“Book Review”

Submitted By:
Visto, Lance Maynard C. (11-Escher)
Cristo, Jeanielyn Joy A. (11-Escher)
Desabille, Edreece Neomee J. (11-Escher)
Pesodas, Crisha Faye N. (11-Escher)

Submitted To:

Ms. Michelle Oteros

What is a Review?
A review serves as a critical evaluation of various subjects, including literature, art, and events. It
goes beyond mere summarization; instead, it makes a distinctive argument while engaging in
dialogue with both the creator and the audience. In a review, one can express agreement or
disagreement and critique aspects such as knowledge and organization.

While reviews may vary in tone, subject, and style, they share some common features:

1. A review provides a concise summary of the content, including a description of the topic
and its overall perspective, argument, or purpose.
2. It delivers a critical assessment, expressing personal reactions to the work, noting
noteworthy elements, and evaluating its effectiveness in enhancing understanding.
3. The review often includes recommendations on whether the audience would appreciate the
work.

Difference between Critique and Review

A critique is a more in-depth, technical analysis written by an expert, focusing on specific elements
like literary techniques, characters, and plot. In contrast, a review can be written by anyone and
provides a overall subjective assessment of a work, lacking a technical analysis.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is a descriptive, critical, or evaluative account of a book. It analyzes the book’s
subject, strengths, weaknesses, and context. Through this analysis, written in the first person, a
reviewer combines their opinions with insights about the book, sometimes comparing it to other
books by the same author or books in the same genre.

Key Points to Remember

● The review should provide a comprehensive analysis beyond a simple summary.

● Structure the critique into Introduction, Body, and Conclusion sections.

Difference of Book Report and Book Review

A book report simply provides general information about the author and the book, while a book
review is more diagnostic in its analysis of the book's contents. Writing a book report is, therefore,
simpler and requires lesser intellectual effort.
Features of a Book Review

1. Past Tense: Describes the book and its events that have been read and analyzed.
2. Emotive Language: Expresses personal feelings and emotional reactions to the book.
3. Subjectivity: Includes the reviewer’s personal opinions and perspectives.
4. Brief and Concise: Provides a clear and succinct analysis without unnecessary details.z
5. Tone: The tone can range from formal to conversational, depending on the audience and
purpose of the review.
6. Citation: Having opinions backed up by sources or references

Writing A Book Review

Introduction
Introduce your review differently depending on the argument and audience. In general, you
should include:

1. Book Details
○ Mention the title, publication date, and author’s name.
○ If it’s a nonfiction book, briefly include information about the author’s credentials,
influences, or beliefs to help readers understand the content.
2. Thesis Statement
○ Clearly state your main argument or evaluation of the book: Is it positive, negative,
or mixed?
3. Brief Summary
○ Provide a concise summary of the book’s main points or storyline.
○ The necessary amount of summary also depends on your audience.

BODY

Analysis and evaluation of the book

Analysis and evaluation should be organized into paragraphs that deal with single aspects of your
argument. This arrangement can be challenging when your purpose is to consider the book as a
whole, but it can help you differentiate elements of your criticism and pair assertions with evidence
more clearly. This section is the core of your review, where you analyze and evaluate the book’s
content. Given the argument you want to make, you can organize your paragraphs more usefully
by themes, methods, or other elements of the book.
Consider the following questions to guide your evaluation:

1. Literary Elements
○ Identify the setting, theme(s), plot, characterization, and other significant literary
devices used by the author.
 2. Contribution to Overall Meaning
○ Discuss how these elements shape the overall meaning of the book.
3. Strengths and Weaknesses
○ Outline the book’s main strengths and weaknesses.
4. Connection to Human Experience
○ Identify any relatable human experiences or relationships reflected in the story.
5. Comparison to Other Works
○ How does this book compare to other books in the same genre?
6. Evaluation of Impact
○ Is the book informative, entertaining, or meaningful? Would you recommend
it? Explain why or why not.

CONCLUSION
This paragraph needs to balance the book’s strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your
evaluation.

1. Overall Summary
○ Provide a summary of your main points and overall evaluation.
2. Highlight Key Strengths and Weaknesses
○ Restate the main strengths and weaknesses of the book.
3. Avoid Giving Away the Ending
4. Support Your Opinions
○ Ensure any opinions you express are backed by evidence.
5. Citations
○ List any sources or references used in the review.

Important Preparations Before Writing a Book Review

1. Read and Understand the Book

○ Read actively, intelligently, and analytically. This is different from reading solely for
pleasure.
2. Take Notes While Reading
○ Record key elements that will be useful later in your review.
3. Essential Elements to Note
○ Include the title, theme(s), summary/plot, characters, mood, and tone.
○ Note author’s writing style, language use, and author’s purpose.
4. Ask Questions
○ Formulate questions about concepts you don’t fully understand or wish to analyze
further.
5. Read More Than Once
○ Re-read for a deeper understanding of the author’s message.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Critiquing a Book Review

Book Review: “The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Introduction:

This complete anthology of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s fairy tales was originally published in
1812, 295 years after the initial spark of the reformation in the German states. Because of this
historical event, Protestant beliefs are evident in the tales. However, Catholic traditions, such as
selecting a god-father and christening children, are still practiced. Most of these human main
characters are commoners, bringing a relatable appeal to the original readers. This is a part of the
tales’ key formula: mixing reality with fantasy. When the Grimm brothers allow the German
common folk to cross paths with mythical creatures, talking animals, and even the devil, lessons on
general morality are learned.

