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Post by aln1982 on Mar 5, 2007 9:17:01 GMT -5
There is probably a thread for this one but I couldn't find it and finally gave up I just reread (got my own copy - yeah!) and didn't really care for the main plot - find Shannon's sisters, especially Tiffany, pretty obnoxious and bratty. I was really annoyed by the things they did to help and sabotage Shannon. There were parts of the book that I liked, though. One was Kristy and Claud's shopping trip and double date. It was nice to see more of a relationship between these two. Always like seeing this with the "non-best-friend" pairs like Kristy and Dawn, Stacey and MA, and MA and Claud, and Stacey and Dawn. Claudia and Kristy are a funny pair, anyway, because they are such opposites when it comes to fashion and boys. The book did a good job with that, I thought. I was pretty indifferent to the subplot about the little kids' dance but liked how the Kilbournes all came and Mr. and Mrs. Kilbourne danced together. Thought that was sweet. I liked it at the planning party for the Middle School planning meeting when Kristy pulls Alan onto the floor to dance (love those two together!) and then at the Middle School dance when Kristy and Abby start dancing without partners to break the ice. Shows kids that you can have fun without dates, which I think is a good message. So many can relate to the stresses that kids were feeling with that in this book. In all, those parts redeemed the book for me and made it just okay instead of one of my least favorites.
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Mar 5, 2007 21:01:35 GMT -5
I thought it was completely bizarre and un-Kristy-like when Kristy pulled Alan onto the floor to dance. I know she just wanted to take charge and get the dance going, but with Alan Gray? After the very early books where she actually goes to dances with him, she's usually like, "Ugh, Alan Gray" about him from that point on.
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Post by booboobrewer on Mar 5, 2007 21:09:49 GMT -5
Claudia and Kristy's shopping trip was so funny. I like how Kristy flips out when she sees that a T shirt at a boutique costs like seventy dollars, and when she gets home changes into one that costs eight dollars. Claudia's all about the shoes and makeup and Kristy's just counting the minutes until she can get a burrito from the food court!
This is not a very interesting read, overall, but still I always remember when Tiffany and Maria make cookies (Snickerdoodles - mmm), and when Greer Carson (I think it was her) uses the word "vomitacious" to describe the berry punch.
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Post by aln1982 on Mar 6, 2007 0:43:15 GMT -5
I love Kristy's attitude while shopping because it is soooo like me! I'll have to remember Greer's word - that's a classic. As for Kristy and Alan, she likes him, I'm convinced of it. She just says he's annoying to hide this from everyone and herself. That's my theory (expressed more in the Alan thread)
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alula
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 406
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Post by alula on Mar 6, 2007 16:15:31 GMT -5
I really like the double date scene. . .Mark is such a tool.
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 29, 2007 23:19:38 GMT -5
^ Just reread a while ago and like the double date, scene too. Definite foreshadowing about Mark/Claudia break up and I liked how Kristy thought Mark was a jerk to Claudia. Wonder if Claudia knew it, too, but just didn't want to admit it. For some reason, all the Kilbournes bother me in this book. I'm not a big fan of Shannon's or Tiffany's, anyway, and their pranks and Shannon's responses (though I would have been extremely angry, too) annoyed me. The spagetti one was the worst. It just seemed so foolish, even though I realize Tiffany and Maria are just little kids. I think the homework thing where they changed all Shannon's answers (which was actually an accident) would have made me the most furious, though. I did like the ending of this one, especially the description of the dance. I also love how Kristy started dancing with Alan to get everyone to stop fighting at the organization meeting. ;D
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Post by greer on Sept 30, 2007 1:07:23 GMT -5
agree with those who love the double date. kristy and claudia are funny together.
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alula
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 406
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Post by alula on Sept 30, 2007 21:50:27 GMT -5
I actually thought Shannon handled the pranks pretty maturely, for the most part--she got mad about the homework and meddling in her planner, and she screamed when she touched the spaghetti (which was probably a reflex) and she told them--nicely, according to Kristy--to stop "helping" after they wrecked her room. Oh, and she asked them to stop when they were doing that werid thing with her name at dinner. Most of the others she tried to ignore. Other than immediately and psychically understanding that her sisters were being rude and destructive brats because they wanted attention, I'm not sure what she could have done instead.
