Thoughts before reading:
I've never read this one, but I've heard that Robert cheats on Stacey in here. In a weird way, I kind of love this idea. Mary Anne and Logan's relationship is SO unrealistic, even for older teens, and they are only 13... I like that finally someone else in the BSC has had a serious relationship for awhile, but it's going to run its course, hit realistic problems, and not end with a reconciliation. This is how real teenage (and older!) relationships go.
The basics:
Stacey and Robert have just enjoyed a nice day together, playing tennis and having lunch in the park, but it's ruined for her when Andi shows up. Her and Robert have been having problems lately, beyond the ones in Hawaii, and she really wants some alone time with him... but Sheila soon joins them as well. Everyone wants to play doubles, but Stacey declines. Instead she heads back to her place with Robert, where she gets a phone call from the Walkers (her clients in NYC, think way back to #18). They want to pay her to come stay in NYC for a week to babysit for them everyday. Stacey's thrilled by the thought of spending a week in the city with her dad, and agrees readily.
Robert's bummed, but Stacey assures him that a week is nothing. Kristy's also annoyed that Stacey's taking another "long term job". (Which makes no sense, because it's the same as if she were taking a vacation, and she always visits her dad during the summer.) Kristy will also be gone during that time, and she's hesitant to let Abby be president and treasurer. (Never mind the fact than when it suited the plot, she let Mal and Jessi run the whole club alone in SM #1.) She decides that Abby can have a trial run, then the club can vote on what to do.
Packing for her trip, Stacey realizes she isn't upset about leaving Robert for the week (quite a change from #76... clearly the infatuation has worn off). The thought makes her uncomfortable, so she decides to go see him. He left a note with his sister that he was playing basketball with friends, but Stacey goes to their usual spot, and the guys are there without Robert. She asks them about it, and they say he had other plans. Later on when she talks to him, he tells her he was playing one-on-one with a different friend. Something about the situation leaves her feeling uneasy though.
During her trial meeting, Abby gently mocks Kristy's strictness and announces she'll allow a few minutes leeway on being late, there will be no mandatory notebook writing, and dues only every other week. She says they can run things smoothly, while still having fun (gasp!). Everyone's thrilled, aside from Kristy, who's fuming. Everyone but Kristy votes in Abby's favor. In her first act as president, Abby decides to have a Mexican festival for the BSC charges, proceeds going to benefit an orphanage in Mexico that her sister Anna's music class helps.
Emily Bernstein calls Stacey to let her know that she saw Robert as the mall with a dark haired girl. This was during the time of the supposed basketball game. Stacey decides to spy on Robert, since he'd probably lie again if she asked him about it. (A bad solution, but, fair point.)
Stacey and Claudia follow Robert to the movies, where he meets up with Pete Black. After Stacey obsessively checks theaters, they run into the boys and end up hanging out. Stacey also asks Robert if he wants to hang out that night, but he claims to have plans with Pete. To make it up to her, he says he'll see her off the next morning... and he does, with flowers.
In NYC, Stacey mentions her troubles with Robert to her dad, who tries to suggest she might be too young for a steady boyfriend. She's annoyed, but they soon make up. At the Walkers, Stacey meets Ethan, a 15 year old art student who's working at the Walkers art gallery. They click right away, and he starts hanging out with her during some of the sitting jobs.
A few days into her trip, Claudia calls Stacey and gently tells her that she's seen Robert with Andi, and so have other people, all week. Claudia saw them kiss, even. Stacey's broken hearted, and unsure what to do. She tries to call Robert, but ends up hanging up and crying instead. For the rest of the week, she doesn't have any contact with him. Right before going back home, she thinks everything over and realizes the thought of Robert breaking things off with Andi actually makes her feel... disappointed? Deep down, she's glad to be free of Robert. She likes Ethan too, and therefore can't even blame him for liking someone else. She's just upset that he lied.
Stacey apologizes to her dad and tells him he was right about her and Robert. Ethan asks her out, and they exchange numbers.
Andi's waiting for Stacey when she gets home, clearly upset. Stacey tells her she already knows, and she doesn't own Robert. Right after, he calls and comes over as well. Stacey tells him she already heard about everything, it was wrong of him to lie, and asks him why he likes Andi better. He's clearly shaken, and explains they just have more in common. Stacey's hurt but knows she'll be okay, because she can rely on herself, which is what this experience has taught her.
Meanwhile, back at the BSC, Abby starts quickly going overboard, trying to do too much, and making the other club members pay for festival supplies without asking them first. She's also a terrible planner. Still, her festival ends up going fine, and she learns that maybe Kristy knows more about running things than she realized.
Timeline:
Still summertime, now late August.
Misc. thoughts:
*Ghostwritten by Suzanne Weyn.
*Stacey narrates in here that she "even stopped hanging around with her real friends" because of Robert's friends. That's not true, or fair. It was her choice, and she had her own reasons for wanting that at the time.
*F for continuity: Kristy is leaving for Hawaii again, which she already did in the last book.
*Claudia's making watermelon carvings?
*In a city of millions, the Walkers couldn't find one single teenager to babysit for them? Stacey may already be a favorite, but she lives two hours away!
*Robert didn't even wait the extra one day until Stacey was out of town to start this thing with Andi up! What a sleaze. If he's doing this at 13, it doesn't bode well for the type of man he'll turn out to be...
*I've also read other BSC blogs where people would say things along the line of Stacey deserving all this because she was bitchy to Robert in Hawaii, or no wonder he cheated on her. From female reviewers, too! I guess none of them have ever been cheated on. No one deserves it. I couldn't care less how difficult Stacey acted at any point. If he was unhappy with her, he needed to tell her so and dump her. I don't see how anyone could justify anything else.
*Abby's trial meeting as president with Kristy still there was hilarious! She's basically mocking Kristy the whole time, acting really self important, and giving out withering glares to those who arrive at 5:29 or later, in a joking way. After all these books where she tried too hard to be funny, she's finally succeeded!
*Abby also asks Kristy, "Isn't this supposed to be fun?" about the club. Finally, 100+ books later, someone wants to know this!
*Pete has a new haircut and Claudia likes it... is she finally going to get some action?
*This book makes sure to remind us that Norman Hill is overweight, before saying he filled his festival sign with pictures of food. Pretty effed up if you ask me...
*I don't necessarily agree with Stacey's dad that 13 year old's are too young to date seriously (it depends entirely on the kids in question), but you can see his genuine concern for her in this scene. I was glad it was addressed, at least. I'm surprised we've never heard any similar concerns from Richard, the "strict" one.
*The World Trade Center is mentioned, pg 119.
*As always, Stacey handles everything with impressive maturity. I don't know many adults who'd take this situation as well.
Books mentioned:
None
My rating:
3.5 stars. A good read, enjoyable, and could be impactful for young girls.
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