Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever

by Eddie Owens

Millie Hardiman is a thirteen year old from Bognor Regis, with a wild imagination, who dreams of becoming a writer.

When Millie’s scriptwriter Dad, Barry, has writer’s block, Millie becomes his muse for the daytime television soap, Double Top.

After her success on Double Top, Millie creates a Sci-Fi, teen drama, The Adventures of Martian Girl.

Millie falls in love for the first time with Wolf Van Der Beek, an arrogant, South African child actor.

This is a story about friendship, first love and growing up.

Genres: Young Adult

131 pages, ebook

About the author

Hi,

If you are reading this then you have been at the very least mildly interested in one of my e-books, and want to know what kind of individual could create such diverse works.

Well, here goes. I'm a guy who grew up loving books and in middle age I finally thought I can write a book too.

How hard can it be? Right?

The answer is very hard but we'll come back to my creative writing masterclass at another time.

First of all, I wrote "Mandy". A inspirational story about a young woman who is given the chance to play football with the men, in an English premier league club.

After "Mandy", I tried writing for young adults and "Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever"was born.

Millie was inspired by the poem "Matilda" by Balzac. I used the line "Matilda told such dreadful lies it made one gasp and stretch one's eyes" as inspiration.

Next, since I am bitter and cynical I turned to writing a humorous novel. "Fat Jimmy and the Blind Ballerina" is a wonderful cathartic piece about a savagely funny young man.

Is he meant to be me? Not really.....Ok, maybe a bit. Anyone who knows me certainly sees my humour in the book.

Despite all of my hopes none of my first three books was picked up by an agent, so I did the obvious thing, I decided to write The Great American Novel. I'm from Glasgow and I have lived most of my life in Nottingham, so who better than me to write such a thing.

"Going to the Sun" is an epic work. 800 pages counts as epic. Either epic or overlong, read it and let me know.

When the agents were still not kicking my door down to represent me, I decided it was time to write my crime fiction novel. "Transfer from Alcatraz" is about a female PI in San Francisco. Again I am not female and I have never been to San Francisco, so I am obviously the best person to write such a tale.

Hopefully, if you are still reading , you want to try some of these books and find out if I have written anything worth a toss.

Take a shot and let me know how you get on.

Reviews

[James Tivendale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author Eddie Owens for sending me a copy of this E-book in exchange for an honest review.

This tale follows a 13-year-old girl called Millie Hardiman. Her qualities include the fact she is charming, cheeky and strikingly creative. She spends the majority of her time composing vivid and offbeat fabrications to anybody who will listen to a story that she can weave. She is a little liar but there is so much more to it than the negative connotations of that trait. In a kooky way, she calls authority figures in life by their Christian name including parents and teachers and she also enjoys playing golf.

Owen's presents a lovely narrative that focuses on important aspects of a young teenagers life. We are presented with characters thoughts and emotions regarding first loves, family life, and friendship. The three girls we follow mostly are Millie, Chunk, and Penny. We also are privy to what happens when those pesky boys get in the way of friends.

It sounds like a typical tale but due to Millie's overactive imagination she begins helping her father write scripts for the hit darts related sitcom "Double Top", rubs shoulders with some celebrities and then begins to create her own show "Martian Girl". We become entranced when invited to this world much like that of typical teenagers; spending days on Whatsapp texting and antics at school but this story includes a wide range of colourful events such as near death experiences, car crashes, dating TV stars, police interviews to just handpick a few. It is presented in a very humorous manner. Some parts made me actually laugh out loud so I looked like a right weirdo in front of my housemate. It is also littered with picturesque similes such as "Penny started attacking the drums like they were killer sharks trying to get on a lifeboat."

It is obvious the author oozes wit. I would love to meet up and have a beer with him to see what madness we would talk about.

I only have two very minor criticisms. This book is very British in the colloquialisms, the descriptions and the topics in which the characters discuss. This is completely fine by me. I knew what the author was talking about when we are told a character is now sitting on a barge in Walsall and also Bognor's Got Talent. I can't help thinking that he may be limiting his audience with this, unfortunately. The wonderful story would definitely be liked by teens of all nations. The other criticism is once again - very minor. I think the cover looks perhaps too childish for the age of individuals that would be captivated by this brilliant and well thought out story.

