Things in Sweet Valley aren't so sweet any more.

"Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later..." by Francine Pascal sure lets readers know about that quickly -- in the first chapter, we learn that Elizabeth is not speaking to Jessica, who is engaged to Todd. Circumstances are bringing the now-New-Yorker Elizabeth back to California, and the girls are both anxious to be in the same place. Jessica desperately wants Elizabeth's forgiveness; Elizabeth, revenge.

These aren't your mothers Wakefield twins. The girls have developed foul mouths and are a bit more grown up in a romance-novel sort of way.

The rest of their high school classmates are grown up, as well, but most seem to carry the same characteristics. Lila Fowler is still shallow, and she is inexplicably married to football star Ken Matthews (he just seems to good for her!). Caroline Pearce is still a gossip. Enid Rollins is still smart. Winston is still a dork, and Bruce Patman is still filthy rich, but somehow the two became best of buds during a dot-com venture. The formerly fat Robin Wilson is "a successful caterer and restaurant critic, chin-deep in delicious food every day."

Perhaps what I liked best about the book was the flashbacks in the midst of all the action, explaining what has happened since high school that has brought the girls to their current situations. It was interesting to catch up with these people who I had gotten to know intimately while reading the books about their lives. But the sad, pathetic part about it was that no one seemed genuinely happy with where they were. Divorces, falling outs, cancer, death. The real world was not as peaceful and forgiving as Sweet Valley High.

I found it hard to believe that all these high school classmates would still be in touch with the same groups of people, as if no one had found new friends or moved away. But maybe that's because I'm from a bigger town than Sweet Valley, where most people I know from high school have moved on in their own way while maintaining the friendships that really meant something.

I also was puzzled by the fact that Jessica has been married twice, but her pending nuptials to Todd seem to be the talk of the town and the most exciting thing for the Wakefield family (minus Elizabeth). Really, Ned and Alice? Your daughter is about to walk the aisle for the third time -- to marry your other daughter's LOOOONG-time beau -- and you are THAT thrilled about it?

Is the book worth reading? Maybe. If you were a big fan of the Sweet Valley series, of course you'll want to catch up with the ol' gang. Casual readers, maybe not so much.

The book is (mostly) written better than the original series, until after a climactic dinner party when Pascal returns to the overly dramatic descriptions of how he knew he loved her all along and that sort of thing. But I suppose if you enjoyed reading Sweet Valley books for cheesy descriptions, then you won't be missing out.

And it's nice to see Elizabeth being a little more Jessica and Jessica being a little more Elizabeth. The girls were so set in their ways growing up, and now that they are adults, they seem to have reached a point where they are able to comfortably be more like the other person without losing themselves. (And if you didn't notice it before, you'll really get a sense for how narcissistic and pompous Jessica was.)

If nothing else, "Sweet Valley Confidential" was an easy way to enter another world at least temporarily, which can relieve readers of their own problems and let them feast on the drama of other people's lives. As Jessica herself says (on page 224), "Gossip is the best part of Sweet Valley. If we don't dish, what are we going to talk about?" We're all a little Caroline Pearce, aren't we?


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

The Sweet Valley Confidential Twitter account posted this sweet video Tuesday afternoon. Kinda makes me want to revisit all the books.



Did anyone have this game? More importantly, does anyone still have this game?

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

P.S.: I'm well in to "Sweet Valley Confidential." Expect to read a full recap and review right here next week.

All Things Considered published a story this week titled "Twin Drama Returns in 'Sweet Valley Confidential.' " Reporter Rachel Syme interviewed author Francine Pascal on her decision to return to the series, as well as screenwriter Diablo Cody, who is transforming the series into a movie. Click here to listen to the story's broadcast, or here to read the web version of the story.

The story linked above includes an excerpt from the first chapter of the book.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I haven't had a chance to start "Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later..." since picking it up yesterday, but Alicia Rancilio of The Associated Press has already reviewed the book:

“Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later...” (St. Martin’s Press), by Francine Pascal: The stars of the young-adult book series “Sweet Valley” have grown up.
Twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield were introduced in “Sweet Valley High” in the early 1980s. The beautiful blond teens with peaches-and-cream skin — they’re a perfect size 6 — live in Sweet Valley, Calif.
Elizabeth is sensitive, thoughtful and responsible, while Jessica is more emotional, selfish and materialistic.
In author Francine Pascal’s new book, “Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later...,” the twins are in their late twenties. Elizabeth discovers that her longtime boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, is having an affair with Jessica, and she flees to New York City.
Jessica, who becomes engaged to Todd, is desperate for her twin’s forgiveness. But Elizabeth never wants to see her, or Todd, ever again.
However, the twins must attend a party celebrating their grandmother’s 80th birthday. So Elizabeth comes up a vengeful plan to destroy Jessica and Todd’s relationship.
The story unfolds with a series of flashbacks to fill in the blanks about what happened to the twins in the decade following their teenage years. There are some references to plots in earlier books that loyal readers with sharp memories will remember.
Yes, the plot of “Sweet Valley Confidential” is cheesy, and the writing won’t win any awards. But it’s a fun read. Time has made Elizabeth a little less perfect, and Jessica is a little less catty.
One particularly irksome thing about the writing is Jessica’s dialogue. To illustrate how she’s less mature than her twin, her speech is peppered with the words “like” and “so.” It’s like, so annoying and repetitive.
A number of supporting players from the YA series are reintroduced with a brief summary of how they ended up, so reading “Sweet Valley Confidential” is like being invisible at your high-school reunion.
Screenwriter Diablo Cody is adapting the “Sweet Valley High” series for a film. And Pascal has written three spin-off series, “Sweet Valley Twins,” “Sweet Valley Kids” and “Sweet Valley University.”
Will more “Sweet Valley” books be published? If the popularity of previous books is an indicator, readers are still interested in knowing what happens next.

I'm pretty excited to dive in. Are you catching up with the girls 10 years later?


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

The moment we have been waiting for is (almost) finally here!

Less than one day until "Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later" is on bookstore shelves!

Since July, we have been anticipating the release of "Sweet Valley Confidential," the new book by Francine Pascal, creator of the Sweet Valley twins, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. The blonde beauties from California had hundreds of adventures and mishaps (and a whole lot of drama) chronicled in several series: Sweet Valley High, Sweet Valley Kids, Sweet Valley Twins, The Unicorn Club, Sweet Valley Junior High, Sweet Valley Senior Year, Sweet Valley University and Elizabeth. Now, we will get to see what is happening in the next chapter in their lives with "Sweet Valley Confidential," which catches the girls at 27 years old and miles apart. What has happened since we left Sweet Valley University? What drove the girls apart?

We had hoped to read the entire run of Sweet Valley High books before "Sweet Valley Confidential" was released, but the books aren't exactly easy to find anymore. The first six books were updated and republished (and available through CLEVNET), but beyond that it gets a little more difficult.

Here's a few ways to get pumped for "Sweet Valley Confidential":

• Take this quiz to see if you are Team Jessica or Team Elizabeth. (We're both Team Elizabeth)
• Or take this quiz to see which Sweet Valley character you are. (Surprise, we both got Elizabeth)
• Read Shannon's Sweet Valley High Blog to recap several books in all of the series.
• Read The Sweet Valley Diaries, "an experiment in nostalgia" with blog entries on several of the books.
• Read the first chapter of "Sweet Valley Confidential."We did! (Danielle: I am tempted to read it again right now to prepare for Tuesday.)
• Check out the Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential from the beginning.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl
and Danielle Capriato | DCapriato@News-Herald.com

If you thought the Sweet Valley series couldn't get any more [insert your adjective of choice here], then you haven't read any of the Sweet Valley Saga.

I just finished "Sweet Valley Saga: The Wakefield Legacy: The Untold Story", which details Elizabeth and Jessica's ancestry on their father's side. And just like the stories following the girls' own lives, this book is drama drama drama.

There is a lot going on in this book (it follows five generations of Wakefields), so I'm not sure I can summarize it all. Instead, I'll post some of my favorite [read: cheesy] passages.


Page 31:

Theodore's chin sank to his chest. He fought back the tears of defeat and the desire to give up, to return home to England. No, he decided at last. He couldn't go back. Because no matter how vast this country was, Alice was there, somewhere, somewhere in the wild, lonely West.
Theodore checked the list of fares. He had just enough money to get himself to Cleveland, Ohio. That wasn't very far west, but it was a start. "One ticket to Cleveland," he requested, laying the money on the counter, his hand shaking slightly. It was all the money he had in the world. Theodore twisted the ring on his finger; he thought of the rose he had carved for Alive. "Somehow I will find her," he vowed, oblivious to the ticket seller's curious stare. "If I die searching, someday I will find her."

Page 53:

For the first time, Theo realized how blind he had been. How could he not have noticed how much he cared for Dancing Wind? As he held her in his arms, not knowing whether she would live or die, Theo knew that he'd never forgive himself if he lost her now. Dancing Wind had given him so much in the past few months; she'd taught him to laugh and share again. She'd taught him how to look ahead to the future, encouraged him to forget the past. And he'd given her nothing in return. How could I not have seen? he asked himself. We are so much alike. Dancing Wind is alone, without family; we are both exiles, far from our roots. Destiny brought us together and now it might separate us.

