Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Name That Genre! #38

TITLE: MG
GENRE: Secret

Raisa was in her cherry tree. She stood on her favorite branch, which her mother could not see from the house. She wasn’t hiding, she was playing; she had her old doll to prove it. Jill was mountaineering today, the rough bark of the tree a rock face as she searched for valuable cargo lost on the remotest parts of the volcano. She was dressed in a set of coveralls Raisa had sewn for her two years ago. They were much more practical for adventuring than the absurd wedding dress that had been her original costume.

Raisa would come down when it was time for her midmorning lessons. Leaves hid the sky, so she could not tell if the sun had climbed halfway up the rings yet, but she could judge the time by the shadow of the tree on the courtyard. With any luck, mother would not give her a big lecture

30 comments:

  1. Contemporary.

    This one was tough. It sounded cont. until I reached the sun on the rings. That stumped me. Since they are mountaineering, I assumed she meant different colored layers of sediment on the opposite side the volcano.

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  2. I can't tell

    The time period could be contemporary or historical, and I'm not sure if Jill is pretending or actually mountaineering.

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  3. Contemporary.

    I didn't notice the "rings" until I read MargotG's comment. When I reread it, I thought maybe science fiction, but I didn't get that on the first try so I'm going to go with my original reading. Contemporary.

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  4. SF

    The sun climbing rings. I could tell she was pretending by the "she's playing" line.

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  5. Science Fiction

    The bit about sun climbing up the rings is what cinched it for me.

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  6. Sci-Fi

    The sun climbing rings sounds science fiction to me.

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  7. I can't tell

    It could be contemporary based on the tree climbing and playing with dolls.

    I could be historical based on the part about searching for valuable cargo lost on the remotest parts of the volcano.

    Or sci fi with the mention of the sun and rings.

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  8. CAN'T TELL

    I'd say contemporary realistic, but the midmorning lessons and the fact she's obviously (well, to me) on the younger end of MG yet sewed the doll's clothes suggests historical realistic. Seems to quiet a start for adventure.

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  9. I can't tell

    I'm stumped on this one. It could be contemporary, historical, or science fiction. I'm not sure which.

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  10. Contemporary

    But I wouldn't be shocked if it was historical either. I didn't think it sounded sci fi, though. I thought up the rings just meant how high in the sky it was.

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  11. Sorry, but can't really tell. I think the word choices lend more to historical than contemporary. I see some others said SF, but I didn't get a big SF vibe, perhaps I didn't understand the "ring" part others are pointing out.

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  12. I'm guessing historical.

    Words Sewing, courtyard, lessons, and mother all lean me toward a different place in time.

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  13. This one's tough. I'm going with sci-fi but only because the line about whether or not the sun had climbed 'halfway up the rings' made me suspect a futuristic world.

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  14. Contemporary, although my second guess would be Sci-fi

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  15. Historical

    The character name feels old, the word mountaineering makes it feel historical as well. Coveralls and the mention of mid-morning lessons makes it feel dated.

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  16. Sci-fi.Because the sun climbs up rings--meaning moons? Historical fiction came to mind except for the bit about the rings. This one is hard to pinpoint. Good luck, Sarah

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  17. Contemporary.

    Unless its fantasy or historical. The rings made it sound like an alternate world. Lessons made it sound like a past real world. Magical lessons? Or just homeschool?

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  18. Dystopian?

    I see a girl in a tree -not hiding- out of sight of her mother. I get the feeling that she's breaking some kind of social rule by playing with her doll there. I, too, wondered about the sun on the rings. Is this a way to tell time for everyone, or does the little girl associate the position of the sun with, say, the playground rings where she's supposed to be right now?

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  19. SCIENCE FICTION

    I thought contemporary almost up to the end, but the mention of the sun climbing up the rings made me think we weren't on Earth.

    (Sidenote: I got very confused by the introduction of someone named Jill. Is that the doll? Not a biggie, but it could use some clearing up for me.)

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  20. I want to say Dystopian, I guess that's in the science fiction realm?

    The rings could be anything. They could be on a building. They could be a toy. But I'm getting a post-apocalyptic vibe.

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  21. Going with sci-fi because of the sun/rings comment. It could be something like a sundial, but that wasn't described as such. I like Jill the mountaineering doll. :)

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  22. Historical - midmorning lessons, someone sewing clothes for her

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  23. ADVENTURE

    Got an adventurous girl in an adventurous (or possibly historical) setting.

    Skimming the comments pointed my attention to the "rings," which I had not noticed. If it's meant as a sci-fi tip, I think it needs to be more obvious, or else backed up with some other equally obvious detail.

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  24. Science Fiction

    Sun climbing up the rings suggests another world. The other details (volcano, cargo, mountaineering) suggest a scientifically modern society, so science fiction on another world.

    I would read this. Nice hook.

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  25. I honestly can't tell. I don't know what the "rings" are. They could be playground equipment and the sun simply rose, light shifting through them, or it could be something atmospheric that would be SF.

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  26. I can't tell

    I'd guess contemporary, but I suppose that's just what's left when you eliminate the others! The rings were confusing, not quite enough for a clue.

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  27. Science Fiction

    It seemed contemporary but then made odd references to things that departed from a typical modern childhood--i.e., I don't know many kids who play mountaineering. The lost cargo made me think of maybe a cargo ship lost in space that crash on a volcano of another planet. She's taking lessons, instead of being in a school, which I guess could also point to historical or fantasy. The clincher for me was "halfway up the rings...." which seems off-earth.

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  28. HIstorical

    She's a girl playing with a doll in a tree, and there's no mention of helmets and no parent nearby. She sews and makes her own doll clothes. She's playing 'pretend.' The doll is wearing coveralls.

    Of course, there is that bit about the rings, which I totally missed until I read the comments, so I suppose it could be an alternate world. But I guess I'll stick with Historical.

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  29. I can't tell
    Is Jill the doll? I wasn't sure if this was contemporary or science fiction or dystopian because of the MC playing and whether some of the comments meant that it was part of her imaginary or real setting.

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  30. It is Science Fiction, although Raisa's society is not industrial, so she won't be getting down from her tree with a grav-belt or even an aluminum ladder! Thanks to everyone who offered comments.

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