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Post by greer on Apr 7, 2014 10:48:44 GMT -5
I think it was important to have someone go through the divorce process. Kristy and Dawn were already on the other side when we met them. Maybe having one more Stacey book with some foreshadowing would have made it less jarring (they were fine in Stacey's Mistake), but they did mention fighting a few times in phone calls leading up to #28. I also don't think Ed should have just found a different job to please Maureen. For one thing that's not how jobs in the higher up corporate world work. (Not that I actually know.) But I'm sure it's a more complicated process the more important you are. Yup, this is definitely true. Also, like I said, in reality, NYC and Fairfield County aren't far enough apart to warrant Ed moving/changing jobs. Plus, having a workaholic dad myself, I doubt Stacey would even be able to see her dad during the week if he did live in Connecticut.
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Natasha
New To Stoneybrook
BSC Reread Update: no 115:Jessi's big break.
Posts: 198
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Post by Natasha on Sept 16, 2014 23:06:35 GMT -5
I felt bad for Stacey that her parents got divorced in this book but I was glad to see her come back to Stoneybrook. I was glad to see her come back too when I was a kid because she was my favourite. But who knew that my own parents would get divorced and I could totally relate to Stacey in this book. I had to choose between mu parents but unlike Stacey I decided to live with my dad, not my mother because I was closer to my dad. And anyway Mum wanted to move overseas and I didn't. I was only 14 at the time so could sympathsie with Stacey.
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Post by bscfan1997 on Nov 3, 2015 21:04:10 GMT -5
WBS is undoubtedly one of my favorites. I'm glad she returned to Connecticut even though the reason why is sad. However, if the divorce hadn't occurred, would Stacey eventually move back? Hmm. Something to think about.
I enjoyed the babysitting scenes of Stacey with the Walkers. Henry and Grace are so sweet and adorable. The tiny argument Henry tells Stacey is sweet and relatable because as a little kid whenever my parents had a little, harmless fight I'd worry that they'd get a divorce.
I don't think the divorce was abrupt unlike other people thought. There were foreshadowing in the books before this one. (Claudia and the Sad Goodbye for instance.) Also, in Stacey's portrait, there are bits of why her parents got divorced, mainly Ed being a workaholic and some parts Maureen shopping excessively. Yeah, those seem minor, but what if Ed wasn't actually working constantly. He could've been cheating on Maureen. Too deep for a BSC book, yes, but something to think about.
I thought it was unbelievable that Stacey's parents allowed her to make a decision where and who she should live with. This is the first example that they've put her in the middle as many other examples are shown later on. She's 13, a kid, she shouldn't decide where and who to live with. It'd be more realistic for Maureen taking Stacey back to Stoneybrook. Or the Ann feminist way, Ed having custody of Stacey and she living with him. Oh, well. I liked it when she struggled to make her choice, it gave more depth to her character and of course it makes the plot interesting.
I love Claudia's reaction to Stacey's moving back and the divorce. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry, Stacey" to "Oh my lord, you're coming back, yeah!" And repeat. Lol. She is so funny. Then Maureen calls Claudia sensitive during the house hunt chapter. I do agree she is sensitive sometimes, though.
The first BSC meeting Stacey attended during her return, Mallory's outfit description is awesome and hilarious! Sequined sweatshirt, mini skirt, pink leggings. Extremely sophisticated. I wonder how she got away with that. I don't think she wore sequined sweatshirts later on...
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Post by wistfuldreamer86 on Aug 10, 2019 16:42:39 GMT -5
^ Good question but Ann could've come up with something. It's just sad to read about yet another divorce and their reasons for getting divorced seemed thin to me. They vaguely said there were other things going on but unless it was an affair, I just don't understand it. And I don't think they could've hid something like that from Stacey, especially since she overheard one of their private arguments at the beginning of the book. And I thought it was weird that their marriage counselor suggested divorce, does that really happen??
Stacey sitting for the Walkers was sweet. I was a little let down by the Stacey/Charlotte reunion. That was like...a paragraph of the book. Even the reunion with the BSC at the end didn't seem as enthusiastic as the one in Summer Vacation. I did like the slumber party with the BSC and the phone calls preceding it, those were a lot better than the scene where she finally moved back to Stoneybrook. I did like the Claudia/Stacey interaction at the end, where she's helping her unpack the house. I also liked the house hunting scenes. Stacey seems like she's a lot closer to Claudia than Laine. It was sweet that Laine brought over a NYC breakfast for the McGills before they left the apartment. That was a nice touch.
I also liked the scene with Mal and Stacey at the end. Oh and I'm with the other people here who said they wish we had seen Stacey/Dawn talking about their shared experience, it's weird that they didn't. But I did like how Dawn warned the others not to pressure Stacey into choosing Stoneybrook over NYC even though they all wanted her to come back. Dawn and Stacey actually have a lot in common, both being from big cities and moving to such a small place.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Feb 2, 2021 2:27:22 GMT -5
Stacey was being selfish and she only thought about herself and not how her parents were feeling. She also acted like she was the only person in the world whose parents were divorced .
I welcomed my parents divorce. It was the best thing for them . Stacey didn't see it that way . God I hate Stacey.
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Post by sparklymouse on Feb 12, 2021 17:07:22 GMT -5
I was the same age as Stacey when my parents divorced. I'm now the age that my parents were when they divorced. I understand things a lot differently now. No, I did not particularly care how my parents were feeling at the time. I was trying to get through my everyday life. I didn't really care if they were married. I cared how they were behaving towards me and each other. I got that same vibe from Stacey. She didn't act sad that her parents were no longer together. She just wanted the bs to stop.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Feb 20, 2022 1:59:44 GMT -5
Claudia made me irrationally angry in this book. She couldn't have cared less about the divorce. All she cared about was the fact Stacey was coming back. She was less than sympathetic.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Feb 20, 2022 2:01:50 GMT -5
I've actually seen a lot of foreshadowing now in earlier books before the divorce so I guess it didn't come out of nowhere. Still, it was sad and I felt really sorry for Stacey. I'm so glad my parents are still together (getting ready to celebrate 30 years Monday ;D) so I can't relate but feel for anyone who can. I can imagine how torn she felt as I've felt like that in other situations. I was the same with my parents divorce. It just came out of nowhere or so it felt to my thirteen year old self. Try had their arguments but most of the time they got along well. Or so I thought. Today my dads remarried to a woman I can't stand and my mum has a partner who I also cannot stand so I moved out of home at 23.Oh I was living with dad at the time and hated my new stepmother.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Feb 20, 2022 2:16:17 GMT -5
I think it would have been better to, instead of desribing Jessi, Walker's etc as black, to call them African American and everyone else as Caucasian, Japanese American, etc. That way it would have been fair I don't like when people go the "African American" route. They're not from Africa!! I don't think someone should be called that unless a close ancestor is actually from Africa. If you're from America, you're American, period. If you're black, you're black, if you're white, you're white. If you're whatever other color, that's what you are. Get over it! Not all African Americans are black anyway. Disagree. It's like someone saying to me just because I live in Australia doesn't mean I'm Australian. I'm not!
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Feb 20, 2022 9:30:41 GMT -5
I didn't bother reading back the posts in this thread too many.
Stacey said she doesn't mind Jessi is black but she she doesn't mind saying so! Why would she even mention it? It's so stupid.
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Post by sparklymouse on Feb 20, 2022 12:12:23 GMT -5
That post that you quoted was from 2007. (So you must have read through a lot of the thread even though you immediately said you didn’t. ?) Anyway, so much has changed in the world since then. Who knows if Kylie and u4me have the same opinions now. The PC term now is Black with a capital B.
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,234
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Post by oldhickory on Feb 21, 2022 11:36:59 GMT -5
If I'm understanding u4me correctly, this is an issue of ethnicity vs nationality. I'm American because I was born and raised here, but my ethnicity is 0% American. This is true for most Americans. In more homogenous countries, nationality and ethnicity are interchangeable. She's not wrong, but identity is so complex and multilayered and her comment from 14 years ago isn't as nuanced as we would be today when talking about it.
I have a friend from Iraq who is ethnically descended from the Caucasus region, but she's clearly middle eastern. She's absolutely more Caucasian than our white blonde friend who was born in Missouri and has western European ancestry, but the words take on lives of their own and meanings change over time.
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Post by sparklymouse on Apr 14, 2022 21:27:44 GMT -5
I have worn this outfit. Probably recently. Aw, this is cute. There's a lot going on behind her. Again, straightforward titles: Welcome home, Stacey! Welcome home, Petra! Sophie is back Lucy’s return
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Post by anzuhana on Apr 14, 2022 21:44:20 GMT -5
I would love to read/hear Stacey's monologue on the last cover. Her shirt looks like something for space travel.
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Post by sparklymouse on Apr 18, 2022 21:07:01 GMT -5
One more, sorry. The car looks a lot like the one in Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye!
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