Thoroughly recommend.

James x >>> www.youandibooks.wordpress.com

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a digital copy of this book for free. Thanks to author Eddie Owens.)

“She told me that Chunk had been left in the cellar for two weeks, living off dog food.”

This was an entertaining middle-grade story, about a girl who liked to make up far-fetched stories.

Millie was a really amusing character, and the stories she created were so funny! I also found it amusing how she called her parents by their Christian names, and tried to do the same with her teachers.

The storyline in this was about Millie making up bizarre stories, and trying to help her dad with his script writing for a TV show which he wrote for. We also had Millie making up stories for other people which got her in trouble, and a storyline about Millie writing her own TV show.

The ending to this was pretty good, and this was an enjoyable middle-grade story overall.



7 out of 10

[Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 "13 going on full blast" stars

This is my first book by author Eddie Owens and even if it does belong into a YA category, which, I have to admit, i tend to read somewhat sporadically, I found this story quite entertaining and I think it could be appealing to the younger public as a starting audience.
The main character, a 13 year old Millie Hardiman is quite a handful, sassy, loud-mouth, and a bit theatrical teenage girl, with an immense span of an imagination...
She makes up stories on a daily basis, that sometimes, not only evokes laughter but also, more often than not, trouble, especially for her parents who then need to "clear" things out...they try to not encourage her on that part of her "development in creativity" cause it tends to get over board BUT when Millie's father, who's a screenplay writer and currently in a writer's block, encourages her to help him out with a plot of a daytime series...after which, she gets her own chance of becoming a writer...

Millie's journey into the "adulthood" will consist of dealing with responsibilities, making decisions and standing behind them. She'll learn about the "essence" of friendship while she also encounters "the butterflies of infatuation" of the first love/not love, experiences her first kiss and as well as disappointments that come along with all of that...realizing that being a kid, has it's own perks BUT it also gives her an insight into the world of adults where experiencing/finding perks is a luxury with a different kind of weight.

It was a funny, entertaining story but my main remark to the storytelling was just that - the telling. Most of the time, i had a feeling that I was being "told" what the characters went through, and what they felt and I found that distractive as it made me a bit detached and rushed into the content but without fully experiencing its "perks".

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was provided free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a book for children. Learn a lesson by reading this book sort of thing.

Targeted at tween and early teen girls, the book is simply written. The chapters are short and to the point. Most focus on issues that relate to things that would trouble girls of that age. Most are addressed with humor or in a fun and entertaining way. If I had a young teen daughter, I might encourage her to read the book. If I had a younger daughter, I might read it with her at bedtime. Might be more meaningful that way.

The characters are developed as well as they can be in the limited number of pages the author has. In fact, given my ebook was only 131 pages, Eddie Owens did a really great job creating characters that you could relate to. Millie and her friends acted very much like real thirteen-year-old girls would. The behavior never seemed contrived or forced. Of course, some of the situations were unrealistic but it's fiction that's how it's supposed to be.

My only complaint is that the ending was sudden and unexpected. I'm reading along and then BAM there are no more pages to read.

So only three stars because it's a good book but I don't think it is not going to stand out in anyone's mind once they've finished reading it.

[Fafa's Book Corner]

Mini review:

DNF

I received this E-ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.

When the author contacted me about this book I immediately said yes. While I don't typically enjoy middle grade contemporaries I was willing to give it a shot. Unfortunately this book was not for me.

In the synopsis it is mentioned that Millie is quite the liar. I honestly thought it would be funny to read about but for me personally it was not. I found Millie's lies to be stupid and I didn't really get why she even lied.

Nonetheless I still recommend this book as I have a feeling that others would enjoy it more than I did.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the story of Millie and wow what a funny witty child she is. She is fourteen but she has the creativity of a seasoned writer. I enjoyed her relationships with Chunk, her mother, and Father. Even when she called her father by his first name. A little odd, but it suited her personality. I laughed at her humor and I cringed when she made others uncomfortable with her shenanigans.

I would recommend this to any young person that enjoys a good laugh and any adult that wants to live vicariously through a young girl that got away with much more than she should have.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

MILLIE HARDIMAN AND THE RED PARROT FEVER by Eddie Owens is a comical and quirky tale of a girl who lived life her way, even if it hurt others in the process...and she may have cried wolf one too many times, too. Follow Millie as she discovers what life, love, friendship and family are all about and that maybe one too many pranks can be a frightening experience. Now, if she could learn to use filters...and show respect...

Eddie Owens gives Millie personality PLUS, friends that are loyal and parents who may have allowed her too much freedom of expression. From the center of attention with her crazy antics to a young lady who is learning that life isn’t all about her and it’s time to change her ways! Clever, funny, a little exasperating at times, there is a lesson in here that is hidden inside this quick-reading tale that is equal parts fun, cleverly written and completely entertaining.

I received this copy from Eddie Owens in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: EDDIE OWENS (July 24, 2016)
Publication Date: July 24, 2016
Genre: YA/Children's humorous fiction
Print Length: 131 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirteen year old Millie is a natural storyteller. She has a story ready to burst out of her at any given moment, and for any situation. Unfortunately for mum Gwen, she often finds herself playing the baddie in Millie’s stories. From brutal owner of the local orphanage, who beats the children, to a drink driving mum who killed her daughter, Gwen sometimes finds her daughter’s stories hard going.

But Millie’s imaginative, and eccentric brain come into use when her scriptwriter father hit the dreaded writer’s block. Between the two of them, they make a success of ‘Double Top’ the TV programme, and move on to bigger and better productions, such as Martian Girl.

Upon meeting the lead child actor in the new series, Wolf Van Der Beek, Millie finds herself in her first romance, but is Wolf really being honest with her, or using her?

Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever, is a fun, laugh-out loud children’s/YA book. Millie, although obviously very bright and articulate, and an exceptional storyteller, can sometimes push the boundaries too far with her stories, and upset people, especially her mum.

The book is a page turner, and had me intrigued from the start. The family dynamics, and friendships, as well as the budding romances, give this book a deeper feel to it than that of a children’s book.

A superb book, that I’m sure will make lots of children giggle from beginning to end, especially as the plot is as imaginative as Millie is!!

Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

[Barbara Gipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only way I can describe Millie Hardiman is UNBELIEVABLE! Yet, I wish I had her storytelling ability. She currently sit in the body of a thirteen-year-old, yet her mind is much, much older. And the things she gets away with...dare I say UNBELIEVABLE. I have to be honest, I didn't get the humor of the book. However, once I got started, I anxiously plowed right into each and every story. I believe children between the ages of eleven and fourteen will enjoy this book.

Because of certain elements, I think boys will enjoy it as much as girls.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author Eddie Owens for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever is not a book I'd usually pick up, simply because I don't normally read middle-grade books, but I really enjoyed the read.

The book follows a 13-year-old girl called Millie Hardiman. She is charming and creative but also somewhat of a compulsive liar who spends the majority of her time fabricating wild stories. This trait of hers becomes particularly useful once her father, who is a scriptwriter, starts suffering from the much dreaded writer's block.

The author depicts various aspects of a young teenager's life in an amusing manner: friendship, school, family. I especially enjoyed to see a girl change into a teen who falls in love for the first time. Is it the right boy? Or the wrong boy? And along the way she learns about responsibility and maturity.

The only negative thing I noticed while reading this, is that some of the plot feels wildly unrealistic in an otherwise realistic setting (though Millie's father is writing a soap opera, so maybe this is just a creative nod in that direction) and I'm sure that won't bother young teenagers who are hungry for adventures.

If you're looking for an amusing read for a kid with an over-active imagination, give this one a try.

[Karen Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to author Eddie Owens for sending me a copy of this to review. While it wasn't for me personally, the character of Millie will - I'm sure - charm many middle-grade girls (particularly those with over-active imaginations, a keen sense of their own superiority and families who pander to their every whim).
The whole premise of the story is rather odd. A wry comment on the ludicrous storylines of many TV dramas, or a moment of wish-fulfilment?

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

Thanks again to author Eddie Owens for letting me read this book. I really appreciate it and I absolutely loved it!

This is a really quick read that is jam packed with adventure and full of heart.

Millie is a young girl who is funny, sweet, witty and a wild child at her core. Some of her antics had me laughing out loud but I always have this internal instinct to cringe when a character makes someone else uncomfortable. This happened to me a couple of times throughout the book but you can’t help but be swept up in Millie’s adventures and her obvious heart of gold.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Millie and her parents. This dynamic was certainly unique and you can’t help but see her free spirit as a product of the somewhat laidback way she has been bought up. Since Millie is given free reign in most aspects of her life, she faces some tough lessons when it comes to family, love and friendships, all of which make her a stronger and overall a more well-rounded character.

I think this book is perfect for younger middle grade readers but the wit and quirky overtones will have adults laughing along with the kids. If you are looking for a book to read to your own wild child or younger sibling, I would definitely try and get your hands on this.

Side note: After I finished reading this, I let my 11 year old cousin have a go and I haven’t seen her laugh so much over a book. Being a little mischievous herself, she loved Millie and devoured this mini adventure.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review **

This is a very funny story about a girl named Millie, who likes making up ridiculous stories.

At first I found Millie to be a bit annoying and disrespectful. And I felt so sorry for her mom! Her daughter just kept lying all the time, sometimes saying things that were incredibly insane, and I didn't even know why she found it necessary.

I also didn't see how everybody kept saying she acted like a grown-up. She really didn't.

But, thankfully, things start getting better, especially after she starts helping out at her dad's workplace by sharing her ideas for a TV show, where her lies are actually put to good use. Millie grew on me, I enjoyed her crazy stories for the show.

And I loved the message we can get from the story. Millie did get herself in bad situations due to her lying, and she realized this and decided to stop with the lying. Just because you have a great imagination, doesn't mean you can go around making up stories that would make people worried or uncomfortable, Millie.

I especially recommend this to young readers, who might benefit from reading about Millie's struggles on her path to becoming a responsible teen.


More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But the only reason for you both to be talking to me is because Barry's having an affair, and now he's going to go and live in a bedsit with rats, and I'll have to visit him and pretend I'm having fun," Millie babbled. "You don't have to break up with him, do you?" she said, suddenly desperate."

Millie and her family are quite the characters. A teen story told with humor and love. Dad is a television writer with writers block. Mom, Gwen, is..gasp.. pregnant. According to Millie, they've picked a dog's name for the newborn to be. Millie might have just the thing to help her dad, Barry, out. Millie's wild imagination, and constant story telling, gets her in trouble here and there.

I enjoyed these characters and the sense of humor, as they dealt with life and reality. Going from being a girl, to a teen who finds just the right boy. Or is he the wrong boy? Going to school, dealing with friends and that maybe first love.

Entertaining and a fun story. Millie even gets a chance to create her own show. Her friends play an important part of her life, as well as the sweet relationship she has with her parents. Even though its obviously meant for a younger reading crowd, I enjoyed it!

Thank you Eddie Owens

[Pam Z (Pam's Shenanigans) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Thirteen-year-old Millie Hardiman's dream is to be one of the best writers in the world. She loves making stories to the point that it would inconvenient people, really. Reading the book kind of took me back to when I was thirteen and was none the wiser. Although, I can say that Millie, Chunk, Penny and the other tweens in the book seemed way more mature than they should be. I think that is both impressive and a tad bit unbelievable for me because these kids seem to think things through fast and logically. (Unless I was just a bloody stupid thirteen-year-old back then)

Characters : I didn't really like Millie, at least in most parts of the book. She absolutely lacks respect which just irks me. She tends to be rude which is a red flag for me. But like most books, things happen. Lessons are learned the hard way. People change for the better. Millie finally learned which relationships and friendships matter and she should value. Chunk's background story was a nice touch, though. Who even names their kid Chunk? Read the book then find out!

