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Post by thejunkbucket on Sept 3, 2015 0:40:33 GMT -5
Furthermore, I thought it was really funny that no one ever wanted to do anything Mary Anne suggested. I'm usually that person whose suggestions are often shot down, because no one ever wants to do what I want to do, so I can relate. Anyway, in Chapter 10, Mary Anne suggested the California Museum of Science and Industry and the Forest Lawn Cemetery. Stacey was, like:
"Was Mary Anne out of her mind? A museum of science and industry? Or, worse, a field trip to a cemetery?"
XD
That party made me guffaw.
ETA: Howdy, caelano! Thanks!
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Post by candykane on Sept 6, 2015 19:56:51 GMT -5
I forgot all about Mary Anne suggesting the cemetery - I would have loved to go there!
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Post by thejunkbucket on Sept 7, 2015 17:32:30 GMT -5
Why would you want to go to a cemetery on your vacation?
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celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Sept 7, 2015 19:32:33 GMT -5
^I like cemeteries and spooky things, and visit them if there's an interesting one nearby. This past June, two of my cousins visited me and we visited a big local cemetery and took photos of the cool old gravestones, and a few weeks ago I vacationed in North Carolina and we visited an old cemetery with some history behind it. I think some families just like graveyards!
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Post by CharlotteTJohanssen on Sept 7, 2015 20:40:12 GMT -5
I know there are some interesting graveyards. When I was in New Orleans they had these cool above ground cemetaries.
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Enigma
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 128
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Post by Enigma on Dec 10, 2015 0:19:06 GMT -5
What are you guys talking about?! Mal looked totally hot on this cover! I hated Kristy's chapters with Erik and Ryan. So freakin' boring. I can't get over the way that these girls always end up baby-sitting when they go on vacation! Yes, that bugged me too; it was like those girls could not go on one single "adventure" without someone needing a sitter while they were there. I wish they had made one of the other girls really bond with Carol during the time when Dawn really resented her. Maybe she could have mentored Claudia with her artwork. Do Carol and Dawn's dad ever end up marrying in the later books?
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Post by booboobrewer on Dec 10, 2015 13:58:33 GMT -5
Yep! In Here Come the Bridesmaids.
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Enigma
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 128
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Post by Enigma on Dec 11, 2015 0:33:11 GMT -5
Yep! In Here Come the Bridesmaids. Thank you; I just researched it and from the online reviews, the plot seemed rather light for a "Super Special"- I remember in the earlier ones, they seemed a lot deeper than the regular books. BTW- when I read "Dawn on the Coast" it seemed that Ann M Martin had never been to California (born and raised and still living in California myself!) but got better with the later books. I would guess that Ann M Martin probably took a trip to L.A somewhere between "Dawn on the Coast" and "California Girls".
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Post by stolenbooks on Dec 31, 2015 18:09:20 GMT -5
I just reread this one and while I love it, it's so unbelievable. I used to actually hate the part where Mal blows all her money but more and more, I find it realistic for an 11 year old.
I still can't believe strict Richard who wouldn't let MA spend more than a few dollars on pizza, let her blow her lottery winnings on a trip to CA.
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Post by stolenbooks on Dec 31, 2015 19:44:38 GMT -5
Mallory hate in California Girls... Mallory bought a plane ticket, hair dye, makeup and ended up with less than 7 dollars after a few days out in CA? Did she buy that expensive makeup with diamond and gold dust in it that JLo uses or something? And wouldn't she feel compelled in some way to have some of her own money for meals (when they went out), or is she expecting to be covered by Dawn's dad and/or Jessi the entire time there? This is a 9 year old quote, but I used to wonder this at first as well....until I reread it. Mal says she spent all of the money she had brought with her. I'm assuming Mal didn't bring all of what she had leftover from her share.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jan 1, 2016 0:16:16 GMT -5
Mary Anne spending a day looking through pamphlets still baffles me! I know this is bad but I wish Stacey's accident was worse - sounded horrible upon explanation but no one was hurt in the end.
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inge
Junior Sitter
Posts: 767
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Post by inge on Jan 1, 2016 19:50:02 GMT -5
This is probably my least favourite SS. I have no problem overlooking the old "we won the lotery" bit for the story to happen, but I didn't care for many of the stories. Stacey - I liked how she had a new (although seemingly random) interest, but I wish it didn't have to be tied to the whole "bad crowd" thing - I mean Dawn introduced them to her. Her dad and Carol seemed really irresponsible in this storyline as well. Your daughters friends come to stay and you let one off them go off with other, older kids all the time? No. Kristy - I liked that the BSC met the w<3kc but too bad that she had to turn it into a competition. In character though! Claudia - holiday romance? Pass. Though I liked her asking Janine for advice. I always like those sisters bonding. Dawn - this one I liked too. A low key story line about her disliking her dads new girlfriend and the efforts she made? Totally realistic and well done. MA - it looks like asthma is treated similarly to diabetes in these books. Having never had asthma myself I would never say it is unrealistic, but both my best friend growing up and my brother have asthma and it never seemed like this big a deal I mean, my brother got it in his late teens and the scary bit was before we figured out what was happening - before he got his inhaler. Thought it was weird too for MA to be explaining to Stella how to use her inhalor - presumably she'd done it before! On her sugfestions for visiting sites - I am the same. I want to see everything when I'm in a new place. I would have been really dissapointed had all my suggestions had been ignored! Jessi - this was an OK storyline. I didn't like her attitude to Mallory but I could understand it, and I liked her chapters on the film set. Mal - haha, I actually found this to be quite in character I mean, no parents around so she took it a bit too far. Could see this happening! Wish they'd shown the blonde hair on the cover!
Overall as I said, not my fave: some parts entertaining, others bored me, and as has been mentioned on this thread always so contorted how they take charges everywhere. I mean Stella's dad was so strict and worried but he never even wanted to meet MA? The boys parents (forgot their names) had never met Kristy, nor had any friends who recommended her as a babysitter, and she'd never met the boys before or sat for them, and yet she could take them to univeral studios for the day? Again, no.
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Post by starfire13 on Sept 6, 2016 20:01:48 GMT -5
I just finished re-reading this one. It was always one of my favorites as a child. This time around, I found myself particularly annoyed/bored by Kristy and Mary Anne's chapters. I would've liked to have seen more of Stacey and the car accident. I'm kinda sad that we never heard of those kids again in the California Diaries series, but I suppose it makes sense haha
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Sept 7, 2016 14:50:31 GMT -5
I think the characterizations and conflicts in the super specials tend to be a bit overdone and annoying, in this case especially Stacey and Mallory getting obsessed with something. I thought Kristy and Mary Anne had pretty good stories, though.
I'm not really sure why Dawn was so resentful of Carol (trying to be or actually being youngish and cool, horrors) unless she just would have disliked any new girlfriend for her dad or she somehow thought Carol was too different from her mother and disliked that her dad's preferences had shifted.
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Post by greer on Sept 8, 2016 3:43:04 GMT -5
It's just a difficult relationship in the best of circumstances. Apart from the credit card fraud thing, the Schafer/Spier stepfamily relationships were more realistic than some others in the series. Even if you would like someone as, say, a general adult in your life, it's different when they're dating or married to your dad. Like, I would be around Carol's age now, and I find it funny that Dawn sees Carol as "too old" for things, but then again, she's expecting her to act like a parent and a peer of her father.
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