Sweet Valley High

Sweet Valley High
Author Francine Pascal
Country United States
Language English
Genre Young adult fiction, romance novel, mystery, thriller
Publisher Random House
Published 1983-2003
Media type Print (hardback & paperback)
Audiobook
E-book

Sweet Valley High is a novel series created by Francine Pascal, who presided over a team of ghostwriters for the duration of the series.[1][2] The books chronicle the lives of identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, who live in Sweet Valley, California, United States just outside of Los Angeles. The twins and their friends attend Sweet Valley High.

The series began in 1983 and ceased publication twenty years later with 603 books to its name. Over the years, the books were written by many ghostwriters. The books are generally classified as young adult or kids' fiction and mostly belonged to the genre of soap opera, romance novel or fantasy-adventure.[3] The series quickly gained popularity and spawned several spin-off series, including Sweet Valley Senior Year and Sweet Valley University.

The novels Sweet Valley Confidential and The Sweet Life, which follow the characters as adults, were released in 2011 and 2012.

Characters

Ned and Alice Wakefield are the parents of a son, Steven, and identical twin daughters, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. Lawyer Ned Wakefield met interior-designer Alice Robertson while they were at college and flower-child Alice was engaged to conservative Hank Patman. After meeting Ned, Alice realize that she didn't love Hank and broke off their engagement; she wed Ned soon after. As they were said to have been married for 20 years when the series began, they would have married in 1963.

They named their first child, Steven, after Ned's late college friend. Shortly after Steven's birth, Ned became a partner at his law firm. Two years later Alice gave birth to Elizabeth and Jessica, whom she named after her ancestors Elisabeth and Jessamyn. They were the third set of identical twin girls in her family in six generations.

Their children grew into spitting images of their parents. Blonde, youthful Alice is often mistaken for the twins' older sister.

Ned is a general-practice lawyer and the head of a prominent Sweet Valley firm. Alice works as an interior designer at one of Sweet Valley's major design firms. Although they are quite comfortable, they are not wealthy and have no intention of becoming so. However, they are close friends of heiress Lila Fowler's family, having become better acquainted with them when the Fowlers hosted the Wakefields after a massive earthquake ripped apart Sweet Valley. Alice has two sisters: Nancy, who has daughters named Robin and Stacey; and Laura, who has a daughter named Kelly and is divorced from Kelly's violent, abusive father Greg Bates. Ned's parents live in Michigan and he has an older half-brother, Louis.

Other characters

Sweet Valley High books

Spin-off series

Sweet Valley Kids

The twins are seven-year-old second graders at Sweet Valley Elementary School in this series, which included several Special Editions and "Super Snooper" mystery books.

The books are:

