Book Review Guidelines - All of Us in Our Own Lives

Contemporary Global Political Themes and Gender Issues

Book Review Guidelines All of Us in Our Own Lives A paper copy of the book review must be handed in at the beginning of class on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. You are expected to prepare a 1500-word-maximum review that answers the following questions. You can also include other relevant observations as long as they do not amount to just describing what you read in the novel. The point of this assignment is to engage with broader issues presented in the novel, not to summarize it. Remember that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers to these questions but we do expect thoughtful, well-argued and well-reasoned responses. 1. What are some contemporary global political themes and gender issues that this novel discusses? 2. Identify your favorite character in this novel and describe why they appealed to you the most. 3. “The personal is political. The personal is international.” These are two themes that run through this course. How does this novel speak to these themes? 4. Do you like how the novel ends? Please provide a descriptive response, regardless of whether your response is “yes” or “no.” ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATIONS: Your reviews should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman point 12 with 1 inch margins all around. You may hand in single- or double-sided reviews. Please DO NOT waste space by repeating the questions in your review. You may write direct responses to the questions (i.e. 1,2,3,4 in separate paragraphs). You may also prepare answers as an essay (with a thesis and supporting paragraphs). Either format is acceptable as long as you answer all the questions you were asked. You don’t need to cite the source if you are just referencing the novel (All of Us in Our Own Lives) but you won’t lose marks if you do. If you cite resources other than the novel, you should include a list of references. It doesn't matter which format (APA or MLA) you use as long as the citations and list of references make sense and is consistent. For example, if you use (author last name, year) as the citation format in the essay, you should follow through and not use a different format – say, author full name, page number – in the same paper. You have the choice of writing in the first person or the third.