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23 Books Every 12th Grader Should Read

January 27, 2022 //  by  Kellie Tanner

To be successful in college or career, twelfth-grade students should become proficient in language arts skills. These skills are crucial and serve as the foundation to all of the other subject areas and prepare the students for the world beyond high school. Twelfth-grade students will read and analyze various genres of literature to enhance their writing, comprehension, communication, and reading skills.

As you search for the best books to use with your twelfth-grade students, you should consider the 23 book suggestions we are providing. They are sure to make a difference as you prepare your 12th graders for their futures!

1. In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)

High school students will be glued to the pages of this book. This brutal story is based on a true, violent crime that took place in 1959 in Kansas when four people from the Clutter family were murdered.

2. Night (Elie Wiesel)

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, this devastating story reveals the loss of innocence experienced by a young Jewish boy who was forced to witness the death of his parents and sister as he was imprisoned in a Nazi death camp.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)

Do your 12th graders need a good cry or laugh? If so, then this is the book for them. This modern classic tells the story of Charlie as he navigates between the worlds of adolescence and adulthood. This book has sold millions of copies and has won several book awards.

4. In Darkness (Nick Lake)

Your 12th grade classes will love this story about the results of a horrible earthquake. Shorty, a Haitian, is trapped in a collapsed hospital building and hopes to be rescued. However, he knows a rescue may not happen and he may die within the building ruins. While trapped and dying, he becomes focused on another presence.

5. Hard Times (Charles Dickens)

Introduce your 12th grade students to Thomas Gradgrind. He is the owner of a school during a Utilitarian age. Unfortunately, his daughter and son both choose the wrong paths in life. Eventually, he comes to recognize the value of human hearts.

6. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson)

Originally published in 1886, this story is sure to grab the attention of your 12th grade students. In this mysterious story, Gabriel John Utterson, a London lawyer, looks into the bizarre happenings that take place between his friend Dr. Henry Jekyll and a malicious man by the name of Mr. Edward Hyde.

7. The Road (Cormac McCarthy)

This national bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winner is one of the best books for Grade 12! It is a story about a father and son fighting for survival in their frightening journey through a post-apocalyptic world. Will they be able to survive and overcome their traumatic circumstances?

8. The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde)

This comedy was first performed in 1895 in London. The main characters of the story escape obligations in society with false personae. It is filled with humor and satire, and your 12th graders will enjoy laughing throughout the story.

9. Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)

Add this timeless classic to your book list! This story is about the Earnshaw family and the Linton family as well as their challenging relationship with Heathcliff, the adopted son of the Earnshaw family. Critics often list this book as one of the greatest novels of all time.

10. 1984 (George Orwell)

Add this haunting book to your 12th grade reading list! This story was written over 70 years ago and reveals an eerie prophecy about the future of a controlling government. Convincing and startling, this story speaks of a power that strengthens over time.

11. Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad)

Written in 1899, this disturbing masterpiece contains details about a journey to the heart of Africa while traveling on the Congo River. Charles Marlow, the narrator, works for a trading company that specializes in ivory, and he must find a trading post operated by Kurtz. Discover more about the human psyche, sanity, and madness.

12. A Doll's House (Henrik Ibsen)

Considered to be one of the best-known plays, this book often viewed as a battle for women is perfect for a 12th grade literature study. The main character Nora struggles against conforming to societal expectations. She chooses a life path that includes her children and husband for her own life’s discovery.

13. The Stranger (Albert Camus)

Your 12th grade teens will be intrigued by this thrilling book that tells the tale of a man that gets drawn into a murder on a beach in Algeria. The murder is a senseless one, and the story will keep students intrigued throughout.

14. The Things We Cannot Say (Kelly Rimmer)

This dual-narrative story includes past and present-day tellings by a granddaughter and a grandmother. Your 12th graders will learn about love, hardship, and sacrifice in this compelling story. Sometimes, it can take one’s entire life to trust themselves enough to share their truth.

15. The Rector of Justin (Louis Auchincoss)

This intriguing story focuses on Frank Prescott who is the founder and leader of an exclusive English boarding school for boys. His eighty years of life are told through the perspectives of six narrators. Learn more about his motivations, triumphs, and failures.

16. The Underdogs (Mariano Azuela)

12th grade history buffs will enjoy reading this story which includes accurate details about the great revolution of the 20th century. Demetrio Macias is an illiterate and poor Indian who must try to save his family by joining the rebels. This masterpiece will expose you to the disillusions of war.

17. Rabbit, Run (John Updike)

This phenomenal story focuses on Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom who was the star of his high school basketball team. However, now he is twenty-six years old, and he is struggling with his life’s path. Therefore, he chooses to leave his wife and son to follow his own path. Read more to see how this story ends.

18. Feed (M.T. Anderson)

Your 12th graders definitely need to read this captivating book now more than ever. Expose them to the story of Titus and his friends as they live in a malfunctioned, technological world. Learn about the feed and how it interferes with human thoughts as well as their desires.

19. Diving into the Wreck (Adrienne Rich)

First published in 1973, this collection of poems was written by Rich, a feminist poet. These poems relate to the struggles that took place for women’s rights. Your students should read these poems to learn more about the fight for equal rights.

20. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Keep your 12th graders engaged with this story that involves a murder plan that is formulated by Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a former student from St. Petersburg. Wouldn’t it be justified if he used the victim’s money to complete good deeds? Extreme guilt and immense fear overtake Raskolnikov once the heinous act is committed.

21. How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Thomas C. Foster)

This book is a necessity for 12th graders. It will introduce them to literature and teach them how to make reading more satisfying, fun, and enjoyable and look at it differently - through the eyes of a college professor.

22. Dracula (Bram Stoker)

Students will be intrigued by this famous horror story that introduced the vampire Count Dracula in 1897. Students will become more familiar with Dracula as he moves to England from his home in Transylvania.

23. Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)

This classical play will mesmerize your students as they read about Oedipus and his destiny. An oracle proclaimed that he would marry his mother and kill his father. He was determined not to let this happen to him. However, sometimes we cannot outrun our destiny!

K-12 School Reading List

Recommended reading books for elementary, middle & high school students

Home » Reading lists for High School students » 12th grade reading list for students aged 17-18

12th grade reading list for students aged 17-18

Books for grade 12 – this list of recommended reading books for grade 12 students has been curated and compiled for high school seniors by educators and librarians. There is a range of exciting and thought-provoking books to suit all abilities in the 12th Grade, aged 17-18, including easy readers and more difficult texts. This list of 12th grade reading recommendations includes titles by Salman Rushdie, M. T. Anderson, Margaret Mitchell, Cormac McCarthy, Jennifer Dugan, Frank McCourt, Chinua Achebe, Andrew Joseph White, Shaun David Hutchinson, Elizabeth Bishop and many more.

Books for Grade 12 – our recommendations

Hell followed with us by andrew joseph white.

Benji is a 16-year-old trans boy on the run from a fundamentalist cult that has infected him with a dangerous bioweapon. Taken in by a shadowy group of teens called the ALC, will Benji be able to stop the bioweapon from turning him into a mutant monster, and can he trust the leader of the ALC? This fascinating queer thriller was voted a New York Public Library best book.

Brave Face: A Memoir by Shaun David Hutchinson

Brave Face is a powerful account of the author’s journey through the challenges of growing up as a confused gay teenager while battling depression. With unflinching honesty, it explores identity, mental health; and the power of positive thinking, self-acceptance and being outwardly proud of who you are. This unforgettable and moving read is ideal to discuss in book clubs.

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

After growing up in America, Nao returns to Tokyo to stay for a year at the Himawari house to rediscover her Japanese heritage in this absorbing and emotive contemporary graphic novel. Sharing accommodation with a diverse range of characters, how will Nao navigate the cultural differences and her evolving identity? It’s a spellbinding story to read again and again.

The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan

Sloan and Cherry are the only survivors of a summer camp massacre. Desperate to understand what happened and why they dig for clues. But the discovery of important new evidence detonates everything Sloan believed about that fateful day. Suddenly, she doesn’t know who to trust. With a savage plot twist and page-turning tension, this modern psychological mystery LGBT horror is unputdownable.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Daunis Fontaine witnessed a crime. When she agreed to go undercover, she could not have imagined how her world would unravel. Teen fans of crime podcasts will love this multi-award-winning and compelling thriller about how 18-year-old Daunis fearlessly takes on corruption at the heart of her community. Rich in Native American cultural references and history, this is a vivid and immersive story that will linger in the memory.

Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. T. Anderson

When aliens arrive in ‘vuvvs’, they set about making everything better – with automation, technology, and medical marvels – if you can afford it. Soon there are no jobs for humans and there’s little to live for. Can Adam, an artist, be creative enough to make his voice heard and stand out? This award-winning novel is a biting and thought-provoking satire of global monetization, automation, and our reliance on technology.

In Darkness by Nick Lake

A challenging read for young adults, combining the stories of Shorty and Toussaint L-Overture in Haiti. Trapped under rubble after an earthquake, Shorty relives his young, brutalized existence – and in his delirium, he has visions and conversations with Toussaint, who led a slave rebellion 200 years earlier. This novel features the use of Haitian dialect and depictions of racism, voodoo and violence.

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

A dual narrative story, told from the perspective of war-torn Poland in 1942, and the present day. A grandmother and granddaughter experience love, sacrifice, hardship and trauma. The two timelines weave together to bond them as a family and allow the truth to finally be heard.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The first of a trilogy, this is a blunt and at times painfully brutal story about the repercussions of intransigent beliefs amidst cultural clashes. This is a thought-provoking read which lends itself to moral discussions.

The Rector of Justin by Louis Auchincloss

Tenacious Frank Prescott leads his boarding school with an iron fist. Through the eyes of his colleagues, flaws in his doctrine are exposed and the unpredictability of human nature begins to erode his convictions.

The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela

A searing and historically accurate account of the revolution in Mexico during 1910. Fire, enthusiasm, and hope gradually erode as factionalism and greed creep in. This book is useful for discussing the concept of reparations and conciliation.

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

An evocative account of a year spent closely observing the natural world. The cornucopia of absorbing details and abstract musings is precise, powerful and profound. An intriguing read.

The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Leaving the rat race, Miles joins a small rural farming community to seek a simple life. This book explores the human traits of intolerance, jealousy, and feat – traits that even an idyllic existence cannot erase. A classic for 12th grade literature study.

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

A modern classic. Frank McCourt’s honest recollection of his turbulent childhood in Ireland is evocative and deeply moving. A must-read autobiography.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

These classic Oscar Wilde plays ridicule and expose Victorian upper-class values. The veneers of respectability, religion, and morality are laid bare in an acerbic and witty style.

Selected Stories by Alice Munro

These beautifully written short stories are about ordinary folk living in rural Canada. Masterfully interwoven, these short vignettes – often interlinked – are an absorbing and emotional read.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

This award-winning and riveting collection of short stories explores the emotional and physical impact of a culture shock when relocating to a foreign country. Both heartwarming and raw, this collection will resonate with multicultural communities.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This classic has it all – a plethora of diverse characters – the good, the bad, the rich and the poor, all bound together into an unforgettable and thrilling battle of good versus evil.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

A powerful account of slavery from multiple narrators. Multifaceted, the book explores the motivations and perspectives of each voice. The hard-hitting book is an uncomfortable, but necessary, read.