Page 114:
(this passage occurs after an earthquake that buries Sarah and Edward)

"There's no way out. Edward, this cramped, airless space will be our tomb." Sarah began to cry quietly. "I wanted only one thing, to become your wife. And now ..."
Edward smoothed a hand over her hair. "I love you as much as if you were my wife."
"But I'm not."
"Then let's marry right now! We don't need a justice of the peace in order to vow our eternal love for each other." Gazing deep into Sarah's eyes, Edward said, "Sarah Wakefield, I promise to love and cherish you always, until death do us part."
Overcome with emotion, for a few seconds Sarah could not speak. Then she managed to swallow her tears. "I promise to love and cherish you, Edward Brooke," she whispered. "Until death do us part."
"Here, I'll make it official." Edward fumbled in his pocked and pulled out a small piece of paper. In the murky light. Sarah could see that it was the receipt the desk clerk had written up for them when they checked into the hotel. Now Edward turned it over. With a pencil, also from his pocket, he wrote a few quick words.
He handed the paper to Sarah, and she read aloud what he had written. " 'On this day, we were married.' " Edward had signed and dated the statement; now she did the same.
"My wife," Edward said.
"My husband."
Their lips met in the most tender, meaningful kiss they had ever shared. Edward pulled Sarah closer, crushing her body against his own. As the kiss deepened, all the passion they'd been harboring during the months of their courtship rushed over them like a powerful wave. "Shall we stop?" Edward murmured in her hair.
"No," Sarah breathed. She wanted to be swept away; she wanted to go as far as their love would take her.

(Is this what "Twilight" reads like? Because that's what I imagine.)

Page 127:

Sarah's cheeks flushed hot with anger. "Father, there was nothing to know. Nothing happened between us until we went to San Francisco. We may not have been married on paper, but we were married in spirit."

(Another thing I'd imagine them to say in "Twilight.")

Page 167:

Sometimes Ted couldn't believe his good fortune. Harry's sister Samantha was as much fun as Harry had promised. While visiting the Watsons that past December, Ted had enjoyed dancing up a storm with her and talking to her about Fitzgerald's novels and motion picture stars like Charlie Chaplin and Clara Bow.

(In the words of Chandler Bing, could the author BE trying any harder to make this passage seem timely?)

Page 181: FACTUAL ERROR ALERT:

Ted flipped through the brittle, yellowed pages of Dancing Wind's diary, wondering about the woman who had filled the volume with the tiny, slanted script.

*Puts on nerd glasses*
Dancing Wind's diary would not be brittle and yellowed. Theo met her around 1880, when she was already with the circus and keeping a diary of her life. Paper produced before 1880 did not contain the chemicals and materials that make it turn dry, brittle and yellow with age. Her diary, in fact, would have been in pretty good condition, assuming it had been kept just sitting in a relatively dry environment.
*Pushed nerd glasses up nose*
[And that is what six semesters and $20,000 of graduate school gives you, folks: The ability to point out technical errors in a terribly cheesy book.]

Page 205:

Julia couldn't tell whether Ted had agreed to her proposal because he had nothing better to do or because he was as interested in her as she was in him. It didn't really matter, she decided. After cracking her first big story, she felt confident that her future would be marked by success. She planned to put all her energy into this next assignment: Ted Wakefield's heart.

Page 213:

"Now you look at me, Ted. I'm pretty, I'm smart, I like hard work and adventure. Most of all, I love you. With my whole heart and soul. Are you going to hold that against me?"
Ted touched her face. "No. No, of course not."
"I'd make you a perfect wife and you know it."

Page 215:

"Hmm," Tedd said, considering. "Just right for a study."
"Just right for a nursery, I think," said Julia.
"Well yes, someday. But for now --" He broke off and stared at her. Julia, standing by the window, smiled at him. "Julia, you're not ...?"
She nodded. "I am. We are!"
"Julia!" Ted crossed to her side in two long strides. "I'm -- I'm -- we're -- oh, hurrah!"
Picking her up, he lifted her high in the air. Julia squealed with laughter. "How's that for a scoop?" she asked him. "Extra, extra, read all about it!"
He set her back on her feet. Before he folded her in his arms, she saw that his eyes were sparkling with happy tears. "We make quite a team, Julia. And I think this is going to be our best story yet."

(I've never had to tell anyone I was pregnant, but I've got to imagine this is the absolute most cheesy way to do it that I've ever seen. Are you kidding me???)


