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The Baby-Sitters Club #30
Mary Anne and the Great Romance
Mary Anne is delighted when her father and Dawn's mother finally tie the knot in a romantic wedding that makes the Baby-sitter Club best friends into sisters. Reprint.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
109 people are currently reading
983 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,112 books3,054 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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August 11, 2010
richard asks mary anne if she wants to invite dawn over for dinner one night. mary anne agrees. when dawn arrives, richard asks the girls to help him plan a surprise birthday dinner at chez maurice for dawn's mother. they arrange for flowers, balloons, a special cake (i thought the schafers didn't eat sugar?), etc. mary anne & dawn are excited are the special evening, but mary anne is a little confused about richard's motives. sharon is only turning 43. mary anne doesn't know why he doesn't wait for a more momentous birthday.
sharon is happy & surprised by the dinner. there is a little bit of foreshadowing when she fusses a little extra over the replica stoneybrok high school class ring mary anne gave her as a gift--more than she fussed over dawn's day planner gift. (note to anyone thinking that a day planner might be a good gift for that disorganized slob in their own life: truly disorganized people won't actually use the planner, so don't waste your money.)
but the big surprise happens when the waiter brings out the cake. a diamond engagement ring is slipped over one of the candles. this is how dawn & mary anne find out that their parents have decided to get married. sharon is a little frustrated, because she'd said, "no rings," & she didn't get to choose when to tell dawn about the impending nuptials, but she gets over it.
dawn & mary anne are totally psyched & start planning a lavish wedding, with themselves as bridesmaids. sharon & richard clarify that they were just planning on a quickie small ceremony at city hall. everyone agrees to compromise on a small ceremony that foregoes some of the more traditional elements (wedding dress, wedding party, etc).
mary anne & dawn manage to make it through the whole weekend without spilling the beans to the other babysitters. they finally tell them the news at the next BSC meeting, & everyone is really excited...kristy maybe a little less than everyone else, because she's always been a little jealous of dawn's special connection with mary anne, but mary anne thought ahead & slips kristy a note about how special their friendship is. kristy is happy again. & of course everyone is going to the wedding. i really don't see wanting to have seven giggly tweenagers at my weddings, but...whatever.
the B plot involves the arnold twins. they're not getting along very well. carolyn is really social & outgoing & is always hanging out with her friends, haley, vanessa, & charlotte. (i thought charlotte was tight with becca ramsey? where's she in this story?) marilyn is clearly jealous of carolyn's bustling social life. but she tells the babysitters that she has a special friend at school named gozzie kunka. she's "foreign," hence the weird name. her father works for the government & she just moved to the states. she has an accent, but marilyn can understand her. gozzie is pretty sophisticated & has had all kinds of worldly life experiences, like surviving an attempted airplane hijacking (turns out the "hijacker" was just joking) & eating frogs' legs.
eventually it comes out that both girls are angry & jealous of each other. carolyn thinks marilyn bosses her friends around & that their father prefers her because she's good at music. marilyn thinks carolyn & her friends shun her & that their mother prefers her because she's so popular. mary anne casually suggests that they stop sharing a room...which kind of seems to be over-stepping boundaries, in my personal opinion. if i had an afternoon sitter who planted an idea that huge in my kids' heads, i would not be pleased. thankfully, the arnolds have a guest room & a sewing room, so the girls can each have their own rooms. & mrs. arnold seems to love to spend money, so she really lights up at the idea of re-decorating. (i always imagine that her best friend in town is mrs. prezzioso.)
the arnold twins are each allowed to decorate their rooms however they want, & they're a lot happier after that. carolyn agrees to get marilyn into her special girls' club on a trial basis. she'll be eligible for full membership if she can tone down the bossiness. marilyn admits that gozzie kunka doesn't really exist--she was just an imaginary friend so marilyn wouldn't feel so lonely with carolyn & her friends.
all of this foreshadows developments taking place when the schafers & the spiers combine homes. dawn lets slip that everyone is going to be moving to her farmhouse & mary anne loses her shit. she does not want to move. she's afraid she's going to have to give up tigger, since sharon hates cats. finallt richard makes her understand that it only makes more sense for the smaller family with the smaller house to move into the bigger house, & he makes clear that tigger isn't going anywhere. mary anne is somewhat placated. dawn wheedles a bit & convinces mary anne that it will be awesome for them to share a room. take it from someone who has a sister: it will not be awesome. but mary anne doesn't know that. she agrees, even though there's a bucketload of foreshadowing about what a bad idea this is.
the book ends with the wedding & sharon throwing the bouquet. both dawn & mary anne reach out to catch it...
sharon is happy & surprised by the dinner. there is a little bit of foreshadowing when she fusses a little extra over the replica stoneybrok high school class ring mary anne gave her as a gift--more than she fussed over dawn's day planner gift. (note to anyone thinking that a day planner might be a good gift for that disorganized slob in their own life: truly disorganized people won't actually use the planner, so don't waste your money.)
but the big surprise happens when the waiter brings out the cake. a diamond engagement ring is slipped over one of the candles. this is how dawn & mary anne find out that their parents have decided to get married. sharon is a little frustrated, because she'd said, "no rings," & she didn't get to choose when to tell dawn about the impending nuptials, but she gets over it.
dawn & mary anne are totally psyched & start planning a lavish wedding, with themselves as bridesmaids. sharon & richard clarify that they were just planning on a quickie small ceremony at city hall. everyone agrees to compromise on a small ceremony that foregoes some of the more traditional elements (wedding dress, wedding party, etc).
mary anne & dawn manage to make it through the whole weekend without spilling the beans to the other babysitters. they finally tell them the news at the next BSC meeting, & everyone is really excited...kristy maybe a little less than everyone else, because she's always been a little jealous of dawn's special connection with mary anne, but mary anne thought ahead & slips kristy a note about how special their friendship is. kristy is happy again. & of course everyone is going to the wedding. i really don't see wanting to have seven giggly tweenagers at my weddings, but...whatever.
the B plot involves the arnold twins. they're not getting along very well. carolyn is really social & outgoing & is always hanging out with her friends, haley, vanessa, & charlotte. (i thought charlotte was tight with becca ramsey? where's she in this story?) marilyn is clearly jealous of carolyn's bustling social life. but she tells the babysitters that she has a special friend at school named gozzie kunka. she's "foreign," hence the weird name. her father works for the government & she just moved to the states. she has an accent, but marilyn can understand her. gozzie is pretty sophisticated & has had all kinds of worldly life experiences, like surviving an attempted airplane hijacking (turns out the "hijacker" was just joking) & eating frogs' legs.
eventually it comes out that both girls are angry & jealous of each other. carolyn thinks marilyn bosses her friends around & that their father prefers her because she's good at music. marilyn thinks carolyn & her friends shun her & that their mother prefers her because she's so popular. mary anne casually suggests that they stop sharing a room...which kind of seems to be over-stepping boundaries, in my personal opinion. if i had an afternoon sitter who planted an idea that huge in my kids' heads, i would not be pleased. thankfully, the arnolds have a guest room & a sewing room, so the girls can each have their own rooms. & mrs. arnold seems to love to spend money, so she really lights up at the idea of re-decorating. (i always imagine that her best friend in town is mrs. prezzioso.)
