macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 24, 2006 19:55:23 GMT -5
The first BSC book I ever read. I must've been easy to please back then, because this was the book that got me hooked and, well, it's really not that good ;D - I haven't quite finished it yet, but I thought I could make some comments.
The Ramsey family were a lot closer, open and loving pre-Cecelia. Mrs Ramsey is always there for the girls, Jessi feels confident discussing her problems and anything worrying her - something that certainly changed in Dance School Phantom.
The main plot was pretty boring - wow, Jessi has to take care of animals for a week - but I did enjoy the BSC fight. I always like seeing Kristy get the smackdown.
Also, that Mancusi household would REEK. All those animals living inside permanently... yuck. I also didn't like the visual of the hamsters sleeping together in a massive pile. Not a rodent fan at ALL.
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inge
Junior Sitter
Posts: 767
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Post by inge on Apr 25, 2006 5:40:52 GMT -5
There were a little too much animals in that household. Taking care of so many must be a 24 hour job. Can you imagine cleaning so many cages? And going to the pet store to buy dead mouses for your snakes when you have some live mouses that you love in the other room? It just seems so weird. Not to mention the smell.
Still this book was one of the better Jessi book, probably because I love the subplot so much (even though it's a little predictable) - all Kristy does is pretty much just sit there, I loved how the girls stood up to her.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Apr 25, 2006 11:34:46 GMT -5
Can someone refresh my memory of the BSC-fight in this book? I don't remember it.
I didn't mind this one, I'm not an animal fan at all, but for some reason I thought this book was okay. I had to laugh when Jessi spazzed and took the hamster or whatever to the vet.
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Post by sugarmonkey on Apr 25, 2006 15:39:13 GMT -5
I think that the fight was only added as a sub plot because the main blot was too boring by itself. If the subplot had to do with a sitting charge it would've made the whole book boring.
BTW I think the fight started with Kristy being incredibly bossy and the other girls had had enough. Despite the fact that they always take nuts from her.
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inge
Junior Sitter
Posts: 767
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Post by inge on Apr 25, 2006 16:11:58 GMT -5
Kristy kept asking the girls if they'd read the diary and she made a list with their names and they had to sign it when they'd read it. This got the girls very annoyed and then Kristy hung it over a picture of Stacey and Claudia and Claudia got extra annoyed and the girls got all upset about how they had to do so much (Stacey was in NY, so Dawn actually had a task back then), so they all wanted different jobs. (not the junior members, obviously) They then voted about it and everybody got their old job back because they were most suitable for it and everything was OK and Mal and Jessi got a baby hamster yay! So that's the subplot, basicly. Far more interesting than the main plot
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 25, 2006 17:16:59 GMT -5
The subplot was definitely added to alleviate boredom from the main plot. The fight had no relevance to the pet sitting issues at all.
I guess I can see the logic though. If those weirdo Mancusi people were paying Jessi to take care of their pets, you'd kind of hope one didn't die on her watch ;D
If this book wasn't from the BSC series, there'd definitely be some analysis into why the Mancusis' felt the need to turn their house into a zoo. Mrs Mancusi with fertility issues and trying to ease her maternal yearnings with child substitutes, maybe?
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Post by hitzpink on Apr 25, 2006 21:18:31 GMT -5
The fight in this book was so funny! Kristy hanging that crazy list over a picture of Stacey and Claudia. LOL. Why would she do that? Find a clear spot on the wall, ya bossy nutcase!
Actually, I thought this book was one of the better Jessi books. It didn't bore me nearly as much as I thought it would. Jessi taking the hamster to the vet was believable, I think. I know if I were pet-sitting and one of the animals got sick (or pregnant!), I'd probably freak out and do the same thing.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Apr 26, 2006 11:16:01 GMT -5
LOL that fight is all coming back to me now. Kristy cracks me up.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 26, 2006 17:02:27 GMT -5
^ she was especially hysterical in this one. "I don't want one of my sitters tied up for a week"
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Post by hitzpink on Apr 26, 2006 19:04:00 GMT -5
^ she was especially hysterical in this one. "I don't want one of my sitters tied up for a week" It's things like that which make me simutaneously hate Kristy and totally adore her.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Apr 27, 2006 6:10:47 GMT -5
Hehe, macca, I posted that quote in the funny quotes thread. Kristy was so annoying in this book, I hated her here.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 27, 2006 6:47:45 GMT -5
^ haha, glad to see we all agree on Kristy in this book. Seriously, someone needed to give her the smackdown. I was so sick of the way they crumbled under her Looks and obeyed all her rules without question.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Apr 27, 2006 7:19:28 GMT -5
The fear of the Looks never goes away! But Kristy *does* start acting less bossy after this book, thank god.
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Post by aln1982 on Apr 27, 2006 16:11:57 GMT -5
I usually like Kristy but thought she was a real jerk in this book. I did think it was a little funny though when she hung the rules over the picture - probably because I get kind of tired of hearing how wonderful Claudia's artwork is (it was rude of Kristy to do it, though). I never thought about the stench in the Mancusi house. I think I mentioned before that I was grossed out reading about the canned food. I wouldn't have been able to take care of all of those pets - especially the snake. Yuck! Also agree with Macca on liking the Ramseys a lot more pre-Cecelia. I like it when Jessi actually goes to her mom for help with the hamster - a rare thing in BSC books.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 27, 2006 17:35:39 GMT -5
haha, you're not alone there. I'm especially tired of hearing how wonderful her homemade jewellery is. Honestly, how good could papier mache earrings look? Speaking of which, the BSC was obsessed with papier mache.
I thought Kristy stuck the checklist over a photograph of Stacey though. Don't tell me it was a painting of the girl. Geez.
Trust me, considering all the animals except the snake were kept inside, it would be near impossible for the place NOT to stink. For one thing - five cats all using a litterbox? A cage full of rodents? I don't know about hamsters, but I know pet mice STINK.
Jessi also goes to her mum for advice on the BSC election, which was unusual too.
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