magentanation
Sitter-In-Training
The girl with colitis goes by
Posts: 424
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Post by magentanation on Jul 5, 2007 23:35:57 GMT -5
I just read this one for the first time and thought it was pretty dumb. Maybe I'm lamed but I like the mysteries involving criminals better. Oh, and I got a good chuckle at the sleigh ride scene when Stacey describes her outfit and one of the items she's wearing ia "a silk teddy." ;D
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Post by aln1982 on Jul 5, 2007 23:38:14 GMT -5
^ I missed the silk teddy comment. Great ;D I remember this one as one of my least favorite mysteries. I know Robert really bothers me in it and there just doesn't seem to be much to it.
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Post by aln1982 on Jul 31, 2007 0:00:13 GMT -5
Just reread and this mystery is probably one of my least favorites. It just seems so weird. Another one, too, where they refuse to go to the police or adults.... My favorite parts are the winter party and the description of the Arnolds house at Christmas. I always love reading this around Christmastime because it puts me in the holiday mood. Wish I could be as crafty as Mrs. Arnold ;D
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2007 22:29:26 GMT -5
I though the ending was a let-down, very similar to Jessi and the jewel thieves, in the way that there was a very simple explanation. I honestly though it was the escaped prisoner that came in the house trough the dog door (the dog door was mentionned many times, so I was sure I cracked the case ) Also, how many escaped prisoners a small town like Stoneybrook can have ? There was one in Claudia and the phantom phone call. But I have to give it to them: there were a lot of false leads, and I fell trough some of them, like the brush found with red hair. Was it the meter reader or the escaped prisoner? Or perhaps Mallory taking a break from her crazy family? ; Overall, it was ok but the simple explanation at the end ruined the book a bit for me.
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Post by aln1982 on Aug 29, 2007 23:31:26 GMT -5
^ Sometimes I don't mind the simple explanations but agree that this one was a let down. I think maybe because the explanation seemed almost beyond simple - kind of stupid, actually, and not very plausable. The false leads were pretty good and I especially enjoyed how Stacey overheard the conversation in the van because Carrot "had" to stop right next to it ;D As for the escaped prisoner, I won't say anything about this not being plausible after my dad's experience with the escaped mental patient and the fact that another escapee came to our town just a few months later (that one was caught right away, thankfully). We live in a pretty small town, too, that is not even near the places where they came from.
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Post by booboobrewer on Aug 29, 2007 23:47:17 GMT -5
Mallory taking a break from her crazy family? ; Hehe. I would have loved that -- it was Mallory after all! She would have been sure to enjoy all that quiet and space... I wonder, is the reason for naming their dog Carrot ever mentioned in a book? I had never thought about it before. Perhaps it was influenced by Bill Grauman, Dr. J's friend in this book and his red/carrot hair
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lark
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 104
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Post by lark on Sept 7, 2007 15:41:55 GMT -5
I usually like all the Stacey books, but I thought this one was a bore and the "mystery" was pretty stupid. Why would they just let this guy use their house without them even knowing? I don't care how well I knew someone, I would never do that.
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 7, 2007 16:00:07 GMT -5
^ Totally agree. That was one of the things that always bothered me about this book. I think (I know I've mentioned this before - sorry ;D) this was one of my least favorite mysteries - definitely my least favorite Stacey mystery. It just didn't seem to make sense to me and seemed very "forced", like they hadn't decided on a plot but just made it up as they were writing it (I know that is kind of how writing works but hopefully it makes sense what I'm trying to say. My brain is in slow-mo tonight ;D)
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Post by greer on Sept 8, 2007 23:40:11 GMT -5
this book seriously bugs me. i can't see the johanssons being so irresponsible as to not tell their house-sitter that some weird guy might be staying there.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on Sept 12, 2007 22:25:26 GMT -5
When I was reading it, I kind of thought that they were going to rehash the Beware, Dawn plot and make it turn out that someone was trying to scare Stacey.
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Post by booboobrewer on Nov 25, 2007 18:00:37 GMT -5
I was rereading this one yesterday. The charges gave some seriously lame gifts to the associate members.
Kristy--baseball cap Stacey--earrings Claudia--junk food Mary Anne--portrait of Tigger Dawn--sunglasses Jessi--hair ties Mal--sketchbook
Logan got a ROCK. A "paperweight" with his name painted on it. Shannon got "a necklace with beads made from magazine pages." Stacey's earrings were papier-mache, but this sounds worse. They just cut out pictures of beads from magazines and made that into a necklace?
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scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
Boo and bullfrogs!
Posts: 414
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Post by scrounge on Nov 27, 2007 8:07:48 GMT -5
I seem to recall ages ago seeing directions for making beads from glossy magazine pages that are rolled up really tightly and glued somehow. I'm not saying they'd look terrific if small children were involved, but it probably wasn't cut-out pictures. Logan's rock is pretty bad though. What 13-year old boy needs a paperweight anyway? But then again, teenage boys could be pretty hard to shop for.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Nov 27, 2007 14:37:31 GMT -5
I loved that Claudia received junk food for her gift.
When I first read about the sleigh ride idea, I KNEW that they were going to involve the kids somehow. The club just couldn't take the sleigh ride by themselves.
Annnd....the chapters with details and details about Stacey taking care of Carrot bored me to tears. It got to the point that I looked forward to the subplot.
And a wtf with Stacey's silk teddy? Why on earth would she be wearing one to a sleigh ride? Was Robert going to see it later? I mean, c'mon...
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Post by booboobrewer on Nov 27, 2007 15:28:47 GMT -5
That sounds likely. I'd like to think the kids weren't giving Shannon scraps of paper to wear Perhaps these two were hard to shop for because they don't sit for the kids as often... I actually really liked all those details! I suppose I can relate more now that I'm older. I like how she said house-sitting wasn't glamorous, but she felt a sense of real responsibility and wanted to do the job well. I liked seeing her enjoying Carrot's company. The Arnold girls really bugged me in their chapter. They were just so eager, and it was annoying how they called every person they knew after they dragged the sleigh ride info out of Kristy and after she told them it was supposed to be a surprise. Just calm down.
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Post by aln1982 on Nov 27, 2007 17:41:28 GMT -5
^ The Arnold twins frequently bug me with stuff like that. ;D I really need to reread as I don't remember this one at all (except not liking it much....) Does it take place before or after Christmas?
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