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Post by sotypical42483 on Jul 12, 2007 12:41:41 GMT -5
I don't think Dawn/Jeff necessarily chose their dad over their mom. They chose CA over CT and their old life over their new one. Can't say I blame them, I'd def want to move back to socal if I'd lived there and was uprooted to CT.
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fluffycakes
Junior Sitter
A silken-haired beauty with a laugh like pealing bells
Posts: 868
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Post by fluffycakes on Jul 13, 2007 8:39:42 GMT -5
Now that I think about it, I wonder why Jeff didn't come back for Thanksgiving with Dawn. I know it's not really important, but I found it strange that no one even mentioned it. And also, Dawn can't come home for Christmas because she went back for Thanksgiving? That's pretty awful, if you ask me. Yes, flying cross-country can be pricy, but still, Dawn and Jeff get to see their mother for, like, a couple of weeks out of the year. Making them stay for Christmas seems pretty selfish of Jack. I don't know why that bothers me so much, but it does. But other than that, I thought this book way okay-ish. Victoria was cute, and I felt so sorry for her when her parents tell her they're flying out of the country again. I can't imagine what that feels like, growing up and hardly ever seeing your parents. I also felt sorry for Sharon, when she talked about losing the people she loves. She's not my favourite character, but I really felt for her then. I loved the NYC adventure, especially when George (the limo driver) says to the Plaza police people, "Thank you for finding Mrs. Rutherford!" That was funny.
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Post by aln1982 on Jul 13, 2007 16:22:30 GMT -5
^ I forgot about finding Mrs. Rutherford ;D She really makes me laugh. Never thought about Jeff not coming back, but you're right. Whether or not they actually "chose" Jack over Sharon, I can see how she might have felt like they did or at least felt abandoned.
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 1, 2007 17:03:30 GMT -5
Reread over Thanksgiving and really liked this one as always. Even if Victoria is a little bratty, I like her. I really feel for her with her parents "flitting" all of the time and with the way the other kids were treating her like she was some kind of oddity (lack of a better word?) That reminded me of Emily in the American Girl Molly books when the kids are confused about some of the differences between the US and England and treat the girl from England as so exotic and special when she just wants to fit in. I picked up on some new funny things in this one, too. I loved the part where Alan is pestering the limo driver and Kristy threatens to kiss him if he doesn't stop. She knows she wants to.... ;D
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Dec 3, 2007 9:59:08 GMT -5
The thing about Dawn not being able to come home for Christmas didn't make an impression on me because of the time warp. She flies back from California to Connecticut about a million times in the eighth grade, so one less time didn't really matter to me. I have trouble thinking about it as if she really only has one Christmas and one summer each year.
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Dec 7, 2007 18:18:21 GMT -5
^ Wait a sec...it's been awhile since I've read this one, so I might have this wrong, but Dawn comes for Thanksgiving without Jeff in this book? Doesn't she do the same thing in "Claudia and the First Thanksgiving," or was Jeff there for that one?
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 7, 2007 20:23:02 GMT -5
^ I don't think he came in either one. I think Dawn surprised Sharon in this one. She did in First Thanksgiving, too, didn't she?
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anna
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 103
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Post by anna on Dec 1, 2008 21:13:07 GMT -5
I don't remember much about this one except that it did make the British people stereotypical. I hate stereotypes like that and imagine that it must be worse for readers from the UK or people who have first-hand knowledge of what things are really like there. I did like this book okay for some reason (maybe because I like Victoria and don't really know why). And stereotypical or not, I thought the part where she wanted to go to Pizza Hut was kind of funny. Sounds like any typical American kid. As for the subplot, also thought it could have been much more developed. I always wanted the books to develop MA and Sharon's relationship more. I tended to feel badly for Sharon, who always tried to be so good to MA (despite the fact that she's a total scatterbrain). I wish MA would have given her more of a chance to be a "mother," especially since she didn't have one. With Dawn in CA, I think the Spier/Schafer women could have grown close. I would have liked to have seen that. An interesting angle would have then been for Dawn to come back and be jealous of her Mom and MA's relationship.... Fan fic possibility? oooh! that would make a great fanfic! your right i never did see why Mary Anne Rejected Sharon! i mean come on! I think Sharon always ment well, But was kinda ditzy .
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Post by helsieboo on Jan 22, 2009 4:09:00 GMT -5
Auuughhh! I just re-read this again and it STILL annoys me. Sharon was really loveable in this, though. About the only one.
*bangs head against desk* I do not know one single English person who wears Laura Ashley, who says charmed, or in fact anything that they say! And before anyone points out that they're English upper class - I'm from a English Middle/Upper class background. They have totally Enid Blytonskewed English people. *breathes*
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Jan 23, 2009 14:52:25 GMT -5
^Well, I'm a citizen of the USA and I also don't know anyone who wears Laura Ashley. But the BSC would have everyone believe that it's the best line of east coast wear ever.
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Lila
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 293
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Post by Lila on Jan 27, 2009 2:20:26 GMT -5
i guess they needed SOMETHING to keep the series going. And what btter way than something like this? But it was ridiculous, why A PRINCESS That is too far fetched. Why couldn't she be a rich kid or something?
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Jan 28, 2009 14:14:48 GMT -5
I know...why the heck would foreign diplomats choose freaking STONEYBROOK? If they need acces to NYC, why don't they just live IN the city? I'm sure they could afford a nice furnished apartment, if the government wouldn't provide one.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2009 20:50:25 GMT -5
I don't remember much about this one except that it did make the British people stereotypical. I hate stereotypes like that and imagine that it must be worse for readers from the UK or people who have first-hand knowledge of what things are really like there. I did like this book okay for some reason (maybe because I like Victoria and don't really know why). And stereotypical or not, I thought the part where she wanted to go to Pizza Hut was kind of funny. Sounds like any typical American kid. As for the subplot, also thought it could have been much more developed. I always wanted the books to develop MA and Sharon's relationship more. I tended to feel badly for Sharon, who always tried to be so good to MA (despite the fact that she's a total scatterbrain). I wish MA would have given her more of a chance to be a "mother," especially since she didn't have one. With Dawn in CA, I think the Spier/Schafer women could have grown close. I would have liked to have seen that. An interesting angle would have then been for Dawn to come back and be jealous of her Mom and MA's relationship.... Fan fic possibility? I think Dawn was a bit jealous of Mary Anne in "Mary Anne and the Great Romance" (book 30). When they were giving presents to Sharon, there were a lot of weird looks from Dawn towards Mary Anne because Mary Anne's gift was better thought out.
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Feb 1, 2009 22:38:48 GMT -5
The absolute best thing about this book is that Richard has a complete set of the Oxford English Dictionary. That is some serious geekery right there.
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Post by greer on Feb 2, 2009 0:31:51 GMT -5
Ha, I know a kid who brought his complete set with him TO UNIVERSITY.
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