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Groundbreaking and controversial at the time of its release, this is perhaps the best-known volume of Whitman’s work, celebrating nature, love, life and how to live it. This edition includes “Song of Myself”.

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

A monumental introduction to astrophysics, including time travel and wormholes. Written in an accessible and occasionally humorous style, this mind-expanding book is a must-have for any high school and pre-college reading list. A more challenging read for 12th grade students.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The classic follows Pip from his beginnings and a life of poverty in Victorian-era England. Full of moral dilemmas, injustice, and darkness – is good set to triumph over evil?

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

A Booker prize-winning novel set in newly independent India. In this long, sometimes circuitous story, packed with historical and political detail, Saleem is one of 1,000 children, all born at the stroke of midnight, who possess a telepathic gift. A startling novel that is ideal for provoking discussion within 12th grade classes.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road depicts a broken America, destroyed by cataclysmic events. Society has collapsed and humanity barely survives. In the midst of this, a father and son embark on a dangerous journey to reach the coast.

Night by Elie Wiesel

A truly powerful book, this is the personal account of a holocaust survivor. Beautifully written with harrowing descriptions – a life-changing and memorable read.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

A prize-winning treatise on the development of civilization, containing well-researched arguments and full of absorbing theories that will spark debate and further inquiry.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Imagine a brutal murder scene with no suspects of apparent motive, Truman Capote links together all the events and with masterful skill, solves a crime which is based on a true story. A gripping book for 12th grade teens.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

This book will inform, enthuse and amuse. The content spans the sciences and travels from the dawn of time to the present day, recording the often humorous attempts to explain enigmas. An essential read.

Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich

A collection of poems from Adrienne Rich written when the battle for women’s rights in America was gaining a voice. Full of powerful and evocative language these distinctive poems resonate in the #metoo era.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley & Malcolm X

The seminal account of a leading figure in the Civil Rights movement in America, this book charts his unshakeable belief in black nationalism, turning his determination into a clarion call for action.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

1984, updated, and twice as scary for the post-snowflake generation. A tightly plotted novel set in a plausible future when state-run technology controls personal freedoms and no action passes unnoticed. Can the young hero break free?

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Think Brave New World meets The Purge in this wildly satirical dystopian vision of post-technological America. A cautionary message for teens who cannot live without being online.

All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein

A masterpiece of incisive investigative journalism which is very relevant in the current climate of fake news. This thrilling read, with an explosive conclusion, chronicles the downfall of the Nixon administration.

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

Set during and after World War Two this novel espouses the virtues of strength, courage, sacrifice and ultimately, love. An epic and memorable book that has been adapted into a film. Great for book groups and wider philosophical discussions in the 12th grade.

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

The captivating story of Aminata Diallo who strives to escape a life a servitude for freedom in the North. A mesmerizing fifty years of hardship, cruelty, and struggle. Recently adapted into an award-winning miniseries.

Rabbit, Run by John Updike

A gritty and uncompromising slice of American life in the 1960s. A man thwarted out of greatness is unable to settle for being ordinary. Brilliantly written.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

A sweeping love story set during the American Civil War that examines the shifts in society wrought by the conflict. A historical epic. Also available as an Oscar-winning film.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

The rivalries, and machinations of a traveling family of circus freaks who play to audiences around America. This book forces the reader to rethink notions of normality and what is acceptable to society. A sometimes shocking, and always thought-provoking, read.

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O’Connor

American Gothic meets McCarthyism in this landmark 1950s short story collection which epitomizes alienation and extremism. Vivid and accessible, these vignettes challenge the reader’s outlook on life.

Poems by Elizabeth Bishop

A definitive collection of verse by one of the greatest modern American poets. Bishop uses nature and landscape to depict the fragile human condition in these poems which often microscopically analyze the self. An accessible collection of poetry for 12 grade students.

Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this 12th grade book list, as well as classroom sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or stocking your school library. If you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘worldwide orders’ page which makes this process easy.

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Click for more reading recommendations – Kindergarten books |  Grade 1 books | Grade 2 books | Grade 3 books | Grade 4 books | Grade 5 books | Grade 6 books | Grade 7 books | Grade 8 books | Grade 9 books | Grade 10 books | Grade 11 books | Grade 12 books (this page)

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How to Write a Book Review: The Ultimate Guide

WHAT IS A BOOK REVIEW?

Traditionally, book reviews are evaluations of a recently published book in any genre. Usually, around the 500 to 700-word mark, they briefly describe a text’s main elements while appraising the work’s strengths and weaknesses. Published book reviews can appear in newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. They provide the reader with an overview of the book itself and indicate whether or not the reviewer would recommend the book to the reader.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BOOK REVIEW?

There was a time when book reviews were a regular appearance in every quality newspaper and many periodicals. They were essential elements in whether or not a book would sell well. A review from a heavyweight critic could often be the deciding factor in whether a book became a bestseller or a damp squib. In the last few decades, however, the book review’s influence has waned considerably, with many potential book buyers preferring to consult customer reviews on Amazon, or sites like Goodreads, before buying. As a result, book review’s appearance in newspapers, journals, and digital media has become less frequent.

WHY BOTHER TEACHING STUDENTS TO WRITE BOOK REVIEWS AT ALL?

Even in the heyday of the book review’s influence, few students who learned the craft of writing a book review became literary critics! The real value of crafting a well-written book review for a student does not lie in their ability to impact book sales. Understanding how to produce a well-written book review helps students to:

●     Engage critically with a text

●     Critically evaluate a text

●     Respond personally to a range of different writing genres

●     Improve their own reading, writing, and thinking skills.

Not to Be Confused with a Book Report!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BOOK REVIEW AND A BOOK REPORT?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are clear differences in both the purpose and the format of the two genres. Generally speaking, book reports aim to give a more detailed outline of what occurs in a book. A book report on a work of fiction will tend to give a comprehensive account of the characters, major plot lines, and themes in the book. Book reports are usually written around the K-12 age range, while book reviews tend not to be undertaken by those at the younger end of this age range due to the need for the higher-level critical skills required in writing them. At their highest expression, book reviews are written at the college level and by professional critics.

Learn how to write a book review step by step with our complete guide for students and teachers by familiarizing yourself with the structure and features.

BOOK REVIEW STRUCTURE

ANALYZE Evaluate the book with a critical mind.

THOROUGHNESS The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts. Review the book as a WHOLE.

COMPARE Where appropriate compare to similar texts and genres.

THUMBS UP OR DOWN? You are going to have to inevitably recommend or reject this book to potential readers.

BE CONSISTENT Take a stance and stick with it throughout your review.

FEATURES OF A BOOK REVIEW

PAST TENSE You are writing about a book you have already read.

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Whatever your stance or opinion be passionate about it. Your audience will thank you for it.

VOICE Both active and passive voice are used in recounts.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TEXTS

⭐ Make  MOVIES A MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR CURRICULUM  with this engaging collection of tasks and tools your students will love. ⭐ All the hard work is done for you with  NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

This collection of  21 INDEPENDENT TASKS  and  GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS  takes students beyond the hype, special effects and trailers to look at visual literacy from several perspectives offering DEEP LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES by watching a  SERIES, DOCUMENTARY, FILM, and even  VIDEO GAMES.

ELEMENTS OF A BOOK REVIEW

As with any of the writing genres we teach our students, a book review can be helpfully explained in terms of criteria. While there is much to the ‘art’ of writing, there is also, thankfully, a lot of the nuts and bolts that can be listed too. Have students consider the following elements before writing:

●     Title: Often, the title of the book review will correspond to the title of the text itself, but there may also be some examination of the title’s relevance. How does it fit into the purpose of the work as a whole? Does it convey a message or reveal larger themes explored within the work?

●     Author: Within the book review, there may be some discussion of who the author is and what they have written before, especially if it relates to the current work being reviewed. There may be some mention of the author’s style and what they are best known for. If the author has received any awards or prizes, this may also be mentioned within the body of the review.

●     Genre: A book review will identify the genre that the book belongs to, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, romance, science-fiction, history etc. The genre will likely tie in, too with who the intended audience for the book is and what the overall purpose of the work is.

●     Book Jacket / Cover: Often, a book’s cover will contain artwork that is worthy of comment. It may contain interesting details related to the text that contribute to, or detract from, the work as a whole.

●     Structure: The book’s structure will often be heavily informed by its genre. Have students examine how the book is organized before writing their review. Does it contain a preface from a guest editor, for example? Is it written in sections or chapters? Does it have a table of contents, index, glossary etc.? While all these details may not make it into the review itself, looking at how the book is structured may reveal some interesting aspects.

●     Publisher and Price: A book review will usually contain details of who publishes the book and its cost. A review will often provide details of where the book is available too.

BOOK REVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

As students read and engage with the work they will review, they will develop a sense of the shape their review will take. This will begin with the summary. Encourage students to take notes during the reading of the work that will help them in writing the summary that will form an essential part of their review. Aspects of the book they may wish to take notes on in a work of fiction may include:

●     Characters: Who are the main characters? What are their motivations? Are they convincingly drawn? Or are they empathetic characters?

●     Themes: What are the main themes of the work? Are there recurring motifs in the work? Is the exploration of the themes deep or surface only?

●     Style: What are the key aspects of the writer’s style? How does it fit into the wider literary world?

●     Plot: What is the story’s main catalyst? What happens in the rising action? What are the story’s subplots? 

A book review will generally begin with a short summary of the work itself. However, it is important not to give too much away, remind students – no spoilers, please! For nonfiction works, this may be a summary of the main arguments of the work, again, without giving too much detail away. In a work of fiction, a book review will often summarise up to the rising action of the piece without going beyond to reveal too much!

The summary should also provide some orientation for the reader. Given the nature of the purpose of a review, it is important that students’ consider their intended audience in the writing of their review. Readers will most likely not have read the book in question and will require some orientation. This is often achieved through introductions to the main characters, themes, primary arguments etc. This will help the reader to gauge whether or not the book is of interest to them.

Once your student has summarized the work, it is time to ‘review’ in earnest. At this point, the student should begin to detail their own opinion of the book. To do this well they should:

i. Make It Personal

Often when teaching essay writing we will talk to our students about the importance of climbing up and down the ladder of abstraction. Just as it is helpful to explore large, more abstract concepts in an essay by bringing it down to Earth, in a book review, it is important that students can relate the characters, themes, ideas etc to their own lives.