I didn't expect anything better from this book. It's Sweet Valley, after all, and with Sweet Valley comes cheesy romance and intense drama. I wasn't exactly interested in the twins' paternal lineage, and now wonder if I should try tracking down the Sweet Valley Saga that follows their maternal lineage. As I found out when reading the Wakefields' untold story (and in the final page), members Alice (Robinson) Wakefield's family came in contact with the Wakefields in just about every generation until Ned and Alice themselves got together. That actually might be the most interesting part of the whole saga series -- a fictional account of what a small world we live in.




-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

I love the cover for "Sweet Valley Confidential," which was revealed this week. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield pictured on the front and back, almost like they are looking away from one another. When the book is closed, their backs are to one another. And the red cover surely screams "DRAMA!"

Notice one of the twins is still wearing her lavaliere pendant, which each of the girls received on their 16th birthday. But is it Elizabeth or Jessica? After reading the first chapter of "Sweet Valley Confidential," I'm guessing Jessica is wearing the necklace and perhaps Elizabeth has removed hers. If you haven't read the first chapter, (a) that is probably puzzling to you and (b) what are you waiting for?!?!?!

Danielle and I are still only 10 books into the Sweet Valley High series. Might be time for us to hunt down the other 171 books we were hoping to read before the March 29 release of the story about the Sweet Valley twins 10 years later. I missed out on so many of the earlier books that I don't think I will be able to pick up on the happenings of their lives after missing out on so much drama. (And reading the list of books and descriptions on Wikipedia surely is proof that there was a whoooole lot of drama in Sweet Valley.)


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

It has been a long time since Cheryl or I have updated on the Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential. Almost a month, in fact.

And what a long, boring month it has been.

Unfortunately, we have been unable so far to track down any more Sweet Valley books.

Of course, it has been a while since we seriously looked for any more editions. Cheryl, in her infinite library wisdom, was checking into borrowing them from area libraries, or having them sent from other libraries to closer locations. I tip-toed through Amazon's used book listings, and considered purchasing a few of them at what I thought were pretty cheap prices. Of course, once shipping is included, those prices aren't quite as enticing.

Although we have asked before, it would be so super-duper-extra-special wonderful if anybody either has some Sweet Valley books on a bookshelf (or even packed away in hiding) that you would be willing to donate to our cause. I know we have asked before, but as I said, we're getting a little desperate. I can't speak for Cheryl, but I'm going through some serious Sweet Valley withdrawal.

I'm sure Jason Lea is starting to miss our updates, too.
(Don't deny it, Jason. We all know it's true.)

So we are pleading again for your help in tracking down Sweet Valley High books 11-143. We only have 175 days (as of 11:23 p.m. on October 4) to read these 132 books. Eek

--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Today I finished Sweet Valley High No. 9: "Racing Hearts." I might have enjoyed this book more than any other in the series because of the several literary and cultural gems throughout the book. A sampling:

• The dance was a big event on the Sweet Valley High social scene. [just like every other dance in the series so far ...]
• Olivia shook her head, letting her untamed curls cascade around her narrow shoulders. "But not too hard," she insisted. "School's supposed to be fun, too." Maybe for some people, he thought, but not when your mother's too sick to hold a steady job and your father's a drunk.
• Todd wasn't usually so testy; in fact, he was one of the most easygoing students at Sweet Valley. But when he was pushed hard enough, his anger ran deep, and he still had a good reason to hold a grudge against Bruce. The smooth-talking Bruce had tried to take advantage of Elizabeth Wakefield, Todd's girlfriend, when she'd been at her most vulnerable -- after an accident that had left her acting completely out of character for several weeks. Fortunately, Bruce had failed. But only barely.
• With an arrogance born of years of practice, Bruce Patman strutted slowly out of the dressing area and onto the track. His brand-new red running shorts were short enough to expose nearly the entire length of his long, muscled legs, while his white, sleeveless T-shirt emphasized his sleek, tanned arms.
• This wasn't the first time Bruce had treated him this way -- once he'd told Roger that the sweat shirt he wore in gym was so old it belonged in a museum -- and he was sure it wasn't going to be the last time either.
• "Now there's a class-A bod," Lila said, admiring the back of the lean, tall boy dressed in a blue running suit.
• "You can't even see his face from here," Jessica pointed out. "But I can see even in those baggy sweats that everything's in the right place."
• She just wanted some privacy to replay the evening with Dennis in her mind. It hadn't taken them long to dispense with the formalities and take up where they'd left off in Dennis's father's office. His kisses were as satisfying as Jessica could want, and he was eager to please her, though enough of a gentleman to realize when their passions were reaching the point beyond which they would no longer be able to control themselves.
• How can she do this? Jessica thought frantically. She's using one of my very own tricks to get to me! It was unlike Elizabeth to resort to blackmail, but nevertheless Jessica couldn't help but feel a reluctant sense of admiration of her twin's scheme. [Right, Elizabeth doesn't use blackmail, except every time she uses blackmail ...]

