Wednesday 14 February 2018

Quest to find lines from THE PRINCESS BRIDE in YA books

Come closer, and I'll let you in on a little-known secret in the YA writers' community.

Closer.

Closer.

Okay, close enough.

*Looks around furtively. Lowers voice.*

Whisper it quietly, but it appears there is a secret society among YA writers. A secret society that exists to sneak a line or a reference to the film THE PRINCESS BRIDE in their published books.

Have you noticed it, too?

To my delight, I'm not alone in my suspicions. Whilst reading My Lady Jane - the not entirely true story by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows (a delightful and funny historical fantasy I'd borrowed from the library), I found a note slipped in between pages 256-257 with a quote from one of my favourite films (fan credentials: I saw this film twice at the cinema before it became a cult classic). The mysterious note-writer had (sacrilege!) marked the book with asterisks at the relevant points. Inconceivable!

Inconceivable!

Later on in the book, there were more lines from the film:

As you wish

Drop your sword

...all that I have and more!

There was also a reference to storming the castle.

Do you think the mysterious note-writer has left notes in other books as well? For the record, I'm leaving the note exactly where I found it so the next reader of the book can have the pleasure of the discovery too - I hope they recognise the quote! The book was borrowed from Taunton library, and maybe I'll have to make it a quest to find out the mysterious note-writer's identity. If you are that person - or if you recognise the hand writing - then I'd love to hear from you.

Does this secret society reach right around the globe? If so, then how many members are there??

In the meantime, Quest Seekers, keep an eye out in the YA books you're reading and put the details in the comments below if you spot any THE PRINCESS BRIDE lines in them.