But then, I do empathize with Shannon a lot, and I think she's way emotionally overburdened in that household as it is.
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 30, 2007 23:34:31 GMT -5
^ You're right about Shannon. I didn't write my post very clearly when I said that she was immature or indicated that she handled the pranks badly. I probably would have strangled the girls. ;D Overall, her whole attitude just bothered me a bit. I guess I can't sympathize with people who are swamped with activities because I've always made choices and picked the ones that were most important to me.
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nothingtolose18
Sitting For The Johanssens
Mal / Sam / Price / Ben
Posts: 1,059
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Post by nothingtolose18 on Mar 30, 2008 11:16:05 GMT -5
I feel kind of bad for all the Kilbournes in this book (I just finished reading it for the first time). And I agree that Shannon handled it much better than I would have if my little sister had done that to me! What I found weird, though, was that Tiffany was eleven years old, same age as Jessi and Mallory, and she had to have a sitter, while the aforementioned two were doing sitting themselves. At one point, Kristy says she found herself looking at two 'sad little girls' or something along those lines, and that particular quote really bothered me, because she's friends with two people who are Tiffany's age! Also, Tiffany falls for one of the Pike triplets, whereas Jessi would be all 'they are little kids whom I babysit, I would never have a crush on one of them, ew, ick!' You know what I mean, though? That's just what bugged me in this book. I did also like how Mr. and Mrs. Kilbourne showed up and they were all dancing and having a good time, even if it seemed a tad unrealistic. I mean, I know the girls had just sent them the letter saying how lonely they felt, but it seems weird that all of a sudden, they could get these times off. But I still thought it was sweet
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2008 19:41:58 GMT -5
I think in some books she is ten and others 11
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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 28, 2009 0:49:46 GMT -5
Favorite line: "Yes your Kristiness." (Alan Gray)
I just read this one for the first time and thought the whole double date thing, although enjoyable, was totally unnecessary. It didn't go with the flow of the narrative. It just seemed to be thrown in there. And why was Steve wearing clothing from different sports teams all at the same time? I don't know; it would have seemed weird to me. I personally think that Steve lost any chances with Kristy right off of the bat because he was wearing a Yankees thing. And doesn't Kristy love the Mets?
As for the other things, I pretty much agree with what you guys have said. And why did the other Pike kids not join in the kid's dance (Vanessa & Margo)?
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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 28, 2009 13:03:47 GMT -5
Definite foreshadowing about Mark/Claudia break up and I liked how Kristy thought Mark was a jerk to Claudia. Wonder if Claudia knew it, too, but just didn't want to admit it. She probably just didn't want to see it. It's not that uncommon for a person to date someone they think is amazing and not to want to let that image go, even when there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. I've been there and done that.
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Post by sparklymouse on Oct 19, 2009 17:31:33 GMT -5
I always think it's a little weird when the kids from different elementary schools hang out together so naturally. Like the Pike triplets would really go over to the Kilbournes for any reason. I did think it was funny that Maria and Tiffany were fighting over "Jordan" only to realize that he wasn't really the one either girl liked.
I don't have a problem with Tiffany being baby-sat for because in this one she obviously isn't mature enough to watch herself. Kids shouldn't automatically be sitter-free at a certain age.
Always love Kristy and Claudia together. (I can't remember the last book I read where Kristy and Mary Anne had quality interaction. Their friendship was so overrated, imo.)
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Post by otempora541 on Oct 19, 2009 18:59:06 GMT -5
I like this book. I think Shannon doesn't get enough of the limelight (espically in the later part of the series) and any excuse to see her I snatch up. I wonder if they hadn't cut off the series at 131 we'd've seen more Tiffany/Maria/Shannon dynamics.
Kristy grabbed Alan because she figured that he'd do anything for a laugh and he wouldn't get freaked out.
I liked seeing the BSC members interact with peers of their own age- espically Kelseyers. I wish that we'd've seen more of them.
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