SummaryThings with Stacey and the BSC haven't exactly been fantastic lately. She's been spending so much time with Robert that she's coming late to meetings and (as we saw in the last book) getting substitutes for her sitting jobs. She's also noticing things about the other BSC members and their behavior that she doesn't exactly like. They're starting to seem awfully silly and immature, especially when compared to Robert's friends. One night, Stacey gets Mary Anne to substitute for her at the Pikes' so she can go out for pizza with Robert and his crew. Who should show up there, hiding behind a juke box and spying, but Dawn. Stacey is totally embarrassed...and a little scared. She has no idea how the BSC is going to react when Dawn tells them that it was no emergency that kept her from her sitting job....
At the next BSC meeting, things are a little tense. Kristy is especially unhappy with Stacey, but Claudia smooths things over with snacks. Stacey keeps noticing all the silly, immature little things the BSC does, though. She doesn't want to be a snob, but but she's getting more and more annoyed with her supposed best friends. She runs into Kristy, Mary Anne, and Dawn when she's out at Burger Town with Robert and his friends, and she can't stop wishing they would just act their age. The other BSC members aren't the only ones who are screwing up, though. Stacey herself is letting Robert and her new friends get in the way of her BSC duties more and more. During a sitting job with Jamie Newton, Stacey ignores Jamie to talk on the phone to Robert....until Jamie throws up all over everything and Stacey FINALLY understands why he was so whiny all evening. She feels bad about it, but the Newtons are pretty nice about the whole thing. Mrs. Newton DOES call the BSC and ask them to limit phone calls to emergencies, leading to another Kristy lecture.
Things kind of come to a head not long after that. Stacey and Robert had been planning a party at his house for their friends, and the only BSC member that Stacey had invited was Claudia. Just before the party, though, Robert calls Stacey and tells her that they can't have it at his house. They decide to have it at the McGills' instead, leading to a dilemma for Stacey. It wasn't that big of a deal that the BSC wasn't invited when it was at Robert's; after all, it was more his party then and he doesn't really know the club members all that well. Now that it's at Stacey's, she almost feels as if she has to invite her BSC friends. She doesn't (other than Claudia), and Dawn and Mary Anne show up in the middle. of it. Stacey invites them in, but they know they're not really welcome and leave.
Things blow up at the next club meeting. Not only do the other sitters feel stupid for not being invited to Stacey's party, which the whole school knew about, but Stacey also forgot to show up to the BSC talent show. Charlotte, who was planning on playing the piano, was so upset that Stacey broke her promise to be there that she ran off stage without performing. There's lots of yelling, and Stacey quits the club just before Kristy fires her.
Subplot: talent show.
Rating: 3
Thoughts and Things
- I actually like the "Stacey is too mature for the club" story arc. When I was younger, I was never in favor of any of the club members leaving, but now, I'm not so against it. :)
- There was lots of foreshadowing in regards to Stacey missing meetings and sitting jobs because of Robert, but none when it comes to her thinking that the other BSC members are immature. With the exception of Kristy yelling about her sleepover in the middle of the school gym in Stacey and the Cheerleaders, it's like everyone in the BSC is suddenly annoying and immature.
- Why does Mallory look like she's about to vomit on the cover? Also, Kristy needs some longer pants.
- The whole "cool crowd" actually DOES sound more fun to hang out with than the BSC members in this book. In a way, I don't blame Stacey for wanting to hang out with them instead.
- Poor Jamie. I'm glad Stacey had to clean up after him....but that whole chapter makes mac and cheese slightly less appealing.
This is one of the books where the BSC is ridiculously cultish.
ReplyDeleteI'll Say
Deleteto nikki:
ReplyDeletei'll say.
so its a crime for stacey to ditch her job watching 8 screaming kids over a night out with the most popular gang.
its also a crime when stacey starts having fun, while the bsc makes fools of themselves.
and its a crime when stacey invites only claudia to robert's party while the bsc are totally excluded.
and its a crime when stacey makes a phone call while watching jamie newton.
omg the bsc is so freaking cultish in this book.
the only one who wasnt acting cultish was mary anne, and she's known for acting like such a baby.
Stacey is favorite character, but in my opinion, why couldn't she ask Kristy to go to less meetings(more time with Robert, less time with the club, less jobs), and to be a little more mature. Kristy may be bossy, but she's nice, and changed when people thought she was immature. But I like the drama. Does she come back though?
ReplyDeleteIn Stacey's Ex-Best Friend, Laine is more mature. So why is Stacey so mad?
ReplyDeleteOne thing I’ve noticed about this book is that it looks at different levels of maturity. For example, it was immature of Dawn to spy on Stacy and for the behaviour of Dawn, Kristy, and Mary Anne at the burger place. However, Stacy made prior commitments to the BSC and it was immature for her to not keep them.
ReplyDeleteAs for the party, while Stacy should either have invited all the BSC members or none of them at all, it was wrong for Claudia to completely blame Stacy for “forcing her” to attend the party. In the end, it was Claudia’s choice to go along with Stacy or not and I found it was very immature of her for not taking responsibility for her actions and admitting that she made a bad choice. I also have to side with Stacy- Dawn and Mary Anne should not have just showed up her house. Not only was it rude but it was very immature of them. If the BSC members had a problem, they should have talked to Stacy. Just like when it came to her missing the Pike job, Dawn should have talked to Stacy in private about it. Furthermore, yes Dawn you do need to watch what you do in public. There are acceptable and unacceptable social graces that everyone has to follow in order for proper first impressions and to fit into whatever society you are in. Failure to do so may result in worse than what was going through Stacy’s mind and the mind of other people in either restaurant. Simple as that.
The BSC does need to re-evaluate its priorities as Stacy, and the other members, have the right to have more friends outside of that circle. After all, the BSC is really just a business the girls run and people have friends outside of work. So, they were unfair to Stacy for that. However, she really needed to lighten up about her relationship with Robert. I mean, for fuck’s sake, they’re all between the ages of 11 and 13; it’s not like wedding bells could be heard in the distance!
So, yeah this book had maturity and immaturity coming from all the characters I think and showed that maturity has many levels and people, especially during the teen years, are mature in some ways and immature in other ways. And that’s my 2 cents.
It's also a look at how teens handle their fights and changing friendships. Stacey might be a little more mature than the others, but she's also a kid figuring things out.
DeleteThere was a lot of immaturity all around, but let's not forget that these are 13 year olds. When you're 13, you do a lot of silly things. :P
You can say that again. 13= the one age I'm glad to have moved on from :)
DeleteI don't see why Stacey should have to invite either none of the club or all of them. If you play on a soccer team and you're co-hosting a party, does that mean you have to invite either the whole team or none of them? You can't invite just your best friend on the team?
DeleteClaudia is supposed to be Stacey's best friend, and Stacey wanted her to be there. They're best friends, they're allowed to do things without the rest of the club. Anyway, who would really want the rest of the club at their party, anyway? Mallory would start handing out her phone number to her new "friends", Mary Anne would cry in the corner, Dawn would slap hot dogs out of people's hands, Kristy would throw BSC fliers at everyone, and Jessi....actually has no character traits, so I guess she would be pirouetting her way across the dancefloor.
one thing i have to say is stacey was so weird in this book and i hate puke
ReplyDeletein the earlier books (circa Stacey's Mistake) it's mentioned that Stacey also hates puke
DeleteOMG, when I read this book, I must not have been so traumatized by throw-up as I am now. I mean, I was always totally grossed out by it, but it probably wasn't such a big deal because I don't remember that part.
ReplyDeleteThis is a book I'd like to re-read, but I'm definitely skipping the throw-up chapter.
Hated Stacey in this book. I hate that she acted like she was so mature and so much better than the bsc. Hello they're 13 It's ok for her friends to be acting like kids cuz hi they are and so are you. Also you can't just bail on a job cuz you wanna hang with your boyfriend. And not inviting your friends to a party because you're embarrassed by then. You're a bad friend.
ReplyDeleteWhile Stacy wasn't nice in this book I am horrified about the way the Kristy, Dawn and Mary Anne where acting at the restaurant! Yes it maybe a casual restaurant but wow! They are acting like toddlers!
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