how to write review essay spm

SPM Essay Writing Guide – Format & Examples

What is spm.

Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, or SPM, is a significant national exam that Malaysian students who have completed Form 5 education—typically at the age of 17—take. It’s crucial since it determines whether or not they can continue their education after high school and serves as a measure of their overall academic success. Writing an essay is a significant part of the SPM exam since it evaluates the test taker’s command of the English language, analytical reasoning skills, and ability to form coherent arguments.

SPM Essay Format

Excellent SPM essays may only be written by students who have a firm grasp of the proper essay format. An essay typically consists of three primary components:

1. Introduction

The introduction of an essay serves as the initial section, strategically designed to captivate the reader’s interest and provide essential contextual information for the subsequent content of the paper. The factors that contribute to the level of interest in an introduction are:

A hook: A hook is a provocative statement or query that grabs the reader’s attention.

Background context: Introduce the topic and its relevance in a brief background context.

Thesis statement: Clearly state your essay’s principal contention or goal.

The body of your essay comprises several paragraphs, each of which deals with a different aspect of your thesis or a related concept. When composing the body, adhere to the following guidelines:

Topic sentences: Each paragraph should begin with an introduction to the key concept that is succinct and straightforward.

Supporting evidence: To support your claims, offer statistics, examples, or supporting proof.

Smooth transitions: Make sure the transitions between paragraphs are reasonable, retaining the coherence of the structure.

3. Conclusion

The conclusion is the last section, where you restate your thesis and briefly review your significant points. To write a strong conclusion:

Summarise main points: Briefly summarise your main points from the body paragraphs.

Restate thesis: Rephrase your thesis statement to reinforce your main argument.

Closing thought: A provocative statement or call to action should be the closing thought.

How to Write an SPM Essay?

Essay writing is a craft that can be honed with time and focus. Write an excellent SPM essay by following this simple outline:

1. Understand the Question

To completely understand the criteria of the essay question, carefully read and consider it. Indicate the essay type (e.g., descriptive, narrative, argumentative) and the keywords that will be used.

2. Plan Your Essay

The key ideas you intend to cover in each part should be included in an outline. Planning ensures a clear essay structure and helps you organize your thoughts.

3. Start with a Strong Introduction

Write a captivating beginning that introduces the subject, establishes the mood, and expresses your thesis statement succinctly.

4. Develop the Body Paragraphs

Each paragraph should focus on a single idea, with supporting details and arguments. Make seamless transitions between ideas.

5. Craft an Impactful Conclusion

Reiterate your thesis, restate your essential points, and give the reader a thought-provoking conclusion.

SPM Essay Writing Tips

Take into account these helpful tips to improve your essay-writing abilities:

1. Read Widely

Your vocabulary and knowledge base will grow due to exposure to various reading sources, including books, newspapers, and articles.

2. Practice Regularly

Consistent writing practice improves your writing abilities and increases your comfort level while confronting various essay subjects.

3. Seek Feedback

To pinpoint areas for growth, get comments from teachers, peers, or family members.

4. Time Management

Use your time effectively during the exam to allow enough time for preparing, writing, and reviewing.

5. Grammar and Vocabulary

Pay close attention to your grammar, spelling, and language choices for your writing to remain coherent and clear.

Types of SPM Essays

SPM essays can take many forms, each requiring a different strategy. Here are a few common types:

1. Narrative Essay

It tells a tale with aspects including characters, setting, and plot, frequently from the viewpoint of the author.

2. Descriptive Essay

It uses sensory details to create a realistic image of a person, location, or event to capture the reader’s attention.

3. Argumentative Essay

Presents reasons and proof to persuade readers to take a specific stance on a hotly debated subject.

4. Expository Essay

Gives details, justifications, or analyses on a subject backed up by examples and facts.

5. Reflective Essay

Reveals one’s own feelings, thoughts, and experiences while highlighting the lessons learned from a certain incident.

