Have you ever been asked to write a book review and suddenly
your brain freezes and you can think of nothing to write? You might resort to
summarizing the plot, as students are often asked to do in class assignments,
but is that really a review of what you thought about a book? Or why you liked
it?
The following exercise is a bit of fun that may take the fear out of the
process: a “generic” review filled with phrases similar to some that you’ve
probably seen or even written yourself. If you use phrases like these, then you’ve
expressed your thoughts effortlessly! (Although it’s easier to do if you enjoyed
the book; it’s harder to write negative reviews.) Here you go:
“This book (insert
title and/or author) is a fascinating, humorous and bittersweet tale of a coming
of age story with a haunting, confusing, creepy, muddled and very twisty plot. Life
lessons are learned by the group of quirky, unique, strong characters that make
you care about what happens to them and whether they all make it in the end. The
action is clever, remarkable and unpredictable, with very dark moments and
moments of lyrical, poetic inspiration that keep you turning the pages until
the end. Whew. This book is well worth the read. I highly recommend this book. Truly
well worth reading. A must read! Go and read it!”
You’ve probably guessed that
the review is a random grouping of sentences from book reviews I’ve already
posted on this blog. But it works, right? If something in one of these
sentences expresses a point you want to make about a book, then it serves as a
springboard for your own opinions and ideas. Use the springboard and lose your
fears!
Okay, this is probably one of my sillier posts. But hey, I’m on the flipside
of an outbreak of intense yardwork and gardening, so give me a break… I think I
need one…
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