This book had it all: Jessica has a new love interest; Elizabeth saves the day; a minor character becomes the star of the school and goes back to being the same person he always was; Bruce Patman acts like a jerk.

And the end of the book provides quite a lead-in to the next one. Annie Whitman is introduced toward the beginning of the book as Bruce Patman's next potential conquest, and the last 20 pages of the book hammer home the fact that she really wants to try out for the SVH cheerleading squad -- which just so happens to be the topic of SVH No. 10. Once the readers can figure out how the book is going to end, I think writer Kate William is ready to give them a sample of what is coming next.

The Roger parts of the books were the best. I loved that he was such a good runner because he ran around the school frequently. I'm puzzled by this entire premise because the race Roger qualified for was one mile around a track ... which is a little different than being able to run through the hallway of a school, where human obstacles and short distances would limit your ability to actually run well. I also loved that he was a freakish outsider until he proved how fast he could run, and then Ms. Popularity Lila was fawning all over him. I don't know of any popular girls from my high school who would have instantly forgotten about an outsider's status just because he showed that he was athletic. Sweet Valley sure is a strange, strange world.




-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Danielle and I are fast approaching the end of the Sweet Valley High books available at Cleveland Public Library and through CLEVNET. CPL only has Nos. 1-10 cataloged, and I just recently checked out No. 10 ("Wrong Kind of Girl"). So we have a plea for our fellow current (and former) Sweet Valley High readers.

We're looking for books 11-181, and wondering if any SVH fans would like to lend/sell/give them to us so we can continue our reading as we prepare for the release of "Sweet Valley Confidential: 10 Years Later". We're considering scouring Amazon and Half for the next 171 books, but I'm concerned shipping would get a bit pricey. If other SVH readers are looking for books not in their collections or libraries, maybe we can arrange a book swap (unfortunately, Danielle and I do not have any books to contribute to a swap, though neither of us are opposed to purchasing a few).

We would have to work out some logistics so my anal-retentive self can read the books in sequential order, but we could probably estimate when in the next six months we would want to read which books based on the progress we are making.

Interested in helping us out? Need to fill a gap in your SVH collection? Drop me a line and let me know.





-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Well, we've made it through eight books in the Sweet Valley High series. Danielle and Cheryl have several similar thoughts about what we've read so far, so let's just get into it.

1. The "updated" versions of the books started out super cheesy, but are now preferred to the originally published versions.

Danielle: I mentioned in the original Sweet Valley Confidential post here on the Book Blog that the books were re-released with updates to make them more appealing to today's young girls. The first six books in the series that Cheryl and I read were the updated versions. Initially I thought the updates were super cheesy. It seemed like they were forcing changes in the original storyline to include references to cell phones. There was one particular part that sticks out, in which the girls were preparing for a dance contest which was becoming more popular with the students of SVH because of the recent surge of reality dance programming on television.(I can't remember which book; oops! I read 5 in one night, though, so forgive me if I've got the details all jumbled.) As I started reading, each of these references seemed outrageously forced, and totally unnecessary. However, books 7 and 8 that Cheryl and I read were the original versions... and Oh. My. Gosh. They are so different. In "Heartbreaker," the eighth book of the series, Jessica is starring in the school play and believes she is going to get her big break. She starts dreaming of starring opposite Sylvester Stallone, and I am immediately lost. So I guess now I see the benefit of updating the books. At least in that respect.

Cheryl: Danielle and I talked about this the other night, and I think she sums it up pretty nicely. I guess I sort of found the updates in the books annoying until I returned to the originals and realized how necessary they modernization is.

2. The dramatic subplots are taken so lightly. Almost too lightly. The books are very "soap opera-y," as Cheryl so eloquently put it.

Danielle: I once told a coworker who was unfamiliar with the Sweet Valley series that the books were pretty much soap opera smut for teens. I was definitely not mistaken. As I said before, the subplots throughout are incredibly intense. Teachers accused of having affairs with students, attempted rape (which happens multiple times in multiple books), shoplifting, drug use, drinking, driving under the influence ... So many things that are a really big deal are handled so lightly. It's shocking! And then, to really amp up the soap opera-y-ness of the whole series, Liz is left in a coma and comes out of it seemingly having switched places with Jessica! She goes around flirting with boys, partying, shopping, and generally misbehaving. Then, in a scene in which she is almost raped by The. Bruce. Patman., she bumps her head and awakens having forgotten that she was ever any different. It's impossible to keep up with the lives of the characters in these books! And it's hard to identify with the situations, because my high school experience was NOTHING like that. (I was in marching band; 'nuff said.)

