WillEasley

Gblock
9/14/14
SummerBookReview

UnbrokenReview

Victory.AwordsynonymouswithLouieZamperini.LouieZamperiniisamanwhocanendure
justaboutanythingandalwayscomeoutontop.Heisskilledinmanyfieldsandcanoutwithis
opponentnomatterthecircumstances.Louiehasadventuresinallsortsofwaysandinjustaboutevery
partoftheglobe.HisadventuresaretoldinthebookUnbroken,abiographyaboutLouieZamperini,a
runnerturnedsoldier,writtenbyLauraHillenbrand.Itsastoryoftriumph,discovery,evolution,and
perseverance.Louieisatrulycourageousandstrongperson.Bytheendofthebook,hesaheroand
hadbeenthroughmorethanhecouldhaveeverexpected.

Peopleshouldabsolutelyreadthisbook.Itisapageturner.Youwontbeabletoputitdown
onceyoustart.HestartsasarunneratTorranceHighSchool,inTorrance,CA,justoutsideofLos
Angeles,andendsasawarhero.Histransformationisamazingandincredibletowatchunfold.Hegoes
throughtorture,experiencingtimeinEurope,futureNaziGermany,competesintheOlympics,andthen
entersthewar.ThebooktellsofLouiesadventuresinacaptivatingway,keepingyouconstantlyonthe
edgeofyourseat.

ThebookchroniclesLouieZamperinisadventuresasanOlympicrunnerandasoldierinWorld
WarII.Hefightsintheair,travelstoEurope,andspendsaharrowingtimeonalifeboatafteraplane
crash.Hefindsoutwhatitsliketogrowupinalargefamily,bearunner,traveltoawholenewpartof
theworld,andtobecapturedandputinaJapanesejailafterbeingonalifeboatfornearlytwomonths.
Hisfamilyandfriendshavenoideawhathappenstohim,andtheydontknowiftheyeverwill.

Thewritingisfantastic.Whileitisnonfiction,itreadslikeanovel.Forexample,whenLouieis
stuckontheliferaftinthePacific,Hillenbrandwritesthatallhecouldsee,ineverydirection,waswater.
ItwasJune23,1943.SomewhereontheendlessexpanseofthePacificOcean,ArmyAirForces
bombardierandOlympicrunnerLouieZamperinilayacrossasmallraft,driftingwestward.Slumped
alongsidehimwasasergeant,oneofhisplanesgunners.Onaseparateraft,tetheredtothefirst,lay
anothercrewman,agashzigzaggingacrosshisforehead.Theirbodies,burnedbythesunandstained
yellowfromtheraftdye,hadwinnoweddowntoskeletons.Sharksglidedinlazyloopsaroundthem,
draggingtheirbacksalongtherafts,waiting.Themenhadbeenadriftfortwentysevendays.Borneby
anequatorialcurrent,theyhadfloatedatleastonethousandmiles,deepintoJapanesecontrolled
waters.Theraftswerebeginningtodeteriorateintojelly,andgaveoffasour,burningodor.Themens
bodieswerepockedwithsaltsores,andtheirlipsweresoswollenthattheypressedintotheirnostrils
andchins.Theyspenttheirdayswiththeireyesfixedonthesky,singingWhiteChristmas,muttering
aboutfood.Noonewasevenlookingforthemanymore.Theywerealoneonsixtyfourmillionsquare
milesofocean(Preface).ThewayHillenbrandwritesisincredible.Thewaythebookreadsasit
describesLouiestravelsthroughtheseaonalifeboat,histimeinjail,andhiseffortstoreturnhome
almostarewrittenlikefiction.Itsallwritteninaverycompellingway.

Thebookisaddictive.Onceyoustartreading,youwontwanttoputitdown.Iadmit,atthe
beginning,itisalittleslowasitdescribesallthecharactersandthesettings,butitdefinitelypaysoff.The
bookiscaptivatingasitdescribesLouiesadventureinhismanyefforts.Forexample,afterLouieand
hisfellowarmymembersplanecrashesintothePacific,nooneknowswheretheyare.Backhome,a
telegramannouncingLouiesdisappearancewasfollowedbyexcrutiatingsilence.Manyweekspassed,
andthemilitaryssearchyieldednotraceofLouie,hiscrew,orhisplane.Intown,hopedissolved.
WhentheZamperiniswentout,theysawresignationintheirneighborsfaces(212).Louieisfamousin
Torranceforbeingallheis,anOlympicrunner,servinghiscountry,andallaroundbeingagreatguy.
Hisdisappearancetroublesmany,anddisturbsthenaturalorderofthetown.Louie,beingalive,hasno
ideaiftheyknowwhereheis,whathappenedtohim,orevenifhesalive.Louiehasnoideawherehe
is,anddoesntknowifhellbeabletosurvivethechallengeshesfacedwith.Heenduresmanythings
theaveragepersonfromsouthernCaliforniawouldnteverhavetoendure.Asyoucontinuetoread,
youcantbelievesomeofthingsthathappentoLouie,ashisstoryflowsinafantasticway.Infinal,
Louieisanamazingmanwhocanfightthroughanythingtogettotheotherside,andHillenbranddoes
Louiesincrediblestoryjusticebywritingafantasticbiographyfullofsuspense,immaculatedetail,and
cunningtactics.Attheendofitall,Louiehasbeenthroughmorethanhedeverimagined,andcouldlive
totellthetale.

