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The Baby-Sitters Club #78
Claudia and Crazy Peaches
Claudia's Aunt Peaches is going to have a baby and comes to stay with the Kishi's. When Peaches gets Claudia in trouble, Claudia gets mad and says something she later wishes she could take back.
139 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
45 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,127 books3,096 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 2, 2017
in this unofficial sequel to Claudia and Mean Janine by ghostwriting team Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner, claudia's aunt peaches gets pregnant and comes to stay with the kishis while waiting to move into her new house. peaches is the only one in the family, now that mimi is gone (see Claudia and the Sad Goodbye) who really GETS claudia. peaches wants to hang out with claud all the time, but eventually it gets in the way of claudia's responsibilities and they have a huge blow-up. peaches loses the baby, and claudia blames herself (which is why I called it a sequel to Mean Janine -- in that one, claudia fights with mimi and blames herself when mimi gets sick soon afterward). meanwhile, natalie springer (who is I guess a character from the Little Sister series, or maybe The Kids in Ms. Colman's Class series) has no friends. the bsc tries to help her make some new friends. it sort of works, in spite of the fact that she is an insufferable brat.
highlights:
-claud learns to knit so she can make a baby blanket for peaches. she learns from mary anne, who had been taught by mimi, which is a nice touch: carrying on the mimi traditions after she's gone.
-this series of knitting puns: "mary anne's been needling me," "claud's been keeping me in stitches," "these are supposed to be knitting jokes, right? you can't pull the wool over my eyes," "knit-picky," "spinning yarns"
-natalie asks claudia to play lovely ladies, a game that karen brewer always plays. but she doesn't know what the game entails, so they just sit around pretending to be fancy (but don't wear fancy clothes). at one point, claud asks what natalie's (fake) poodle is named, and natalie says, "pierre, naturally." claud responds, "that's right. you name all of your poodles pierre. I should have remembered," to which natalie replies (while pretending to cry), "pierre was my first husband. I'll never forget him." I seriously laughed out loud.
-finally natalie meets kids she doesn't already know (who don't already hate her) and she and claudia make a list of ways to be a good friend so she will stop being a jerk
-I like that peaches loses the baby. it's an unexpected plot point, and it's pretty brutal.
-peaches seems like someone it would be fun to hang out with. I love the scene where she and claudia make an elaborate meal for no reason, dressing up as fancy waiters with silly moustaches
lowlights/nitpicks:
-claud calls russ (peaches's white husband) "american-american" as opposed to "japanese-american." but he is a white guy whose family comes from ireland. also I think "american-american" means native/indigenous people, not white people. if russ is american-american, claudia is too, since she was born and has always lived in the usa.
-peaches is so needy! she keeps stealing claudia away from her responsibilities and then not really owning up to it. claudia doesn't handle it well either, but really it's just a bummer seeing them both be dumb about this.
-natalie is a jerk/brat! that's why no one likes her. at one point she actually says to another kid "because this is my house and I said so."
in stacey's kid kit:
-jacks
in shannon's kid it:
-jacks
-jump ropes
-colored chalk
in claudia's kid kit:
-construction paper
-colored markers
peaches and claudia's elaborate feast that they make for the other kishis (making me hungry...)
-stuffed mushrooms
-country pate
-triple cream Danish blue on little rounds of toast
-salad with radicchio and arugula
-angel hair pasta with a fresh cilantro pesto, loaded with pine nuts and garlic, topped with freshly grated romano
-chocolate torte
claudia outfit:
-"I slipped on a pair of baggy jeans with an extra long belt and grabbed a pinstriped vest to go over my white shirt. For color, I wore my purple high-tops and a black derby with a pink-and-purple hatband."
snacks in claudia's room:
-chocolate-covered peanuts (n.s.)
-mallomars between two books on the shelf above her desk
-pretzels (n.s.)
-chocolate stars (n.s.)
highlights:
-claud learns to knit so she can make a baby blanket for peaches. she learns from mary anne, who had been taught by mimi, which is a nice touch: carrying on the mimi traditions after she's gone.
-this series of knitting puns: "mary anne's been needling me," "claud's been keeping me in stitches," "these are supposed to be knitting jokes, right? you can't pull the wool over my eyes," "knit-picky," "spinning yarns"
-natalie asks claudia to play lovely ladies, a game that karen brewer always plays. but she doesn't know what the game entails, so they just sit around pretending to be fancy (but don't wear fancy clothes). at one point, claud asks what natalie's (fake) poodle is named, and natalie says, "pierre, naturally." claud responds, "that's right. you name all of your poodles pierre. I should have remembered," to which natalie replies (while pretending to cry), "pierre was my first husband. I'll never forget him." I seriously laughed out loud.
-finally natalie meets kids she doesn't already know (who don't already hate her) and she and claudia make a list of ways to be a good friend so she will stop being a jerk
-I like that peaches loses the baby. it's an unexpected plot point, and it's pretty brutal.
-peaches seems like someone it would be fun to hang out with. I love the scene where she and claudia make an elaborate meal for no reason, dressing up as fancy waiters with silly moustaches
lowlights/nitpicks:
-claud calls russ (peaches's white husband) "american-american" as opposed to "japanese-american." but he is a white guy whose family comes from ireland. also I think "american-american" means native/indigenous people, not white people. if russ is american-american, claudia is too, since she was born and has always lived in the usa.
-peaches is so needy! she keeps stealing claudia away from her responsibilities and then not really owning up to it. claudia doesn't handle it well either, but really it's just a bummer seeing them both be dumb about this.
-natalie is a jerk/brat! that's why no one likes her. at one point she actually says to another kid "because this is my house and I said so."
in stacey's kid kit:
-jacks
in shannon's kid it:
-jacks
-jump ropes
-colored chalk
in claudia's kid kit:
-construction paper
-colored markers
peaches and claudia's elaborate feast that they make for the other kishis (making me hungry...)
-stuffed mushrooms
-country pate
-triple cream Danish blue on little rounds of toast
-salad with radicchio and arugula
-angel hair pasta with a fresh cilantro pesto, loaded with pine nuts and garlic, topped with freshly grated romano
-chocolate torte
claudia outfit:
-"I slipped on a pair of baggy jeans with an extra long belt and grabbed a pinstriped vest to go over my white shirt. For color, I wore my purple high-tops and a black derby with a pink-and-purple hatband."
snacks in claudia's room:
-chocolate-covered peanuts (n.s.)
-mallomars between two books on the shelf above her desk
-pretzels (n.s.)
-chocolate stars (n.s.)
February 12, 2011
suddenly it is fall again in stoneybrook. the older babysitters are still in the eighth grade, while jessi & mallory are still in sixth grade. no one really mentions the fact that a new school year just started or that several summers, xmases, halloweens, etc, have gone by without anyone aging at all.
claudia is dragging ass getting ready for school on the morning on which the book opens. as mrs. kishi passes off a slice of toast to claudia on her way out the door, she mentions that claudia should come straight home after school because she'll be receiving a phone call at 4pm. claudia begs for more details & mrs. kishi concedes that it's her sister, peaches, & she has important news. claudia wants the news NOW but mrs. kishi is the fort knox of secret-keeping. claudia is distracted all day, puzzling over peaches's big news.
she rushes home & makes a snack of peanut butter graham crackers sprinkled with chocolate chips. i wonder if that's actually any good? finally peaches calls & her big news is that she's two months pregnant. this will be her first child. she & her husband, russ, have been married for years, but apparently they were both focusing on their careers, so they postponed getting started on having kids. this will also be claudia's very first cousin. she is over the moon about it.
she can't wait to tell the other members of the babysitters club all about the forthcoming baby, but the meeting is really busy so she has to wait until everyone is getting ready to leave. of course, everyone is thrilled. claudia shares the information that stacey is almost as crazy about peaches & russ as claudia herself is. interesting that i don't think we have ever had a seen of stacey interacting with peaches & russ. i'm not sure we've ever even had a scene of claudia interacting with peaches & russ. are these actually new characters being introduced for the first time in this book, or have they been mentioned in passing before?
a few days later, peaches calls again to announce that she has quit her job, & she & russ are moving to stoneybrook. they have purchased a starter home with room for the baby, but they need a place to stay for a month until the house is ready to roll. mrs. kishi of course offers to put them up, & claudia beyond thrilled that her pregnant aunt is coming to live with the family for a few weeks. she can hardly wait to help peaches design the baby's room & pick out baby necessities.
can i just interrupt? peaches is only two months pregnant. so she's already jumping the gun a little bit by announcing her pregnancy to all & sundry. but also...she quit her job? wasn't it just established like 15 pages ago that she has been waiting to have children in order to "focus on her career"? why? so she could just go quit the very second that she became pregnant. even working women who intend to leave their jobs when they become mothers tend to wait until they are actually a little further along in their pregnancies. peaches explains that her only job now is to "sit around & get fat," & that she has 'always wanted children, & always intended to stay home with the kids when it happened." that's cool & everything, i respect her choice. i just don't really understand how that tallies with the postponement of motherhood & the working so hard for so long to establish a career. book, you do not make any sense.
i'm also confused about how peaches & russ managed to buy a house so quickly. it seems like they manged to find & purchase a house in the two or three days since they discovered that peaches is knocked up. that is not the way real estate actually works. you'd also think that peaches might have let slip something about moving to stoneybrook before actually closing on a house. & what's up with needing a place to stay? why can't they stay in their current place until the new house is ready? if it's a rental...why can't they stay? if they owned it, really? they couldn't have put a clause in the closing paperwork entitling them to stay until their new place is ready?
obviously, this is just a very transparent exercise in establishing some plot devices.
because it turns out that having peaches & russ living in the den isn't everything it's cracked up to be. it may be a new school year & everything, but claudia is already struggling to keep up with her homework, & peaches doesn't help anything when she convinces claudia to blow off her homework in order to help prepare a fancy gourmet feast for the family, just for fun. peaches also convinces claudia to go on a major shopping spree for baby necessities (really? you're two months pregnant, peaches; you have time), help choose colors for the nursery, etc etc. she even wakes claudia up one night at 11pm & convinces her to sneak out of the house & go for pizza. when peaches & claudia get home at 1am, everyone in the house is up & panicking because mrs. kishi happened to get up for a glass of water & noticed that claudia was missing. peaches keeps promising to help claudia with her homework to help make up for all the time she's is spending dragging claudia off to have fun & be kooky, but then she either gets involved in some other activity or doesn't know anything about the topic claudia is studying.
it all culminates in peaches asking claudia to blow off her homework once again in order to go over wallpaper samples for the baby's nursery. claudia explains that she has homework & asks to postpone until monday after school. peaches agrees. but then claudia forgets because she is so distracted by all the homework that is piling up. when peaches greets her at the door with her swatch samples, claudia says something about "getting it over with". peaches snaps & says that claudia doesn't have to help. claudia tries to explain that she's just really busy with schoolwork, & peaches is all, "i don't need help from a bratty, sullen teenager anyway!"
way to go, peaches. you are going to be a GREAT mom. i don't remember how i felt about the characters the first time i read this book, but now, as an adult, i think peaches comes off as a real ass. i know she's wild & adventurous & fun & everything, & that's great, but claudia does have responsibilities, & she really needs the time & energy to put into some of them, like school. i think it's fucked up that peaches keeps disrespecting claudia's time & wheedline away until she convinces claudia to make poor decisions. & when claudia finally tries to set some boundaries, peaches calls her a "sullen teenager"? what the fuck? claudia was in no way sullen at any point in this book.
anyway, after this fight, claudia tells mary anne that she's not sure she wants to keep working on the baby blanket she was planning to knit for the baby. claudia knows that sainted dead mimi (claudia's grandmother, peaches's mom) taught mary anne to knit a few years back. so claudia thought it would close the circle to have mary anne teach her to knit so she can make a beautiful blanket for the baby. the knitting has been slow-going--it seems to be the first creative activity that claudia isn't just naturally gifted at. anyway, mary anne convinces claudia that the blanket is for the baby, with whom claudia has no beef. so she continues.
a few days later, claudia comes home to a dimly-lit house & janine in tears next to the phone. peaches has been rushed to the hospital. something is wrong with the pregnancy. soon after, janine receives the call they had been dreading: peaches had a miscarriage. she's fine, & the doctor says that there's no reason to think that she & russ would have trouble conceiving again, but...the baby is gone.