Book reviews are meant to be subjective. They are opinion pieces, and opinions grow out of our experiences of life. Encourage students to link the work they are writing about to their own personal life within the body of the review. By making this personal connection to the work, students contextualize their opinions for the readers and help them to understand whether the book will be of interest to them or not in the process.

ii. Make It Universal

Just as it is important to climb down the ladder of abstraction to show how the work relates to individual life, it is important to climb upwards on the ladder too. Students should endeavor to show how the ideas explored in the book relate to the wider world. The may be in the form of the universality of the underlying themes in a work of fiction or, for example, the international implications for arguments expressed in a work of nonfiction.

iii. Support Opinions with Evidence

A book review is a subjective piece of writing by its very nature. However, just because it is subjective does not mean that opinions do not need to be justified. Make sure students understand how to back up their opinions with various forms of evidence, for example, quotations, statistics, and the use of primary and secondary sources.

EDIT AND REVISE YOUR BOOK REVIEW

As with any writing genre, encourage students to polish things up with review and revision at the end. Encourage them to proofread and check for accurate spelling throughout, with particular attention to the author’s name, character names, publisher etc. 

It is good practice too for students to double-check their use of evidence. Are statements supported? Are the statistics used correctly? Are the quotations from the text accurate? Mistakes such as these uncorrected can do great damage to the value of a book review as they can undermine the reader’s confidence in the writer’s judgement.

The discipline of writing book reviews offers students opportunities to develop their writing skills and exercise their critical faculties. Book reviews can be valuable standalone activities or serve as a part of a series of activities engaging with a central text. They can also serve as an effective springboard into later discussion work based on the ideas and issues explored in a particular book. Though the book review does not hold the sway it once did in the mind’s of the reading public, it still serves as an effective teaching tool in our classrooms today.

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BOOK REVIEW GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (TEMPLATE)

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Whilst you don’t have to have a 1:1 or BYOD classroom to benefit from this bundle, it has been purpose-built to deliver through platforms such as ✔ GOOGLE CLASSROOM, ✔ OFFICE 365, ✔ or any CLOUD-BASED LEARNING PLATFORM.

Book and Movie review writing examples (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of book reviews.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to both read the movie or book review in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of writing a text review

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of book review writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type .

BOOK REVIEW VIDEO TUTORIALS

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO BOOK REVIEWS

Transactional Writing

How to write a text response

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

How to Write Excellent Expository Essays

Book Review Writing Examples

Examples: learn from the efforts of others.

Learning how to write strong reviews takes time and not a little effort. Reading the reviews others have done can help you get a feel for the flow and flavor of reviews.

If I Never Forever Endeavor Review by Hayden, age 4, Southeast Michigan Mensa

This book was about a bird who didn't yet know how to fly.

The bird has to decide if it will try to fly, but it was not sure if it wants to. The bird thought, "If I never forever endeavor" then I won't ever learn. On one wing, he worries he might fail and on the other wing he thinks of how he may succeed. He worries that if he tries, he may get lost in the world. That makes him want to stay in his nest where he's safe.

I think this book would help other children to learn that trying new things can be scary, but sometimes when we try, we can find things that make us happy too. And this book will help others know that mistakes are okay and part of learning.

My favorite part is that the bird tried and learned that she could fly. I also liked that I read this book because it gave me a chance to talk to mom about making mistakes and how I don't like making them. Then I learned they are good and part of learning.

Boys and girls who are 3 to 8 years old would like this book because it teaches about trying a new thing and how it's important to get past being scared so you can learn new things.

I give the book 5 stars since I think it's important for other children to learn about courage.

Flesh & Blood So Cheap Review by Umar B., age 8, Central New Jersy Mensa

I liked this book. People who are interested in national disasters and US history as well as immigration will most probably be interested in reading this book.

Readers can gain knowledge of what it was like to work in New York City in the early 1900s. One of the things that was especially interesting was that there were no safety laws at work. Also, there was a big contrast between the rich and the poor. Some people may not like this book because it is very depressing, but it is an important event in history to remember.

This book was very well written. It has black and white photos along with descriptions of the photos. These photos give us a better idea of what people's lives were like. This book is suitable for 9-20 year olds.

I give this book 5 stars.

Galaxy Zach: Journey to Juno Review by Young Mensan Connor C., age 6, Boston Mensa

Journey To Juno is the second book of the Galaxy Zack series. It is just as good as the first one. It's awesome!

Zack joins the Sprockets Academy Explorers Club at school. They fly on a special trip to Juno, a new planet no one has ever visited. Zack gets paired up with Seth, the class bully, and that's dreadful but Zack is excited when he finds a huge galaxy gemmite. A gemmite that large had not been found in 100 years! Kids will love this book!

Boys and girls will both like it. It's an easy chapter book with pictures on every page. I love the illustrations. I think ages 6-8 would like this but younger kids would like the story being read to them.

My favorite parts are the galactic blast game (it is similar to baseball except there are robots playing), recess at Zack's school where everything is 3-D holographic images, the rainbow river in a crystal cave on Juno, and the galaxy gemmite that Zack finds on Juno. I also loved when a life-size holographic image of his Earth friend appears in Zack's room because he calls him on a hyperphone. I give this book one hundred stars! There is a "to be continued" at the end so you have to read the next book see what's in store. I can't wait to find out what happens!!!

I Capture the Castle Review by Lauren W., age 17, Mensa in Georgia

Dodie Smith's novel I Capture the Castle is a journey through the mind of a young writer as she attempts to chronicle her daily life. Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain has recently learned to speed-write, and she decides to work on her writing skills by describing the actions and conversations of those around her.

Cassandra lives in a fourteenth-century English castle with an interesting cast of characters: her beautiful older sister, Rose; her rather unsociable author father and his second wife, artist-model Topaz; Stephen, the garden boy; a cat and a bull terrier; and sometimes her brother Thomas when he is home from school. One fateful day they make the acquaintance of the Cotton family, including the two sons, and a web of tangled relationships ensues.

While I definitely recommend this book to other readers, I would recommend it to older teenagers, mainly because it will resonate better with them. The writing is tame enough that younger teens could also read it, but most of the characters are adults or on the verge of adulthood. Older readers would take the most from it since they can not only relate, but they may also better pick up on and appreciate Cassandra's sometimes subtle humor.

Over the course of the novel, Cassandra undergoes a definite transformation from child to mature young adult, even though it's only over the course of several months. I love that I could see into her mindset and read exactly what she was feeling when she thought out situations. Her thoughts flowed well and moved the book along very quickly.

Cassandra's narrative voice is wonderful. She is serious at times, but also very witty, which makes for an engaging read. It feels absolutely real, as though I'm reading someone's actual journal. Sometimes I forget that I am reading a story and not a real-life account. Her emotions and the dialogue are so genuine, and they are spot-on for a seventeen-year-old girl in her situation.

Cassandra has many wonderful insights on life, on topics ranging from writing to faith to matters of the heart. I personally have had some of the same thoughts as Cassandra, except Ms. Smith was able to put them into words.

Capture the Castle should be essential reading for aspiring writers, those looking for historical fiction or romance, or anyone who loves reading amazing classic books. Dodie Smith is an exceptional writer, and I Capture the Castle is a book that will never become obsolete.

Frankenstein's Cat Review by Zander H., age 12, Mid-America Mensa

I appreciated Frankenstein's Cat for its fascinating explanation about the often baffling subject of bioengineering and its sister sciences. Emily Anthes explains the many sides of today's modern technology, such as gene modification, cloning, pharmaceutical products (from the farm), prosthesis, animal tag and tracking and gene cryogenics. This book provides a well-rounded summary of these complicated sciences without being boring or simply factual. Her real world examples take us on a journey from the farm, to the pet store and then from the pharmacy to the frozen arc.

Have you ever wondered if the neighborhood cat is spying on you? Read about Operation Acoustic Kitty and find out if this feline fantasy fiction or fact. Do you think bugs are creepy? What about a zombified cyborg beetle? Is Fido so special that you want two of him? Money can buy you an almost exact copy of your pooch BUT don't expect the same personality. Emily Anthes makes you crave more information. She makes you want to know the future of Earth's flora and fauna, as well as humanity itself.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires a guide to the future of biological science and technology. Frankenstein's Cat is best read by the light of a glow-in-the-dark fish, while cuddling your favorite cloned dog and drinking a glass of genetically modified milk.

About Marsupials Review by Connor C., age 6, Boston Mensa

About Marsupials is the title so the book is about...marsupials, of course. It's non-fiction. I really think everyone would like the book. I think someone who likes animals would especially like to read it.

The glossary of facts in the back of About Marsupials is the most useful part. I thought the most interesting parts were that some marsupials have their pouch at their back legs and one marsupial, the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby, is very small but can jump 13 feet wide!

Kids in the 4-8 age range would like this book. Even though it's not a story book, 4 year olds would like the few words on each page and they would love the beautiful pictures. But older kids would like it because of all the facts in the back of the book. There's a lot of information for each animal. I think boys and girls (and parents) would enjoy reading it. This book is very interesting. I give it 4 stars.

Mapping the World Review by Umar A., age 10, Central New Jersey Mensa

Every day, people around the world use maps. Whether it is an airplane pilot or businessman, housewife or museum group, maps have always and will continue to provide useful information for all.

Mapping the World talks about the uses of maps, as well as how to differentiate between the type of map projection and type of map.

In this series, we travel to the past and learn about historical mapmakers, from Claudius Ptolemy (who stated the idea that the Earth is at the center of the universe) to Gerardus Mercator (who created one of the most widely used map projections) and more. This series goes into tremendous detail on the cartographer's life and maps. We then journey to the present era to learn about map projections and the diverse types of maps used today. You might ask, "What is the difference between the two? They sound the same to me." No map projection is perfect, because you cannot really flatten a sphere into a rectangle. An uncolored projection could be used in many ways. We could use it for population concentration, highways, land elevation, and so many other things!

For example, we could make a topographic map of the U.S., which shows land elevation. We could make it a colorful map that shows the amount of pollution in different areas, or it could be a population map, or it could even be a map that shows the 50 states, their capitals and borders! Our last step in this amazing excursion is the near future, where we see some hypothetical solutions as to what maps will be used for. Currently, we are working on better virtual map technology.

Now, scientists have been able to put maps on phones. Back in the early 1900s, people had to lug a lot of maps around to find your way from place to place, or just keep asking for directions. Now, all the information is on a phone or global positioning system (GPS). It is amazing how much maps have changed technology and the world in this century.

The Mapping the World 8-book set goes into amazing levels of detail. It is a long read, but it gives an immense range and amount of information that you would not find in any other book or series on maps. The flowing way the chapters and books are organized makes it easy to link passages from different books in this series together. Mapping the World is a treasure box, filled with the seeds of cartography. Collect and plant them, and you soon will have the fruits of cartography, beneficial to those who want to be cartographers. Use this series to the utmost, then the fruits of mapping will be sweet for all who endeavor to succeed in cartography.

This series of lessons was designed to meet the needs of gifted children for extension beyond the standard curriculum with the greatest ease of use for the educator. The lessons may be given to the students for individual self-guided work, or they may be taught in a classroom or a home-school setting. Assessment strategies and rubrics are included at the end of each section. The rubrics often include a column for "scholar points," which are invitations for students to extend their efforts beyond that which is required, incorporating creativity or higher level technical skills.

