Shannon's Story

[supprazz]

I don't blame Shannon's dad for staying away from home from that clingy wife of his.

[booboobrewer]

Sept 9, 2007 16:56:59 GMT -5 aln1982 said:

^ Glad to hear we agree on the ending about stay-at-home moms. I also was really bothered by the fact that Shannon thought she couldn't have a close relationship with her mom because she was "too grown up".

I'm reading this and at the end Shannon's mother says "We used to be close. How did things change so much? When?" and Shannon replies "I think it was when I began growing up." IMO that's understandable. She also says she has her own separate interests and activities, but that this doesn't mean she still doesn't need her mother in her life or that she doesn't love her. She just couldn't articulate her thoughts as well as this earlier to her mom without getting defensive or angry...I can definitely relate to that. My mom and I have fought so much over the years and I liked that I always had this book to remind me that yeah, mothers and daughters fight, and it doesn't mean you're a terrible person. Shannon seems really self-aware for 13.

I have always found the line about the dress her mother gets her ("Maybe I could take it to Paris and lose it") funny.

[wanderingfrog]

I'd never give up a trip to Paris because my mother was chaperoning, but I wouldn't want my mother to chaperone, either. I think I mentioned once in a thread about Stacey's Mistake that my friend Shavon's mom was a chaperon on our trip from New York, and when she showed us that she'd stolen a menu from the Hard Rock Cafe, I felt just like Stacey after Kristy ordered fill-it-mig-nun.

[tiff85]

I totally agree. A trip to Paris! Who would pass that up? Was Shannon's mom really that annoying? I would have loved to go Paris, even with my mother.

[booboobrewer]

You know something I had never noticed before? Shannon bought her mom perfume for Mother's Day. How can she afford that on a baby-sitter's salary? (I assume Mrs. Kilbourne must have expensive taste.) I suppose Mr. Kilbourne could have supplied Shannon with the necessary funds, but then again, he didn't know what was going on at all and what the girls were planning.

[greer]

I bet Shannon got a pretty nice allowance too.

[booboobrewer]

That's true. She could have been saving up.

[Deleted]

I thought it was crazy she passed up a trip to Paris because her mother was chaperoning. You don't pass up a trip to Paris for anything! I thought it was sweet that Shannon learned to appreciate her mom after taking up her duties, and Shannon's mom learned to let go a bit after the trip. I though that was a refreshing change from the normal parental indifference. Didn't really like Mr. Killborne that much in this one,he seemed totally oblivious to the goings on in his family.This book made it seem like the Kilbornes are a family on the verge of divorce.

[virgoscorpio]

I like Shannon as a character, and in this book I liked her better at the beginning. Some parts annoyed me slightly (it seemed as if she had attitude with the delivery man bringing the dog food, almost as if she looked down at him) but overall I like her as a person. I think she was pretty sweet to her sisters.

A lot of the issue with her, I believe, is her lifestyle. She has been brought up living a pampered, spoiled life, but I don't see her as being ungrateful. I think that gives her a bit of attitude although I don't believe she actually considers herself better than other people.

And why is Maria's hair blonde on the cover but not in the books (or on the cover of Kristy and the Sister War?)

[anzuhana]

I liked reading about Shannon and her family life. I'm surprised that she purposely failed her French test to not go to France with her mother. If I was I was going to Paris and so was my mom, I would have gone to Paris but I would have made sure to avoid her during the trip.

[zoar3]

What I wondered about was why neither the Kilbournes nor SDS questioned Shannon about her "sudden" failure on the final? Certainly her teacher would have known Shannon was an A+ French Student, had the course material mastered, and probably/possibly didn't even need to take the final because her grades during the year were all perfect. I think the story could have been enchanced had an adult found out and Shannon was essentially forced to explain herself. Instead the reaction was like "Too bad, you failed. Maybe next year."

The subplot was not one of the better ones that's for sure. Did anyone else think it was very odd the way Jessi suddenly blurted out that the BSC should organize "a Mother's Day Make Your Own Giftathon?" Just didn't seem like a description that would have randomly been thought of.

[oldhickory]

that makes sense to me though. girls that age argue with their moms and ignore their dads. (at least i did.)

[starrynight]

^ I was the same way.

[wiggir13]

I hate to say this, but I really relate to Shannon in this book. My relationship with my mom was very similar and I probably would have done the same thing....or just yelled at my mom "thanks for ruining my life". Luckily now it's a much better relationship, but I do remember that being a bad time for me family wise.

I liked getting some insight into Shannon's family life and I found myself feeling bad for her when she was watching the other families being together and enjoying each other.

[supprazz]

I understand why she was willing to do anything to get away from her mom cause I got so annoyed with any adults around me at that age. But couldn't she still do well in school and then opt out of going on the trip?