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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Oh my goodness! These books were my favourite books for such a long time! I would read them everywhere and anywhere I went!
Before I get to my actual review, a quick disclaimer: Ever since I learned that Netflix was reimagining one of my favorite childhood book series, I had decided that I would be embarking on a re-read of this series, reliving a series of books that helped to shape me into a voracious reader. I am so excited to embark on this travel back in time. I don't expect to be mentally stimulated -- I mean, I'm not exactly a pre-teen middle-schooler these days -- but I make no apology for choosing to enjoy this series from the perspective of adulthood. Don't expect me to have any sort of psychoanalyst or feminist sermonizing on the appropriateness of the situations or the effects on a young girl reading these books; there's plenty of that to go around already. I'm here for the nostalgia and the meander down memory lane.
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I remember when I first encountered Dawn in this series. It was so odd for me because I had literally never met someone else with my name, fictional or otherwise. I couldn't decide if it was weird or cool, but I would get opportunity to navigate it since with book five, she was officially a member of the club and would have a voice as one of the narrators of the series.
What I liked about Dawn and the Impossible Three:
The dynamic of Kristy having to let someone else into Mary Anne's close circle - This is handled in a way that felt extremely relatable to me, especially when your circle of friends is pretty small and you don't yet have the maturity to understand that there's room for someone new without jettisoning someone to make that room. Mary Anne is, in fact, capable of having room for both her old best friend and her new one, but I like that it falls more on Dawn to recognize Kristy's uncertainty, include her, and forge a peace.
The jolt of understanding larger scale implications - When the BSC was formed, Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia can all see one another's houses from their own. Stacey and Dawn are just a short distance away. Now, with her mom's impending marriage, Kristy isn't going to be nearby anymore (which obviously doesn't help her situation in my previous point) and what does this logistically mean for a middle-schooler's continued participation, as often as the BSC meets? I like that they are given real-world issues to figure out. I recall reading this as a child who was utterly dependent on the adults in my life if I wanted to go somewhere beyond the confines of my bubble. This is a big deal and it was executed with believable anxiety on the part of the girls.
Continuing to see the effects this series had on who I am as an adult - Still, every time I see a turn of phrase that I use to this day, directly or in some variation, it cracks me up. You don't think that what you read has profound effect on you...until you return to something from your formative years and see that it really did shape some of your personality. (Let that sink in for a minute!)
What I didn't care for:
The Buddy situation - This really stressed me out when I read it as a kid. I mean, a kid goes missing while you're sitting?? I can't even. As an adult, though, I was a little taken aback that Dawn wasn't more freaked out. Because I would have lost it, if I had been Dawn. (That's a really strange sentence for me to say, by the way. Ha.)
Felt bereft of humor - One of my favorite aspects of the other books I've re-read so far is that there is almost always humor injected. While there was that one scene at Watson's house during "Let's All Come In" (dang, Karen has an impressive imagination!) that I found mildly amusing, mostly it fell flat on that front. I don't know if Dawn's mom's scatterbrained behavior was supposed to fill this void, but it didn't for me.
What left me conflicted:
Dawn - It turns out that Dawn is pretty much my least favorite character. She's judgy and a bit of a snob, sometimes. Headstrong, but in a different way from Kristy; Kristy is more driven by specific goals, while Dawn just thinks her way is the best mostly across the board. Unlike Claudia and Stacey, with whom I just had nothing in common but I thought they were still likable, I really wanted to at least like Dawn (I mean, same name!!), but most of the time, she just rubbed me the wrong way. I did find it interesting that quiet Mary Anne was drawn toward best friends that were far more assertive; yep, Mary Anne is my girl! (If you met most of the important people in my life, you'd get the impact of this statement.) I also find it amusing that Dawn frequently has strong feelings about the weather. Now that is something with which I can identify! Although she whines when it's not warm enough and I whine when it's too warm (our situations were reversed: I grew up in Connecticut and moved to Florida).
Mrs Barrett - Mrs Barrett really stressed me out as well. Good gracious, lady, get it together at least a little bit! But I also could not fathom, as a twelve-year-old, having the ability to confront her on her shortcomings. I can barely do that as an adult, without some consternation. It had to be done, but I almost felt like it would have been more appropriate coming from Dawn's mom! Then again, given Mrs Schafer's own flakiness, maybe I shouldn't be shocked that Dawn is able to identify the issues and deal with them self-sufficiently.
Worth noting:
I don't know what the Bizzer Sign is supposed to accomplish or why it makes everyone on the receiving end cry, but it effectively makes my left eye twitch.
Once again, my memories of this book held true -- which isn't all that unexpected for me, as I probably read these early books in the series at least a dozen times as a child whilst impatiently waiting for newer installments to be released, and I recall them pretty clearly, especially how I felt while reading reading them. Three-star rating stands; Dawn still aggravates me, at least at this point. (Did this shift over time? We'll see as I further jog my memory down BSC lane...)
**********
I remember when I first encountered Dawn in this series. It was so odd for me because I had literally never met someone else with my name, fictional or otherwise. I couldn't decide if it was weird or cool, but I would get opportunity to navigate it since with book five, she was officially a member of the club and would have a voice as one of the narrators of the series.
