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Post by sugarmonkey on May 29, 2006 11:54:48 GMT -5
Dawn lost her individualness awful quick the second there was a cute guy around. It irritated me how the reason that Travis and Dawn fell for him was because of his looks, they were both from California, and they both liked health food. Is there nothing else that people can have in common? I don't remember being that shallow minded when I was 13.
Once a again the subplot parallels the main plot.
Um, a FLIGHT SUIT? This book was copywrited 1990 correct? I don't remember flight suits being in then. But, I've never lived in New England.
I do think that this was a good topic to do a book on. If the taret age for the books is 8-10 year old girls, that means in just a few short years the readers will become interested in boys. At least they will have some kind of an influence regarding how NOT to let a guy control you. I know this was more feminist stuff, but it was a more serious issue and it's a very common problem.
This day and age Dawn would've been knocked up by Travis in back of his blue Chevy and the whole situation would've been dragged out for years.
Sharon and Richard's disagreement about how to handle the situation seemed very realistic as well. I'm not sure who to side with. Richard was right in saying Travis was too old and that Dawn shouldn't see him again. But I can see how that would just make Dawn want to see Travis more. So, in that case, Sharon had a good idea in that she said they should meet Travis. That may pacify Dawn for awhile and then Sharon and Richard would get chance to see who they were dealing with. It's funny how they never talked to Dawn about the situation after that one argument.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 29, 2006 19:41:13 GMT -5
This book was just WEIRD.
Dawn speaks to Travis for, what, 20 or so minutes at Kristy's house after the sleepover. He then turns up in her driveway a couple of days later? How did he know where she lived? Presumably he asked Kristy's brothers. But why would he do that if he wasn't interested in the girl? He just randomly met a friend of his brothers' sister and decided she'd be a worthwhile project? Huh? For what purpose?
So then he buys her gifts, takes her out to eat and makes suggestions about getting her hair cut and an extra ear-piercing. All the while he has a hot girlfriend who is completely okay with the situation.
The book would've been far more realistic if Travis had been legitimately interested in Dawn and so she "ran around in circles" trying to please him. As it was, the whole plot was just strange.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on May 29, 2006 21:58:17 GMT -5
I just reread this one and posted about it in the BSC LJ community. Um, a FLIGHT SUIT? This book was copywrited 1990 correct? I don't remember flight suits being in then. But, I've never lived in New England. I was 4 then, so my fashion memories are fuzzy, but we have to remember that this is Stoneybrook couture. We're talking about a place where shirts with vegetables printed on them are chic and sheep...are in.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on May 30, 2006 1:40:49 GMT -5
This book was just WEIRD. Dawn speaks to Travis for, what, 20 or so minutes at Kristy's house after the sleepover. He then turns up in her driveway a couple of days later? How did he know where she lived? Presumably he asked Kristy's brothers. But why would he do that if he wasn't interested in the girl? He just randomly met a friend of his brothers' sister and decided she'd be a worthwhile project? Huh? For what purpose? So then he buys her gifts, takes her out to eat and makes suggestions about getting her hair cut and an extra ear-piercing. All the while he has a hot girlfriend who is completely okay with the situation. The book would've been far more realistic if Travis had been legitimately interested in Dawn and so she "ran around in circles" trying to please him. As it was, the whole plot was just strange. ^ I think he just has a controlling personality. I dunno. The Travis character just seemed believable to me.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 30, 2006 2:02:30 GMT -5
^ I'm sure he did have a controlling personality, but the fact that he didn't even have a slight romantic interest in Dawn was what made the scenario unbelievable to me (of course opinions may differ on this subject!)
I dunno, at 13 yrs old, I'm sure I'd have felt misled just like Dawn (although I wouldn't have made that horrifically embarrassing phone call). I mean, he took her to eat, bought her gifts, seemed to go out of his way to see her... I don't blame her for getting the wrong idea.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on May 30, 2006 2:17:34 GMT -5
^ I still think that he enjoyed her company. Maybe he didn't want to get freaky with her but I think that he liked her more than we were led to believe. I just think that, at some point, his mild interest in her wore off.
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Post by sugarmonkey on May 30, 2006 8:33:03 GMT -5
So, maybe he only liked spending time with her because she was so receptive (or appeared to be) while he bragged about himself? He just needed someone to "worship" him as an ego boost.
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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 May 30, 2006 16:37:13 GMT -5
This, for some reason, has always been one of my favorite books. I have to agree, though, that it was awfully weird for Travis to start showing up at Dawn's house/school after their brief encounter at Kristy's . I'm also not sure why his girlfriend apparently went along with all of this. That confused me. As for the age difference, well, look at the cover. Dawn is at least 25, and Travis is probably 35, so they're old enough to handle it.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 30, 2006 18:42:50 GMT -5
^ haha, great point about the cover. Travis looks old enough to be Dawn's father (I mean, if she was 13, not 25 as she appears on the cover!)
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Post by aln1982 on May 31, 2006 7:59:51 GMT -5
I liked this one pretty well. It's an important issue for girls, I think, to learn that they need to be themselves. I didn't get Travis's behavior, either, Macca. I thought he was unrealistically attentive if he wasn't legitimately interested. But maybe he was interested in getting "something" from a young girl.... Though this would be a little too deep for a BSC book. In all, this isn't one of my favorites but I thought it did a good job with a serious, important topic.
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Post by sotypical42483 on May 31, 2006 11:25:27 GMT -5
This book WAS weird, but I felt really bad for Dawn. Yeah she was a bit presumtuous, but Travis did lead her on and I agree at 13, I would've felt similar to Dawn about the whole situation. Travis is probably one of the oddest characters to pop up in a BSC book, he's creepy. It seems as though his girlfriend pops up out of NOWHERE and then she is just like, "Oh this is the little girl you've been mentioning" or whatever. Wouldn't the normal reaction be like more along the lines of "Dude, you freaking creep, quit hanging out with a 13 year old"? I don't get it.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 31, 2006 18:41:47 GMT -5
Now THAT would change the scenario entirely. That would be very realistic. But as you say, it would never happen in a BSC book.
The fact that Travis never mentioned the girlfriend to Dawn also suggests that there was more to him that meets the eye. If Travis thought their little relationship was strictly platonic, an ego maniac like him would definitely have bragged about having a beautiful girlfriend
And ITA with sotypical on the weird reaction from the girlfriend. Completely bizarre.
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Post by bscfan24 on Jun 1, 2006 1:27:12 GMT -5
I think that Travis saw Dawn's interest in him as an opportunity to flirt and be a guy without getting in trouble with his girlfriend. I mean, if she had asked him about it, he could just say she was a "kid friend" of a friend's sister and that he was humoring her or something by giving her gifts. I don't think that makes sense, but whatever. I really just wanted to show off the BSC siggy I just made Geni
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ktag
Junior Sitter
Posts: 694
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Post by ktag on Jun 1, 2006 3:08:49 GMT -5
This book was just WEIRD. Total word. What was wrong with that guy?? I just did not get him at all. Even if he just liked having someone think he's god, what was with the attempted makeover? Why was he so interested in all that? More importantly, why did he think it was okay for him to suggest it? It was just plain weird and creepy. Not to mention, what an ass. Big star jock? Whatever. Stop doling out fashion advice to 13 year old girls. And yes, the girlfriend was also weird. What happened to his car? Only impressive to little girls? I know! They make a big deal about it and then don't even notice their daughter moping around all week or however long. Dawn's phone call at the end...huh? "I hope you find the perfect girl for you." Yeah, he got what was coming to him alright. You tell him, Dawn! Mary Anne bugged me, too. Quit pushing her at the other guy. I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it if Dawn did that to her. Or maybe she would (doesn't seem to take much to forget Logan). And just why would Logan be describing his cousin as looking like a movie star with girls fainting at his feet? Lewis? California makes you think of movie stars and health food? Really, Lewis? REALLY?? So...the Hobarts and Perkinses want an audience of kids and adults, yet they hold the play when their parents aren't around to watch? Nice. Oh, and why was Stacey baby-sitting Claire and Margo if Mrs. Pike was home with the rest of the kids?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2006 16:19:24 GMT -5
I liked this one a lot when I was young, but when I re-read it recently it was definitely weird.
When Travis showed up to brag to young, naive Dawn about how awesome he was, all of his stories seemed very unrealistic, or at least over exagerated. Coaches were fighting over him? He was the star of every sport ever and had just moved to town?
I kept waiting for it to turn out at the end that Travis was a complete moron and sucked at sports, and liked hanging around Dawn (this younger girl who didn't know differently) to make these stories up so he felt good about himself.
That would have made more sense, but it also seemed like that's where the whole thing was going.
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