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Fill Out This Application and Wait Over There
The 'gap' year. Hailee Moxie's 'Escape to Asia' Access account stands at $129.65. She must join the workforce. This involves getting up unnaturally early in the morning, wearing unattractive clothes and being nice to whining customers, all for very small wages. A very funny first-hand account of life at the bottom of the heap.
- GenresYoung AdultContemporary
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Starke
36 books9 followersRuth Starke lives in Adelaide, South Australia, and has published more than 20 novels for young people including the award-winning NIPS XI, which was named Honour Book (Younger Readers) in the 2001 CBC Awards and is currently on the Fiction for Young Readers curriculum, Noodle Pie and the Captain Congo series of graphic novels.
She was awarded the Carclew Fellowship in 2002, and currently serves as a judge for both the Colin Thiele Writing Fellowship and the Independent Arts Fellowship. She is a regular and longtime book reviewer for Australian Book Review, Viewpoint, and Radio Adelaide, an an editorial adviser for ABR, and a past Chair of the SA Writers Centre.
Before becoming an author, Ruth worked in public relations and travel marketing, and at a great variety of other jobs - of which the most interesting, she says, were selling French perfume in Harrods, cooking on the radio, taking tourists to Kashmir, and interviewing Grand Prix drivers.
She turned to fiction writing in 1992, and since then has become one of Australia's best-loved authors for children and young adults.
For more information visit: http://www.ruthstarke.com/
She was awarded the Carclew Fellowship in 2002, and currently serves as a judge for both the Colin Thiele Writing Fellowship and the Independent Arts Fellowship. She is a regular and longtime book reviewer for Australian Book Review, Viewpoint, and Radio Adelaide, an an editorial adviser for ABR, and a past Chair of the SA Writers Centre.
Before becoming an author, Ruth worked in public relations and travel marketing, and at a great variety of other jobs - of which the most interesting, she says, were selling French perfume in Harrods, cooking on the radio, taking tourists to Kashmir, and interviewing Grand Prix drivers.
She turned to fiction writing in 1992, and since then has become one of Australia's best-loved authors for children and young adults.
For more information visit: http://www.ruthstarke.com/
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 21, 2016
Quite a few laughs at customer service experiences :)
November 1, 2019
Humours book, While being light-hearted it also has a few deeper ideas.
December 14, 2014
I really enjoyed reading 'Fill Out This Application And Wait Over There'. There were so many aspects of this book that I liked, hence my rating of 5 stars.
- It was refreshing to read a YA fiction book written by an Australian author - I actually understood the references!!! (like Jim's Mowing, a Bryce Courtney novel, Kmart)
- I found it easy to relate to the main character, Hailee Moxie, and I believe other 15+ teens probably would too.
- Hailee's diary was written in a very realistic, light, fun and laugh-out loud way.
- For some reason, I liked how Hailee didn't spend all of her spare time with her best friend. It was way more interesting hearing about all the different people Hailee met in her various jobs, like Jules, Tahlia, Micheal, Paisley and Marlene.
- Hailee didn't spend all her time whining about her breakup!!!!
- All Hailee's bad experiences were written in a humorous way (it wasn't just her complaining all the time)
- All the characters in 'Fill Out This Application And Wait Over There' were well thought out, unique and different, they all had their own quirky personalities, like Melissa the grumpy supervisor and Micheal the environmental enthusiast. There was no mistaking one character for another!
- It was amusing reading about the customers at all Hailee's jobs, and so true in real life.
This was a hilarious, light story and great for cheering you up!
- It was refreshing to read a YA fiction book written by an Australian author - I actually understood the references!!! (like Jim's Mowing, a Bryce Courtney novel, Kmart)
- I found it easy to relate to the main character, Hailee Moxie, and I believe other 15+ teens probably would too.
- Hailee's diary was written in a very realistic, light, fun and laugh-out loud way.
- For some reason, I liked how Hailee didn't spend all of her spare time with her best friend. It was way more interesting hearing about all the different people Hailee met in her various jobs, like Jules, Tahlia, Micheal, Paisley and Marlene.
- Hailee didn't spend all her time whining about her breakup!!!!
- All Hailee's bad experiences were written in a humorous way (it wasn't just her complaining all the time)
- All the characters in 'Fill Out This Application And Wait Over There' were well thought out, unique and different, they all had their own quirky personalities, like Melissa the grumpy supervisor and Micheal the environmental enthusiast. There was no mistaking one character for another!
- It was amusing reading about the customers at all Hailee's jobs, and so true in real life.
This was a hilarious, light story and great for cheering you up!
January 31, 2012
I'd say I'd give it a 2.5, leaning more towards the two, for a very good reason. This book is about 200 pages too long! You find yourself reading similar situations over and over, and wondering why you should care. There are snippets of really good writing, and some laugh out loud moments, but on the whole it is a bit of a drag. Hailee reads like a 12 year old at most points, and sounds like an extremely immature 17 year old. I find it hard to believe she went through year 12 and yet reminds clueless to so many things, and so many social situations.