& this is why it's unwise to start spreading the good news & dropping hundreds of dollars on baby shit when you're only eight weeks pregnant.
anyway, in a tiresome retread of claudia & mean janine, in which claudia believed that her bickering with janine caused mimi to have a stroke, claudia decides that her fight with peaches caused the miscarriage. as soon as peaches is back home, claudia breaks down into tears & apologizes. peaches apologizes too & explains that the miscarriage had nothing to do with claudia or emotional stress. it was "nature's way of saying that something isn't right." (many first-trimester miscarriages are the result of a catastrophic embryonic abnormality--most before the woman even realizes she is pregnant.) she says she is sad, but she can try again. though she & peaches have agreed to wait a while, because they are just too sad.
shortly thereafter, the movers come & peaches & russ move into their new home. peaches explains that the would-be nursery will be her office instead. the ad agency for which she used to work has agreed to give her some freelance work. happy ending?
the B-plot involves a new client named natalie springer. she's eight & goes to school with karen brewer. therefore, she has my sympathies. claudia takes the first job with her, & natalie immediately clings to claudia & asks if claudia is her friend. claudia says she is, which ends up being a big mistake, because natalie starts calling her every day & biking over to her house to see if claudia will play with her. claudia thinks it's kind of cute, but she also starts to weary of having to send natalie home all the time. when stacey sits for natalie, natalie does the same thing. natalie insists that she doesn't have any friends. she seems to think that kids can only have one friend each & that all the potential friends at school or in her neighborhood have already been claimed.
the babysitters develop a game plan to try to help natalie make some friends. when shannon is sitting, she calls up margo pike & asks her to invite some friends to come over to natalie's place. kids come by, but natalie alienates them all by being bossy & selfish (very different from how she behaved with the sitters alone). when jessi sits for natalie, she walks her over to her own neighborhood & introduces her to becca & charlotte, who immediately invite her to jump rope with them. it goes pretty well, even though natalie is still occasionally bossy. the next time that claudia sits for natalie, they sit down & make up a list of friendship rules. this is claudia's way of teaching natalie not to boss her friends around & to apologize if she hurts their feelings. it works & soon natalie is thick as thieves with becca & charlotte, & i am asking why the springers are such god-awful parents that they apparently never realized that their daughter was so friendless & lonely that she probably would have crawled into the abduction van of the first skeeve-o who offered to play hopscotch with her.
claudia is dragging ass getting ready for school on the morning on which the book opens. as mrs. kishi passes off a slice of toast to claudia on her way out the door, she mentions that claudia should come straight home after school because she'll be receiving a phone call at 4pm. claudia begs for more details & mrs. kishi concedes that it's her sister, peaches, & she has important news. claudia wants the news NOW but mrs. kishi is the fort knox of secret-keeping. claudia is distracted all day, puzzling over peaches's big news.
she rushes home & makes a snack of peanut butter graham crackers sprinkled with chocolate chips. i wonder if that's actually any good? finally peaches calls & her big news is that she's two months pregnant. this will be her first child. she & her husband, russ, have been married for years, but apparently they were both focusing on their careers, so they postponed getting started on having kids. this will also be claudia's very first cousin. she is over the moon about it.
she can't wait to tell the other members of the babysitters club all about the forthcoming baby, but the meeting is really busy so she has to wait until everyone is getting ready to leave. of course, everyone is thrilled. claudia shares the information that stacey is almost as crazy about peaches & russ as claudia herself is. interesting that i don't think we have ever had a seen of stacey interacting with peaches & russ. i'm not sure we've ever even had a scene of claudia interacting with peaches & russ. are these actually new characters being introduced for the first time in this book, or have they been mentioned in passing before?
a few days later, peaches calls again to announce that she has quit her job, & she & russ are moving to stoneybrook. they have purchased a starter home with room for the baby, but they need a place to stay for a month until the house is ready to roll. mrs. kishi of course offers to put them up, & claudia beyond thrilled that her pregnant aunt is coming to live with the family for a few weeks. she can hardly wait to help peaches design the baby's room & pick out baby necessities.
can i just interrupt? peaches is only two months pregnant. so she's already jumping the gun a little bit by announcing her pregnancy to all & sundry. but also...she quit her job? wasn't it just established like 15 pages ago that she has been waiting to have children in order to "focus on her career"? why? so she could just go quit the very second that she became pregnant. even working women who intend to leave their jobs when they become mothers tend to wait until they are actually a little further along in their pregnancies. peaches explains that her only job now is to "sit around & get fat," & that she has 'always wanted children, & always intended to stay home with the kids when it happened." that's cool & everything, i respect her choice. i just don't really understand how that tallies with the postponement of motherhood & the working so hard for so long to establish a career. book, you do not make any sense.
i'm also confused about how peaches & russ managed to buy a house so quickly. it seems like they manged to find & purchase a house in the two or three days since they discovered that peaches is knocked up. that is not the way real estate actually works. you'd also think that peaches might have let slip something about moving to stoneybrook before actually closing on a house. & what's up with needing a place to stay? why can't they stay in their current place until the new house is ready? if it's a rental...why can't they stay? if they owned it, really? they couldn't have put a clause in the closing paperwork entitling them to stay until their new place is ready?
