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situationnormal's review
3.0
Even when the Stacey books aren't that great they read easier than the others to me somehow. Maybe it's because Stacey tends to be a little more cool headed and logical (or is that just bias talking?) This mystery is ridiculous (although way creepier than even the BSC makes it out to be), though, and I haaaate that even though it was published later it apparently takes place before the previous book, or disregards it completely. Reading them out of order is the worst.
But Carrot is super cute and Stacey is the best. I'm just sad there wasn't more of the other sitters and more consistency.
But Carrot is super cute and Stacey is the best. I'm just sad there wasn't more of the other sitters and more consistency.
gouricanread's review
5.0
This was my first Baby sitters club book.I was addicted to this series after I read it..I love all of the characters..especially Stacey and Kristi because I'm like them.
lberestecki's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
finesilkflower's review
3.0
Stacey pet-sits at the Johannsens' while they're out of town, and begins to be creeped out by increasingly obvious signs that there's someone else in the house. While this ends up being an extremely small-scale "mystery" (the Johannsens have a houseguest and the note that they wrote to Stacey explaining was eaten by the dog; had she happened to come by the house at any of a number of times, she would have just run into him and he'd have explained). It's at least plausible, though, unlike other BSC mysteries, it doesn't involve children solving a felony or anything like that. And it has to do with baby-sitting on a fundamental level! Plus, it's the subtlety of the clues that make it so creepy. At first, Stacey isn't sure if she's imagining things or going crazy or what, and there is something profoundly creepy about realizing that a stranger has access to a home where you thought you were safe and alone.
sammah's review
2.0
This one was actually sort of interesting...until that ending. What an anti-climatic let down that was! You almost had me convinced it was a good mystery, but in the end it was not a mystery at all.
Sigh.
Sigh.
xtinamorse's review
Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blog/stacey-and-the-mystery-at-the-empty-house
ssshira's review
2.0
in this [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]-ghostwritten mystery, stacey is housesitting/dogsitting for the johanssens while they are in paris. she gradually notices hints that someone else has been in the house (including a hairbrush with red hair on it, though the johanssens are all brunettes) and believes that one of two people is squatting there: either the red-headed meter reader who stacey heard fighting with her husband, or the red-headed recently escaped felon (I choose to picture kevin mcdonald in the red wig in the jerry sizzler/two clearly insane people KITH sketches). turns out the johanssens gave a red-headed friend a pass to come stay at their house without warning whenever he wants. wait, really? in the subplot, the bsc takes the bsc kids on a sleigh ride, ending with a holiday party.
highlights:
-stacey narrates that kristy is "one of the most normal, well-balanced people I know." really? I choose to see this as a highlight because it made me laugh out loud.
-during the holiday party at the end mary anne and logan sneak off. it totally sounds like they're gonna go make out. it's slightly disappointing, but still a funny bait-and-switch, when they just put on santa and mrs. claus outfits and come back.
-shannon talks about a debate that her debate team won, and it's about the two-party system and whether it can survive today. "my team's position was that it can't, because the changing political scene demands responsive--" (you tell 'em, shannon! and please tell 'em before november 2016 happens, thank you very much)
lowlights/nitpicks:
-some of the weird things that happen include used glasses appearing in the kitchen sink, the coffeemaker being warm, carrot the dog's leash being in the wrong place, the johanssens have a hidden key that has gone missing, etc. and it takes stacey AGES before she finally actually determines that there's something weird going on. it's really annoying because SOMETHING IS CLEARLY GOING ON. figure it out, idiot!
-why does every suspect have red hair? the whole thing seems like an anti-ginger kids conspiracy.
-kristy tells the arnolds that the bsc will take them on a sleigh ride, and then later mentions that it's only gonna happen if it snows (otherwise it will be a hay ride). then she regrets it because the kids get super excited, and kristy gets nervous that it won't snow. I wish that it didn't snow so kristy would learn a lesson about lying to children/getting children's hopes up, but unfortunately it deus ex machina snows and nobody learns anything about anything.
