to the title. Check Stefan Kløvning’s review of Creativity Cycling for an example of a summary that establishes the framework of the book within the context of its field.

Step 2. Present your evaluation

While you should absolutely weave your own personal take of a book into the review, your evaluation shouldn’t only be based on your subjective opinion. Along with presenting how you reacted to the story and how it affected you, you should also try to objectively critique the stronger and weaker elements of the story, and provide examples from the text to back up your points.

To help you write your evaluation, you should record your reactions and thoughts as you work your way through a novel you’re planning on reviewing. Here are some aspects of the book to keep in mind as you do.

Your evaluation might focus heartily on the book’s prose:

Donald Barker's review of Mercenary :

Such are the bones of the story. But, of course, it is the manner in which Mr Gaughran puts the bones back together and fills them with life that makes “Mercenary” such a great read. The author’s style seems plain; it seems straightforward and even simple. But an attempt at imitation or emulation quickly proves that simple it is not. He employs short, punchy sentences that generate excellent dialogue dripping with irony, deadpan humour and wit. This, mixed with good descriptive prose, draws the characters – and what characters they are – along with the tumultuous events in which they participated amidst the stinking, steaming heat of the South American jungle, out from the past to the present; alive, scheming, drinking, womanising and fighting, onto the written page.

You can give readers a sense of the book by drawing comparisons to other well-known titles or authors:

Laura Hartman's review of The Mystery of Ruby's Mistletoe :

Reading Ms. Donovan’s book is reminiscent to one of my favorite authors, Dame Agatha Christie. Setting up the suspects in a snowbound house, asking them to meet in the drawing room and the cleverly satisfying conclusion was extremely gratifying. I can picture Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot nodding at Ms. Donovan saying “Well done!”

Not everyone’s tastes are the same, and you can always acknowledge this by calling out specific story elements in your evaluation:

Kevin R. Dickinson's review of The Heart of Stone :

Whether you enjoy Galley’s worldbuilding will depend heavily on preference. Galley delivers information piecemeal, letting the characters, not the author, navigate the reader through Hartlund. A notable example is the magic system, an enigmatic force that lacks the ridge structures of, say, a Brandon Sanderson novel. While the world’s magical workings are explained, you only learn what the characters know and many mysteries remain by the end. Similar choices throughout make the world feel expansive and authentic.

Non-fiction evaluation tip: A book’s topic is only as compelling as its supporting arguments. Your evaluation of a nonfiction book should address that: how clearly and effectively are the points communicated? Turn back to Stefan’s critique for an example of a non-fiction critique that covers key takeaways and readability, without giving away any “big reveals.”

Step 3. Give your recommendation

At the end of the day, your critique needs to answer this question: is this a book you would (or wouldn’t) recommend to other readers? You might wrap up by comparing it to other books in the same genre, or authors with similar styles, such as: “Fans of so-and-so will enjoy this book.”

Let’s take a look at a few more tips:

You don’t need to write, “I recommend this book” — you can make it clear by highlighting your favorable opinion:

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

Add more punch to your rating by mentioning what kind of audience will or won’t enjoy the book:

Charleigh Aleyna Reid's review of The King of FU :

I would recommend this book to anyone who grew up in the 90’s and would like to reminisce about the time, someone who is interested to see what it was like to be a 90’s kid, or perhaps anyone who is looking for a unique, funny story about someone’s life.

Unless you found the title absolutely abhorrent, a good way to balance out a less favorable book review it to share what you did like about the book — before ultimately stating why you wouldn’t recommend the novel:

Nicola O's review of Secrets of the Sea Lord :

Overall, there are plenty of enjoyable elements in this story and fans of Atlantis and mer mythology should give it a try. Despite this, it does not rise above a three-star rating, and while I had some difficulty pinning down why this is, I concluded that it comes from a surprisingly unsophisticated vocabulary. There are a couple of graphic sex scenes, which is absolutely fine in a paranormal romance, but if they were removed, I could easily imagine this as an appealing story for middle-schoolers.

Non-fiction recommendation tip: As with fiction book reviews, share why you did or didn’t enjoy the title. However, in one of the starkest divergences from fiction book reviews it’s more important than ever that you mention your expectations coming into the non-fiction book. For instance, if you’re a cow farmer who’s reading a book on the benefits of becoming a vegetarian, you’re coming in with a large and inherent bias that the book will struggle to alter. So your recommendation should cover your thoughts about the book, while clearly taking account your perspective before you started reading. Let’s look once more at Stefan’s review for an example of a rating that includes an explanation of the reviewer’s own bias.

Bonus tips for writing a book review

Let’s wrap up with a few final tips for writing a compelling review.

