Point to one specific element that really works: it’s your favorite thing, or the thing that you think is the most effective, or the thing that shocked or surprised you
. Point to one specific element that really works: it’s your favorite thing, or the thing that you think is the most effective, or the thing that shocked or surprised you, the thing that made you laugh, or the thing that stands out the most, or the thing you’ll remember. After you identify the specific element, explain why you chose it.
2. Ask 5 questions. As you’re reading, what are the gaps? Think about questions as you read. You might even keep a separate file open so you can type out a question as soon as you think of it as you’re reading.
The questions you want to ask have to do with adding details: What are the missing details that you wished had been there–or what details need to be there because you don’t understand something? Here are some of the kinds of questions you might ask—
What color was the favorite dress?
Do you mean that you broke your arm?
Where were you when she said she was frustrated?
What was the name of the river?
What happened to your brother later that day?
How old were you?
What do you mean by <insert word here>?
Basically what you’re doing in this review is pointing to two things for the writer: a place where he/she did a really good job in terms of capturing your interest as a reader (#1) and then showing him/her several places where you saw gaps in the story and asked questions in your mind — places where they can revise to make it better (#2). That’s what we’ve been doing with all our reviews, we’re just fine-tuning the reviews now, because you’re getting better at giving them.
Answer preview Point to one specific element that really works: it’s your favorite thing, or the thing that you think is the most effective, or the thing that shocked or surprised you
APA
1544 words