BOOK FILM REVIEWS If you want to be more specific, find some more adjectives below: Present tenses are

normally used for reviews (i.e. The action takes place in a small place in a small cottage in the country). Past tenses can be used if you are writing a personal account of a performance you have attended (i.e. We arrived just before the curtain went up; I thought the first act was spectacular) or to describe the making of a CD/ writing of a book/ etc. (i.e. The band spent six months in the studio before they were satisfied with these remixes). When writing review, you need to use a variety of adjectives. Find below some expressions to help you describe the book in just one word: - opinion of the book What a bore Far-fetched Not my cup of tea Dreadful Worst film/book ever Crappy (informal) = Poor Second-rate Just alright It doesnt make a difference So-so (informal) Wishy-washy (informal) + opinion of the book Fascinating Funny Brilliant Gripping Entertaining Moving Exciting Hilarious Thumbs up The best book ever A must read Thrilling Fantastic Amazing I couldnt put the book down Worth reading a masterpiece Outstanding Awesome Recommendable Readable

If you want to be more specific, here you are some more adjectives: Books, Films and Plays Character(s) shallow, unconvincing, likeable, convincing, believable, appalling, natural, powerful, life-like Plot overcomplicated, predictable, absorbing, gripping, riveting, bizarre, laughable, stunning, staggering, astounding Photography/ scenery poor, amateurish, breathtaking, incredible, impressive Writing contrived, confusing, realistic, thought-provoking,compelling Useful language: _Introducing a Brief Account of the Plot: Set in the 18th century London, the film tells the story of/ recounts events in the lives of three sisters. In the breathtaking landscape of northern Canada, the book examines the themes of solitude and intimacy.

_ Commenting Critically: I found the plot rather conventional/predictable/contrived/completely bizarre /absurd/ incomprehensible. The novelist has succeeded in creating an extremely intricate/complex plot/entirely believable/ life-like characters. A particular strength/weakness of the productions was the set design by Marcelo Camilleri. What I find most striking/ ironical/impressive/ridiculous... in this book is that the characters are very unrealistic. What I like/ love/dislike/hate most about it is... It makes me think of /It reminds me of ... (compare it to other books or to the book version of the film) _ Providing a Recommendation: I would strongly advise you not to miss/waste your money on Aint got a clue. I would definitely recommend seeing/ visiting/reading/having a look at Melbourne: a sentimental journey. For those who enjoy contemporary music, Tropical String is not to be missed. Go and see Momix. Youll be amazed. Unfortunately, Meet the pets fails to live up the expectations. SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS The death of a fisherman off the west coast of America in the years following the war is the central event of this story. A Japanese American is put on trial for the murder and the ensuing investigation is observed by a reporter for the local paper, himself secretly in love with the accuseds wife. The tense plot overlaps with a bitter-sweet love story exploring the often strained relations between two cultures on a small, weather-beaten island and tracks the history of Japanese Americans living in the United States during the Second World War. This is a cleverly constructed novel with eloquent writing and well-drawn characters. These are people we can all believe in, going about their daily lives, making a living from the often hostile environment in which they live and thrown into chaos by forces beyond their control. These are characters whose very ordinariness makes them special; they become as familiar to us as are our neighbours. This novel is set at a time we should all know about and relates events we should try to understand and strive to avoid in our own world. The book is written in a style immediately accessible to any reader. The language is plain in the best tradition of story-telling but at the same time its simplicity is its poetry. Guttersons descriptions of life across the years and generations on this lonely island are beautifully observed. This is easily the best book I have come across this year. A wonderful read I just couldnt put down.