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Pratt Twins #9
The Popcorn Project
Twins Chris and Susan visit their aunt in California and are asked by a Silver Screen Studio executive to keep an eye on his daughter, who has lately been acting strangely
135 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 28, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 12, 2022
Teenaged twins Christine and Susan Pratt have agreed to visit and help out their aunt in Los Angeles during the last few weeks of summer vacation before the sisters must head off to New York to pursue higher learning. There's plenty of fun to be had in sunny California, but when the girls meet a movie executive and his daughter who may be in trouble, it could lead to a dangerous caper for the Pratt twins in The Popcorn Project by author Cynthia Blair.
Ah! Yet another delightful dive into upbeat, old-fashioned, total comfort reading for me, pulled from the world of '80s YA.
Yup, this jaunty tale of sisterly derring-do is stretched out here and there with light, unspectacular moments and events that the plot doesn't really need, along with chunks of repetition. In this case, some of that repetition occurs while certain characters spend time telling each other a bunch of stuff they already know, obviously to spell out the story's thread of mystery and its backstory to the reader.
And yup, the novel is thoroughly corny—in the same bright and fun way as every book I've read about the Pratt twins.
I'm still quite glad that in middle school, my adolescent self discovered the first novel about Chris and Sooz, The Banana Split Affair. I had no idea back then that it was the first book in a series: a series my adult self would get to read for nostalgic kicks.
Ah! Yet another delightful dive into upbeat, old-fashioned, total comfort reading for me, pulled from the world of '80s YA.
Yup, this jaunty tale of sisterly derring-do is stretched out here and there with light, unspectacular moments and events that the plot doesn't really need, along with chunks of repetition. In this case, some of that repetition occurs while certain characters spend time telling each other a bunch of stuff they already know, obviously to spell out the story's thread of mystery and its backstory to the reader.
And yup, the novel is thoroughly corny—in the same bright and fun way as every book I've read about the Pratt twins.
I'm still quite glad that in middle school, my adolescent self discovered the first novel about Chris and Sooz, The Banana Split Affair. I had no idea back then that it was the first book in a series: a series my adult self would get to read for nostalgic kicks.
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February 10, 2021The Popcorn Project
PLOT: Chris and Susan are invited to California to be aides to their aunt whose broke her ankle. While they're there they get enlisted for their "skills" by Donald Franklin whose over Silver Screen Studios. His daughter has been acting out of character ever since dealing with her new love interest Ricky Wheeler.
CRITICISMS: I was almost happy. When the twins are stopped at the gate and try to feed the guard that they're extra's in a movie (which he should have asked what movie instead of volunteering it like any SMART, quick thinking person would have done and caught them in a lie) he calls them out and doesn't buy it. But instead of sending them on their way they give him a second excuse that they're friends of Ricky. And he eats this one up. Gee security guard not much gets past you, does it? Only yeah something DID. Obviously, they dont really care who they hire at Hollywood Productions. Shouldn't he have said? "Ok, just one minute I'll check with Mr. Wheeler. What did you say your names were?" Then they get way too many "lucky breaks". Max buys their fake story. Jennifer buys their fake story. They make this mask almost perfectly after watching someone do it ONE TIME. People have probably studied this art for years. Susan's never done anything remotely like this. She paints still-lifes. I'm an artist so I know the difference. Then without any kind of precautions (like security or having a guard or officer there. Which they probably would have told them to stay out of it and let a professional handle it), they go after Ricky not knowing if what kind of man he was. He could have tried to do them physical harm. He could have had a gun. (And reading about him I have no doubt he WAS that kind of guy). Then during their chase, he falls off an unstable bridge. He could have sued them. Or what if he'd died?
MY THOUGHTS
*Isn't it interesting how most people are lucky to have ONE summer trip but the twins get TWO and then not minutes after they express they want another one?
*I went to a so-called "art-based school" and you need a lot more than sketchbooks, and pencils, and paints. You do need that stuff but let me tell you ITS EXPENSIVE. But they do start you off with core classes before you can even get into the art ones. I think there are some that are just solely art and maybe Susan chooses one of those but as a freshman. I would think she'd at least have to take some of the basics.
*And here again she's not even in LA for a hot minute and Chris has already "hooked up" with a "California boy." It just seems like everything is too easy for the twins.
*And then giving out your phone number to the first guy you meet on a bus (although no matter how nice) probably not the best idea.
*So realistically I like Chris and Susan as characters and all, but I do think Jennifer telling them off was well deserved. What did they think was going to happen if they kept sticking their noses in other people's business? Not everyone is going to see how good their intentions are. A lot of times I think they're out of line. And for Chris to jump immediately to the father's defense. She has NO idea what's going on in that family and that's FAMILY business. She's known Mr. Franklin about what 2 days. There's always another side.