SPM Essay Example for Malaysian Students

To provide you with a practical reference, here is a brief example of an SPM essay provided by Malaysian Essay Helpers :

Example Title: “The Impact of Technology on Education”

Introduction:.

The digital era has completely transformed every part of our life, including education. Classrooms have changed as a result of the growing use of digital devices and the internet, with both positive and negative effects.

Paragraph 1 (Positive Impact)

The educational process has been greatly improved by technology. Interactive instructional software and applications provide pupils with fun ways to understand difficult ideas. Additionally, e-learning platforms have made it possible to receive a degree from a distance, eliminating geographic restrictions and fostering lifelong learning.

Paragraph 2 (Negative Impact)

But there are negative consequences to using too much technology in the classroom. The decline of conventional methods of instruction may lead to a shortage of students with strong critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Additionally, the digital divide between kids from various socioeconomic origins has the potential to make educational disparities worse.

In conclusion, it is undeniable that technology has significantly influenced modern schooling. To guarantee that every student receives a well-rounded education, educators must strike a balance between tech-based instruction and conventional teaching techniques, despite the fact that technology has many benefits in terms of accessibility and learning opportunities.

For Malaysian students who want to perform well on their exams, mastering the art of SPM essay writing is essential. Students may improve their writing talents and create compelling essays highlighting their knowledge and critical thinking skills by adhering to the correct essay style, employing effective writing approaches, and practicing frequently. Remember to experiment with different essay formats to increase your writing versatility and use other people’s work as inspiration to enhance your own.

SPM Essay Writing Guide – Format, Examples

The SPM exam is a challenging time for Malaysian students. It’s an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills, but it can also be confusing as the requirements are constantly changing. For example, this year there is no essay marking scheme provided by the Ministry of Education or any other official source on how essays should be assessed. This blog post will guide how to write an engaging essay that is sure to impress your teacher and get you top marks.

What is SPM?

The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), or the Malaysian Certificate of Education, is a national examination taken by all fifth-form secondary school students in Malaysia. It was created to test what they have been learning over their course of study and aspires them for higher education opportunities abroad.

Malaysians take the SPM exam that is set and examined by a Malaysian Examinations Syndicate. This Syndicate is also known as Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia. The education system in Malaysia can be completed after passing this test, which is equivalent to O-levels at the secondary school level. It’s compulsory for those seeking tertiary education before taking it; only then will they have an idea of what field of study suits them best. The age for completion of this public examination is 18 years old and students must pass it to be eligible for higher education.

The syndicate has made Bahasa Malaysia, English (Bahasa inggeris), Islamic studies, moral studies, history, and mathematical reading a compulsion for the students.

The Islamic studies subject is a compulsion for Muslim candidates. And moral studies are compulsory for non-Muslim candidates. The science coursework is common and compulsion to all students, but you can choose your elective subjects from these core courses below:

• Arts And Health- Music education, visual arts education, and sports science knowledge.
• Language And Literature- Malay literature, English literature, Chinese language, Arabic language(advanced), Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Arabic language for communication, English for science and technology, Chinese literature, Tamil literature, French language, and Punjabi language.
• Technical And Vocational- Agricultural science, home economics, engineering drawing, mechanical engineering studies, invention, food management, fashion design, engineering technology, domestic constructions, automobile servicing, etc.
• Science and Mathematics- additional Mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, additional science, information and communication, and applied science.
• Social Science And Religion- Business, entrepreneurial studies, principles of accounting, basic economics, Islamic worldviews, AL-Quran and As-Sunnah education, bible knowledge, etc.

SPM Essay Format

SPM essay writing is divided into two parts, part A and part B

Part A- This section is where you’ll be writing an essay, a report, or a letter. You’re given 45 minutes to answer this and it’s compulsory for you as only one question will bring in 35 marks- so make sure not to skip over the questions! Your examiner may award 3/35 points for your format, 12/35 points on content, and 20 out of 35 if they think that your language (grammar) is good enough.

Part B – This is the section where you apply all your knowledge of writing skills. It’s also a place to study grammar rules and how they work. Take some time now before we dive in so that by taking this bird’s eye view of it, you’ll know what to expect from this portion of our coursework.

• You will be given five options and you have to opt for only one.
• 60 minutes will be given to students to read all the questions thoroughly and plan key points for the same.
• This part carries 50 marks.

How to Write SPM Essay

Introductory paragraph:.

• Always write general information to write an introductory paragraph.
• Write at least 6-7 sentences.
• Use proper grammar, punctuation, and correct spelling.

Body Paragraph:

• Write at least the main idea
• 3-4 supporting details
• One conclusion paragraph
• Write 40-50 words
• Use correct grammar, correct spellings, and punctuation marks

Concluding Paragraph:

• Restate all the main ideas in a brief
• Write synonyms to restate your idea

SPM Essay Writing Tips

• Read all the questions wisely, some students make mistakes while selecting the question and later regret that they could have handled the other questions with much ease.
• Must choose a topic you are familiar with.
• Plan your essay like outline/ideas/thoughts/supporting points etc.
• Write sentences of different lengths a short sentence looks better after the long one.
• Always write neat and clean must use bullet points etc.
• Pay strict attention to the length of an essay, you have to write no less than 350 words if you write less than that, then you will be penalized, also never write extend your essay from 600- to 1000 words the more you write, the more the mistakes will happen.
• Always spare 10 minutes to proofread and edit an essay.
• After opting for a topic for an essay you can either write descriptive, narrative, reflective, descriptive, argumentative/persuasive, or factual/expository), but according to my suggestion always choose a narrative essay because another one requires a lot of knowledge of current issues.

Types of SPM Essays

The types of essays in SPM are:-

• Narrative essay- To write an interesting narrative essay often needs the right ingredients – just as cooking up a plate of curry masala does. The first thing about writing such essays is one’s creative imagination; so long as they are imaginative enough and think out of their box, then any story becomes more exciting than ever.
• Descriptive essay- a descriptive essay is an essay that aims to describe one’s viewpoint of the world through observations and feelings. The goal of this type of essay is to provide a vivid portrayal of the subject to get readers excited about what they are reading.
• Factual Essay- A factual essay is a non-fiction form of writing that is typically used when discussing some point relating to science or history. Factual essays are very similar to research papers in structure and format; however, they both vary in the use of citations and footnotes.
• Reflective Essay- A reflective essay is a personal essay that focuses on the writer’s reflection about an event, experience, or topic. The goal of this type of essay is typically to think critically and deeply about something which has been experienced by the writer.
• Persuasive Essay- Persuasive essays are a common way to voice opinions and sway readers. Readers will often disagree, which is why writers need to present their point of view as persuasively as possible with evidence from research or arguments that the reader can’t refute.

Topics for SPM Essay

• Illustrate an adventurous activity that has been done recently. Describe the preparation you have done before that and how was your experience?
• Describe your College reunion of yours; explain how memorable for you it was?
• Describe the project conducted at your school and you have played the most important role, what was your experience with that?
• Should parents give freedom to children? Discuss
• Write a story about a neighbour who is very popular in your neighbourhood. Discuss the reasons that make the neighbour popular and what other residents think of the popular neighbour.
• Write a story about a young successful farmer who is very generous. End your story with: “My friends and I learned a lot, especially the meaning of generosity.”

SPM Essay Example for Malaysian Students

Schools and universities have turned to online classes during this pandemic. Your teacher asked about your experience with online classes.

In the wake of an infectious disease outbreak, Malaysia has had to change how its students are getting educated. The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly in schools and villages across Asia; as a result, many Malaysian children have been forced into remote learning for fear that they will come into contact with someone infected by this highly contagious pathogen. These changes force educators all over the world to switch from traditional teaching methods– instructing pupils face-to-face or via webcam–to online coursework where the distance between teacher and student is not just social but physical too. Some Malaysian kids accept these new conditions readily while others may be struggling with adapting because it’s difficult adjusting without close human interaction on a day today.

I reap the benefits of Online education, first of all, you will spend less than in traditional classrooms, you can easily communicate with your teacher, you will gain new technical skills, you can gain better self-motivation, and enjoy a broader perspective.

The demerits of Online learning are that it can cause social isolation, it also needs strong self-motivation and time management skills, lack of communication skills, preventing mischievous activity can be complicated, teacher-focused only on theoretical knowledge, not on practical, E-learning lack face to face communication.

With the unprecedented virus covid-19, safe to say that online learning is the best alternative we have now. In the future, I would opt for classroom learning it has various plus points that E-learning cannot replace.

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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.

Count on the support of our cheap essay writing service . We process all your requests fast.

Dive into literary analysis with EssayPro . Our experts can help you craft insightful book reviews that delve deep into the themes, characters, and narratives of your chosen books. Enhance your understanding and appreciation of literature with us.

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 Score Essay writing for SPM English 2021

25 March 2021

7 minutes to read

• 01. Read, Read, Read for SPM Essay Writing
• 02. Understanding SPM Essay Questions and the Writing Format
• 03. Writing Tips for SPM Essay Writing
• 04. How to Answer Your SPM Essay Writing Paper
• 05. Get Help From SPM Essay Writing Expert

I believe most students often turn away from writing essays. This is the hardest part for us non-native English speakers. However, essay writing is the most common form of assessment in any subject at the school and university level. How do you think you will survive in your journey of seeking knowledge?

You will soon find out that there are even essay questions in mathematics. What? Trust me, essays will be applied across almost all disciplines. Essentially, writing an essay is one of the academic pieces to gather the writer’s point of view or simply to know the depth of understanding in certain concepts that would only suffice by an explanation.

The student would be assessed on their comprehension of the topics by assigning an essay writing task to them. But writing an essay is not hard if you know how to decode or analyze the question well.

At the end of the article, you will be able to have more confidence in your writing.

Click here for the latest English Paper marking scheme here .

Read, Read, Read for SPM Essay Writing

I know reading has never been one of the Malaysian cultures and habits. Currently, the statistics of reading in Malaysia per person is only 6 books a year. This is not a good number. However, you as a youth, the new generation of Malaysia, can change this perception.

Reading is a better way after traveling to know about the world. When you are absorbed in reading, you’ll be able to learn so many things. The only way to increase your vocabulary is through reading and seldomly through communication. You can also improve your grammar and sentence construction through reading.

If you only depend on communication, that won’t help you a lot due to the broken English that is widely used in Malaysia. Not to mention, our favorite type of English, ‘ Rojak English’ or “Manglish” . You can only obtain confidence in speaking but not the writing styles and perfect tenses.

Come and let me show you how to understand further on the SPM Latest 2021 format and tips of writing SPM Bahasa Inggeris (1119/2) Paper 2.

Understanding SPM Essay Questions and the Writing Format

All SPM examination papers are regulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) In all examinations, reading and understanding the question’s need is very important. Most students tend to deviate from the main ideas of the question due to their lack of ability to understand the question properly.

Most questions can be divided into 3 major parts, directive words, content words, and limiting words.

Discuss the difference between two idols that you like according to the nature of work.

The bold ‘ Discuss’ is the directive or instructional word that you need to follow. Another example of directive words can be, compare and contrast, critical evaluation, reflection, discussion and etc.

The word to limit the scope is the italic ‘difference’, ‘two idols’, and ‘you like’ . The question specifically asks you to write about the particular purposes whether time, place, person, or demographic.

The content words are the underlined ‘nature of work’. This is the subject of your essay that you will need to discuss. The content word can be very narrow or broad depending on the cases.

Once you have understood the question, you will need to determine the format of the essay to be written. There are many different types of continuous writing for SPM English paper such as,

• Story with purpose
• Usually, first-person but can be the third person too
• Explain, illustrate, describe
• Written in a debate format
• Can be first person or third person
• Thoughtful, reasoning
• Describing information
• Written in the first person

Meanwhile, the format and types of directed writing for the SPM English Paper are listed below.