Will,
Whileyouhavegoodenthusiasmforyourbookhere,youneedtoincludemuchmoreevidencefromthe
texttosupportyourideas.Besure,too,thatyouhavemorethanonereasonforwhypeopleshould
read.

Herearesomethingstothinkabout:

Content/Organization:

Doyouhaveastrongintroduction?
Isyourbookreviewconvincing?Areyoumakingastrongargumentforwhysomeoneshould/shouldnot
readyourbook?
Arethepointsthatyouaremakingclearandorganizedintoseparateparagraphs?
Doyouhaveenoughevidencetobackupwhatyouaresaying?
Doyouhavestrongexcerpts/quotesfromthetextthatbackupyourpoints?
Arequotesintroducedandexplainedfully?
Doyouendyourreviewwithathoughtfulcomment?
Doyouhaveagoodunderstandingofyouraudience?(Whowouldlikethisbook?Whatwouldmake
themwanttoread?)

Format/Proofreading:

Haveyouproofreadcarefully?
Doyoumentionthetitleandauthorofthebook?
Doyouhavesentencevariety?

Book Review Grading Rubric

Youhavea
thoughtprovoking
introductionthatgrabs
thereadersattention.

Youincludeaconcise,
cleardescriptionofyour
book.

Yourwritingis
organizedthoughtfully.

Yougiveseveral
specific,convincing
reasonsforwhypeople
shouldorshouldnot
readthebook.

Youinclude
highquality,specific
evidencetobackup
yourpoints.

Youincludeatleasttwo
wellchosenquotesthat
areintroducedand
explainedclearly.

Youhaveaclear
introduction,butyou
coulddoabitmoreto
grabthereader.

Youincludeaclear
descriptionofyour
book.

Yourwritingis
organized.

Yougiveseveral
specificreasonsfor
whypeopleshouldor
shouldnotreadthis
book.

Youincludespecific
evidencetobackup
yourpoints.

Youincludeatleast
twoquotesthatare
introducedand
explainedclearly.

Youhavean
introduction,butitcould
beclearer.

Youincludea
descriptionofyour
book,butitcouldbea
bitclearer.

Yourwritingis
somewhatorganized,
butattimesisabit
unclear.

Yougivespecific
reasonsforwhypeople
shouldorshouldnot
readthebook,butthey
couldbeexplained
morefully.

Youincludesome
evidencetobackup
yourpoints,butitcould
bemorespecific.

Youincludequotes,but
theycouldbe
introducedorexplained
moreclearly.

Yourintroduction
isunclear.

Youaremissinga
descriptionofyour
book.

Yourwritingneeds
moreorganization.

Youdonotinclude
specificreasons
forwhypeople
shouldorshould
notreadthisbook.

Thereislittle
evidencetoback
upyourpoints.

Youaremissing
oneormoredirect
quotesfromthe
text.

Yourreviewendswitha
thoughtfulcomment
thatwrapsupyour
reviewandtakesus
beyondwhatyouhave
writtenbefore(so
what???)
Yourreviewendswith
acommentthatwraps
upyourreview.
Yourreviewendswitha
commentthatwrapsup
yourreview,butwhat
youwritecouldbe
clearerorfuller.
Yourreviewends
tooabruptly.

Youconsistentlywrite
aboutthebookin
presenttense.

Yourwritinghasno
proofreadingerrorsand
isformattedcorrectly.

Allelementsofyour
bookrevieware
submittedontime
(graphicorganizer,first
draft,finaldraft).
Youalmostalways
writeaboutthebook
inpresenttense.

Yourwritinghasone
ortwoproofreading
errorsorformatting
issues.

Almostallelementsof
yourbookrevieware
submittedontime
(graphicorganizer,
firstdraft,finaldraft).
Youhavesomeissues
withverbtense
consistency.

Yourwritinghasseveral
proofreadingerrorsor
formattingissues.

Someelementsofyour
bookrevieware
submittedlateorare
missing(graphic
organizer,firstdraft,
finaldraft).
Youswitchverb
tensesfrequently.

Yourwritinghas
manyproofreading
errorsor
formattingissues.

Manyelementsof
yourbookreview
aresubmittedlate
oraremissing
(graphicorganizer,
firstdraft,final
draft.)

Will,
Youhavesomegoodpointsandevidencehere.Besuretokeepfocusedineachparagraphlookto
addmorethanoneexampleforeachpointthatyoumake.

Grade:B+