-the kuhns explain the dreidel to mary anne and they seem to be going in order by hebrew letters, but they go nun, shin, gimel, hey. if you start at nun you go either nun, shin, hey, gimel OR nun, gimel, hey, shin (as in nes gadol hayah sham, a big miracle happened there). I wish scholastic had asked me to be their consultant for all things california and all things jewish, because then they wouldn't have these very basic problems.
stacey:
-"I was wearing a silk teddy, a thermal shirt and leggings, a turtleneck, and a big multicolored sweater."
holiday presents for baby sitters from the bsc kids:
-kristy: specially decorated baseball cap
-stacey: papier-mache earrings
-claud: basket of junk food
-mary anne: portrait of tigger
-dawn: neon-yellow sunglasses
-logan: paperweight (rock w/ his name on it)
-shannon: necklace w/ magazine page beads
-jessi: spangly hair ties
-mal: customized sketchbook
kristy cafeteria comment:
-on playing with food, "What else can we do with it? I mean, they can't expect us to actually eat this stuff."
snacks in claudia's room:
-chocolate covered graham crackers (n.s.)
-frookies (n.s.)
-starbursts (n.s.)
highlights:
-stacey narrates that kristy is "one of the most normal, well-balanced people I know." really? I choose to see this as a highlight because it made me laugh out loud.
-during the holiday party at the end mary anne and logan sneak off. it totally sounds like they're gonna go make out. it's slightly disappointing, but still a funny bait-and-switch, when they just put on santa and mrs. claus outfits and come back.
-shannon talks about a debate that her debate team won, and it's about the two-party system and whether it can survive today. "my team's position was that it can't, because the changing political scene demands responsive--" (you tell 'em, shannon! and please tell 'em before november 2016 happens, thank you very much)
lowlights/nitpicks:
-some of the weird things that happen include used glasses appearing in the kitchen sink, the coffeemaker being warm, carrot the dog's leash being in the wrong place, the johanssens have a hidden key that has gone missing, etc. and it takes stacey AGES before she finally actually determines that there's something weird going on. it's really annoying because SOMETHING IS CLEARLY GOING ON. figure it out, idiot!
-why does every suspect have red hair? the whole thing seems like an anti-ginger kids conspiracy.
-kristy tells the arnolds that the bsc will take them on a sleigh ride, and then later mentions that it's only gonna happen if it snows (otherwise it will be a hay ride). then she regrets it because the kids get super excited, and kristy gets nervous that it won't snow. I wish that it didn't snow so kristy would learn a lesson about lying to children/getting children's hopes up, but unfortunately it deus ex machina snows and nobody learns anything about anything.
-the kuhns explain the dreidel to mary anne and they seem to be going in order by hebrew letters, but they go nun, shin, gimel, hey. if you start at nun you go either nun, shin, hey, gimel OR nun, gimel, hey, shin (as in nes gadol hayah sham, a big miracle happened there). I wish scholastic had asked me to be their consultant for all things california and all things jewish, because then they wouldn't have these very basic problems.
stacey:
-"I was wearing a silk teddy, a thermal shirt and leggings, a turtleneck, and a big multicolored sweater."
holiday presents for baby sitters from the bsc kids:
-kristy: specially decorated baseball cap
-stacey: papier-mache earrings
-claud: basket of junk food
-mary anne: portrait of tigger
-dawn: neon-yellow sunglasses
-logan: paperweight (rock w/ his name on it)
-shannon: necklace w/ magazine page beads
-jessi: spangly hair ties
-mal: customized sketchbook
kristy cafeteria comment:
-on playing with food, "What else can we do with it? I mean, they can't expect us to actually eat this stuff."
snacks in claudia's room:
-chocolate covered graham crackers (n.s.)
-frookies (n.s.)
-starbursts (n.s.)
liannakiwi's review
1.0
(LL)
This was actually a decent story until the ending. It absolutely sucked. Moreover, it was a punch in the face. It was beyond unrealistic...it was a lie. They gave the cliche and terrible deus ex machina.
I’m so disappointed by this mystery because it could have been so much better. Ugh.
This was actually a decent story until the ending. It absolutely sucked. Moreover, it was a punch in the face. It was beyond unrealistic...it was a lie. They gave the cliche and terrible deus ex machina.
I’m so disappointed by this mystery because it could have been so much better. Ugh.
gourireads's review
5.0
This was my first Baby sitters club book.I was addicted to this series after I read it..I love all of the characters..especially Stacey and Kristi because I'm like them.
chicafrom3's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
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