#127 - Abby's Un-Valentine

Timeline
Feb of 9th repeat

Plot
Abby has no interest in boys or Valentine's Day. Actually, she is so anti Valentine's Day it's a little weird. So when a boy, Ross, decides he wants Abby as his Valentine, obviously things aren't going to work out in his favor. He chases her, but she resists and is actually quite rude to him. But of course, Ross won't give up, which is also quite rude. Then she realizes that all the things Ross is interested in don't appeal to her but they would appeal to her sister, Anna. She attempts to set them up, but it flops. He comes to the house and thinks Anna is Abby, and for some reason Anna doesn't correct him, then he realizes he has the wrong twin and gets very mad. Anna and Abby go to his house to apologize, and Abby says that maybe Anna and Ross should spend time together. They set a date.

Sub plot is that it's time for the guide dog that Kristy's family is training is ready to move on to the next step and Andrew is losing his mind. David Michael ends up giving him partial ownership of their other puppy, Shannon, to help him heal.

Takeaways
Ross may have trouble later in his life -he doesn't get that no means no.

Abby and Kristy end up spending Valentine's Day together, which is weird bc Abby mentions several times in the book that she is not that close with Kristy. Abby is in denial. It wasn't that many books ago Kristy went on vacation with Abby's family.

Best Character
I would say Anna, because it's pretty clear that she has feelings for Ross from the very beginning, but then she is very positive about getting Abby hooked up with him. So she puts her feelings aside for her twin. But then she ends up getting him anyway.

Worst Character
I know that everything ends up being okay, but I'm going to give this one to Ross because he doesn't respect Abby telling him no.

#121 - Abby in Wonderland

Timeline
Summer before 9th repeat

Plot
Abby and her family are going to her grandparent's house in the Hamptons for an extended vacation, and while they are there their grandparents are throwing an Alice In Wonderland themed anniversary party for themselves. Her grandmother is hell bent on getting everyone in the family there, and she seems more crazy about it than usual. Abby can't figure out why her grandma seems so much more sensitive this year, so she does some snooping and discovers information about breast cancer in her grandma's bedroom. She then takes it upon herself to make sure this party has everyone there that her grandma wants, so she starts making calls and convincing her relatives to come, including her grandma's sister who has been estranged for quite some time.

Kristy comes to the party, and Abby is glad to have a friend there. During her grandma's thank you announcement, Abby becomes overwhelmed with emotion and runs inside. Her grandma sees her and follows her, and Abby finally just bluntly asks about the breast cancer. Her grandma admits she has a lump her doctor is doing a biopsy on, but no matter what happens she will fight bc she's not ready to die yet.

Side story is the Pikes don't get to go to Sea City this year, so they are all super depressed, so the BSC helps them turn their backyard into a beach and have a beach party with all their friends.

Takeaways
Abby's grandparent's house seriously sounds like the best place on earth. All I want is a beach house.

It's kind of weird Kristy goes to the party with Abby, but I guess she's probably the closest thing to a best friend Abby has in Stoneybrook? Everyone is kind of paired off already.

Also, like I said in the last book review...these books are getting deep lately.

That Alice in Wonderland party sound amaze-balls and I want one for myself ASAP.

Also, the Pikes are spoiled brats. There are EIGHT children in that house, and they act all depressed because, for the first summer ever, they can't afford a lavish two week beach vacation. Um. We had six kids in our family and do you know how many vacations we went on as kids? One. And we left one kid at home because he cost too much (jk, there was another reason).

Best Character
Obviously Abby's bad ass, cancer fighting grandma. Who is also a hell of a party planner.

Worst Character
All of the spoiled Pike kids except Mallory, who gets it.

#116 - Abby and the Best Kid Ever

Timeline
Feb of 8th repeat

Plot
Lou, who was the worst kid ever when the Papadakis's were fostering her, is back in town. Her aunt and uncle adopted her and her brother and now they've moved to Stoneybrook. Also, the Addison's are moving. Also, it's Black History Month so Abby is doing a project on the Underground Railroad and (obviously) she involves all the kids in Stoneybrook.

Lou is acting like a perfect angel because she is scared that her aunt and uncle will get rid of her. She is annoyingly helpful and makes a lot of mistakes bc she is so obsessed with perfection. Abby talks to her brother about it, and be basically says Lou is on edge because she is scared of getting thrown back into the system. Even though she knows that, Abby snaps at her and then Lou becomes a brat again. Then she's good again. Then she's bad again. Finally she has a breakdown and her aunt and uncle say they will never get rid of her ever.

