How safe is it to do an English EE on a new book?

[meowchelle]

Hello guys,

I would like your advice on how safe it is to do my English EE on a new book released perhaps a few months ago? I'm doing two books by the same author, but one is a decade old and one is about 5 months old.

Would like your opinions on this. Any reason why it's okay to do so, and if not, why not?

Thanks!

[NadiaO]

I don't think it matter if it's a new book, as long as they both have something in common that you can compare it should be safe

[~Lc~]

Well you won't have many references to go with as you would with something that's at least a few years old. What IB schools fail to teach, I find, is the use of online journals which are the most recent forms of references and literature you can make use of. If there's a local library somewhere that has a subscription to some journals I think it's worth visiting to make use of. You may be able to find some material on your novel as well but I don't know if that would be the case for something just a few months old!

[Charliepants]

Because it's a new book you will look more original (most examiners have already read about Pride and Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird), however it may be difficult to find other literature about the novel, like theses etc.

The examiner likes it when you refer to other people's work in your extended essay; it makes you look like you've read a lot about the book and considered other people's ideas.

If you can find someone else's thoughts about the book, though, I'd say go ahead!

[Sandwich]

Even if you can't find a lot on the new novel, provided you can find some decent sources for the old novel and maybe reflect on how they go through into the new one, I reckon you could do it. There'll hopefully be some sort of critical reception for the new one, but it may be restricted just to reviews... depending on how literary & famous the author is!