Grimm’s fairy tales highlight the importance of good behavior, hard work, kindness, and humility.
For children, lessons are taught by mythical creatures who instruct them to perform complicated
tasks. More often than not, at least two children endure these tests of character to show that bad
things happen to the selfish and vain, and good things happen to the patient and generous. When
there are three or more children involved, the third child either reflects the actions of the vain one,
or exhibits the lukewarm, mediocre worker.

- The reviewer has done a commendable job in this section. They effectively highlight the
author, title, and details of the book, as well as the historical perspectives and beliefs that
influence the author. ​However, the review lacks insight into the main argument presented in
the book.​This oversight makes it somewhat challenging to follow the review, as it primarily
emphasizes the key points without providing a more analytical and precise thesis statement
to guide the review's overall flow.

Body:

The adults fall under a bizarre variation of stereotypes. The women are either evil step-mothers,
stuck up princesses, virtuous peasants, mothers-in-law that accuse their daughters-in-law of
cannibalism (you’d be surprised how often this happens), old witches, or wanderers of the woods
seeking to help oppressed girls. The men range from tricksters to idiots to momma’s boys who are
unnecessarily violent, shallow when choosing a bride, and only loyal to the men they work with.
Their lessons are learned when faced with social opposition, and because they are older and
supposedly wiser, reaching their happy endings require more mental strength.

Animals in the Grimm’s tales play one of two roles: the justice seekers when paired with humans,
or allegories of human behavior in an all animal cast. The greatest example of the former is “The
Dog and the Sparrow” in which the sparrow actively seeks revenge on the killer of it’s dear friend.
Because the man who ran over the dog with his carriage is not repentant, the sparrow drives the
man into poverty, eventually causing the man’s wife to accidently kill him in an attempt to slaughter
the sparrow.

- The analysis of the characters in the fairy tales could be clearer and more connected to the
rest of the review. It would be more effective if the discussion of adult characters was
broken down into smaller sections, making it easier for readers to follow. Using terms like
"bizarre variation" comes across as too strong; a simpler phrase like "different types" or
"distinctive roles" would be clearer. The section on animals is easier to understand, but it
could be more directly tied to the main themes of justice and morality. The example from
"The Dog and the Sparrow" is helpful but feels rushed and could use more detail to explain
the story’s context and its lesson. Additionally, informal phrases like "you’d be surprised
how often this happens" don’t quite match the more formal tone of the rest of the review.
Making the writing more concise and keeping the tone consistent throughout would improve
the overall flow and readability.

Conclusion:

Though justice is a key theme of these tales, some stories take a more realistic approach and don’t
show justice being served to the wrongdoers. The goal of some of these stories is to show the
cruel realities of the world, like how those with more strength sometimes overpower the weak – as
shown in “Cat and Mouse in Partnership” – and racial prejudice can override justice – most
prominent “The Jew Among Thorns”. Because of the incredibly dark elements, I don’t believe these
tales are for young children, but for pre-teens (ages eleven and up). Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm use
dark metaphors to portray the surrounding world, teaching the readers essential life values while
simultaneously keeping their expectations of the world realistic.

- The conclusion offers an interesting viewpoint on the theme of justice in the tales, noting
that some stories take a more realistic approach. However, it could be clearer and provide
more detailed analysis. Firstly, while it mentions that justice is a key theme, the examples
given do not fully support this idea. Stories like “Cat and Mouse in Partnership” and “The
Jew Among Thorns” highlight the harsh realities of power and racism, but the review should
better explain how these elements relate to the concept of justice. This would make the
argument stronger and provide a clearer understanding of the stories. Secondly, the
statement that these tales are not suitable for young children due to their dark themes may
be too broad. While it is reasonable to suggest that pre-teens are better able to handle
these themes, the review should clarify which specific elements might be hard for younger
children to understand. Giving examples or explaining the potential impact of these themes
would enhance this point. Finally, the conclusion mentions dark metaphors and important
life lessons, but it should go further by discussing what specific lessons can be learned
from these stories. More details on the morals and their significance could improve the
reader’s understanding of what the tales teach. ​
 References:

University of North Carolina Writing Center. (n.d.). Book reviews. Retrieved November 13, 2024,
from https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/book-reviews/

Grammarly. (2023, June 29). How to write a book review, with examples. November 13, 2024,
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/academic-writing/how-to-write-book-review/

Psi Still Ready You. (2017, December 21). Book review: The complete Grimm’s fairy tales
Grimm.https://psistillreadyou.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/book-review-the-complete-grimms-fai
ry-tales-by-jacob-and-wilhelm-grimm/

Concordia University Library. (n.d.). How to write a book review and a book report. November 2024
https://library.concordia.ca/help/writing/bookreport.php#:~:text=A%20book%20review%20is%2
0a,the%20book's%20author%20has%20presented.