Remember, this isn’t a book report. If someone wants the summary of a book, they can read the synopsis. People turn to book reviews for a fellow reader’s take on the book. And for that reason...
Have an opinion. Even if your opinion is totally middle-of-the-line — you didn’t hate the book but you didn’t love it either — state that clearly, and explain why.
Make your stance clear from the outset. Don’t save your opinion just for the evaluation/recommendation. Weave your thoughts about the book into your summary as well, so that readers have an idea of your opinion from the outset.
Back up your points. Instead of just saying, “the prose was evocative” — show readers by providing an actual passage that displays this. Same goes for negative points — don’t simply tell readers you found a character unbelievable, reference a certain (non-spoiler) scene that backs this up.
Provide the details. Don’t forget to weave the book’s information into the review: is this a debut author? Is this one installment of a series? What types of books has the author written before? What is their background? How many pages does the book have? Who published the book? What is the book’s price?
Follow guidelines. Is the review you’re writing for Goodreads? For The New York Times ? The content and tone of your review will vary a good deal from publication to publication.
Learn from others. One of the best ways to learn how to write a great review is to read other reviews! To help you out with that, we’ve published a post all about book review examples .

Writing book reviews can be a rewarding experience! As a book-lover yourself, it’s a great opportunity to help guide readers to their next favorite title. If you’re just getting started as a reviewer and could use a couple more tips and nudges in the right direction, check out our comprehensive blog post on how to become a book reviewer . And if you want to find out which review community is the right fit for you, we recommend taking this quick quiz:

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

Finally, if you feel you've nailed the basics of how to write a book review, we recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can review books for free and are guaranteed people will read them. To register as a book reviewer, simply go here !

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English vocabulary building tips: Writing a Book Review- The Ultimate Guide

As an online English speaking course in India , we encounter a lot of students who are fluent English speakers, but struggle to some extent when its comes to vocabulary. A rich vocabulary is not only about spoken English but is reflected more in one’s writing style.

All online English tutors recommend reading books to learn English vocabulary. But if its reflective writing that you wish to improve, then writing book reviews is something you must consider! Writing a book review is not just about summarizing, it is mainly about presenting a critical discussion of the book, so that others get an idea of the content.

Readers always wait for the opinion of the books that the other book lovers might have read. Whether you've loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts, people will find new books that are right for them.

Most online spoken English classes will agree that an effective book review describes what is on the page, analyzes how the book tried to achieve its purpose, and expresses reactions from a unique perspective.

Thus, no wonder a well-written book review helps students to engage critically with a text, respond to a variety of different writing genres personally, critically evaluate a text and improve their own thinking, writing, reading, and writing skills.

Things to remember while writing a book review:

If you are interested in writing a book review, here are a few essential tips on how to write an engaging book review.

1. Assess the Book : Before you start writing, take some time to assess the book. Ask yourself some important questions about the text and jot down notes.

Genre is the book? Is it fiction or nonfiction?
Author and his viewpoint?
Major themes in the book? Any main ideas?
What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?
How do the characters and events in the book relate to the theme?
Is there a primary conflict in the book? How does this develop over the course of the text?
What was the author trying to accomplish? Has he been able to accomplish his goal?
Your thoughts about the book?

2. Introduce the Book: A short quote or anecdote about the book or any other type of hook to capture the attention of the readers can be used as a start. Necessary information such as title, author, and kind of book should be also included. In the introduction, the thesis statement used by the author or the main theme of a work of fiction should be also covered. Finally, include your own thesis statement that will be the main idea of your review. For Example- Jane Eyre is one of the most cherished Victorian novels as it transcends time and resonates with readers today.

3. Provide a Short Summary of the Book : After introducing the book, create a summary to give your readers some background related to the book. Comment on the aspects of the content. Try to avoid writing in detail about anything that happens from about the middle of the book onwards. If the book is part of a series, it can be useful to mention this, and whether you think you'd need to have read other books in the series to relish this one. Keep the summary to one or two paragraphs without giving any spoilers or revealing plot twists.

4. Give Your Analysis : Now it's time to give your opinion on the book. Add details from the text, such as the point of view of the book, the major themes, and the characters.

You can also try to include the following things:

- Cover the author's style of writing and look at his or her cohesion, clarity, flow of the text, and use of precise words and ease of language.

- Discuss the author's descriptions and narration, pointing out whether he or she explained facts or persuade the readers of the validity of an issue.

- Check if the book met its goal and whether you would recommend it to others and why.
- Analyze whether the book suited its intended audience and how well the book has achieved its goal.
- Discuss what the book has left out and what specific points are not convincing.

5. End with an Impressive Conclusion: Restate your thesis statement by touching on the major points. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the book and discuss whether you would recommend the book to others or otherwise. Never introduce new material in your conclusion or discuss a new idea that was not examined in your introduction and body paragraphs as it might be confusing for the readers. You can also give the book a numerical score, a star rating, a thumbs up or thumbs down. Let your audience know your rationale for choosing a particular rating.

A quick reference guide to avoid common mistakes in book reviews:

You can use the above tips to write a Book Review. Also, there are a few things to understand to avoid making mistakes in book reviewing.