obviously, this is just a very transparent exercise in establishing some plot devices.
because it turns out that having peaches & russ living in the den isn't everything it's cracked up to be. it may be a new school year & everything, but claudia is already struggling to keep up with her homework, & peaches doesn't help anything when she convinces claudia to blow off her homework in order to help prepare a fancy gourmet feast for the family, just for fun. peaches also convinces claudia to go on a major shopping spree for baby necessities (really? you're two months pregnant, peaches; you have time), help choose colors for the nursery, etc etc. she even wakes claudia up one night at 11pm & convinces her to sneak out of the house & go for pizza. when peaches & claudia get home at 1am, everyone in the house is up & panicking because mrs. kishi happened to get up for a glass of water & noticed that claudia was missing. peaches keeps promising to help claudia with her homework to help make up for all the time she's is spending dragging claudia off to have fun & be kooky, but then she either gets involved in some other activity or doesn't know anything about the topic claudia is studying.
it all culminates in peaches asking claudia to blow off her homework once again in order to go over wallpaper samples for the baby's nursery. claudia explains that she has homework & asks to postpone until monday after school. peaches agrees. but then claudia forgets because she is so distracted by all the homework that is piling up. when peaches greets her at the door with her swatch samples, claudia says something about "getting it over with". peaches snaps & says that claudia doesn't have to help. claudia tries to explain that she's just really busy with schoolwork, & peaches is all, "i don't need help from a bratty, sullen teenager anyway!"
way to go, peaches. you are going to be a GREAT mom. i don't remember how i felt about the characters the first time i read this book, but now, as an adult, i think peaches comes off as a real ass. i know she's wild & adventurous & fun & everything, & that's great, but claudia does have responsibilities, & she really needs the time & energy to put into some of them, like school. i think it's fucked up that peaches keeps disrespecting claudia's time & wheedline away until she convinces claudia to make poor decisions. & when claudia finally tries to set some boundaries, peaches calls her a "sullen teenager"? what the fuck? claudia was in no way sullen at any point in this book.
anyway, after this fight, claudia tells mary anne that she's not sure she wants to keep working on the baby blanket she was planning to knit for the baby. claudia knows that sainted dead mimi (claudia's grandmother, peaches's mom) taught mary anne to knit a few years back. so claudia thought it would close the circle to have mary anne teach her to knit so she can make a beautiful blanket for the baby. the knitting has been slow-going--it seems to be the first creative activity that claudia isn't just naturally gifted at. anyway, mary anne convinces claudia that the blanket is for the baby, with whom claudia has no beef. so she continues.
a few days later, claudia comes home to a dimly-lit house & janine in tears next to the phone. peaches has been rushed to the hospital. something is wrong with the pregnancy. soon after, janine receives the call they had been dreading: peaches had a miscarriage. she's fine, & the doctor says that there's no reason to think that she & russ would have trouble conceiving again, but...the baby is gone.
& this is why it's unwise to start spreading the good news & dropping hundreds of dollars on baby shit when you're only eight weeks pregnant.
anyway, in a tiresome retread of claudia & mean janine, in which claudia believed that her bickering with janine caused mimi to have a stroke, claudia decides that her fight with peaches caused the miscarriage. as soon as peaches is back home, claudia breaks down into tears & apologizes. peaches apologizes too & explains that the miscarriage had nothing to do with claudia or emotional stress. it was "nature's way of saying that something isn't right." (many first-trimester miscarriages are the result of a catastrophic embryonic abnormality--most before the woman even realizes she is pregnant.) she says she is sad, but she can try again. though she & peaches have agreed to wait a while, because they are just too sad.
shortly thereafter, the movers come & peaches & russ move into their new home. peaches explains that the would-be nursery will be her office instead. the ad agency for which she used to work has agreed to give her some freelance work. happy ending?
the B-plot involves a new client named natalie springer. she's eight & goes to school with karen brewer. therefore, she has my sympathies. claudia takes the first job with her, & natalie immediately clings to claudia & asks if claudia is her friend. claudia says she is, which ends up being a big mistake, because natalie starts calling her every day & biking over to her house to see if claudia will play with her. claudia thinks it's kind of cute, but she also starts to weary of having to send natalie home all the time. when stacey sits for natalie, natalie does the same thing. natalie insists that she doesn't have any friends. she seems to think that kids can only have one friend each & that all the potential friends at school or in her neighborhood have already been claimed.
the babysitters develop a game plan to try to help natalie make some friends. when shannon is sitting, she calls up margo pike & asks her to invite some friends to come over to natalie's place. kids come by, but natalie alienates them all by being bossy & selfish (very different from how she behaved with the sitters alone). when jessi sits for natalie, she walks her over to her own neighborhood & introduces her to becca & charlotte, who immediately invite her to jump rope with them. it goes pretty well, even though natalie is still occasionally bossy. the next time that claudia sits for natalie, they sit down & make up a list of friendship rules. this is claudia's way of teaching natalie not to boss her friends around & to apologize if she hurts their feelings. it works & soon natalie is thick as thieves with becca & charlotte, & i am asking why the springers are such god-awful parents that they apparently never realized that their daughter was so friendless & lonely that she probably would have crawled into the abduction van of the first skeeve-o who offered to play hopscotch with her.