What I liked about Dawn and the Impossible Three:
The dynamic of Kristy having to let someone else into Mary Anne's close circle - This is handled in a way that felt extremely relatable to me, especially when your circle of friends is pretty small and you don't yet have the maturity to understand that there's room for someone new without jettisoning someone to make that room. Mary Anne is, in fact, capable of having room for both her old best friend and her new one, but I like that it falls more on Dawn to recognize Kristy's uncertainty, include her, and forge a peace.
The jolt of understanding larger scale implications - When the BSC was formed, Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia can all see one another's houses from their own. Stacey and Dawn are just a short distance away. Now, with her mom's impending marriage, Kristy isn't going to be nearby anymore (which obviously doesn't help her situation in my previous point) and what does this logistically mean for a middle-schooler's continued participation, as often as the BSC meets? I like that they are given real-world issues to figure out. I recall reading this as a child who was utterly dependent on the adults in my life if I wanted to go somewhere beyond the confines of my bubble. This is a big deal and it was executed with believable anxiety on the part of the girls.
Continuing to see the effects this series had on who I am as an adult - Still, every time I see a turn of phrase that I use to this day, directly or in some variation, it cracks me up. You don't think that what you read has profound effect on you...until you return to something from your formative years and see that it really did shape some of your personality. (Let that sink in for a minute!)
What I didn't care for:
The Buddy situation - This really stressed me out when I read it as a kid. I mean, a kid goes missing while you're sitting?? I can't even. As an adult, though, I was a little taken aback that Dawn wasn't more freaked out. Because I would have lost it, if I had been Dawn. (That's a really strange sentence for me to say, by the way. Ha.)
Felt bereft of humor - One of my favorite aspects of the other books I've re-read so far is that there is almost always humor injected. While there was that one scene at Watson's house during "Let's All Come In" (dang, Karen has an impressive imagination!) that I found mildly amusing, mostly it fell flat on that front. I don't know if Dawn's mom's scatterbrained behavior was supposed to fill this void, but it didn't for me.
What left me conflicted:
Dawn - It turns out that Dawn is pretty much my least favorite character. She's judgy and a bit of a snob, sometimes. Headstrong, but in a different way from Kristy; Kristy is more driven by specific goals, while Dawn just thinks her way is the best mostly across the board. Unlike Claudia and Stacey, with whom I just had nothing in common but I thought they were still likable, I really wanted to at least like Dawn (I mean, same name!!), but most of the time, she just rubbed me the wrong way. I did find it interesting that quiet Mary Anne was drawn toward best friends that were far more assertive; yep, Mary Anne is my girl! (If you met most of the important people in my life, you'd get the impact of this statement.) I also find it amusing that Dawn frequently has strong feelings about the weather. Now that is something with which I can identify! Although she whines when it's not warm enough and I whine when it's too warm (our situations were reversed: I grew up in Connecticut and moved to Florida).
Mrs Barrett - Mrs Barrett really stressed me out as well. Good gracious, lady, get it together at least a little bit! But I also could not fathom, as a twelve-year-old, having the ability to confront her on her shortcomings. I can barely do that as an adult, without some consternation. It had to be done, but I almost felt like it would have been more appropriate coming from Dawn's mom! Then again, given Mrs Schafer's own flakiness, maybe I shouldn't be shocked that Dawn is able to identify the issues and deal with them self-sufficiently.
Worth noting:
I don't know what the Bizzer Sign is supposed to accomplish or why it makes everyone on the receiving end cry, but it effectively makes my left eye twitch.
Once again, my memories of this book held true -- which isn't all that unexpected for me, as I probably read these early books in the series at least a dozen times as a child whilst impatiently waiting for newer installments to be released, and I recall them pretty clearly, especially how I felt while reading reading them. Three-star rating stands; Dawn still aggravates me, at least at this point. (Did this shift over time? We'll see as I further jog my memory down BSC lane...)
Before last week the only Baby Sitters club book I had read was #23 Dawn on the Coast but I've recently collected them and decided to read the books I've always wanted to read as a teen. This one was not as enjoyable as the last five books. I found Dawn's constant whining about Connecticut weather off putting. Possibly because I know she leaves in #88 Farewell, Dawn so I don't want to get attached to her character.
Time-traveled back to my childhood for the fifth time! (Plus, this book means the series is halfway to including Logan Bruno!)
Yes, I know, some of you are wondering why I'm into these books. A big part of it was having a crush on Mary Anne during my youth. (What? Yeah, I know. Shut up.)
The books are just as fun to read now as they were twenty-five years ago (crap, I'm old). It's a time before mobile phones and everyone having the Internet. I guess they could have rewritten/updated/ modernized the series, but I'm kind of glad they didn't. This is part of my history, of the way life was back then.
Plus, lots of my friends were girls, and they loved reading these, so I got sucked in. Sometimes it's okay to be a sheep, like when it means reading books like these.
