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situationnormal's review against another edition
3.0
Oh, Mary Anne, didn't you learn your lesson from the Arnold twins? And Ann M. Martin, how many teenage girls prefer sharing a room to having a room of their own? Honestly, I don't remember many of the books where Mary Anne and Dawn live under the same roof, so I'm excited to get through a couple more (to slog past the inevitable drama) and see what it's like when that's the new norm for a while. This one actually had a relatively interesting plot and subplot, but there isn't enough Claudia or Stacey (or Jessi, or Mallory). My favorite part was Kristy's family drama, honestly. Maybe I just don't like Mary Anne that much?
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars. Loved seeing Mary Anne’s dad and Dawn’s mom get married but outside of that this was not a favorite of mine. Mary Anne is one of my least favorite characters and she was super annoying in this one. Too much of her being whiny and insufferable for my tastes. Also, the side plot with the fighting twin sisters was just as aggravating. Not the best BSC book but it was fine.
librarybrooke's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
amyacowan's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
frostbitsky's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's funny how the cover and title make you think this will be all about the wedding between Dawn's mom and Mary Anne's dad. It's more about sibling rivalry and needing space and compromises.
I liked the parallel between the identical twins Marilyn and Carolyn needing their space but now Dawn and Mary Anne will be sharing space. And I liked the excitement and worries Mary Anne had about their families merging.
4 out of 5 Weddings.
I liked the parallel between the identical twins Marilyn and Carolyn needing their space but now Dawn and Mary Anne will be sharing space. And I liked the excitement and worries Mary Anne had about their families merging.
4 out of 5 Weddings.
finesilkflower's review against another edition
2.0
Mary Anne's dad and Dawn's mom announce they are getting married.
Mary Anne and Dawn immediately begin planning an elaborate ceremony, but Richard and Sharon disappoint them by wanting to keep it simple. Mary Anne’s excitement gives way to impotent rage when she is the last to find out that she and her father will be moving into the Schafer farmhouse; she doesn’t want to leave Bradford Court, and she’s worried that Sharon won’t be nice to her cat. Things end on an up note with some reassurances all around; a nice, twenty-person wedding; and Mary Anne and Dawn excited about sharing a room, doing their homework together, doubling their wardrobes, and generally endless-sleepovering. In a foreshadowing-laden subplot, Marilyn and Carolyn Arnold bicker bitterly but become better friends when they move into separate rooms.
This book doesn’t have a very tight arc on its own, and notably it’s the first and only one to end with, “To be continued...”
Lingering Questions: An overly detailed explanation of “eeny-meeny-miny-moe” follows a pointed explanation of how Haley has been translating various game suggestions to Matt, raising the question, “how do you sign ‘eeny-meeny-miny-moe’?” I feel like finger-spelling is prohibitively time-consuming. And why, a few pages later, does Haley finger-spell “monkey-breath”? There’s no question she knows the signs for both “monkey” and “breath,” and it would also be funnier that way.
Unnecessary Orderliness: Mary Anne has to ask Kristy if Logan can attend a meeting, and she’s all huffy and says well okay but it’s not “club policy.” I thought associates were welcome to attend meetings but generally chose not to? I guess they shouldn’t get first crack at the jobs if they don’t pay dues, but you’d think they could attend meetings for social purposes and not take extra jobs; it’s not as though they’ll derail club business.
Jeff Schafer Watch: Jeff flies in for the wedding, leading to some nice awkward moments where he stiffly responds “Yes, sir” to Richard‘s questions because he barely knows this guy who‘s now his almost-stepdad. All three Pike triplets come with Dawn, Sharon, Richard, and Mary Anne to meet Jeff at the airport; they are also Jeff‘s dates guests for the wedding. During the wedding, they “appear slightly mischievous” and later giggle at a stained-glass window featuring a scantily-dressed angel.
Timing: No specific temporal markers. During the school year.
Revised Timeline: Spring of ninth grade.
