HEAVEN OR CALIFORNIA, Ch. 1-2

[lemonlyelit]

If you're going to critique only one post of this novel, please critique this one. If the beginning isn't strong enough to keep people reading, it doesn't matter how good the rest is. :) With that, away we go

Comments

[wildecate]

I got a bit confused because I didn't know initially who Abbott was. The Pastor really put my teeth on edge which I hope was your point. Abbott's reaction was very accurate. I don't know the ages of these characters, I'm a Brit and Senior, Junior and Sophomore don't mean much to me :-( Curious to read more.

[lemonlyelit]

Sounds like I really ought to do something about those journal entries! Will do.

Heh, yes, the pastor is of the obnoxious in my mind too. Though he means well.

In the American high school scheme (and university too, at least for undergraduates), the order of the four years is: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior; and the ages are roughly 14, 15, 16, 17, respectively, at the start of the school year. We Yanks feel similarly confused when we pick up British books set in schools. "Sixth form? The hell..?" :)

[wildecate]

You get confused? It used to be so easy. 1st year, 2nd year, 3rd year, 4th year, 5th year and 6th form. Which went 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 to 18. Sigh. Now we're all Year 10 and Year 11. God knows how old that is.

[lemonlyelit]

Hmm, I wonder if they're equating it with the U.S. system. In addition to the freshman, etc., names, all the years previous to college/university are numbered. First grade is about age six; twelfth grade is the senior year of high school, so age 17-18. Think Canada is similar, only they say "grade one" instead of "first grade," and so on.

[kalquessa]

Dude, I posted a question about the Brit/Irish form system to little_details once, and the responses I got were even more confusing than the school tale novels that had inspired the question!