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Post by starfire13 on Oct 26, 2016 9:44:07 GMT -5
Why didn't Mallory go to different school in Stronybrook? I think Mallory just wanted a change. In #14 just before she joins the Club, she mentions that she didn't really have any friends: she never really needed to on account of being so busy with her family. Well, now she has friends, but it's just the girls of the Club, and they're kinda cultish, and Mallory is still seen as just one of many kids in her family. I think she wanted to leave Stoneybrook where she could get her own identity and not have to deal with constantly baby-sitting. Even if Mallory quit the club to focus more on school and writing, she'd still be baby-sitting all the time for her family. It wouldn't make sense for her family to hire two baby-sitters if Mallory is technically at home. If she wanted to work and not baby-sit, she'd have to go to the library and coffee shops all the time.
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LadyDru
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 373
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Post by LadyDru on Mar 16, 2017 11:38:57 GMT -5
I read this book so much some of the pages started to fall apart..it's how much I enjoyed reading it. Loved reading about the pancakes for breakfast and Mal's new friends..already said what I thought of Alexis in the thread about her, so I won't repeat it here, so I'll just say I was glad the roommate problem was solved.
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Natasha
New To Stoneybrook
BSC Reread Update: no 115:Jessi's big break.
Posts: 198
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Post by Natasha on Mar 17, 2019 9:42:48 GMT -5
Mallory was an idiot in this one. And that boarding school sounds like my worst nightmare.
If she was old enough to live at boarding school then she was certainly old enough not to have her parents around to hold her hand. At the beginning of it her mom helped her make her bed and arrange her books for her. WTF! An 11 year old should def know how to make her own bed.
Apart from that I actually liked Alexis, Mallory needs to learn to play well with others-I would have thought she'd be used in sharing a room. She shared with Vanessa all her life didn't she?
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,263
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Post by oldhickory on Mar 18, 2019 15:31:57 GMT -5
It's one thing to share a room with a sister and another to share with a stranger. In one book early in the series (I forget which one) Mallory says that she hides her diary but doesn't actually need to because Vanessa has always respected her boundaries and understands a writer's need for privacy. When people live in close quarters, they need firm boundaries to live peacefully, but Alexis violated every type of boundary there was.
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Post by greer on Jul 20, 2019 22:34:11 GMT -5
Mallory’s mom helped her set up her room because she was helping her settle in. Even when they’re helping their kids move in at college, some will do things like that.
I agree that sharing a room with a stranger is way different than a sibling. Personally I have always found roommate situations stressful, especially in boarding school and college. As an introvert, it’s not beneficial to my mental state and I only want to share a room with someone if we’re very, very close friends or dating.
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Post by hurricanebill on Apr 25, 2022 3:32:34 GMT -5
Has anyone seen/heard of Crown Lake on YouTube? It’s what a Mallory at boarding school series would have been like. The actress has awesome, curly, red hair. No glasses though but a bit older than Mal and Mal would have had contacts eventually, right?
It’s written by Sara Shepard who wrote Pretty Little Liars. Few things resemble Mal like the diary she’s reading and spying on people. Haha
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Jul 9, 2022 23:14:09 GMT -5
The Pike brats were acting a bit over dramatic. They were acting as though Mallory was dead. She's just gone to boarding school she won't be away forever.
This is the nail in the coffin for Mal though. It's clear to me that Ann hated her. Here's some examples:
The BSC were terrible to Mal before she joined even though they knew she was experienced with kids probably even more than them considering all her siblings.
Her father loses his job.
She gets mono
Gets bullied during that students being teachers program and even afterwards despite the fact she was well liked before. I mean they did vote her secretary of the sixth grade.
She was bullied so much she leaves the school for good. And she doesn't have a great start at her new school. Couldn't Ann at least made her happy at her new school??
Proof that Ann hated Mal.
Also her classes. How is baking muffins help Mallory learn Maths? Measurements? You learn all that in home economics.
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Post by oldmeanie on Aug 26, 2023 0:52:00 GMT -5
This one made me a little sad. Written in Mal's perspective, I can see how Riverbend is right for her. The entire storyline aside from this book was far too rushed, though.
I like Smita, Sarah, and Jen. Riverbend sounds pretty cool, if a bit much (I would HATE it. I never found dorm life attractive at all. I still lived at home when I went to college). I like that it's a collective thing, that they all take turns taking care of the school grounds. Having to do community service on the weekends seems like a bit much, though. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing, I'm just not sure about it being required. The classes themselves actually sound better than typical as well... although I know that math class wouldn't fly irl.
I did finish this book wanting more of Riverbend. The concept is pretty cool and it's great to see Mal thriving.
Alexis was a pain. I felt bad for Mal for having to deal with her. Reading her journal amd borrowing her earrings was just awful. I think something is seriously wrong with her... she'd do things like that, then apologize, wash, rinse, repeat. You can't just act like a jerk all the time, apologize, and expect people to accept it so you can still act like a jerk. Argh, she just irked me. Mal was definitely acting like a doormat at first, and I'm glad she finally put her foot down.
I liked the subplot. Nicky locking himself to the bed was extremely ridiculous, but in the middle of that chapter I just started cracking up. It's just so OTT. This conflict actually makes a lot of sense as a subplot as well. I wonder where Mal will sleep when she visits, though.
I feel like if this book was written a bit later, it would mention Harry Potter at least once (the timing might be just a little too off. This book was only published about 6 months after HP was released in the U.S. I don't remember when the craze really started, but it might have been too recent to make it into the books). You know that Mal would be a major Potterhead (along with Jessi. I can see Claudia getting into them too, maybe), and she goes to boarding school at the same age Harry did. I know JKR herself is horrible, but the reference is just so obvious!
I kind of rambled a lot. It's a bittersweet one for me. I don't like the fact that Mal moved, but Riverbend really is a good fit for her. I think I'd give it a 7.
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