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Sweet Valley High #78
The Dating Game
Neither Jean West nor her friend Claire Middleton has had a date in ages. So when they each receive a passionate love letter, they're thrilled. But when the girls compare the letters, they discover something The letters come from the same guy—Scott Trost!
Jean and Claire confront the handsome, arrogant Scott. Instead of apologizing, he suggests a dating contest with him as a grand prize. Elizabeth Wakefield is stunned when Jean and Claire agree to the outrageous plan; her twin sister, Jessica, sees nothing wrong with a little romantic competition. But what neither Elizabeth nor Jessica knows is that their friends are secretly plotting to use the contest for revenge. Everything goes as planned, until the unthinkable happens. It looks as if Jean is falling in love with the enemy.
Jean and Claire confront the handsome, arrogant Scott. Instead of apologizing, he suggests a dating contest with him as a grand prize. Elizabeth Wakefield is stunned when Jean and Claire agree to the outrageous plan; her twin sister, Jessica, sees nothing wrong with a little romantic competition. But what neither Elizabeth nor Jessica knows is that their friends are secretly plotting to use the contest for revenge. Everything goes as planned, until the unthinkable happens. It looks as if Jean is falling in love with the enemy.
154 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1991
18 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,844 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 27, 2012
Obnoxious sexist jock asks two girls out at once, with the same love letter. The girls decide to get their own back on him by... letting him date both of them at once (I am still not exactly sure why this is a lesson), but one decides he is secretly sweet and that she just loves him like crazy...
Very lightweight, fun mid-number SVH, with no heavy angst like you sometimes get at this stage. Its major drawback is, as it often is at this stage in SVH, the "Elizabeth learns moral lessons" plot line. Liz goes on the warpath about boys valuing looks too much, but is convinced by Todd into the more balanced viewpoint that everyone only likes people who are attractive first, but that's okay because when you get to know the pretty people they might be really nice as well. Or something. It's not what you'd call a coherent feminist statement. I don't know what happens to all the not-gorgeous people who no one will be attracted to or bother to get to know in the first place... but then, it's Sweet Valley, they are probably all inferior as well.
Enid, for example, although sometimes she's super-pretty, seems to be in one of her "plain" periods, because she's moping about being single again. Poor Enid. I wish she'd find a nice girlfriend.
Very lightweight, fun mid-number SVH, with no heavy angst like you sometimes get at this stage. Its major drawback is, as it often is at this stage in SVH, the "Elizabeth learns moral lessons" plot line. Liz goes on the warpath about boys valuing looks too much, but is convinced by Todd into the more balanced viewpoint that everyone only likes people who are attractive first, but that's okay because when you get to know the pretty people they might be really nice as well. Or something. It's not what you'd call a coherent feminist statement. I don't know what happens to all the not-gorgeous people who no one will be attracted to or bother to get to know in the first place... but then, it's Sweet Valley, they are probably all inferior as well.
Enid, for example, although sometimes she's super-pretty, seems to be in one of her "plain" periods, because she's moping about being single again. Poor Enid. I wish she'd find a nice girlfriend.
July 11, 2024
Worth reading for Jessica's bullshit dream analysis aka the b-story alone!
September 8, 2020
The Dating Game
Plot: Three different ones going on.
A). There’s yet another dance being thrown (Love in Bloom). Jean has just broken up with Tom McKay and is stressing that she hasn’t dated anyone since. She gets a gushy (nauseating) letter in her locker from Scott (an arrogant football player that wants to go out with her. But, because Jen and Claire are on an organization together and talk sometimes, they find out that Scott sent Claire the same letter (word for word). Instead of just telling him off, Claire and Jean decide to let it continue and make him look like a fool by both of them dumping him. So, they both go on dates with him. Claire thinks the dates are mediocre, but Jean actually enjoys herself. They both decide to spread rumors that they had an amazing time on their dates which will get the students of SV talking that Scott is in a relationship with either one of the other girls. As the rumors heat up, they’ll confront Scott together, blow his cover, and then tell him to kick rocks. Only Scott turns the tables on them and turns it into a contest. Claire is reluctant because she’s starting to be into another player on the team (Danny Porter). But Jean convinces her to continue the charade. Whoever he picks, the girl will dump him. Claire and Scott’s dates don’t improve. Jean and Scott’s dates get more emotional (and intimate) for her. She eventually breaks the rule that neither will kiss him. She tries to resist falling for him because he does some asinine douchy bs. For example, he has a notebook that he’s made categories for and he grades each girl on topics like looks and punctuality. His ass even grades them off if they disagree with his candy choice at the movies. But Jean starts to see him in a different light when he takes her to a candlelight dinner and a moonlight stroll. It’s so bad that by the time he’s supposed to give the results they can’t tell her nothing she’s gone in the brain. She starts to irrationally have a mental breakdown that Scott might choose Claire, (despite her friend’s encouragement she’s a cheerleader and Claire’s just a quarterback). Scott tries to explain a few times and apologize, but she won’t hear it. He declares her “the winner” but he’s back to being the conceited version and Jean dumps him. Liz tells Claire what happened and they go to her house. Only Jean says she’s over Scott and his bi-polar- ness. Only when he comes to the house and tells her he doesn’t know why he’s this way, she lets her off the hook and tells him she’s give him another chance, but if he does it again that’s IT! Jean and Scott go to the dance and Claire goes with Danny Porter.
B). Jessica has read this article about dreams and all of a sudden, she’s an expert. She shares this dream about walking on a beach with a pink bikini on. She walks past all the guys she’s been with. It starts raining, the guys disappear, and she trips and falls. A hot guy rescues her. She’s convinced it’s her true love. The dream morphs so much the outfit changes to a sarong, the rainstorm turns into a raging storm, the sand on the beach turns black, and the guy's name is Jackson and he’s a surfer. Jess starts to neglect her school assignment (creating a travel brochure) and spends all her time on trying to make money by analyzing her classmate’s dreams because if she can raise the money Alice (knowing she wont) says she can go to Maui to find this guy. Of course, she doesn’t make any money and gets all the dreams wrong. She then finds out her own dream came from bits and pieces of a magazine. But it works out because she's spent so much time studying Hawaii she does her travel brochure on that.
C). Elizabeth is pretty pissed about Scott’s demeaning attitude concerning women, but Todd says that Scott’s not that bad a guy. He just likes to talk shit in front of his friends on the team. Liz has a dream about Scott going through girls on a tree and rejecting them like he’s the King of Sweet Valley for whatever asinine reasons he comes up with (Such asI don’t like the color her swimsuit). She then writes an article for the Oracle and passes on a questionnaire about men’s attitudes about dating versus girls. Todd then sends in an anonymous article which Elizabeth thinks has some great points and makes her see things from a different perspective. However, she recognizes the a’s in the letter and confronts Todd. She compromises with him and writes an article about how having different opinions can be a good thing. They make up and go to the dance.
A) “The Boy is Mine” SV style anyone? Only one of em still want the jerk after it's all said and done. I seriously think Scott needs to see a doctor because he just might be bi-polar. “I don’t know why I do that”. Just would not have been good enough of a reason for me. If he can’t help doing this does Jean really think she’s changed him *sooo* just in the course of a few weeks that he’s gonna stop? (Sighing) And there lies the problem with us women. We see a toxic personality trait and think that just for us it’ll just vanish into thin air. But then this series is so toxic that if any of these girls are alone too long they only need one good (superficial) trait to satisfy there need to have a date for a dance and BAM they’re in love! How do I feel about Scott and Jean as a couple? Pretty much like I do about all these other pairings. Here’s the formula the guy is an ass hole, he shows it, he does something remotely charming, the girl forgets and forgives. Only this time instead of Jean jerking a guy around (Jealous Lies) she gets the same thing done to her. So, in a way, maybe Jean deserves what she dished out. That does make the book a smidge more interesting when u think about it from that POV. 2) I actually am into dreams and I wouldn’t call myself an expert BUT here’s the thing about dreams. Jessica *was* ridiculous like she always is. But, even if you have a gift (which I think I do) I don’t like to use it to analyze dreams for anyone but myself. Why? Because there have been some people that have come to me with a dream and I give them what my mind reads it as based on what I know to be true in their situation. Always making sure to say “It could mean” and sometimes they will act like they do not see that at all. Even if it makes complete sense. So, people can be VERY finicky when it comes to stuff like that! That’s why the readings I give *myself* I know to be true, because they’re coming from ME, and I know ME. That’s not to say that over the years I haven’t analyzed some that have been really impressive to the person I did them for. But it’s definitely not something to be played with like Jessica tried to do. It’s even people that you find “online” that will claim to be “experts” and probably are just like Jessica only in it for the money. And I think that is really SAD! I don’t think every single one of our dreams has a deep, profound, meaning but I do think that they really are an amazing instrument to unlock inner dreams, desires, fears, and emotions. But “only” if you have this gift for-real should you dabble and fool around in it. 3) Elizabeth is always getting bent over *something* to the point, it’s starting to get annoying. Every, lil, freaking thing doesn’t have to an article for the Oracle. And then I think we covered the whole I’m pissed because a woman should be more than her looks ordeal in the Miss Teen Sweet Valley. And I still say she’s around Bruce ALL the time so she really should be over this. But Elizabeth I’m starting to see is just one of those people that *have* to be in the middle of something making unnecessary noise.
