|
Post by aln1982 on Oct 4, 2007 23:12:15 GMT -5
^ You're right. I guess this way they showed how badly another could be made to feel by Mallory's leaving. I definitely felt sorry for MA, too, though she didn't necessarily handle the situation as well as she could of. Still, being stuck in the middle is never a fun place to be.
|
|
|
Post by liss31d on Oct 5, 2007 2:00:22 GMT -5
The only thing is if it was told from one of the girls' point of view, the argument would have come across more biased. For example, there's no denying that the majority of readers are of MA's side in Mary Anne Saves the Day.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Oct 5, 2007 7:50:03 GMT -5
^ Agree about more of a bias and how that might have been a big reason. The way it was presented from MA's view, I actually felt sorry for all of them (even though I agree that they didn't act appropriately or do the best thing in the situation. Still, people make mistakes and tend to "react" without thinking of consequnces). I don't remember who I sided with in Saves the Day as I haven't read that one for a while. I guess I need to reread it ;D
|
|
|
Post by greer on Oct 5, 2007 18:35:40 GMT -5
i think people still side with mallory in this book because jessi acts realy b*tchy.
|
|
|
Post by sotypical42483 on Oct 11, 2007 12:06:58 GMT -5
I totally sided with Mallory. I think that MA pretty much was sided with Mal as well, even though she kinda had to act neutral.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Oct 11, 2007 15:09:46 GMT -5
I sided with Mallory the first times I read this one, too, but the last time I found it harder to "take sides." If I had to, I would have sided with Mal - and did feel worse for her - but also could see where Jessi was coming from and why she felt bad. Not that it justified her actions but I could see where she was coming from. I think the ones that I felt the worst for, though, (other than Mallory) were the kids, especially Vanessa. They must have felt abandoned since I know it's hard for kids to understand exactly what is going on with all the reasons someone would find to leave.
|
|
|
Post by sotypical42483 on Oct 11, 2007 22:20:54 GMT -5
the Pike kids actually annoyed me in this book. I know I should be sympathetic and I do understand where they're coming from but at the same time, I just want to tell them to get a grip. That's awful though, I know.
|
|
scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
Boo and bullfrogs!
Posts: 414
|
Post by scrounge on Nov 10, 2007 22:15:10 GMT -5
Even though maybe the author chose to have this not be a Mallory or a Jessi book to avoid us siding too closely with the narrator, I was a little disappointed that this was a Mary Anne book with very little Mary Anne stuff in it. I always kind of like reading about her having dinner with her family or having a chat with her dad or hanging out with Logan or something and that was maybe three pages in this book.
I laughed at the subplot even though I hate when they do stuff for the old people at Stoneybrook Manor because it was even more P.C. than usual--besides getting their charges to make holiday decorations for Hanuka, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, they also made sun decorations for Winter Solstice.
Also, in this book, Mrs. Pike has a temporary job during the holiday season which is why Mary Anne is baby-sitting so often, and they used the odd explanation that Claire, who is normally just in morning kindergarten, is going to afternoon kindergarten as well while her mother has the seasonal job. Why couldn't we have another inconsistency and just pretend it was all-day K? A lot of kids have that. Failing that, why couldn't we make it an after-kindergarten care program of some sort? It could even be at the elementary school so they'd all walk home together. Why, why, why? I had to kind of laugh though, because this is the first time I've read this one (found three regular series and a mystery that I hadn't read at a rummage sale today!) and I just made a post about this exact same thing cropping up in a super special. School is, well...school. It's not free baby-sitting.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Nov 11, 2007 0:52:21 GMT -5
^ Totally agree about school being school but unfortunately it is often seen as just a baby-sitter. Also agree about lack of MA stuff. That's something I didn't like about this one, either. The over-the-top PC stuff with Stoneybrook Manor, too, but I do like it when they do things for the nursing home. Makes me think of how happy it would make the people at our nursing home when I would go to visit with my church group. I especially love it when the little kids do stuff because it reminds me of how I used to go and perform my dance class routines for the patients when I was about 4 and my grandma volunteered there. I had forgotten they did anything with Stoneybrook Manor in this one. I'll have to reread soon, at least the subplot. ;D Does this one take place before or after Christmas? Trying to make my "Christmas reread" list. ;D
|
|
scrounge
Sitter-In-Training
Boo and bullfrogs!
Posts: 414
|
Post by scrounge on Nov 11, 2007 1:29:54 GMT -5
It takes place before Christmas. The decorations at the manor are old and falling apart, so they make a bunch of new ones, and the reason they keep sitting at the Pike's is because Mrs. Pike has a temporary retail job for the holiday season.
|
|
starlett2010
Junior Sitter
It's been YEARS but I'm back!!!! :)
Posts: 696
|
Post by starlett2010 on Mar 9, 2008 3:56:59 GMT -5
I really disliked this book!!! Just read it and I thought it was really boring and stupid. Since when are Mallory and Mary Anne friends? I had the impression that the 8th grade girls only hung out with the 6th grade girls during meetings, not at school. I think this book would have been a lot better told from either Mallory or Jessi's perspective. I don't think Jessi was intentionally being a b*tch, I think she's just a sad, confused 11 yr. old with no way of communicating her feelings. Basically, I thought this book sucked.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Mar 9, 2008 8:19:49 GMT -5
^ I had the same thoughts and also really didn't like this one. It's one of my least favorites.
|
|
nothingtolose18
Sitting For The Johanssens
Mal / Sam / Price / Ben
Posts: 1,059
|
Post by nothingtolose18 on Mar 11, 2008 0:20:04 GMT -5
I felt really bad for Mallory, Mary Anne, and Jessi in this book.
Mallory is finally feeling that maybe things are going to look up for her now, and she gets excited. But her happiness is crushed when Jessi and her siblings are angry with her.
Mary Anne is in the middle of the fight, a place that is always horrible to be. It's one of my least favorite things in the world, especially when it's two of your good friends. Recently, this situation happened to me, and it was driving me crazy! It's happened before, too.
Jessi feels as though her best friend is abandoning her. I can imagine that that would be a horrible feeling. It's not like she's being forced to move - it's of her own free will. Though I don't agree with Jessi getting Mal's siblings and the Barrett-Dewitt's all fired up - thought this was an incredibly terrible and unprofessional thing for her to do - I still feel for her.
But the poor Pikes. They were already upset, and then Jessi had to make it worse.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Mar 11, 2008 7:47:55 GMT -5
^ I agree. I think that Jessi did make it worse, too, but that she really didn't mean to (even if she was intentionally trying to be mean, she was acting out of hurt and anger - not right but understandable)
|
|
Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
|
Post by Amalia on Mar 12, 2008 4:25:40 GMT -5
I remember this book. This was the one where I thought that Jess was good with comebacks.
|
|