the arnold twins are each allowed to decorate their rooms however they want, & they're a lot happier after that. carolyn agrees to get marilyn into her special girls' club on a trial basis. she'll be eligible for full membership if she can tone down the bossiness. marilyn admits that gozzie kunka doesn't really exist--she was just an imaginary friend so marilyn wouldn't feel so lonely with carolyn & her friends.
all of this foreshadows developments taking place when the schafers & the spiers combine homes. dawn lets slip that everyone is going to be moving to her farmhouse & mary anne loses her shit. she does not want to move. she's afraid she's going to have to give up tigger, since sharon hates cats. finallt richard makes her understand that it only makes more sense for the smaller family with the smaller house to move into the bigger house, & he makes clear that tigger isn't going anywhere. mary anne is somewhat placated. dawn wheedles a bit & convinces mary anne that it will be awesome for them to share a room. take it from someone who has a sister: it will not be awesome. but mary anne doesn't know that. she agrees, even though there's a bucketload of foreshadowing about what a bad idea this is.
the book ends with the wedding & sharon throwing the bouquet. both dawn & mary anne reach out to catch it...
February 27, 2016
this is my first time reading this book
also, this is the first book that came out in the 1990s!
the main plot is that sharon schafer and richard spier decide to get married. they want to have a small wedding, and the spiers will be moving into the schafer's house, which upsets mary anne. the subplot is that the arnold twins who we thought were getting along after the resolution in Mallory and the Trouble With Twins are fighting nonstop. mary anne suggests that they stop sharing a bedroom, and that solves all their problems. still, mary anne decides that sharing dawn's bedroom will be a good idea because she is a moron. the book ends in a cliffhanger: after the wedding, sharon throws the bouquet, and mary anne and dawn both try to catch it (WHO WILL CATCH IT OMG).
highlights:
-marilyn arnold's imaginary friend gozzie kunka, who is very worldly and speaks with a foreign accent.
-marilyn and carolyn do the masking tape room divider thing that you always see in media about siblings sharing rooms and fighting about it. there's nothing I love more in bsc books than an overdone trope. (not sarcastic).
-sharon on the new store at the mall, zingy's: "no way, young lady. this place is pure punk." I like picturing dawn and mary anne wearing 77 punk fashion to a wedding. as though these laura ashley fans would have wanted dresses from that store in the first place! haha
-a cliffhanger! this is notable, because there has never been a cliffhanger before in this series (and I don't think there ever will be again, but I could be wrong).
lowlights:
-ann is out-of-touch alert: mary anne and dawn try to find dresses to wear to the wedding at talbots. I'm sorry, are mary anne and dawn 70-year-old women who like shapeless clothing? because those are the only people who try to find dresses at talbots.
-in the dear reader (letter to the reader that ann put in the mid-90s rereleases of the books) ann talks about writing stories that work and don't work. she says she considered sending mallory to boarding school but that wouldn't work because she's a popular character, so everyone would miss her. BUT THEN SHE DOES SEND MALLORY TO BOARDING SCHOOL! (The All-New Mallory Pike).
-richard is bummed that sharon won't try his veal at their post-wedding dinner. of course she doesn't want to eat veal, you creep! she barely eats meat as it is, and even a ton of people who eat meat think veal is inhumane.
claudia outfit:
-"At our last meeting she was wearing layers--a shocking-pink tunic over a white shirt with pink and yellow umbrellas printed on it. Over the tunic was a wide, low-slung yellow belt with a pink plastic buckle. The shirt, but not the tunic, was tucked into a pair of black knickers, and below the knickers were yellow stockings. Then there's her hair...she had divided it into five braids and had woven pink and yellow ribbons into the braids."
mary anne's kid kit:
-puzzle
-crayons and paper
-kaleidoscope
-modeling clay
-mary anne's game of school
stacey's kid kit:
-mrs. piggle wiggle books
-paper and stickers
-pastels
snacks in claudia's room:
-m&ms in a box labeled WODCUT SUPPLISE under her bed
-crackers under her desk
also, this is the first book that came out in the 1990s!
the main plot is that sharon schafer and richard spier decide to get married. they want to have a small wedding, and the spiers will be moving into the schafer's house, which upsets mary anne. the subplot is that the arnold twins who we thought were getting along after the resolution in Mallory and the Trouble With Twins are fighting nonstop. mary anne suggests that they stop sharing a bedroom, and that solves all their problems. still, mary anne decides that sharing dawn's bedroom will be a good idea because she is a moron. the book ends in a cliffhanger: after the wedding, sharon throws the bouquet, and mary anne and dawn both try to catch it (WHO WILL CATCH IT OMG).
highlights:
-marilyn arnold's imaginary friend gozzie kunka, who is very worldly and speaks with a foreign accent.
-marilyn and carolyn do the masking tape room divider thing that you always see in media about siblings sharing rooms and fighting about it. there's nothing I love more in bsc books than an overdone trope. (not sarcastic).
-sharon on the new store at the mall, zingy's: "no way, young lady. this place is pure punk." I like picturing dawn and mary anne wearing 77 punk fashion to a wedding. as though these laura ashley fans would have wanted dresses from that store in the first place! haha
-a cliffhanger! this is notable, because there has never been a cliffhanger before in this series (and I don't think there ever will be again, but I could be wrong).
lowlights:
-ann is out-of-touch alert: mary anne and dawn try to find dresses to wear to the wedding at talbots. I'm sorry, are mary anne and dawn 70-year-old women who like shapeless clothing? because those are the only people who try to find dresses at talbots.
-in the dear reader (letter to the reader that ann put in the mid-90s rereleases of the books) ann talks about writing stories that work and don't work. she says she considered sending mallory to boarding school but that wouldn't work because she's a popular character, so everyone would miss her. BUT THEN SHE DOES SEND MALLORY TO BOARDING SCHOOL! (The All-New Mallory Pike).
-richard is bummed that sharon won't try his veal at their post-wedding dinner. of course she doesn't want to eat veal, you creep! she barely eats meat as it is, and even a ton of people who eat meat think veal is inhumane.
claudia outfit:
-"At our last meeting she was wearing layers--a shocking-pink tunic over a white shirt with pink and yellow umbrellas printed on it. Over the tunic was a wide, low-slung yellow belt with a pink plastic buckle. The shirt, but not the tunic, was tucked into a pair of black knickers, and below the knickers were yellow stockings. Then there's her hair...she had divided it into five braids and had woven pink and yellow ribbons into the braids."
mary anne's kid kit:
-puzzle
-crayons and paper
-kaleidoscope
-modeling clay
-mary anne's game of school
stacey's kid kit:
-mrs. piggle wiggle books
-paper and stickers
-pastels
snacks in claudia's room:
-m&ms in a box labeled WODCUT SUPPLISE under her bed
-crackers under her desk
August 10, 2020
You know, I LOVE how these books deal with things. They cover a wide variety of topics in a respectful way (better then a lot of newer books do), while still being light-hearted and fun!
July 7, 2020
While I actually started reading around age 3 (thank you, my Granny's Dick and Jane books!), this series is what I remember most about loving to read during my childhood. My sister and I drank these books up like they were oxygen. I truly think we owned just about every single one from every one of the series. We even got the privilege of meeting Ann M. Martin at a book signing, but of course little starstruck me froze and could not speak a word to my biggest hero at that time. Once in awhile if I come across these at a yard sale, I will pick them up for a couple hour trip down memory lane, and I declare nearly nothing centers and relaxes me more!
Read
April 24, 2017I'm still working on my goal to read all the BSC books in order but I realized on Friday that I hadn't read any so far this year. This one centers around my favorite characters--Mary Anne and Dawn, and my favorite plot point--their parents getting married so they're ~step-sisters~. So far this book wins for the most uses of the word "furthermore" in any BSC book.
June 25, 2019
It’s finally happening! Mary Anne’s dad and Dawns mother are getting married! Mary Anne can’t believe her luck, she is getting a new mother (her own mother died when she was very young) and new step siblings! The only problem is ... all the issues that come with blending two families together. Who’s house will they live in? What will they call their new stepparents? Dawns mon doesn’t like cats but Mary Anne has Tigger , her kitten. While thinking on those issue there is also an issue with two of the kids they babysit for. The Arnold twins are starting to hate each other and go there separate way...can the girls figure out what the problem is and how to fix it?
December 19, 2023
Read via audio (narrated by Emily Bauer).
April 23, 2013
The titles to these kept annoying me because I was not in any way into romance when I was a kid, but I was relieved to find that this was not about another boy-crazy adventure. It was about Mary Anne and Dawn's parents getting married to each other, which will make them stepsisters.
This was pretty cool to me because by book 30 (plus a few Super Specials) we'd really gotten to know these girls and watched their club become sort of like its own sisterhood, so actually seeing two of the girls get to become actual family was cool. It was sort of like a young teen fantasy, actually, become real live sisters with one of your best friends. Of course, they immediately start bickering because Mary Anne's kind of easy to stress out and stuff, and a lot of what they argue about sounds like it was made up just so there could be some friction for the story.
I was also relieved that Dawn's mom and Mary Anne's dad did not have a gigantic wedding plot because that was already done in a previous book and I didn't care to watch a repeat. Anyway, being that Mary Anne is going to have to move into Dawn's house (and isn't really happy about the idea of sharing a room), it's funny that the other main plot of the book involves the twins who were finally allowed to pursue their own interests instead of being a "matched set" being encouraged to ask for their own rooms. They've been squabbling a lot and having social and family issues and somehow the moving into separate rooms cuts down on this nonsense. But at least Mary Anne doesn't have to give up her cat which is the center of the universe. Oh and it ends on a cliffhanger about, gee, whether Mary Anne or Dawn will catch the bouquet at the wedding.
This was pretty cool to me because by book 30 (plus a few Super Specials) we'd really gotten to know these girls and watched their club become sort of like its own sisterhood, so actually seeing two of the girls get to become actual family was cool. It was sort of like a young teen fantasy, actually, become real live sisters with one of your best friends. Of course, they immediately start bickering because Mary Anne's kind of easy to stress out and stuff, and a lot of what they argue about sounds like it was made up just so there could be some friction for the story.
I was also relieved that Dawn's mom and Mary Anne's dad did not have a gigantic wedding plot because that was already done in a previous book and I didn't care to watch a repeat. Anyway, being that Mary Anne is going to have to move into Dawn's house (and isn't really happy about the idea of sharing a room), it's funny that the other main plot of the book involves the twins who were finally allowed to pursue their own interests instead of being a "matched set" being encouraged to ask for their own rooms. They've been squabbling a lot and having social and family issues and somehow the moving into separate rooms cuts down on this nonsense. But at least Mary Anne doesn't have to give up her cat which is the center of the universe. Oh and it ends on a cliffhanger about, gee, whether Mary Anne or Dawn will catch the bouquet at the wedding.
January 13, 2019
My kneejerk reaction was to say that this isn't one of my fave BSC books (too much crabbiness - Marilyn & Carolyn, Mary Anne...) BUT the more I think about it, the more I enjoyed it. It's a need-to-read, because Mary Anne and Dawn become step-sisters! (Fulfilling every teen girl's dream to have their bff become their sibling.) So I love it for that reason, because it adds a new layer to the BSC. (Also, I might have teared up at Mary Anne's letter to Kristy. MA and Dawn becoming step-sisters affects more than just the two of them!)
Another reason this book is so iconic (and no, it's not because of the legend that is Gozzie Kunka) is that it's the only BSC book that features a "to be continued." I always thought it was a little neat and clever that this was a two-parter spread over a Mary Anne and a Dawn book. (Inconsistencies aside, but that will be saved for part two.)
Another reason this book is so iconic (and no, it's not because of the legend that is Gozzie Kunka) is that it's the only BSC book that features a "to be continued." I always thought it was a little neat and clever that this was a two-parter spread over a Mary Anne and a Dawn book. (Inconsistencies aside, but that will be saved for part two.)
December 16, 2010
I was writing an article earlier this year about Claudia from the Babysitters club being my first ever fashion icon. (100% true to this very day.) So I read a whole bunch of these books again - yeah, I still own loads of them - and I like to read them when I'm on one of my nostalgia trips so be prepard for them to pop up every now and again.
This one is not the best Babysitter's Club book, by a long stretch, but then again: it IS centered on Mary Anne aka pre-teen fiction's queen of soppy. And boring. And rubbish. Team Claudia!
This one is not the best Babysitter's Club book, by a long stretch, but then again: it IS centered on Mary Anne aka pre-teen fiction's queen of soppy. And boring. And rubbish. Team Claudia!
November 16, 2013
I really loved how many of Ann M Martin's books talked about different types of families.
June 8, 2022
I probably read this for the first time right around when it came out in 1990, and yet I still absolutely remembered "Gozzie Kunka."
Yet I can't remember to add tissues to my Instacart order like three times in a row.
This is another one in the "I'm glad it's there for kids in this situation" file. My parents are married so I never went through divorce, remarriage, stepparents, etc. But I knew a lot of kids who did and I'm sure it was good to see some of their worries and issues represented and ways to deal with them. While Mary Anne does act kind of childish at times, I understood why, especially when she finds out that she has to move out of her home and into Dawn's, and is worried about keeping her cat and all that. (TBH if Dawn's mom had said no to the cat, I would've hoped Mary Anne's Dad would have told her to get to stepping.)
I could've done without the chapter with Kristy babysitting her annoying ass siblings, but I appreciated the chapters with Mary Anne and others sitting for the Arnold twins and helping them work through their problems. If I were one of those girls, in addition to wanting my own room, I'd demand a name change so we didn't rhyme anymore.
Not the most interesting one in the series, but a good story to include.
Yet I can't remember to add tissues to my Instacart order like three times in a row.
This is another one in the "I'm glad it's there for kids in this situation" file. My parents are married so I never went through divorce, remarriage, stepparents, etc. But I knew a lot of kids who did and I'm sure it was good to see some of their worries and issues represented and ways to deal with them. While Mary Anne does act kind of childish at times, I understood why, especially when she finds out that she has to move out of her home and into Dawn's, and is worried about keeping her cat and all that. (TBH if Dawn's mom had said no to the cat, I would've hoped Mary Anne's Dad would have told her to get to stepping.)
I could've done without the chapter with Kristy babysitting her annoying ass siblings, but I appreciated the chapters with Mary Anne and others sitting for the Arnold twins and helping them work through their problems. If I were one of those girls, in addition to wanting my own room, I'd demand a name change so we didn't rhyme anymore.
Not the most interesting one in the series, but a good story to include.
August 2, 2021
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.
October 5, 2016
Mary Anne's father and Dawn's (possibly unstable) mother tie the knot, and Mary Anne and Dawn freak out because their parents (very sensibly) don't want a lavish wedding. There is a lot of foreshadowing of what's to come in the next book, Dawn's Wicked Stepsister. (Which was the very first BSC book I ever read!) I read this when I was eight.
Things I remember from reading this a kid:
I remember the surprise party that Mary Anne's father throws Dawn's mother, and the ring he gives her by putting it on her birthday cake. For some reason I was obsessed with gems and jewels at the time I read this, and I remember being completely horrified that the beautiful diamond engagement ring probably got icing and cake crumbs stuck to it. I remember my train of thought on this matter exactly: when you get the ring off the cake you get icing on your fingers, as well as on the ring, meaning you can't put the ring on without making more a mess, meaning it doesn't immediately go right on the safest place to keep a ring (your finger), instead you have to wash it off, probably in the sink in the bathroom, which means you have to carry the ring to the bathroom, and hope it doesn't fall down the drain. Many, many years later a man I had been interested in for years told me that when he asked me to marry him he would surprise me by putting an engagement ring in my pasta, or in a glass of wine (yes he said WINE not champagne!) for me to find. After so many years of ambivalence about this man (I had been off and on obsessed with him since I was eighteen) I instantly lost interest in him. No way was I going to marry a man who would gunk up my new, beautiful engagement ring. Ironically, I then became very anti-diamond since I learned there are entire communities in Africa suffering so that women all over the world can show off to each other. Even so, I still have regret that I will never own a diamond ring, or diamond earrings. Damn conscience.
Marilyn making up a foreign friend, named Gozzie Kunka. I could tell she was made up, and I thought Mary Anne was stupid for believing her, but I also thought it was stupid that the BSC didn't figure it sooner. I also remember being smug because Marilyn describes all the food that Gozzie has eaten as if it was some rare, foreign delicacy. I had eaten all the things she mentioned at least once.
Carolyn decorates her room with a cat theme, even though she didn't like them until she saw the stuff for it, which I thought was pathetic.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I hadn't realized how self-centered and unfeeling Dawn is in this book. When you take into account that she plays an unforgivably mean trick on Mary Anne in the next book, you can conclude that Dawn is just a horrible person. In this book she criticizes all of Mary Anne's ideas when she is trying to think of a nice birthday gift for Dawn's mother. She doesn't even offer her any help when Mary Anne asks for it, she just makes a big deal about how close she is to her mother and then tells Mary Anne "I guess it's hard for me to be understanding when someone has the wrong idea about her," making Mary Anne sound like some brat who isn't trying to understand the delicate sensibilities of Sharon Porter. Later she assumes that Mary Anne knew all about the move to her house, and that she would be thrilled by it. When Mary Anne is angry with her for this Dawn pulls what is typically a Mary Anne trick and cries hysterically so that Mary Anne looks like the insensitive jerk, not Dawn. Dawn then pressures Mary Anne to share her bedroom, even though Mary Anne doesn't really want to. (In the next book Dawn doesn't just admit this mistake to Mary Anne. Instead she commits the mean prank I mentioned earlier.)
Mary Anne and Dawn act like lunatics about their parents having a wedding. I am a very firm believer in courthouse weddings. Weddings are an utter, total waste of money, so if you can't afford one, or don't want the hassle and stress of one, then skip it. I love that Sharon and Richard have decided that since they went through all the mess of a big wedding for their first marriages they don't want to bother doing it for their second marriage. It is much more sensible for them to have a small (cheap) wedding, and use all the tens of thousands of dollars they would have put into a fancy wedding for college funds for Dawn, Mary Anne, and Jeff.
It seems to me that the Arnold parents are either incredibly understanding, or completely clueless when it comes to BSC members butting into their business. First Mallory helps the twins tell their parents that they hate dressing the same, then Mary Anne tells them that the twins hate sharing a room. Mary Anne doesn't even ask Mrs Arnold for permission before she gets the twins all excited about moving into new rooms. Why don't the Arnolds pick up on this on their own? And don't they mind that bossy eleven and thirteen year olds are telling them how to raise their daughters? What kind of monsters would the twins be without the BSC to do their parenting for them?
Things I remember from reading this a kid:
I remember the surprise party that Mary Anne's father throws Dawn's mother, and the ring he gives her by putting it on her birthday cake. For some reason I was obsessed with gems and jewels at the time I read this, and I remember being completely horrified that the beautiful diamond engagement ring probably got icing and cake crumbs stuck to it. I remember my train of thought on this matter exactly: when you get the ring off the cake you get icing on your fingers, as well as on the ring, meaning you can't put the ring on without making more a mess, meaning it doesn't immediately go right on the safest place to keep a ring (your finger), instead you have to wash it off, probably in the sink in the bathroom, which means you have to carry the ring to the bathroom, and hope it doesn't fall down the drain. Many, many years later a man I had been interested in for years told me that when he asked me to marry him he would surprise me by putting an engagement ring in my pasta, or in a glass of wine (yes he said WINE not champagne!) for me to find. After so many years of ambivalence about this man (I had been off and on obsessed with him since I was eighteen) I instantly lost interest in him. No way was I going to marry a man who would gunk up my new, beautiful engagement ring. Ironically, I then became very anti-diamond since I learned there are entire communities in Africa suffering so that women all over the world can show off to each other. Even so, I still have regret that I will never own a diamond ring, or diamond earrings. Damn conscience.
Marilyn making up a foreign friend, named Gozzie Kunka. I could tell she was made up, and I thought Mary Anne was stupid for believing her, but I also thought it was stupid that the BSC didn't figure it sooner. I also remember being smug because Marilyn describes all the food that Gozzie has eaten as if it was some rare, foreign delicacy. I had eaten all the things she mentioned at least once.
