1. SPEAKING
In pairs, discuss the questions.
Q1: Do you read book reviews? Do you read them before or after you read a book? Say why.
Q2: In your opinion, where’s the best place to find good reviews?
Q3: What information do you expect to find in a book review?
STUDENTS’ OWN ANSWER
2. Read Salwa’s review. Which pieces of information from Exercise 1, Question 3, does she mention?
Salwa’s review:
The Field Next To My House is a novel written by Callum Briann. It was published in 2023 and was nominated for two major book awards. In my opinion, this book deserves both the awards, and more! The Field Next To My House is a comedy and it is set in a small town in an imaginary country. The characters include the man who lives in the house! We don’t know his name, but we know that he is an ordinary man. His life is not exciting, but then one day, he sees something out of his living room window that changes everything! I can’t say any more than that. I don’t want to spoil it for you, Reader! The plot of this story develops quickly and you can’t stop reading. I thought this book was very funny! I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to everybody.
Q: Which pieces of information does she mention?
A:
- Title → The Field Next To My House
- Type of book → Novel, comedy
- Setting → Small town in an imaginary country
- Main character → An ordinary man who lives in the house
- Author → Callum Briann
- Plot → Life changes when he sees something out of his window
- Salwa’s opinion → Very funny, enjoyable, recommends it
3. Complete the table.
|
Title |
Type of book |
Setting |
Main character |
Author |
Plot |
Salwa’s opinion |
|
The Field Next To My House |
Novel, comedy |
Small town in imaginary country |
Ordinary man |
Callum Briann |
Something he sees changes his life |
Very funny, enjoyable, recommended |
4. Study the Writing box. Find similar phrases in Salwa’s review.
Writing box phrases:
- “… is a (science fiction novel)” → The Field Next To My House is a novel
- “It was published in …” → It was published in 2023
- “The characters include …” → The characters include the man who lives in the house!
- “The author is …” → Written by Callum Briann
- “The book was nominated for …” → Nominated for two major book awards
- “The plot is …” → The plot develops quickly and you can’t stop reading
- “The book is set in …” → Set in a small town in an imaginary country
- “I thought this book was amazing.” → I thought this book was very funny!
- “I would/wouldn’t recommend this book to …” → I would recommend it to everybody
5. 6.11 Read part of a book review and choose the correct answers.
- It’s a graphic novel. It was published in 2020. The story is set…
- The main…
- …characters are two brothers with very different personalities.
- The drawings were excellent. The illustrator is very good, but I thought the story was boring.
- And the ending is easy to guess.
- Overall, I don’t think it was very good.
- I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.
Answer :
1 → a in
2 → b out
3 → a characters
4 → c illustrator
5 → b ending
6 → a Overall
7 → a recommend
6. WRITING TASK
Write a review of a book.
Steps:
- Use the table in Exercise 3 to plan your review.
- Use the phrases in the Writing box.
- Use present tenses to describe the plot.
- Use opinion adjectives.
Sample review:
The Adventure in the Forest is an exciting novel written by Emily Carter. It was published in 2022 and was nominated for the Best Young Adult Book award. The book is set in a mysterious forest full of magical creatures. The main characters are a brave girl called Anna and her clever dog Max. One day, they discover a hidden map that leads to a secret treasure. The story is full of surprises and develops very quickly. I thought this book was amazing! I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to everyone who loves adventure stories.
