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We want to give readers enough information to decide for themselves. A good review sets the scene (genre, setting, the main idea), evaluates two or three aspects such as the characters, the plot or the style, and ends with a recommendation for a particular kind of reader.

Support every judgement with evidence: The dialogue feels natural, especially when … Vary your evaluative language: gripping, predictable, moving, slow-paced, beautifully shot. Never give away the ending without a warning.

The plot is predictable at times, but the characters are so well drawn that I didn't mind.

Book review: The Island at the End of Summer

The Island at the End of Summer is the third novel by a young British writer, and in my view it is her best so far. It tells the story of Nell, a sixteen-year-old who spends one last summer on a small Scottish island before her family moves to London. Nell has always felt that she belongs on the island, and the novel follows her as she tries to say goodbye to the people and places she loves. The greatest strength of the book is its characters. Nell is clever, funny and sometimes unfair to the people around her, which makes her feel completely real. Her friendship with Ewan, a quiet boy who works on his father's fishing boat, is written with great tenderness. Their conversations are short and often awkward, exactly as real teenage conversations can be. The setting is almost a character in its own right. The writer describes the changing weather, the light on the water and the sound of the wind so vividly that I felt I could smell the sea. Readers who enjoy action may find the first half slow-paced, as very little actually happens. However, the slow build-up makes the final chapters, when a storm cuts the island off from the mainland, all the more gripping. My only real criticism is the ending, which is resolved a little too neatly. Without giving anything away, I felt that one important conflict deserved more attention. Overall, this is a moving and beautifully written novel about friendship, belonging and growing up. I would particularly recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven stories, and to anyone who has ever had to leave a place they love.

Källor

1. Kursplan i engelska, Lgr22, Skolverket