Don’t begin with hyperbolic or exaggerated statements. Be clear and defensible.
Write your idea in a straightforward manner with easy use of language which entertains the reader.
Avoid repetitiveness and redundancy in your review. A paragraph that circulates the same idea can be boring for the readers.
Avoid over-explication of plot. Never describe concretely anything in the plot past the midway point in the book. Just provide enough information to know whether the book is a good fit for the readers and thus worth spending time and money on.
Avoid writing too lengthy book reviews. Write relevant content for the readers to understand.
Don’t try to limit assumptions. Most general-interest journals are read by all kinds of people. Therefore, if a woman has written the novel, do not address your review as if no man will ever read the book, or the review and vice versa.
Do not review anything by anyone you know or have had any contact with in your professional or personal life.

Writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills. This practice can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a particular text. Learning how to write a book review is one of the best ways to learn about reflective writing, and it’s a useful skill for anyone who enjoys reading.

Thus, pay attention to length and make every word count. Make sure you proofread as a review with several errors is confusing to read and may not be taken seriously by the readers.

Related Articles: English vocabulary building | Common vocabulary building exercises

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How to write a review? | C1 Advanced (CAE)

The main purpose is to describe and express a personal opinion about something which the essay writer has experienced (e.g. a film, a holiday, a product, a website, etc.) and to give the reader a clear impression of what the item discussed is like.

Check our Writing Guide below – to see how to write a CAE review in detail.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Structure

Fce, cae, cpe, practice, write & improve, c1 advanced (cae) review: writing guide.

We will use the example CAE review topic below:

You see the following announcement on a website, Great Lives:

Reviews wanted Send us a review of a book or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society.

Did you learn anything new about the person’s life from the book or film? Did the book or film help you understand why this person made their important contribution?

Write your review (around 220 – 260 words)

Step 1: Briefly analyse your task…

The first thing is to find underline a description part , where we have to describe something like a film, book, restaurant or anything else. Next , find a discussion part where need to give opinion and or make a recommendation or suggestion.

On top of that, find the target reader who is always specified so you know exactly who you are writing for and who is going to read your review.

Reviews Wanted Send us a review of a book or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society. (to describe)

Did you learn anything new about the person’s life from the book or film? Did the book or film help you understand why this person made their important contribution? (to answer/discuss)

Thanks to this, we have all the elements we need to write a great review below:

You need to describe: B o ok or film that focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society

You need to answer/discuss:

Why this person made an important contribution?
Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?

Who is the target reader: website, Great Lives

We know now that the target readers are the users of the website, so the writing style can be quite direct and informal (idioms, phrasal verbs).

Now we can start building our structure and writing a review.

Practice Tests Online

Step 2: title.

The review should start with the title, and there are several ways to write it:

imagine you’re reviewing a book you can write [Title] by [Author]
if you were reviewing a hotel you could write the [name of the hotel] – a review
or you can just write something catchy but it has to point to what you are going to review

Title (book): Green Lantern by Stephen King (by) Title (hotel): Ibiza Hotel in Barcelona – a review (a review) Title (restaurant): Taco Bell: U n forgettable experience (catchy)

we will use this title in our guide : TITLE : Mandela: Striving for Freedom — a review

Step 3: Introduction

The other function of your introduction is to engage the reader . There are certain tools we can use to achieve that for example, we can ask a rhetorical question.

It is a question that doesn’t really need an answer it is there as a stylistic feature that engages the reader and makes them interested in the topic

Make your introduction at least 2-3 sentences long.

INTRODUCTION: Have you ever been so passionate about something that you would sacrifice your very best years for it? In the film Mandela: Striving for Freedom we get not only a glimpse of Nelson Mandela’s life, but rather dive deep into who he was and how he changed a whole country . This autobiographical film, based on the book, and released in 2013, tells the amazing story of an even more extraordinary man.

– rhetorical question

– identification of reviewed item

TIP : Don’t waste your time looking for a real book or a real movie to match your review. Make it up or change the facts to suit the review, it doesn’t have to be real.

Step 4: The body paragraphs (main content)

Unlike essays, your paragraphs don’t have to be of the same length (however, should be longer than the introduction or conclusion).

Use idioms , phrasal verbs and colloquial language – informal language is appropriate for your target reader – users of the website, Great Lives

See the example below, in which we dedicate one paragraph to one point…

[Why this person made an important contribution?]

While the whole film captivated me throughout, there was one aspect that truly stood out to me. Nelson Mandela and his second wife Winnie had a one-of-a-kind relationship driving each other to continue and grow the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa even after Mr Mandela was captured and imprisoned. It is a testament to their dedication and partnership and something ‘that a lot of us can learn from.

[Did you learn anything new about the person’s life?]

Despite having a strong and driven partner in his wife, I still used to be astonished by the fact that someone would simply sacrifice themselves and give up a big part of their life to help others, but this biopic made me reconsider. Witnessing segregated society and all the racial abuse the black community had to endure during apartheid, there was no other option for Nelson Mandela than to stand up and fight for equality.

– topic-specific vocabulary

– engaging/interesting vocabulary

– relevant details

Step 5: Conclusion / Recommendations

It will contain your general impression and your verdict/recommendation .

Use this paragraph to make an objective assessment of the reviewed material. You may then recommend or dissuade your readers from seeing/attending it.

CONCLUSION: All in all, Mandela: Striving for Freedom gives some incredible insight into the life of one of the world’s most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century. It would be a shame not to watch it so I highly recommend that you check your favourite streaming service as soon as you can and I promise you won’t regret it. – recap, what you like about the film

– recommendation

See full review…

Full review.

Mandela: Striving for Freedom — a review

Have you ever been so passionate about something that you would sacrifice your very best years for it? In the film Mandela: Striving for Freedom we get not only a glimpse of Nelson Mandela’s life, but rather dive deep into who he was and how he changed a whole country. This autobiographical film, based on the book, and released in 2013, tells the amazing story of an even more extraordinary man.

All in all, Mandela: Striving for Freedom gives some incredible insight into the life of one of the world’s most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century. It would be a shame not to watch it so I highly recommend that you check your favourite streaming service as soon as you can and I promise you won’t regret it.

Check your (CAE) Review

C1 advanced (cae) review: example reviews, cae review sample 1.

You have seen this announcement on your favourite music website.

Have you ever been to an amazing concert venue?

Write a review of the best music venue in your local area and tell us about what makes it so special. Say who you would recommend it for a why?

The best entries will be published on our website.

Model answer:

The Apollo: The Theatre of Dreams

Never before have you seen such an amazing spectacle as you will see in the Apollo. It´s not only the facilities and personnel that make this venue so great, but also the amazing acoustics of such a large venue.

From the moment you enter the place there is an awe about it. All of the greatest acts of recent times have played here and you can feel the buzz as soon as you enter. The crowd are so close to the stage that they can literally feel the droplets of sweat coming off of the brows of their favourite artists, this creates an amazing connection between the musicians and the audience and I can tell you, the fans go wild!

I´d definitely recommend this venue to anyone, it has a great feel to it and the prices are at the lower end of what you would expect to pay in such a place. They also don’t go over the top on drinks prices, and through it sounds weird, it´s not all that difficult to get to the bathroom which is a plus. So, without a doubt, the next time your favourite group is playing, come on down to the Apollo, oh, and did I mention it is in London? It couldn´t get any better.

Get Your (CAE) Review Checked!

Cae review sample 2.

You see this announcement in an international magazine.

The most UPLIFTING and the biggest DOWNER . It’s sometimes hard to choose a film that fits your mood purely on the basis of the poster or the description on the cover of the DVD. That’s why we want to publish reviews of the most uplifting and the most depressing films our readers have seen, so that others know what to watch and what to avoid. Send in a review which describes the most uplifting film you’ve ever seen and the one you found the biggest downer. Make sure you give reasons for your choices.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

A tale of two films

If I were to present two of the most contrasting films about overcoming adversity it would be The Blind Side (2009) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). Whereas the former left me with a huge grin on my face, sadly, the latter left me feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Doctor Zhivago , directed by five-time Oscar winner David Lean, is set in the Bolshevik revolution and follows the title character, who must adapt to the new order while pining for Lara, the beautiful wife of a political campaigner. The director succeeded in creating a film that is thoroughly engaging but full of gritty realism, cruelty and tragic irony. Take the tissues!

The Blind Side , which is based on a true story, is also a bit of a tearjerker, in a completely different way. Starring Sandra Bullock, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a rich white mother in Tennessee who takes a homeless black teenager under her roof. Understandably, the gentle giant thinks he isn’t good at anything but his new mother sees his potential to become a football star and part of the family. The plot is based on a true story, making it all the more touching.

I would strongly recommend The Blind Side . It will appeal to a range of people and is a great choice for a movie night. Although Doctor Zhivago is a classic, I think it has more of a niche audience and is best saved for when you want a dose of gloom!

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Example topics

Cae example topic 1.

You see the the following announcement on a website, Great Lives:

REVIEWS WANTED Send us a review of a book or a film focusses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society.

Write your review in 220-260 words

CAE Example topic 2

You see this announcement in an international magazine called Cinefilia.

THE MOST UPLIFTING AND THE BIGGEST DOWNER. It’s sometimes hard to choose a film that fits your mood purely on the basis of the poster or the description on the cover of the DVD. That’s why we want to publish reviews of the most uplifting and the most depressing films our readers have seen, so that others know what to watch and what to avoid. Send in a review which describes the most uplifting film you’ve ever seen and the one you found the biggest downer. Make sure you give reasons for your choices.

Write your review in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

CAE Example topic 3

You see the following announcement in a magazine:

SEND US YOUR REVIEW

Have you read a book or seen a film that has a central character whose life is affected by an event or decision they make early in the story What did you learn about the person’s character? Did the book or flim help you to understand how the person was affected by this event or decision? Send us your review for our next issue

Write your review for the magazine readers. (220-260 words)

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Tips

Think about what you are trying to achieve and the structure of your review.
You should also start a new paragraph for every item/aspect you are addressing in your review.
Include a final recommendation or evaluation
Don’t forget! The target reader is specified in the question, so the candidate knows not only what register is appropriate, but also has an idea about the kind of information to include.

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Writing Checklist

After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.

How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:

Have I covered all the key information required by the task?
Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?

Communicative Achievement

Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example, explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
Have I used a suitable mix of fact and opinion?
Have I used a suitable style and register (formal or informal) for the task?

Organisation

Have I used paragraphs appropriately to organise my ideas?
Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre of the text (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words, pronouns, etc. to refer to different things within the text?)
Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space given to each one?
Have I used a wide range of vocabulary?
Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical structures?
Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the specific task or topic?
Is my use of grammar accurate?
Is my spelling accurate?

C1 Advanced (CAE) Review: Grading

Would you pass c1 advanced (cae), c1 advanced (cae) review: useful phrases.

We will finish it with some useful vocabulary mostly used to organize information. Although it is taking a shortcut, if you learn several expressions for each paragraph in each type of text that could be on your exam, you will certainly be able to create a very consistent and well-organized text.

What I liked

What I liked most was ….. The thing I liked most was …. I was pleasantly surprised by ….. ….. would appeal to ….. If you get a chance to ….

What I disliked

What I disliked most was ….. I was disappointed by …… I was disappointed with ….. I was very disappointed by ….. I was very disappointed with ….

Reviews of books:

main character is set in comedy science fiction thriller romance comedy: author written by chapter factual fiction unbelievable bestseller chapter ending

Reviews of films, tv programmes, plays:

lead role star role star star actor star actress starring secondary role He plays a ……. She plays a ……. written by …. is set in ….. based on a true story …. believable true to life not very believable far-fetched comedy romance science fiction ending

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc:

location service setting attractive setting disappointing setting owned by run by head chef (restaurant) waiters (restaurant) staff ……. staff at reception …….(hotel hotel facilities …. reasonable prices ….. good value for money ….. excellent value for money ….. expensive a bit expensive overpriced not worth the money poor value for money always fully booked book in advance

The script seemed rather conventional/predictable to me. The plot struck me as completely bizarre/absurd/incomprehensible The characters are appealing and true to life The dancers were quite brilliant/amateurish

Recommendations

I would strongly encourage you not to miss/not to waste your money on… I would definitely recommend seeing/visiting/reading/having a look at …

Film Or Book Review

Table of contents, introduction, movie review, book review.

Structure of a Movie or Book Review

1. Preparation

2. planning.

3. Writing your First Draft
4. Revising and Editing

Title, Author / Director, Actors

Characters and Plot

A film or book review is a critical analysis that evaluates and articulates the strengths, weaknesses, and overall merit of a film or book, providing insights to help readers make informed decisions about watching or reading. In this article, we will show you the exact steps to ace your first film or book review.

Let’s start by understanding what a film or book review is!

What Is A Film Or Book Review?

A Film or Book Review is a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of a film or book that goes beyond a mere summary. It involves critically assessing various aspects of the work, including its strengths, weaknesses, themes, characters, plot, cinematography (in the case of a film), writing style (in the case of a book), and overall impact.

The purpose of a review is to provide readers or viewers with insights that help them form an informed opinion about the work and decide whether it’s worth their time and attention.

In a movie review, the critic typically examines elements such as the screenplay, direction, performances, cinematography, editing, sound design, and overall execution of the film. The reviewer may also consider the film’s genre, thematic elements, and how it compares to similar works within its category.

Personal reactions and subjective impressions often play a role, but a well-rounded review should balance personal opinion with an objective evaluation of the film’s artistic and technical merits.

Similarly, a book review involves an in-depth analysis of the written work. Critics assess the author’s writing style, character development, plot structure, pacing, and thematic elements.

They may also consider the book’s contribution to its genre, cultural significance, and how it engages with relevant social or historical contexts.

Additionally, a good book review should highlight what sets the work apart and whether it successfully achieves its intended goals.

Structure Of A Movie Or Book Review

To write a comprehensive and engaging film or book review, follow a structured approach encompassing several key steps.

Introduction: Begin with a captivating introduction, introducing the title and creator of the work while providing a brief contextual overview.
Brief Summary: Summarize the plot succinctly, emphasizing key elements to give readers a sense of the storyline without revealing major spoilers.
Critical Analysis: In the evaluation phase, dissect critical elements based on the medium—scrutinize screenplay, direction, performances, etc., in film reviews, and writing style, character development, etc., in book reviews.
Personal Reactions: Express personal reactions and highlight noteworthy moments before providing a balanced critical analysis, supporting opinions with specific examples.
Overall Commentary : Offer a general commentary, state your recommendation, and conclude with a concise summary.
Conclusion: Sum up your review with a concise conclusion. Also, reiterate key points and leave the reader with a clear understanding of your overall assessment.