Carolyn decorates her room with a cat theme, even though she didn't like them until she saw the stuff for it, which I thought was pathetic.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I hadn't realized how self-centered and unfeeling Dawn is in this book. When you take into account that she plays an unforgivably mean trick on Mary Anne in the next book, you can conclude that Dawn is just a horrible person. In this book she criticizes all of Mary Anne's ideas when she is trying to think of a nice birthday gift for Dawn's mother. She doesn't even offer her any help when Mary Anne asks for it, she just makes a big deal about how close she is to her mother and then tells Mary Anne "I guess it's hard for me to be understanding when someone has the wrong idea about her," making Mary Anne sound like some brat who isn't trying to understand the delicate sensibilities of Sharon Porter. Later she assumes that Mary Anne knew all about the move to her house, and that she would be thrilled by it. When Mary Anne is angry with her for this Dawn pulls what is typically a Mary Anne trick and cries hysterically so that Mary Anne looks like the insensitive jerk, not Dawn. Dawn then pressures Mary Anne to share her bedroom, even though Mary Anne doesn't really want to. (In the next book Dawn doesn't just admit this mistake to Mary Anne. Instead she commits the mean prank I mentioned earlier.)
Mary Anne and Dawn act like lunatics about their parents having a wedding. I am a very firm believer in courthouse weddings. Weddings are an utter, total waste of money, so if you can't afford one, or don't want the hassle and stress of one, then skip it. I love that Sharon and Richard have decided that since they went through all the mess of a big wedding for their first marriages they don't want to bother doing it for their second marriage. It is much more sensible for them to have a small (cheap) wedding, and use all the tens of thousands of dollars they would have put into a fancy wedding for college funds for Dawn, Mary Anne, and Jeff.
It seems to me that the Arnold parents are either incredibly understanding, or completely clueless when it comes to BSC members butting into their business. First Mallory helps the twins tell their parents that they hate dressing the same, then Mary Anne tells them that the twins hate sharing a room. Mary Anne doesn't even ask Mrs Arnold for permission before she gets the twins all excited about moving into new rooms. Why don't the Arnolds pick up on this on their own? And don't they mind that bossy eleven and thirteen year olds are telling them how to raise their daughters? What kind of monsters would the twins be without the BSC to do their parenting for them?
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March 16, 2024Maryanne and the Great Romance
Richard and Sharon are gone out on another date so Maryanne and Dawn are spending the evening together. There’s a Heley Mills marathon coming on, but after an hor they get bored with it. Kristy calls and sounds a littlelonely. She’s sitting. Dawn and Maryanne talk to her for a little.
At the BSC meeting, Mrs. Arnold needs another steady sitter to watch the twins. Maryanne gets the majority of the days while she’s working on a school project. When Maryanne goes to sit for the Arnolds Marilyn opens the door. Carolyn is out with her friends. She notices right away Carolyn has an attitude about this. She suggests she can go play with Carolyn, Heley, and Vanessa but she takes this to mean Maryanne doesn’t want to play with her. So, they open her Kid Kit. While looking at a puzzle, Marilyn starts to tell Maryanne about a new friend at school that’s lived in Paris. Then Carolyn comes home and says she, Vanessa, Heley, and maybe Charlotte are thinking of starting a girl’s club. Marilyn calls them snobs. Then she runs up to her room. After a little while Maryanne convinces her to come down and color with her and Carolyn.
That night, Maryanne makes lasagna for dinner and Richard says they should invite Dawn over since her mom is working late. Then he suggest that since her birthday is coming up they should surprise her. They can get a client to invite her to a “business dinner”. Then they’ll give her a cake and presents. Maryanne is surprised that he wants to do this since this is just her 42nd britrthday. Dawn says she’s going to get her a day planner. Maryanne thinks of getting her a pen, a book, and a pin shaped like a cat but Dawn shoots down all of em and says they aren’t her style. But then they quickly make up.
Maryanne takes Carolyn and Marilyn to the Pikes on her next sitting job (or is it just Carolyn). They all decide to play “Sardines” which is an alternate version of hide n seek where there’s more than one seeker and when the seeker finds the hider they both hide. Maryanne asks where Marilyn is but Carolyn says they don’t hang out anymore. No ones seems to have heard of her new friend. Carolyn says she talks about her all the time so she’s heard of her.
Maryanne sits for the twins the next time on a rainy day. She’s brought over some new things (a kalescope) and a game she “invented” (coughs stole) that’s a imitation of “Go To The Head Of The Class”. The twins start to argue and then Marilyn gets mad and says she wants to go to her room. Then Carolyn says she can’t because she’s going to their room. So they both end up going (pushing and shoving). Marilyn tells Maryanne Carolyn doesn’t want to hang out with her anymore. Carolyn tells her she stopped hanging out with her because she was bossy to her friends. Carolyn thinks her dad ;oles At Sharon’s birthday dinner, Dawn and Maryanne find out their parents have already agreed to marry but decided against rings. Although Richard stuck a ring on tone of the cake’s candles. Maryanne gets her a carm of a high school ring since Richard couldn’t afford to give her one back then and she loves it.
At the next club meeting, Dawn and Maryanne share with everyone (including Logan) their good news. Then they talk a little about how sometimes siblings fight and how the twins might be trying to go out of their way to get the favor of one of their parents. Sometimes they say parents do this too. For example when Kristy’s mom first married Watson Watson would side with Kristy and her brothers and her mother would side with Karen and Andrew if there was an argument.
When Kristy sits Karen gets jealous of Emily and blames her for making a mess in the kitchen to see if Kristy will punish her. Kristy gives Emily a time out but then Karen confesses and she gets it instead. Karen tho gives Emily some of her old toys to play with and she’s forgiven instantly. Also, Charlie gets a new car and David Micheal gets mad because he lets everyone else ride in it to take his friend home, but Charlie sees a sign he made and corrects this. The Schafers and the Spiers talk about the wedding. Maryanne and Dawn want a big wedding but theier surprised to hear that’s not what their parents want. They just want to go to the court house and get it done. They do agree tho to a small wedding and a dinner. Dawn drops the bomb that Maryanne and Richard will be moving in with them and this doesn’t go over so well with Maryanne. Dawn is in tears and she and her mom leave. Sharon promises Maryanne that Tigger willl be welcome at there house. Before this she’s shouted at Sharon she’s not giving up Tigger.
Maryanne sits for the twins again and suggests they each are growing up and mentions having separate rooms. (The tape is back up and Marilyn is downstairs practicing). Their mother seems to be ok with this. Stacey sits for the twins and they each show her their new rooms. Marilyn has the sewing room and has it decorated in all yellow. Carolyn has the guest room and has decorated it in blue stripes with cat accsories everywhere. They draw with the pastels a while and they both say they’ll give their pictures to both parents. Carolyn wants to go see Heley. Claud is sitting for her. Then she asks Marilyn to come. When all of them are together (Heley, Vanessa, Marilyn, Carolym, and Charolotte), Caroyn asks Marilyn to be in the club “if” she doesn’t act too bossy. So it’s a probation but she’s happy with it. Stacey realizes that her “Friend” was probably made up.
