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Thursday, March 25, 2010

120 MG Fiction

TITLE: Liza Bird
GENRE: Contemporary Middle Grade Fiction


If I’d known how hard sixth grade was going to be, I might have come down with a life-threatening disease instead. It would’ve been easier.

19 comments:

  1. Hook! Out of my normal genre range, but I'm a compulsive reader. As I scanned the page for the next fantasy, this one caught my eye and had me tickled and grinning so much I had to stop and comment.

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  2. This made me smile. I'd keep reading.

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  3. Partial hook -- 'the life-threatening disease' seems a bit out of voice for a 12-year-old, IMO.

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  4. Hooked, but the voice sounds YA as opposed to MG. BoA nailed it again.

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  5. Hooked. Love the voice, love that it gets right to the nasty reality of middle school for so many folks.

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  6. Ho-hum. Not very interested to read on. A MC who thinks their problems are worse than a life-threatrening disease is a bit drama queeny for me.

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  7. Some 6th graders are drama queeny. Hooked.

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  8. Not sure about the life-threatening disease--does make her (?) seem shallow--but definitely we get a sense of voice and direction. So mostly hooked.

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  9. Not a fan of the life-threatening disease line. It is melodramatic like a 6th grader would be, but it doesn't play right. I'm not hooked.

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  10. I think the voice is strong but the opener feels like you're treading on cliche. Still, I'd keep reading. This just 25 words, I'm sure you'd suck me in.

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  11. Strong voice and I'd keep reading. Not sure you need the last sentence. It's implied in the life-threatening disease that school was really, really tough. Think it's a great opening for your target audience.

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  12. I liked it, but maybe a specific (and very unlikely disease) would make this even stronger.

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  13. Sorry but my middle grader rolled her eyes and said it was lame.

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  14. I was hooked, but I suspect this is the kind of opening that's used a lot. But hey, if it keeps getting used it must work, right? (Though clearly not on all MGers, as per Robbin's comment.)

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