Cheryl: I was in marching band too, but I think there was some element of soap oper-y-ness to my high school experience. And I know that in high school, what's going on with the boy you like is kind of a big deal ... but probably not a bigger deal than getting stuck in the wilderness with a group of drunk college kids after one tried to rape you (and P.S. why in the heck did all the Sweet Valley parents think it was OK for their high school kids to be dating college kids?!?!?). That would be the bigger gossip than who was talking to whom at Casa Del Sol (or the Dairi Burger in the original books). I've read on Wikipedia the summaries of the books to come, and, without spoiling much, stuff gets deathly dramatic without consequences.

3. The books recap the dramatic subplots from previous books in an even more cavalier fashion.

Danielle: Cheryl pointed out how awkwardly some of the serious situations are recapped as the series progresses. For example, Liz's best friend, Enid Rollins, confesses to a history with drugs and alcohol, a secret which eventually gets out to the entire school. Yet, days later, she is able to get a super hot new boyfriend and act like she was never mortified the secret got out in the first place. Then, a few books later, it is summed up like "Yeah, so Enid once did bad things, but it's OK now." Yeah, OK. Because mixing pot and Ecstasy and alcohol while driving, and hitting a young boy who was left paralyzed for LIFE is really only worth a passing mention.

Cheryl: Ditto.

4. Jessica is a total ... well, you know. Mean girl.

Danielle: Jessica sucks. She shops all the time, only cares about herself, plays with the emotions of every guy she meets, expects her sister to constantly cover for her, and is pretty much just a meanie. Why does anybody like her? I doubt anybody really does, but I suppose nobody would be as interested in reading about two Liz-like girls who were dedicated students with nice friends who had little to no scandal in their lives.

Cheryl: My favorite Wakefield twin was always Elizabeth. The more I am reading, the more I am wondering how in the heck anyone could ever like Jessica? Also, why is Jessica the "hot" twin if she and Elizabeth look identical? And for as much as Jessica seems to put herself out there, if you know what I mean, when it comes down to it, she really seems like she doesn't want to be putting herself out there, if you know what I mean.

Summary:

Danielle: I guess what it all boils down to is making the books compelling. If both girls were total sweethearts, if there weren't crazy plot twists and ridiculous situations, nobody would want to stick around. Of course, the books take things a little over the top, but Francine Pascal obviously knew how to sell books: You can't go wrong with a combination of scandalous scenarios and crush-worthy boys to flirt with.

Cheryl: Francine Pascal really created an addicting series here. I've noticed with the older books that each ends with a lead-in to the next, asking the question for the next topic. Of course I want to know if Roger will melt Lila's icy heart!

One more burning question:

WHY IS THERE A DANCE IN (almost) EVERY BOOK??? We both had three annual dances at our high schools: homecoming, winter formal, prom.

Random trivia we have noticed from reading so many books back to back:

When Jessica is embellishing how many times something has happened, she always uses the number 137.

How far are you in your Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential?

Happy reading!
Danielle Capriato, DCapriato@News-Herald.com
Cheryl Sadler, CSadler@News-Herald.com

I am fortunate that my partner in crime, Cheryl, has been updating you all more regularly on our Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential. Sadly, I have fallen a bit behind and have only today finished the second book in the series, "Secrets." So far I am almost embarrassed to admit how much I am enjoying the books. I wish I could chalk it all up to the nostalgia of revisiting places and characters I so adored as an adolescent, but I fear I am actually amused by the petty high school drama found on each page.

As I'm sure you can imagine, "petty high school drama" is pretty much the name of the game in Sweet Valley, California. So far I've seen Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield fight over a boy, Jessica chase the Homecoming crown, Jessica gossip about Elizabeth's best friend... and Elizabeth stick around to clean up after Jessica's messes, and exact some form of fitting but harmless revenge. And while all this is expected, I am actually surprised at some of the intense subplots and the shockingly casual way they are all handled.

For example, in the first book, "Double Love," not only do Jess and Liz (and big brother Steven) almost accuse their father of having an affair, Liz is also involved in a scary situation involving underage drunken driving. She also accuses Todd Wilkins, the object of the twins' affections and Liz's eventual boyfriend, of attempted rape. In "Secrets," one of the twins' classmates goes so far as to plaster posters throughout the school alleging an affair between a student and teacher, and Liz's best friend Enid Rollins admits her past problems with drugs that led to her involvement in an accident in which a young boy was left paralyzed.

While I definitely remember the crazy scenarios from my first read of the series, I am sure I missed the possible gravity of each of these situations the first time around. For Enid to admit freely that she once mixed alcohol, marijuana and ecstasy with a boyfriend before hopping behind the wheel... it's absolutely horrifying! What's worse is that she seemed much more concerned about becoming fodder for the rumor mill when she confessed her secret to Liz than she seemed remorseful for the lives she altered.

