|
Post by candykane on Feb 9, 2017 8:39:38 GMT -5
I have the original cover version, so I never noticed this before, but on the new cover posted upthread, the paramedic holding Jenny looks a lot like Scott the Sea City lifeguard.
|
|
LadyDru
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 373
|
Post by LadyDru on Sept 23, 2017 9:42:12 GMT -5
In this book where Mary Anne said her mother had been dead for almost 11 years, it led me to believe she was nearly 2 at the time, I mean, since she is halfway through 7th grade and would be turning 13 later that year..but the BSC wikia said she was 5 months at the time of Alma's death. Unless it was an inconsistency..
|
|
|
Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Sept 23, 2017 16:27:43 GMT -5
In this book where Mary Anne said her mother had been dead for almost 11 years, it led me to believe she was nearly 2 at the time, I mean, since she is halfway through 7th grade and would be turning 13 later that year..but the BSC wikia said she was 5 months at the time of Alma's death. Unless it was an inconsistency.. She turned thirteen after starting eighth grade, and she was also the youngest in the club at that time, being the last to turn thirteen, so that somewhat justifies the time. However, yes, it would've been an inconsistency if we consider that her grandparents took care of her when she was very little while Richard was trying to get himself together, and then didn't want to give her up.
|
|
|
Post by wistfuldreamer86 on Aug 19, 2018 17:53:08 GMT -5
This was actually my least favorite of the first four books and Mary Anne was my favorite as a kid! The BSC fight, while it didn't seem out of the blue, it was introduced in this book rather quickly. Maybe if they had eased into the fight and there was more build up in this actual book, it would've felt different. But it was definitely immature and the BSC all seemed their age in it. I liked that Claudia/Mary Anne had a truce there for a while but then it was ruined. It would've been nice to see them working together to get the group back together instead of what we got. Like I've said on other threads, I like when the girls who aren't "best friends" interact with one another. So I would've preferred that over their fight half-way through the book.
I did like Dawn in this book and felt bad for her. Mary Anne was being petty and unfair to someone who wasn't involved in the fight. I didn't like how she kept using Dawn to make Kristy jealous. I'm glad she realized how wrong that was and apologized for it. I agree that Kristy was rude in this one and I can understand why MA was so upset with her. It's worse when you fight with your best friend, especially at that age.
I didn't see anyone else mention it but I don't think Mr. Spier is actually as strict as the girls make him out to be. I mean, in a previous book, as soon as Mary Anne talked to him about the money situation, he gave in. And he gave into her in this book too. I think the issue is more that Mary Anne doesn't say anything, she just lets things fester and then vents to her friends about it. And when Mary Anne did talk to him, she sounded like an immature 12 year old who wasn't ready to stay out late. "But my friends..." is never a good way to get a parent to let you do something, lol. I think Richard just didn't know what to do with a preteen girl. He didn't have any women in his life to talk to about it. So, I think he was just doing the best he could, without maybe realizing how strict he actually was. I think I would've liked to see more interaction with them instead of the fight. And maybe to hear the reasons why he didn't let her redecorate previously. On another site I heard someone speculate that maybe Mrs. Spier picked out the decorations so he wasn't ready for Mary Anne to take them down. I think that's very plausible. And it wasn't until he remet Sharon that he started to let some things go. And I think that could be the reason for it.
The best part of the book for me was the end, honestly. When they all made up after almost ruining poor Jamie's birthday party.
|
|
andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
|
Post by andrew on Aug 26, 2018 13:10:18 GMT -5
I thought Richard saying "Then you may start your homework" and Mary Anne sarcastically thinking he said it like that was a reward was a very memorable funny moment. Him refusing to let her change her room decorations does seem both strict and odd but I think (unlike with Claudia's parents strictness) a big part of it probably was Mary Anne not before expressing that she disliked them and more thinking he wouldn't let her change them.
Edit: He could dislike the idea of new, different decorations, though not hate it, just because he thought it would be too expensive and unnecessary, he was very practical-sometimes excessively but often appropriately.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Aug 28, 2018 22:09:25 GMT -5
Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Kishi?
|
|
|
Post by wistfuldreamer86 on Aug 29, 2018 20:00:14 GMT -5
^ I haven't really gotten the impression that any of the girls parents speak to each other. lol. But maybe they do out when the girls aren't around.
|
|
andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
|
Post by andrew on Aug 30, 2018 9:45:56 GMT -5
I think it was and somewhat still is annoying that Claudia would get so angry at Mary Anne for Mimi being nice and close to her and yet in another way it's an interesting characterization that she is jealous for Mimi's attention and closeness and also feels that she can't or just doesn't get mad at Mimi so someone else must be a lot more to blame.
|
|
|
Post by wistfuldreamer86 on Sept 1, 2018 18:03:26 GMT -5
^ That makes sense. Especially given the events of Claudia and Mean Janine.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 11:20:58 GMT -5
^ I haven't really gotten the impression that any of the girls parents speak to each other. LOL. But maybe they do out when the girls aren't around. I think the parents do speak to one another...but yes, when the girls aren't around. But these parents are great about letting the girls solve problems and issues on their own and not interfering, which is refreshing in the epidemic of helicopter parenting that took place in the 1990s in too many areas of the States.
|
|
|
Post by eternalstudent on Oct 13, 2019 16:31:58 GMT -5
As far as the plot goes, I think the fight does happen very fast, but now that I've re-read the other books, there were quite a few moments that foreshadowed the fight with Claudia always taking jobs before offering them around. I also think that this fight is more believable as far as how 12 year olds would act - it seems like they would have been okay with the BSC falling apart (Kristy not showing up to meetings, Claudia blaring music) because they hated each other so much. In comparison, I can't believe how unrealistic the fight in Kristy's Worst idea is!
One thing I noticed re-reading it as an adult 10+ years later is that although Mary Anne does like Dawn and is proud to have made a friend for the first time in her life (as opposed to growing up with Kristy and Claudia), it's blatantly obvious that she was using Dawn to make Kristy jealous. Obviously this would be typical behavior of a 12 year old, but it seems like every scene she has with Dawn features MA reveling in Kristy's shock of being replaced so quickly.
As far as the cover goes, I'm glad to have the original version of the book because MA looks so cute on it (although the yellow sweater and red skirt is a weird combination. Side note: does anyone else think it's weird that MA having to wear her hair in braids was a rule? It just seems like an oddly specific thing for him to request.
|
|
oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,251
|
Post by oldhickory on Oct 14, 2019 10:09:51 GMT -5
The hair in braids thing was weird. I am guessing it was easier to keep neat than a ponytail (definitely true for me) and having it in two braids probably meant Mary Anne could braid it herself. But it did seem like a really specific vision Richard was going for. Why not just a neat hairstyle? A bun or headband would be equally conservative.
That being said, a French braid is the most durable hair style I have found so far. I wear them on days when I have to move around or be in weird positions (yoga, the chiropractor, etc) because you can literally do anything and your hair won't fall out or get in the way. You can't say the same for a ponytail or top knot. But Mary Anne was not going to yoga everyday after school so who knows why this was a thing.
|
|
|
Post by greer on Oct 22, 2019 3:33:59 GMT -5
The hair in braids thing was weird. I am guessing it was easier to keep neat than a ponytail (definitely true for me) and having it in two braids probably meant Mary Anne could braid it herself. But it did seem like a really specific vision Richard was going for. Why not just a neat hairstyle? A bun or headband would be equally conservative. That being said, a French braid is the most durable hair style I have found so far. I wear them on days when I have to move around or be in weird positions (yoga, the chiropractor, etc) because you can literally do anything and your hair won't fall out or get in the way. You can't say the same for a ponytail or top knot. But Mary Anne was not going to yoga everyday after school so who knows why this was a thing. Maybe it’s just the only hairstyle Richard ever learned to do. I think his rules seemed less about being controlling and more about a) wanting to show he’s a good dad because of the custody battle and b) kind of not realizing Mary Anne was growing up. I think he is one of the more understanding parents in the series a lot of the time.
|
|
oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,251
|
Post by oldhickory on Oct 22, 2019 11:36:48 GMT -5
The thought of Richard and Mary Anne getting ready together and him braiding her hair every morning is really sweet.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Oct 23, 2019 21:05:04 GMT -5
I remember being small and my mom was in the hospital having surgery. My dad was trying to put my thick, curly hair in a ponytail one morning. He busted three hair bands before telling my sister “you do it.” Lol
|
|