andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on May 10, 2016 10:19:05 GMT -5
This book was OK, interesting but not flowing well. It didn't really give a sense that Dawn was missing a lot of people or had close friends in California, pretty much just Sunny, and she used to resent Carol, so it felt more about the place and missing it so much (after at least a year and a half in Stoneybrook, although I guess its now a year and a half minus a semester?) felt forced. Mary Anne went too far in being so hurt and cold and hurting others but it's more understandable given how reluctantly-enthusiastic she was for Dawn back in #67. Not doing anything nice at the party or the end other than give a ghost book and making clear she didn't contribute to the party were pretty bad (especially after she said let me say goodbye in my own way, kind of false advertising). That Dawn claimed she never acted only re-acted felt a little too much ignoring that she once broke up with Logan, has changed her appearance despite her friends not approving and all the challenges and decisions she made as a sitter and, of course, that they both got their parents together again (at least Dawn thought they did). A kid getting injured, especially when Ben rather than the parents invited over the Pikes, felt like a serious event being taken a little too lightly and randomly and then just there so kids wouldn't be entirely excluded from the celebration(s).
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Jul 13, 2016 9:30:22 GMT -5
Another possibility for why Dawn wanted to move is that she still kind of resented Stacey and felt that the other girls were letting her back in too easily-then she would feel especially bad when Stacey comforted her.
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racergal12
New To Stoneybrook
My back side is my best side.
Posts: 16
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Post by racergal12 on Aug 1, 2016 19:35:09 GMT -5
Don't worry Dawn, not everyone hates you. You're still my favorite sitter!
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Post by booboobrewer on Aug 9, 2016 22:48:18 GMT -5
I want that purple Mexican purse Dawn got as a gift! I wanted to shake Mary Anne for her silent treatment of Dawn. I feel it'd be something she would have regretted one night when she felt like sitting and chatting with Dawn and Dawn wasn't there...you know? I'm sentimental in my old age I would have forgiven D like right away if she made that amazing-sounding dinner for me. Haha.
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racergal12
New To Stoneybrook
My back side is my best side.
Posts: 16
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Post by racergal12 on Aug 9, 2016 22:55:05 GMT -5
I understand that Mary Anne was angry, I would have been too. I think she probably did regret her attitude later.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Mar 14, 2021 13:23:11 GMT -5
In Australia we call soccer soccer and football football.
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cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
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Post by cnj on May 2, 2021 0:41:54 GMT -5
I understand that Mary Anne was angry, I would have been too. I think she probably did regret her attitude later. She did...she had a right to be upset, but she did come around and she did say goodbye and hug Dawn at the airport even though it made her cry again...poor Mary Anne.
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Post by m0drnmoonlight on May 3, 2021 12:20:27 GMT -5
All I remember from this one is Mary Anne smashing the teacup and I thought that was shocking for her of all people to do that but also really funny. I don't blame her for being angry and upset, her stepsister was moving across the country!
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cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
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Post by cnj on May 3, 2021 17:28:27 GMT -5
All I remember from this one is Mary Anne smashing the teacup and I thought that was shocking for her of all people to do that but also really funny. I don't blame her for being angry and upset, her stepsister was moving across the country! Agreed there. Mary Anne was unintentally funny sometimes...I love her.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jun 30, 2021 22:59:15 GMT -5
When I was looking at the cover, I couldn't help but notice the sky ... if you look closely you can see the very beginning stages of a sunset in the background. I liked this seeing as the book mentions that Dawn's plane is in the evening, around 7 p.m. Granted, it doesn't get dark for a few more hours in August but this consistency pleased me.
The book felt a bit rushed at the beginning. But I think that if we had some time for Dawn to ponder over wanting to move to Califonia more then the ending would have been rushed. They could have made this a two-part book as they did for books 30 and 31.
I like how they mentioned Australia celebrating Christmas in the summertime as I've always thought that'd severely change the "traditional" mood of the season. For example, holiday songs wouldn't make much sense!
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cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
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Post by cnj on Jul 1, 2021 3:53:00 GMT -5
I wish Dawn had stayed in Stoneybrook...maybe had her spend summers in Cali.
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Post by oldmeanie on Feb 28, 2023 13:52:51 GMT -5
This book made me weirdly sad. Early series Dawn was actually my favorite for awhile (her character started to fall off for me in Saves the Planet, although I never disliked her), so in a weird way this book is also nostalgic. Idk if that's weird.