21 Must-Read Books for 12th Graders by Authors of Color

Katisha Smith

Katisha is a former military brat who studied engineering because she couldn’t hack it as a writer. You can find her on the internets talking books, movies, pop culture, beauty or whatever is floating her boat at the moment.

View All posts by Katisha Smith

Welcome to senior year of high school, where you’re less than a year away from forging your own path in life. Until then, you have to keep going to class because that diploma is not going to earn itself. One class you have to pass in order to receive said diploma is English Literature, which means reading plenty of old books classics. Although they may be deemed great books for 12th graders to read, are they really the best books for 12th graders when most are written from the white cis male perspective?

Since Book Riot is all about reading harder , we think no student should leave high school without reading a few books written by people of color. Therefore, we bring forth this list of books for 12th graders from authors of color, because no excuse shall prosper against diversifying your reading lists.

Contemporary Fiction for 12th Graders

The following are books for 12 graders of the here and now, with several books about the experience of being 17. 

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

From National Book Award –winning and New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Acevedo comes a novel-in-verse about love, loss, forgiveness, and the bonds that shape our lives. 

Camino Rios loves summer because it means her father is coming to visit from the Dominican Republic. On the day he is supposed to arrive, Camino is instead met at the airport by a crowd of crying people. At school, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting with terrible news: Yahaira’s papi has died in a plane crash. 

Separated by distance and secrets, two girls are forced into a new reality that will forever change their lives, but when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

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Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert

Since she was 7, Yvonne has never been without her trusted violin. With high school graduation around the corner, Yvonne must face the hard truth that even with years of dedication, she might not be good enough for the prestige conservatory she’s dreamed of attending. Full of doubt about her future and frustrated with her strained relationship with her father, Yvonne finds comfort in a street musician and fellow violinist named Omar. He’s mysterious, charming, and the opposite of familiar and reliable Warren, the boy who has her heart. When Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she must make the most difficult decision of her life.

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Selin, daughter of Turkish immigrants, arrives for her freshman year at Harvard. She quickly befriends her charismatic Serbian classmate Svetlana and begins an email correspondence with Ivan, an older Hungarian mathematics student. At the end of the year, Ivan heads to Budapest, and Selin plans to spend the summer teaching English in the Hungarian countryside. On the way, she spends two weeks in Paris with Svetlana. However, Selin’s European summer is nothing like the typical American college student experience she expected.

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali tries to live up to the expectations of her conservative Muslim parents, but she is finding that harder to do. Luckily, she only has a few more months until she can trade her carefully monitored life in Seattle for freedom at Caltech, where she can pursue her dream of becoming an engineer. When Rukhsana’s parents catch her kissing girlfriend Ariana, all of her plans fall apart because being gay may as well be a death sentence in the Bengali community. Soon, Rukhsana is sent to Bangladesh and thrown into a world of tradition and arranged marriages.

Love, Hate, & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed

Seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the world full of expectation to be the proper Indian daughter, which means attending a college in Chicago close to her parents and being paired with a “suitable” Muslim boy. In the other world, Maya is living in New York City, going to film school, and maybe pursuing a boy of her own choosing.

There is also the real world, beyond Maya’s control, where her life has been turned upside down in the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away. Now, her community has become unrecognizable as neighbors and classmates become consumed with bigotry, hatred, and fear. Despite it all, Maya must channel her inner strength and determine where she truly belongs.

Historical Fiction for 12th Graders

For the 12th grade history buffs, there is plenty of YA historical fiction about young women of color. 

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

If you are in search of YA historical fiction with a side of zombies, then look no further than Dread Nation .

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields, derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, the Native and Negro Reeducation Act requires that certain children attend combat school to learn how to put down the dead. For Jane, not even being the daughter of a wealthy White Southerner could save her from society’s expectations. Training to become an Attendant, one trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the wealthy, is not the life Jane wants. 

Upon completing Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set to return to her Kentucky home. When families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in a conspiracy that finds her in a desperate fight for her life where the restless dead are the least of her problems.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Ida Mae Jones dreams of being a pilot just like her daddy, but being a woman and being Black are two strikes against her. When America enters into war against Germany and Japan, the Army creates the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), and Ida sees a way to fly and help her brother stationed in the Pacific. However, the WASPs won’t accept her as a Black woman, so Ida Mae is forced to make the difficult choice of pretending to be white. Finally, Ida Mae is able to pursue her dream, but hiding one’s heritage is a heavy burden.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

By day, 17-year-old Jo Kuan is a lady’s maid for the daughter of one of Atlanta’s wealthiest men. By night, she is the author behind “Dear Miss Sweetie,” a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady. As the column gains popularity, Jo uses the power of her pen to challenge society’s ideas on race and gender, but she is not prepared for the backlash. While opponents seek to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. When she crosses paths with Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide if the girl who lives in the shadows is ready to step into the light.

Must-Read Nonfiction Books for 12th Graders

Although not specifically YA nonfiction , these are must-read nonfiction books for 12th graders preparing for life in “The Real World.”

One Person, No Vote: How All Voters Are Not Treated Equally by Carol Anderson

In her New York Times bestseller White Rage , Anderson chronicled the many policies from the end of slavery until today that have systematically impeded progress for Black Americans. In One Person, No Vote , she describes a related history, the 2013 Supreme Court decision that eviscerated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This 2013 decision essentially allowed districts with a demonstrated history of racial discrimination to change voting requirement without getting approval from the Department of Justice. In response, many states quickly and enthusiastically adopted voter suppression laws and tactics, including gerrymandering, closing polling places, and photo ID requirements.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

In December 2000, the Baltimore Sun ran a piece about local student Wes Moore who had just received a Rhodes Scholarship. Within the same paper was an article about the hunt for two brothers, one named Wes Moore, suspected of killing a police officer in an armed robbery.

Wes couldn’t shake the unsettling coincidence. After following the story from the manhunt to the trial, he wrote a letter to the other Wes, now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. That letter led to the two men corresponding over dozens of letters and prison visits. Wes discovered his life was not unlike that of the other Wes. Both grew up in similar neighborhoods and experienced difficult childhoods, but circumstances would lead them to different destinies.

This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell (Author) and Aurelia Durand (Illustrator)

From anti-bias antiracist (ABAR) educator Tiffany Jewell comes this #1 New York Times bestseller for young people (and everyone else) who are ready to wake up, take action, and work to become antiracist. Readers will learn about privilege, inclusion, and conscious/unconscious bias with straightforward information and historical facts. Then they will put what they learned to work with action items and prompts for reflection.

You’re So Money: Live Rich, Even When You’re Not by Farnoosh Torabi

Journalist and personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi brings finance advice for those who want to enjoy their daily Starbucks and buy the latest Apple device without feeling guilty or being buried in debt. According to Torabi, the key is to prioritize your spending from what you need or want the most now to what can wait until later without sacrificing your financial security. 

The references may seem dated since You’re So Money was published over a decade ago, but the principles still apply. Also, there’s plenty of current money advice on Torabi’s award-winning podcast, So Money .

Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for 12th Graders

All the 12th graders will be yelling SFF, Yeah! with these sci-fi and fantasy books for teen readers .

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Xifeng is 18 years old and beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness as Empress of Feng Lu, if she embraces the darkness within her. Xifeng longs to fulfill that destiny foreseen by the witch Guma, but is the price of the throne worth the cost? In order to achieve her promised greatness, Xifeng must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the dark magic within her.

Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi

For 17-year-old Opal Hopper, coding allows her to build entire worlds from scratch, but she can’t code her father back to life. Since he disappeared after her 10th birthday leaving only a cryptic note, Opal has been desperately trying to find him. Unable to succeed, she enrolls in a boarding school for technical prodigies in an effort to forget. Then WAVE, the world’s biggest virtual reality platform announces a contest where the winner gets to meet its billionaire founder, the person who worked closely with Opal’s dad. What begins as a small hack to win the contest quickly spirals out of control as Opal digs deeper into a web of lies, hacks, and manipulation. How far will Opal go in search of the answers she’s wanted for years?

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Hailsham is a pleasant English boarding school where students are trained in art and literature, but are taught nothing about the world outside of Hailsham. Kathy grows from schoolgirl to young woman within the grounds of Hailsham. It is only when she and her friends Ruth and Tommy leave the safety of the school that they realize the truth of what Hailsham really is.

YA Mysteries for 12th Graders

Looking for contemporary books for 12th graders with chills and thrills written by people of color? Look no further than these YA mysteries!

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (September 15, Katherine Tegen Books)

When Enchanted Jones wakes up, Korey Fields is dead. Her hands are covered with Korey’s blood, and Enchanted has no memory of the previous night. She does know this isn’t how things were supposed to go, because Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom. 

Before this, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her family’s recent move to the suburbs where she is now the only Black girl in her new high school. Then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition, and Enchanted’s dream of becoming a professional singer feels possible. Initially, Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious lifestyle, but behind Korey’s charm lies a dark side. Now Korey’s dead, the police are asking questions, and all signs point to Enchanted.

G rown hits shelves on September 15, 2020. While waiting for this highly-anticipated mystery, check out Jackson’s previous critically-acclaimed YA mystery Monday’s Not Coming about Claudia’s search to find her missing friend Monday.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Jay Reguero plans to spend the time he has left before heading to the University of Michigan playing video games. Then he learns his cousin Jun has been murdered. No one in the family wants to talk about what happened, so Jay travels to the Philippines hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death.

Shadow Girl by Liana Liu

When Mei arrives at the house on Arrow Island, she can’t help but feel relieved about spending the summer away from her needy mother, delinquent brother, and their tiny apartment. Mei gets to live in a mansion, and Ella is a sweet, easy, well-behaved charge. Although Mei tries to focus on her duties, she becomes increasingly distracted by the unexplained noises she hears at night. Mei isn’t superstitious, but she can’t shake the fear of danger lurking in the shadows of this big, beautiful house that could destroy them all.

YA Romance Books for 12th Graders

Where are the high school seniors looking for love? We have the books that fit the bill with some must-read romcoms for 12th graders.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki (Author) and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (Illustrator)

Looking for graphic novels for teens about love and ending toxic relationships? Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me is the answer. 

Laura Dean is the most popular girl in high school and Frederica (Freddy) Riley’s dream girl. The problem is Laura Dean is not the best girlfriend. Reeling from the latest break up, Freddy’s best friend, Doodle, introduces Freddy to a mysterious medium who gives some simple advice: “Break up with her.” That’s easier said than done because Laura Dean keeps coming back, and Freddy can’t resist her charm. As their relationship continues to spiral, Freddy begins to wonder if it’s Laura Dean who is the problem, especially as Freddy starts losing friends like Doodle, who she needs now more than ever.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Sana Khan is the classic overachiever, determined to be the best on the field as a cheerleader and to stay at the top of the class as a straight-A student. Rachel Recht is the movie-obsessed aspiring director who is ready to make her own masterpiece. While casting her senior film project, Rachel has found the perfect lead in Sana. The only problem is Rachel hates Sana. 

