Customer Reviews

Defining Twilight: Vocabulary Workbook for Unlocking the SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT (Defining Series)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Twilight as a test prep book.

.....Huh?

How on earth is this possible? Yes, Stephenie Meyer knows how to use a thesaurus, but many times throughout her books she MISuses the words. She uses them in the wrong context, she excessively uses some words ("dazzle" and "murmur" are used way too many times) and this is only talking about her word choice. Her grammar is atrocious, and is convoluted and horrific in places. Not to mention the sexism and classism prevalent in the series.

Just look at this blog, http://reasoningwithvampires.tumblr.com/ which conveniently analyses and pinpoints the many, many mistakes and problems in general of the series. If this Brian Leaf is going to make a test prep book, he should at least base it off of a book that has some concept of, you know, editing.

But then again: the book sells, the people using it probably aren't smart enough to notice the atrocity of Twilight as it is, and the book sells.

And I guess that's all that really matters (to Brian Leaf).

This book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to improve their vocabulary and/or standardized test scores. Fans of "Twilight" will no doubt appreciate the references to words and characters from that book, but one does not need to read the novel to find Mr. Leaf's methods engaging and highly effective.

As an educational professional, I am very impressed with Mr. Leaf's ability to increase the reader's vocabulary (and ability to determine the meaning of unknown words) while seamlessly weaving in loads of invaluable exam taking strategies and techniques. "Defining Twilight" is a powerful educational tool that I highly recommend to parents and teachers, fans of "Twilight," or anyone who is seeking an engaging and enjoyable way to harness the power of words.

Um. I suppose if this is the only thing to get the inane Twilight kids to want to actually learn, I guess that's fine. What I don't understand is why the words are being redefined? A vegetarian vampire is *noble*? And not to echo the last critical comment but gratuitous is most certainly misused and makes absolutely no sense in the context they used it in. If we're going to manipulate these kids in to learning words and their meanings...can WE at least get them right?

Petulance. Providentially. Surreptitiously. Insolent. Omnipresent.

Did you notice that these are SAT vocabulary words? Did you notice that they are can also be found in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight?

I recently read a review of <em>Twilight</em>, and the reviewer stated how the language felt like a teenager showing off what they learned in their last SAT prep class. I'm not sure I agree, but if it feels like SAT prep, and it looks like SAT prep, then, by all means, let's make it SAT Prep! And that is precisely what Brian Leaf does in his book, Defining Twilight, a vocabulary workbook for unlocking the SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT.

What better way to make the connection between vocabulary and writing than to choose a book that teens already love to read?

I have to say, Brian Leaf's workbook is relatively painless. The layout of the book is great. Each section begins with 8 vocabulary words and the page you can find them in the Twilight text. Based on the context, you are to come up with your own definition. Then, you check the definition, its synonyms, word parts, and do memorization drills. In all, there are 40 groups of vocabulary words, adding almost 400 words to your vocabulary!

I was worried about the page numbers relating to different editions of Twilight. I checked it against my own copy, which is a first edition hardcover, and all the page numbers matched up.

No, I didn't do the entire workbook, and I was glad to see I knew the majority of the words highlighted in the book, but I had fun finding a few words that aren't currently a part of my everyday vocabulary. I am by no means a wordsmith, but I do enjoy building my bucket of 5-cent words.

If you are preparing for one of those dreaded standardized tests, and want to start out with something a lot less painful than the workbooks I had in high school, you should try Defining Twilight. (for less than $10!)

Now, I'm off to surreptitiously give my son some cough medicine.

I could not take the SAT in high school; I am preparing for a college entrance exam after working a few years. I felt it better to prepare for the SAT in order to be ready for the test I will take in the future (I hope the test will be SAT-based).

With my expanded vocabulary, I can communicate better with my college-educated friends. This book has me ready for the test I'll face soon. I'll look for some of the other titles authored by Brian Leaf, like the ACT Math, or ACT English, Reading, and Science.

"Gratuitous" is used incorrectly in the book description! Twilight was written by a barely literate person, and should not be used for anything beyond the GED.

Stephanie Meyer abuses the thesaurus, adds in 'big words' haphazardly, and has a writing style that is both dull and unimaginative. Twilight is a pitiful imitation of real literature and is no better than a Harlequin romance. If your children need this to learn I wouldn't get my hopes up about them having a bright future in college.

Do the SAT, ACT, GED and SSAT have anything in common with the book Twilight? They do now thanks to author Brian Leaf, who is the author of the new book "Defining Twilight." Brian Leaf is originally know for his four-book SAT and ACT test-prep series McGraw-Hill's Top 50 Skills.

"Defining Twilight" is a workbook that contains 40 groups of vocabulary words selected from Twilight. Many of the words will show up throughout SAT, ACT, GED, or SSAT tests and his book makes it easier to learn 600 vocabulary words. What is neat too is that if you want to correspond with the book, each word tells you the page number it can be found in Twilight.

So what you do is read a word and write the definition. It does make it easier if you read it from the Twilight book though, because you can check the context to properly define it. What I thought made the book even easier to use if that after you define words, the next page has the answers, so you don't have to search in the back of the book for an answer key. It really does make it easy to learn and practice. The book will also show synonyms, word parts, and memorization tools.
I liked that this book is a 183-page workbook that is the perfect size to carry around and practice vocabulary, which is not one of my strong suits. Whether you are studying for a test or just want to brush up, I think Defining Twilight is worth checking out, especially if you want to become a Twilight Scholar! I know when I went through the workbook and then re-read Twilight I appreciated it more too!

Disclosure: I received this book to review it. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

You can read more of my reviews (and check out my giveaways) at [...]

I know that there are folks that have had enough of anything Twilight, but I have to say this is an interesting concept. What a fun way to learn some new vocabulary, whether you are studying for a test or just want to learn something new. I think one can never have enough tools available to increase one's knowledge.

The book is easy to work through and understand. You can pick up the book and literally start on page one and know what you need to do, it's that simple. There are page references back to the Twilight book if you want reference points, etc.

In short I think whatever gets someone excited to learn is a good thing. If you have a Twilight fan or are one and want to pick up some more vocabulary, this is a great, fun way to do so.

The book is easy to follow and has very helpful exercises for learning vocab. I really like how the concepts are explained in an engaging and fun way!