I expected to be kind of bored by it, but I really wasn't. I thought the subplot was cute, I thought the fight between Mary Anne and Dawn was actually kind of realistic, and I loved the letters in the end (especially Jessi's, it was honestly a very sweet letter). It really does make a good farewell book (and should've been Dawn's actual last book in the series instead of giving her another one in #98, wtf was that) and there's definitely a finality to it all. Like how she walks through the passage to get to the party, how she doesn't take on any sitting jobs, etc. I didn't expect to feel so sad. I didn't cry, but I wanted to, you know?
I actually understand Mary Anne here. I think that poor girl needs to go to Dr. Reese again. Think about it. In one year, she moves out of her childhood home (the farmhouse is my favorite house in the series and I think it grew on Mary Anne, but it still sucks to leave a place you've lived in your whole life. Also, if burns down in about 40 books. Just awful, I do not want to read that one), adjusts to a new family, her sister moved away for 6 months, then moves back (and it really does feel like she was just "getting her things"), and now is moving back for good. I can't imagine how she feels, it's too much. And I really feel like they were both really hurt by that fight and there's scars that won't heal. I can't remember which book, if it was an FF, but I think Mary Anne admits she doesn't consider Dawn a best friend anymore. That's so sad to me. Anyone recall which book this was? I know in the first CD Dawn admits she doesn't miss her Connecticut friends, which is cold.
So this book is actually surprisingly good, and it's tied with Stacey and the Bad Girls for my fav in the 80s. This one is much better written and Bad Girls is more entertaining. But I kind of hate the timing of everything and want to rant a bit lol. Dawn was only back for 8 main series books including this one, and for the majority of those, Stacey was out. Since Dawn's initial 6 month stay (which I STILL think is ridiculous), the club is like a revolving door. Mal is out with mono for I think 10 books during this time. I'm not sure why this decision was made... I think they should've spaced this stuff out better, because it feels like they were out of ideas or something and wanted to shake things up. It would've been better to just skip the 6 month stay because it makes no sense, maybe have Dawn visit for a summer instead (then we could still have the Dawn in California books), then have her move to California after Sunny's call. As I'm re reading, it feels janky and a bit jarring to have all these moves.
I don't blame Dawn for her dilemma, it's on Sharon in my opinion. But she and Jack are crazy for allowing this kind of thing. Sharon even leaves the door open for Dawn to move BACK to Stoneybrook. They should have put her in counseling or something to deal with the trauma of the love, weigh her options, THEN make a decision. The convo between Sharon and Dawn was touching, but it's weird, Sharon just allowed it pretty much immediately. Like what? One convo, and it's final, Dawn is moving to California. So I'm not annoyed at Dawn's dilemma because I think it's inevitable, I just think Sharon and Jack needed to approach it differently.
Also, Dawn gets another book after leaving Stoneybrook permanently (I think a mystery too), and a whole new series. But Shannon never got a main series book despite being the alternate officer for awhile, just one reader's request, and Mal only gets 3 more books from here on out while Jessi only gets 2. It feels so unbalanced.
I can't wait for the next book because we finally get to meet Abby.
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Post by m0drnmoonlight on Feb 28, 2023 14:52:18 GMT -5
This book is iconic for the scene when Mary Anne smashes the teacup. I don't blame her for being so upset though, like you said, oldmeanie!
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Post by booboobrewer on Feb 28, 2023 23:05:30 GMT -5
And I really feel like they were both really hurt by that fight and there's scars that won't heal. Agreed. Like when Mary Anne says to Dawn that she didn’t know that’s how Dawn “really felt” about her. A wall went up in that moment that never really came down. Reminds me of when Dawn came home for Christmas and held them all at arm’s length and Mary Anne didn’t feel comfortable being around her or telling her about the elf job. Despite them having lived together I think Mary Anne and Kristy had a much deeper bond.
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,258
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Post by oldhickory on Mar 1, 2023 11:10:09 GMT -5
I agree about Kristy. There's 13 years of history there. I also think Dawn and Mary Anne wouldn't have been as close if not for their parents dating. I wish we had more books of their friendship before they discovered the old romance. It all happened in the same book, and in a slower timeline I think it would have cooled into just a normal friendship. This book is iconic for the scene when Mary Anne smashes the teacup. I don't blame her for being so upset though, like you said, oldmeanie! Her feelings are fine, but her actions are not. Smashing things is abusive and she's passive aggressive for the rest of the book. If Jeff broke dishes because he was mad at Dawn, you know he would've been forced into counseling.
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