Told in dual viewpoints, Tell Me How You Really Feel is an edgy YA novel inspired by classic romcoms about two strong-willed young women falling for one another despite their best efforts.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

It’s September 11, 2002, an extremely turbulent time, especially for Shirin, a 16-year-old Muslim girl. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be, but she’s tired of being stereotyped and dealing with rude stares, degrading comments, and even physical violence because of her religion. Shirin copes by drowning her frustrations in music and spending her afternoons break dancing with her brother. Then she meets Ocean James. He is the first person in a long time who wants to get to know Shirin, and that terrifies her. Shirin has spent so long refusing to let anyone get close that she’s not sure she’ll be able to let her guard down.

Need more must-read YA books for 12th graders? Listen to the Hey YA! Podcast and check out the Best YA Books of Summer 2020 !

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The 10 Best Book Reviews of 2020

Adam morgan picks parul sehgal on raven leilani, merve emre on lewis carroll, and more.

The pandemic and the birth of my second daughter prevented me from reading most of the books I wanted to in 2020. But I was able to read vicariously  through book critics, whose writing was a true source of comfort and escape for me this year. I’ve long told my students that criticism is literature—a genre of nonfiction that can and should be as insightful, experimental, and compelling as the art it grapples with—and the following critics have beautifully proven my point. The word “best” is always a misnomer, but these are my personal favorite book reviews of 2020.

Nate Marshall on Barack Obama’s A Promised Land ( Chicago Tribune )

A book review rarely leads to a segment on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams , but that’s what happened to Nate Marshall last month. I love how he combines a traditional review with a personal essay—a hybrid form that has become my favorite subgenre of criticism.

“The presidential memoir so often falls flat because it works against the strengths of the memoir form. Rather than take a slice of one’s life to lay bare and come to a revelation about the self or the world, the presidential memoir seeks to take the sum of a life to defend one’s actions. These sorts of memoirs are an attempt maybe not to rewrite history, but to situate history in the most rosy frame. It is by nature defensive and in this book, we see Obama’s primary defensive tool, his prodigious mind and proclivity toward over-considering every detail.”

Merve Emre on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ( The Point )

I’m a huge fan of writing about books that weren’t just published in the last 10 seconds. And speaking of that hybrid form above, Merve Emre is one of its finest practitioners. This piece made me laugh out loud and changed the way I think about Lewis Carroll.

“I lie awake at night and concentrate on Alice,  on why my children have fixated on this book at this particular moment. Part of it must be that I have told them it ‘takes place’ in Oxford, and now Oxford—or more specifically, the college whose grounds grow into our garden—marks the physical limits of their world. Now that we can no longer move about freely, no longer go to new places to see new things, we are trying to find ways to estrange the places and objects that are already familiar to us.”

Parul Sehgal on Raven Leilani’s Luster ( The New York Times Book Review )

Once again, Sehgal remains the best lede writer in the business. I challenge you to read the opening of any  Sehgal review and stop there.

“You may know of the hemline theory—the idea that skirt lengths fluctuate with the stock market, rising in boom times and growing longer in recessions. Perhaps publishing has a parallel; call it the blurb theory. The more strained our circumstances, the more manic the publicity machine, the more breathless and orotund the advance praise. Blurbers (and critics) speak with a reverent quiver of this moment, anointing every other book its guide, every second writer its essential voice.”

Constance Grady on Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ( Vox )

Restoring the legacies of ill-forgotten books is one of our duties as critics. Grady’s take on “the least famous sister in a family of celebrated geniuses” makes a good case for Wildfell Hall’ s place alongside Wuthering Heights  and Jane Eyre  in the Romantic canon.

“[T]he heart of this book is a portrait of a woman surviving and flourishing after abuse, and in that, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall feels unnervingly modern. It is fresh, shocking, and wholly new today, 200 years after the birth of its author.”

Ismail Muhammad on Anna Wiener’s Uncanny Valley ( The Atlantic )

Muhammad is a philosophical critic, so it’s always fun to see him tackle a book with big ideas. Here, he makes an enlightened connection between Wiener’s Silicon Valley memoir and Michael Lewis’s 1989 Wall Street exposé, Liar’s Poker.

“Like Lewis, Wiener found ‘a way out of unhappiness’ by writing her own gimlet-eyed generational portrait that doubles as a cautionary tale of systemic dysfunction. But if her chronicle acquires anything like the must-read status that Lewis’s antic tale of a Princeton art-history major’s stint at Salomon Brothers did, it will be for a different reason. For all her caustic insight and droll portraiture, Wiener is on an earnest quest likely to resonate with a public that has been sleepwalking through tech’s gradual reshaping of society.”

Hermione Hoby on Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs ( 4 Columns )

Hoby’s thousand-word review is a great example of a critic reading beyond the book to place it in context.

“When Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs  was first published in 2008, the then-governor of Tokyo, the ultraconservative Shintaro Ishihara, deemed the novel ‘unpleasant and intolerable.’ I wonder what he objected to? Perhaps he wasn’t into a scene in which the narrator, a struggling writer called Natsuko, pushes a few fingers into her vagina in a spirit of dejected exploration: ‘I . . . tried being rough and being gentle. Nothing worked.’”

Taylor Moore on C Pam Zhang’s How Much Of These Hills Is Gold ( The A.V. Club )

Describing Zhang’s wildly imaginative debut novel is hard, but Moore manages to convey the book’s shape and texture in less than 800 words, along with some critical analysis.

“Despite some characteristics endemic to Wild West narratives (buzzards circling prey, saloons filled with seedy strangers), the world of How Much Of These Hills Is Gold feels wholly original, and Zhang imbues its wide expanse with magical realism. According to local lore, tigers lurk in the shadows, despite having died out ‘decades ago’ with the buffalo. There also exists a profound sense of loss for an exploited land, ‘stripped of its gold, its rivers, its buffalo, its Indians, its tigers, its jackals, its birds and its green and its living.’”

Grace Ebert on Paul Christman’s Midwest Futures ( Chicago Review of Books )

I love how Ebert brings her lived experience as a Midwesterner into this review of Christman’s essay collection. (Disclosure: I founded the Chicago Review of Books five years ago, but handed over the keys in July 2019.)

“I have a deep and genuine love for Wisconsin, for rural supper clubs that always offer a choice between chicken soup or an iceberg lettuce salad, and for driving back, country roads that seemingly are endless. This love, though, is conflicting. How can I sing along to Waylon Jennings, Tanya Tucker, and Merle Haggard knowing that my current political views are in complete opposition to the lyrics I croon with a twang in my voice?”

Michael Schaub on Bryan Washington’s Memorial ( NPR )

How do you review a book you fall in love with? It’s one of the most challenging assignments a critic can tackle. But Schaub is a pro; he falls in love with a few books every year.

“Washington is an enormously gifted author, and his writing—spare, unadorned, but beautiful—reads like the work of a writer who’s been working for decades, not one who has yet to turn 30. Just like Lot, Memorial  is a quietly stunning book, a masterpiece that asks us to reflect on what we owe to the people who enter our lives.”

Mesha Maren on Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season ( Southern Review of Books )

Maren opens with an irresistible comparison between Melchor’s irreverent novel and medieval surrealist art. (Another Disclosure: I founded the Southern Review of Books in early 2020.)

“Have you ever wondered what internal monologue might accompany the characters in a Hieronymus Bosch painting? What are the couple copulating upside down in the middle of that pond thinking? Or the man with flowers sprouting from his ass? Or the poor fellow being killed by a fire-breathing creature which is itself impaled upon a knife? I would venture to guess that their voices would sound something like the writing of Mexican novelist Fernanda Melchor.”

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When you finish your book, write up a 250-500 word response of your own (we know how to use Google, plagiarizers!) and post it in the comments down below. Don’t forget to check out your classmates’ book reviews for ideas for your next book.

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A Story of Disrupted Youth

“If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.” Picture life as a child playing in a rye field. Innocence is foiled by the fact that one cannot see over the rye, even while standing on one’s very front toes. Life is simple and carefree. If one might slip—a fall out of innocence—a catcher is there to stop such progress from happening. Is such an existence desirable; is ignorance truly bliss?

In Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a teenager who embarks on a journey, which forces him to come to terms with the adult world and the evils that reside within. He is an individual fueled by cynicism and angered by the believed hypocrisy of the world, which ultimately leads to his impending breakdown. His views and attitude cause him much harm throughout the book, as he struggles to break free from his damaging choices. Although some could say the evils of society and the actual hypocrisy of the world could cause a mental breakdown, Holden Caulfield’s inability to overcome the “phoniness” of the adult world and his chosen alienation from society are the true catalysts of his own mental downfall.

One of Holden Caulfield’s problems is that he won’t take advice from the adults that surround him. He points out the flaws of adulthood through the superficial qualities of his superiors or he fails to even listen to what is being said. When Holden visits Mr. Spencer before he leaves Pencey Prep, he feels a lecture coming on. From the moment he walks in the door, he wishes that he hadn’t come at all. Mr. Spencer tries to tell Holden that he is going down the wrong path: that he must apply himself or face the consequences of failure in life. Instead of using Mr. Spencer’s advice wisely, Holden comments on the flaws that he sees within the adult. He can’t stand the fact that Mr. Spencer is old and smells of medicine. Holden allows his cynical views on Mr. Spencer’s guidance to push him into a thicker veil of isolation. He points out the moments that sicken him because he can’t stand the thought of the adult world. The ugliness makes him cringe and writhe. Whether or not he wants to become an adult, it will eventually happen. Holden chooses to fight the idea rather than ride with it.

Another problem Holden has is that he allows his academics to suffer because of his simple lack of motivation. Throughout his educational career, he flunks out of multiple prep schools, and while at Pencey Prep, he fails everything he attempts except for English. He flunks out of everything because he cannot connect with there importance and he cannot connect with society. His tendency to be an outcast works against his progress as a student. The only subject that he passes is English because he holds a connection to English. Everyone that he holds true to his heart excels in the area of writing. D.B., his older brother, writes movies for Hollywood. Phoebe, his little sister, is a very gifted, young writer. And Allie, his deceased younger sibling, used to write poetry that Holden cared a lot about. Each person acts as a personal hero for Holden. Without them, it would be safe to say that Holden wouldn’t pass English either. Holden’s intellectual absence from school acts as another force of isolation counting against him. It causes him to resent adults that he once used to look up to as he disappoints them and moves on.

To further increase his very own alienation, Holden surrounds himself with symbols of nonconformity. He wears a distracting hunting hat, throughout the book, that makes him stand out as an individual. The hunting hat acts as a symbol of alienation. He believes it separates himself from the “phonies” of the world. Holden cannot stand the notion of being recognized or viewed as if he were everyone else. Becoming the very thing he despises in the world would cause him to sink into unthinkable depression. He doesn’t want to be an adult because it hurts and it’s evil. Holden also drinks and smokes in his dorm when he isn’t supposed to. The idea of him breaking rules allows him to separate himself from his fellow peers. Other students don’t smoke in the dorm rooms out of respect and belief of order. Holden, however, disregards such beliefs that are imposed by the “phony” adults that surround him. Holden’s constant self-imposed removal from society questions his stability as a human that needs love just as much as every other human.