February 19, 2024
This one was pretty good. It revolves around Claudia's cool aunt and her husband moving back to Stoneybrook. Peaches is newly pregnant and for some reason immediately quit her job. Seriously? Most women I know work til their mat leave then decide not to come back or come back part time, not quit the instant they know they're pregnant. But oh well. While waiting for their house to come into their possession they stay with the Kishis. For some reason in the study. Is Mimi's old room just a shrine to her now? Anyway Peaches is basically bored without a job and drags Claudia around everywhere. Claudia feels overwhelmed and can't get her homework done. Her mother is also angry and confronts them. Claudia and Peaches fight and at first I thought Peaches was the same age as Claudia cause she acts like a kid. Peaches loses the baby but eventually everyone makes up. The b plot involves a new kid Natalie Springer from Ms Colman's Class. She has no friends and the BSC try to find her some. Sort of like a recycled Charlotte Johanssen plot from the beginning of the series. We even meet Stoneybrook's resident rabbit that lives in the park. Peter (of course how original). He's pretty tame and I'm amazed a predator hasn't gotten him yet but then again I had a wild rabbit (possibly two) at the first home I rented on my own. He used to just chill out on my front lawn and killed the patch of grass he always sat on. Given how my life ended up I guess it was a predictor of things to come as my house and life is run by rabbits. Also rabbits prefer bananas over carrots. Anyway I got distracted by rabbits as always. Natalie begins to find friends and all is well. This was a decent read. I'm not sure Peaches would be that immature as someone without kids I don't think I get that huffy. I can be an asshole at times but not immature I hope. But except that it was good to see more of Claudia's family.
May 27, 2019
Tears? At the end of a Babysitter's Club book? This one hit pretty heavy in a lot of different areas, but it was beautiful. Claudia's stories always seem to be the best, for some reason.
February 28, 2024
I was bamboozled by the title and cover of this one. I didn't read the back closely and didn't remember enough of what it was actually about. I was expecting fun times with Aunt Peaches and instead I got a sequel to Claudia & Mean Janine! So the book starts off with Claudia waking up on a Monday morning with a tingly feeling that something big is going to happen and her mom confirms it when she says her Aunt Peaches is going to call her at 4:00 that afternoon. But she's running late so she'll have to wait til after school to find out what the news is and she gets dressed in a hurry.
I had no time to think about my wardrobe. I just made it up as I went along. I slipped on a pair of baggy jeans with an extra long belt and gabbed a pinstriped vest to go over my white shirt. For color, I wore my purple high-tops and a black derby with a pink-and-purple hatband.
Aunt Peaches is Claudia's mom's younger sister and is married to Russ, a white guy who gave her the nickname Peaches. White-washing? Peaches & Russ lived in Stoneybrook til Claudia was 7 years old and Claudia loves them both and always has lots of fun with them. When they talk that afternoon, Peaches gives Claudia the big news that she's pregnant and moving back to Stoneybrook! They've somehow already sold their old house and the new one isn't ready yet, so they move in with the Kishis for about a month. Claudia is over the moon excited of course and immediately starts thinking of all the ways she can help out with the baby and pregnancy. Claudia asks Mary Anne to teach her how to knit a blanket, because Mimi taught Mary Anne and it would be like full circle. It's very sweet. The entire BSC offers different ways to help Peaches and Logan's response was the sweetest. "Your aunt sure is lucky because, if I know you and the rest of the BSC, she won't have to lift a finger. All she'll have to do is sit on her nest and wait for that little egg to hatch." Awww....
Peaches is about 2 months along at this point and has already quit her job because she is going to "...sit around the house and get fat. And ...stay home and enjoy the whole experience." Which is great and all, but at 2 months?? She's also already thinking about everything she'll need to buy for the baby. The very first day they've moved in with the Kishis, Peaches & Claudia go shopping for the baby, and buy out the store basically. (The sales ticket was two feet long.) I really should have seen the foreshadowing here, but I didn't.
In the next few weeks, Peaches encourages Claudia to come have lots of fun with her: movies, midnight pizza (they get in big trouble for that), baby shopping, looking at samples, big fancy dinner parties for the family, etc. All at the expense of Claudia's grades, which start slipping even more than normal. Claudia and Peaches finally have a big fight, Peaches calls her a "sulky teenager" which is really out of line in my opinion, and don't talk to each other for a few days. And here comes the sad part.
Claudia gets home from a baby-sitting job, ready to apologize, and finds Janine sitting in the kitchen crying. Peaches has lost the baby. Claudia immediately thinks it's her fault, just like with Mimi's stroke. Maybe they should get her some counselling or something. Peaches is okay, it's "just one of those things", and they can try again later. (I seem to remember them actually having a baby later on in the series?) Claudia & Peaches make up, with lots of tears and hugs. Peaches & Russ move into their new home a week later and Peaches announces she's going back to work and if/when they have another baby, she'll work part-time in her home office.
Natalie Springer is the new client for this book and doesn't know how to make friends. Although when we first hear about her, Kristy said she's a friend of Karen's? Natalie is a grade A clinger, asking Claudia to be her bff, comes over to her house all the time (without an adult), calling her to chat, offering to help clean the house. They also play Lovely Ladies (another Karen Brewer trademark game) in the park and we get this funny little line: "That's right. You name all of your poodles Pierre. I should have remembered." The BSC girls make it their mission to get the kid some friends, it goes badly at first, and then they succeed. All is normal in BSC-land.
Blogged at SeeJennRead
I had no time to think about my wardrobe. I just made it up as I went along. I slipped on a pair of baggy jeans with an extra long belt and gabbed a pinstriped vest to go over my white shirt. For color, I wore my purple high-tops and a black derby with a pink-and-purple hatband.
Aunt Peaches is Claudia's mom's younger sister and is married to Russ, a white guy who gave her the nickname Peaches. White-washing? Peaches & Russ lived in Stoneybrook til Claudia was 7 years old and Claudia loves them both and always has lots of fun with them. When they talk that afternoon, Peaches gives Claudia the big news that she's pregnant and moving back to Stoneybrook! They've somehow already sold their old house and the new one isn't ready yet, so they move in with the Kishis for about a month. Claudia is over the moon excited of course and immediately starts thinking of all the ways she can help out with the baby and pregnancy. Claudia asks Mary Anne to teach her how to knit a blanket, because Mimi taught Mary Anne and it would be like full circle. It's very sweet. The entire BSC offers different ways to help Peaches and Logan's response was the sweetest. "Your aunt sure is lucky because, if I know you and the rest of the BSC, she won't have to lift a finger. All she'll have to do is sit on her nest and wait for that little egg to hatch." Awww....
