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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
reading this had a definite "nicole, this is your life" feel to it. i think maya described it best by picking up on the correlations between this book and the sisterhood of the traveling pants - that sense of people being friends despite their differences during that hump between childhood and adulthood. but i was more focused on the differences between kids who grew up with the original series and kids nowadays. what parent in their right mind would leave a 12 year old in charge of the pike family?
It's so awesome that Ann M. Martin decided to release this prequel, even if it is in a way both a money-spinning idea and a way to get interest into the re-released books. I was admittedly a bit pumped when I heard this was going to be released. I gobbled down the BSC series when I was young.
This prequel isn't bad. It isn't the best book, but it's not bad. I found Kristy's story perhaps the saddest, then Stacey's, Mary Anne's, and finally Claudia's being the least. Really, I just found Claudia to be a bit selfish the entire time. Dude, dating your sister's fancy? Not on. And hell, he's entering high school while you're only twelve. Did you think he was going to keep you hanging along? Not really.
I wouldn't recommend starting with this book, though. There's a lot of pre-assumed knowledge, even if that's not what Martin intended. Furthermore, I can't help but feel that this is more of a gift to Martin's now-adult readers.
If you love the BSC, then you will probably enjoy this.
This prequel isn't bad. It isn't the best book, but it's not bad. I found Kristy's story perhaps the saddest, then Stacey's, Mary Anne's, and finally Claudia's being the least. Really, I just found Claudia to be a bit selfish the entire time. Dude, dating your sister's fancy? Not on. And hell, he's entering high school while you're only twelve. Did you think he was going to keep you hanging along? Not really.
I wouldn't recommend starting with this book, though. There's a lot of pre-assumed knowledge, even if that's not what Martin intended. Furthermore, I can't help but feel that this is more of a gift to Martin's now-adult readers.
If you love the BSC, then you will probably enjoy this.
Nostalgic
This book brings back so many memories of reading the entire series when I was in middle school! Super fast cute book
This book brings back so many memories of reading the entire series when I was in middle school! Super fast cute book
It was nice to take a trip down memory lane with the fab four. I loved the series when I was growing up. I hope this book re-news interest in the books for young girls. :)
Fun for nostalgia purposes, but man, I forgot how cheesy it could be. Also, team Stacey and Claudia forever. Kristy and Mary Anne were totally cringe in this book. (And I think Kristy’s dad being a deadbeat was also a main storyline in the movie, so that rehash was kinda boring.)
lighthearted
fast-paced
Fantastic literary find? No. Enjoyable quick read I could jump right into? Absolutely. I just read some of the other reviews and I agree with a lot of them. It was fun to tak some time and go back to the good old BSC days - especially because I remember that Kristy's Great Idea was the first chapter book I ever read. I was totally thrown off because the book mentions something about an American Girl doll. I know they had to "modernize" the books, but I felt like that just didn't belong. Especially since I suspect there will be MANY of the old readers coming back for this one. I just may decide I need to read some other BSC books for good measure. I stopped reading them in middle school. It might be nice to read a few more and see how he girls grew up a little now that I've read how it all began.
I was a diehard BSC fan as a kid, and the books impacted me in subtle ways that I probably don't realize even now (not including the traces of Stacey McGill in my handwriting). So I was excited to hear about the first new BSC book in many years. It follows the "core four" in the summer before they start the BSC. I've heard that some of the plot is directly contradictory to the Portrait Books, and it also reminded me a little of the liberties-taking BSC movie (not sure if AMM had a hand in the movie). But who cares? Fun read if you're already a fan.
This review appears on my blog: https://confessionsofabookwormweb.wordpress.com/2020/10/14/book-review-the-summer-before-the-baby-sitters-club-0-by-ann-m-martin/
The Summer Before is set the summer befre Kristy has her idea for the Baby-sitters Club. We follow each of the characters on their journey throughout the summer.
For Kristy, she is hoping that her estranged father will come back and is disappointed when he doesn't. She is also opposed to the fact that her mom is seeing someone else. Mary Anne finally gets her dad's permission to start babysitting, which she is ecstatic about. Claudia feels ike she is growing apart from Kristy and Mary Anne, and she experiences love for the first time. And we also drop in on Stacey, who is getting ready to move from New York City to Stoneybrook, Connecticut. She is also adjussting to being diagnosed with diabetes and being ostracized by her former best friend.
I am going to be honest...while I do like the Baby-Sitters Club series, I personally feel like this book was a let down. It just seemed unnecessary, and there were a few incosistencies that we are given about these characters compared to what we are told in the first four books of the actual series.
Overall, it's okay, but it isn't necessary to read. I personally would tghink that it is best to skip this one and just jump into the series. 3/5 Stars.
The Summer Before is set the summer befre Kristy has her idea for the Baby-sitters Club. We follow each of the characters on their journey throughout the summer.
For Kristy, she is hoping that her estranged father will come back and is disappointed when he doesn't. She is also opposed to the fact that her mom is seeing someone else. Mary Anne finally gets her dad's permission to start babysitting, which she is ecstatic about. Claudia feels ike she is growing apart from Kristy and Mary Anne, and she experiences love for the first time. And we also drop in on Stacey, who is getting ready to move from New York City to Stoneybrook, Connecticut. She is also adjussting to being diagnosed with diabetes and being ostracized by her former best friend.
I am going to be honest...while I do like the Baby-Sitters Club series, I personally feel like this book was a let down. It just seemed unnecessary, and there were a few incosistencies that we are given about these characters compared to what we are told in the first four books of the actual series.
Overall, it's okay, but it isn't necessary to read. I personally would tghink that it is best to skip this one and just jump into the series. 3/5 Stars.
cute, quick, nostalgia read for those who grew up reading the series.