Abby and the Secret Society Part1

[alula_auburn]

Comments

[kakeochi_umai]

That carpet on the cover looks like Jack from Scrubs dumped out a couple of plants to play helicopter.

Abby dramatically tells someone she can’t go out with-them, let’s say, and giggles. Oh, how MYSTERIOUS. Oh, wait, she’s talking to her skis.
Well, this gives a whole new meaning to It Was His Sled. Especially given that skis are long and narrow, if you catch my drift...

I kind of love that Abby was judging some of the BSC members so negatively. Not that shyness or having trouble at school or dressing fashionably are things you SHOULD judge someone negatively for, but these girls are so full of themselves that it's kind of fun seeing them being taken down a peg. I'm only surprised that Abby's first impression of Mallory wasn't "U-G-L-Y, she could make an onion cry!"

Oh good, more vagueness, because talking about bigotry directly is too rude and vulgar for Ann’s delicate sensibilities.And what makes this really ridiculous is she had no problem with Jessi thinking Pinky was being racist when she was crabby, or that Mallory was

[donna_c_punk]

they will hire her as a beautiful “hostess.” Holy cow, what kind of club is this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostess_club

This just reminded me how much I miss Ding Dongs and Ho-Hos. :(

[kakeochi_umai]

Must not make inappropriate joke about Claudia (ding-dong) and Stacey (ho-ho)...

[lisaerin]

The BSC are a bunch of shy-shaming jerks. I'm not sure if I'll be able to remember everything I want to say, but here goes

[shatisarockgod]

It's so strange going back to these books as an adult. I think this is another book I didn't read because I'd moved to other book series by this point. All the pushiness from the sitters, I probably didn't even notice or care about as a kid. And now it's just cringeworthy how "I've got to make over your personality so you'll be a social butterfly and have 60495695 friends for anybody that was shy, new in town or whatever else reason a person has for not being outgoing/having a lot of friends. Guess the same could apply for the book where Claire had her vampire phobia. lyke omg we've got to tackle that one! Phobias are a strange thing. Sometimes a person naturally grows out of them. Sometimes you're stuck with them. I'm 29 years old and I've been afraid of roaches my entire life. Yeah, I realize it's straight up crazy. "You're bigger than some stupid roach!" That doesn't stop my phobia any

[littlelatte]

2. How did people get the thought into their head that shy = bitch? I get the feeling a lot of people think that way and I don't understand it.

Word. I don't get it either but it's happened to me, and it can be pretty hurtful. And frustrating, too - so you think I'm a bitch because I'm quieter than other people, but a rude, obnoxious person who happens to be outgoing is okay? Sadly, that sometimes seems to be the case.

4. I got asked, "Why are you so shy, why are you so quiet?" a lot. Ugh, this. I've grown out of my shyness a lot - not completely, but a lot - but I've gotten these questions before. Or statements - "Wow, you're quiet!" Um, yeah. Thanks for pointing that out, I guess.

These subplot are so obnoxious. Way to alienate a good chunk of your readers, Ann and company. And as someone below pointed out, Mallory's criticisms of Stephen are so painfully ironic, it's actually pretty funny. I know it'd never happen, but I'd LOVE it if someone pointed that out to her.

[alula_auburn]

2. How did people get the thought into their head that shy = bitch? I get the feeling a lot of people think that way and I don't understand it.

I think it's a combination of people taking it personally, or thinking that shyness means someone doesn't want to talk to THEM, specifically, and also a lack of empathy. Even with my official shiny social anxiety disorder, my parents still tell me to just not be so shy--my mom especially doesn't get why sometimes it's really hard to be social.

[lippian]

So Ann hates Jessi so much, she gave TWO separate Very Special Racism books to other sitters

[alula_auburn]

Well, Nikki's friend was named Rachel (just like Abby's mom!) so clearly only Jewish women have that name? IDK.

And for real, Jessi is sitting right there during this whole discussion and gets no dialogue besides her "sprucing up" line. It's bizarrely evasive.

I think Mr. Kawaja is meant to be Asian.

[kakeochi_umai]

Mallory writes that Stephen is a nice kid, but they have to convince the other kids to believe it, or for him to have faith in himself, or whatever.
You can start on both of these by not acting like shyness is a godawful defect. Fuck. And for that matter, how do you know the other kids even have a damn problem with his shyness?

Mal grumbles to herself about how she wishes Stephen weren’t so shy, because if he were outgoing he would make friends more easily.
I want Mary Anne to passive-aggressive Mallory's ass off for this.

“he certainly wouldn’t make friends quickly, unless he overcame his shyness.” Shut UP, Mallory! Maybe if you acted less like a fucking cocktail party hostess expecting him to make small talk he would be more relaxed. And nothing makes people less shy than being told they should just stop being shy. GOD. I hate everyone.
THIS. My breathing has gone shallow and the only reason I'm not screaming obscenities at the top of my lungs is because my neighbours will hear me.

my personal favorite, "Chapter Shuteye Wow

[alula_auburn]

The thing is, Mal herself is pretty shy and insecure in a lot of books, and didn't really have close friends before Jessi and the BSC. At least with Kristy this assholishness might be expected, but from Mal it's just extra-hypocritical.

[kakeochi_umai]

Right? I'd expect this behavior from Kristy, Abby (though maybe not considering Anna seems to be more on the quiet side), Stacey, Dawn, or even Claudia because they seem to be the most outgoing members of the club, but not Mallory. I will always remember a comment that someone made on here about how Ann was essentially insulting the majority of kids who read her books by implying that shy/quiet = bad.

[kakeochi_umai]

I also feel like this is Tess Redux: like if Stephen didn't have racial identity issues, it would have been totally OK for Mallory to ride his ass like that.

[lippian]

I haven't thought of it that way, but you're right. I need to recycle and adapt my rant from my last recap. IT IS OKAY TO BE SHY OR NOT SHY, OR INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT REALLY THE SAME AS SHY AND NOT SHY ONLY THEY'RE USUALLY MIXED UP WITH SHYNESS IN BOOKS LIKE THESE SO I'M MENTIONING THEM HERE. IT IS OKAY TO BE INTROVERT, EXTROVERT, SHY OR NOT SHY EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT BIRACIAL. IF YOU ARE HUMAN, IT IS OKAY TO BE SHY. AND DIFFERENT. AND DRESS FUNNY. AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HURT ANYONE.

[kakeochi_umai]

*standing ovation

[lippian]

I didn't know there even was an introvert pride movement, but I'm always following the Mad Pride movement-- mostly composed of people like me who got misdiagnosed as crazy as children because we were intelligent and introverted and liked to do subversive things like read. I was diagnosed with asperger's syndrome solely because I admitted to the child shrink that I didn't really like girls my age, I thought they were boring, and I hated parties and would rather stay home and read or hang out with serious-minded adults. And then she pronounced me asperger's and started telling me (and my parents) all the things I couldn't do with that diagnosis. That was just the tip of the iceberg for the psych crap I put up with growing up, but you get the idea. So now I'm very avid about letting people be however they are and if they don't hurt anyone it's NOT A DISEASE. Especially if the people are kids. That's why the BSC makes me so angry, I think. Kids are supposed to be weird, and shy, and not care for organized activities. They're supposed to