Plot : I honestly didn't expect much upon reading that the book is really intended for readers 12 years old and above. The title was a bit misleading, though. I kind of pictured the book as something like The Adventures of Tin Tin because of how it was named. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was also illustrated. I still enjoyed the story all in all anyway!

Recommendation : It's a light and fast read so I'd recommend this to kids who enjoy Dear Dumb Diary, Dork Diaries or The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

[BethLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever is a really interesting and fun book.

Millie is a thirteen girl with a big imagination. As a girl with a wild imagination myself, I could relate to her and her crazy stories. Millie liked to scare people with her stories, which I found was hilarious. She would make up stories to see peoples reactions.
I may have been able to relate to Millie with her imagination, but she was a real troublemaker. I know it was meant to be that way, but her shenanigans irked me.

I liked how Millie had a strong group of friends that were like her, yet all different in her own ways. The one friend that stood out to me was Chunk, and I really liked her character structure.

I liked how Millie was taught lessons about responsibility, and how she got punished for doing things she shouldn't have been doing.

The story really picked up when Millie started writing T.V. shows. It was a little unrealistic, but it was still really fun to read about. I liked some of the things they talked about during the T.V. parts of the book.

The writing style in this book was good and really creative. It was very descriptive, and added a lot to this story.

Overall this is a good middle grade book. I would recommend it for any middle grade girl with a big imagination.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review To Come

[Eddie Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully funny kids fiction for ages 10 to 13.

NB: You will laugh until you die. literally.

[Patricia Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever almost sounds like a mystery novel, based on the title, but it’s more of a humorous coming of age story. Millie’s a kid with an over-the-top imagination and a knack for convincing unwary adults her stories are true. It drives her parents crazy, but when her dad hits a mega writing block at the worst possible time, they make a deal with her that opens the floodgates.

First off, I don’t think the description does this justice. It’s quite a fun read, but it’s more about Millie’s crazy stories both bringing her opportunities and getting her into trouble than about her love story and her budding writing career.

Besides the stuff Millie comes up with, I really enjoyed her growth as she pushes the boundaries and begins to recognize that even a fictional tale can have real consequences. The love story was more of a first crush tale, which I found plausible for kids that age. There are lessons to be learned, but overall, the stories and hijinks make it a quick and entertaining read.

The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was some clunky punctuation in the beginning, mostly odd pauses in the flow of the words that led to a lot of having to reread things. I didn’t notice very much of this near the end of the story, though.

Overall, I really liked this story and would recommend it to middle-schoolers and up who like humor and lots of shenanigans.

I received the review copy of this book from the author.

[Cat Imb || The Reading Cat || · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Eddie Owens!

I really enjoyed this story. It was simple, lighthearted, funny and witty. The narrator, Millie, is an extremely imaginative storyteller who will make people believe anything she tells them, no matter how ridiculous she sounds. Millie is intelligent and sassy, and she makes for a very entertaining main character.

As with many young adult books, this book deals with friendship, "first love", and family; realizing the importance of each of those aspects of our lives and how they affect each other, as well as us, as we are learning, growing, and finding out own identity.

Identity was also a major topic in this book, and I really enjoyed the multiple ways it was brought about in this novel; clothing experimentation, acting, art, writing, etc.

Eddie Owens is a talented writer who is concise and effective with his writing, not needing an obscene amount of pages for one story. This allows for the story to feel light and fresh to the readers.

Overall, a great read!

[Clarice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book. Never read anything by the author before but I found this book about a girl named Millie to be pretty entertaining. I would recommend it for young teens. I did find Millie to be somewhat annoying with her constant story telling at times, but she does eventually learn her lesson and uses her stories for more constructive reasons instead of to torture people. Frankly I think her character quite resembles young teens. But there are some good lessons she learns and that is what makes the book even better. A rather good read!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Great funny heartwarming book about love, family friendship and the importance of not making up stories (lies) all the time. Thank you Eddie for contacting me to review this book.

I loved all the characters in this book but especially Millie, so obviously I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them and their lives.

for my full review follow the link below to read my review post on my blog.
http://catherinehunt.me.uk/2016/10/23...