janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Dec 4, 2007 16:19:02 GMT -5
I will never forget how shocked I was when this book came out. I think I grabbed my mom's arm and was like, "look at what Mary Anne did!"
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Post by Karen Brewer on Dec 4, 2007 19:11:08 GMT -5
Ooh, that can't be good for global warming! Tsk tsk, Dawn. ;D
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Dec 4, 2007 20:46:24 GMT -5
I will never forget how shocked I was when this book came out. I think I grabbed my mom's arm and was like, "look at what Mary Anne did!" Lol ;D.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 12, 2008 10:18:40 GMT -5
I’m sure this is not the consensus but I think MA really created the problem in this one, or at least got it started. I agree that the other girls were less than enthusiastic and did not react well to her makeover. I think, though, it wasn’t really jealousy but fear of change on Kristy’s part. Stacey might have been a bit jealous but I think that’s understandable. After all, looking good is “her thing” and now MA was kind of stealing her thunder just because she did something different. Stacey might have felt like she worked hard every day to look good for no recognition and all MA had to do is get a haircut. I think Dawn also felt left out about not going with and having a say. She was really the only one who was actually mean, I thought. But I noticed that is what Dawn tends to do when she is upset – she lashes out with hurtful, mean, snippy comments (like in Baby Parade). Not that this excuses any of the girls but this is how I perceive their reactions. As for MA, I don’t know why she jumped ot the conclusion that they were spreading rumors about her. I even kept turning back and rereading the last few pages to see if I had missed something. I think she freaked over nothing, then stood Kristy up and this made her and the other girls feel hurt. The way she acted, it seemed like she was mad at them (at least that’s how they probably so it). Anyway…. I see MA as creating the problem for herself in this one, once again with communication problems and jumping to conclusions like she often does.
This is one of my less favorite BSC books and I really can’t feel a lot of sympathy for MA. I do really enjoy her and Richard’s shopping trip, though, and their relationship and also like Sharon’s reaction to the whole makeover. I thought she was really supportive, too.
Even though I can’t stand the subplot and basically skipped it this time ;D I thought it was cute how MA took Jenny and Andrea at the end and Jenny was worried that it would be scary. ;D
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Post by booboobrewer on Jan 12, 2008 16:26:01 GMT -5
I feel just the opposite I don't think Mary Anne created the problem for herself at all--she just wanted to look good! True that the others are scared of change and don't react well to it, but why should this have such an effect on Mary Anne taking her own chances and wanting to improve her self-image? Their opinion matters to her, but it was nice to see that at this point she didn't let their opinions get in the way of what she really wanted. And it's understandable that she thought the others just may have possibly started some rumors behind her back because, well, they weren't talking to her, and acting cold at the meetings and not acknowledging her. I don't think of it as a communication problem in this one at all. It was an important and difficult decision to Mary Anne, and Dawn belittled that by blurting it out to Logan and the others insulted her right off the bat by not recognizing that or even having one nice thing to say because it was a problem for THEM ("It's not that bad, it'll grow back. We SAID that cut wasn't you.") For all their talk about Mary Anne being extremely sensitive, they didn't consider that at all and it seemed really very strange to me even as a kid.
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Jan 12, 2008 16:34:57 GMT -5
^I agree with you BooBooBrewer. I think the other girls exhibited total "clique" behavior, and they insulted Mary Anne. M.A. just wanted a hair cut, and none of her "friends" were at all supportive. It's classic Mean Girls. I don' t think M.A. helped matters, but what was she supposed to do? Her friends know that she's sensitive and they aren't talking to her because she got her hair cut? It's just so weird. And why should they expect to be involved in a friends hair cutting decision? Also -- maybe M.A. wanted to spend some time with her dad, and Dawn got all snippy. What a great best friend. ...
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Post by greer on Jan 12, 2008 17:03:07 GMT -5
i agree with you booboobrewer and cpennylane. the bsc girls were ridiculous in this book.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 12, 2008 17:50:59 GMT -5
I wasn't saying that there was anything wrong with MA getting the makeover. What I think she did wrong was get mad at Kristy for "spreading rumors" about her. And then she got all strange to them and wouldn't come to the meetings, etc. I agree they weren't supportive about the makeover and Dawn was particularly horrible and shouldn't have told Logan but MA should have confronted them about this or just let it go instead of assuming that they were the ones talking about her at school. I'm not sure where that idea even came from. This is the first time while reading this that this jumped out at me. Before, I always agreed with your perspective on it but this time, it was like "Where is she getting this that Kristy is 'spreading rumors'?" Maybe the BSC were "talking about her" or maybe they weren't but she reacted like they were and got weird towards them and then they didn't know what the problem was. That's my take on it, anyway. Like I said, I knew I'd be in the minority with my opinion on this, which is okay. ;D Personal experience and perspective influences each of us, I think, along with mood and way we read it.
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mckay
Junior Sitter
Posts: 672
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Post by mckay on Jan 12, 2008 18:32:03 GMT -5
I think in Kristy's case, you're right, aln - I think she was afraid that if Mary Anne is interested in fashion now, she might find Kristy "immature" like Claudia and Stacey do and want to hang out with them and talk about clothes and boys. She was wrong to not be supportive of her, but for a thirteen-year-old, it's understandable behavior.
The rest of them, though, were just being really bitchy, IMO.
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Post by booboobrewer on Jan 12, 2008 18:50:33 GMT -5
She was wrong for thinking Kristy was doing it because Kristy obviously wasn't, but I still think it's understandable she would get that idea in her head. And it's not like she had much reason to reach out to them again at the meetings after the first time she attended post-makeover and no one talked to her, save for a snide remark from Kristy...I guess I just don't relate to the being angry towards Mary Anne for her getting angry at Kristy; the girls actually snubbing her was worse, IMO. And agree, mckay, that this is understandable behavior for 13 year olds and is written realistically in that aspect. But the girls are just usually so mature, that when I saw how bitchy they were acting in this book when I was a kid, I was just like, whoa!
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 12, 2008 20:38:19 GMT -5
I guess I should reread that part again ;D but from what I remember, MA had stood Kristy up with kid kit shopping trip and I got the impression that is why Kristy didn't talk to her at the meeting. I'll have to check but that's how I think it happened, anyway.
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fluffycakes
Junior Sitter
A silken-haired beauty with a laugh like pealing bells
Posts: 868
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Post by fluffycakes on Feb 10, 2008 15:27:54 GMT -5
^ Mary Anne didn't want to go shopping with Kristy since she was being rude, so she cancelled on her without giving an explanation even though she made plans to hang out with Logan. As Mary Anne was walking to the BSC meeting, Kristy and Charlie drove past Mary Anne and Logan, so Kristy figured it out. (I re-read yesterday, so that's why I know it in so much detail! ;D) Interestingly, Kristy makes a comment about friends ditching friends to spend time with their boyfriends and Mary Anne is shocked and upset that Kristy would think that of her. But, um...Kristy's right, Mary Anne. Yes, Kristy's behaviour was atrocious, and I wouldn't want to hang out with her either, but I personally think there's no way Mary Anne can deny that she did it. Okay, I actually meant to post a very random thought I had while re-reading yesterday. At one point in the book, Sharon asks MA if she knows where the salad tongs are, to which MA replies that they're in the linen closet. Sharon thanks her and presumably goes to get them. But I'm wondering this -why the heck didn't MA, upon discovering the tongs in the linen closet, bring them back to the kitchen? Why would she leave them there? It totally baffles me. Sorry for the random thoughts, but it was on my mind.
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Post by aln1982 on Feb 10, 2008 16:22:10 GMT -5
^ I agree about Kristy being right. I don't see her behavior as that atrocious and don't really think she was all that horrible (just maybe not real supportive) until she was hurt and upset that MA stood her up and Kristy caught her. I'm not going to argue with everyone on this, though, because I know I'm the only one who sees Kristy's behavior as not that terrible and MA as bringing a lot of the problems on herself by acting standoffish because she presumed the BSC was mad.... I never thought about why MA wouldn't just bring the tongs out in the first place but you're right. ;D
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Post by songheim on Feb 11, 2008 3:04:54 GMT -5
A more pertinent question would be, what in the name of Jehovah was Sharon doing with salad tongs in the linen closet in the first place??? This is the kind of thing that I'd find absolutely hysterical on say The Simpsons or something, but because BSC is reality-based (well... in theory. You know what i mean though) it makes my head hurt trying to imagine any plausible explanation for Sharon leaving certain items around the house.
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Post by aln1982 on Feb 11, 2008 17:09:27 GMT -5
^ After putting a bottle of dr pepper in my medicine cabinet last week and a box of bandaids in the fridge, I won't say anything about Sharon. ;D I think she's rubbing off on me.... ;D
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