Sweet Valley High #5: All Night Long

Front Cover: Is Jessica as grown-up as she thinks she is?

Back Cover: Has Jessica gone too far?

Elizabeth Wakefield knows her beautiful twin can handle almost any guy - most boys are just no match for Jessica's seductive charms. But Scott Daniels, Jessica's latest love, is more of a man than a boy, much older and much more experenced than anyone Jessica's ever dated.

 When Jessica sneaks off to a college beach party with Scott, Elizabeth's afraid of what could happen. And when her twin isn't back by morning, Elizabeth's fear turns to alarm. Where's Jessica? Why has she stayed out all night long?

I'm pretty sure I've never read this one before. Not much about it stuck out or seemed particularly deja-vu.

So this one had a really short time line: only a week. It started on a Sunday and was over on the following Saturday. Not that that's really relevant to anything, but I just thought it was neat.

This book was also over way too fast. Like, Jessica pretty much figured out that Scott was no good almost immediately. The bulk of the novel was then Elizabeth trying to cover for Jess, as Jess waited things out and made her way back home. Then there was some aftermath on that.

What pissed me off most about this book was Jessica and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is such an enabler and a pushover. She shouldn't constantly cover for Jess, and then take her bullshit. Elizabeth is way too nice and trusting when it comes to her sister, and it pisses me off that she's the only one who doesn't see that Jess basically just uses her, would never do the same for her, and it essentially just a selfish bitch. It's so frustrating hearing Todd and Enid try to set Elizabeth straight, only for her to be so blind.

Jessica of course, was a dumb selfish bitch as always. She could have maybe come off as merely immature, but her attitude about everything is the worst. She blames Elizabeth for her being in her predicament, all because Elizabeth should have apparently tried harder to talk her out of her bad behaviour. Then she gets pissed when Elizabeth ends up failing the test she wrote for her - the test that she should have failed anyways because she wasn't even around to write it! She doesn't even bother asking Elizabeth what's wrong or seeing what's going on in her life. Elizabeth has the worst fight and the worst guilt ever at Jess's doings, and Jess just doesn't even care enough to notice.

The subplot in this novel was the big surf competition that Bill Chase was competing in. This was such a tiny subplot. We don't even see Bill for most of it. People just talk about him and it.

My copy of the novel has extra stuff in the back, including character profiles on Bill and Lila Fowler. Bill's got an interesting backstory: his parents are divorced, his girlfriend was destroyed in a drunk driving accident, he hasn't been able to date since (although we're assured he'll get a new girlfriend soon, so I'm interested in seeing when that comes up and reading it) and he's just generally quiet and mysterious because of all the shit he's been through. Lila's backstory wasn't really anything I didn't already know. Although, I did get the fact that Lila's father isn't actually her father, and that it's an open secret in her family. Poor Lila. I'd be so afraid of not making him proud and him disowning me and forcing me to move away with my just-as-neglectful mother. At least in Sweet Valley, she's got her friends. I wonder if we'll hear or see more about Lila and her father and her paternity in the future. I'm thinking yes.

Hook: Will Todd's motorcycle drive them apart?

I'm guessing no. Elizabeth will finally tell him that her parents won't let her ride, but she'll also explain how it's because her cousin died riding one. Todd will be understanding. There will be some tension for awhile, but eventually Todd will get into an accident. He'll realize that a motorcycle is too dangerous and that Elizabeth is more important, and he'll put his bike away until he's older and they'll all live happily ever after haha

Sweet Valley High #4: Power Play

Front Cover: The Wakefield twins have taken sides - against each other!

Back Cover: Elizabeth and Jessica in a tug of war...

Chubby Robin Wilson has been following Jessica around for months. First she wanted to be her friend - now she wants to join Pi Beta Alpha, Sweet Valley High's snobby sorority.

 When Elizabeth, Jessica's twin, nominates Robin for the sorority, Jessica is furious. Robin may be friendly and smart, but she's certainly not beautiful or popular enough to be a Pi Beta. Jessica's determined to find a way to keep Robin out.

 But Elizabeth is just as determined to make Robin a sorority sister. Soon the twins are locked in a struggle that develops into the biggest power play at Sweet Valley High...

Okay. First of all, that description makes the book sound a lot more action-packed and exciting than it really was. It was mostly just Jessica making Robin do hard pledge tasks and Elizabeth encouraging her. The synopsis made me think that an all-out war started in the school with people taking sides and shit like that. But nope, it was pretty tame and isolated.

In fact, the whole concept of Robin trying to get into the sorority is pretty much done with as of halfway through the novel. The rest of the novel is Robin "acting strange", which was her getting into shape and dieting and undergoing a transformation. The Pi Betas do pop up again, trying to capitalize on Robin's newfound popularity and beauty, but Robin turns them down and says she doesn't need them. She's finally figured out what bitches they all were.

The subplot involved Jessica coming home with all sorts of expensive items, claiming they were gifts from Lila, rejected items from her aunt. While at the mall, Elizabeth finds the store that the items came from and hears that they've been having a serial shoplifter around. At first, Elizabeth thinks Jess is the one shoplifting, but eventually it's discovered that it was Lila. She was bored and desperate for daddy's attention, so yeah. Lila gets busted, but Elizabeth agrees to cover for her and keep it from Jessica. Lila temporarily gets the love and attention she so desperately wanted from her father, but it's implied that it won't last long.

This novel probably has the longest timeline of all the novels. It's insinuated that Robin's transformation was over the course of at least month, if not two or three. Of course, none of that will matter in future novels, as the girls are perpetually stuck in the 11th grade at age 16, but yeah. Even though we should be well near the end of the school year by now, I'm guessing it'll be at least another 4 novels before we hit summer vacation and repeat the 11th grade again haha

Lila trusts Elizabeth, but not Jessica, with her secret. It makes me wonder why Lila is friends with Jessica, when she knows that Jessia is a bitch and/or immature and/or only looking out for herself. I guess we most often hang out and associate with people who are like us, not neceassily the ones who are the best. It makes me almost wish that there was more between Lila and Elizabeth. Like, that Lila would in the future turn to Elizabeth in times of need or advice or what not.

Something that bothered me with this one was Jessica's attitude about Bruce Patman. Although she's no longer mooning over him after what happened in the last novel, the fact that she was jealous of Robin surprised me a bit. I mean, wouldn't she be like, "Hahaha omg joke's on her! He's a fucking douchebag!" and then just sit back and smile smugly, hoping that Robin will get taken advantage of? Or something? I dunno. I know that the lessons the characters learn in each book are pretty much always forgotten and no one ever really evolves, but because Jessica's encounters with Bruce were literally LAST BOOK, I just don't buy that she's already quick to accept him again. I know she always admires him and has a thing for him in all the future books though.

Hook: Jessica with a college guy? Elizabeth fears her twin has gotten in over her head this time. Is she right?

Omg how is this any different from when she dated Bruce? Only maybe much worse?? I'm guessing that instead of this college guy being a creep, he's going to be a genuinely nice guy, but way too mature and intellectual for Jessica. She'll try to keep up, but fail. He'll either know right off the bat that she's still in high school (but she'll probably try to play it off like she's 18 at least, or a senior) and only think of her as a kid sister or friend (which will of course piss her off and humilate her), or he'll genuinely think she's a college freshman and have no idea how creepy and illegial he's potentially being. Either way, Jessica will be heartbroken at some point and realize that she shouldn't try to grow up so fast or pretend to be something she's not.