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Sweet Valley High Super Editions #4
Malibu Summer
Summer dreams...
Summer's here, and the Wakefield twins can't wait to join Lila Fowler in fabulous, beach-lined Malibu. Elizabeth and Jessica have arranged jobs as mother's helpers and are looking forward to a dream vacation filled with Hollywood stars and gorgeous guys.
But the girls soon find out things aren't always as they seem in sunny Malibu. Elizabeth's heart Is won by someone much too old for her. Even though she feels guilty about it, she begins to see him secretly. While Elizabeth tries desperately to keep her sister from finding out, Jessica is busy trying to get bronzed Cliff Sherman to notice her. Can the girls straighten out their summer romances, or will Malibu's magic be only an illusion?
Summer's here, and the Wakefield twins can't wait to join Lila Fowler in fabulous, beach-lined Malibu. Elizabeth and Jessica have arranged jobs as mother's helpers and are looking forward to a dream vacation filled with Hollywood stars and gorgeous guys.
But the girls soon find out things aren't always as they seem in sunny Malibu. Elizabeth's heart Is won by someone much too old for her. Even though she feels guilty about it, she begins to see him secretly. While Elizabeth tries desperately to keep her sister from finding out, Jessica is busy trying to get bronzed Cliff Sherman to notice her. Can the girls straighten out their summer romances, or will Malibu's magic be only an illusion?
199 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
5 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 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 10, 2023
These editions are called “super” for a reason! <3
August 28, 2017
It's been a long while since I read a Sweet Valley book, and even longer since I've seen the TV adaptation, but I've got neither out of my head. There's something about these books that I've grouped with something like The Babysitters Club, Bug Juice, and A Horse Called Wonder, those stories and shows of glossy sunlit Americana that did nothing but appeal to somebody who was more familiar with rain and bare, grey days. And the TV show! That theme tune! Could there be two different girls who look the same as Sweet Valley High ?! These are my madeleines, Proust, deal with it.
The delight of the Sweet Valley books comes in their matter of fact bluntness; they are what they are and they make no bones about it. Elizabeth is sensible, Jessica is not. Everyone is incredibly foxy, and spend much of their day foxing about the beach or foxing at the shops, looking foxily at beautiful and expensive yet foxy clothes. There's usually some sort of slender moral, but mainly there's foxiness, and it's oddly spectacular. We, the adults, the patriarchy, whatever, we often denigrate books like this, all too easily, because we're simply not comfortable with the fact that there's a space for romance and simple, bold brushstrokes in young adult literature. In young adult life, really. We laugh at the way people obsess over bands, and find comfort in fandoms, when really these are all just facets of life and have no reason to not be in literature. I will fight you, Britishly, with severe looks and tutting, if you suggest that they should not be.
Malibu Summer is spectacularly unapologetic in doing what it does: there's romance, several jaw-dropping subplots, some delightfully nutty nuance on Lila's choice of swimming costume, and I loved it. Yes, certain aspects may have dated at this point, but as a whole the book is wonderful. Nothing makes sense. Everything glows. Everyone is foxy. Everyone gets a job or a hottie or some sort of moral fulfillment. It's brilliant. I loved it. What a ridiculous, gorgeous, honest book this is.
The delight of the Sweet Valley books comes in their matter of fact bluntness; they are what they are and they make no bones about it. Elizabeth is sensible, Jessica is not. Everyone is incredibly foxy, and spend much of their day foxing about the beach or foxing at the shops, looking foxily at beautiful and expensive yet foxy clothes. There's usually some sort of slender moral, but mainly there's foxiness, and it's oddly spectacular. We, the adults, the patriarchy, whatever, we often denigrate books like this, all too easily, because we're simply not comfortable with the fact that there's a space for romance and simple, bold brushstrokes in young adult literature. In young adult life, really. We laugh at the way people obsess over bands, and find comfort in fandoms, when really these are all just facets of life and have no reason to not be in literature. I will fight you, Britishly, with severe looks and tutting, if you suggest that they should not be.
Malibu Summer is spectacularly unapologetic in doing what it does: there's romance, several jaw-dropping subplots, some delightfully nutty nuance on Lila's choice of swimming costume, and I loved it. Yes, certain aspects may have dated at this point, but as a whole the book is wonderful. Nothing makes sense. Everything glows. Everyone is foxy. Everyone gets a job or a hottie or some sort of moral fulfillment. It's brilliant. I loved it. What a ridiculous, gorgeous, honest book this is.
March 29, 2015
2.5 stars
You should have seen my face expression when I found this series in a used bookstore. Sure, it's for the young adult crowd, but I remembered reading these when I was younger and just had to walk down memory lane....again. You guys must think I'm a complete sentimental nut. Most people don't care about getting the books back that they read when they were that young, but alas, I'm never normal.
Once I jumped in...err, well. My enthusiasm flattened. The material was younger than I remembered, for one thing. I can read Pike with ease and still think many of his books are adultish, and R.L Stine pushes it at times but still tells a great little tale, but this...too young. The bigger stinker of the thing was (Hey, I read Judy Blume too remember?), that the plot just isn't good. I don't care what age level it's meant for, the realism is too anorexic. I read a few other reviews before penning this one, and found some feel the same and cite other stories as more defined. It's too much that one sister falls in love with a rock star (who no one recognizes). The unbelievability probably failed to move when I was wetter behind the ears, too.
Character wise, it's decent. Jessica and Elizabeth are always perfect opposites of each other, both endearing in their own ways. Things are too dramatic for the most part with them, but I can see why young adults would be drawn to the females. It is frustrating never to see what developed with Jessica's friends younger guy, but I suppose the moral of that sub-story was summed up. Still there is something undeniably attractive about reading a story about two girls so popular, outgoing, with everything at their fingertips.