Of course, my mild dismay at the nonchalant approach to such heavy subjects as accused rape, student-teacher affairs, drunken driving and drug use only draws me further into the books (not sure what, exactly, that says about me--but I feel it totally necessary to out myself as a former high school goody-two-shoes who spent all her time practicing her saxophone and reading about high school scandals instead of actually participating in such activities). Maybe the reason it's so easy to ignore the terrible things because it's blatantly obvious how fakely perfect everybody and everything in the books turn out. In a perfect place like Sweet Valley, nothing can bring you down.

Except maybe forced references to cell phones, "24" and "Heroes". But that's a topic for another time, I suppose.




--Danielle Capriato
DCapriato@News-Herald.com

Since Wednesday I have finished two more books in my Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential. "Secrets" focuses on Jessica's quest to become homecoming queen, while "Playing With Fire" chases Jessica's wild love affair with The. Bruce. Patman. And in both books, as is usually the case, level-headed Elizabeth tries to right Jessica's wrongs and gets some revenge that leads to a happy ending in time for the next book in the series.

This surely will be a pattern for the next 178 books.

I commented after I read the first in the series that the book seemed kind of shallow, like there wasn't much development. But now that I'm three books in, I can better see why there's not much to the books. Each one is like an episode of a sitcom, during which you learn a little bit more about the character. You don't get the full understanding until you've watched several, and at that point you are able to predict the next moves. And it's going through this getting-to-know-you phase that you start to like the characters.

At this point, I can't see how anyone would like Jessica over Elizabeth. Jessica is a mean girl, and I don't even quite understand why Elizabeth is still interested in being her BFF, forgiving her each time she stabs someone in the back to get her way. But then again, Jessica has some sort of charming way about her that makes you take her side when someone like Bruce Patman treats her like dirt.

I hate to admit how much I am interested in reading the rest of the series. It's dramatic teen lit that I almost would call trashy. Case in point:

Together they swam to a shallower area, where they could stand with just their heads and shoulders above water. As Bruce looked her over appraisingly, Jessica was happy she'd remembered to wear waterproof makeup tonight. She had a feeling that Bruce wouldn't have that sexy, salivating gleam in his eye if she had black mascara running down her face. Jessica's heart pounded wildly at his obvious attraction.
"What do you say we pick up where we left off on the dance floor?" he asked, reaching through the water for her. He pulled her to him and his strong arms encircled her bare back under the water.
"Water dancing, huh?" Jessica said with a smile. "If you wanted a hug, Bruce, you could have just asked."
Bruce smiled down at her and held her even more closely. Under the water their knees touched, their thighs grazed, their flat stomachs pressed together. Jessica wanted to so badly to kiss Bruce she could hardly breathe. Part of her still couldn't believe this was happening. After all those years of daydreaming about him and wishing he would ask her out, here she was, in the middle of the lake, shivering as he held her.

That might be the worst passage from "Playing With Fire," and that kind of stuff is, to me, the worst part about these books. It's lame, but I suppose that's how those crazy teenagers feel.



-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Late Tuesday night I finished the first book in the Sweet Valley High series, "Double Love." I was about as satisfied with it as I should have expected to be. I didn't realize before that the plots were so shallow -- or I just didn't care. I also always knew I preferred Elizabeth over Jessica, but I never noticed that Jessica was such a jerk.

In "Double Love," Jessica does everything she can to try to get Todd to fall in love with her instead of her sister. Elizabeth, meanwhile, sits back and hopes that her luck will change. Both twins make references to how they don't care if the other is her sister because she wants Todd all to herself. I'm not a twin, but I was a high school girl, and I can't remember ever thinking that it would be a good idea to fight over a guy with my BFF. Then again, I was always more Elizabeth than Jessica, and, like Elizabeth, I would have passive aggressively hoped my luck would change through inaction.

I don't think it's a spoiler to say that things ended happily in Sweet Valley (the place is called Sweet Valley, after all). After 223 pages, the twins have righted their wrongs, Elizabeth has snagged Todd and Jessica is ready to seek out her next conquest. The subplots of brother Steven's mysterious girlfriend and Mr. Wakefield's alleged affair both have a lot of build-up (relatively speaking) and quick, undramatic resolution. But then again, the book didn't have much depth in the first place.

Reviews aggregated on the WorldCat listing of the 2008 edition (which I read) complain about differences from the 1983 original. Readers are disappointed about the lack of the Dairi Burger (replaced by Casa del Sol) and Bruce Patman's license plate 1BRUCE1. But I didn't know the original books well enough to care about the changes that make the girls more appealing to today's tweens.

And because I brought up tweens, I'll also mention that it was slightly embarrassing to walk around the young adult series section of the library -- and to check out six Sweet Valley High books at once. Maybe not as embarrassing as the fact that for the rest of the series, I will be putting books on hold to be delivered to my library's circulation desk. I'm going to be totally disappointed if I come to a book that is not in Cleveland Public Library and have to buy it or skip it altogether. My anal-retentive side does not want to read the stories out of order! But, I do have 229 days to track down the rest of the books.



-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

I know everyone is on the edge of their seats, anxious to hear the update on the Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential. But the update is a non-update because Danielle was on vacation in Florida (where it has been even hotter than Northeast Ohio) and I have been busy trying to finish my master's degree.

< shameless plug alert >

What's been keeping me busy for the past few weeks is finishing up a project as part of my practicum in the Cleveland Public Library Special Collections department -- the final requirement before earning my master's of library and information science from Kent State University. You can learn about what I've been doing this summer on CPL's blog.

Check back next week for what I hope will be a non-non-update.



--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Ladies and gentlemen (well, mostly ladies), the Wakefield twins are back.

If you don't know who Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are, you probably didn't grow up as a girl in the '90s -- like NH copy editors Cheryl Sadler and Danielle Capriato. Liz and Jess were the stars of the Sweet Valley books by Francine Pascal, a series with multiple spin-offs following the twins from about second grade through college. St Martins press recently announced the release of a new book, called "Sweet Valley Confidential" to be released in March of 2011. The new book will feature the Wakefield twins about 10 years after the original high school series as the girls adjust to life in their late 20s, early 30s. Here, Cheryl and Danielle discuss their epic excitement for the release and their plans to revisit some of their favorite books in the Sweet Valley series.

Cheryl: My initial reaction to the news was OMG!!!! I so fondly remember reading all about Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield throughout elementary and middle school and had several of the "Sweet Valley Twins" books on my bookshelf (and even some from the "Unicorn Club" series). I remember the characters and their characteristics almost as much as I remember my own classmates. So I am preeeeetty excited about diving back into the world of Sweet Valley "10 years later" to see what's happening with my favorite twins.

Danielle: My initial reaction? "I. HAVE. TO. READ. THAT. NOW!" Of course, since "NOW" was not an option, I instead opted for a massive Google search for all things Sweet Valley. I had intended to refresh my memory about the Wakefield twins, their friends and love interests so that I could get properly psyched for "Confidential." The Internet, as it usually does, hosted a wealth of information regarding developments in the fictional town of Sweet Valley. For example, in 2008, 15 years after the initial release of the Sweet Valley High series, Francine Pascal approved an "update" to the original texts. The books were given a modern look, and were infused with current cultural contexts to appeal to today's reader. Changes included giving the girls a red Jeep in lieu of the red Fiat featured throughout the series, and apparently putting the girls on a diet and slimming them down from "a perfect size 6" to "a perfect size 4." I also discovered that Diablo Cody (of "Juno" fame) is working on a movie adaptation based on the Sweet Valley High books. Of course, this just made me that much more intrigued to read the new book.

Cheryl: As Danielle and I were walking down memory lane, I realized that I might not have ever read the "Sweet Valley High" series books. Although I'm sure I made my way through most of the "Twins" and "Kids" spin-offs, I don't know if I read about the girls' high school adventures. So from now until March 29, 2011, I am going to be reading as many of the high school books as I can. It might not be the best literature I could be consuming in my free time, but I'm looking forward to revisiting a couple of the girls I grew up with.

Danielle: Cheryl and I have made a list of all the Sweet Valley High books and intend to check as many of them out from the library as possible (even if we are totally embarrassed to be checking them out) over the next few months. Of course we will continue to update here as we go, so you can follow along with us as we reacquaint ourselves with all things Sweet Valley.

Cheryl: You can request the first chapter of "Sweet Valley Confidential" here for free, which I did. They send you the pdf via e-mail, and it took me only a few minutes to read. Danielle didn't want to see it, and I can understand why, because now I'm pretty eager to know why Elizabeth and Jessica are in the positions they are in.

Danielle: I couldn't bring myself to read the free first chapter, because I knew that I'd be freaking out over the next 245 days to get the rest of the book. That's right--there are 245 days left in the Countdown to Sweet Valley Confidential. You can check back here periodically for updates on our journey.



Are you as excited as we are for the release of Sweet Valley Confidential? Let us know!

-Cheryl Sadler and Danielle Capriato
CSadler@News-Herald.com
DCapriato@News-Herald.com