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Post by anzuhana on Dec 12, 2011 21:01:46 GMT -5
^ I like that idea for a last Jessi book.
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Post by wiggir13 on Dec 12, 2011 23:26:39 GMT -5
Haha Mona - Jessi and great story...right.
I do feel like Jessi got a bad ending or not a good one at all, but then again her beginning was really lame too. I guess that was just her whole BSC life was just a bunch of lame things strung together.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Dec 12, 2011 23:35:41 GMT -5
Jessi and the Little Liar would have worked because Haley was a bit close with Becca, therefore giving Jessi more of an "in" to Haley, if that makes sense.
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Post by zoar3 on Dec 13, 2011 11:48:52 GMT -5
^At least Jessi's biggest storyline issue was "boring" instead of Dawn's "patronizing" or plain "rude." Otherwise, you know ITA, Wiggirl.
Virgo, that makes good sense actually. Other than right before the baby elephant walk in "MA and the Zoo Mystery," I don't recall Claudia ever baby-sitting for the Braddocks (aside, of course, from "Little Liar.") Jessi, on the other hand, was introduced as a long-term sitter to both us and the Braddocks. Perhaps if Becca had been a little more involved, the Haley making up weird stories over homework might have been more interesting. I just never bought how the Braddocks failed to "get" what was going on with Haley until the end. Even for oblivious Stoneybrook families that seemed odd. Claudia, also, should have caught a clue sooner. I know! It could have been soon after Claudia was sent back to 7th grade. Perhaps Haley was going to be sent back to 3rd grade. I would have preferred those parallels to the ones in the actual books.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Dec 13, 2011 13:11:33 GMT -5
Yeah, I agree with you. I guess we all can agree that we prefer Jessi and the Little Liar over Claudia and the Little Liar!
Or Jessi's last book could have been Jessi's Big Party, as I mentioned before. We could have seen more of her Dance NY friends and more of her tied between NYC and Stoneybrook... and maybe even more of Mal's dilemma with Spaz Girl, since it was published just after Kristy in Charge.
Claud easily could have had other story lines...
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Post by sparklymouse on Dec 13, 2011 15:12:34 GMT -5
I don't know if Haley would have had the balls to try that stuff with Jessi for the exact reason that Jessi did have that history with the family.
As for this book, I've got nothing add.
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Post by zoar3 on Dec 13, 2011 16:20:14 GMT -5
^You're probably right about that, Sparklymouse, good point. On other hand, because she did have the history with Jessi, maybe Haley would think Jessi would be more of an ally to her, so it could go either way. If memory were exisiting in Stoneybrook, Haley would recall how Claudia saved her in Island Adventure and may have been more resourceful than she (H)thought. It's a toss up. I'd love to read any of the above "books." Maybe in the new year we can get some (even group/pairs) fanfics going.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Dec 13, 2011 16:23:38 GMT -5
They could have easily written in something where Jessi severely ticks off Haley and that sets her off.
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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 Jun 17, 2014 13:45:48 GMT -5
Man, I feel like every book thread except for like the first 5 books is 90% people saying how much they disliked it and/or snarking it. I mean, I know we all read these books because they're nostalgic, not because they're good, but c'mon! I liked this book a lot. I liked pretty much everything about it. I actually liked how Jessi reacted - I would have been more disappointed if she hadn't been so upset. Jessi's getting upset (though obviously selfish and immature) showed how much Mallory meant to her - and considering the raw deal Mal got through most of the series, it's satisfying to see how much she meant to at least one person. I even liked Mal's siblings getting angry and sad over her leaving, for the same reasons. Based on the way Mal was treated by her siblings through the series, I would have expected a reaction more like one of the triplets going "Ok, so can we get your bedroom now? HUR HUR HUR don't let the door hit you on the way out." It was nice that this made them appreciate her. I know most of you disliked how Jessi treated Mal, but, like, if I announced to my friends that I'd gotten a great new job offer and was moving away because it was a great opportunity, I'd secretly be disappointed if they were all supportive of my moving. Deep down I'd want them to get upset that I'm leaving and selfishly want me to stay. I also think Jessi's behavior made a lot of sense - she had just made the decision about Dance NY, and then she turns around and BAM - her best friend suddenly decides out of the blue that she's leaving. Jessi probably felt bitter and regretful. I liked that Mary Anne narrated this one. I liked that Mal's leaving was treated as an event significant enough that there was at least one non-Mallory book devoted entirely to that subject, and that it wasn't a Jessi book - to show that Mallory does indeed matter to someone other than Mallory and Jessi. I liked that Mary Anne got to talk about how she went through the same thing when Dawn left - knowing that Dawn was making a hard choice that was right for her, and MA being upset, but knowing in the end Dawn/Mallory has to make the choice that's right for her. I liked Mallory Day, and after all the grief she got through the series, it was nice to see her realizing she was appreciated. I liked that Ben was back for this book. I liked we got to see that Mallory honestly thought she wouldn't be missed, and that Mary Anne finally realized how genuinely Mallory felt that way about herself, that she wasn't just being glum for show. All in all, I liked this book and although I'm sad for Mal to leave since she's one of my favorite sitters, I think it was good and satisfying to end her time in Stoneybrook by having her strike out on her own independently.
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scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
Boo and bullfrogs!
Posts: 414
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Post by scrounge on Jun 17, 2014 21:12:06 GMT -5
I don't disagree with you that Mallory deserved a good sendoff, since she'd been in the series since the first book, but I wish it could have been done in a way that didn't make Mary Anne an afterthought in her own book.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jun 17, 2014 21:18:17 GMT -5
The same could be argued though with Sister War.
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Nov 7, 2017 17:38:24 GMT -5
The thing I liked about this one was that we got to see a couple of Jessi's friends from NY. And it makes sense that they actually were more supportive of Mallory.
I don't think Jessi had any right to act the way she did, though. This is probably the only time I've ever seen her act like this. Usually when she's mad, she just goes cold and sort of switches off, making excuses not to talk to whoever she's mad at. Here, she's completely honest. But look, if the bullying had gone on for this long, I think Mallory leaving was the best option. She needed to go somewhere else. She should never have been assigned to teach an eighth-grade class in any case, and if it hadn't slowed down or been forgotten, when was it going to stop? It sounded like she was going to be teased for the rest of middle school. And Jessi claimed that Mallory should just stick it out and it would blow over? She'd TRIED that already.
How do you think Jessi would have reacted if Mallory had decided to refuse the place after all, when she was so sure she'd decided?
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Dec 7, 2018 12:15:24 GMT -5
I think this was another book that was way too overdone.
I love Mary Anne generally and she was fine in this book but it probably really should have been told from the perspective of Mallory or Jessi. As it was Mallory and especially Jessi were much too unlikeable and annoying, especially in complaining that the other was selfish when they obviously both were being so. It felt especially bad that Jessi was so judgmental and angry when she had recently herself strongly considered going away-although it was a nice, not-too-surprising surprise that her Dance NY friends understood and were positive about Mallory (also) going to a special school. If the book had been written from Jessi's perspective it might have felt and actually been more sincere that she would miss Mallory but also thought that the bullying wasn't really that bad and that Mallory shouldn't just try to run away from her problems (and she could have also had more internal conflict, more positive feelings earlier on that, yes, Riverbend might be a better environment for Mallory and her becoming a writer).
Vanessa didn't have a lot of scenes but she was still pretty great in them, really good, believable mix of understanding, some anger and sadness and nice that she and all the Pikes ended up being supportive.
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Dec 11, 2018 12:59:55 GMT -5
It was funny that this book had Jessi telling kids not to eat the healthier carob rather than chocolate, they would think they would like it as much because they looked alike but they would regret doing that.
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cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
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Post by cnj on Dec 14, 2018 5:04:46 GMT -5
i don't understand why this is MARY ANNE'S book--why didn't mal or jessi tell this story? Because the story needed to be told from an objective third party who was a good friend to both Jessi AND Mallory. And it was time for another Mary Anne book...besides, Mary Anne is a great listener and mediator.
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