For young teens it's worth a try but nothing they should savor much. I'd gear them toward other books in the series or other authors first. The writing style is thankfully pleasant, if not catering to the Valley Girl exclamation mark style. When suspense is there for this type of book, it was done well. I did feel a small heart squeeze at the end, so emotions are stronger than you'd think. Even if I didn't find myself enjoying this one at this age, I'm still glad I became reaquanted.
You should have seen my face expression when I found this series in a used bookstore. Sure, it's for the young adult crowd, but I remembered reading these when I was younger and just had to walk down memory lane....again. You guys must think I'm a complete sentimental nut. Most people don't care about getting the books back that they read when they were that young, but alas, I'm never normal.
Once I jumped in...err, well. My enthusiasm flattened. The material was younger than I remembered, for one thing. I can read Pike with ease and still think many of his books are adultish, and R.L Stine pushes it at times but still tells a great little tale, but this...too young. The bigger stinker of the thing was (Hey, I read Judy Blume too remember?), that the plot just isn't good. I don't care what age level it's meant for, the realism is too anorexic. I read a few other reviews before penning this one, and found some feel the same and cite other stories as more defined. It's too much that one sister falls in love with a rock star (who no one recognizes). The unbelievability probably failed to move when I was wetter behind the ears, too.
Character wise, it's decent. Jessica and Elizabeth are always perfect opposites of each other, both endearing in their own ways. Things are too dramatic for the most part with them, but I can see why young adults would be drawn to the females. It is frustrating never to see what developed with Jessica's friends younger guy, but I suppose the moral of that sub-story was summed up. Still there is something undeniably attractive about reading a story about two girls so popular, outgoing, with everything at their fingertips.
For young teens it's worth a try but nothing they should savor much. I'd gear them toward other books in the series or other authors first. The writing style is thankfully pleasant, if not catering to the Valley Girl exclamation mark style. When suspense is there for this type of book, it was done well. I did feel a small heart squeeze at the end, so emotions are stronger than you'd think. Even if I didn't find myself enjoying this one at this age, I'm still glad I became reaquanted.
June 13, 2013
3 1/2 stars. I really liked this one, ya'll. It had feeling and not too much fluff, and it even made me tear up a bit towards the end. I can't believe I'm admitting that about a Sweet Valley book. Online. Which is forever. Alas...
Welcome to "A Very Hannah Montana Summer" or Sweet Valley High Super Edition #4, "Malibu Summer."
I grabbed a few SVH's to review for you all before I sprinted back to my parents' house for the summer. I, of course, did feel so inclined to grab a SVH summer book to add to the rest of the stash. I have given up reading these all in order. How boring would that be, anyway?
So, here's the 411:
The book starts out like all the others (i.e. so headache inducing that you want to smack the fictional Wakefield twins heads together). In case you were wondering, the twins still have eyes bluer than the ocean. They are still skinnier than all the flagpoles in all the nation. And, being from Southern Cali (duh!), they are also tanner than that Leather Face mom. They are also forever young, and I mean that literally because Jess & Liz have been Juniors in high school since before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. So, just in case you thought anything had changed in good old Sweet Valley, I found it my civic duty to remind you that "always stays the same - nothing ever changes. English summer rain seems to last for ages."
So what are the identical fair-haired filles up to in this one? Well, nothing new (initially). Jess wants Liz to do something she doesn't want to do (this time it's go to Malibu with Lila to be Mother's Helpers). Liz agrees after a bit of pretty persuasion (read: none at all). Jessica pawns off all the interviewing to Liz. They both lie to each other about what family situations they are getting (Jess doesn't tell Liz that the Sargents are cousins of Tony Sargent, Jess's favorite singer. Or that Liz's child, Taryn, will be a pain in the ass. Liz doesn't tell Jess how small her living quarters will be.) And this wouldn't be a Sweet Valley book without Jessica realizing her mistake and trying to talk Liz out of something. When Jess finds out she has to share a room with a baby and she can't be right near the beach, she goes ballistic. She whines about HOW TRAGICALLY SMALL the Sargents' home is. I really want to know what would happen if Jessica ever had to use a Port-A-Potty. Would she have a seizure?
So there's all of this blah blah back and forth for the first 100 pages until the book starts to gain momentum on page 99. Jess has been trying to get Liz to trade jobs with her ever since she realized how big the house of Malcolm and Audrey Bennet really is. Then she meets this guy named Cliff Sherman on the beach and that seals the deal - he lives right next to the Bennet's, so she absolutely MUST get Liz to switch with her now. Thankfully it never works. I would have murdered this book if Liz had a miserable summer while Jess lived it up with another guy.
You would think Liz would hate hanging out with Lila all summer, but strangely she doesn't. It could be because she is so delighted to get away from the sad sack that the ghostwriters have made her best friend, Enid. They all have boys (and men) at this point. Oddly enough, Cliff and Jessica's romance isn't the focal point of the book. This could be because Liz meets a rock star (durrrr, Tony Sargent) on the run as Jamie Galbraith, Yalie. Apparently he had one drink with some crazy guy's girlfriend, and now this dude is determined to make Tony pay. With a knife, because that's the weapon of choice for all the scumbags of Sweet Valley and Malibu. I thought Liz was cheating on Todd in this book. It's the natural conclusion. This was actually when Todd was in Vermont and before she started dating Jeffrey French. So, what do you know? Liz didn't have to cheat. But there has to be something woebegone about their relationship so the solution, natch, was to make the illusive Jamie Galbraith a grown-up 21 years old (snort). Liz thinks that he's SO OLD (which, to be honest, I also thought that 21 was ancient when I was 16), so she sneaks around to see him and doesn't tell Jessica about the relationship. That Jessica doesn't get more pissed off in the end for not dating a rock star is beyond me. I think it's hilarious that "Jamie Gilbraith" isn't trying to sleep with Liz every five seconds. My fiance is the horniest 23 year old guy you will ever meet. Every dude that age is. I mean, come on.