*And then neither Susan or Chris have a badge yet they follow this guy (Ricky) who they don't know anything about to an unknown location in attempt to bust him? He could be a gangster? He could be a drug dealer? He could have a crazy (other) woman on the side hes messing around with.
*No Susan I think the worst thing that can happen is if you get ARRESTED for trespassing.
[br/*Today Susan could have just used the video function on her iPhone. How far we've come!]
Rate 8. What I love about these books are the settings. There are so many interesting sights and things to do in California that you can't go wrong in using it as a location in a book. Most which were slightly skimmed over in the book in order not to get away from the focus of the story. But enough to make you want to plan a trip yourself to Cali. And then there was the main background detail of special effects, and movie tours which were fun, interesting, and worked well with the story's end solution. It reminded me of the tour I had of Universal Studios and how amazing it was to see the back plots of the houses you see on screen, and the wardrobes, and the scene they let you see where the explosions take place and how you wished that you could be the twins and get a up and personal look at how it all happens in a little more depth than just the "teaser" they give you on the tour. The story plot had its holes and sometimes was a little unrealistic, but overall it was a good story in the series.
PLOT: Chris and Susan are invited to California to be aides to their aunt whose broke her ankle. While they're there they get enlisted for their "skills" by Donald Franklin whose over Silver Screen Studios. His daughter has been acting out of character ever since dealing with her new love interest Ricky Wheeler.
CRITICISMS: I was almost happy. When the twins are stopped at the gate and try to feed the guard that they're extra's in a movie (which he should have asked what movie instead of volunteering it like any SMART, quick thinking person would have done and caught them in a lie) he calls them out and doesn't buy it. But instead of sending them on their way they give him a second excuse that they're friends of Ricky. And he eats this one up. Gee security guard not much gets past you, does it? Only yeah something DID. Obviously, they dont really care who they hire at Hollywood Productions. Shouldn't he have said? "Ok, just one minute I'll check with Mr. Wheeler. What did you say your names were?" Then they get way too many "lucky breaks". Max buys their fake story. Jennifer buys their fake story. They make this mask almost perfectly after watching someone do it ONE TIME. People have probably studied this art for years. Susan's never done anything remotely like this. She paints still-lifes. I'm an artist so I know the difference. Then without any kind of precautions (like security or having a guard or officer there. Which they probably would have told them to stay out of it and let a professional handle it), they go after Ricky not knowing if what kind of man he was. He could have tried to do them physical harm. He could have had a gun. (And reading about him I have no doubt he WAS that kind of guy). Then during their chase, he falls off an unstable bridge. He could have sued them. Or what if he'd died?
MY THOUGHTS
*Isn't it interesting how most people are lucky to have ONE summer trip but the twins get TWO and then not minutes after they express they want another one?
*I went to a so-called "art-based school" and you need a lot more than sketchbooks, and pencils, and paints. You do need that stuff but let me tell you ITS EXPENSIVE. But they do start you off with core classes before you can even get into the art ones. I think there are some that are just solely art and maybe Susan chooses one of those but as a freshman. I would think she'd at least have to take some of the basics.
*And here again she's not even in LA for a hot minute and Chris has already "hooked up" with a "California boy." It just seems like everything is too easy for the twins.
*And then giving out your phone number to the first guy you meet on a bus (although no matter how nice) probably not the best idea.
*So realistically I like Chris and Susan as characters and all, but I do think Jennifer telling them off was well deserved. What did they think was going to happen if they kept sticking their noses in other people's business? Not everyone is going to see how good their intentions are. A lot of times I think they're out of line. And for Chris to jump immediately to the father's defense. She has NO idea what's going on in that family and that's FAMILY business. She's known Mr. Franklin about what 2 days. There's always another side.
*And then neither Susan or Chris have a badge yet they follow this guy (Ricky) who they don't know anything about to an unknown location in attempt to bust him? He could be a gangster? He could be a drug dealer? He could have a crazy (other) woman on the side hes messing around with.
*No Susan I think the worst thing that can happen is if you get ARRESTED for trespassing.
[br/*Today Susan could have just used the video function on her iPhone. How far we've come!]
Rate 8. What I love about these books are the settings. There are so many interesting sights and things to do in California that you can't go wrong in using it as a location in a book. Most which were slightly skimmed over in the book in order not to get away from the focus of the story. But enough to make you want to plan a trip yourself to Cali. And then there was the main background detail of special effects, and movie tours which were fun, interesting, and worked well with the story's end solution. It reminded me of the tour I had of Universal Studios and how amazing it was to see the back plots of the houses you see on screen, and the wardrobes, and the scene they let you see where the explosions take place and how you wished that you could be the twins and get a up and personal look at how it all happens in a little more depth than just the "teaser" they give you on the tour. The story plot had its holes and sometimes was a little unrealistic, but overall it was a good story in the series.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews