Critical Response Questions

1.   How important is the setting of the story?

2.   How well does the author describe the setting?

3.   Which character is the most important to this story?  Why?

4.   How would the author have introduced the main character in a more interesting way?

5.   What traits of the main character would you have changed?  Why?

6.   Do you agree or disagree with how the characters handle the conflict?  Defend you answer.

7.    Could any of the events leading to the climax of the story be eliminated without changing the outcome?    Which ones?

8.   Do you think the plot was strong enough to make a convincing story?  Why or why not?

9.   Do you agree with the author’s ending?  Defend your answer.

10.  Would changing the point of view make the story better or worse?  In what ways?

11.  What is the author’s purpose in writing this story?  Was it achieved?

12.  Discuss the author’s choice of dialogue/dialect.

13.  Discuss the author’s choice of sentence structure.

14.  Discuss the author’s choice of vocabulary.

15.  Discuss the author’s choice of description/detail.

16.  Were there any parts that were confusing?  Discuss why.

17.  What could the author have deleted or added to make the book more interesting?

18.  Where should the author have gone into more detail?