Barriga, Matt (July 6, 2017). "Spider-Man's Iconic Upside Down Kiss". Medium. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019 . Retrieved August 23, 2020. Instead of running out the door, Mary Jane comes to love this “family” as they do her. What ensues that summer is funny, sad at times and heartwarming as Mary Jane learns what it’s like to say “I love you”, something her parents never say, learns some things about herself. I found this to be an enjoyable and entertaining story. A lighter read was just what I needed. Loved the ending. The 100 Greatest Movies, TV Shows, Albums, Books, Characters, Scenes, Episodes, Songs, Dresses, Music Videos, and Trends that Entertained Us over the Past 10 Years". Entertainment Weekly. No.1079/1080. December 11, 2009. pp.74–84. ASIN B00382WGUY.

It IS a great exploration of class, race, lifestyle and gender stereotypes from the era. In one summer, Mary Jane leaves the sheltered nest of her conservative home when she nannies for a free-spirited family that opens her eyes to many things including the alternative meaning of her name. ;) Mary Jane Dillard is a teenager whose life is filled with singing in her church choir, cooking with her mom every day, and listening to show tunes. Outspoken and worldly, she is not. When asked to be a nanny for another family for the summer, her parents agree. After all, the home is respectable, what could go wrong?

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It's a summer to remember and to grow for sweet Mary Jane. She becomes very close to the Cones and their guests and discovers a new found freedom. Delightful...Blau is a deft hand with comic juxtaposition and domestic fantasy. She keeps it light, she keeps it moving and she’s got terrific visuals...You can watch the movie in your mind. Lady Gaga as Sheba? I’m already casting it." — New York Times Book Review

Was there a point in your childhood when you realized your parents weren’t always right about everything, that their views of the world might be out of step? That’s what happens to 14-year-old Mary Jane. Hodgson, Alex. "Mary Jane Or Gwen Stacy: Who Should Spider-Man Be With?". Geeks. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020 . Retrieved August 24, 2020. Mary Jane’s life is thrown for a loop when one of Dr. Cone’s patients and his wife move in, so Dr. Cone can help him beat his addiction. But it’s not just any patient—it’s Jimmy, a famous musician, and his even-more-famous wife, Sheba. Suddenly Mary Jane is the only person paying attention to what goes on with Izzy, ensuring whether there’s food in the house, getting the laundry done, etc. And at the same time, she starts to learn things about life, love, relationships, and music, things that conflict with the things she’s always believed. It’s good when your eyes are opened to what’s around you, but difficult at the same time. This gem of a book was like buried treasure. The synopsis had some seductive elements such as the setting of 1970, being a teenager...and music-of course! I grew up in the sixties and seventies, and my love of music really blossomed during the 70s when I was a teenager. My favorite music station to stream is iHeart70s radio. Also, the cover wth the vinyl LP on the turntable reminded me of a Led Zeppelin album, since I remember them being on Atlantic records. I must say, this story wildly exceeded my expectations and kept me tethered to my kindle.

Is it possible to come of age in a mere summer? For fourteen-year-old Mary Jane, the answer is a resounding yes. I thought Mary Jane was great. I definitely felt like Blau captured the mood in society of the 1970s and the conflict between more "traditional" or conservative beliefs and more modern ones. Mary Jane was a terrific character and I loved seeing how her eyes were opened, but yet how she felt rooted in what she had been taught by her parents. Kubincanek, Emily (July 11, 2017). "The Cinematic Evolution of Spider-Man's Love Interests". Film School Rejects . Retrieved September 4, 2020. I couldn’t have been prouder of Mary Jane- she handles herself beautifully. If only the adults in her life had a small portion of her intelligence and grace, and could open their hearts half as wide… However, elements of her character were met with a mixed response. In his review of Spider-Man 3, Ryan Gilbey of the NewStatesman was critical of Dunst's character: "the film-makers couldn't come up with much for Mary Jane to do other than scream a lot". [23] Allie Gemmill of Bustle wrote in 2017 that the films portray Mary Jane as a constant damsel in distress and gave the illusion that she was defined primarily through the men in her life. [24] Conversely, Adadora Asidianya wrote that Mary Jane provides a voice of reason for Peter, whether as a friend or a love interest. [17]

Her education, and awakening promises a break in the chain from her super conservative… and racist parents, and a future where Mary Jane steps outside the sheltered confines of her current life, and into the world, with a better understanding of how to blend the best of both environments she lived through during the summer of 1975. It’s 1970s Baltimore. Mary Jane is a good girl—she loves Broadway show tunes, sings in the church choir, and grows up in a conservative, traditional household. (There’s even a picture of President Ford hanging in the house.) Her father works; her mother takes care of the house and makes sure dinner is always on time. Singh, Anita (January 12, 2010). "Spider-Man 4 scrapped and Tobey Maguire replaced in superhero franchise". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011 . Retrieved October 24, 2010. A story which lightly explores some serious topics, but for the most part this is simply a fun, lightly entertaining read. Ms. Jessica Anya Blau, my new favorite author discovery of 2021 - after crazily enjoying her off-kilter earlier novels Wonder Bread Summer and The Trouble With Lexie - continues on her winning streak with the more down-to-earth coming-of-age story Mary Jane. Set during the carefree summer months of 1975 in the actual upper-middle class Baltimore suburb of Roland Park, we follow the title character - a mature but sheltered fourteen year-old hailing from a conservative household (she is an only child, and her middle-aged ultra-conservative parents are stiff, strict and exhaustingly formal in nature) - as she acquires her first real job as a teenager. The eccentric Cone family has moved into the neighborhood and they require a day-sitter for their precocious (but not cloying) five year-old daughter Izzy. Mary Jane gets said position, then finds out there is MUCH more to it . . .A story set in Baltimore in the 70’s, the summer that Mary Jane Dillard had just turned fourteen. A pivotal summer that would change the way she viewed the world, and the people in it, and begin to question the adults in her life. Another novel compared to Daisy Jones and the Six, as well as Almost Famous, the movie.