5-Paragraph Formal Review Essay

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5-Paragraph Formal Review Essay

• The Giver

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Introduction

• You need to start with an introduction that ends
  with a thesis statement that states your opinion
  of the book, either positive or negative.

• Attention-getter
• Connector
• Thesis statement

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Attention-getter

• Reading has often been a comfort object in my
  life.
• Imagine a world without color, pain, or feelings.
• A favorite memory for me might contain a setting
  with family and love.

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Connector

• A recent book that I have just finished has
  forced me to look at my comfort object in a new
  light.
• This type of world is reality for Jonas in a
  recent book I have just finished.
• A recent book I have just finished shows a
  community that would not allow a scene like this
  to occur.

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Thesis Statement

• I did not enjoy Lois Lowrys novel The Giver
  because it was a boring predictable, and vague
  novel about the future.
• I enjoyed Lois Lowrys novel The Giver because it
  was exciting, unpredictable, and scary.
• I did not enjoy Lois Lowrys novel The Giver
  because it is unrealistic, uneventful, and cruel.

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Complete Introduction

• Imagine a world without color, pain, or
  feelings. This type of world is reality for
  Jonas in a recent book I have just finished. I
  enjoyed Lois Lowrys novel The Giver because it
  was exciting, unpredictable, and scary.

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Body Paragraphs

• The body paragraphs need to include a beginning
  CLAIM that defends your position and has
  supporting details from the book (3).
• ONE of these should have parenthetical
  documentation.
• Each of these paragraphs should also have a
  CONCLUDING STATEMENT at the end telling the
  reader that you did your job. Transitions should
  include clearly, therefore, or thus.

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Claim with supports and concluding statement
for BODY PARAGRAPH 1

• The novel was enjoyable because it was
  exciting. One example of this is when Jonas was
  skipped at the ceremony. Jonas bowed his
  headWhat had he done wrong (Lowry 55)? Another
  example is when Jonas was selected as the new
  Receiver. A final example is when Jonas begins
  receiving all of the memories. Clearly, these
  examples show that the novel is exciting.

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Claim with supports and concluding statement
for BODY PARAGRAPH 2

• Another reason I liked the novel is because it
  was unpredictable. Lowry misled me as she made me
  think that Rosemary was the Givers love interest
  rather than his daughter. Yet another surprise
  is when Jonas finds out what release is. He
  killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to
  himself, stunned at what he was realizing (Lowry
  141). Finally, we are left at the conclusion of
  the novel wondering what happened as the ending
  allows the reader to develop their own ending.
  Hence, the above supports the fact that Lowry is
  unpredictable in her writing of the novel.

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Claim with supports and concluding statement
for BODY PARAGRAPH 3

• The final reason I enjoyed The Giver is because
  it was scary. One aspect of the novel that is
  frightening is that the community seems unaware
  of the outside world. The fact that love and the
  other emotions are nonexistent is bothersome.
  After Jonas asked his parents if they loved him,
  they responded in amazement. Lowrys mother
  figure explains, Your father means that you
  used a very generalized word, so meaningless that
  its become almost obsolete (120) Lastly,

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• the whole idea of release and the fact that
  people in the community are unaware of the true
  meaning of release troubled me. Therefore, I feel
  that the novel had some scary components.

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Conclusion

• The final paragraph in your formal review is your
  conclusion. The first sentence in the conclusion
  is restating your thesis. Here is an example

Lois Lowry has written an enjoyable novel by
using an inspiring, sometimes inconsistent, and
frightening plot to lure her readers.
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Conclusion (continued)

• The final two sentences are the connector and the
  clincher. Here is an example of what they look
  like remember these are written in ONE complete
  paragraph, including the previous sentence above

Although Lowrys novel allowed me to take a
glimpse into a futuristic utopian society, I
think I will continue to be happy with my present
world. A world without color, pain, or feelings
is a destination I would only visit occasionally.
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Complete Conclusion

• Lois Lowry has written an enjoyable novel by
  using an inspiring, sometimes inconsistent, and
  frightening plot to lure her readers. Although
  Lowrys novel allowed me to take a glimpse into a
  futuristic utopian society, I think I will
  continue to be happy with my present world. A
  world without color, pain, or feelings is a
  destination I would only visit occasionally.