This review should be 4000-6500 words in length.
This end of term project is in lieu of a traditional paper or final, however, the student is expected to use this opportunity to convey their knowledge of all of the class material. References to lectures, guest interviews, reading assignments, and outside sources are critical to receiving a good grade on this assignment.
Reviews will:
Briefly summarize the facts and themes developed in the book (I have already read these books and many papers about them, so the emphasis is on briefly);
Discuss and apply information and themes from the class and other readings;
Provide details about the insights the author shares;
Reflection on the quality of the writing and story, including positive and negative observations about plot, style, and readability.
Reviews may include:
A personal reflection section;
Discussion of factors contributed to the protagonists vulnerability
Analysis of interventions that could have helped prevent the abuse, shortened its length, or lessened its impact;
Observations about people who offered resources, skills, or hope to the protagonist;
Discussion of character traits that made this protagonist particularly resilient;
Analysis of the role cultural or individual attitudes towards race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and disability play in the story;
Discussion from outside research about the author, story, or book;
If one or more movies have been made based on the book, a comparison of the book to the movie maybe included.
Please note that the instructor is aware that many of these books have been made into movies. Students should be aware that none of the movies contain the same information and details as the books. All of the movies leave out key themes and storylines that are contained in the books and that are relevant to the class objectives and goals. It is inconceivable that a book review will receive a passing grade if the author simply watches the movie and does not read the book. However, a paper that is written based only on watching the movie and not reading the book will be given a zero.