  1. Surprise! Surprise!
  2. Runaway Hamster
  3. The Twins' Mystery Teacher
  4. Elizabeth's Valentine
  5. Jessica's Cat (Peter) Trick
  6. Lila's Secret
  7. Jessica's Big Mistake
  8. Jessica's Zoo Adventure
  9. Elizabeth's Super Selling Lemonade
  10. The Twins and the Wild West
  11. Crybaby Lois
  12. Trick or Treat
  13. Starring Winston Egbert
  14. Jessica The Baby-Sitter
  15. Fearless Elizabeth
  16. Jessica the TV Star
  17. Caroline's Mystery Dolls
  18. Bossy Steven
  19. Jessica and the Jumbo Fish
  20. The Twins go to the Hospital
  21. Jessica and the Spelling Bee Surprise
  22. Sweet Valley Slumber Party
  23. Lila's Haunted House Party
  24. Cousin Kelly's Family Secret
  25. Left-Out Elizabeth
  26. Jessica's Snobby Club
  27. The Sweet Valley Cleanup Team
  28. Elizabeth Meets Her Hero
  29. Andy and the Alien
  30. Jessica's Unburied Treasure
  31. Elizabeth and Jessica Run Away
  32. Left Back!
  33. Caroline's Halloween Spell
  34. The Best Thanksgiving Ever
  35. Elizabeth's Broken Arm
  36. Elizabeth's video Fever
  37. The Big Race
  38. Good-Bye Eva?
  39. Ellen is Home Alone
  40. Robin in the Middle
  41. The Missing Tea Set
  42. Jessica's Monster Nightmare
  43. Jessica Gets Spooked
  44. The Twins Big Pow-Wow
  45. Elizabeth's Piano Lessons
  46. Get the Teacher!
  47. Elizabeth the Tattletale
  48. Lila's April Fool
  49. Jessica's Mermaid
  50. Steven's Twin
  51. Lois and the Sleepover
  52. Julie The Karate Kid
  53. The Magic Puppets
  54. Star of the Parade
  55. The Jessica and Elizabeth Show
  56. Jessica Plays Cupid
  57. No Girls Allowed
  58. Lila's Birthday Bash
  59. Jessica + Jessica = Trouble
  60. The Amazing Jessica
  61. Scaredy Cat Elizabeth
  62. The Halloween War
  63. Lila's Christmas Angel
  64. Elizabeth's Horseback Adventure
  65. Steven's Big Crush
  66. And the Winner is... Jessica Wakefield!
  67. The Secret of Fantasy Forest
  68. A Roller Coaster for the Twins!
  69. Class Picture Day!
  70. Good-Bye Mrs. Otis
  71. Jessica's Secret Friend
  72. The Macaroni Mess
  73. The Witch in the Pumpkin Patch
  74. Sweet Valley Blizzard
  75. Little Drummer Girls
  76. Danger: Twins at Work

Super Snooper Editions:

  1. The Case of the Secret Santa
  2. The Case of the Magic Christmas Bell
  3. The Case of the Haunted Camp
  4. The Case of the Christmas Thief
  5. The Case of the Hidden Treasure
  6. The Case of the Million-Dollar Diamonds
  7. The Case of the Alien Princess

Super Special Editions:

  1. Trapped in Toyland
  2. Easter Bunny Battle
  3. A Curse on Elizabeth (Hair Raiser Super Special Edition)
  4. Save the Turkey!
  5. Elizabeth Hatches an Egg

Sweet Valley Twins

The Sweet Valley Twins series features the twins as sixth grade students attending Sweet Valley Middle School. Though the series focuses primarily on Elizabeth and Jessica, it also features stories of their friends and classmates. Some relationships from Sweet Valley High have changed, such as Amy Sutton being a good friend to Elizabeth rather than Jessica, as they are in high school. The series was succeeded by The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley Jr. High.

The Unicorn Club

The Unicorn Club is a spin-off of Sweet Valley Twins, featuring the Unicorn Club introduced in the Twins series. The series takes place when the twins are seventh graders, still at Sweet Valley Middle School. This series focused on the club members in general, not specifically the twins.