(Optionally, if you are a blog post you may want to include a numerical rating for a visual summary and encourage reader engagement through a call to action, fostering discussions or feedback.)

Steps To Write Your Movie Or Book Review

Mastering your first review involves grasping the foundations of book and movie critiques. Follow the steps of preparation, outlining, drafting, revising, and meticulous editing to elevate your review to a comprehensive and insightful evaluation.

Here are the steps you need to follow to write a book or film review:

Do Some Reading: Before you start writing, you may read an example of this genre of writing. This will help you have an idea of the distinctive features of this genre. For example, you may want to read this movie review: “ The Green Mile “. Alternatively, you may want to read this review of “ The Brothers Karamazov ” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Note-taking: Once familiarized with review samples, select the movie or book you plan to review and carefully document essential plot events, character developments, and any noteworthy themes or impressions that resonate with you.

Facilitate your review planning by completing the following diagram with pertinent information about the book or movie you plan to evaluate.

Once completed, create an outline for your review. Here is a sample structure for reference:

1. Introduction:

Start with a catchy or informative introduction that includes the title of the film or book and its author or director.
Provide a brief overview or context for the work.

2. Brief Summary:

In a few sentences, summarize the plot of the film or book without giving away major spoilers.
Highlight key elements to give the reader a sense of the storyline.

3. Evaluation of Elements:

Discuss aspects such as screenplay, direction, performances, cinematography, editing, sound design, and overall execution.
Address the film’s genre, thematic elements, and how it compares to similar works.
Analyze the writing style, character development, plot structure, pacing, and thematic elements.
Consider the book’s contribution to its genre, cultural significance, and engagement with social or historical contexts.

4. Personal Reactions:

Express your personal reactions and feelings towards the film or book.
Note any standout moments or elements that particularly resonated with you.

5. Critical Analysis:

Provide a balanced analysis of both strengths and weaknesses.
Support your opinions with specific examples from the film or book.
Address how well the author or director achieves their goals.

6. Overall Commentary:

Offer a general commentary on the film or book.
State whether you recommend it to others and why.

7. Conclusion:

Sum up your review with a concise conclusion.
Reiterate key points and leave the reader with a clear understanding of your overall assessment.

3. Writing Your First Draft

Introduction:

When writing your first draft, begin with a comprehensive introduction that includes the title and author of the book or, if it’s a film, mention the director or actors involved. This sets the stage for a well-informed review.
Moving on to the body of your draft, succinctly summarize the plot in a few sentences, providing enough detail to offer context without revealing major spoilers.
Proceed to mention the setting, mentioning the place and time in which the plot unfolds.
Share insights about the main characters, offering a glimpse into their roles and significance within the narrative.
Additionally, provide commentary on the overall content, delving into themes, messages, or unique aspects that stood out to you.

Conclusion:

Transitioning to the conclusion, offer a thoughtful commentary on the book or film. Clearly communicate whether you liked or disliked it, and articulate the reasons behind your sentiment.
Analyze the author’s style or the film’s direction, addressing elements like its level of interest or potential boredom.
Finally, express whether you would recommend the book or film to others, wrapping up your comprehensive review draft.

Here are some prompts to help write your first draft:

Give the title and author of the book. If you’re reviewing a film mention the director or actors.
1. Summarize the plot in a few sentences.
2. Mention the setting: the place and time of the plot.
3. Say something about the main characters.
4. Say something about the content.
1. Comment on the book or film.
2. Let others know whether or not you liked the book/film.
3. Why do you like it? Why don’t you like it?
4. Is the author’s style good or bad, is the book/film interesting or boring, etc?
5. Do you want to recommend the book/film?

4. Revising And Editing

After writing the first draft of the review, it is high time for revising and editing it.

Revising: In the revising phase, evaluate the overall structure and coherence of your work. This involves assessing the logical flow of ideas, ensuring a cohesive structure, and confirming that the central message is effectively conveyed. You may make significant changes to improve the overall flow and strengthen the core theme or argument, ensuring alignment with the intended purpose and audience.
Editing: Following revision, the editing phase focuses on refining the finer details. It entails a meticulous review of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. The goal is to enhance clarity and correctness, addressing issues such as awkward phrasing, redundancy, and proper language conventions. Editing transforms the draft into a polished and professional piece, ready for presentation.

Useful Expressions For Movie Or Book Reviews

The film is directed by…
The film is produced by…
It is starred by…
The book is written by …
The action takes place in … (setting)
The action of the film is set in…
The story takes place in…

Characters And Plot

The main characters are…
The story is about…
The novel tells the story of…
In the course of the novel, the action develops dramatically.
The novel/film begins with…
The novel has an unexpected ending.
The end of… is…
I am impressed by
The book is terribly/beautifully written
The film is terrible/exciting.
What surprised me is…
What I liked is…
What I didn”t like is…
I liked/didn”t like the film/novel because…

In conclusion, a film or book review serves as a discerning analysis, exploring the strengths, weaknesses, and overall worth of the work. It serves as a guiding beacon for readers, aiding them in making informed choices about investing their time in watching or reading.