So that is settled. Abby's project is amazing. And they throw a goodbye part for the Addison's, and the family who moves in comes. The dad seems super controlling and the kids seem scared of him.

Takeaways
This book was SO boring.

Abby mentions a few times how bossy Kristy is, and how she is uncomfortable when she isn't in charge. She is super passive aggressive about it.

AFTER Lou's brother tells Abby how sensitive Lou is, Abby yells at her. It's so rude.

Again, this book was so boring.

Best Character
Mallory, because even though it had nothing to do with her, she helps Abby A LOT with her project and then stands at the fair with her the entire time.

Worst Character
Abby, for a variety of reasons. And probably the dad of the new kids, because I'm sure it will come out later that he is abusive.

#110 - Abby the Bad Sport

Timeline
August before 8th repeat

Plot
This book was booooring.

Okay, so it's still summer and Abby is playing on a unified soccer team, so it's like half Special Olympic kids and half non-Special Olympic kids. Abby pretty much immediately loses "her" starting position to a Special Olympic kid, Erin, who does a really good job at it. Abby gets moved to defense, and she is PISSED bc that position does a lot of work but gets no glory or kudos for it. She ends up starting a fight during a game with Erin, and they both get benched.

So basically Abby is a huge B to her team, her friends and her family. Her family plans a trip to Long Island to finally see her father's family and his grave. He died four years ago. Abby refuses to go.

Finally, she realizes how awful she is being, apologizes to everyone and finally feels like she is a part of the team.

The babysitting sub plot is that, of course, all the kids in Stoneybrook get obsessed with soccer and come to every game, and then raise money to buy the team tshirts.

Takeaways
One thing that was super annoying in this book was - how does Abby (the book is in her voice) know everything that is being said when she is not around? Normally this happens, where even though it's like a Dawn book, but somehow she knows every single thing that happens at MaryAnne's babysitting job. But it was so weird and awkward this book, where Abby is playing soccer but somehow knows every whisper and head nod that happens in the stands.

Also, no kid in the history of kids is THAT interested in a sporting event where they watch every single second of the game. NO WAY.

Also, when Abby is fighting with her family, she excuses herself to go do homework. Um. School is not in session yet.

Abby seriously has a worse ego than Kristy. She cannot believe the coach is fawning all over her and freaking out about how she's the best player to ever play soccer.

Also, it's kind of weird how a person is THAT obsessed with a sport.

Best Character
Kristy, because she is finally the one to call Abby out on her shitty behavior.

Worst Character
OBVIOUSLY Abby. I don't think I like that character very much.

#104 - Abby's Twin

Timeline
January of their 7th repeat

Plot
The eighth grade girls all get tested for scoliosis. All the girls are okay except Abby and her sister, Anna. They have to go to a specialist, where it turns out Abby is okay, but Anna has a curved spine and needs to get fitted to wear a brace for the next few years. Abby feels terrible and decides it is her job to make Anna feel better about things, even though Anna makes it very very clear she wants to be left alone to deal with this on her own.

The subplot of this book is that the BSC is planning a winter festival to help the neighborhood get through the winter blues. Abby immediately volunteers Anna to help, and Anna is super annoyed. Then Abby goes clothes shopping for Anna, but only buys clothes that Abby would like. Anna is super annoyed. Then Abby creepily goes and gets the exact same haircut as Abby. Anna is SUPER annoyed. They finally have it out in the hallway at school and stop speaking.

It looks like the winter festival isn't going to work out bc there is no snow, but then, of course, it starts snowing the day of. They hold it and it's amazing. Then Anna comes to the festival and the twins make up. The end.

Takeaways
Abby is so annoying in this book. She takes Stacey with her to buy the clothes for Anna, and Stacey keeps telling her it's not stuff Anna would like, but she won't listen.

Also, Abby keeps awkwardly asking Anna if she can try on her brace.

I already knew so much about scoliosis because of the book Deenie by Judy Blume.

Can't these babysitters ever just relax? They seriously have to hold a winter festival?

Best Character
Anna is probably the best, because she has to deal with this health issue and her sister is super annoying and dumb about it, and she doesn't lose her cool until far into the book.

Worst Character
Freaking Abby and her straight spine.