Because of his estrangement from society, Holden is unable to love, causing him to lack emotional and physical interaction. Throughout most of his journey, Holden fantasizes about calling up his old friend Jane Gallagher. Jane is a character of great importance to Holden because he once held a connection with her. He understood her problems and pain. She acted as some sort of hope to prevent Holden from slipping into isolation. His seclusion causes him to think of calling her up, but he allows his fears to overcome this possibility. Holden also confusingly asks another girl, Sally, to go on a date with him while he was in the middle of his journey. His boredom compels him to give her a call, but his alienation ultimately pushes her away, as he insults her. Holden then, also, finds himself in a dangerous sexual situation when he decides to purchase a prostitute’s time, as he struggles with the idea of sex and love. Of the numerous situations Holden finds himself in, they all end up going terribly wrong because he ultimately cannot love anyone else until he loves himself and allows his seclusion from society to stop. While he is removed and secluded, whether it is mentally or physically, Holden cannot allow himself to receive love and affection. Without this love, Holden plunges deeper and deeper into isolation as he begins to rapidly lose connection to the very last strands of his own hope.

Penultimately, Holden can’t deal with the real world. Throughout the book, Holden struggles with the idea that the adult world is phony. He is an atheist who doesn’t believe in life after death (or at least struggles with the idea of no life after death). When he meets two nuns that treat him well, he begins to become conflicted with the idea that all adults are phony. Previously, he had seen the world through his cynical lens as a hypocritical and evil playground for adults. After he talks to the nuns, though, and hears that they too enjoy such literature as Romeo and Juliet, his ideas become confusing. Romeo and Juliet doesn’t seem like something a nun would read to Holden, it being filled with violence, sex, and all. The nuns make him doubt the overall phoniness of both the world and religion. His run-in with Maurice and Sunny on the other hand, reinforce his views on the phoniness of the adult world. After paying the prostitute for a service that he never even got, she comes back wanting more money. Holden tells her and Maurice no and is then beaten to a pulp. This outcome from a very adult situation, of purchasing a prostitute, shows that Holden can’t handle an adult situation. He acts in a childish manner and ends up crying. Holden allows himself to take part in adult situations, but he is still innocent altogether. Also, Holden’s date with Sally shows his isolation was increasing. He acts on impulse and trieds to persuade Sally to marry and live in seclusion with him when he doesn’t even love her. The increased isolation and conflicts with the phoniness of the adult world reinforce the fact that Holden can’t handle the real world. He is unstable and can only handle so much conflict.

Lastly, Holden wants to prevent overall innocence from being dilapidated. Towards the end of the novel, Holden mentions to his sister, Phoebe that he’d like to be “the catcher in the rye.” As the catcher in the rye, Holden would prevent all the children that are playing in the rye from falling over the wayside. Figuratively speaking, he would be preventing them from breeching innocence and allowing them to carry on their own journeys. Holden doesn’t believe anyone should have to suffer adulthood, let alone himself. This idea comes from a popular song at the time, which actually reads off as “if a body meet a body comin’ through the rye”, rather than the way Holden hears it: “if a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.” The fact that Holden hears the wrong lyrics to the song that seems to spark such a profound change in his character shows that he is only willing to hear what he wants to hear. He didn’t want to hear the opposite lyrics from the beginning. He heard “if a body catch a body comin’ through the rye” because that is what he wanted to hear. Those lyrics didn’t spark any change within Holden that wasn’t already there. They just allowed Holden to collect his subconscious thoughts into the childish belief that he could actually become “the catcher in the rye”: the “hero” of innocence. Holden also has this need to prevent children from seeing any sort of swear words. Although he swears, Holden makes an undying effort to rub out every swear word, on the walls, that he sees, while he visits Phoebe’s school. This act is yet another attempt to prevent the children that surround him from being exposed to the “evils” that inhabit adulthood. Both the idea of being “the catcher in the rye” and the act of rubbing out each swear word that he sees shows that Holden is intent upon not letting anyone, including himself, become an adult. He doesn’t want anyone to suffer the pain and evils, which inhabit adulthood.

In the end, Holden Caulfield suffers a mental breakdown as a result of his chosen alienation from society and his inability to overcome the “phoniness” of the adult world. By not listening to advice, allowing his academics to suffer, surrounding himself with symbols of nonconformity, choosing not to connect, and by preventing innocence from being breeched, Holden further pushes himself down the wrong path. Everyone falls off the deep end once in awhile. By breaking such inscrutable innocence, we have the potential to reach new resolutions, and reaching newfound resolutions are what allow us to change into the people we’ll eventually become. Holden falls off the deep end, but what separates him from most people is that his own conflicts and problems prevent him from reaching his needed resolution. By the end of his journey, Holden doesn’t learn a thing. Even after his mental collapse, Holden still holds onto his same old mindset. Such an example of disrupted youth makes us question our own innocence. Do we want to be or try to prevent innocence from ever discontinuing? Do we want our own “catcher in the rye?” Or are we willing to suffer a little to gain a lot? “If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.”

I Read the book Life of Pi. I am Jeremy Higley. Please let us enjoy. Please I am no writer.

The main storyline is to tell you about a man named Piscine Molitor Patel. Known to all as Pi Patel. The main adventure, the main plot line, that the book sells for is the fact that he survived on a boat with a tiger. He had many stories to tell about his life while growing up and after his trials at sea.

You already know he survives the whole ordeal. The story is split up within three main ideas. The first idea is his childhood. Second is his dilemma. Third, wraps up the story on how he got back to health. Within each idea, there is a main time line but it doesn’t have to stay with it. Each chapter has a point and can be very small or rather large.

I really enjoyed the layout of the book. I must make note of the ways of memory. It wasn’t truly the way Pi Patel remembers. It was truly the way Pi Patel went and the author wrote out. It seemed so real and natural. The flow was nice and the moments of excitement were spaced throughout in such a way that allowed you to breathe and enjoy the small moments where it droned on.

They would read it for the adventure. How would one survive being in a boat with a wild animal? Once that question jumps into the heads of people they’d want to read the book. That’s why I wanted to read the book. I didn’t expect it to be a life story but it was a good story all the same.

I don’t really understand the layout of such a layout. Pi Patel had been living on a zoo and enjoyed his time there. He learned a lot about animals and his experiences proved he quite enjoyed it. His name was brought on by a family friend. His shortened name had to be creatively made. They eventually left the zoo, he kept hinting towards the zoos dissappearence, and went on a boat to Canada. It didn’t make it and he ended up on a smaller boat with a tiger. There were enough survival supplies on the boat which led him to survive. Him dealing with the tiger, you’d have to read the book.

I don’t really understand the layout of such a layout. Pi Patel had been living on a zoo and enjoyed his time there. He learned a lot about animals and his experiences proved he quite enjoyed it. His name was brought on by a family friend. His shortened name had to be creatively made. They eventually left the zoo, he kept hinting towards the zoos disappearance, and went on a boat to Canada. It didn’t make it and he ended up on a smaller boat with a tiger. There were enough survival supplies on the boat which led him to survive. Him dealing with the tiger, you’d have to read the book.

“The Virgin Suicides” is a novel about a group of teenage boys who slowly watch a family fall apart. The boys are in love with a group of girls at their school, the Lisbon sisters. The sisters are misunderstood at school and keep mostly to themselves. Out of nowhere, the youngest daughter Cecilia attempts suicide and slits her wrists in the bath tub. Mr. Lisbon, a school teacher, takes a leave of absence and none of the family leaves the house for a year The Lisbons are always gossiped about by the neighbors who slowly watch as their house and lives deteriorate. The story tells about how the boys, even as they age, never get over the girls and their suicides. The story is narrated by the group of boys, although you never know which one is telling it. The author uses a lot of detail and draws attention to small events and it really makes the story interesting. The author tells how all the characters are feeling which gives them a lot of dimension and makes you feel for the characters when the girls eventually kill themselves. I liked how the book has a simple story line, but at the same time it was packed with detail and interesting characters. I found it hard to put it down even though I had seen the movie version before and knew what happened. I’m morbid, and I like reading about anything tragic. This book is not a happy book, but it’s laced with dark comedy. I think other students should read this book because I know a lot of teenagers think about suicide. This isn’t a glamorized version of suicide, and it really shows that you can make a big impact on a lot of people without realizing it.

What happened to my paragraphs? 😡

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is about a glamorous, gold-digging socialite, Holly Golightly, who makes a living as a call girl. And a writer, who is nicknamed “Fred“, living in New York City in the forties. The two live in the same apartment building along with a photographer and others. The novel is about the time they spend together, the situations Holly gets herself and Fred into, and loving someone who can’t love you back.

The book made me a bit sad. The movie is my favorite movie and I was disappointed to find out that the book doesn’t have the same happy ending. But the book gave more detail into the characters’ lives and personalities. The author doesn’t sugar coat anything or try to censor language and I liked that.

I really liked this novel and I’ve been needing and excuse to read it for a while. I like the movie and book version, but I consider them to be separate because the stories are quite different. I relate to Holly’s character a lot. She seems emotionally cold and aloof at times, but she’s really not that way. She doesn’t like to seem vulnerable. She’s independent. Watching Fred try to save her from herself and love her when she won’t let him pulls on my heart strings.

I recommend students at this school to read this because the novel and film are both classics. You can’t go wrong with a classic. Just don’t go into reading the book expecting it to be like the movie.

The Shipping News is a story about a man’s life that is full of bad news until he moves to Newfoundland. Quoyle is a sad man and knows himself as a failure. He was abused as a child by his horrible father, but earlier on in the story his father leaves a voice mail saying him and his wife are going to kill themselves and made arrangements to be cremated. He also meets a skanky woman, Petal, who he uncontrollably falls for. Then she turns on him by cheating, even while he is in the other room. Then one day she decides to leave with another man and their daughters, Bunny and Sunshine. She then sells the girls to a molester and afterwards dies in a car accident. Quoyle is having a hard time and his Aunt comes to help out. They decided to move to Newfoundland to start over and possibly fix up the old family house. Their Quoyle will have to deal with his fears of water and car accidents because he assigned to report on those two subjects. They deal with tier ancestors mistakes and move on. I really enjoyed this book and I’m glad how in a way, he had overcame all the hardships he faced earlier on. I loved how the writer, E. Annie Proulx, had the beginning of the chapters as different knots and how those knots related to the chapter and also how in the story there was someone leaving mysterious knots around Quoyle’s house. I think the story was beautifully written and it made me really feel the lonesomeness of Quoyle and how even the little things like his children throwing a tantrum made me pissed because how much he has gone through and tried so hard to go forward. My favorite character is the Aunt because she is the support, the rock of the family. She, I think, holds them together. She is an intelligent woman who tells it how it is and tells you what you need and I think the reason I admire that most because I wish there would be someone like her in everyone’s life, though I wish for her not be harmed the way she was by the Guy who is Quoyle’s father. I would love to see people read this book because I think she shows something in it in a way I never seen it done. Some deep sadness but it ends in happiness but you still feel a bit empty, for me at least. Yeah, I would say it’s worth it.