The wedding is held. Jeff invites the triplets. Dawn and Maryanne are allowed new dresses but only Dawn gets a new dress (a hip sailor dress?). Maryanne borrows her Laura Ashley dress (Dawn wore this to the dinner where Richard proposed). Claudia does a great job with her hair and makeup. (She pmakes her look like she’s not wearing any: pale gloss, clear polish, blue shadow). The ceremony goes fine. The only thing that happens is the triplets start laughing in the middle at one of the angels in the stain glass window because it’s naked. At the dinner we immediately see issues come up. Richard tries to give Sharon some of his veal but she doesn’t take it. Then there’s the thing about Dawn and Maryanne sharing a room and clothes. Then I think there’s going to be something about whichever one caught the boquet.
My Thoughts:
I just didn’t have a lot of commentary on this one. I have a sister but since we aren’t that close I couldn’t imagine living with her in the same house or sharing anything if my father married her mother. No hope in hell of that! Richard marrying Sharon didn’t really give me any thoughts either. Sharon could have married the Trip Man for what it mattered to me in this series. Then there was the Marilyn and Carolyn plot. Eight is a good age to have your own room. I wonder will this be my cousin’s twin daughters experience when they get older -fighting to have their own identites-.
Rating: 5
Richard and Sharon are gone out on another date so Maryanne and Dawn are spending the evening together. There’s a Heley Mills marathon coming on, but after an hor they get bored with it. Kristy calls and sounds a littlelonely. She’s sitting. Dawn and Maryanne talk to her for a little.
At the BSC meeting, Mrs. Arnold needs another steady sitter to watch the twins. Maryanne gets the majority of the days while she’s working on a school project. When Maryanne goes to sit for the Arnolds Marilyn opens the door. Carolyn is out with her friends. She notices right away Carolyn has an attitude about this. She suggests she can go play with Carolyn, Heley, and Vanessa but she takes this to mean Maryanne doesn’t want to play with her. So, they open her Kid Kit. While looking at a puzzle, Marilyn starts to tell Maryanne about a new friend at school that’s lived in Paris. Then Carolyn comes home and says she, Vanessa, Heley, and maybe Charlotte are thinking of starting a girl’s club. Marilyn calls them snobs. Then she runs up to her room. After a little while Maryanne convinces her to come down and color with her and Carolyn.
That night, Maryanne makes lasagna for dinner and Richard says they should invite Dawn over since her mom is working late. Then he suggest that since her birthday is coming up they should surprise her. They can get a client to invite her to a “business dinner”. Then they’ll give her a cake and presents. Maryanne is surprised that he wants to do this since this is just her 42nd britrthday. Dawn says she’s going to get her a day planner. Maryanne thinks of getting her a pen, a book, and a pin shaped like a cat but Dawn shoots down all of em and says they aren’t her style. But then they quickly make up.
Maryanne takes Carolyn and Marilyn to the Pikes on her next sitting job (or is it just Carolyn). They all decide to play “Sardines” which is an alternate version of hide n seek where there’s more than one seeker and when the seeker finds the hider they both hide. Maryanne asks where Marilyn is but Carolyn says they don’t hang out anymore. No ones seems to have heard of her new friend. Carolyn says she talks about her all the time so she’s heard of her.
Maryanne sits for the twins the next time on a rainy day. She’s brought over some new things (a kalescope) and a game she “invented” (coughs stole) that’s a imitation of “Go To The Head Of The Class”. The twins start to argue and then Marilyn gets mad and says she wants to go to her room. Then Carolyn says she can’t because she’s going to their room. So they both end up going (pushing and shoving). Marilyn tells Maryanne Carolyn doesn’t want to hang out with her anymore. Carolyn tells her she stopped hanging out with her because she was bossy to her friends. Carolyn thinks her dad ;oles At Sharon’s birthday dinner, Dawn and Maryanne find out their parents have already agreed to marry but decided against rings. Although Richard stuck a ring on tone of the cake’s candles. Maryanne gets her a carm of a high school ring since Richard couldn’t afford to give her one back then and she loves it.
At the next club meeting, Dawn and Maryanne share with everyone (including Logan) their good news. Then they talk a little about how sometimes siblings fight and how the twins might be trying to go out of their way to get the favor of one of their parents. Sometimes they say parents do this too. For example when Kristy’s mom first married Watson Watson would side with Kristy and her brothers and her mother would side with Karen and Andrew if there was an argument.
When Kristy sits Karen gets jealous of Emily and blames her for making a mess in the kitchen to see if Kristy will punish her. Kristy gives Emily a time out but then Karen confesses and she gets it instead. Karen tho gives Emily some of her old toys to play with and she’s forgiven instantly. Also, Charlie gets a new car and David Micheal gets mad because he lets everyone else ride in it to take his friend home, but Charlie sees a sign he made and corrects this. The Schafers and the Spiers talk about the wedding. Maryanne and Dawn want a big wedding but theier surprised to hear that’s not what their parents want. They just want to go to the court house and get it done. They do agree tho to a small wedding and a dinner. Dawn drops the bomb that Maryanne and Richard will be moving in with them and this doesn’t go over so well with Maryanne. Dawn is in tears and she and her mom leave. Sharon promises Maryanne that Tigger willl be welcome at there house. Before this she’s shouted at Sharon she’s not giving up Tigger.
Maryanne sits for the twins again and suggests they each are growing up and mentions having separate rooms. (The tape is back up and Marilyn is downstairs practicing). Their mother seems to be ok with this. Stacey sits for the twins and they each show her their new rooms. Marilyn has the sewing room and has it decorated in all yellow. Carolyn has the guest room and has decorated it in blue stripes with cat accsories everywhere. They draw with the pastels a while and they both say they’ll give their pictures to both parents. Carolyn wants to go see Heley. Claud is sitting for her. Then she asks Marilyn to come. When all of them are together (Heley, Vanessa, Marilyn, Carolym, and Charolotte), Caroyn asks Marilyn to be in the club “if” she doesn’t act too bossy. So it’s a probation but she’s happy with it. Stacey realizes that her “Friend” was probably made up.
The wedding is held. Jeff invites the triplets. Dawn and Maryanne are allowed new dresses but only Dawn gets a new dress (a hip sailor dress?). Maryanne borrows her Laura Ashley dress (Dawn wore this to the dinner where Richard proposed). Claudia does a great job with her hair and makeup. (She pmakes her look like she’s not wearing any: pale gloss, clear polish, blue shadow). The ceremony goes fine. The only thing that happens is the triplets start laughing in the middle at one of the angels in the stain glass window because it’s naked. At the dinner we immediately see issues come up. Richard tries to give Sharon some of his veal but she doesn’t take it. Then there’s the thing about Dawn and Maryanne sharing a room and clothes. Then I think there’s going to be something about whichever one caught the boquet.
My Thoughts:
I just didn’t have a lot of commentary on this one. I have a sister but since we aren’t that close I couldn’t imagine living with her in the same house or sharing anything if my father married her mother. No hope in hell of that! Richard marrying Sharon didn’t really give me any thoughts either. Sharon could have married the Trip Man for what it mattered to me in this series. Then there was the Marilyn and Carolyn plot. Eight is a good age to have your own room. I wonder will this be my cousin’s twin daughters experience when they get older -fighting to have their own identites-.
Rating: 5
February 21, 2022
Cute story - even for a Mary Anne book - that child is quite the drama llama. Personal summary/spoiler in comments
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2017
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!
February 27, 2012
Classic BSC! Oh man, the writing, the story, everything just brought me back to the good ol' days! In this book Mary Anne and Dawn's parents announce they are getting married. This is awesome, but trouble is brewing between the soon to be step sisters. I only wish I had the next book to read right away because of the cliff hanger...who will catch the bouquet? Will it be Mary Anne or Dawn?!?
January 2, 2011
This book is notable for the non-appearance of Gozzie Kunka. The Great Romance? Not so much.
November 3, 2009
The Baby-Sitters' obsession with Laura Ashley dresses and french braiding their hair continues...
August 2, 2016
I still love these books..
April 23, 2023
Very much a world-building entry in the series; I do kinda like that about the early books, how they really feed into a larger story and don't feel as much like one-shots as the later books do. This one is Mary Anne's take on the newly-forming Schafer-Spier family, and the ending very clearly sets up for a sequel, so I'm guessing the next book is from Dawn's perspective.
A lot of my response to this book does include speculation about the next book, and I think that's because this one is very much clearly part of a duology. And merging two families with teen kids is a pretty big deal, and especially since these teens are both main characters in the series, so I'm glad the series gave the story this much room to breathe.
I do kinda side-eye Richard here for
Still, all well and good for the book itself. The characters are definitely flawed, but that's all part of being human, and I like that this book delves into these flaws and will (presumably) show the new family's way of dealing with them in the next one.
A lot of my response to this book does include speculation about the next book, and I think that's because this one is very much clearly part of a duology. And merging two families with teen kids is a pretty big deal, and especially since these teens are both main characters in the series, so I'm glad the series gave the story this much room to breathe.
I do kinda side-eye Richard here for
Still, all well and good for the book itself. The characters are definitely flawed, but that's all part of being human, and I like that this book delves into these flaws and will (presumably) show the new family's way of dealing with them in the next one.
October 31, 2021
This is objectively the worst BSC book I've read so far.
First of all, 17.36% of this book is recapped information from the old books. That alone is egregious. You can really tell that either someone else is writing the recaps and Ann M. Martin just copies/pastes them in or she has a rotation of pre-written back stories she just drops in.
This recap wasn't even current! Wasn't the Jared aspect of the mystery from Mallory and the Mystery Diary and its potential connection to Dawn's house left unsolved because Dawn lost the history book? It seems really weird that Mary Anne would leave that out since the secret passageway really preoccupies her, but whatever.
The recap also fails because the first chapter of the book outlines the relationship between Mary Anne and Dawn, Mary Anne's fear of the secret passageway, and the relationship between their parents in heavy detail. Then, in the Chapter 2 recap introducing each BSC member, Mary Anne repeats it AGAIN without any reference to having recapped it before. Usually we get a little "As I said, Dawn's mom is dating my dad…." but nope. Just completely unedited.
This is also the entire plot-advancing content of Chapter 2, if the recap was removed: "I stopped daydreaming. Dawn handed me the phone and I talked to Kristy for fifteen minutes. By the time we hung up, I could tell she felt better. Good. I'm one of her best friends, and what are best friends for?"
And ummm… the "cliffhanger" that this book ends on is NOT A CLIFFHANGER. Two teen girls jumping for a bouquet is not suspenseful.
First of all, 17.36% of this book is recapped information from the old books. That alone is egregious. You can really tell that either someone else is writing the recaps and Ann M. Martin just copies/pastes them in or she has a rotation of pre-written back stories she just drops in.
This recap wasn't even current! Wasn't the Jared aspect of the mystery from Mallory and the Mystery Diary and its potential connection to Dawn's house left unsolved because Dawn lost the history book? It seems really weird that Mary Anne would leave that out since the secret passageway really preoccupies her, but whatever.
The recap also fails because the first chapter of the book outlines the relationship between Mary Anne and Dawn, Mary Anne's fear of the secret passageway, and the relationship between their parents in heavy detail. Then, in the Chapter 2 recap introducing each BSC member, Mary Anne repeats it AGAIN without any reference to having recapped it before. Usually we get a little "As I said, Dawn's mom is dating my dad…." but nope. Just completely unedited.
This is also the entire plot-advancing content of Chapter 2, if the recap was removed: "I stopped daydreaming. Dawn handed me the phone and I talked to Kristy for fifteen minutes. By the time we hung up, I could tell she felt better. Good. I'm one of her best friends, and what are best friends for?"
And ummm… the "cliffhanger" that this book ends on is NOT A CLIFFHANGER. Two teen girls jumping for a bouquet is not suspenseful.
October 24, 2021
At this point I really can't be bothered to read a Mary Anne book, but I am still curious about Dawn and they're both intrinsically linked in the series (plus, this is a precursor to a Dawn book that is in my queue).
Comments:
1. Why are they suddenly making a big deal about Claudia's leg that was broken in book 19? It wasn't mentioned in some of the books in the 20s and I had to double-check to make sure that didn't come after Mimi's death (I haven't reread book 19).
2. Why did Mary Anne have to check with Dawn about how old her mom is? Shouldn't her dad be roughly the same age, considering they were high school sweethearts (although I can't remember if they were in the same grade, since it's theoretically possible for one to be in 12th grade while the other in 10th--another reason parents would disapprove)?
3. Why the odd emphasis thaf Jessi also talked out loud while he signed to Matt so the hearing children wouldn't feel left out?
4. Jessi. Why you doing the eeny-meeny rhyme? You know "tiger" was a replacement word for one that has two syllables, starts with an n, and has a short i instead of a long one.
5. Mary Anne really is insufferable, maybe more so than a regular 13 year old because her schtick is being shy and sensitive (and claiming to be some of the good things people tend to associate with those traits). This is her book and she's supposed to come off as the protagonist, but she's just mean and even makes Dawn cry and Dawn is the one trying to make up with her (the title of the next book seems fitting). Also, what good is having a steady boyfriend if you barely talk to him?
6. Remember when 10 year olds (and, as in the case of Stacey, 13 year olds) were allowed to get on planes by themselves?
7. I don't understand why Dawn insists on sharing a room with Mary Anne. After a whole episode with the Arnold twins where the lesson is "separate rooms make happy siblings" (with Mary Anne herself being the one to encourage the idea), why go there?
8. I don't understand Claudia's sarcastic "Good going" comment to Mary Anne as makeup's coming off her face because she's crying. It's just uncalled for, and made worse because everyone in the BSC knows Mary Anne cries easily (so why the make up, and also can you look "natural" if you're wearing blue shadow)? I know some of the ghostwriters are men, so maybe they're not understanding girls don't get away with insulting each other as much as boys do.
9. Dawn tells Mary Anne the "something new" her mom wears to the wedding is underwear, and she says it slyly, implying it's for the wedding night. (This is also after Mary Anne figuratively rolls her eyes at 10 year olds laughing at half-naked paintings in church, which in itself implies girls know some things (like sex) are normal and natural, so much so that we don't even need to talk about them because we just know.) First of all, shit went under the radar for a series usually known to be wholesome! Second of all, I can see Dawn's mom being open enough about sex with Dawn and Dawn thinking it's totally normal to allude to your parents' sex lives--while Mary Anne probably has to learn the first thing about sex from a boyfriend.
Comments:
1. Why are they suddenly making a big deal about Claudia's leg that was broken in book 19? It wasn't mentioned in some of the books in the 20s and I had to double-check to make sure that didn't come after Mimi's death (I haven't reread book 19).
2. Why did Mary Anne have to check with Dawn about how old her mom is? Shouldn't her dad be roughly the same age, considering they were high school sweethearts (although I can't remember if they were in the same grade, since it's theoretically possible for one to be in 12th grade while the other in 10th--another reason parents would disapprove)?
3. Why the odd emphasis thaf Jessi also talked out loud while he signed to Matt so the hearing children wouldn't feel left out?
4. Jessi. Why you doing the eeny-meeny rhyme? You know "tiger" was a replacement word for one that has two syllables, starts with an n, and has a short i instead of a long one.
5. Mary Anne really is insufferable, maybe more so than a regular 13 year old because her schtick is being shy and sensitive (and claiming to be some of the good things people tend to associate with those traits). This is her book and she's supposed to come off as the protagonist, but she's just mean and even makes Dawn cry and Dawn is the one trying to make up with her (the title of the next book seems fitting). Also, what good is having a steady boyfriend if you barely talk to him?
6. Remember when 10 year olds (and, as in the case of Stacey, 13 year olds) were allowed to get on planes by themselves?
7. I don't understand why Dawn insists on sharing a room with Mary Anne. After a whole episode with the Arnold twins where the lesson is "separate rooms make happy siblings" (with Mary Anne herself being the one to encourage the idea), why go there?
8. I don't understand Claudia's sarcastic "Good going" comment to Mary Anne as makeup's coming off her face because she's crying. It's just uncalled for, and made worse because everyone in the BSC knows Mary Anne cries easily (so why the make up, and also can you look "natural" if you're wearing blue shadow)? I know some of the ghostwriters are men, so maybe they're not understanding girls don't get away with insulting each other as much as boys do.
9. Dawn tells Mary Anne the "something new" her mom wears to the wedding is underwear, and she says it slyly, implying it's for the wedding night. (This is also after Mary Anne figuratively rolls her eyes at 10 year olds laughing at half-naked paintings in church, which in itself implies girls know some things (like sex) are normal and natural, so much so that we don't even need to talk about them because we just know.) First of all, shit went under the radar for a series usually known to be wholesome! Second of all, I can see Dawn's mom being open enough about sex with Dawn and Dawn thinking it's totally normal to allude to your parents' sex lives--while Mary Anne probably has to learn the first thing about sex from a boyfriend.
April 10, 2023
At #30 (even though I'm skipping some), these are starting to feel repetitive. Mary Anne took three entire chapters just to explain to the reader who everyone is, what their function is in the club, and key things that have happened to every character all along the series. If someone is picking up a book at #30 in a series and they are confused as to what's going on, that is on them. We don't need all the exposition.
I felt like this installment was almost entirely build-up to the next book. I felt the subplot with the twins was a little too close to the plot of Jessi and the Superbrat. And Mr Spier is the absolute worst. He will only let Mary Anne wear clear nail polish? Really? It's 1990, and she is 13. If I were going to rank these books (maybe I should! hmm...), this one would be pretty close to the bottom. I'm looking forward to the next one, though. None of the four people who are moving in together are going to get along in any way, and I am here for that drama.
I felt like this installment was almost entirely build-up to the next book. I felt the subplot with the twins was a little too close to the plot of Jessi and the Superbrat. And Mr Spier is the absolute worst. He will only let Mary Anne wear clear nail polish? Really? It's 1990, and she is 13. If I were going to rank these books (maybe I should! hmm...), this one would be pretty close to the bottom. I'm looking forward to the next one, though. None of the four people who are moving in together are going to get along in any way, and I am here for that drama.
December 27, 2023
I had to abandon Stacey's book because she's a diabetic diva and I cannot stand her. She's my least favorite member of the BSC and I didn't miss her absence one iota. After putting that book back on my shelf, this was the next one I owned. Mary Anne was uncharacteristically bratty. I was so surprised by her behavior and was not expecting this level of petulance. I suppose I didn't understand her actions because I'm not a child of divorce and haven't experienced gaining a second family. Mary Anne is the sensitive crybaby of the club and she was acting more like a bossy Kristy or Stacey in this installment. It's been a long time coming that Mary Anne's dad and Dawn's mother would eventually marry. I knew it by the future titles as well and the indelicate foreshadowing in previous books. Mary Anne needs to take a major chill pill and be thankful that her dad married into Dawn's family instead of the more chaotic citizens of Stoneybrooke. This book ended on a cliffhanger and said it will be continued in the sequel: Dawn's Wicked Stepsister. This was a disappointing entry in the series, but I hope Mary Anne gets her act together in the future books. I know she's about to hit puberty, but bring back my sweet Mary Anne!
October 16, 2019
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?
January 10, 2018
After reading this I have come to the conclusion that I am, in fact, the kind of person Mary Anne would grow up to be. Including missing my cat whenever she’s not around, which is a thing Mary Anne admits to feeling in this book. I don’t think I read this one as a kid, and so I came at it with fresh eyes. It was still pretty good. I don’t think I appreciated as a kid the different kinds of families that the BSC had, and the emotional nuances of all of their situations feel very real. Good job, AMM and her Army of Ghostwriters.
November 9, 2020
(LL)
This book does a decent job tackling: merging families and sibling fights.
The main issue with the book that I had to take a star off for was the fact the Arnold twins shared a room when there were TWO empty rooms in their house?? Come on, there is no way a parent would have their kids share a room and have two rooms be empty. I know the mother was obsessed with matching, but two matching rooms would have made more sense in that context, so either way it is so silly. A four bedroom house but only two bedrooms are occupied? I call bullshit, sorry.
This book does a decent job tackling: merging families and sibling fights.
The main issue with the book that I had to take a star off for was the fact the Arnold twins shared a room when there were TWO empty rooms in their house?? Come on, there is no way a parent would have their kids share a room and have two rooms be empty. I know the mother was obsessed with matching, but two matching rooms would have made more sense in that context, so either way it is so silly. A four bedroom house but only two bedrooms are occupied? I call bullshit, sorry.
February 19, 2025
Mary Anne's dad and Dawn's mom are dating but both girls are THRILLED when they announce they are getting married. Mary Anne has always wanted a sister, and now she can have Dawn. But then Mary Anne discovers that everyone has been keeping a major decision from her and she gets raving mad! The side plot involves the Arnold twins, and a rift in their sisterhood. This book introduces my favorite non character ever, Gozzie Kunka! I completely forgot what book she appeared in. This was a fun book and one of the few that ends of a cliffhanger!
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