Rating: 5 Didn’t stray far from the “formula”. Predictable!
Plot: Three different ones going on.
A). There’s yet another dance being thrown (Love in Bloom). Jean has just broken up with Tom McKay and is stressing that she hasn’t dated anyone since. She gets a gushy (nauseating) letter in her locker from Scott (an arrogant football player that wants to go out with her. But, because Jen and Claire are on an organization together and talk sometimes, they find out that Scott sent Claire the same letter (word for word). Instead of just telling him off, Claire and Jean decide to let it continue and make him look like a fool by both of them dumping him. So, they both go on dates with him. Claire thinks the dates are mediocre, but Jean actually enjoys herself. They both decide to spread rumors that they had an amazing time on their dates which will get the students of SV talking that Scott is in a relationship with either one of the other girls. As the rumors heat up, they’ll confront Scott together, blow his cover, and then tell him to kick rocks. Only Scott turns the tables on them and turns it into a contest. Claire is reluctant because she’s starting to be into another player on the team (Danny Porter). But Jean convinces her to continue the charade. Whoever he picks, the girl will dump him. Claire and Scott’s dates don’t improve. Jean and Scott’s dates get more emotional (and intimate) for her. She eventually breaks the rule that neither will kiss him. She tries to resist falling for him because he does some asinine douchy bs. For example, he has a notebook that he’s made categories for and he grades each girl on topics like looks and punctuality. His ass even grades them off if they disagree with his candy choice at the movies. But Jean starts to see him in a different light when he takes her to a candlelight dinner and a moonlight stroll. It’s so bad that by the time he’s supposed to give the results they can’t tell her nothing she’s gone in the brain. She starts to irrationally have a mental breakdown that Scott might choose Claire, (despite her friend’s encouragement she’s a cheerleader and Claire’s just a quarterback). Scott tries to explain a few times and apologize, but she won’t hear it. He declares her “the winner” but he’s back to being the conceited version and Jean dumps him. Liz tells Claire what happened and they go to her house. Only Jean says she’s over Scott and his bi-polar- ness. Only when he comes to the house and tells her he doesn’t know why he’s this way, she lets her off the hook and tells him she’s give him another chance, but if he does it again that’s IT! Jean and Scott go to the dance and Claire goes with Danny Porter.
B). Jessica has read this article about dreams and all of a sudden, she’s an expert. She shares this dream about walking on a beach with a pink bikini on. She walks past all the guys she’s been with. It starts raining, the guys disappear, and she trips and falls. A hot guy rescues her. She’s convinced it’s her true love. The dream morphs so much the outfit changes to a sarong, the rainstorm turns into a raging storm, the sand on the beach turns black, and the guy's name is Jackson and he’s a surfer. Jess starts to neglect her school assignment (creating a travel brochure) and spends all her time on trying to make money by analyzing her classmate’s dreams because if she can raise the money Alice (knowing she wont) says she can go to Maui to find this guy. Of course, she doesn’t make any money and gets all the dreams wrong. She then finds out her own dream came from bits and pieces of a magazine. But it works out because she's spent so much time studying Hawaii she does her travel brochure on that.
C). Elizabeth is pretty pissed about Scott’s demeaning attitude concerning women, but Todd says that Scott’s not that bad a guy. He just likes to talk shit in front of his friends on the team. Liz has a dream about Scott going through girls on a tree and rejecting them like he’s the King of Sweet Valley for whatever asinine reasons he comes up with (Such asI don’t like the color her swimsuit). She then writes an article for the Oracle and passes on a questionnaire about men’s attitudes about dating versus girls. Todd then sends in an anonymous article which Elizabeth thinks has some great points and makes her see things from a different perspective. However, she recognizes the a’s in the letter and confronts Todd. She compromises with him and writes an article about how having different opinions can be a good thing. They make up and go to the dance.
