Kristy's Big News

The BSC after awhile became fake sounding BSC friends forever #1 is more mature and better except they don't go into grade 9 exactly how many times will they go through gr. 8? This one Kristy's dad calls and ask them (CHARLIE, Sam, and Kristy to go to Califonia to his wedding. He dosn't even remember David Micheal. All in All The book was good and the new BSC Series sounds good.

This book (and #2 as well) is as real as the CD books! I honestly was shocked! I was a former BSC fan, but outgrew the books and was looking for something more mature. I've read California Diaries since they arrived in bookstores in 1997, but I have to admit, I missed reading about the BSC members and was wishfully thinking that there would be a mature series on them.I got my wish! "Friends Forever" hardly foucuses on baby-sitting at all. Instead this book was about remeeting Kristy's long lost father. It shows that the chariters have grown up and are dealing with real life! I enjoyed Friends Forever #1 very much! Keep up the good work Ann M. Martin!

In Friends Forever #1, Kristy sees her father after seven long years. Everything isn't peachy though. The tension between the family was very realistic. Especially for the oldest one, Charlie. Charlie helped take care of the family with his mother after Mr. Thomas walked out on the five of them. (He even did dipaer changing!) I could understand how he would have hard feelings towards his father when the younger two (Sam and Kristy) didn't. He was the older brother. The fatherly figure. He didn't want to see Sam and Kristy get hurt again, so he was weary of his own dad!Great job Ann! This new series seems very promesing! I'm keeping tuned in!

Interesting & touching. Kristy has never had a good relationship with her dad. Her oldest brother, Charlie, seems to despise their dad. I don't blame them; Patrick came across as selfish & irresponsible. He broke their mother's heart & almost never contacted the kids. I was so glad when Charlie & Kristy told him off! I don't see that he has changed much. I'm not fond of Patrick & hope he doesn't appear in too many future books. I'm glad Zoey turned out to be a wonderful stepmom & was understanding of Kristy. I loved the way she didn't let Patrick push her around. I liked how she told him off when he made that dumb sexist comment about women & shopping. It was neat how Zoey understood how Kristy HATED clothes shopping & made their shopping trip painless & let Kristy pick out what she wanted. I like how Kristy stays the way she is rather than trying to turn her into a teenage "feminine" stereotype. Speaking of getting older...I'd hoped that the BSC would enter high school. I did like that Anne kept the stories in first-person format. I also like that she put the character sketches inside the front cover so the first chapter isn't taken up describing each character. One SWELL part at the beginning: I'm so happy Mary Anne & her parents are in their own place again, even a rented place! Great as Kristy's family were to the Schafer-Spiers, I know Mary Anne's family didn't want to be camped out at the Thomases' indefinately. It's so encouraging that they're slowly replacing what they lost. If only the Sweet Valley series could take a hint & move the Wakefields into their own place, even rented. (the Wakefields are STILL camped out at the Fowlers' even months after an earthquake wrecked their house) Mary Anne seems to be recovering from that awful fire, yet she reached out to Kristy when Kristy confided about her dad. I'm sorry that Abby & the others are missing from the new series, but I'm soooo glad they kept Mary Anne in Stoneybrook; they BSC would have been ruined without her! But I'm really not sorry to see Shannon or Logan gone; they weren't my favorites. I'm glad the core of the characters didn't change. Some series make that mistake; I'm glad Ann avoided that pitfall. The book was heartwarming, touching, & yet realistic...Kristy doesn't believe she will ever be close to her dad(she calls him Patrick, not dad). The girls realize how they've stuck together through all the good & bad & feel better than they have in a long time. I'm glad not EVERYTHING literally changed...like their solid friendship & loyalty

I was really glad to see a change in Kristy in Friends Forever #1. While she IS a tomboy (so am I in fact) she should realize that IT IS OKAY to take care into your apperence.The wedding was just wonderful. Personally, I think it's good for Kristy to have a stepmother like Zoey. She can care about her apperence, yet she still seems tough.You don't see Kristy as an immature person as I kind of struck her in the old series. She takes charge in some parts of the book, yet she doesn't go overboard and get nasty and bossy.Great job Ann! I think this new side of Kristy Thomas is terrific! I'll surely buy more of the books!