A reaction paper is a bit of a twist on a formal review of a book, artwork, or article, because reaction papers are written from the first person point of view, which simply means that you can and should use phrases like “I thought” and “I believe” when reviewing.
In a reaction paper, you do assess the item you’ve been assigned to observe, but you add your personal reaction and impressions to the report.
The steps for completing a reaction paper are:
Observe or read the piece for an initial understanding
Re-read the piece and stop to reflect often
Record your thoughts and impressions in notes
Develop a thesis
Write an outline
Construct your essay