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A review by ssshira
Kristy and the Kidnapper by Ann M. Martin
3.0
this is my first time reading this book.
in this book by ghostwriter [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], kristy and abby go to dc for a debate convention along with a few other sms students, including melissa banks (see [b:Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby|48941|Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby (The Baby-Sitters Club, #97)|Ann M. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387740812l/48941._SX50_.jpg|38193]). kristy recognizes one of the dc-based competitors as terry hoyt (see [b:Stacey and the Mystery Money|371053|Stacey and the Mystery Money (Baby-Sitters Club Mystery, #10)|Ann M. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389413513l/371053._SX50_.jpg|361020]), but his name is now david hawthorne and he’s super avoidant when kristy asks him questions. david ends up on kristy’s debate team, and their assignment is to debate that cats are better pets than dogs. they all like dogs better, so they bemoan their bad luck, but set to work and have great chemistry as a debate team. then one day, david almost gets kidnapped by a man who has been following them, and david explains that his dad has put a lot of people behind bars in his former life as a secret service guy, and the man who tried to kidnap him is probably trying to get revenge. like max cady but it’s a kids’ book so without the whole being a rapist thing. kristy and david are able to identify the attempted kidnapper based on photos that david’s dad shows them, and they have secret service agents tailing them for the rest of the debate convention. that plotline is resolved when the attempted kidnapper comes to the final debate competition and david’s dad and a secret service guy catch him. meanwhile, kristy and abby have been constantly debating cats vs. dogs and have become butthurt about it. when they are forced to actually debate one another in the final, they make it really personal, and the judges call them out for being unprofessional about it, but kristy’s team wins (mostly because kai was the best debater). the most charming plotline involves melissa, who kristy and abby think of as a bad debater because she’s wishy washy in her personal conversations. she runs into a boy she dated from camp named lucas, and they spend the whole trip being lovey-dovey. when it turns out melissa will have to debate lucas, kristy and abby are convinced that she will throw the competition to help lucas win. but of course she doesn’t, she wins because she is an amazing debater, and kristy and abby are both just jerks who think being strong-willed and argumentative automatically makes you a good debater.
highlights:
-classic kristy quote: "I am president of the BSC, since the club was my idea. not that it's important. just thought I'd mention it."
-kristy notes that boys in her debate class crack up at the word rebuttal. me too, boys. it’s a funny word.
-kristy has a dream she's debating bart simpson who keeps telling her to not have a cow, man
-kristy describes an english guy as having "very good diction. (that's when you pronounce all your words carefully and correctly.)" lol thanks for the lesson in what diction means kristy
-I love when melissa owns lucas in the debate after kristy and abby had thought she was going to throw the debate.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-abby says something about going "stark, raving mad." does this mean naked AND raving mad?
-kristy and abby are really mean girl-ish to melissa. they keep nitpicking everything she says and question whether she’s even a good debater.
-kristy quote: "of course, everyone knows dogs make better pets." SURE THEY DO KRISTY. as an unequivocal cat person, I know that there’s no reason to firmly believe that either makes a better pet, because it varies from person to person and animal to animal. some dogs are better pets than some cats, and vice versa.
- there’s a reference to the dj playing "dorky music from the eighties" but first off, these books started in the 80s, and secondly, I feel like 80s music was really cool around 2000
-at one point the agents can't find david and kristy thinks he's been kidnapped but really he's just irresponsibly hanging out avoiding secret service. gross.
-kristy and abby being weirdly defensive in the debate because they make it personal. I mean, I buy this plotline for them, but it’s just uncomfortable to read.
list of "slang" or "rude" words used as examples for alternate scrabble:
-butt
-snot
-fart
-nerd
no outfits. no snacks in claudia’s room.
in this book by ghostwriter [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], kristy and abby go to dc for a debate convention along with a few other sms students, including melissa banks (see [b:Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby|48941|Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby (The Baby-Sitters Club, #97)|Ann M. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387740812l/48941._SX50_.jpg|38193]). kristy recognizes one of the dc-based competitors as terry hoyt (see [b:Stacey and the Mystery Money|371053|Stacey and the Mystery Money (Baby-Sitters Club Mystery, #10)|Ann M. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389413513l/371053._SX50_.jpg|361020]), but his name is now david hawthorne and he’s super avoidant when kristy asks him questions. david ends up on kristy’s debate team, and their assignment is to debate that cats are better pets than dogs. they all like dogs better, so they bemoan their bad luck, but set to work and have great chemistry as a debate team. then one day, david almost gets kidnapped by a man who has been following them, and david explains that his dad has put a lot of people behind bars in his former life as a secret service guy, and the man who tried to kidnap him is probably trying to get revenge. like max cady but it’s a kids’ book so without the whole being a rapist thing. kristy and david are able to identify the attempted kidnapper based on photos that david’s dad shows them, and they have secret service agents tailing them for the rest of the debate convention. that plotline is resolved when the attempted kidnapper comes to the final debate competition and david’s dad and a secret service guy catch him. meanwhile, kristy and abby have been constantly debating cats vs. dogs and have become butthurt about it. when they are forced to actually debate one another in the final, they make it really personal, and the judges call them out for being unprofessional about it, but kristy’s team wins (mostly because kai was the best debater). the most charming plotline involves melissa, who kristy and abby think of as a bad debater because she’s wishy washy in her personal conversations. she runs into a boy she dated from camp named lucas, and they spend the whole trip being lovey-dovey. when it turns out melissa will have to debate lucas, kristy and abby are convinced that she will throw the competition to help lucas win. but of course she doesn’t, she wins because she is an amazing debater, and kristy and abby are both just jerks who think being strong-willed and argumentative automatically makes you a good debater.
highlights:
-classic kristy quote: "I am president of the BSC, since the club was my idea. not that it's important. just thought I'd mention it."
-kristy notes that boys in her debate class crack up at the word rebuttal. me too, boys. it’s a funny word.
-kristy has a dream she's debating bart simpson who keeps telling her to not have a cow, man
-kristy describes an english guy as having "very good diction. (that's when you pronounce all your words carefully and correctly.)" lol thanks for the lesson in what diction means kristy
-I love when melissa owns lucas in the debate after kristy and abby had thought she was going to throw the debate.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-abby says something about going "stark, raving mad." does this mean naked AND raving mad?
-kristy and abby are really mean girl-ish to melissa. they keep nitpicking everything she says and question whether she’s even a good debater.
-kristy quote: "of course, everyone knows dogs make better pets." SURE THEY DO KRISTY. as an unequivocal cat person, I know that there’s no reason to firmly believe that either makes a better pet, because it varies from person to person and animal to animal. some dogs are better pets than some cats, and vice versa.
- there’s a reference to the dj playing "dorky music from the eighties" but first off, these books started in the 80s, and secondly, I feel like 80s music was really cool around 2000
-at one point the agents can't find david and kristy thinks he's been kidnapped but really he's just irresponsibly hanging out avoiding secret service. gross.
-kristy and abby being weirdly defensive in the debate because they make it personal. I mean, I buy this plotline for them, but it’s just uncomfortable to read.
list of "slang" or "rude" words used as examples for alternate scrabble:
-butt
-snot
-fart
-nerd
no outfits. no snacks in claudia’s room.