A) “The Boy is Mine” SV style anyone? Only one of em still want the jerk after it's all said and done. I seriously think Scott needs to see a doctor because he just might be bi-polar. “I don’t know why I do that”. Just would not have been good enough of a reason for me. If he can’t help doing this does Jean really think she’s changed him *sooo* just in the course of a few weeks that he’s gonna stop? (Sighing) And there lies the problem with us women. We see a toxic personality trait and think that just for us it’ll just vanish into thin air. But then this series is so toxic that if any of these girls are alone too long they only need one good (superficial) trait to satisfy there need to have a date for a dance and BAM they’re in love! How do I feel about Scott and Jean as a couple? Pretty much like I do about all these other pairings. Here’s the formula the guy is an ass hole, he shows it, he does something remotely charming, the girl forgets and forgives. Only this time instead of Jean jerking a guy around (Jealous Lies) she gets the same thing done to her. So, in a way, maybe Jean deserves what she dished out. That does make the book a smidge more interesting when u think about it from that POV. 2) I actually am into dreams and I wouldn’t call myself an expert BUT here’s the thing about dreams. Jessica *was* ridiculous like she always is. But, even if you have a gift (which I think I do) I don’t like to use it to analyze dreams for anyone but myself. Why? Because there have been some people that have come to me with a dream and I give them what my mind reads it as based on what I know to be true in their situation. Always making sure to say “It could mean” and sometimes they will act like they do not see that at all. Even if it makes complete sense. So, people can be VERY finicky when it comes to stuff like that! That’s why the readings I give *myself* I know to be true, because they’re coming from ME, and I know ME. That’s not to say that over the years I haven’t analyzed some that have been really impressive to the person I did them for. But it’s definitely not something to be played with like Jessica tried to do. It’s even people that you find “online” that will claim to be “experts” and probably are just like Jessica only in it for the money. And I think that is really SAD! I don’t think every single one of our dreams has a deep, profound, meaning but I do think that they really are an amazing instrument to unlock inner dreams, desires, fears, and emotions. But “only” if you have this gift for-real should you dabble and fool around in it. 3) Elizabeth is always getting bent over *something* to the point, it’s starting to get annoying. Every, lil, freaking thing doesn’t have to an article for the Oracle. And then I think we covered the whole I’m pissed because a woman should be more than her looks ordeal in the Miss Teen Sweet Valley. And I still say she’s around Bruce ALL the time so she really should be over this. But Elizabeth I’m starting to see is just one of those people that *have* to be in the middle of something making unnecessary noise.
Rating: 5 Didn’t stray far from the “formula”. Predictable!
January 20, 2023
This one was actually kinda horrible. Football player Scott Trost has been getting chirped by his teammates for not having a date so he asks out 2 girls, Jean West and Claire Middleton. They find out he’s playing both of them and decide to get back at him by letting him date both of them then plan to expose his wrong doings to the school. Jean falls in love with Scott during this plot but it all ends up ok in the end because Scott actually loves Jean and isn’t a jerk. Even Claire finds true love through Danny Porter. The b-plot is Jessica deciding she’s a dream expert after having a recurring dream about a guy named Jackson in Hawaii. Jess decides to market her talents leaving her in debt and without a man as Jackson is a model for a clothing brand she saw in a magazine about Hawaii. The c-plot is Liz thinking all men care about is looks and women are superior for caring about personality. Todd schemes just a little bit and Liz realizes anyone can be superficial, regardless of their gender. Jess was this better twin just because she was more entertaining which shows you just how boring this one was.
November 19, 2020
This was a pretty terrible SVH- thought the book does an excellent job showing the miles long leeway our society gives (used to give? Nah, still gives) shitbaggy guys. Scott Trost is kind of a shitbaggy guy. He's not that bright, if his grades are any indication, he's a second string football player, and he is an arrogant ass and doesn't treat women very well. That should be enough of a characterization to show that maybe, MAYBE, don't make a book about him dicking over two girls and then having one of the girls fall for him anyway. Because...WHAT? WHY? HOW? Good lord. Add in a few chapters about Liz and Todd fighting over how much being attractive matters made for an odd foreshadowing of Zoolander themes. Oh, and Jessica declares herself a dream expert and shows that she's, yes, totally crazy and nobody seems to worry about it, when she decides to start saving up to fly to Hawaii to fall in love with some dude that she dreamed about... is it fate? Is it stupidity? Is it subliminal messaging? Is it over yet?
Just one star.
Just one star.
November 4, 2021
Scott Trost writes two romantic notes to Claire and her best friend Jean, and soon both girls are dating him. Once they discover this, they come up with a revenge plan... but Jean's feelings for Scott may be more than anticipated.
He actually announces that they will compete to be his date to a dance, unbelievable jerk😂
He actually announces that they will compete to be his date to a dance, unbelievable jerk😂
April 17, 2020
I’m having way too much fun re-reading these....
March 28, 2016
Elizabeth was on the warpath again on this one, and given what she knew from her perspective, you could hardly blame her, Scott was being an arse. This one dealt on one level with sexism, but on another level with public vs. private perception when you’re high school.
I really enjoyed this one, Jean and Claire were fun characters to ride along with and it was an interesting situation that they were all in. Scott had some growing up to do, and the girl’s found their “true loves” along the way.
I really enjoyed this one, Jean and Claire were fun characters to ride along with and it was an interesting situation that they were all in. Scott had some growing up to do, and the girl’s found their “true loves” along the way.
December 12, 2008
it was ok. not one of their good ones. ended kind of rapidly without closure.
February 3, 2011
Love the drama, love the friendships, love the Wakefields.
June 21, 2013
both of the twins like doing the dating game playing games with the guys
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews