Chain Letter

 

Thoughts before reading:

I never read this or the Secret Santa. Not really sure why, because they look like fun, and I think I would have enjoyed them when I was a kid. They were probably just too expensive, I'm guessing. I'm looking forward to this one though, for something a little different.

The basics:

Kristy's in the hospital recovering from appendicitis, and her cousin Robin sends her a chain letter where you have to write someone a secret about yourself that no one else knows, or you'll be cursed with bad luck. 

Kristy writes to Stacey, who's in NYC with her dad. Her secret is that she sometimes hates her father and wishes he was dead. This started last year when Sam cried on his birthday because their father didn't even call him. Stacey writes back and tells her she completely understands. 

Stacey writes to Mallory, who is on vacation with her family in Sea City, sharing her secret: after she moved to Stoneybrook the first time, she felt insecure about being new and decided to dye her hair red. It came out hideous, so she dyed it back and never told anyone. 

Mal writes to Jessi, even though they're in Sea City together (she leaves the note under Jessi's pillow). Her secret is that she panicked during an English test once and copied off her. Jessi tells her she already knew.

Jessi writes to Mary Anne, who's in California with Dawn. Her secret is that her and Becca were doing a treasure hunt at home one day when she was in charge, and they burned a hole in the carpet while trying to burn the edges of their treasure map. They then covered it up and never told their parents. When Mr. Ramsey later found it, he thought one of his friends did it while smoking. 

Mary Anne writes to Claudia, who's in NYC with Stacey. Her secret is that she used to see a therapist, after becoming overwhelmed by all the changes in her life. This was around the time Richard and Sharon got married, and she discovered that she'd lived with her grandparents in Iowa when she was little. 

Claudia writes to Dawn in California with her secret: she once stole a dollar from Mimi's purse to buy twinkies. 

Dawn writes to Shannon, who's away at summer camp. Her secret is she told Mary Anne that Cam Geary was on their plane. 

Kristy ends up developing a staph infection, which increases her hospital stay a bit. The girls plan a surprise party for her when she gets released. Mary Anne writes to Cam Geary and gets back an autograph. Jessi finally confesses to her parents. 

Timeline:

It's July, so back to summer break yet again.

Misc. thoughts:

*This would be a nice companion to a regular series book, but it was a weird stand alone, because nothing from this is mentioned in the other books. Which makes no sense, since Kristy being in the hospital with appendicitis is a pretty big deal. I'm surprised they didn't make that the plot for a book, then release this to go with it.

*The 1992 Olympic stamps on some of the letters were a nice touch.

*I'm guessing Kristy picked Stacey to share her secret with because she's also a child of divorce?

*After starting strong with Kristy's secret, the rest were pretty disappointing. I wish they had all had the substance of hers and Mary Anne's. 

*This also has postcards mixed in with the letters.

*Postage in 1992? $0.19 cents.

*Claudia's BSC answering machine is apparently broken during this time. 90s problems!

*Apparently Toby (from Sea City) already has a new girlfriend since the events of Super Special #10.

*We never find out Shannon's secret, or if she writes to Logan or not. 

*Kristy's scar is 3" long.

*I want a book about Mary Anne going to therapy! The stuff we don't get books about always sounds more interesting than many of the books we do get...plus a book about mental health would help a lot of kids. 

Books mentioned:

*Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes

My rating:

3 stars. This was a fun little book. It's made up of envelopes that open and actually have the letters inside for you to pull out and read, plus the postcards and their artwork. I would have been OBSESSED with this when I was 8.