Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
|
Post by Amalia on Feb 11, 2014 12:00:52 GMT -5
Considering that Laine worked as a cashier at a boutique and specifically mentioned receiving a paycheck, and Logan was gainfully employed as a busboy at a popular restaurant with nary a objection being raised, I think we can assume the BSC universe has an entirely different attitude toward child labor, or we can chalk it up to the oft-used tag in BSC Snark: "Things Ann Knows Nothing About." ^ It could be the ghostwriters' fault.
|
|
|
Post by candykane on Feb 11, 2014 18:06:08 GMT -5
Stacey's made-up phrases bugged me. Big Chill, Great Divide, Stacey's Daily Trauma, etc. I don't know if it was supposed to be funny or quirky or what, but It Was Getting On My Nerves. She talked wistfully about NYC quite a bit, especially at the beginning of the book. It was summer vacation; why didn't she go visit her dad? Didn't she always used to go visit every other weekend?
|
|
|
Post by zoar3 on Feb 11, 2014 18:18:46 GMT -5
^I didn't see much humor in those either, Candykane especially because there were so many. I'm not sure we ever saw Stacey go visit her dad regularly, did we? It sounded especially at the time of the divorce they were very close (I always get a little teary when Stacey tells her dad she decided to live with her mom) and it was sad that wasn't kept up. Yes, I know Ed's character went downhill in books post divorce, particularly in Island Adventure, it just would have been nice had that not happened and one of the sitters had a close dad and daughter relationship.
|
|
supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
|
Post by supprazz on Feb 12, 2014 20:26:16 GMT -5
Ed is a miser
|
|
|
Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Feb 25, 2015 21:18:22 GMT -5
Is it weird that when I read "bad girls" and read that one of them was called Heather, that I thought of the character of the same name from "Total Drama Island" and later seasons? It's a cartoon parody of a reality show aimed at teenagers, and the Heather in that is definitely not a shoplifter or underage drinker, but thing is, she is similar in a way, since she's manipulative and scheming - because it's a reality show, she does things like making alliances and then double-crossing everyone, lying, breaking up couples, a little bit of sabotage and generally messing with everyone. Still, the girls in this book look like angels compared to the TDI Heather and her even more manipulative crush. But they were pretty manipulative themselves. But I don't get why Stacey's looks are so innocent. She's supposed to be the sophisticated member of the club, and so...
|
|
starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
|
Post by starrynight on Mar 4, 2015 13:56:05 GMT -5
^ Compared to the rest of the BSC, she's probably sophisticated, but maybe not so much when teamed up with the "bad girls" crowd?
|
|
oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,270
|
Post by oldhickory on Mar 18, 2015 11:26:44 GMT -5
This book really makes me want to spend a summer in New England. I have never been to New England before so I don't know if it's actually like this, but the whole bit about Robert painting makes me think of fancy houses with pretty white porches where you can relax all day, and riding your bike through town before it gets too hot sounds so nice.
|
|
|
Post by stolenbooks on Mar 21, 2015 1:55:08 GMT -5
This book really makes me want to spend a summer in New England. I have never been to New England before so I don't know if it's actually like this, but the whole bit about Robert painting makes me think of fancy houses with pretty white porches where you can relax all day, and riding your bike through town before it gets too hot sounds so nice. Some of it is like that, mostly near the beachy parts. I used to live in Connecticut, not far from where Stonybrook is supposed to take place, and some places are just like anywhere else, suburbs, some sketchy areas that are run down and a lot of city type places, all trying to be a miniature New York. One thing Anne got right is that Stamford does resemble NYC. Anne grew up near Princeton where it is just a lot of houses like you described. It is very pretty. But once again, Anne takes one stereotype and stretches it out.
|
|
|
Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Apr 28, 2015 3:15:51 GMT -5
Exactly! The girls didn't pressure her once, really. Like when they went to the concert and drank, while Stacey didn't, here's a direct quote: " You don't have to do it if you don't want to." Heather added. "We respect you, so you respect us. Simple. So just chill."The girls don't make Stacey take risks. They just use her to take their own risks. The worst thing they do is put one of their alcohol bottles in Stacey's sweater and let the security think it was hers. Yeah, that was bad, but they should make Stacey take a risk, because that goes with the territory.
|
|
|
Post by bscfan1997 on Nov 11, 2015 22:31:57 GMT -5
This is one of my favorite later books. soooo funny and snarky and entertaining. Not bad for a Peter Lerangis book either as he can be annoying quite often. I didn't find much humor in those acronyms Stacey used. Big Chill, Great Divide, Stacey's Daily Trauma. By the way, I've always read SDT as STD. Hee. Oh, and horrible hair flattening helmet or whatever. Seriously, Lerangis, cut it out... And the old door new door concept is annoying too. Stacey was kind of a jerk. I didn't like it when Stacey's mom made Stacey get a job. Come on, she's freaking 13 and in eighth grade (for god knows what time at this point in the series). She deserves one summer of freedom. Though, I would've been mad if my kids' friends and boyfriend came over, used up all the food, and made messes every day. But still a job is pushing it too much... The "bad girls". Ha! They were dorks and totally lame ducks. It was mean of them to take advantage of Stacey, though. Stacey was soooo naïve, no wonder they took advantage of that. I'm surprised that one of the girls got to have so many body piercings. That's pretty taboo in BSC land...Mallory would've been jealous! U4Me seems awesome. i know it's not a real life band but it seems more modern and "in" for the mid-90s. Better than the Beatles and Elvis...u and me 4 u 4 me by u4me sounds so awful it's hysterical. The subplot with Amy. I didn't like it. I thought Amy was a brat. I mean, yeah, it must suck being dropped off at somebody's house for three weeks. But it was her cousins. MA and Dawn were trying to be really nice to her. It's understandable that she'd get homesick, but the way she handled it is ugh so bratty. The temper tantrums and running away is waaayyy extreme. No wonder MA and Dawn were relieved when she left! It was nice that Stacey and the BSC weren't all "oh, I forgive you, we'll never fight ever again, we're BFFs!". Club and friendship probation is realistic. Though, it seems like Stacey only went to the BSC because the bad girls weren't her friends anymore. I thought the BSC was pretty mature. 13 year olds in real life would be all "my mom said I can't talk to you" or something. Overall, it was a good read. Some annoying parts, yeah, and some eye roll worthy moments, but I liked it.