• Letter (Informal or formal)
• Informative letter
• Talk or speech

Writing Tips for SPM Essay Writing

Drafting for spm essay writing.

As a student, we always thought that drafting is such a waste of time. But, NO! Drafting will allow you to manage your writing well. So you will know that you have your main ideas, supporting reasons, and examples constructed well in a paragraph.

During the examination, you do not need to make a proper, colorful, and complicated draft just like you learned in class. You just need to scribble on the question paper regarding the ideas. This is when you should adopt the concept of 5 wives and a husband. Remember?

Essay Construction for SPM Essay Writing

While constructing your essay, you will need to bear in mind that you would want to reduce the mistakes and not waste time. This is why you will need to refer to the essay draft that you have made. Make sure you have a good construction of the essay complete with an introduction, main ideas, and conclusion.

You should use a simple word to construct your sentences. You can use jargon or complicated word but make sure it’s not more than 3 words. Why? This is to minimize the risk of a misunderstanding from the marker who perhaps does not know the word and you might lose some marks there. Besides, the chances for you to use it wrongly is very high too as you rarely use the word.

Next, make sure your writing is neat. This is very important not only for the examiner but also for yourself to easily spot your spelling mistakes. Moreover, take note of your grammars, especially the tenses. Make sure it is consistent.

Last but not least, DO NOT OVERWRITE your essay. Try to minimize the words that you use but exceed the word requirements. Remember the more sentences you write, the higher the chances are for you to make more mistakes. So, keep your writing minimal and you can reduce the chances of you losing more marks.

Time Management for SPM Essay Writing

You need to set a proper and reasonable time for you to complete answering your SPM Paper 2 in writing an essay. Remember that you will only have 90 minutes to answer a total of 3 questions.

• First Questions – 80 words
• Second Questions – 120 – 150 words
• Third Questions – 200-250 words

As I have said in the previous part, keep your writing minimal so as to avoid making more mistakes. So here, you have a total of 480 words (I counted the maximum words you will need to write as a buffer), and you have only 90 minutes to finish your writing.

Let us do some math.

• First Questions - 90 minutes divide by  480 and multiply with 80 = 15 minutes
• Second Questions – 90 minutes divide by 480 and multiply with 150 = 28 minutes
• Third Questions – 90 minutes divide by 480 and multiply with 250 = 47 minutes

So, from the math above, we know the allocation of the time needed to answer all three questions. However, you will also need to remember that you should always proofread your answer. Thus, you would need to spend at least 10 minutes on that.

How to Answer Your SPM Essay Writing Paper

Let me show you how to draft your essay.

Bahasa Inggeris (1119/2) - Kertas 2

Answer one of the questions 3 – 5 in this part. Make sure your writing is between 200 – 250 words with the appropriate format according to the question. Place the question number in the box at the top of the answer sheet.

Article Wanted

My School Canteen

• What types of food would you like to be served at the canteen?
• What kind of special facilities should your canteen have?
• How can you improve your school canteen?

Write us an article answering these questions.

The best article will be displayed in the school magazine.

Identify the format of the essays and how many words you should write. Then you will need to set a reasonable time to write the draft, writing and proofread (checking).

• Format: Article
• Length: 200-250 words
• Draft – 5 minutes
• Writing – 30 minutes
• Proofread – 5 minutes

Start to draft.

• Introduction: 10 % of the writing

Where is your school located,

How student like/dislike current food sold at the canteen,

Why is it important to have good food

• Main Ideas: 80 % of the writing

What kind of foods would you like to be served? Why? Who will get the benefit? Or What?

What special facilities should your canteen have? Why? How to implement it?

How can you improve your canteen? Why? Who should take charge?

• Conclusion: 10 % of the writing

Wrap up the essay. What and Why students need a good canteen and food to be served. Give a final recommendation.

Find out more on  How to Get A in SPM 2021 English .

Get Help From SPM Essay Writing Expert

If you are still confused and lack confidence in writing your essay, you can always find help from an expert. Take a look at the SPM English Format and SPM Past Papers to understand further what is the exact SPM format, SPM Example Questions, and where you can score and improve.

Besides, go and find your teacher. They are the most expert as the 2021 SPM Latest Marking Scheme shows that 3 over 4 of SPM English papers will be marked internally. Therefore, you should start to do good for your teachers!

Nonetheless, if all the above is still not enough for you, you can contact Superprof essay writing expert. All of them have excellent track of experience and high records at providing guidance to students for over a decade!

I sincerely hope that all the tips above will help you achieve a good result in your essay writing!

All the best.

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Alia Jamaludin is known as a passionate environmentalist and animal lover. By being both educator and writer, she can reach out her positive thought to almost every being on this planet.

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How many marks are deducted if didnt follow the format? For instance, we forgot to write the title for article essay for part 3 of paper 2.

this really helps me, thank you so much, may Allah bless you always for sharing the knowledge :)

thankyou for sharing this useful tips ! may allah bless you always <3

thank you for sharing this useful tips !

How to write a story, choice no 3?

thank you sharing the knowledge ❤️, its really help me. Doakan saya straight A’s

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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.

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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.

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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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MELICA PART 4: MODEL ESSAYS FOR LOWER INTERMEDIATE CANDIDATES OF SPM 1119/2 (WRITING) - MORE REVIEWS

As highlighted, MELICA offers model essays for lower intermediate or "halus" / weak learners of English. They are the candidates who may have been failing the SPM 1119 paper yet they still have the ability to write essays using the limited vocabulary that they possess. With this in mind, model essays which mostly use basic vocabulary and include simple and logical ideas, are composed. For sure, the model essays can be adopted and adapted accordingly based on certain factors, needs, contexts or/and circumstances.

The three model essays offered in MELICA Part 4 are three pieces of evidence that can further convince lower intermediate candidates that it is possible for them to compose 200-250 words for Part 3 essay. Based on the requests made by teachers, MELICA Part 4 still focuses on review writing as many teachers believe, review writing could be the easiest question for their weak candidates to focus on in Part 3 of SPM 119/2.

Personally, I do not encourage teachers to merely ask the weak candidates to copy the model essays. Each model essay should be discussed thoroughly and each discussion should have at least one focus. Once the discussion is done, perhaps, the lower intermediate candidates can be asked to copy the essay. I am positive at that juncture, it will be a meaningful copying activity.

The following are practical activities that could be carried out with or reinforced on the weak SPM candidates based on the model essays:

i) Examine the sentence structures. The candidates can be taught to differentiate between simple and complex structures. Certain complex structures in the model essays can be underlined by the candidates. In doing so, teachers must highlight the importance of having some complex structures in their essay.

ii) Revise with the students three different techniques of writing their introduction; questioning (Model Essay 1), repetition (Model Essay 2) and listing (Model Essay 3). Let them apply the techniques in small groups. They write their own introductory paragraphs.

iii) Underline all adjectives in the model essay. In groups, candidates suggest other relevant adjectives that can be used/included.

iv) underline linking words, connectors or cohesive devices. They are also encouraged to suggest other additional connectors or cohesive devices in the model essay.

v) The candidates transfer the main idea and details or elaborations from the essay to a suitable mind-map. This activity can allow them to see how each main idea is developed.

vi) In groups, the candidates can examine the ideas in the model essay. They discuss and suggest other possible ideas and details that can be included to fulfil each task.

1. MELICA stands for Model Essays for Lower Intermediate Candidates of SPM 1119/2.

2. The model essays offered here may not suit all learning and teaching contexts. Perhaps, the model essays also do not meet the expectations of certain teachers. Therefore, teacher's discretion is crucial. Do make changes on your own wherever necessary.

3. The suggested activities may require teachers to adopt and adapt to suit their realities; needs, context, learning and teaching styles, availability of time and pupils’ readiness.

4. Other model essays for lower intermediate candidates will be shared in this blog from time to time in future. Do subscribe this blog so that you won’t miss any of the latest sharing of materials.

Write an answer to one of the questions 3 – 5 in this part. Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style on this question paper. Put the question number in the box at the top of the answer space.

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Novel Review

Have you read any novel lately?

Send us your review of the novel.

Explain the good things about the novel.

Who would you recommend the novel to? Why?

Write your review .

Do you like to read textbooks? Do you like to read magazines? Do you like to read novels? If you can choose, which one do you choose? I choose reading novels. I love to read novels.

I just finished reading a Malay novel. The title of the novel is Pelangi Kejayaan or Rainbow of Success. The author is Meor Hasnan. The novel has 122 pages. The publisher is Kenanga Publishing. It is a new novel.

I like Pelangi Kejayaan a lot. First, the story is very good. The story is about a teenager, Naim who lives in a village. Naim has to face many challenges but he works hard. He works hard to achieve his success. Next, the novel teaches me good lessons. I learn about determination. We must not easily give up when we face challenges. I also learn we must be kind to other people.

I also like the novel because it is not too long. It only has 122 pages. I can finish reading the novel fast. My friend Badri reads the novel in two hours. Besides, it is cheap. It is only RM5.00. I think everybody can buy the novel. Moreover, I like the cover too. The cover is very colourful. There are many colours like the rainbow.

I recommend the novel to all teenagers. I know they have money to buy the novel. The story is interesting. The story teaches many lessons about life. Furthermore, they just need a short time to read the novel.

In conclusion, I give the novel five stars. I love it so much!

[262 words]

New Mall Review

Have you been to any mall new lately?

Send us your review of the new mall.

How would you describe your experience visiting the mall for the first time?

Would you recommend it to your classmates? Why?

Mall, mall, mall. My friends and I are very happy when Kemaman has a new mall. The name of the mall is Star Mall. It is located at Jalan Sultan Mahmud. It is a big mall. It was opened last week.

Two days ago, Navin, Vee, Chin, Ghanesh, Husin and I went to Star Mall. There were many people. It was not easy to find a parking but finally we got a parking space. Star Mall. The mall is awesome. Besides, it is also very clean. My friends and fell in love with the mall. To me, it is the best mall in Kemaman. It is better than Cahaya Mall and Kemaman Bay Mall.

I would recommend Star Mall to my classmates. First, there are many shops. I think, the mall has 100 shops. My classmates can do window shopping. Moreover, they can also play bowling or watch movies at the GTX Cinema. The cinema is big. My friends and I watched Spiderman 6 that day.

My classmates must go to the mall because it has the best food court in Kemaman. There are many food stalls. We can eat chicken rice, Thai foods, western foods and fast foods. That day, we enjoyed eating ice-cream. Chin, Vee and I loved the coconut ice-cream. It was so delicious. Navin, Ghanesh and Husin loved strawberry ice-cream.

To conclude, the Star Mall is the best. Everybody must go to the mall. [238 words]

School Canteen Review

Are you happy with your school canteen?

Send us your review of your school canteen.

What do you like and dislike about the canteen?

What one special thing about the school canteen that you wish to highlight? Why?

KFC, McDonald, Marrybrown, A&W and Dominos are my favourite brands. I wish my school canteen sells foods like at KFC and McDonald. However, I know I can only dream. It will not be a reality.

I am happy with my school canteen. I am happy because the canteen sells fried chicken. The fried chicken is crunchy and juicy. It is like KFC fried chicken. Beside the great fried chicken, I like my canteen because they sell the best nasi lemak in Langkawi. To me, other nasi lemak in Langkawi cannot beat my school canteen's nasi lemak. Moreover, the canteen workers are friendly. I always get extra rice for my nasi lemak.

What I dislike about my school canteen is the price of foods. My friends, Danny, Kenanga, Zee and Izzat feel the foods are expensive. I have no problem because my father is rich. He gives me RM20 a day for my pocket money. I am sad because some of my friends do not eat at the canteen because they do not have enough money.

Anyway, there is one special thing about the school canteen. They offer 50% discount on all foods and drinks every Tuesday. My friends Danny, Kenanga, Zee and Izzat love to go to the canteen early every Tuesday. They eat the best nasi lemak and fried chickens.

In conclusion, my school canteen is not perfect. It has to improve from time to time. [237 words]

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All Things Are Too Small by Becca Rothfeld review – bracing and brilliant essay collection

The iconoclastic US author’s intellectually poised critique of minimalism boasts scintillating writing of breadth and power

B ecca Rothfeld is a dynamo. I had not come across her before picking up All Things Are Too Small and was unprepared for the book’s extraordinary clout and reach. She is an American journalist (a contributor to the New Yorker and the New York Times and a critic on the Washington Post ), a philosopher, polemicist and a wit. She challenges, in this bracing, original and intellectually poised collection of essays, many of our unquestioning modern assumptions and, most persuasively, takes aim at the promotion of minimalism as an ideal for our living spaces, novels and ourselves.

Nothing, in Rothfeld’s view, succeeds like excess and she packs so much into her opening essay about why it is OK to want more (the most extravagant of Oliver Twists) that you feel richly fed before even turning the first page. She includes the 13th-century Dutch mystic Hadewijch of Brabant ( from whom her title is taken ), Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick , the critic James Wood and even makes time to sympathise with a random man sighted in a restaurant who wolfed down three dishes of pasta in a row, commenting that he wouldn’t have had to have third helpings “if any plate available were big enough”.

Inevitably, Rothfeld, revelling in plurality, does not neglect to launch a scornful attack on an obvious target: tidying guru Marie Kondo . She claims to be nonplussed by Kondo’s notorious method, which she describes as “touching items to determine whether they ‘spark joy’, then summarily tossing anything that induces more complex emotions, or, God forbid, thought”. To be thought-free is something of which Rothfeld herself is incapable. She rails against blank-slateism. She notes that “the mechanism by which tossing old T-shirts is supposed to effect rebirth remains hazy”. She broods about whether “stuffing the local landfill is sufficient to effect widespread egalitarian overhaul”. And there is – naturally – more. She convincingly laments the decluttering of contemporary literature, which she believes has produced many self-involved, overpruned and fragmented novels. She includes a respectful yet highly critical and underwhelmed essay on Sally Rooney and her “politically anodyne” work.

I enjoy trying to declutter and recognise the value of mindfulness (a decluttering, with any luck, of the mind) but this did not spoil my delight at her refreshingly unconvinced essay on the subject. She describes her “virtuous boredom” trying to meditate and absolute lack of interest in what her own breath is doing. Above all, she denounces the way that meditation, as she sees it, encourages a defeatist passivity. In a fiercely unequal world, she argues, trying to persuade people to accept unfair circumstances is unacceptable. Mindfulness “falsely assumes that our dissatisfaction is always attributable to mental mismanagement, never to circumstances of genuine injustice”.

Elsewhere, Rothfeld writes where devils fear to tread – about sex, beauty and desire and about consumption and consummation. There is a brilliant and startling essay, The Flesh, It Makes You Crazy, which includes a description of the lust she feels for her husband. I kept wondering how he might feel about this tribute (imagining him, sitting in armchair, hands over eyes). The obvious question she gives rise to is: can you have – or be – too much of a good thing? She writes scaldingly about “new puritan” writers Christine Emba and Louise Perry, and emphasises that the erotic is “its own wild creature, for which there is (and can be) no established idiom”. She exposes the stifling conservatism of Emba and Perry and the tyranny to which their prudish conclusions lead.

In the acknowledgments, Rothfeld thanks her editor for “trusting me to write at ecstatic length”. And it is part of her scintillating achievement, in this book of appetite, to make one vow never again to use the phrase “less is more” under any circumstances. And yet, having said that, it is also the case – whisper it – that Rothfeld, who writes with such zest, could have got away with painlessly trimming one or two of these essays. And this is because, as a brilliant and decisive iconoclast, she also has the potential to be precisely what she would like to avoid: a compendious miniaturist.

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