The key to mastering your inaugural review lies in understanding the structure of book and movie reviews. By diligently following the steps encompassing preparation, outlining, drafting, revising, and meticulous editing, you can elevate your review to a comprehensive and insightful evaluation.

This approach ensures that your critique not only captures the essence of the work but also provides valuable perspectives that resonate with your audience, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling.

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25 of the Best Words to Describe a Book for Your Book Review

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Vocabulary Boosters

25 of the Best Words to Describe a Book for Your Book Review

Even the best book readers suffer from writer’s block, when finding the words to describe a book you just read can be an uphill task.

A book review needs to express your opinion coherently and authoritatively, and this can only be achieved using the best possible words to describe a book.

We have some examples below for different categories.

Best words to describe a book: a praising review for a book you liked

Best words to describe a book: an impartial or analytical review of a book

person holding 101 essay that will change the way you think

Hello Sunshine: 25 of the Coolest Words to Describe Summer

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Best words to describe a book: a review of a book you didn’t like

Book reviewers need to employ the best words to describe a book. They do this to project authority, but they also do this so that they can drastically improve (or disprove) the book’s reception. If you have just finished a book and you can’t find the right words for your review, then we hope the classic words to describe a book and associated phrases listed above will help to inspire your next book review .

Jimmy Knapp

Saturday 30th of March 2024

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How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced

How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced_Oxford House Barcelona

Posted on 28/09/2022
Categories: Blog
Tags: C1 Advanced , CAE , Cambridge Exams , Writing

Are you planning to take the Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) exam?

If so, you will need to complete two pieces of writing during the Writing paper. Part 1 is always an essay , while part 2 gives you two different questions and you must choose only one of them to complete. One of these may be a review.

As writing the perfect review for part 2 can be quite tricky, we have created this handy guide with everything you need to know to impress your examiner and get top marks in your exam.

Let’s get started!

Before you Begin

Imagine this! It’s exam day, you turn the page and see this question:

How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced_Oxford House Barcelona_Exam question

Question taken from Cambridge English Language Assessment website . (September 2022)

What is the first thing you need to do after reading your question? Well, you need to consider the following things:

Who is our reader? This helps you know what style to write in.
What is the topic? What are you writing a review for?
What do you need to include? Which questions do you need to address?

We recommend you read the question carefully and underline the key information.

Now that you understand the question, it’s time to plan your review.

Three Steps to Writing the Perfect C1 Advanced Review

Step 1: plan it.

Planning your review is one of the most important steps so you don’t waste time correcting any big mistakes later!

Think of a book or film which focuses on somebody who has made an important contribution to society. When you have one in mind, you can start thinking of the structure of your review. Take a look at the example structure here:

1. An interesting title

2. An introduction

3. A summary of the plot

4. What did I learn about the person’s life from the book/film?

5. How did the book/film help me understand why this person made their important contribution?

At this stage, it is important to also think about the vocabulary you want to use. Remember to use advanced C1 vocabulary in your review (try to avoid ‘very’ and ‘really’).

Here is some advanced vocabulary that you can use to describe films and books:

How to Write a Review for Cambridge C1 Advanced_Oxford House Barcelona_Positive and negative review

Step 2: Write it

Now that you have your plan, it’s time to start writing!

Firstly, think of a title. You can keep it simple if you cannot think of anything too creative. For example, it could just be the name of the book or film that you’re reviewing.

Next is the introduction. A nice feature to use here is a rhetorical question . This is a question you ask your audience to grab their attention, for example:

Have you ever watched a film that has had a long-lasting impression on you?

Or you could include a general statement about the book or film:

The film Super Size Me received glowing reviews from critics. Spurlock’s story is eye-opening and gives the viewers some food for thought .

You could also give some background information about the film or book:

The plot of the film Super Size Me centres around Morgan Spurlock, a director who conducts a social experiment to highlight the effects of consuming McDonald’s fast food for an entire month.

Now you need to move onto the main paragraph. Here you should summarise the plot of the film or book. For example:

At the beginning of the film, Spurlock undergoes a medical examination to ensure he doesn’t cause long-lasting irreversible damage to his health. Throughout the month, he only consumes McDonald’s meals…

After briefly describing the plot (remember, no spoilers!), you can address the two questions.

For the conclusion, you need to sum up your thoughts on the book/film. You can do this by using some of the phrases below:

– Taking everything into consideration,…

– All things considered,…

Step 3: Check it

Checking your writing is probably the most important step. You don’t want to avoid losing out on points over tiny mistakes, right?

Here are some points to think about while checking your review:

Have I answered all the questions?
Have I stayed within the word limit?
Have I used the appropriate writing style?
Is my spelling correct?
Have I used punctuation correctly?
Have I used advanced vocabulary and a good range of grammar?
Is everything connected and coherent ?