|
|
|
Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Feb 23, 2016 17:22:39 GMT -5
Everyone's talking about how Stacey had no resolution with talking to her old friends. I think they needed to show her drifting away from the "bad girls" too. That type would probably act like the concert never happened and keep calling Stacey and wanting to keep hanging out with her. The impression I got was that they were using her, but they still considered her a friend. And that kind of friend would keep calling and expecting that Stacey would want to stay friends with them. I just wanted one of them (preferably not Jacqui) to call her a few days after the concert and asking her to meet at the mall or something, then Stacey blowing her off. Maybe a couple more calls, one of them bringing up the concert, like "I'm sorry about what happened at the concert, I know it was wrong, I swear I didn't know Jacqui was going to frame you, I know I should've spoken up for you but I was scared, can we please stay friends?" But Stacey probably would explain that she didn't want to stay friends because she couldn't trust them any more. Either the girls were just using Stacey and deep down didn't like her at all (which is totally unrealistic for how much they hung out with her when they weren't using her) or the ghostwriter cut out a good chunk of the draft and forgot to redo that part.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Feb 24, 2016 10:02:44 GMT -5
Either the girls were just using Stacey and deep down didn't like her at all (which is totally unrealistic for how much they hung out with her when they weren't using her) or the ghostwriter cut out a good chunk of the draft and forgot to redo that part. Maybe they didn't like her at all I could see it. Don't underestimate the jealousy of teen girls, lol. Stacey was a goody goody, but smart and beautiful, and Robert chose her to be his girlfriend over all of them. They probably envied her more then they let on.
|
|
|
Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Feb 24, 2016 16:58:51 GMT -5
Either the girls were just using Stacey and deep down didn't like her at all (which is totally unrealistic for how much they hung out with her when they weren't using her) or the ghostwriter cut out a good chunk of the draft and forgot to redo that part. Maybe they didn't like her at all I could see it. Don't underestimate the jealousy of teen girls, lol. Stacey was a goody goody, but smart and beautiful, and Robert chose her to be his girlfriend over all of them. They probably envied her more then they let on. I don't know...I don't see it happening with all the girls. I know that Jacqui was probably jealous, but I don't know if I buy it with the others...
|
|
andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
|
Post by andrew on May 10, 2016 8:36:16 GMT -5
Mixed, mild reactions. The new friends were pretty different from in the past, for the worst, but both versions were OK; annoying that there was suspicion and not confirmation of outright shoplifting. Amy didn't seem bratty to me, screaming and crying at the first separation, not eating much (especially of a sandwich early on and then not liking Cabbages and Kings, Dawn just assumed she would) and then near the end trying to go away (back to her parents) and getting 20 minutes away. Her reactions overall seemed a bit more mild than Becca at 8 in Mystery #8. Interesting that for once the sitters couldn't solve the problem, although Claudia did well, but the parents thought they had. I didn't think Stacey's behavior was too terrible in #83 so the easy get-back was OK, the members mostly just resented the attitude that she might think they were too immature except Kristy also resented arriving late to meetings and backing out of jobs and both seemed problems that were/would be corrected. It made sense that Stacey didn't feel a lot of remorse.
|
|
|
Post by merrymelody on Jun 12, 2020 3:12:27 GMT -5
I remember always liking this one. I think the 'bad girls' were kind of a welcome breath of fresh air after how unbelievable the club could become as they slowly Flanderized. 13 year olds who smoke, drink, shoplift, and dorky and obvious about it! Idk, I think that IS oddly realistic, it's such a weird time in life. I remember at 14, how you'd have kids who were having sex, and kids who were still playing with toys, etc.
It seems super contrived that Stacey would be able to land a job, or that her mom would expect her to (although obviously, I'd be pissed at having to feed a bunch of free loaders every day), although I guess it helps that it was in the store her mom worked at.
Also, I worked childcare for years, and its notoriously underpaid and exploitative of workers, so the Bellairs people were probably like 'Great! A 13 year old, doesn't even fall under the minimum wage!' (The interview thing of playing with the kid could go either way, I've met with people who'd love it, and people where they'd be pissed and see it as a lack of focus.)
I felt for Amy, I feel like when a kid is 6 and its three weeks, you should take them with you on the trip. A baby, fine, they wouldn't enjoy it, and they won't know the difference so much when you're gone; but these guys literally give her an evening with a bunch of strangers, then walk. Some kids are shyer, and she might have been miserable anyway, but they really gave her the least possible preparation. (Of course, this is a series where they tell the kids about Emily Michelle approximately 12 hours before she moves in.)
And poor Sunny's cameo! All the BSC books where she's described as optimistic about her mom are so painful, knowing what's in store for her family.
|
|