Allen Hamrick 4th period Lord of the flies

Lord of the flies is the story of a group of children who are stranded on an island, after a wartime evacuation in which their plane crashed, and what they go through to survive until they can be rescued, one of their main duty’s it to keep a signal fire burning at all times to attract boats or planes or anything that might help them.

On the island the children separate into specialized groups, one for hunting, on for providing the shelter, and one for maintaining the signal fire. As the days go on the leader of the hunters, Jack, takes all of the children down to hunt a wild pig, even the ones maintaining the signal fire. Although the hunt is successful, a ship passed by during the hunt and the signal fire had gone out. Around this time some of the children had reported seeing a “beast” which Jack promises to kill. While searching for it they encounter the corpse and the open parachute of a fighter pilot who has landed on the island and mistake it as the “beast” sleeping.

I like how this book is basically, a decent into savagery. This is really just me talking but that kind of thing really speaks to me, doing what you can and must to survive. It also speaks to my childhood a bit, a bunch of children all alone and getting along with each other for a little while but eventually tension begins to grow and they stop trusting each other. It also reminded me of an old story I heard about military personnel stranded on an island, they took a bunch of bullets before finally going down. I don’t know exactly why I put that in there… just weird I guess.

As for my recommendation I would say that anybody interested in island survival, eating a pig and fire (I know that speaks to a lot of people at East Hollywood) this book is defiantly something you will want to read and something I recommend mike Jones to read next term wink wink… all fooling aside I do think this would be a good book for most people at EHHS, I didn’t pick up much of the historical context stuff though but I think that’s just me.

Chelsea Silva Period 4th How to kill a Mockingbird

How to kill a Mockingbird was a really hard book for me to get into but once I did it was really interesting to me. I liked how the sister and the brother had such a bond between each other like Jem was always there for Scout. A another thing I really liked was the mystery in the book like knowing who was Boo Radley. It was said about Toms death when he didn’t even do anything I thought that was really messed up. Know to get on with what I think of the book. This book was about a little place called maycomb where three kids manly just wanting to know whats going on. They want to know about Boo Radley but they hear bad things about Boo. They also want to find out what there Dad (Attics) is up too, so they follow him around to see whats going on and find him protecting Tom the black man who people say raped a 14 year old but was framed. The kids went to the court about Tom and Tom was found guilty so Tom ran and supposable and they killed him. Then Jem takes Scout to a play at school and when its over its really late and they both start walking home in the woods and they hear sounds. Well thats as much as I can tell you if you want to know what happens next if someone gets hurt or dies or raped or if its Boo Radley then you should read the book and find out. What was unique about How to kill a Mockingbird was well the courage the kids had and the faith they had in there father. I don’t really know to much about the author of the book besides her name Harper Lee. This was still a unique book and I am sure that something like this has happened before hey it could still happen now. What did I like about this book? Well there was a lot I liked. Like how Jem would always do these dangerous things but he would still always be there for his sister. Another thing I like was the mystery in it on who Boo was and if he was bad or good. I really liked all the friendship in this book I think it brings out people when they read books like this it did me anyways. I think people should read this book because its really popular and it was really interesting I think a lot of people would like this book because it keeps you thinking and it may just be me but when you keep thinking about a book nonstop then of course its good its the type that keeps you locked into it and you just don’t want to stop reading and once you get done you just want to read it over and over. I think you should read this book because I am sure you’ll like it. It may be hard to get into but once you do it will be great. That my opinion though.

Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caulfeild and his transition into adulthood and the “real world”, he often criticizes people for being “phony”. After being expelled from school, Holden goes to New York to live. While there he is shown how cruel and fake adult life is and how people act in New York during that time period. After getting fed up with the city after 3 short days he decides to sneak back home when his parents aren’t home to visit his sister, Phoebe, who views her older brother as a “hero”. Unknown to Phoebe, Holden feels the same way because Phoebe is still in the stage where the real world and adult life have not taken away her innocence and he considers it his duty to protect her from the adult world, referring to himself as “the catcher in the rye”, the “rye” meaning the point of child like innocence, so that he can be the catcher who keeps her from going out of it.

Something different about this book that I noticed is that at the end Holden seems to be in the same mindset and really doesn’t seem to have changed a lot, he always had a dark outlook on life and his experiences really supported that. Usually in the books I have read the main character seems almost completely different at the end after some kind of realization, Holden did have a realization but it didnt seem to phase him.

I did like how it put everything out in the truth light and it really seemed to do its research on what things were like back then and how highschool life is, wither you are a dropout or not, the end of highschool is a big realization point in life, even close to then end can be as people prepare for moving out on their own and in some cases juggling collage and a job with finances and relationships with family. So with me being a senior and highschool almost being over for me this was relateable and it was a bit different but enjoyable at the same time, and in my opinion as long as its enjoyable its a decent book.

I would recommend this book but only for people of a certain age, probably 16+, not because of suggestive themes but because at that age you will likely get the most out of it. However most English classes have been reading this book so pick it up on your free time or not chances are your are gonna encounter it at some point so you might as well enjoy it when you do.

L Change the World

L change the world is a book inspired by the TV series: Death Note. It is an alternate reality to the TV series where the world’s greatest detective, L, defeats the mass murderer: Kira. L takes possession of Kira’s weapon, the death note. Any human who’s name is written in the death note will die, the person must have the victim’s face in their mind while writing their name of it will not take effect, if a cause of death is written soon after writing the victim’s name it will happen, if not they will die of a heart attack, and any human who has used a death note can neither go to heaven or hell for eternity.

The show was based around a high school student, Light, who finds the death note and decided to change the rotten world by killing all the criminals with the the death note, his goals change slightly when L trys to stop him, and he focuses on trying to learn L’s real name. L befriends light in order to find out if he is Kira. In the end L becomes emotionally unwell after finding out the truth and so he decides to write his own name in the death note so that he can join Light in the world of nothingness.

Before L can take his final rest, a deadly virus is discovered and falls into the hands of a terrorist organization. The only hope for a cure rests in the daughter of a scientist who had discovered a cure shortly before the terrorist group killed him.

In my opinion this was a good book, it was interesting enough to keep my attention throughout the entire book, witch is very hard to do. As a fan of the TV series I wish that the events of the TV series were mentioned more because lets face it, the only reason somebody would pick this up is if they liked the show. There weren’t many familiar characters at all outside of L, and they few that were mentioned weren’t mentioned for very long at all.

All In all it was a good book and I didn’t loose anything from reading it so if you have a chance I would recommend it, but chances are you wont enjoy it much unless you enjoyed the TV show.

(PS: I really hope I’m posting this in the right place)

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Blog – Posted on Friday, Mar 29

17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

Are you interested in becoming a book reviewer? We recommend you check out Reedsy Discovery , where you can earn money for writing reviews — and are guaranteed people will read your reviews! To register as a book reviewer, sign up here.

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

How much of a book nerd are you, really?

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Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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Book Review Writing

Book Review Examples

Book Review Examples to Help You Get Started

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How to Write a Book Review - A Step By Step Guide

A Complete Book Review Format Guide For Students

Are you in desperate need of some assistance to up your book review writing game? 

We know that penning down a review can come off as a tricky challenge, but do not worry!

To help you write book reviews that carry the essence of the book and engage readers, we have collected a handful of book review examples in this blog. 

The included examples will enable you to understand different writing styles and approaches taken toward book review writing . So, you can use your words effectively to craft the perfect book review.

Let’s kickstart things off!

• 1. Good Book Review Examples for Students
• 2. Short Book Review Examples for Fiction Books
• 3. Non-Fiction Book Review Examples

Good Book Review Examples for Students

You might be a professional writer, or you may not have any experience in writing book reviews. Rest assured, we’ll show you how to write perfect book reviews with the help of a sample template and great examples.

See this template to know what you should include in your book review: 

Book Review Template

Here is a good book review example for 4th-grade students:

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Book Review Examples for Middle School Students

Reading reviews written by others can help you get a feel and flavor of good book reviews. Learning how to write a perfect book review can help students to:

• Critically analyze a text
• Give a personal opinion on the text
• Improve analyzing and critical thinking skills 

Here are some interesting book review examples suitable for middle school students. 

Book Review Example for Middle School Students

Book Review Example for Kids

Book Review of Any Book in 300 Words

Science Book Review Example

Book Review Examples For High School Students

Below, you can also find some good book review examples for high school students. These real-life examples can help you get a clear understanding of the standard book review format that you should follow.

Book Review Example for High School Students

Book Review Examples for Class 9

Book Review Example for Grade 10

Book Review Examples for College Students

As a college student, you are required to demonstrate that you have examined the book from different angles. The points you raise in your book review need to be supported with clear facts and evidence.

The following are some interesting critical book review examples for college students to learn how to write a perfect review. 

Book Review Example for Class 12

Short Book Review for Students

Conclusion of Book Review Example

Short Book Review Examples for Fiction Books

Fiction book reviews follow the same basic formula as writing book reviews of any other genre. For your help, we have compiled exciting examples of fiction book reviews that you can get valuable assistance from. 

Short Book Review Example for Fiction Books

Book Review of Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

“The Hazel Wood” by Melissa Albert is a work of fiction and falls into fantasy and young adult fiction genres. The novel revolves around fantastical fairy tales, and magical realism, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

Here is an example of a comprehensive review of the book Hazel Wood:

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Non-Fiction Book Review Examples

For reviewing a non-fiction book, you are required to describe the book and summarize major points of interest. You should evaluate the author’s contribution to a subject that you may know very little about.

Here is a great non-fiction book review example to help you come up with a critical perspective on a text. 

Non-Fiction Book Review Example

Hopefully, with the help of the above examples, you get a better idea of how to write a perfect book review.

To wrap it up, Writing a great book review is a tricky task, no matter if you are a high school, college, or university student. Book review writing might seem like a simple task, but it requires excellent analyzing and critical thinking skills.

But, not everyone can crack this task easily. They might need additional help from expert book review writers. That’s why our expert essay writing service offers professional book review writing help whenever you need it. 

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How to Write a Book Review: Awesome Guide

A book review allows students to illustrate the author's intentions of writing the piece, as well as create a criticism of the book — as a whole. In other words, form an opinion of the author's presented ideas. Check out this guide from EssayPro — book review writing service to learn how to write a book review successfully.

What Is a Book Review?

You may prosper, “what is a book review?”. Book reviews are commonly assigned students to allow them to show a clear understanding of the novel. And to check if the students have actually read the book. The essay format is highly important for your consideration, take a look at the book review format below.

Book reviews are assigned to allow students to present their own opinion regarding the author’s ideas included in the book or passage. They are a form of literary criticism that analyzes the author’s ideas, writing techniques, and quality. A book analysis is entirely opinion-based, in relevance to the book. They are good practice for those who wish to become editors, due to the fact, editing requires a lot of criticism.

Book Review Template

The book review format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Introduction
• Describe the book cover and title.
• Include any subtitles at this stage.
• Include the Author’s Name.
• Write a brief description of the novel.
• Briefly introduce the main points of the body in your book review.
• Avoid mentioning any opinions at this time.
• Use about 3 quotations from the author’s novel.
• Summarize the quotations in your own words.
• Mention your own point-of-view of the quotation.
• Remember to keep every point included in its own paragraph.
• In brief, summarize the quotations.
• In brief, summarize the explanations.
• Finish with a concluding sentence.
• This can include your final opinion of the book.
• Star-Rating (Optional).

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How to Write a Book Review: Step-By-Step

Writing a book review is something that can be done with every novel. Book reviews can apply to all novels, no matter the genre. Some genres may be harder than others. On the other hand, the book review format remains the same. Take a look at these step-by-step instructions from our professional writers to learn how to write a book review in-depth.

Step 1: Planning

Create an essay outline which includes all of the main points you wish to summarise in your book analysis. Include information about the characters, details of the plot, and some other important parts of your chosen novel. Reserve a body paragraph for each point you wish to talk about.

Consider these points before writing:

• What is the plot of the book? Understanding the plot enables you to write an effective review.
• Is the plot gripping? Does the plot make you want to continue reading the novel? Did you enjoy the plot? Does it manage to grab a reader’s attention?
• Are the writing techniques used by the author effective? Does the writer imply factors in-between the lines? What are they?
• Are the characters believable? Are the characters logical? Does the book make the characters are real while reading?
• Would you recommend the book to anyone? The most important thing: would you tell others to read this book? Is it good enough? Is it bad?
• What could be better? Keep in mind the quotes that could have been presented better. Criticize the writer.

Step 2: Introduction

Presumably, you have chosen your book. To begin, mention the book title and author’s name. Talk about the cover of the book. Write a thesis statement regarding the fictitious story or non-fictional novel. Which briefly describes the quoted material in the book review.

Step 3: Body

Choose a specific chapter or scenario to summarise. Include about 3 quotes in the body. Create summaries of each quote in your own words. It is also encouraged to include your own point-of-view and the way you interpret the quote. It is highly important to have one quote per paragraph.

Step 4: Conclusion

Write a summary of the summarised quotations and explanations, included in the body paragraphs. After doing so, finish book analysis with a concluding sentence to show the bigger picture of the book. Think to yourself, “Is it worth reading?”, and answer the question in black and white. However, write in-between the lines. Avoid stating “I like/dislike this book.”

Step 5: Rate the Book (Optional)

After writing a book review, you may want to include a rating. Including a star-rating provides further insight into the quality of the book, to your readers. Book reviews with star-ratings can be more effective, compared to those which don’t. Though, this is entirely optional.

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Writing Tips

Here is the list of tips for the book review:

• A long introduction can certainly lower one’s grade: keep the beginning short. Readers don’t like to read the long introduction for any essay style.
• It is advisable to write book reviews about fiction: it is not a must. Though, reviewing fiction can be far more effective than writing about a piece of nonfiction
• Avoid Comparing: avoid comparing your chosen novel with other books you have previously read. Doing so can be confusing for the reader.
• Opinion Matters: including your own point-of-view is something that is often encouraged when writing book reviews.
• Refer to Templates: a book review template can help a student get a clearer understanding of the required writing style.
• Don’t be Afraid to Criticize: usually, your own opinion isn’t required for academic papers below Ph.D. level. On the other hand, for book reviews, there’s an exception.
• Use Positivity: include a fair amount of positive comments and criticism.
• Review The Chosen Novel: avoid making things up. Review only what is presented in the chosen book.
• Enjoyed the book? If you loved reading the book, state it. Doing so makes your book analysis more personalized.

Writing a book review is something worth thinking about. Professors commonly assign this form of an assignment to students to enable them to express a grasp of a novel. Following the book review format is highly useful for beginners, as well as reading step-by-step instructions. Writing tips is also useful for people who are new to this essay type. If you need a book review or essay, ask our book report writing services ' write paper for me ' and we'll give you a hand asap!

We also recommend that everyone read the article about essay topics . It will help broaden your horizons in writing a book review as well as other papers.

Book Review Examples

Referring to a book review example is highly useful to those who wish to get a clearer understanding of how to review a book. Take a look at our examples written by our professional writers. Click on the button to open the book review examples and feel free to use them as a reference.

Book review

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’

Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is a novel aimed at youngsters. The plot, itself, is not American humor, but that of Great Britain. In terms of sarcasm, and British-related jokes. The novel illustrates a fair mix of the relationships between the human-like animals, and wildlife. The narrative acts as an important milestone in post-Victorian children’s literature.

Book Review

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’

Dr. John’s ‘Pollution’ consists of 3 major parts. The first part is all about the polluted ocean. The second being about the pollution of the sky. The third part is an in-depth study of how humans can resolve these issues. The book is a piece of non-fiction that focuses on modern-day pollution ordeals faced by both animals and humans on Planet Earth. It also focuses on climate change, being the result of the global pollution ordeal.

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How To Write A Book Review?

What to include in a book review, what is a book review, related articles.

• How To Write A Book Review

How to Write a Book Review: Tips for Writing a Book Review

A book review is an individual’s critique about what the book is about and what another reader can expect from it. In short, it is an individual’s thoughts on the book. It is written after you have read a book. It is a great way of letting fellow readers know about the book — let your readers know if the book is exciting or boring. Whether writing on social media or on your personal blog, try to make it informative and helpful to the readers.

To help you write a good book review, we have provided a few tips. Read the article and try writing a book review on your own.

Table of Contents

Topic or hook, essential information about the book, basic summary, praise and critiques, recommendations, tips for writing a book review, frequently asked questions on how to write a book review, what to include in a book review.

To write a review of a book and grab the audience’s attention, you will have to add the important points listed below.

• Topic or hook
• Essential book information
• Basic summary
• Praise and critique
• Recommendation

While writing a book review, keep in mind that the added information must be your own. It must be your personal opinion and review of the book.

A topic or a hook can be added in the very first sentence of the book review. It is like an introduction, which must be attention-grabbing and must sound interesting. The first sentence or the hook makes the readers want to read the review instead of scrolling past it. The hook can be a statement or a question that creates curiosity in the reader’s mind.

Mentioning the details of the book, like the name of the author, the title, the year of publication, etc. is essential. Keep in mind to add only the important details of the book rather than adding all the information. Do not forget to mention if the book is a part of any series, and whether they should read the other series before reading this book.

Share a storyline synopsis with your audience so they can get a sense of what the story is about. To prevent spoiling the suspense of the story for your audience, it’s best to leave out the book’s climax or finale, and avoid giving out spoilers. Remember that it is not a complete summary, so make sure you just give a short outline to the story and not the entire story.

For example, it is always better to just state that the plot has an unexpected twist instead of revealing the name of the villain or any such spoilers.

Summarising a book or a topic is easy but criticising the book is the most crucial part. You can say if the book was a good read or a bad read but that alone is not very helpful. You will have to mention the valid reasons why you would or would not recommend the book. Sharing your own thoughts and opinions will help your audience decide if they wish to read the book or not.

After you have shared your critiques, you can give your recommendation to people if they should read the book or not. Remember that your recommendations must have some valid reasons to prove that your recommendations are valid.

Your ratings shall matter to a lot of people. Nowadays, we all check the ratings of a particular product before buying it. Similarly, a lot of people check the ratings of a book before buying it. So before rating it, make sure to provide the rationale for the same.

• Keeping the Review Short and Crisp: A review is written to make the book understandable to the readers. Therefore, the length of the review is a matter of concern. Writing lengthy reviews can make it sound confusing to the audience.
• Proofreading and Editing: Make certain that your spelling and punctuation are correct. A review with numerous typos might be difficult to read and may not be regarded seriously.
• Do Not Use Harsh Language: You can give your honest reviews but also keep in mind that the writer has put in a lot of effort to write the book and to publish it. Be honest with your reviews but try to use mild language. Imagine yourself in the shoes of the author, and write accordingly, consider their feelings too. However, you should never let that affect your final judgement of the book.

What is a book review?

A book review is an individual’s critique about what the book is about and what another reader can expect from it. In short, it is an individual’s thoughts on the book.

Why is a book review important?

A book review is essential for the audience to know the ratings of a book. It lets the audience know if the book can be recommended to someone or not. The reader can get a brief idea of what the book is about.

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Review | 12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future

Summary: 12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Futur e

I was intrigued by the title 12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Futur e (who wouldn’t be?), and even though I’m wary of fantasy titles, this one worked! On her 12th half birthday, her parents surprisingly gift her their approval to post on social networks. Thrilled, Harper starts posting TikTok videos like her idol, Blake Riley. Her first video goes viral and brings her closer to the popular crew in her school who only befriend her so she can teach them her edits. Their interest in her creates a rift between Harper and her best friend Ava. In the midst of the chaos, Harper tries a TikTok filter, which combined with a wish to be 22 suddenly makes her 22!

Unfortunately, her future is much different than she imagined. Her little sister is now a teen (aww!). She’s now working for Blake Riley (yay) and so is popular girl Celia who she’s now friends with. But she and Ava have lost touch as have she and her childhood friend and crush. Is being 22 as great as she imagined? Or will she just want her old life back? And can she even get it back? Or is it too late?

This is a seriously fun book! It’s pegged as 13 Going on 30 for middle graders and it’s fairly spot on, although many middle graders who read this may not have even seen the movie. Still, the feeling is the same. Harper is flustered by the mechanics of being an adult and having a job. The future is also more techy than expected with self-driven cars being the norm and electronic assistants being projected from mobile phones.

I loved seeing everyone grown up — from Harper’s sister Reese, to her parents and her schoolmates and friends/frenemies. Time jump stories are always so satisfying because they answer the questions we all have about our futures. I loved watching Harper realize what matters most in life and this can be a powerful story to show tweens that seeking approval and validation from the popular crowd isn’t always as fulfilling in the long run, especially when it makes us someone we’re not.

Overall: 12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future

12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future is a charming, light, feel-good story about time travel , social media, and treasuring friendships. This delightful middle grade novel will appeal to fans of the 13 Going on 30 movie and 11 Birthdays . Anyone who loves time loop stories will enjoy this book. I totally recommend it if you’re looking for something easy and enjoyable to read.

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• Sisterhood of Sleuths by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
• An Occasionally Happy Family by Cliff Burke
• Where You’ve Got to Be by Caroline Gertler

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• About Afoma Umesi

Afoma Umesi is the founder and editor of Reading Middle Grade where she curates book lists and writes book reviews for kids of all ages. Her favorite genre to read is contemporary realistic fiction and she'll never say no to a graphic novel.

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Senior English Review Exercises: Grade 12 Paperback – January 1, 2000

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Language English
• Publisher Educators Pub Svc Inc
• Publication date January 1, 2000
• Grade level 10 - 12
• Reading age 17 years and up
• Dimensions 8 x 0.25 x 10.75 inches
• ISBN-10 0838800300
• ISBN-13 978-0838800300
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Educators Pub Svc Inc; Workbook edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0838800300
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0838800300
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 17 years and up
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.25 x 10.75 inches
• #453 in Teen & Young Adult Grammar

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