As I said, there are some small gems of writing in this book, but I don't think it's worth dragging yourself through the rest to read them. But drag I did, and I finished after thinking I'd put it down half way through, so I guess that's something.
As I said, there are some small gems of writing in this book, but I don't think it's worth dragging yourself through the rest to read them. But drag I did, and I finished after thinking I'd put it down half way through, so I guess that's something.
December 7, 2016
Well that was a bit depressing, not looking forward to finding a job now...
I've figured out that the reason I didn't like this book that much is simply because despite being the same age and even living in the same city (which, for Adelaide, is rare in a book) as the main character, I could not relate to her *AT ALL*. (Probably not a flaw of the book or characterisation or anything, just a personal reason why I didn't like it much.)
Also the other thing is that Hailee got an interview at literally every place she applied for. *okay... that sounds fake but okay*
I like the fact that the entire book is basically a recounting of things that happen in various casual jobs with customers and such, but it still manages to make that entertaining.
OH AND ALSO I love all the Aussie references like Jim's Mowing, and the girl who paints her nails in Crows colours. (yes go Crows!!)
I've figured out that the reason I didn't like this book that much is simply because despite being the same age and even living in the same city (which, for Adelaide, is rare in a book) as the main character, I could not relate to her *AT ALL*. (Probably not a flaw of the book or characterisation or anything, just a personal reason why I didn't like it much.)
Also the other thing is that Hailee got an interview at literally every place she applied for. *okay... that sounds fake but okay*
I like the fact that the entire book is basically a recounting of things that happen in various casual jobs with customers and such, but it still manages to make that entertaining.
OH AND ALSO I love all the Aussie references like Jim's Mowing, and the girl who paints her nails in Crows colours. (yes go Crows!!)
May 21, 2014
Ruth Starke is from Adelaide! I had to reference her a lot in all my children's lit essays at uni and kept spelling her name 'Strake' for some reason, apparently that word brings out latent dyslexic tendencies in me.
Anyway I liked this, it was funny and realistic. I do like 'slice of life' type books that deal with everyday, ordinary little dramas instead of big unusual dramas. They're only boring if they're badly written, and this wasn't. Hailee was maybe a bit immature and clueless for an 18 year old but I liked her anyway. I liked how blunt she was, just coming out with whatever was on her mind without trying to be clever or tactful or politically correct! She was fun.
Anyway I liked this, it was funny and realistic. I do like 'slice of life' type books that deal with everyday, ordinary little dramas instead of big unusual dramas. They're only boring if they're badly written, and this wasn't. Hailee was maybe a bit immature and clueless for an 18 year old but I liked her anyway. I liked how blunt she was, just coming out with whatever was on her mind without trying to be clever or tactful or politically correct! She was fun.
August 6, 2016
this book RULES. it is like a slice of my life. there are rude and crazy customers. strange and invasive job interviews. creepy and harrassing men in the meat department. chocolate- related work accidents. percent off expired food sales. customer fights over on-sale chickens. gay window dressers. chinese tourists who are afraid of clothing stores. mothers whe date organic spinach growers. its all here - and its TRUE.
if you have ever worked at a dead end 'im gonna kill someone' kinda job then this book is for u! jules gives it 9/10
January, 2011
if you have ever worked at a dead end 'im gonna kill someone' kinda job then this book is for u! jules gives it 9/10
January, 2011
January 20, 2011
Hailee Moxie has attitude, and a “gap” year! She is saving to go travelling in Asia, so all she needs is a cool job and away she goes.. But how easy is it to get a cool job – and to keep it? How can she survive the awful hours involved? How will she juggle more than one casual job at once? And how polite are the customers to shop assistants? Can Hailee really save up enough for her air fare, or will those hidden expenses erode her savings?
Find all the answers in this laugh a minute diary from someone at the bottom of the heap. A must-read for all potential gap-year students!
Find all the answers in this laugh a minute diary from someone at the bottom of the heap. A must-read for all potential gap-year students!
July 10, 2011
As I am currently in the process of applying for a few different jobs, I thought this novel would provide some humor and insight to the subject and while there is a little bit of laughter to be had with our protag testing the waters with a range of positions from Check Out Chick to Junior Journalist, it ultimately felt like something was missing.
February 6, 2010
This fictional diary of a girl's gap year and the minimum-wage jobs she does to earn money for travelling to Thaliand is quite funny, although it's not one that's going to stick into my mind. If you like journal-entry-style diaries, complete with irony, wicked humour, and daily life, then this one's for you.
October 3, 2015
The writer is from Adelaide so I can easily imagine what she writes. I guess that is the main attraction for me, but it is not a bad book so even if she is from the Antarctic I will still read it.
I have always wondered if the cashiers are ever sick of saying "Hi, how are you?" to every single customers that go to the counters. Turns out, they do.
I have always wondered if the cashiers are ever sick of saying "Hi, how are you?" to every single customers that go to the counters. Turns out, they do.
June 29, 2010
it was good dragged on a bit sorta still good tho read it!!!!!
April 12, 2012
Good book. Pretty funny in some parts. Quick and easy read
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews