Cracking the AP English Literature, 2000-2001 Edition

Rating:
Summary: Short, clear, incredibly helpful !
Review: I loved this book. I bought this and Barron's review for my test. Barron's is so long and tedious, I never even opened it. However, Princeton's is very short and still teaches you everything you neeed to know. I got a five - and I did not know anything about Literature before I opened it! Now, let me say this: there's 2 types of people. If you are buying this book at the beginning of the year, you have a lot of time and discipline and you're actually interested in learning A LOT of literature theory, then get Barron's.It will teach you much more than you need to know, and it is more elaborate than any textbook I've ever seen. But if you're like me: stressed, last minute crammer looking for a good score, then definetely get the Princeton Review. It really does have everything you need to know in it - the Glossary is great and the essay tips are very helpful. I used real, old APs to practice and only got 4 or 5 Q's wrong on the multiple choice thanks to this book...

Rating:
Summary: Very good review for test
Review: This book is a must for any student looking to ace the AP literature test. It gives you insight on how the board grades the essay and what they require for you to get a high scoring essay. Also it gives you help on taking the multiple choice section of the test and time budgeting. It definatley helped me, and any help is going to give you a higher score.

Rating:
Summary: Adequate preparation, needs supplementation
Review: This book is quite good in giving you excellent background preparation for the AP exam. The strategies are good, except that the only reason that I think it could be bad is if you don't "vibe" with their strategies, that is to say, they don't work for you. Personally, I found their essay section most helpful. They also need more practice tests and essays, as that would help immensly. Basically, it's a great book, but it's only slightly lacking.

Rating:
Summary: Please People It's English!!
Review: Yes, reading this book can give you more insight into how AP readers grade the essays, but the fact of the matter is, that there is almost no way to study for either of the AP English exams. I took both the AP English exams without an AP class and I got a 4 on AP English Language and a 5 on AP English Literature. No class, no studying. Its pretty much, either you have it or you don't. For the objective section it's very much like the SAT I verbal critical reading sections. The essays are just analyzing, and one of them is an open ended question based on a novel you should have read sometime in your life. I would suggest just dropping by your local library and glancing through the book. Not worth buying.