Useful Grammar

Make sure you are using a range of grammatical structures in your exam. Your grammatical accuracy as well as your grammatical range are both taken into consideration by the examiner.

Take a look at some of these grammar points that you will most likely come across in the C1 Advanced exam:

Conditionals

Cleft sentences

Modal verbs

Remember that you will also need to know these for the reading and use of English section of the exam, so it’s a good idea to brush up on your grammar!

Top CAE Writing Part 2 Exam Tips

Here are some important exam tips to help you feel more prepared when writing your review:

You have 90 minutes in total for the whole exam
Divide your time equally between part 1 and part 2 of the writing exam
For part 2, use 10 minutes to plan , 25 minutes to write , and 10 minutes to check
You have a word count of 220 and 260
The review could be for a film , book , hotel , magazine , restaurant or a product

Remember to get plenty of sleep before your exam so you feel well rested for the big day. Good luck!

Looking for Help with your CAE Exam Preparation?

If you’re looking for guidance and feedback to help you pass your Cambridge C1 Advanced exam with confidence, then take a look at our exam preparation courses . Classes are dynamic and practical and our friendly professional teachers will help you get the score you need.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Gripping (adj): something that holds your interest (usually a story).

Cliffhanger (n): a story which is exciting and suspenseful because you don’t know what will happen next.

Fast-paced (adj): lots of exciting action happening quickly.

Letdown (n): a disappointment.

Second-rate (adj): not impressive, mediocre.

Eye-opening (adj): some information that is new and surprising.

Food for thought (exp): something worth seriously thinking about.

Undergo (v): to experience something, usually something unpleasant or a change.

Irreversible (adj): cannot be reversed.

Coherent (adj): a piece of text that is clear and is connected well.

Brush up on (pv): to improve your knowledge of something that you may have forgotten a little.

adj = adjective

exp = expression

pv = phrasal verb

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Review ~ English Vocabulary in Use

Authors: Michael McCarthy and Felicity O’Dell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Components reviewed: Self-study book with CD ROM
Full title: English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate Third Edition
ISBN: 978-1107600942
yst_is_cornerstone:

English Vocabulary in Use

The English Vocabulary in Use books have been around for a long time and are, I feel, invaluable classroom resources, so I was eager to see how the latest edition fared.

As in previous editions, the book is comprised of stand-alone units offering clear explanations and practice exercises which are ideal for supplementary class materials or self-study practice.

The book has 100 Units practising different vocabulary areas. There are 35 general topic-based units covering areas such as the weather, describing people, education, food, health, crime, money, and many more. The next nine units then look in more detail at feelings and actions, covering beliefs, likes, feelings and senses. These units also dealt with commenting on problematic situations and ways of offering praise and criticism, which I felt were useful areas to cover. Basic concepts, including time, quantity, dimensions, texture, are covered in the next ten-unit section. Linking words, word formation, words and pronunciation, (un)countable nouns and phrasal verbs all have individual sections of at least three units each after that. The final section introduces variety and style and looks at (in)formal language, similes, proverbs , plus a final unit on American English.

Each lesson consists of two pages opposite each other, with one page dedicated to explanations of the vocabulary, including the use of charts and graphs, and example sentences to help with understanding. Pictures and diagrams are also used to reinforce explanations and to maintain visual appeal. The second of each two-page has four to five practice exercises, including gapfill exercises, word and definition matches, verb- noun- adjective transformations, and crosswords. In places authentic-looking headlines, emails and articles are used to highlight the new vocabulary in context.

A CD-ROM is included which provides a test section for each unit and progress check exercises. These are very useful, although it would have been nice in this latest edition to see some more modern-feeling activities. However, it is generally very useful to have this CD ROM, particularly the reference section – unit by unit, or alphabetically- with dictionary definitions and both UK and USA pronunciation. A small niggle is that it comes in an envelope in the back cover of the book which once opened cannot hold the CD ROM securely.

I really liked the opening four units which are dedicated to tips on how to learn vocabulary and record it. The book also includes an answer key, making it good for self-study practice, if this is preferred. The ease of reference the Index and the detailed Contents page offer are invaluable. The vocabulary listed in the Index is usefully accompanied by a phonetic symbol, although it should be noted this is British pronunciation only.

In places I felt the vocabulary could have been further extended for this Upper Intermediate level audience. For example, the weather vocabulary could have included phenomena such as tsunami, typhoon, tornado and blizzard; natural occurrences which hit the world news regularly. The computing and communications section could have been brought even more up to date with mention of 4G networks, instead of just wifi. Social networking has moved far beyond Facebook which was the only site mentioned and showing a little more tech-saviness here might have helped keep the book up to date for longer. Although the book is by no means complete (what vocabulary practice book could be?), I feel many essential components are effectively introduced and practised, and that the book is well pitched for this Upper Intermediate level.

I don’t think any resource library is complete without a reference book such as this, and I’d certainly recommend this book. It offers a practical look at a wide range of vocabulary areas suitable for Upper Intermediate level students.