Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
This made me chuckle
This morning I found another review for one of my children's books, 'Mandrake's Plot'.
The beginning of the review was quite poorly written (although it ended in a superb paragraph); the reviewer seemed to be making bullet points about what had happened in the story. Maybe he had done this as he was reading so as not to forget the plot - I don't know - and had just transferred his notes over as part of the review. Strange...
Anyway, I was bemused by this:
*****
'Dundoon Station. Evie (Eve), Mia, & Hiya, will all attend St. Agatha girls boarding school.
Mandrake greeted the 3 girls after they finally arrived... The 3 girls got through their 1st. week of classes over & met some of the others girls: Elizabeth,
Juliette, Charlie, Pippa, & Annette.'
and this:
1 day Evie (Eve), Mia, & Hiya came across a mysterious message: ECODETOBREAKCHARM*.
They had no idea what it meant but were trying to piece the puzzle together.'
*****
[*He has missed the 'D' off this message, btw!]
WHO THE HECK is 'Hiya'? I asked myself. And who are these three girls he keeps referring to?
There is no character at all with a name anything like that. The main story is about Evie and Mia.
So, I looked back at the text and then it dawned on me. He is from across the Atlantic, and obviously has not come across English greetings. This is what it said in the book:
‘Ah, a friendly face. Hiya,’ she said, and beamed a huge smile at Evie. ‘I’m Mia. I won’t shake your hand. Too young and carefree – and slightly sticky. Want one?’
How I laughed. Hiya, indeed! I might drop him a note...
The beginning of the review was quite poorly written (although it ended in a superb paragraph); the reviewer seemed to be making bullet points about what had happened in the story. Maybe he had done this as he was reading so as not to forget the plot - I don't know - and had just transferred his notes over as part of the review. Strange...
Anyway, I was bemused by this:
*****
'Dundoon Station. Evie (Eve), Mia, & Hiya, will all attend St. Agatha girls boarding school.
Mandrake greeted the 3 girls after they finally arrived... The 3 girls got through their 1st. week of classes over & met some of the others girls: Elizabeth,
Juliette, Charlie, Pippa, & Annette.'
and this:
1 day Evie (Eve), Mia, & Hiya came across a mysterious message: ECODETOBREAKCHARM*.
They had no idea what it meant but were trying to piece the puzzle together.'
*****
[*He has missed the 'D' off this message, btw!]
WHO THE HECK is 'Hiya'? I asked myself. And who are these three girls he keeps referring to?
There is no character at all with a name anything like that. The main story is about Evie and Mia.
So, I looked back at the text and then it dawned on me. He is from across the Atlantic, and obviously has not come across English greetings. This is what it said in the book:
‘Ah, a friendly face. Hiya,’ she said, and beamed a huge smile at Evie. ‘I’m Mia. I won’t shake your hand. Too young and carefree – and slightly sticky. Want one?’
How I laughed. Hiya, indeed! I might drop him a note...
Comments
Yes.
I never usually mingle with the public, but, yes, I did.
Perhaps he's Canadian.
Or just doesn't understand punctuation.
'But I grew up talking English,' she said.
"You live abroad, don't you?'
"Well, yes - on the other side of the Atlantic.'
"So you're a foreigner - but your English is very good."
I believe my aquaintance decided she couldn't scale such a wall of ignorance, and reired defeated.