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jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars. I love the Mystery series. Besides the main series, these books were always some of my favorite. This was fun and yet frustrating. I didn’t like the people trying to bring down the BSC because of accusations and also Claudia not trusting that Stacey didn’t take the ring felt wrong to me. It felt a bit OOC the way she handled things. But, of course everything wrapped up nicely in the end and it was a fun read. I cannot wait to get to the next one as I’ve always felt that Dawn got the best mystery books out of the whole crew.
ajeenah_txt's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jeansbookbag's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I bought this Babysitter’s Club Mystery last year for a challenge (I can’t remember which or die what prompt anymore) and never got to it, so I decided to sit down with it tonight and get it read! It was a cute and easy read, and it gave me all the nostalgia vibes.
xtinamorse's review
Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blog/stacey-and-the-missing-ring
pixieauthoress's review
4.0
I only read a couple of the mysteries as a child as I generally preferred the main series of books. So this was a newbie for me, and I did quite enjoy it even if it wasn't as good as the mysteries incorporated into the main series. Some of the later mystery books involve the BSC solving actual Nancy Drew style mysteries, but this one is about Stacey being accused of stealing a ring belonging to a babysitting client that actually got hidden by one of their pets. Fairly anti-climatic but believable. Maybe not really enough of a mystery to be taken away from the main series? But enjoyable nonetheless, 7/10.
stoneybrooklover82's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ssshira's review
2.0
this is my first time reading this book!
in this FIRST MYSTERY (!) by ghostwriter [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] (who wrote a ton of the mysteries), stacey babysits for a new family, the gardellas. the next day, she gets a call from mrs. gardella saying that her fancy schmancy diamond ring that was sitting on her dresser is missing. inconveniently, stacey had JUST been talking about wanting a diamond ring. while mrs. gardella sort of pretends that she wants to believe stacey is innocent, she also says that she's going to have to tell the bsc's other clients that stacey stole from her. ugh. then the bsc goes through a lull and everyone thinks it's because of the missing ring, when really it was a coincidence (all the regular clients were out of town or sick).
highlights:
-stacey's mom had a beehive when she was a teenager! LOL
-when charlie rushes off at the mall and says he's meeting the guys, kristy says, "I bet it's not 'the guys' he's meeting...He seems to be in a real hurry, if you know what I mean." I'm pretty sure we are supposed to infer that he is meeting a girl, but I assume this means he needs to poop.
-dawn loves the t-shirt store. the t-shirt store. that is a thing, apparently.
-there's a chapter where jessi is babysitting her siblings and hears that there's a burglar in their area. she gets super paranoid and some [b:Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls|290503|Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-sitters Club, #2)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388901660s/290503.jpg|2227698]-style antics ensue.
-there's an extremely pointless but mildly entertaining chapter where mary anne is sitting for the prezziosos, and a neighborhood kid, joey conklin, puts the garden hose in the prezziosos' house and turns it on. the thing that's funny about this is that she makes a big deal about him being jackie rodowsky-like (which is inaccurate because jackie never tries to be bad) but I don't think we ever hear about joey conklin ever again! memorable character introduction with no followup.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-stacey is a turd when she asks her mom for a diamond ring. "dad would buy it for me."
-about claudia's new shoes, stacey says, "I knew from looking through that month's magazines that those shoes were past cool." what does that MEAN? past cool?
-the bsc members think it's so funny when there are women in the shoe store claiming to wear size sixes but they end up trying on nine-and-a-halfs. this is such a dumb sexist trope, straight out of married with children. BOO.
-it's weird that stacey wants a diamond ring so badly in the first place. I don't think most 13-year-olds wish they could have diamond rings.
-claudia is a terrible friend in this book. she doesn't believe stacey didn't steal the ring and goes to her house to look through her stuff. also her spelling is worse than usual, semi-unrealistically so.
-the prezziosos go out to a dinner and run into mrs. gardella, who tells them about the missing ring. the prezziosos stick up for stacey but are still upset enough that they go home and relieve claudia from her sitting job early. and they only pay her for the time that she worked. I'm sorry, but seriously? kristy, how have you not come up with a (perfectly reasonable) policy that clients pay for the whole baby-sitting job that sitters were scheduled for?
-tara the baby is young enough to need bottle feeding, but she sits on the couch with kristy and stacey. nope. ellen, have you ever met a baby?
-I would think they wouldn't want to sit for the gardellas in the first place because it's mostly just pet-sitting. I will always think of buffy and pinky mckeever in [b:Kristy's Great Idea|233722|Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, #1)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389241314s/233722.jpg|2302767] (and not the many pets in [b:Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter|233749|Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter (The Baby-Sitters Club, #22)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387734857s/233749.jpg|3057704]) when I think about bsc members accidentally pet-sitting.
mystery solution:
the gardellas' cat (named mouse) is playful and likes to hide small objects all over the house. he had hidden the diamond ring under the carpet.
claudia outfit:
-"Claud looked terrific in black leggings, red high-top sneakers, and an oversized red sweater. She was carrying a lunch box as a purse."
snacks in claudia's room:
-smartfood popcorn (n.s.)
-twinkies (n.s.)
in this FIRST MYSTERY (!) by ghostwriter [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] (who wrote a ton of the mysteries), stacey babysits for a new family, the gardellas. the next day, she gets a call from mrs. gardella saying that her fancy schmancy diamond ring that was sitting on her dresser is missing. inconveniently, stacey had JUST been talking about wanting a diamond ring. while mrs. gardella sort of pretends that she wants to believe stacey is innocent, she also says that she's going to have to tell the bsc's other clients that stacey stole from her. ugh. then the bsc goes through a lull and everyone thinks it's because of the missing ring, when really it was a coincidence (all the regular clients were out of town or sick).
highlights:
-stacey's mom had a beehive when she was a teenager! LOL
-when charlie rushes off at the mall and says he's meeting the guys, kristy says, "I bet it's not 'the guys' he's meeting...He seems to be in a real hurry, if you know what I mean." I'm pretty sure we are supposed to infer that he is meeting a girl, but I assume this means he needs to poop.
-dawn loves the t-shirt store. the t-shirt store. that is a thing, apparently.
-there's a chapter where jessi is babysitting her siblings and hears that there's a burglar in their area. she gets super paranoid and some [b:Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls|290503|Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-sitters Club, #2)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388901660s/290503.jpg|2227698]-style antics ensue.
-there's an extremely pointless but mildly entertaining chapter where mary anne is sitting for the prezziosos, and a neighborhood kid, joey conklin, puts the garden hose in the prezziosos' house and turns it on. the thing that's funny about this is that she makes a big deal about him being jackie rodowsky-like (which is inaccurate because jackie never tries to be bad) but I don't think we ever hear about joey conklin ever again! memorable character introduction with no followup.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-stacey is a turd when she asks her mom for a diamond ring. "dad would buy it for me."
-about claudia's new shoes, stacey says, "I knew from looking through that month's magazines that those shoes were past cool." what does that MEAN? past cool?
-the bsc members think it's so funny when there are women in the shoe store claiming to wear size sixes but they end up trying on nine-and-a-halfs. this is such a dumb sexist trope, straight out of married with children. BOO.
-it's weird that stacey wants a diamond ring so badly in the first place. I don't think most 13-year-olds wish they could have diamond rings.
-claudia is a terrible friend in this book. she doesn't believe stacey didn't steal the ring and goes to her house to look through her stuff. also her spelling is worse than usual, semi-unrealistically so.
-the prezziosos go out to a dinner and run into mrs. gardella, who tells them about the missing ring. the prezziosos stick up for stacey but are still upset enough that they go home and relieve claudia from her sitting job early. and they only pay her for the time that she worked. I'm sorry, but seriously? kristy, how have you not come up with a (perfectly reasonable) policy that clients pay for the whole baby-sitting job that sitters were scheduled for?
-tara the baby is young enough to need bottle feeding, but she sits on the couch with kristy and stacey. nope. ellen, have you ever met a baby?
-I would think they wouldn't want to sit for the gardellas in the first place because it's mostly just pet-sitting. I will always think of buffy and pinky mckeever in [b:Kristy's Great Idea|233722|Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, #1)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389241314s/233722.jpg|2302767] (and not the many pets in [b:Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter|233749|Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter (The Baby-Sitters Club, #22)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387734857s/233749.jpg|3057704]) when I think about bsc members accidentally pet-sitting.
mystery solution:
the gardellas' cat (named mouse) is playful and likes to hide small objects all over the house. he had hidden the diamond ring under the carpet.
claudia outfit:
-"Claud looked terrific in black leggings, red high-top sneakers, and an oversized red sweater. She was carrying a lunch box as a purse."
snacks in claudia's room:
-smartfood popcorn (n.s.)
-twinkies (n.s.)
liannakiwi's review
3.0
(LL)
This was okay. Highly predictable, and again they make adults act like children to further the plot. Stacey sounded like a brat for not understanding why her parents wouldn’t buy her a diamond ring. Decent mystery for the target audience, but not many lessons in this one that haven’t been told before.
This was okay. Highly predictable, and again they make adults act like children to further the plot. Stacey sounded like a brat for not understanding why her parents wouldn’t buy her a diamond ring. Decent mystery for the target audience, but not many lessons in this one that haven’t been told before.
leighannsherwin's review
4.0
I would give this five stars for all the nostalgic moments alone! Pre Wee Hermann! Walkmans! Landlines! Movie rental stores! My 80's and 90's childhood come alive in one book. But there was an actual story, a mystery sort of. The first of a spin off series dealing with the mysterious happenings of Stoneybrook. A new family has arrived in town. The Gardellas. They are wealthy and a bit eccentric. They have a seven month old daughter who's remarkably well behaved and a dog Bird and a cat Mouse. The cat and dog are treated the same as maybe even better than the baby is. The get fancy food made and the cat even eats at the table with them. The job goes well until the next morning when Stacey gets a phone accusing her of stealing a diamond ring. Stacey denies this and all her fellow club members rush to her defense, but Claudia who even searches her jewelry box and causing a huge fight. Of course the accusation comes just as Stacey has started asking her parents for a birthstone ring. Her birthstone just happens to be a diamond. Of course as always things do work out in the end. It wasn't the strongest start to the series. I found it far fetched that a woman who has two pets who will probably either eat, play with or hide things immediately jumps to the conclusion that a baby sitter took her ring or that she didn't search said hiding places. Especially when that baby sitter had no reason to go into the room where the ring was, and if she did why take a ring out in the open and not dig for something that would take longer to figure out was gone? Also considering that Mrs. Gardella got rave reviews about the club that she believed she sure did rush to judgement on not just one of them but all of them in an awful hurry. Of course the missing ring and threats to expose their thievery also coincided with a sudden uptick in cases of strep throat, vacations, and relatives arriving in town so business slowed down and the fear was it was really connected to the missing ring. But otherwise it wasn't terrible. Not a strong start to the spin off but okay and Stacey reminds me of days spent with my mom, reading out loud to each other so that's always a plus in my book.
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