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A review by finesilkflower
Dawn and the Impossible Three by Ann M. Martin
4.0
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.