  1. Save the Unicorns - The Unicorns are ultimately forced to disband, thanks to a dare war designed to elect their new president. In the end, the ban is lifted, and Elizabeth Wakefield and Maria Slater join the Club. (narrated by Mandy Miller)
  2. Maria's Movie Comeback - Maria is looking to audition for a role in a new movie, but shortly afterwards, she begins to lose confidence in herself and her acting abilities. Near the end, a sixth-grader named Evie Kim joins the Club. (narrated by Maria Slater)
  3. The Best Friend Game - The Unicorns face the Eight Times Eights on the Best Friends game show, with disastrous results. (narrated by Elizabeth Wakefield)
  4. Lila's Little Sister - Lila must convince a young girl named Ellie to return home, after Ellie thinks her mother is ignoring her. (narrated by Lila Fowler)
  5. Unicorns in Love - Four of the Unicorns have found new love, resulting in the ultimate test of their friendship. (narrated by Evie Kim)
  6. The Unicorns at War (Super Edition) - Kimberly Haver returns and competes against Mary Wallace for Student-Council President, resulting in half the club renouncing the Unicorns and founding a new club called the Angels. (narrated by Mary Wallace)
  7. Too Close for Comfort - The Unicorns and the Angels are quarantined for German measles. (narrated alternatively by Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield)
  8. Kimberly Rides Again - Kimberly takes the remaining Unicorns to a dude ranch, where they end up fighting over a cute stable boy. (narrated by Kimberly Haver)
  9. Ellen's Family Secret - Ellen's parents are getting a divorce, and she tries to convince them not to. (narrated by Ellen Riteman)
  10. Mandy in the Middle - Mandy Miller finds herself torn in two when she starts hanging out with both the Unicorns and the Angels. She ultimately rejoins the Unicorns after hearing Lila had spent time with a boy Mandy was mentoring. (narrated alternatively by Lila Fowler and Mandy Miller)
  11. Angels Keep Out - The Unicorns and the Angels hold separate parties on the same night, but must eventually make a compromise. (Narrated alternatively by Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield)
  12. Five Girls and a Baby - Ellen and the other Unicorns are stuck baby-sitting for a family friend while she is out of town. (Narrated by Ellen Riteman)
  13. Who will be Miss Unicorn - The Unicorns enter a beauty pageant being held in Sweet Valley, but only one of them can go home with the crown. (narrated by Mandy Miller)
  14. Lila on the Loose - Feeling neglected by her father, Lila tries everything she can to get him to pay attention to her. (narrated by Lila Fowler)
  15. Too Cool for the Unicorns - With Amanda Harmon leaving Sweet Valley, the Eight Times Eights must elect a new member and ask Kimberly Haver to join. (narrated by Kimberly Haver)
  16. Bon Voyage, Unicorns - In a two-part story, the Unicorns go on a cruise, but Ellen feels that there is no room in her life for romance, until the Unicorns each fix her up with a boy that they think she'll like—only to find out that the boy each of them picked seems perfect for each of them. (Note: From this book to the last in the series, the story is not told by a specific book character.)
  17. Boyfriends for Everyone - The Unicorns finally end their vacation with the boy each of them likes, while Ellen finally finds her soulmate in a boy named Curtis Bowman.
  18. Rachel's in, Lila's Out - Lila's dad is selling Fowler Mansion to the family of a girl named Rachel Grant, but Lila plans on evicting the potential buyers. Rachel and Lila eventually accept each other as friends, and Rachel joins the Unicorn Club.
  19. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - The Unicorns meet Katherine Pierce, a model and spokeswoman for a local health spa, only to find that their idol is not all that she appears to be.
  20. In Love with Mandy - In a "Cinderella"-esque story, Mandy Miller falls in love with a rich boy named Brandon Jones, but he thinks he is in love with Lila Fowler.
  21. Snow Bunnies - During a vacation to a ski resort, Rachel has a temporary falling-out with the other Unicorns when she tries to come between Ellen and Curtis Bowman.
  22. Jessica's Dream Date - Jessica wins a date with her musician idol, Johnny Buck, only to be disappointed by the fact that her musical Hero is really a zero.
  23. Trapped in the Mall - The Unicorns are trapped in the mall after closing time, and eventually must get help when Ellen is badly injured. This is the last book in the series.

Sweet Valley Junior High

This series occurs when the twins are eighth graders. Elizabeth and Jessica are rezoned to Sweet Valley Junior High, where a number of new characters are introduced. Elizabeth adjusts quickly to the new school and becomes popular among her peers. Jessica does not adapt to Sweet Valley Junior High as quickly as Elizabeth, especially as she struggles to establish some semblance of the popularity she enjoyed in middle school.

Sweet Valley High: Senior Year

Following the conclusion of the original Sweet Valley High series, the twins' final year of high school was depicted in SVH: Senior Year. After the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of their friends and destroyed their homes, the damage to the El Carro High forces a redistribution of its students to local high schools in Sweet Valley and Big Mesa. Elizabeth and Jessica find their senior year to be as emotionally tumultuous as the last as new relationships are formed, old ones are changed, and they must look forward to life after high school.

Sweet Valley University

After graduating from Sweet Valley High, Jessica and Elizabeth attend Sweet Valley University, where they begin a new chapter of their lives.

