supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
|
Post by supprazz on Aug 25, 2011 23:06:25 GMT -5
Poor Mary Anne for feeling that She and Stacey are my favourites too and have things in common,but I didn't see that in Stacey vs. the BSC And when did Alan write on Claudia's shirt? That's hilarious! He always liked her, he even tried to date her in Claudia and the Perfect Boy
|
|
|
Post by virgoscorpio on Feb 11, 2013 15:11:50 GMT -5
One thing that the BSC taught me: if you need a secondary character to be in a group project, pick Pete Black. He's Your Man.
One thing that bothered me in this book was Alan, and his explanation that he ruined Claud's project because she looked at him and thought, "Oh, that's just Alan." It seemed like he was trying to justify his actions which, in any situation, was wrong. I didn't feel sorry for him.
It was funny how Cokie wanted to sit on the hood of a car and took forever to pick the cleanest and nicest one. Very Cokie-esque.
I would have picked friendship over the film. After all, it's just an 8th grade project. In the grand scheme of things, does any of our 8th grades projects really affect our lives as adults?! I think the moral lesson is much bigger than the educational lesson, or whatever. I was proud of Stacey for sticking up for Mary Anne. She did try. And she gave a little oomph in there too when she pounded the desk in frustration after they refused her request to take part of Mary Anne's interview out.
|
|
starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
|
Post by starrynight on Feb 13, 2013 15:58:38 GMT -5
^ I would have picked friendship, too. For me, though, it would have more to do with being liked than doing the right thing.
|
|
|
Post by zoar3 on Feb 13, 2013 16:07:59 GMT -5
Did Mary Anne ever talk to Emily, Erica, or Pete herself? I haven't read this book in a long time (not one of my favorites). I don't think she did. If she had, maybe things would have gone differently. Regardless, Mary Anne inadvertently shared a private feeling in a public way. She (I still admire her for doing so) almost immediately realized her mistake and asked Stacey to delete it. There was no last minute appeal or anything like that, though in this case even if there was...but that is another story. This whole book was so OOC to me anyway, but then so was much of the series at this point. I will always feel badly that the one time (IMO) MA was truly likable, she was cast aside for a possibly higher grade.
|
|
valuemeal2
Sitter-In-Training
California Girl!
Posts: 295
|
Post by valuemeal2 on Dec 19, 2013 4:56:26 GMT -5
One thing that the BSC taught me: if you need a secondary character to be in a group project, pick Pete Black. He's Your Man. Truer words were never spoken!
|
|
celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
|
Post by celaeno on Jul 30, 2014 19:08:40 GMT -5
I was surprised how much I liked this one! Because of the cover, I was expecting Stacey to be in a situation similar to Stacey and the Fashion Victim, or the Stacey's Big Break episode of the TV show, but obviously the plot was not similar to them at all. I had assumed that the Friends Forever series had come abruptly, with little segue from the main BSC series, so I'm pleasantly surprised at the hints leading up to it. In the previous book (Kristy at Bat), Kristy's thinking about her dad a lot, and in this one, Jessi's feeling more distant from the club, Abby's overwhelmed with overcommitment, and Alan is flirting with Claudia. I thought it was weird how they resolved Mary Anne's story though! She's embarrassed how in her first video she talked about being angry about her mother dying and how she shared too much personal information with the public, then in her follow-up video (because she's embarrassed by her first video) she explains to the public that she was actually just mad at her stepmom. Um, Mary Anne, you didn't even mention Sharon in your first video, so you're just making it MORE awkward and embarrassing by now revealing MORE private info about being mad at your stepmother... I loved how in just one book they gave a side character like Emily a really believable personality. My favorite part of the book was Cokie's bit - it seems like a strangely fitting conclusion to the series to have an antagonist like Cokie make such a perceptive remark, about how all kids - not just the popular ones - in middle school think their group of friends is better than the others, and that this includes the BSC. I also loved how she insisted her video be shot with her leaning on a car, which is even funnier when you realize it wasn't even some cool high schooler's car, but just a car belonging to a middle school teacher.
|
|
|
Post by greer on Jul 30, 2014 20:36:14 GMT -5
Haha, I am picturing Cokie leaning on Mr. Kingbridge's battered old Toyota
|
|
|
Post by virgoscorpio on Aug 1, 2014 15:50:31 GMT -5
I also remember Cokie's remark and thought it was very perceptive and true.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Aug 1, 2014 18:26:56 GMT -5
I thought it was weird how they resolved Mary Anne's story though! She's embarrassed how in her first video she talked about being angry about her mother dying and how she shared too much personal information with the public, then in her follow-up video (because she's embarrassed by her first video) she explains to the public that she was actually just mad at her stepmom. Um, Mary Anne, you didn't even mention Sharon in your first video, so you're just making it MORE awkward and embarrassing by now revealing MORE private info about being mad at your stepmother... Agreed! I sympathized with her but now that I'm older it doesn't seem like the huge deal she made it out to be. No one else amended what they said; didn't Pete get upset and snap at his interviewer during his segment? But he let it go. Nonetheless, it was a realistic "dilemma" for a shy person to have... Oh wait, Stacey also added some stuff for herself.
|
|
andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
|
Post by andrew on Apr 28, 2019 23:08:16 GMT -5
I think this was a really good book, pretty entertaining throughout and kind of getting better and better as it went along.
The book conveyed well the kids getting excited about filmmaking and Stacey's group about documentaries and their peers. The characters seemed a bit more mature than usual (especially Stacey and Cokie, really nice for Stacey to readily admit Cokie has a point) but in very believable and in-character ways (all the interview revelations both surprising and in-character) and the handful of conflicts were pretty well-developed including the follow-ups and for some lack of specific follow-up.
|
|
andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
|
Post by andrew on Apr 28, 2019 23:23:54 GMT -5
I myself would have favored and argued for compromising on the Mary Anne interview, just include the first part where she is upset and end after she says some teachers are unfair, before the interview gets really personal in her talking about her parents. It was surprising and interesting, though, that the others wouldn't budge, Stacey decided to instead let her have a clarification and the others decided to include all the interview and also her clarification.
|
|
|
Post by merrymelody on Jun 15, 2020 10:50:39 GMT -5
I thought it was a very human and understandable thing for MA to say; but considering she's stepsisters with Dawn, who's fixated on judging people constantly; I could see why MA would regret saying it and worry it could be misconstrued. In this time period, Dawn's in California chewing out Sunny for the exact same issue (expressing grief through anger etc.) I wonder if that attitude is one that rubbed off on Dawn and MA's conversations about MA's mom.
|
|
|
Post by oldmeanie on Sept 10, 2023 12:51:35 GMT -5
I actually like this one a lot. I wish we could've gotten an interview with each BSC member, but overall, their interviews were interesting. Claudia's interview was... meh, idk. I get where she's coming from, and there are people who did poorly in school but are successful otherwise (I am in the minority opinion here, but I don't think she's lazy), I just... I don't know.
Pete Black's interview was weird. In the BSC verse, it's totally normal for 13 year olds to work lol. I don't agree with it at all, but it's just such a glaring inconsistency. I also cannot relate at all! I never wanted to grow up and liked to keep to myself as much as possible. I know others probably can, though.
I don't understand how Abby is suddenly so overwhelmed. There wasn't even a hint at that in Un-Valentine, and you'd think there would be. It's realistic, and I'm guessing it's because they didn't replace Mal, but still.
Jessi's interview made a lot of sense. I 100% got that feeling after Mal left. I expected her to say she didn't feel close to the older BSC members, but she didn't exactly say that, just that she felt out of place. She admitting that she felt she had to prove herself as a minority felt very realistic to me. I expected her to say she wished she stayed in Dance NY, but she didn't.
Cokie is 100% right and Stacey realizes it too.
I feel really bad for Mary Anne and think that Stacey's group should have cut her saying she hated her mother. It was interesting yes, but holy crap, y'all are 13! Yes, put friendship over this film project. Emily really annoyed me in this one. She was far too serious about it. Don't get me wrong, it's great to take journalism seriously, but ffs, it's a middle school project. I would agree with her if they were in college. She didn't even give an interesting interview herself!
Yeah, Emily is not my favorite.
Oy. Okay, so in recent books, Kristy hasn't actually been that bad imo. But she's annoying in this one. I laughed when Alan called her a dictator and asked how Stacey dealt with her. Lolol. Yeah, it was totally wrong to try to film Jackie, expecting him to knock something over or something. The poor kid is already self-conscious about that. I thought Kristy understood children. Totally glad that Abby bad-mouthed her in the notebook lol! And called her out at the meeting (their fight was never actually resolved in this book. Hmm)
I don't think the added materials at the end would work. I think it would be awkward af.
Has Stacey always been a movie buff? She is in this one. Also, she definitely has workaholic tendencies like her father, saying she'd love to work for hours on end without breaks. Can't relate because I'm lame I guess.
A couple students made a fairytale movie in Claymation. That is SUPER impressive.
I like this one. I think it needed to be longer, though. It was so short! I actually think this is one of those that could be an interesting Super Special. Maybe that's going too far. I think the idea is more interesting than a play. Overall this one is a 6 (edited, after thinking about it, I think 7 is too high).
|
|
oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,263
|
Post by oldhickory on Sept 11, 2023 9:42:33 GMT -5
Stacey's definitely a theater fan and she likes Mary Poppins. I don't remember the books saying she's a film fan before this book, but it makes sense with her character. RE: Emily taking things too seriously, she's a smart middle schooler. That's par for the course But I still agree with her. Mary Anne gave an impactful interview and if it were my project, I'd want it in too.
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Sept 11, 2023 21:42:00 GMT -5
Emily was intense. Bet she ended up being SHS’s valedictorian lol. She seems much more cutthroat than just a normal smart person.
|
|