#1 Kristy's Big News

[lisa]

It took me about ¾ of the way through to realise why I was actually enjoying reading this: I’d forgotten that they didn’t talk about baby-sitting anymore, and it was all about Kristy .

Sam was really different in this one. Much more mature than he’s even been made out to be. I didn’t like Charlie, but I also thought he could have gotten over Patrick and everything a little bit. Zoey didn’t do anything for me

Props to it just for Patrick’s house, I’d take a tropical garden over the millionaire’s mansion.

[jen]

I liked this book. I really liked seeing Sam and Charlie fleshed out more as characters, and especially Sam. Charlie's anger was understandable, but I just liked Sam better. I loved seeing the relationship between Kristy and her older brothers. And I liked Zoey! I thought she seemed cool.

Although I'm not sure about Patrick... sportswriter turned chef seems to be a bit of a strange career shift. *shrugs*

[sotypical42483]

I have this and still haven't read it. I don't know why... the whole plot seems boring to me, I don't care about Kristy's family life, really. Sounds like you guys enjoyed this one though so I really should pick it up... I'm not sure why I haven't just sat down and read it, I mean it's a BSC book, it's not like I have to commit days and days to it!

[jen]

Heh, yeah - only about forty minutes or so It's not the most interesting of books, I'll admit, but I enjoyed it.

[alula]

I was surprised by how much I liked it, actually. It seemed more complex, almost--I mean, Charlie and Sam, as well as Kristy, suddenly seemed like characters with actual emotions and psychological reactions that made sense. I liked the contrast of Charlie being so emo!mad (although admittedly with a lot of justification) and Sam trying to be people-pleasing and a joker and stuff, especially when it makes Kristy think Sam is kind of like her dad in that way.

Totally ignoring David Michael like that sucks, though. It really does make it to easy to think something else is going on there.

Zoey seems too good for Patrick to me.

[starrynight]

I liked this book better than any of the other FFs, but I wish we could have gotten some insight as to why DM was forgotten. They never cleared that up.

[jen]

Clearly, it's because Patrick wasn't the real father Heh.

[liss31d]

The fact that he left so quickly after David Michael was born and he is completely ignored in this book does make you question why Patrick left and who fathered David Michael...

[sotypical42483]

^The whole David Michael/Patrick thing would be a great question to ask Ann...

[gabbie]

See I liked Charlie's reaction better than Sam's in the book. Charlie was the one who had to bear the majority of the burden when Patrick left and he got no real explanation for this. I guess I understand since I hold grudges too.

But having said that I do understand Sam's reaction and wanting to please his father and be friendly.

[macca]

liss31d said:

The fact that he left so quickly after David Michael was born and he is completely ignored in this book does make you question why Patrick left and who fathered David Michael...

The scene where Patrick seemed about to "come clean" as to why he had "no choice" but to leave Elizabeth was very compelling. Too bad the idiot Thomas kids had to leap in and scream at him to stop "blaming mom"

[bscfan24]

After re-reading this one, I'm beginning to wonder what Patrick would have said. It almost seems like Ann put that in there so she could follow it up later on in the series, but never got a chance. Too bad. I would have loved to have seen if they brought that up again.

Oh well. That's what fanfics are for.

[sotypical42483]

I finally read this! I really liked it! I HATED Patrick in it. Wow what a selfish f**k**g a-hole. Such a freaking PRICK. He would get all pissed off at Charlie for having the audacity to call him out on the fact that he completely deserted his family 7 years earlier. He didn't deserve ANY sympathy, he never even took responsibility for what he did. I hated Sam's reaction, what a people-pleaser. I loved Charlie standing up to Patrick and I found it absolutely pathetic that Patrick tried to blame their mother for him not contacting them for years. Ugh, I hate him.

[sugarmonkey]

Okay, but what if what Patrick was going to say before the kids interrupted him was that he tried to contact them all the time, but their mother prevented him from doing so? Wouldn't let them take his calls, stole his letters/cards from the mailbox. I don't know why she would or why the kids wouldn't have eventually come across something when one of them got the mail or phone, but I guess it's possible. If for some reason Elizabeth really wanted Patrick out of her kids lives, she could do it. Maybe out of anger or revenge for him walking out? Because nothing excuses his leaving. Unless he intended to come back and see his kids but Elizabeth wouldn't let him or something.

[sotypical42483]

I don't buy that Elizabeth kept Patrick from contacting the kids at ALL. They have received SOME cards from him, so why would she let them get those and no other ones? And would she really have answered the phone EVERYTIME he called? If he wanted to contact them so badly, he would've called during the afternoon she was working and the kids were home alone.