Elizabeth

Chronologically this is the final chapter in the series and the only spin-off that did not feature Jessica directly. It continues from the plot that occurred at the end of Sweet Valley University; Elizabeth flees to London, intending to continue her schooling. The series has six books.

List of novels

# Title Author Publisher Date
1University InterruptedFrancine PascalRandom HouseJanuary 9, 2001
Elizabeth Wakefield is not going back to Sweet Valley University. Her sister betrayed her. Her boyfriend broke her heart. And her parents are against her. There's nothing for her to go home to. So where is she supposed to go? How about London... as far away as possible? 
2London CallingFrancine PascalRandom HouseFebruary 13, 2001
Elizabeth has no money and no friends, and is still in London. She takes a job as a maid in an earl's manor. 
3A Royal PainFrancine PascalRandom HouseMarch 13, 2001
He's engaged to someone else. Elizabeth is falling in love. With Max. Heir to the earl's fortune. Fiancé to a duchess. They're completely different. But there's something there. 
4Downstairs, UpstairsFrancine PascalRandom HouseApril 10, 2001
She's in trouble. Big trouble. Liz could get deported. Unless someone from Pennington mansion stands up for her. But who? Everyone hates her. Especially Sarah, her boss's daughter, who'd love to see her sent back to America. 
5Max's ChoiceFrancine PascalRandom HouseMay 8, 2001
Max finally chooses between Liz and the duchess. 
6I Need YouFrancine PascalRandom HouseJune 12, 2001
Jessica heads to London, telling Elizabeth to come home and she can explain everything. But will Liz leave Max? 

Sweet Valley Confidential

Sweet Valley Confidential was published on March 29, 2011. The story was entirely written by creator Francine Pascal, and is set 10 years following the conclusion of the previous novel. Prior to the novel's release, Pascal stated, "I can tell you that what you thought was going to happen to those people doesn't happen. Different things happen. Ten years, from 16 to adulthood, has made very different people. And I'm having kind of a good time writing it, doing what I want to do with these people."[4] Most reviews by professional critics were negative. One review from Entertainment Weekly stated, "Make no mistake: This is a very bad book, bloated and silly and, worst of all, often quite boring." [5]

Fans of the series have given mixed-to-negative reviews, citing many inconsistencies and canonical errors. For example, near the beginning of the book, Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend Jeffrey French is mentioned as being happily married, while in the last "epilogue" chapter, he is "still unmarried and unattached." There are many other mistakes in the epilogue as well, such as what happened to Suzanne Devlin: "Suzanne was forced to leave Sweet Valley but returned 6 months later a changed person; unfortunately, she was ill with multiple sclerosis. She apologized to everyone, then crashed her specially equipped car after taking medication with champagne." Suzanne Devlin was mistakenly diagnosed with MS in the SVH magna edition Perfect Christmas, but then finds out that she was misdiagnosed, and she and Todd fall in love. In describing what became of Roger Collins, Pascal states that after having been accused of molestation by Suzanne Devlin (book 11, "Too Good to be True"), he "felt too uncomfortable being a teacher and left to become a nonfiction writer." SVHC also says his son's name is "Sam," not "Teddy," as in all the SVH books. Another inconsistency is the way Jessica talks in the book, peppering her sentences with "So," and "like," which is a departure from the way she spoke in the SVH and SVU series.

Plot

The story begins with Elizabeth in New York, where she is working on a magazine called Show Survey, described as "a sort of Zagat for Off Broadway." Through flashbacks, we learn that Jessica and Todd had been having an affair off and on for the last five years, and that eight months ago Elizabeth discovered their duplicity, and has not spoken to either of them since. A few characters from the original series pop up, most notably Winston Egbert, who invested in a dot-com venture with Bruce Patman (also a major character in this book, Bruce's personality changed dramatically when both of his parents died, making him a more caring, sensitive person). Time, unrequited love and other negative life experiences have turned Winston into a bitter hateful Scrooge-like miser who womanizes and shows contempt for himself and all humanity. He no longer has any friends. He dies midway through the book from an "accidental" drunken fall from his 20-story balcony. Jessica and Todd still live together in Sweet Valley. Jessica has a very successful career for a cosmetics marketing company called "MYFACEISGREEN" and Todd is a successful sports columnist. They are very much in love, but haunted by what they have done to Elizabeth and by the vicious gossip that surrounds them.

The twins are expected to attend their grandmother's eightieth birthday party. Elizabeth is torn, not wanting to see her sister and Todd again, but wanting revenge for what Jessica has done to her. She goes to the party, bringing Liam, a handsome bartender she has met in New York. Liam is very attracted to Jessica and flirts with her during the party, causing a rift between Jessica and Todd, which escalates into a free-for-all between all the members of the family (including older brother Steven, who has recently discovered he's gay). Alice Wakefield, the twins' mother, desperately tries to keep the peace, repeatedly asking the staff to serve the cake, finally losing her cool and screaming to her husband, "Ned! Bring out the fucking cake!"

Later that night, lying in bed, Jessica realizes that in order to get her sister back, she has to give up Todd. She packs a bag and heads to New York to see her sister. Meanwhile, Elizabeth has been doing some serious thinking on the plane, and comes to the realization that she and Todd weren't going to make it work a long time ago, but was too much of a "commitment freak" to admit it to herself. Elizabeth finds Jessica on her doorstep, and at first is very unforgiving, but finally relents and the sisters hold each other, sobbing, and make up. The epilogue takes place at Jessica and Todd's wedding, which many of the characters attend. Bruce Patman professes his love for Elizabeth, and the two of them presumably live happily ever after.

Sweet Valley: The Sweet Life

The new series features six confirmed books and takes place a few years after 2011's Sweet Valley Confidential. Elizabeth, Jessica and Todd are now thirty. Both Jess and Todd have a son as well. And the two have an affair and nearly divorce after their trial separation. They then get back together after they declare their love for one another. At the end of book six, Elizabeth is hoping that Bruce will propose, but instead he confesses to being in love with another woman.

TV series

A TV series based on Sweet Valley High ran for 88 episodes between 1994 and 1997. It starred real-life twins Brittany and Cynthia Daniel (formerly Doublemint twin models) as Jessica and Elizabeth respectively.[6] The twins also modeled for later editions of the book covers. The show ran for 4 seasons.

There were some notable differences between the television series and the books. New characters were created, such as Reginald "Shred" Patman and Renata Vargas, while other characters were removed, such as Ned, Alice, and Steven Wakefield. Also, while the books are classified in the romance, or fantasy/adventure genres, the television series was played out very lightly. The show was made into a juvenile sitcom in the tradition of Saved By The Bell more than anything else, and most of the characters were made into silly comic relief. Despite original creator Francine Pascal being credited as executive producer and creative consultant, she remarked that none of her suggestions were accepted and the show didn't follow her books. She hated the show altogether and virtually disowned it. However, she praised the casting of the Daniel twins.

Only Season One of the show made it to DVD.

Merchandising

Many tie-in products were produced for this series (primarily the Sweet Valley High Run) including a series of puzzles, a board game, audio book versions of selected SVH books, commercially available VHS and DVDs of the SVH TV Series, a CD soundtrack for the TV show, dolls and doll clothing, a neon sign, at least one calendar (for the year 1989/90) and books that were not part of the series (including TV tie-in reprints, a trivia book, a behind-the-scenes book about the TV show, and a "Slam Book").

References

  1. Mehren, Elizabeth (1986-04-20). "Publishing's Queen of the Teen Romance Finds Success With a Formula". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
  2. Flood, Alison (2010-02-12). "Sweet Valley High sequel to follow characters into 30s". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  3. Elson, Bymary (1987-03-01). "Queen Of The Teen Romance". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
  4. "Sweet Valley twins' return causes fan frenzy - today > books - booksmiscellaneous - TODAY.com". today.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  5. "Double The Action At 'Sweet Valley High'". Chicago Tribune. 1994-06-21. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
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