Beverly Gray Book 3 junior book review

This book jumped straight into excitement and mystery as the girls return to Vernon College and decide to go to a gypsy camp to get their fortunes read. Lenora is told she will meet a blonde male and must listen, and Beverly is told she will have three men fighting over her and she will be in danger. It was great that Beverly went missing soon after. What didn't ring true was for her friends at Vernon College not to bother to even go out to search for her and look for clues in the direction of the post office where she had been going. Even though the girls first day back at college meant no classes and at lunchtime Beverly's disappearance was all the talk, still no one bothered to go off campus to look for her. Surely this can't be a sign of the times? Is it just the author not bothering to be sidetracked from her plot? Found some of Sophomore the same. I mean Beverly finds a crate of white powder and her first thought before getting the police is that it's nearly dinner time at Vernon College and she mustn't be late otherwise she will get in trouble. Of course the crate was gone when she returned.

I was thinking before I started this book trying to remember back to my first reading of it that I didn't enjoy the gypsy stories so much. I really enjoyed this second read through though. Don't get me wrong there isn't a Beverly Gray book that I don't love, it's just which ones I prefer. But this I thoroughly enjoyed, and liked the gypsy story a lot more than I remember.

I also think I'll think more about Larry this time around and if I think he and Beverly did ever get married in the end. The first time I read these stories I thought not because he always seemed to take off for one reason or another and having been in the secret service and all I wondered if he could stay around long enough before needing to take off on adventure.

The main mystery finished half way through the book, before the college Christmas holiday break.
This time it was Christmas at Beverly's house for Beverly and Shirley. It made for a great comparison between Shirley's home life and Beverly's as it wasn't that long ago that the Alpha Deltas went to Shirley's house for the holidays. Shirley's lived in busy New York but didn't have friends to introduce the girls too. Shirley's family were not involved in their daughters life and it seemed that everyone in her house
lived separate lives. Outings involved the movies and shopping, things you could imagine that Shirley could also do on her own. Life seemed pretty lonely in a big city where people didn't get to know each other. Home at Beverly's was in contrast, close family involvement, lots of
friends filling the days with group outings and social occasions.
Towards the end of the book I did feel Beverly was a bit too idealistic in her not wanting to accuse the obvious culprit. Lenora even came across as more the sleuth of the pair on this occasion as she was always suspicious and immediately figured things out.
Shirley's character was developed well in this story as she learnt to have a conscious towards how things affect others. I'm glad this series doesn't spend every moment concentrating solely on Beverly as Clair Blank developed some great sidekicks. Both Beverly Gray and Shirley Parker are only children so it's interesting the differences between the two friends in this story including the differences in their parents participation in their lives.

Jim Stanton Stats, Beverly Gray books 1 to 4

In book 1 Beverly 's father states that He thinks Jim is in love with Beverly but she isn't with him.
Book 2 Jim is in his Senior year at Yale. Plays on the Yale football team.
Has loved Beverly since he was in the third grade and a beverly was in the first grade.
Described by Shirley as tall and good looking
Eyes: grey
After Yale Jim is an Engineer working on a bridge in Wyoming, then his next project is to be in New York.
Jim proposes to Beverly in Senior and Beverly states she never thought of him as anything but a friend.

Larry Owens Stats, Beverly Gray books 2 - 4

Hair: mop of chestnut hair
Eyes: blue
Family from New England.
Aviator, plane is called the red bird, after it crashes he gets another called red bird ii
Went to college., graduate of Columbia.
He appears for the first time in book 2 Sophomore
He has been in the secret service for three years since leaving college so you could estimate he is 5 years old than Beverly.
He asks Beverly to marry him in Junior and she refuses.
Of the first 4 Beverly Gray books Larry is in Sophomore and Junior. In Junior he comes to Beverly's rescue with the help of Jim Stanton.
After Beverly days no to his marriage proposal we don't see him again in the first 4 books during Beverly's college years.

Beverly Gray Sophomore book 2 review

The start to book 2 was a lot different from book 1. There was an assumption that you knew the characters from book 1 and if not the main characters were quickly introduced in a chapter and the book continued straight into the start of a mystery for Beverly to solve. The mystery itself however unravels slowly as it is broken up by college events such as a dance.

The Holidays in this book were well handled as the Alfa Deltas got to spend their holidays together in New York and Beverly got to solve a quick mini mystery. This was a great way to keep us engaged with the main characters rather than separate them for the break. It's interesting that author Clair Blank didn't attempt to skip over the holiday breaks at school but instead incorporated them into the story.

I'm realizing that even though Rosalie is one of the main friends in those book I don't know anything about her, Lois was the same until the last few chapters of this book.
.Lenora they also haven't spent a lot of time with her details either but she does have a distinct personality that shines through. She says things directly, acts fearlessly, quick witted, loves food, loves sodas, including choc sodas. Weller's the local soda store is mentioned a bit as the girls hang out there. Lois also before the last few chapters of this book seemed to lack a distinct personality but it seemed to develop rapidly once she engaged in a friendly war of words with Lenora.

The part whet Beverly is trapped and decides to play solitaire instead of looking for the escape latch seemed so wrong, especially since someone there was a murderer and she had been threatened that day my a man with a knife, and I wouldn't of thought Beverly would give up looking so easily.
For the nostalgic Disney fans when the girls decide to go to a matinee movie to cheer Shirley up Lenora states: " you must come, I shan't
enjoy Mickey Mouse if you don't"
There are three mysteries in this book, the first of the haunted house, complete with dancing skeletons and the second the stolen diamond and third The stolen exam papers.

Although Shirley gave up a possible career as an actress to continue studying at Vernon she didn't get to hone her craft at all this term ( where was Hamlet that Lenora promised to put on with Shirley playing Hamlet? ) It seemed to take Shirley even most of the year to realize that she hadn't worked further on her acting.
Overall more of a mystery book than the first even if it was a very classic theme of the haunted house mystery. More character devopment and more importantly more development in how the characters intact with each other which is probably what makes Beverly Gray books so great.

Beverly Gray Stats, book 2 Sophomore

Sorority: Beverly and her friends form a sorority, Beverly is voted president of the Alpha Deltas.
Beverly joins the college paper " The Comet " as a Reporter.
Hair: Dark, curly.

Sophomore, book 2

Now up to reading book 2 again Sophomore. More stsats to come on both Beverly and other main characters.

Beverly Gray Freshman

Reading this series again I enjoyed the fun of the start of Vernon college. The sports emphasis for the girls, the prank played on The Freshman. The initial 4 stories at Vernon are probably not my favourites compared to when Beverly starts on her chosen career and travelling the world. Still it's interesting that Beverly had stated since High School that she didn't want to marry, instead she wanted a career and to travel the world. I get the feeling by series end though that she would have reevaluated that and would have married Larry.
On Friday I went to a Positive Psychology course and it's interesting that they put up a formula for life. Everyone wrote out hour for hour their ideal day and then they wrote what they did yesterday and were to compare the two to see how much you did that was truly important to you and matched your higher purpose. ( I failed dismally by the way) Beverly on the other hand would pass this test. Even though she isn't doing what she sees as being her life purpose in Freshman the book does state in regards to Shirley possibly ruining her life by running away that she was a coward because she wouldn't wait to be trained properly for her place in the world.

Throughout the series Beverly never lost sight of her goal, to forge a career and travel the world as well. During this first book in the series Beverly decided that career was as a writer, probably a foreign correspondent for some newspaper.

I wondered what was happening when Beverly returned home for the Christmas holidays, here we were being introduced to a large number of Beverly's friends that were never going to be of great importance to the series except for Jim Stanton. The distraction did provide more background to Beverly 's character however and did offer the first major adventure of the story when Beverly is held captive.

Though Beverly Gray is known for her mysteries this first book doesn't contain a mystery, ( unless you count a mystery for others as to where Beverly was when she was held captive.) it is more a series of college adventures, pranks, parties, study, plays, sports, friendships etc as well as some more unusual adventures like a fire and Beverly being held captive.

Shirley Parker Stats, Beverly Gray books 1 to 4

Shirley Parker is Beverly's first roommate at Vernon and doesn't like her at first.
Shirley is a wiz at geometry, knows her literature well but struggles with history in Sophomore.
Hair: red
Described as tall in Sophomre.
Eyes: grey
Background: rich parents whom Shirley said didn't have time for her. Her parents live in New York.
In Senior Shirley becomes caught up in herself and stardom as she is the lead in a movie then is embarrassed and doesn't know how to gain her friendships back.
In Senior we learn that Shirley was the star of the basketball team for the past two years.

Lois Mason Stats, Beverly Gray books 1 to 4

At Vernon college Lois is first introduced as Anne White's roommate in book 1 Freshman.
For the first few weeks Lois is mean to Anne but this is then explained away as her being homesick.
Lois becomes secretary of the Alfa Deltas in Sophomore.
During the last two chapters of Sophomore Lois starts to counter comments by Lenora and this banter continues at the start of Junior. This is what I remember between Lois and Lenora and it is really the first thing in the series that starts to define the chacter of Lois, until this point I would of labelled her with the non descript personality we are given for Rosalie Arnold.
In Senior we learn she is a good basketball player. she plays a forward.
She is an actress but not serious in pursuing it as a career like Shirley is.
She dresses. As Peter Psn at the favorite fictional character dance.
It is not until the last few pages of Senior that we learn that Lois is a talented artist that wants to sketch.
Lois has a kid sister and she is going to babysit over the holidays after college finishes.

Lenora Whitehill Stats, Beverly Gray Books 1 to 4

Lenora is not introduced until chapter 5 of Book 1 Freshman, as a freshman that suffered from the same Freshman prank that Beverly, Anne, Lois and Shirley did.
Lenora has cute little sayings, in Sophomore it's " the nuts" for when something is good.
Lenora plays the piano.
Towards the end of book 2 Sophomore at the movies Lenora starts her rapid fire witted, chatter with Lois which would often become described in stories. This is played up the most in the last chapter of Sophomore as Lois counters everything that Lenora says.
In Senior you start to see the full potential of Lenora's character as Beverly spends most her time with Lenora or Connie.
At the fictional ball Lenora goes as Sherlock Holmes. In fact for what is to become a mystery series Lenora in Senior is more the detective than Beverly (she would of made a great detective or police officer) she has to talk Beverly into following a suspect. Lenora in this book refers to herself a few times as Sherlock Holmes. She even questions Beverly as to " where is your sense of adventure?"

Beverly Gray Stats from Book One Freshman

I thought I would take the time while rereading the series to collect stats on Beverly Gray for my website down the track. So here are stats from book 1.
Beverly Gray Stats.
Age: 19 years old at the start of the story and entering college.
Her best friend at the start of the story is Anne White, who's mother had been good friends with Beverly's mum when she was young also.
Mother: Helen Chadwick, went to Vernon College and wanted Beverly to follow in her footsteps. Beverly doesn't tell other students she is Helen's daughter but Helen is referred to as a patron saint by some students.
Father: John Gray
Lives: grew up at Rest Haven, Renville. At college she lives in Chadwick Hall.
Pets: a wire- haired fox terrier there called Terry.
Beverly's first roommate at Vernon college is Shirley Parker.
Quirks: signs a letter to her parents " love and lollipops"
Sports: Beverly I'd a good tennis player and asked to try for the college team as a Freshman. Beverly plays Basketball and was the best player in High School.
Eyes: blue
Hair: brown
Build: slim
High School: Beverly was a member of a social group of friends called " The Lucky Circle" the group consisted of Beverly, Anne, Jim Stanton, Tommy Chandler (a neighbor) Barbara West, Gordon Brewster, Joan Roberts, and Boyd Marshall.
Aspirations; in High School Beverly had said she woukd never marry instead she would travel the world and have a career.
Moto: from Tennyson, " For man is man and master of his fate."

Beverly Gray Books.. Time to read the series again from book one.

Finally it's time!!!!!
It's great, absolutely exciting because I have finally tracked down the elusive Beverly Gray at World's Fair. I will finally get to read the last Beverly Gray book I have to read.
I am going to read the entire series from start to finish. I read books all out of order as I was buying them from the USA as I saw books with DJ's on sale and grabbed them. Now I have the final book I need on it's way I am going to start reading the series again from book 1 and will blog as I go along.

Beverly Gray's Island Mystery

This is the book that started it all for me. I was up in the Blue Mountains looking at the second hand book stores. My favourite book store there has a vintage children's book room. One of those great library rooms where the book shelves run from floor to ceiling and there is a wooden ladder to get to the higher shelved books. This was the first time I had visited this store (though I have been a number of times since)

I don't know what attracted me to pick up this book. Other than it ticked all the boxes, it was a girl's mystery series, it had interesting artwork cover (hey Beverly is even wearing the classic 1950's pearls) and it was a bargain at $6.50, so I thought even if it was really bad it didn't break the bank. Though I must admit I did think it was going to be the kind of book that I liked.

Beverly Gray books are really a soap opera, (kind of brings back memories of watching Days Of Our Lives during my Uni years)
if you are going to read the books out of order though I must say this is probably an ideal candidate as it is a rare occasion and I mean RARE that Beverly isn't surrounded by her huge array of friends. Yes Beverly is mainly alone for a solid proportion of this story, which for me made a great introduction to her without the confusion of who is who. The reason for this is that this is the book after Beverly Gray's Secret and at the start of this book ( being a follow on from the last book) the Susabella has gone missing. This single event removed Roger, Jim, Terry, Lois, Shirley and Lenora from the story forefront and allowed for the reader to be introduced to Beverly's job as a reporter, her love interest Larry and her fellow reporter and rival Kay, all without the usual large character numbers of other stories in the series.

The Story also has Beverly going back to Vernon College so it gave great insight into Beverly's past for someone who hadn't read the stories of her college years. For her undercover work at the college Beverly takes on the guise of Annabelle Green, niece of Professor Green so that she can snoop around more easily then she would be able to do as herself Beverly Gray, Reporter.

I don't think I could of had a better introduction to Beverly Gray by starting any other book first. I got a glimpse of all her friends without them being all in my face all at once so to speak (I think I would of dreaded starting the series with one of the stories on The Susabella as I'm sure all the passengers would of been hard to keep up with. I also got an introduction to Vernon and what Beverly loved about it as she reminisces about the place she went to college whilst solving her latest mystery, and a good solid mystery it is, the book really kept my interest, and definitely left me wanting more Beverly Gray books. In fact she very quickly became my absolute favourite character after that first read.

It isn't until Chapter 15 of a 17 chapter book that our Susabella passengers show up in the story. The main plot continues right to the end of the book also, which isn't always the case with a Beverly Gray book, I am often half way through a Beverly Gray book going "okay they finished the main plot, so what now?"

This book also doesn't run into the start of the next book in the series as some do, its end with Beverly and Lenora yearning to get home, a place I still didn't know much about, still I didn't really know at this stage just how much travel Beverly Gray did and that she wasn't home a lot of the time.
Loved this book that started the journey for me.