Peaches is about 2 months along at this point and has already quit her job because she is going to "...sit around the house and get fat. And ...stay home and enjoy the whole experience." Which is great and all, but at 2 months?? She's also already thinking about everything she'll need to buy for the baby. The very first day they've moved in with the Kishis, Peaches & Claudia go shopping for the baby, and buy out the store basically. (The sales ticket was two feet long.) I really should have seen the foreshadowing here, but I didn't.
In the next few weeks, Peaches encourages Claudia to come have lots of fun with her: movies, midnight pizza (they get in big trouble for that), baby shopping, looking at samples, big fancy dinner parties for the family, etc. All at the expense of Claudia's grades, which start slipping even more than normal. Claudia and Peaches finally have a big fight, Peaches calls her a "sulky teenager" which is really out of line in my opinion, and don't talk to each other for a few days. And here comes the sad part.
Claudia gets home from a baby-sitting job, ready to apologize, and finds Janine sitting in the kitchen crying. Peaches has lost the baby. Claudia immediately thinks it's her fault, just like with Mimi's stroke. Maybe they should get her some counselling or something. Peaches is okay, it's "just one of those things", and they can try again later. (I seem to remember them actually having a baby later on in the series?) Claudia & Peaches make up, with lots of tears and hugs. Peaches & Russ move into their new home a week later and Peaches announces she's going back to work and if/when they have another baby, she'll work part-time in her home office.
Natalie Springer is the new client for this book and doesn't know how to make friends. Although when we first hear about her, Kristy said she's a friend of Karen's? Natalie is a grade A clinger, asking Claudia to be her bff, comes over to her house all the time (without an adult), calling her to chat, offering to help clean the house. They also play Lovely Ladies (another Karen Brewer trademark game) in the park and we get this funny little line: "That's right. You name all of your poodles Pierre. I should have remembered." The BSC girls make it their mission to get the kid some friends, it goes badly at first, and then they succeed. All is normal in BSC-land.
Blogged at SeeJennRead
January 6, 2023
In this ghostwritten book far along in the series, Claudia’s aunt Peaches is moving to Storybook! Peaches and her husband Russ are Claudia’s favorite aunt and uncle. Even Stacey’s met them several times, despite them never having been mentioned before or after that I’m aware of. Anyway they used to live in Storybook but moved away when Claudia was young (so how did Stacey get to meet them?) but they’re moving back, because Peaches is pregnant! Shes quitting her job to be a full time mother! How delightful! And she’s doing this at…two months along? Really?
Claudia is thrilled bc she loves babies and her aunt Peaches who’s never before been mentioned. Peaches and Russ move in with the Kishis for a month bc they sold their house and the new owners want to move in in a week which is totally a thing. Again, she’s two months pregnant. It’s not like her nesting instinct is kicking in already. And what did she do for a living that she has money for fancy foods and enough baby crap that the receipt was two feet long?
Peaches is completely irresponsible and keeps pressuring Claudia to do dumb shit with her like make an impromptu four course dinner for the family, spend the day shopping for baby crap, all while Claudia’s trying to tell her “hey I have all this homework; I’m barely literate.” What kind of a parent is Peaches gonna be if she can’t even let her niece do her damn schoolwork?? So finally one night Peaches wakes up Claudia at 11:30 at night to take her out for pizza. First of all, what the hell?? I don’t care if you’re taking me out to buy kittens; don’t wake someone up at 11:30 at night. That’s so hideously selfish. So they don’t get back til like 1am and Claud’s parents are freaking out and Claudia finally snaps and tells Peaches she’s been pushing her boundaries and to grow the hell up. Then peaches has a miscarriage, possibly bc she’s only two months along and has been running around like a psychopath, and, just like with Mimi’s stroke, Claudia blames herself. Of course they make up and Claudia learns a valuable lesson about setting boundaries.
Oh, also, speaking of boundaries, why don’t they have any with their baby sitting charges? Claudia sits for this new kid Natalie who doesn’t know how to make friends and this kid starts calling her house and coming over and shit. No, kid. You’re 9. Go home.
Claudia is thrilled bc she loves babies and her aunt Peaches who’s never before been mentioned. Peaches and Russ move in with the Kishis for a month bc they sold their house and the new owners want to move in in a week which is totally a thing. Again, she’s two months pregnant. It’s not like her nesting instinct is kicking in already. And what did she do for a living that she has money for fancy foods and enough baby crap that the receipt was two feet long?
Peaches is completely irresponsible and keeps pressuring Claudia to do dumb shit with her like make an impromptu four course dinner for the family, spend the day shopping for baby crap, all while Claudia’s trying to tell her “hey I have all this homework; I’m barely literate.” What kind of a parent is Peaches gonna be if she can’t even let her niece do her damn schoolwork?? So finally one night Peaches wakes up Claudia at 11:30 at night to take her out for pizza. First of all, what the hell?? I don’t care if you’re taking me out to buy kittens; don’t wake someone up at 11:30 at night. That’s so hideously selfish. So they don’t get back til like 1am and Claud’s parents are freaking out and Claudia finally snaps and tells Peaches she’s been pushing her boundaries and to grow the hell up. Then peaches has a miscarriage, possibly bc she’s only two months along and has been running around like a psychopath, and, just like with Mimi’s stroke, Claudia blames herself. Of course they make up and Claudia learns a valuable lesson about setting boundaries.
Oh, also, speaking of boundaries, why don’t they have any with their baby sitting charges? Claudia sits for this new kid Natalie who doesn’t know how to make friends and this kid starts calling her house and coming over and shit. No, kid. You’re 9. Go home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2022
This book is basically a re-write of Claudia and Mean Janine, where Claudia is at odds with a family member, has a fight with them, and then blames herself for the medical disaster that follows.
Peaches is a chaotic character, and I'm not sure what we're supposed to make of her. She comes across as disruptive, inconsiderate, and totally rude. Abruptly quitting your job and moving to a new town basically the minute you find out you're pregnant is bizarre. Not that Peaches shouldn't be a stay-at-home mom—but she needs to IMMEDIATELY quit just to sit around and be pregnant? How much younger is she supposed to be than Claudia's mom that she acts this immature with Claudia? Basically, all is forgiven because something traumatic coincidentally happened to her and a 13-year-old girl had to be the mature one and set boundaries.
Peaches is a chaotic character, and I'm not sure what we're supposed to make of her. She comes across as disruptive, inconsiderate, and totally rude. Abruptly quitting your job and moving to a new town basically the minute you find out you're pregnant is bizarre. Not that Peaches shouldn't be a stay-at-home mom—but she needs to IMMEDIATELY quit just to sit around and be pregnant? How much younger is she supposed to be than Claudia's mom that she acts this immature with Claudia? Basically, all is forgiven because something traumatic coincidentally happened to her and a 13-year-old girl had to be the mature one and set boundaries.
October 8, 2017
It always blows my mind when I re-read books like this that there are grown people who have been married for several years and planning a family who still act super immature. I mean there's nothing wrong with fun, but Peaches is a little much for me. There's kooky and fun and then there's...this hot mess. Telling a 13 year old who struggles with her education to blow off homework and school projects to hang out with you is a little bit excessive if you ask me, but alas...nobody did ask me.
I do think this was an interesting topic for a book in this age range though. I mean there weren't a ton of kids books back then that delved into the miscarriage, or if there were I didn't read them/they weren't mainstream like this was. So that's a plus I think.
I do think this was an interesting topic for a book in this age range though. I mean there weren't a ton of kids books back then that delved into the miscarriage, or if there were I didn't read them/they weren't mainstream like this was. So that's a plus I think.
November 2, 2021
I think I would have enjoyed this one a lot more if the side-story hadn't been a little annoying/grating--yes, Natalie is a fictional child and no, I don't blame her for behaving like one but...even after she makes friends she's a little insufferable.
Speaking of insufferable, Peaches is an adult who influences Claudia to skip and fall behind on a ton of schoolwork and go out late at night, but Claudia's mom is mad at...Claudia? Ick.
All of that aside, there are some really fun scenes in this one that I enjoyed--and Claudia is almost always a delight--plus some scenes that made me genuinely feel sad, so overall a good sampling of a BSC book (although not too much mention of the other girls).
Speaking of insufferable, Peaches is an adult who influences Claudia to skip and fall behind on a ton of schoolwork and go out late at night, but Claudia's mom is mad at...Claudia? Ick.
All of that aside, there are some really fun scenes in this one that I enjoyed--and Claudia is almost always a delight--plus some scenes that made me genuinely feel sad, so overall a good sampling of a BSC book (although not too much mention of the other girls).
October 15, 2021
After reading The Baby-Sitters Club #4, I jumped right to #78 and... nothing must has changed! The girls are only one year older, there are some boys around now and sadly dear Mimi has died but otherwise I was in familiar territory.
This story focussed on Claudia and her aunt Peaches who drove me mad during most of the book (it was hard to believe she was a grown-up, some of the teenagers were acting much more mature), but of course I couldn't help but sympathize with her at the end of the story.
There was also a secondary plot about one little girl the BSC sits for, and it was cute and full of good advice for young readers.
On the whole, it was a cute, heartwarming read.
This story focussed on Claudia and her aunt Peaches who drove me mad during most of the book (it was hard to believe she was a grown-up, some of the teenagers were acting much more mature), but of course I couldn't help but sympathize with her at the end of the story.
There was also a secondary plot about one little girl the BSC sits for, and it was cute and full of good advice for young readers.
On the whole, it was a cute, heartwarming read.
June 22, 2025
Claudia’s family is probably one of the more interesting of the families so it’s nice when there are books about her family. Peaches makes some interesting choices like quitting her job when she’s barely 2 months pregnant and then buying the most expensive furniture at the baby store.
I like Claudia’s relationship with Peaches and can see why she likes hanging out with her fun aunt. The b plot was good too although I am somewhat confused by the neighborhoods. I thought Charlotte lived near the Pikes and the Ramseys live in Stacey’s old house? (Random aside how big is Stacey’s old house? Because Becca, Jessi and Squirt all have their own rooms and so does Aunt Cecelia.
I like Claudia’s relationship with Peaches and can see why she likes hanging out with her fun aunt. The b plot was good too although I am somewhat confused by the neighborhoods. I thought Charlotte lived near the Pikes and the Ramseys live in Stacey’s old house? (Random aside how big is Stacey’s old house? Because Becca, Jessi and Squirt all have their own rooms and so does Aunt Cecelia.
February 28, 2026
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this one! I think the Kishis have one of the most interesting (unhealthy, but interesting) family dynamics in the series. I loved this chance to get to know Peaches a little bit better, and to see the bond between her and Claudia. Overall, I found Peaches to be such a compelling character. She’s manic and messy in a way that made her feel more real than adults in children’s books often do.
My only real complaint is that I wish the book hadn’t treated Claudia and Peaches like they were equally in the wrong in their fight. Claudia was being a snarky teenager, and Peaches repeatedly violated Claudia’s boundaries. Those things are not the same caliber. (Also, Claudia was only snarky after her boundaries were violated numerous times). I wish there had been acknowledgment that Peaches was more in the wrong.
My only real complaint is that I wish the book hadn’t treated Claudia and Peaches like they were equally in the wrong in their fight. Claudia was being a snarky teenager, and Peaches repeatedly violated Claudia’s boundaries. Those things are not the same caliber. (Also, Claudia was only snarky after her boundaries were violated numerous times). I wish there had been acknowledgment that Peaches was more in the wrong.
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July 29, 2020As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
May 27, 2021
Claudia is ecstatic when she learns that her Aunt Peaches and Uncle Russ are expecting a baby and moving to Stoneybrook. The two end up staying with the Kishis for a month; and a lot happens: Peaches demands a lot of Claudia's time and they have a huge fight, Claudia's grades suffer, and Peaches has a miscarriage. While all of this is happening, a new BSC charge-Natalie Springer-needs to learn how to be a good friend.
September 17, 2023
Awww I love Claudia and Peaches' relationship. So sweet to see this part of the (expanded) Kishi family's story.
The subplot was also fun. I can relate to Natalie Springer worrying that all potential friends have already been "taken." So it's a nice lesson about how friendship circles can expand. Though it ended with her becoming BFFs with and I don't think they ever really showed her as part of their group in later books, lol.
The subplot was also fun. I can relate to Natalie Springer worrying that all potential friends have already been "taken." So it's a nice lesson about how friendship circles can expand. Though it ended with her becoming BFFs with and I don't think they ever really showed her as part of their group in later books, lol.
November 13, 2020
Reviewing in honor of the netflix show:
I saliently remember this particular book as being my favorite of all the ones I'd read. I learned a valuable lesson about appreciating those around you, even when you might not understand them or even like them at the time. Also, Claudia was my favorite Babysitter.
I saliently remember this particular book as being my favorite of all the ones I'd read. I learned a valuable lesson about appreciating those around you, even when you might not understand them or even like them at the time. Also, Claudia was my favorite Babysitter.
March 5, 2023
When I was 10 I joined a readers club/group where we got a new book every week. I chose The babysitters club.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
September 20, 2024
This book deals really seriously with miscarriage, and i love that. Everyone in the Kishi family treats it really seriously, and they are all openly heartbroken. It is so rare that miscarriage is acknowledged at all, let alone treated with such gravity, and it's nearly unheard of in a kids book, particularly one with such an overall light tone.
June 5, 2025
4.5 stars. I remember this one as a child! It was one of the BSC books that I distinctly remember making me cry. Peaches! Poor Aunt Peaches! This was so good and the ending still hits like a punch. So good.
October 29, 2019
Review on www.Audible.com please listen to this book. Trigger warning miscarriage of baby.
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October 25, 2020Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blo...
December 21, 2020
(LL)
This book does a great job tackling: making new friends, finding balance, and the difficult topic of miscarriages.
This book does a great job tackling: making new friends, finding balance, and the difficult topic of miscarriages.
July 24, 2023
The title of this confuses me, at no point was Peaches any definition of 'crazy'.
February 1, 2024
I thought it was a good book peach was very controlling
April 9, 2024
Peaches deserved to get yelled at.
October 21, 2024
The fact that Peaches was a CUHrazy b to Claudia and then Claudia felt like she had to apologize is INSANE TO ME.
May 25, 2021
I think Karen predisposed me into disliking Natalie Springer (since in all the Little Sister books she mentions what a drip Natalie is lol) but then again, Natalie was a bossy brat, so it's not like my dislike was misplaced. But that's just the subplot.
I don't know how I feel about the main story. On one hand, yes, Peaches is totally spontaneous! Tons of fun! A total free spirit! You can see why Claudia, the black sheep of the Kishi family, really likes her. On the other hand, Peaches is a grown-ass woman, expecting a baby, who knows her niece is struggling with school, yet is needy af for the constant companionship of her niece. It was frustrating because I wanted to really like Peaches, but I just felt bad for Claudia. (Never mind their fight. Again, Peaches, you're a grown-ass woman. Take some responsibility.)
Oh yeah, and this book also reminded me that I wanted to knit a baby blanket for my niece or nephew. Considering my sister-in-law is due in a month and I'm not much of a knitter... I don't know hahahahha.
I don't know how I feel about the main story. On one hand, yes, Peaches is totally spontaneous! Tons of fun! A total free spirit! You can see why Claudia, the black sheep of the Kishi family, really likes her. On the other hand, Peaches is a grown-ass woman, expecting a baby, who knows her niece is struggling with school, yet is needy af for the constant companionship of her niece. It was frustrating because I wanted to really like Peaches, but I just felt bad for Claudia. (Never mind their fight. Again, Peaches, you're a grown-ass woman. Take some responsibility.)
Oh yeah, and this book also reminded me that I wanted to knit a baby blanket for my niece or nephew. Considering my sister-in-law is due in a month and I'm not much of a knitter... I don't know hahahahha.
October 15, 2023
I think this book approached the topic of miscarriages well. Claudia's favourite aunt was expecting and the two were spending a lot of time together. I did think it was a little unrealistic Claudia would get in trouble for going out late at night, with an adult, it was just pizza and not a bar, sheesh!
The other scene I liked was when they cooked a gourmet dinner for the family which included delicious angel hair pasta topped with pesto and Romano cheese, stuffed mushrooms, and blue cheese on little toasts
Also, Claudia is learning how to knit a purple baby blanket from Mary Anne, who was taught by Mimi. It was interesting seeing Claudia struggling with something artistic for once
The other scene I liked was when they cooked a gourmet dinner for the family which included delicious angel hair pasta topped with pesto and Romano cheese, stuffed mushrooms, and blue cheese on little toasts
Also, Claudia is learning how to knit a purple baby blanket from Mary Anne, who was taught by Mimi. It was interesting seeing Claudia struggling with something artistic for once
May 1, 2013
Fantastic books for young girls getting into reading!! Great stories about friendship and life lessons. The characters deal with all sorts of situations and often find responsible solutions to problems.
I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.
The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.
Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!
I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.
The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.
Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!
October 29, 2009
Well, it's a Claudia book which automatically means that it's probably not going to be one of my favourites. And about Claudia's family? Another point lost! Sorry, didn't like her.
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