#96 - Abby's Lucky Thirteen

Timeline
Spring of their sixth repeat

Plot
Abby and her twin sister, Anna are preparing for their Bat Mitzvah. Abby is super stressed and she bombs a math test because of it. Her mom sides with Abby and goes to the school and yells at her teacher. Abby continues on her merry way, preparing for her BM, playing soccer, babysitting and ignoring math. So of course she’s not ready for her next math test. Some kid offers her a study guide for three bucks, which she happily pays for and then studies it all night. When she gets the test the next day, she is shocked to see she didn’t buy a study guide, she bought a copy of the test!

When she gets her test back, she misses one question - and unfortunately so do five other people in her class. And they all missed it in the same way. Her teacher accuses them all of cheating and suspends them all for three days. Abby goes back to the classroom later and tries to tell her the truth but she doesn’t buy it. Abby doesn’t want to tell her mom she’s suspended so she just hides out, but her mom catches her on the last day. She gets grounded for a month, but her mom wants to talk to the teacher again.

The next day Abby catches Mary Anne buying a “study guide” from the same kid, so they both go to the teacher to explain. The teacher believes them this time. Abby feels better and her BM goes off beautifully.

The side story in this book is that all the neighborhood kids are grounded from their televisions, so they all start acting out their favorite tv shows.

Takeaways
I realize it’s probably disrespectful to call a Bat Mitzvah a “BM” but that’s a lot to type out and I’m on my iPad.

Abby doesn’t even tell the BSC about her suspension because she says they “aren’t that close”. Interesting.

I love that the kids all got grounded from their TVs. So they have to actually play. Now kids get grounded from their electronics and have to just watch tv.

I don't understand how a teacher can decide to suspend a group of students for three days. Doesn't something like that need to come from the principal?

Best Character
Probably Mary Anne because she’s incredibly shy but goes to the math teacher and explains what happened and stands up for her and Abby.

Worst Character
That dick who sold them both a copy of the test and lied about it.

#90 - Welcome to the BSC, Abby

Timeline
Fall of their 6th repeated year

Plot
Abby is new to town and the newest member of the BSC. She is a jock, but she also has a bad case of asthma so she needs to be careful. While babysitting for the Papadakis's, she has a very bad asthma attack. Hannie gets really scared and runs across the street to Kristy's. Kristy is then very worried about Abby's ability to babysit without dying.

Stoneybrook is doing a town carnival to raise money for arts in the schools. All the girls's families are totally into it, but when Abby tries to get her family involved, they are like meh. The BSC also decides to do a booth, too, so Abby will be involved no matter what, but she really wants her family to do something.

Abby (who is a twin - I don't know if you know that) and Anna get yelled at by their mom to get their shit unpacked, so they take an afternoon and start working on it. During that time, Abby finds some cake mold pans and comes up with the brilliant idea to have a food booth where people can buy a baked good and decorate it. Anna still isn't excited and tells her they can talk about it later. Then the girls find a box of their dad's old stuff (he's dead - I don't know if you know that). They think their mom packed it up and forgot about it, so they get mad at her.

Finally the carnival comes, and while Abby's family agrees to  help , she is on her own at the booth. It is a huge hit, so the next day she goes home and everyone helps her make more stuff. The next morning Anna goes with her, and her mom has to go to work for awhile (in New York), but will take the train back early so she can help in the afternoon. During the carnival, which Anna is now into and enjoying, Abby hears a news report that a train from New York has been derailed and people are hurt. She starts to lose her mind, so her and Anna shut the booth down and Kristy's mom drives them to the train station, then home, then back to the carnival. They still know nothing. Then all of a sudden their mom comes running up and they hug it out. Turns out her train was behind the train that derailed. They are so relieved that they won't leave each other's sides the rest of the day, and they have a blast working their food booth together.

Everything is great, the carnival saves the arts programs, and Kristy gets over her worries that Abby will die babysitting.

Oh, and also the girls ask their mom about the box and she says she shoved all his stuff away and hid it because the pain was too much for her.

Takeaways
So much happens in this book.

But there aren't a lot of takeaways, other than what I already said in the plot summary.

There is a really cute side story about how Shannon Kilbourne and Anna are becoming best friends.

Oh, and there is another sidestory how the Arnold twins being that FUCKING GOAT to the carnival and sell polaroid pictures with the goat.

Best Character
I honestly think it's Abby, which is weird bc the title character hardly ever wins this one. She is just funny and not overwhelming and not drama.

Worst Character
THAT STUPID DISGUSTING GOAT.