Yes, I know, some of you are wondering why I'm into these books. A big part of it was having a crush on Mary Anne during my youth. (What? Yeah, I know. Shut up.)
The books are just as fun to read now as they were twenty-five years ago (crap, I'm old). It's a time before mobile phones and everyone having the Internet. I guess they could have rewritten/updated/ modernized the series, but I'm kind of glad they didn't. This is part of my history, of the way life was back then.
Plus, lots of my friends were girls, and they loved reading these, so I got sucked in. Sometimes it's okay to be a sheep, like when it means reading books like these.
Quick and easy read. I’m not really sure why I️ like these books so much and I️ feel weird for reading them but I️ try to be open with many different books, even if they’re a little young for me and from the 80’s. Really enjoy these books for some weird reason.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dawn makes up for the many failures of a 90s divorced mom.
Dawn slips into a motherly (or possibly fatherly) role to a recently divorced family, and finds it difficult to know when or how to keep distance. Meanwhile, she deals with the silent wrath of Kristy, who’s jealous that she "stole" Mary Anne.
The main storyline here is one of my favorite babysitting-oriented ones of the series; despite the title, neither the kids nor the mother is villainized, and it’s really not clear when Dawn starts taking on too much or what she should do. Dawn is both flattered and stressed by the Barretts’ fondness and dependence on her, like when Suzi calls her at home just to talk, or Mrs. Barrett calls Dawn "the glue that holds us together." It’s an emotionally complex problem. It’s a little too simply dealt with (with a Conversation with Mrs. Barrett after which she just improves), but it’s decent.
If you want to talk about "too easily dealt with," though, marvel at the subplot where it seems like a tempest is brewing in the Dawn-Kristy-Mary Anne love triangle. Then, in chapter 7, Dawn invites Kristy over after school and bonds with her , and that fixes everything, and their relationship is just fine forever. Done!
Dawn is at her most sympathetic ever in this volume; she comes across as funny, friendly, earnest, easygoing, hardworking, and kind, and shows promise for becoming one of the best baby-sitters. She will not be.
Sign of the Times: I wasn’t sentient enough in the 80s to be totally immersed in its culture, so I didn’t notice this until it was pointed out in The Sharing Soda review, but the ideas of divorce and single motherhood here are deeply 80s. The book repeatedly describes Mrs. Barrett as beautiful and well-put-together while her house and children are a mess. Single working women, the book seems to say, cannot have it all: either your home life is chaotic while you put on a serene face to the world (Mrs. Barrett), or your home life is fine but you frequently leave the house with mismatched socks and only one earring (Mrs. Schafer).
Kindle Edition Text Changes: The words "classic edition" mean nothing, apparently. Although the editing was light here, I did notice a few updates from the original text. First, the word "thongs" is changed to "flip-flops," admittedly much better for comprehension. Also, a line has been added in a section where Dawn is unable to reach Mrs. Barrett by phone, saying, "Her phone must be off." In updated Stoneybrook, everyone's phone is always off.
Dawn slips into a motherly (or possibly fatherly) role to a recently divorced family, and finds it difficult to know when or how to keep distance. Meanwhile, she deals with the silent wrath of Kristy, who’s jealous that she "stole" Mary Anne.
The main storyline here is one of my favorite babysitting-oriented ones of the series; despite the title, neither the kids nor the mother is villainized, and it’s really not clear when Dawn starts taking on too much or what she should do. Dawn is both flattered and stressed by the Barretts’ fondness and dependence on her, like when Suzi calls her at home just to talk, or Mrs. Barrett calls Dawn "the glue that holds us together." It’s an emotionally complex problem. It’s a little too simply dealt with (with a Conversation with Mrs. Barrett after which she just improves), but it’s decent.
If you want to talk about "too easily dealt with," though, marvel at the subplot where it seems like a tempest is brewing in the Dawn-Kristy-Mary Anne love triangle. Then, in chapter 7, Dawn invites Kristy over after school and bonds with her , and that fixes everything, and their relationship is just fine forever. Done!
Dawn is at her most sympathetic ever in this volume; she comes across as funny, friendly, earnest, easygoing, hardworking, and kind, and shows promise for becoming one of the best baby-sitters. She will not be.
Sign of the Times: I wasn’t sentient enough in the 80s to be totally immersed in its culture, so I didn’t notice this until it was pointed out in The Sharing Soda review, but the ideas of divorce and single motherhood here are deeply 80s. The book repeatedly describes Mrs. Barrett as beautiful and well-put-together while her house and children are a mess. Single working women, the book seems to say, cannot have it all: either your home life is chaotic while you put on a serene face to the world (Mrs. Barrett), or your home life is fine but you frequently leave the house with mismatched socks and only one earring (Mrs. Schafer).
Kindle Edition Text Changes: The words "classic edition" mean nothing, apparently. Although the editing was light here, I did notice a few updates from the original text. First, the word "thongs" is changed to "flip-flops," admittedly much better for comprehension. Also, a line has been added in a section where Dawn is unable to reach Mrs. Barrett by phone, saying, "Her phone must be off." In updated Stoneybrook, everyone's phone is always off.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes