Write Reviews of Books or Movies

A review is one of the most useful pieces of writing in everyday life. When you want to know whether a book is worth reading or a movie is worth watching, you look up a review. Today you will learn to write one — and to do it well enough that your reader can make a real decision based on your words.

The four parts of a review

• Title — the name of the book or movie, the author or director, and the genre (adventure, comedy, mystery, fantasy). This line tells the reader exactly what is being reviewed.
• Summary — a short, spoiler-free description of what the book or movie is about. Two to three sentences maximum. Think of it as the back-of-the-book blurb.
• Opinion — your evaluation. Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Must include at least one specific reason — not "I liked it" but "I liked it because the main character made me laugh every chapter."
• Star rating — a number from 1 to 5 stars with a one-line justification that matches the opinion.

Writing a spoiler-free summary

• A summary describes: who the main character is, where they are, and what challenge or goal drives the story — without saying how it ends.
• Good summary starters: "This book follows...", "The story is about...", "Set in..., this adventure..."
• Stop before the turning point or reveal.

Writing a specific opinion

• Weak opinion: "I really liked this book. It was great." — No reason given.
• Strong opinion: "I loved this book because the author made every scene feel like I was right there beside the characters." — Specific reason.
• Opinion starters: I loved, I enjoyed, I found, I thought, I would recommend, I would not recommend.
• A well-reasoned negative review is just as useful as a positive one.

The star rating

• 1 star — Did not enjoy it at all.
• 2 stars — Some good parts but mostly disappointing.
• 3 stars — Good, but not outstanding.
• 4 stars — Really enjoyed it, highly recommend.
• 5 stars — Loved it, cannot stop recommending it.