Mary Anne and Dawn immediately begin planning an elaborate ceremony, but Richard and Sharon disappoint them by wanting to keep it simple. Mary Anne’s excitement gives way to impotent rage when she is the last to find out that she and her father will be moving into the Schafer farmhouse; she doesn’t want to leave Bradford Court, and she’s worried that Sharon won’t be nice to her cat. Things end on an up note with some reassurances all around; a nice, twenty-person wedding; and Mary Anne and Dawn excited about sharing a room, doing their homework together, doubling their wardrobes, and generally endless-sleepovering. In a foreshadowing-laden subplot, Marilyn and Carolyn Arnold bicker bitterly but become better friends when they move into separate rooms.
This book doesn’t have a very tight arc on its own, and notably it’s the first and only one to end with, “To be continued...”
Lingering Questions: An overly detailed explanation of “eeny-meeny-miny-moe” follows a pointed explanation of how Haley has been translating various game suggestions to Matt, raising the question, “how do you sign ‘eeny-meeny-miny-moe’?” I feel like finger-spelling is prohibitively time-consuming. And why, a few pages later, does Haley finger-spell “monkey-breath”? There’s no question she knows the signs for both “monkey” and “breath,” and it would also be funnier that way.
Unnecessary Orderliness: Mary Anne has to ask Kristy if Logan can attend a meeting, and she’s all huffy and says well okay but it’s not “club policy.” I thought associates were welcome to attend meetings but generally chose not to? I guess they shouldn’t get first crack at the jobs if they don’t pay dues, but you’d think they could attend meetings for social purposes and not take extra jobs; it’s not as though they’ll derail club business.
Jeff Schafer Watch: Jeff flies in for the wedding, leading to some nice awkward moments where he stiffly responds “Yes, sir” to Richard‘s questions because he barely knows this guy who‘s now his almost-stepdad. All three Pike triplets come with Dawn, Sharon, Richard, and Mary Anne to meet Jeff at the airport; they are also Jeff‘s dates guests for the wedding. During the wedding, they “appear slightly mischievous” and later giggle at a stained-glass window featuring a scantily-dressed angel.
Timing: No specific temporal markers. During the school year.
Revised Timeline: Spring of ninth grade.
sammah's review against another edition
3.0
I rescued my copy of this from a library book sale. It's one of those ridiculously huge hardback library copies we all checked out back in 1991. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You know.
YOU KNOW.
Anyway, this was some shit right here. First of all, Mary Anne can be hella catty for no real reason. She has a few little minor hissy fits in this book, and there's so much foreshadowing of what comes in book 31 it's insane. Richard and Sharon let Dawn and Mary Anne know that they are going to get married. The girls try to plan a lavish wedding, which is shot down.
Amidst all this the pair of girls keep having little tense moments (that book 31 foreshadowing, ya'll). Mary Anne has a blow up when Dawn spills the beans that the Spiers will be moving into their house on Burnt Hill Road (what a name) and Dawn ends up crying. Sensitive Mary Anne made someone cry, ha!
The B-Plot is about the Arnold twins doing what all siblings do, and fight. Wah. It wasn't interesting.
Mary Anne's primary concern is also that Sharon doesn't like cats. I mean she doesn't have to cuddle with Tigger, just tolerate him. Everyone needs to chill out, but of course the real fun is in book 31. DUNDUNDUNNNN!
YOU KNOW.
Anyway, this was some shit right here. First of all, Mary Anne can be hella catty for no real reason. She has a few little minor hissy fits in this book, and there's so much foreshadowing of what comes in book 31 it's insane. Richard and Sharon let Dawn and Mary Anne know that they are going to get married. The girls try to plan a lavish wedding, which is shot down.
Amidst all this the pair of girls keep having little tense moments (that book 31 foreshadowing, ya'll). Mary Anne has a blow up when Dawn spills the beans that the Spiers will be moving into their house on Burnt Hill Road (what a name) and Dawn ends up crying. Sensitive Mary Anne made someone cry, ha!
The B-Plot is about the Arnold twins doing what all siblings do, and fight. Wah. It wasn't interesting.
Mary Anne's primary concern is also that Sharon doesn't like cats. I mean she doesn't have to cuddle with Tigger, just tolerate him. Everyone needs to chill out, but of course the real fun is in book 31. DUNDUNDUNNNN!