Hello everyone! I hope October has treated you well and you have received November with open arms!
Today, we are starting a series of posts about writing. One of the most common questions when using descriptive language is how to do so, what words and parts of the speech to use and how to organise it.
Well, we think that it is always better to work hands-on so here I bring you my review about Snow Girl, by Javier Castillo. I have chosen it because I know that it is a book that many of you have read and so you’ll be able to relate to this piece of writing.
There will be four posts in total divided in two blocks: B2 and C1 level. This first one will show a sample of the book review for first certificate and you’ll be asked to read it and give your opinion of the review answering a series of questions, which will be answered and highighted in the text for the second post. The second block will do the same but with a change of focus towards C1.
Let’s go for it! This is the task:
You must answer this question.
An international arts website is looking for reviews of novels for a new section called ‘A Reader Writes’. You have decided to write a review of a novel you’ve recently read for this section. Describe the novel and say what you think about it. Would you recommend this novel to other people?
Write your review in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer sheet.
B2 Sample review task
And this is the sample answer:
Snow Girl
I really liked The Day Sanity Was Lost, by Javier Castillo but with his latest book, Snow Girl, he has surely outdone himself.
The book starts with the 1998 Thanksgiving parade in New York City. Thousands of people wait for the enormous inflatable turkey and amongst them is the Templeton family. Aaron, Grace and her 3-year-old daughter Kiera enjoy the parade before her brother comes along in a few months. Aaron takes Kara to get a balloon she gets lost in the crowd, which leads to a spiral of anxiety, pain and blame, changing their lives forever.
Many journalists become interested in the case, including the undergraduate Miren Giggs, but as years go by without new leads, people lose interest and many in the police department think that Kiera is no longer to be found. However, five years after Kiera’s kidnapping, the Templeton’s receive a VHS film with recent footage of their daughter, who is now eight years old, playing in an unknown room and it won’t be the last one.
I really loved this book, it’s a real page-turner, engaging from the very beginning and keeping you engrossed chapter after chapter. If you like mystery and noir novel, I’d recommend this book as Javier Castillo never disappoints.
So, what did you think of it? Would this get a 5 out of 5 in the B2 First Exam?
Think about the following:
- Has the writer answered the questions fully?
- Was the text easy to read?
- Was it well organised both in paragraphs and using connectors?
- Look for adjectives and adverbs in the text, what sort of information do they give you? Why are they important?
- How does the reviewer describe the action in the book? Have you learned about main characters and plot twists?
Read the review again and answer these questions, the answers will be discussed in our next post.
Until then, as usual, #staysafe !
