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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Name That Genre #1

TITLE: YA
GENRE: Secret

“Elizabeth, are you ready to go?” I hear Mother call from the kitchen.

“Yes, I’ll be right there,” I lie, still not dressed. It's Sunday and I'm late, as usual. I grab the first dress I see. It doesn’t seem to matter much when my choices are the black dress, the dark black dress, or the other black dress. Shall I wear the one with the hole, the one with two holes, or the one the mouse chewed through?

“Elizabeth! We are going to be late, we need to leave,” I hear Mother call again, this time with a hint of impatience.

“I’ll be right there!”

After exchanging my white nightdress for the dark black dress that the mouse chewed through, I tie a white apron around my waist, attempting to hide the hole. I am nearly out the door when I realize I have forgotten my cap.

35 comments:

  1. Amish fiction

    I am guessing it is contemporary Amish (although I don't think they have torn or worn dresses - but maybe that is what makes their story worth telling.)

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  2. Historical

    The name Elizabeth, church, dresses/apron/cap, and mice.

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  3. Contemporary.

    I agree with S.D. that is is probably in an Amish or similar setting. The use of the word "grab" pushed it away from historical into modern for me.

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  4. I thought either Historical or Dystopian. The Amish angle didn't occur to me until I read other crits!

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  5. I thought either Historical or Dystopian. The Amish angle didn't occur to me until I read other crits!

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  6. Contemporary
    I'm thinking the mc is Amish or Mennonite which makes the time period harder to judge, but since the language feels contemporary, I'm going with that.

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  7. My first guess was contemporary and that they were going to a funeral because her only options were black dresses. Then the mention of a mouse chewing through the fabric and wearing a white apron made me think Historical Fiction, but the mention of the white cap led me to believe that this was an amish woman, so back to contemporary fiction about an Amish community.

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  8. Historical. Because of the word choices: shall; nightdress. Also because her outfit includes an apron and a cap.

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  9. Historical, due to the clothing.

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  10. Historical, due to the clothing.

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  11. Historical.

    I'm posting my initial guess, though after reading others', contemporary with an Amish or Mennonite MC makes more sense, because the language is contemporary.

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  12. Historical is my guess. The wording is more modern, but that could be the author. Not all Amish girls wear nothing but black and they are pretty fastidious about their clothing, especially church service which is actually held in homes and every two weeks.

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  13. Historical
    Although the Amish thing is a good guess, but it feels more like pilgrims or old-timey Quakers to me.

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  14. Contemporary -- set in an Amish or other similar religious community.

    The voice feels too modern to me for this to be historical. If it's supposed to be historical, perhaps add a few more setting details that concretely set it in a different time period.

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  15. I don't know.
    Thought they were going to a funeral at first, then Amish or a family of servants. Language seems contemporary but nightdress makes me think Amish again.

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  16. I don't know.
    Thought they were going to a funeral at first, then Amish or a family of servants. Language seems contemporary but nightdress makes me think Amish again.

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  17. Historical Fiction

    The black dress and cap and the name but this could also be dystopian.

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  18. I can't tell.

    On first read, I thought it was an Amish girl, probably because the language sounded so modern. But I think it could be Historical Fiction (or even Fantasy) or possibly even Dystopian. Hard to decide.

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  19. Historical Fiction.
    The clothing is that of a Pilgrim girl or woman. The worn quality suggests a more thrifty time, perhaps when clothing is hand-made. The voice is contemporary to appeal to today's teens, but I'll stick with Historical.

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  20. Amish Contemporary
    At first, I thought this was Historical, but then the introduction of the white apron and cap, as well as the formal yet not too formal language, led me to think Amish Contemporary.

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  21. Clothing makes me think Amish, could be contemporary or historical, but can't tell because Amish live in their own time. Could be a "bonnet ripper" romance, but with the stark view of everything so far, it could be a take-down of a cult-life.

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  22. I"m guessing Contemporary YA as she sounds like an Amish teenager.

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  23. HISTORICAL.

    The few clothes, the black dresses, the apron, the cap, the presence of a mouse in the house, that sounds like The Little House in the Prairie, but they are happier there.

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  24. Historical

    The holes in the dresses make me think it's not a modern Amish setting.

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  25. Contemporary

    I was torn between Historical and Contemporary, but the voice seems to fit more with modern day

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  26. Historical.

    The lack of color in the dresses.

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  27. Historical

    She's got nothing but dresses and they're in poor condition.

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  28. Historical fiction. The dresses chewed by mice, the white cap, the apron...sounds like either the 17th or 18th century, perhaps.

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  29. Amish fiction

    Black dress & apron

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  30. Contemporary. Amish sub-genre. Black dresses, white apron, and cap.

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  31. Historical.

    Because of the name Elizabeth, referring to her nightgown as a white nightdress, the black dress, white apron, and cap. Not necessarily Amish, but could be. The MC could also be a servant.

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  32. Amish

    I admit I didn't think of that on my own, but those that did made a valid point and I concur


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  33. Historical is correct, and a page later it turns into historical fantasy. It takes place in Salem and one of the guesses was spot on in that the language is a little more modern to be more appealing to teenagers today. Actually the first page has been revised due to pitch slam and it would probably be more apparent with the new revisions. After reading it with the mindset of Amish though, I could see it. Although I agree their clothes would be in better condition.

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