YMMV / Amber Brown

• Jerkass Woobie: Amber's father could be considered this on several occasions based on his snide comments to Amber about both Amber's mother and her new partner, Max. In Amber Brown is Green With Envy, this behavior is exaggerated when he goes a step further and makes insensitive comments about the house he used to live in with Amber and her mother while Max is sitting right there. He also cancels plans for him and Amber at the last minute he can go on a date with a random woman he met at the grocery store. Even though Amber is hurt about this, she also acknowledges that while her mother at least has Max to keep her company while she's gone, her dad has no one. His behavior improves once he starts seeing a counselor.
• Tear Jerker: Considering the subject matter, there are several of these:
  • The moment when Amber and Justin are racing home from school to his house, but when they get there, see that the "For Sale" sign on the front lawn has been covered by a "Sold" sticker.
  • Amber's reasoning for deciding to spend Thanksgiving with her dad in New York City instead of with her mother and Max in Walla Walla. She chooses to go with him because she knows that otherwise, he would be spending the holiday alone. Coming from a precocious nine-year-old girl, that's a heavy thought process.
  Amber: "I am my dad's only family."
  • Amber's reasoning for wanting to get her ears pierced in I, Amber Brown: she's sick of her parents fighting over custody and wants at least one thing to belong only to her.
    • The subsequent fallout to that can be hard to read as well. To clarify, Amber's mother told her she couldn't pierce her ears, but her father didn't know that and allowed her to get it done anyways when she asked. Their argument afterwards and Amber's guilt over the whole situation makes it that much harder.
  • Amber's reaction after her father cancels their plans and leaves her at home so he can go on a date in Amber Brown is Green with Envy. She's so upset that she even calls her mother to pick her up early the next morning.
  • The backstory of the Marshall family. Steve is a single father raising his three kids - Polly, Dylan, and Savannah - after their mother traveled to South America with another man. In a heartfelt conversation with Amber and Brenda, Polly mentions how her mother doesn't even contact them and she sometimes hears Savannah and Dylan cry because of it.
  • Brandi and Kelly's reaction to hearing that Amber may have to move to a new school in Amber Brown is Green With Envy. In the words of Amber, they practically fall to the floor and both of them start to cry.
  • The part in Amber Brown is Tickled Pink when Amber's mother doesn't want her to wear the dress Amber's father bought her, even though Amber loves it, because she doesn't want anything from her past to be a part of her wedding day. Amber's reaction is heartbreaking:
  Amber: "Then I guess you don't want me there, because I'm part of your past too!"
• The Woobie: Amber herself. For such a cute, generally pleasant little girl, she has to go through a lot and it's a wonder sometimes it doesn't break her.
• Toy Ship: Amber and Justin. In the later books, Amber notes the "weird pause" when they meet again and can't figure out if they should hug or not.

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