Meanwhile Lila has a problem because she has fallen for a guy TOO YOUNG for her. THE FUCKING HORROR OF IT ALL. His offending age is 15, a mere ONE YEAR younger than her. Though I have to side with Jessica on this one. If I had been in junior year for half a decade I would also feel really goddamn superior to anyone 15 years or younger. To Lila's credit she doesn't dump Ben like the sniveling idiot Jessica would have. Instead she endures Jessica's merciless teasing and carries on with her summer romance. Brava, Miss Fowler!
So what about the kids? I feel a little better about Jessica having a kid in The Sweet Life now, because she warmed up to baby Sam pretty quickly. No Margo-like thoughts of suffocating the child, even though she was up at 6 a.m. every morning. Then she managed to charm the pants right off of Liz's charge, Taryn Bennet. Normally this would be really fucking annoying that Jess can do everything, but I truly liked Taryn and hated that her life was so empty. Jess told her stories of a "wicked little girl" which Taryn ate right up. She doesn't really like Liz much throughout the whole book (which is a laugh riot, because Liz is supposed to be the perfect twin). Little girl T hears her parents fighting about how they shouldn't have had her one day, and so she decides to run away from home. She also chooses the worst storm to do it in. I don't have to tell you, smart readers, that Jessica saves the day and finds her before she falls to her perilous death. Taryn had also been sick with a horrible fever, so she and Jessica and the police and the OTHER nanny immediately rush to the hospital.
Liz can't because she's on a date with Mr. Hannah Montana himself. She also finds out that Gilbraith is really Sargent because Frankie LaSalle, the crazed psychostalker, has come after Sargent in Malibu. The whole fight (knives flashing!) takes about two pages before the cops intervene. Wow! I'm impressed. The cops in SV never arrive, and if they do they are stupid and woefully incompetent. Essentially Jamie Galbraith/Tony Sargent needs seven stitches after the fight, so Liz and Tony join Jessica and Taryn and her family in the hospital. Jess has made such an impression on Taryn that she keeps calling out for her underneath her fever. Jess tells Taryn's mom about the Wicked Little Girl stories and so Audrey (Taryn's mom) uses one to tell Taryn how wicked she and Taryn's father, Malcolm, have been to her. Luckily this breaks Taryn's fever. I totally got teary-eyed at this part. I really liked Taryn in a way I never connected with any other SVH character. I had a fear that their whole fractured family situation would wrap up too quickly, and I suppose it did a little... but I felt an open-endedness that you don't usually get with 30 minute comedies or SVH books. I felt like they weren't trying to tell us that the Wakefields could completely solve every family situation.
In the end Liz knows she can't be with Tony, but they go to his concert anyway and he dedicates a song to her called "Summer Girl." I remember one by LFO with the same name that was just as cheesy. Some things, it seems, never change. "I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch..." Btw, the lead singer of LFO passed some years ago. How depressing is that?
All in all this was superb Wakefield summer novel. A little too much typical Wakefield at the beginning, but then it got where I didn't want to smack either of them in the face. I suspect that's mostly because this is the first one I've picked up to read in quite some time. I don't think I'll be quite so forgiving of all the others (I have some SVU and Sr. Year to review for you guys as well). Of course, since I haven't done too much snarking this time around, I'd be remiss if I didn't give you all a taste of some direct quotes from this book. Behold:
"And his voice! 'You're On My Mind' made shivers run up and down Jessica's back. When he sang the lines 'But, baby, still I find/ That you're on my mind,' Jessica felt like crying. His voice really got to her."
Yes, pop music gets to me as well. When Ke$ha sings "Tik tok / on the clock / but the party don't stop," I feel like hyperventilating because I've never heard anything so BRILLIANT, you know?!
"Elizabeth needn't have worried. Lucy and John* Sargent were two of the nicest, most easygoing people she'd ever met. She was in her late twenties, and he was about thirty*, but they both seemed years younger."
*It's JOSH Sargent, not John. That's a huge typo! Omg.
*What's the difference between being in your "late twenties" and "almost thirty"?
And, finally, they looked years younger? So, in other words, we all look extremely old by the age of thirty? Wth? Is Liz saying that they look like teen parents? That's extremely creepy. Extremely.
"Jessica pulled the Fiat up to the address listed on the agency card. Her worse* fears were confirmed. 'This can't be it,' she whispered, staring in dismay at the tiny ranch house. It was so small!"
*Wow, I didn't realize how many typos there were in this upon first reading. It's WORST fears, not worse. Things GET worse, but you don't have worse fears.
Anyway, right after this Jessica gets out of the car and takes what she imagines to be a "noble breath," and I rolled my eye straight back in the skull. How is it possible that every house Jessica sees that isn't a mansion or Spanish-tiled and split-level is somehow "too small"?
Until next time...
Welcome to "A Very Hannah Montana Summer" or Sweet Valley High Super Edition #4, "Malibu Summer."
I grabbed a few SVH's to review for you all before I sprinted back to my parents' house for the summer. I, of course, did feel so inclined to grab a SVH summer book to add to the rest of the stash. I have given up reading these all in order. How boring would that be, anyway?
So, here's the 411:
The book starts out like all the others (i.e. so headache inducing that you want to smack the fictional Wakefield twins heads together). In case you were wondering, the twins still have eyes bluer than the ocean. They are still skinnier than all the flagpoles in all the nation. And, being from Southern Cali (duh!), they are also tanner than that Leather Face mom. They are also forever young, and I mean that literally because Jess & Liz have been Juniors in high school since before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. So, just in case you thought anything had changed in good old Sweet Valley, I found it my civic duty to remind you that "always stays the same - nothing ever changes. English summer rain seems to last for ages."
So what are the identical fair-haired filles up to in this one? Well, nothing new (initially). Jess wants Liz to do something she doesn't want to do (this time it's go to Malibu with Lila to be Mother's Helpers). Liz agrees after a bit of pretty persuasion (read: none at all). Jessica pawns off all the interviewing to Liz. They both lie to each other about what family situations they are getting (Jess doesn't tell Liz that the Sargents are cousins of Tony Sargent, Jess's favorite singer. Or that Liz's child, Taryn, will be a pain in the ass. Liz doesn't tell Jess how small her living quarters will be.) And this wouldn't be a Sweet Valley book without Jessica realizing her mistake and trying to talk Liz out of something. When Jess finds out she has to share a room with a baby and she can't be right near the beach, she goes ballistic. She whines about HOW TRAGICALLY SMALL the Sargents' home is. I really want to know what would happen if Jessica ever had to use a Port-A-Potty. Would she have a seizure?
So there's all of this blah blah back and forth for the first 100 pages until the book starts to gain momentum on page 99. Jess has been trying to get Liz to trade jobs with her ever since she realized how big the house of Malcolm and Audrey Bennet really is. Then she meets this guy named Cliff Sherman on the beach and that seals the deal - he lives right next to the Bennet's, so she absolutely MUST get Liz to switch with her now. Thankfully it never works. I would have murdered this book if Liz had a miserable summer while Jess lived it up with another guy.
You would think Liz would hate hanging out with Lila all summer, but strangely she doesn't. It could be because she is so delighted to get away from the sad sack that the ghostwriters have made her best friend, Enid. They all have boys (and men) at this point. Oddly enough, Cliff and Jessica's romance isn't the focal point of the book. This could be because Liz meets a rock star (durrrr, Tony Sargent) on the run as Jamie Galbraith, Yalie. Apparently he had one drink with some crazy guy's girlfriend, and now this dude is determined to make Tony pay. With a knife, because that's the weapon of choice for all the scumbags of Sweet Valley and Malibu. I thought Liz was cheating on Todd in this book. It's the natural conclusion. This was actually when Todd was in Vermont and before she started dating Jeffrey French. So, what do you know? Liz didn't have to cheat. But there has to be something woebegone about their relationship so the solution, natch, was to make the illusive Jamie Galbraith a grown-up 21 years old (snort). Liz thinks that he's SO OLD (which, to be honest, I also thought that 21 was ancient when I was 16), so she sneaks around to see him and doesn't tell Jessica about the relationship. That Jessica doesn't get more pissed off in the end for not dating a rock star is beyond me. I think it's hilarious that "Jamie Gilbraith" isn't trying to sleep with Liz every five seconds. My fiance is the horniest 23 year old guy you will ever meet. Every dude that age is. I mean, come on.
Meanwhile Lila has a problem because she has fallen for a guy TOO YOUNG for her. THE FUCKING HORROR OF IT ALL. His offending age is 15, a mere ONE YEAR younger than her. Though I have to side with Jessica on this one. If I had been in junior year for half a decade I would also feel really goddamn superior to anyone 15 years or younger. To Lila's credit she doesn't dump Ben like the sniveling idiot Jessica would have. Instead she endures Jessica's merciless teasing and carries on with her summer romance. Brava, Miss Fowler!
So what about the kids? I feel a little better about Jessica having a kid in The Sweet Life now, because she warmed up to baby Sam pretty quickly. No Margo-like thoughts of suffocating the child, even though she was up at 6 a.m. every morning. Then she managed to charm the pants right off of Liz's charge, Taryn Bennet. Normally this would be really fucking annoying that Jess can do everything, but I truly liked Taryn and hated that her life was so empty. Jess told her stories of a "wicked little girl" which Taryn ate right up. She doesn't really like Liz much throughout the whole book (which is a laugh riot, because Liz is supposed to be the perfect twin). Little girl T hears her parents fighting about how they shouldn't have had her one day, and so she decides to run away from home. She also chooses the worst storm to do it in. I don't have to tell you, smart readers, that Jessica saves the day and finds her before she falls to her perilous death. Taryn had also been sick with a horrible fever, so she and Jessica and the police and the OTHER nanny immediately rush to the hospital.
Liz can't because she's on a date with Mr. Hannah Montana himself. She also finds out that Gilbraith is really Sargent because Frankie LaSalle, the crazed psychostalker, has come after Sargent in Malibu. The whole fight (knives flashing!) takes about two pages before the cops intervene. Wow! I'm impressed. The cops in SV never arrive, and if they do they are stupid and woefully incompetent. Essentially Jamie Galbraith/Tony Sargent needs seven stitches after the fight, so Liz and Tony join Jessica and Taryn and her family in the hospital. Jess has made such an impression on Taryn that she keeps calling out for her underneath her fever. Jess tells Taryn's mom about the Wicked Little Girl stories and so Audrey (Taryn's mom) uses one to tell Taryn how wicked she and Taryn's father, Malcolm, have been to her. Luckily this breaks Taryn's fever. I totally got teary-eyed at this part. I really liked Taryn in a way I never connected with any other SVH character. I had a fear that their whole fractured family situation would wrap up too quickly, and I suppose it did a little... but I felt an open-endedness that you don't usually get with 30 minute comedies or SVH books. I felt like they weren't trying to tell us that the Wakefields could completely solve every family situation.
In the end Liz knows she can't be with Tony, but they go to his concert anyway and he dedicates a song to her called "Summer Girl." I remember one by LFO with the same name that was just as cheesy. Some things, it seems, never change. "I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch..." Btw, the lead singer of LFO passed some years ago. How depressing is that?
All in all this was superb Wakefield summer novel. A little too much typical Wakefield at the beginning, but then it got where I didn't want to smack either of them in the face. I suspect that's mostly because this is the first one I've picked up to read in quite some time. I don't think I'll be quite so forgiving of all the others (I have some SVU and Sr. Year to review for you guys as well). Of course, since I haven't done too much snarking this time around, I'd be remiss if I didn't give you all a taste of some direct quotes from this book. Behold:
"And his voice! 'You're On My Mind' made shivers run up and down Jessica's back. When he sang the lines 'But, baby, still I find/ That you're on my mind,' Jessica felt like crying. His voice really got to her."
Yes, pop music gets to me as well. When Ke$ha sings "Tik tok / on the clock / but the party don't stop," I feel like hyperventilating because I've never heard anything so BRILLIANT, you know?!
"Elizabeth needn't have worried. Lucy and John* Sargent were two of the nicest, most easygoing people she'd ever met. She was in her late twenties, and he was about thirty*, but they both seemed years younger."
*It's JOSH Sargent, not John. That's a huge typo! Omg.
*What's the difference between being in your "late twenties" and "almost thirty"?
And, finally, they looked years younger? So, in other words, we all look extremely old by the age of thirty? Wth? Is Liz saying that they look like teen parents? That's extremely creepy. Extremely.
"Jessica pulled the Fiat up to the address listed on the agency card. Her worse* fears were confirmed. 'This can't be it,' she whispered, staring in dismay at the tiny ranch house. It was so small!"
*Wow, I didn't realize how many typos there were in this upon first reading. It's WORST fears, not worse. Things GET worse, but you don't have worse fears.
Anyway, right after this Jessica gets out of the car and takes what she imagines to be a "noble breath," and I rolled my eye straight back in the skull. How is it possible that every house Jessica sees that isn't a mansion or Spanish-tiled and split-level is somehow "too small"?
Until next time...
December 3, 2022
Malibu Summer
Elizabeth is interrupted from her nap on the beach by Jessica. Jessica starts babbling on about the new flavor of the month (singer) Tony Sargent. Jessica tries to convince Elizabeth to get a summer job in Malibu as a sitter, but Elizabeth wants to stay home and intern for the Sweet Valley News. After “accidentally” mentioning that Lila’s father got her a job working for a famous client’s son, she uses Lila herself to guilt Liz by saying how much it would mean to Jessica. Elizabeth agrees but with the condition that Jessica will find the agency and the jobs. Jess already has set up an appointment at a Nanny company.
Mrs. Norman has two jobs available in Malibu. One is for the Sargent’s. They have an infant (Sam). And most importantly Tony Sargent is their cousin. Jessica *immediately* takes this job. The only other job i)s( for (the Bennetts. They have a problem child (Taryn) but Jessica says Elizabeth can handle it. Mrs. Norman says that Elizabeth will have to meet with her and then the twins will have the scheduled interviews with the families by Saturday. But when Jessica gets home and tells Elizabeth about the jobs (making her job seem like the hardest) she remembers she’s supposed to go to cheerleading camp Saturday. She convinces Elizabeth to go on both interviews.
The Bennetts live in a big, beautiful, mansion that feels cold. Mrs. Bennett has forgotten the interview so the housekeep Maria gives it instead. She lets Elizabeth know that there’s something *off* about the family. She meets Taryn who isn’t interested in meeting her. Maria tells her she’s like that at first distant. Elizabeth decides to take the job anyway. The Sargent’s (Lucy and Josh) have a small more crowded home. Josh is a freelance writer and Lucy will be taking art classes. Jessica will have to share a room with the baby. Elizabeth thinks the Sargent’s have warmth but sees that they require a lot of help. She’s impressed that Jessica took this job and sees it as a sign of maturity. (Jessica neglected to mention their connection to Tony Sargent).
Jessica gets a surprise (not a good one) when she finds out that Liz wasn’t playing about the sizes of their client's houses and that Tony rarely visits Josh and Lucy. The baby is also a crier! Jessica and Lila wait for Elizabeth on the beach. Jessica complains about her job. Lila says maybe she should ask Elizabeth to switch, but Jessica says she can’t do that since she drug Liz there. Lila rambles on about meeting a fantasy man like in the romance novel she’s reading. But it’s Jessica who sees a blond jogger on the beach that catches her eye. She tries to subtly get his attention, but he jogs past. Elizabeth comes out with Taryn. She’s a brat. Lila mentions the mystery jogger is headed back and Liz says she knows him. His name is Cliff and he lives next door. She says he’s friendly and that Jessica could easily get to know him. Cliff comes over and invites them to a big party he’s throwing Saturday. Jessica is now convinced that she *should* ask Liz to switch jobs. But Elizabeth isn’t swayed and says no thanks.
Jessica finds out that Lucy and Josh made dinner plans on the night of the party, but Elizabeth volunteers to watch Sam if she’s not needed to watch Taryn. She still feels bad that her parents don’t seem to have the time to spend with their child and Taryn as a result is isolated and disagreeable to everything and everyone. Jessica and Lila spend an afternoon shopping. Jessica comes up with a plan to get Elizabeth to switch by telling her she’s allergic to the Sargent’s cat Spot. While Jessica is trying on “the perfect dress” for the party, Lila wanders off. She is approached by a guy named Ben that offers to give her windsurfing lessons and tells her to meet him at the beach. Liz isn’t buying any of Jessica’s bs excuses, but surprisingly Taryn takes to Jessica when she starts sharing “secrets” with her (which are really just stories about what unlikely things that will happen to her for being wicked. So she thinks maybe she can get Liz to switch by making her see she’s the best one to watch Taryn. Lila meets up with Ben and the lessons go well (he doesn’t know she took previous lessons). She invites him to see a movie but he’s uncomfortable with it and suggests instead that they go for a walk on the beach later. Later, Ben reveals the reason that he didn’t want to go to the movies. He’s fifteen and can’t drive. Lila tries to persuade him just to say he’s eighteen at the party but he says he’s the guest of honor and staying with Cliff so he’d know. Lila knows that Jessica will roast the hell out of her if she shows up with him. She does but Lila tells her off. She’s really into Ben.
While babysitting, Elizabeth gets to meet a guest that will be staying with the Sargents (Jaime). He’s from New York, but going to Yale. He’s an English major so he and Liz have something in common. They end up dancing and even though he’s 21, Liz starts to catch feelings. He invites her out on her off day for a lunch date. Jessica finds out about Lila’s date and she gives her a hard time (teasingly). Later Jessica tells Liz all about the party and that she thinks she’s in love. She invites Liz on a triple date to windsurf with her and Lila, but Liz says she has something special planned for that day with Taryn. She knows that she has to tell Jaime they can’t see each other if it’s this complicated. Plus her parents wouldn’t go for it. So she meets with Jaime and tells him that they’ll have to keep things on the dl until after she talks to her parents. Jaime says he can respect this. It turns out Jaime is Tony Sargent.
He was mixed up with a girl who had a pycho boyfriend and this manager had the idea to disguise him. So he dyed his hair, cut it short, gave him contacts, and glasses, and sent him out to his cousin’s house to hideout. Tony it turns out has wanted someone like Elizabeth because girls either freak out (or are probably just into him for the fame and money) but Elizabeth he has a real connection with. She actually cares about *him* and what he thinks. He hopes that she doesn’t find out the truth. Elizabeth wants to tell Jess she’s falling in love with “Jaime” but Jessica thinks he’s a creep. She does however win over Taryn. Jessica is confident that she can convince her sister to switch, but she has a feeling that her sister is keeping something from her. Taryn has come down with a virus. She overhears her mother and father arguing and comes to the conclusion that they hate her by the things they’ve said. She decides to run away the next morning to Nebraska to her grandparents (even though she has no idea where they even live).
Elizabeth heads out to the Beach Club to meet Jaime again, but there’s a huge storm coming. She debates whether she should turn back, but not even a storm can stand in the way of her seeing Jaime. Meanwhile, Taryn sneaks out while Maria is on the phone with her father who's looking for her mother. Jessica has a weird feeling and goes to check on Elizabeth but Maria said she went out to meet a friend. So she and Jessica decide to evacuate (seeing as they’re on the beach). The crazy boyfriend (Frank) shows up at the Sargent’s house and Lucy thinking it’s Tony’s manager leads him right to him. Jessica and Maria find Taryn on a collapsing bridge, but Jessica is able to rescue her and pull her to safety. At the hospital tho, it doesn’t look so good. Taryn’s doctor says if the fever doesn’t break and she doesn’t have the will then.. Tony’s *real* manager shows up at the Sargents and alert them to the danger he’s in. Frank catches up to Tony (Jaime) and Elizabeth and a struggle takes place. Jaime (Tony) is cut. It’s ended when Elizabeth smashes a vase over Frank’s head. On the way to the hospital, Elizabeth during the struggle learns that Jaime is really Tony. He explains everything, but it’s unclear to them both where they stand. So Tony says they should wait until things calm down. At the hospital, Jessica can’t believe Tony Sergent was right there in the same house with her for days. She gets Liz to get him to come up to Taryn’s room after he’s stitched up. Taryn’s mother gets her to come around by telling her a “secret” that has to do with a wiked mother and father coming back together if their little girl gets well. After they drop Tony off he says he has a concert in Oakland and then he’s headed back to LA. He’ll be staying at the hotel with his manager. Elizabeth is cold to him. The “fantasy” for her is over. Now that he’s back to normal she thinks she’ll have no place in the life of a star. After what Jess did for Taryn, Liz finally agrees to the switch, But Jess decides to stay with Josh and Lucy because Cliff says it will “ruin the romance” if they live next door to each other. Liz is heartbroken over Tony and having flashbacks, but she refuses to talk to him and accept his calls. Cliff thinks it’s for the best, but Jess thinks she should at least hear him out. Taryn finally gets close to Liz and tells her some words of encouragement that her mom told her when she sees that she’s sad. At the concert, Tony dedicates a song to Liz about a “special girl” and a “Summer girl” that he’ll always remember and hopes to meet again. Liz has tears in her eyes.
My Thoughts:
Weirdly the last two longer books, I read (this one and Class Trip) are missing the last chapter in each one. This was.. I didn’t remember a lot of it from the first read so it I guess not a lot in it stuck or made an impression. From somewhere subconsciously I know that Jaime was really Tony. But I didn’t understand why if Lucy knew that this psychopath was out to hunt Tony down and kill him that she would give up his location *that* easily. Did Frank look that much like his manager? And if she’d never met his manager shouldn’t they have had some kind of code word to verify it was him? Neither did I understand why his secretary fall so easily for this was a police officer and his Dad was hurt. These women weren’t at all bright! For that matter neither was Liz. I kinda got her concerns. Her doubts about her place in the life of a celebrity. But *he* obviously wanted to make it work. I just think she should have talked to him about it. While it might not have been *easy* if she’d fallen that hard for him, I think it was worth *trying* for. The ironic part of it all was that Tony thought he’d found a girl that wanted him for himself, but when she found out who he really was, she pushed him away. I also thought Cliff was sketchy. “Living next door would spoil the romance?” You know what that sounds like to me? BS! It sounds like it would spoil Cliff’s romance (with other girls) if the main girl was “too close”. It just amused me how dramatic Jessica can be. She wanted to switch jobs the whole book and went on and on about a guy she’d meet for maybe 10 minutes on a beach. Then because this guy gives her a lame excuse all of a sudden she’s over it. RIIGHT! Although I admit I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cramped house with Sam either. That situation would have driven me CRAZY. Neither of these jobs sounded the least bit appealing to me#
Rating: 5
Elizabeth is interrupted from her nap on the beach by Jessica. Jessica starts babbling on about the new flavor of the month (singer) Tony Sargent. Jessica tries to convince Elizabeth to get a summer job in Malibu as a sitter, but Elizabeth wants to stay home and intern for the Sweet Valley News. After “accidentally” mentioning that Lila’s father got her a job working for a famous client’s son, she uses Lila herself to guilt Liz by saying how much it would mean to Jessica. Elizabeth agrees but with the condition that Jessica will find the agency and the jobs. Jess already has set up an appointment at a Nanny company.
Mrs. Norman has two jobs available in Malibu. One is for the Sargent’s. They have an infant (Sam). And most importantly Tony Sargent is their cousin. Jessica *immediately* takes this job. The only other job i)s( for (the Bennetts. They have a problem child (Taryn) but Jessica says Elizabeth can handle it. Mrs. Norman says that Elizabeth will have to meet with her and then the twins will have the scheduled interviews with the families by Saturday. But when Jessica gets home and tells Elizabeth about the jobs (making her job seem like the hardest) she remembers she’s supposed to go to cheerleading camp Saturday. She convinces Elizabeth to go on both interviews.
The Bennetts live in a big, beautiful, mansion that feels cold. Mrs. Bennett has forgotten the interview so the housekeep Maria gives it instead. She lets Elizabeth know that there’s something *off* about the family. She meets Taryn who isn’t interested in meeting her. Maria tells her she’s like that at first distant. Elizabeth decides to take the job anyway. The Sargent’s (Lucy and Josh) have a small more crowded home. Josh is a freelance writer and Lucy will be taking art classes. Jessica will have to share a room with the baby. Elizabeth thinks the Sargent’s have warmth but sees that they require a lot of help. She’s impressed that Jessica took this job and sees it as a sign of maturity. (Jessica neglected to mention their connection to Tony Sargent).
Jessica gets a surprise (not a good one) when she finds out that Liz wasn’t playing about the sizes of their client's houses and that Tony rarely visits Josh and Lucy. The baby is also a crier! Jessica and Lila wait for Elizabeth on the beach. Jessica complains about her job. Lila says maybe she should ask Elizabeth to switch, but Jessica says she can’t do that since she drug Liz there. Lila rambles on about meeting a fantasy man like in the romance novel she’s reading. But it’s Jessica who sees a blond jogger on the beach that catches her eye. She tries to subtly get his attention, but he jogs past. Elizabeth comes out with Taryn. She’s a brat. Lila mentions the mystery jogger is headed back and Liz says she knows him. His name is Cliff and he lives next door. She says he’s friendly and that Jessica could easily get to know him. Cliff comes over and invites them to a big party he’s throwing Saturday. Jessica is now convinced that she *should* ask Liz to switch jobs. But Elizabeth isn’t swayed and says no thanks.
Jessica finds out that Lucy and Josh made dinner plans on the night of the party, but Elizabeth volunteers to watch Sam if she’s not needed to watch Taryn. She still feels bad that her parents don’t seem to have the time to spend with their child and Taryn as a result is isolated and disagreeable to everything and everyone. Jessica and Lila spend an afternoon shopping. Jessica comes up with a plan to get Elizabeth to switch by telling her she’s allergic to the Sargent’s cat Spot. While Jessica is trying on “the perfect dress” for the party, Lila wanders off. She is approached by a guy named Ben that offers to give her windsurfing lessons and tells her to meet him at the beach. Liz isn’t buying any of Jessica’s bs excuses, but surprisingly Taryn takes to Jessica when she starts sharing “secrets” with her (which are really just stories about what unlikely things that will happen to her for being wicked. So she thinks maybe she can get Liz to switch by making her see she’s the best one to watch Taryn. Lila meets up with Ben and the lessons go well (he doesn’t know she took previous lessons). She invites him to see a movie but he’s uncomfortable with it and suggests instead that they go for a walk on the beach later. Later, Ben reveals the reason that he didn’t want to go to the movies. He’s fifteen and can’t drive. Lila tries to persuade him just to say he’s eighteen at the party but he says he’s the guest of honor and staying with Cliff so he’d know. Lila knows that Jessica will roast the hell out of her if she shows up with him. She does but Lila tells her off. She’s really into Ben.
While babysitting, Elizabeth gets to meet a guest that will be staying with the Sargents (Jaime). He’s from New York, but going to Yale. He’s an English major so he and Liz have something in common. They end up dancing and even though he’s 21, Liz starts to catch feelings. He invites her out on her off day for a lunch date. Jessica finds out about Lila’s date and she gives her a hard time (teasingly). Later Jessica tells Liz all about the party and that she thinks she’s in love. She invites Liz on a triple date to windsurf with her and Lila, but Liz says she has something special planned for that day with Taryn. She knows that she has to tell Jaime they can’t see each other if it’s this complicated. Plus her parents wouldn’t go for it. So she meets with Jaime and tells him that they’ll have to keep things on the dl until after she talks to her parents. Jaime says he can respect this. It turns out Jaime is Tony Sargent.
He was mixed up with a girl who had a pycho boyfriend and this manager had the idea to disguise him. So he dyed his hair, cut it short, gave him contacts, and glasses, and sent him out to his cousin’s house to hideout. Tony it turns out has wanted someone like Elizabeth because girls either freak out (or are probably just into him for the fame and money) but Elizabeth he has a real connection with. She actually cares about *him* and what he thinks. He hopes that she doesn’t find out the truth. Elizabeth wants to tell Jess she’s falling in love with “Jaime” but Jessica thinks he’s a creep. She does however win over Taryn. Jessica is confident that she can convince her sister to switch, but she has a feeling that her sister is keeping something from her. Taryn has come down with a virus. She overhears her mother and father arguing and comes to the conclusion that they hate her by the things they’ve said. She decides to run away the next morning to Nebraska to her grandparents (even though she has no idea where they even live).
Elizabeth heads out to the Beach Club to meet Jaime again, but there’s a huge storm coming. She debates whether she should turn back, but not even a storm can stand in the way of her seeing Jaime. Meanwhile, Taryn sneaks out while Maria is on the phone with her father who's looking for her mother. Jessica has a weird feeling and goes to check on Elizabeth but Maria said she went out to meet a friend. So she and Jessica decide to evacuate (seeing as they’re on the beach). The crazy boyfriend (Frank) shows up at the Sargent’s house and Lucy thinking it’s Tony’s manager leads him right to him. Jessica and Maria find Taryn on a collapsing bridge, but Jessica is able to rescue her and pull her to safety. At the hospital tho, it doesn’t look so good. Taryn’s doctor says if the fever doesn’t break and she doesn’t have the will then.. Tony’s *real* manager shows up at the Sargents and alert them to the danger he’s in. Frank catches up to Tony (Jaime) and Elizabeth and a struggle takes place. Jaime (Tony) is cut. It’s ended when Elizabeth smashes a vase over Frank’s head. On the way to the hospital, Elizabeth during the struggle learns that Jaime is really Tony. He explains everything, but it’s unclear to them both where they stand. So Tony says they should wait until things calm down. At the hospital, Jessica can’t believe Tony Sergent was right there in the same house with her for days. She gets Liz to get him to come up to Taryn’s room after he’s stitched up. Taryn’s mother gets her to come around by telling her a “secret” that has to do with a wiked mother and father coming back together if their little girl gets well. After they drop Tony off he says he has a concert in Oakland and then he’s headed back to LA. He’ll be staying at the hotel with his manager. Elizabeth is cold to him. The “fantasy” for her is over. Now that he’s back to normal she thinks she’ll have no place in the life of a star. After what Jess did for Taryn, Liz finally agrees to the switch, But Jess decides to stay with Josh and Lucy because Cliff says it will “ruin the romance” if they live next door to each other. Liz is heartbroken over Tony and having flashbacks, but she refuses to talk to him and accept his calls. Cliff thinks it’s for the best, but Jess thinks she should at least hear him out. Taryn finally gets close to Liz and tells her some words of encouragement that her mom told her when she sees that she’s sad. At the concert, Tony dedicates a song to Liz about a “special girl” and a “Summer girl” that he’ll always remember and hopes to meet again. Liz has tears in her eyes.
My Thoughts:
Weirdly the last two longer books, I read (this one and Class Trip) are missing the last chapter in each one. This was.. I didn’t remember a lot of it from the first read so it I guess not a lot in it stuck or made an impression. From somewhere subconsciously I know that Jaime was really Tony. But I didn’t understand why if Lucy knew that this psychopath was out to hunt Tony down and kill him that she would give up his location *that* easily. Did Frank look that much like his manager? And if she’d never met his manager shouldn’t they have had some kind of code word to verify it was him? Neither did I understand why his secretary fall so easily for this was a police officer and his Dad was hurt. These women weren’t at all bright! For that matter neither was Liz. I kinda got her concerns. Her doubts about her place in the life of a celebrity. But *he* obviously wanted to make it work. I just think she should have talked to him about it. While it might not have been *easy* if she’d fallen that hard for him, I think it was worth *trying* for. The ironic part of it all was that Tony thought he’d found a girl that wanted him for himself, but when she found out who he really was, she pushed him away. I also thought Cliff was sketchy. “Living next door would spoil the romance?” You know what that sounds like to me? BS! It sounds like it would spoil Cliff’s romance (with other girls) if the main girl was “too close”. It just amused me how dramatic Jessica can be. She wanted to switch jobs the whole book and went on and on about a guy she’d meet for maybe 10 minutes on a beach. Then because this guy gives her a lame excuse all of a sudden she’s over it. RIIGHT! Although I admit I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a cramped house with Sam either. That situation would have driven me CRAZY. Neither of these jobs sounded the least bit appealing to me#
Rating: 5
November 9, 2020
I picked this up for a nostalgic trip back to the books I devoured in middle school. A paperback costs $3 and when we'd make the (infrequent) trip to the mall 45 minutes away, I'd scour the shelves of Waldenbooks to find the next couple of books in the series and then beg my parents to buy them for me. Of course, I'd read them in a couple of days, max, and go back to bugging my parents for more books. They, of course, were completely confused: "Didn't we just buy you three books two days ago? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU'VE ALREADY READ THEM?" (My reading habits drove my poor parents bonkers, I think.)
Anyway, this makes no apologies for what it is -- absolute fluff. Romantic and unrealistic, with dramatic subplots. It's perfect for mindless enjoyment.
Anyway, this makes no apologies for what it is -- absolute fluff. Romantic and unrealistic, with dramatic subplots. It's perfect for mindless enjoyment.
June 30, 2021
Fun summer read!
July 23, 2022
2022 summer re-read random thoughts, as I've reviewed this elsewhere in far more detail than I'm willing to put in this time:
We're told that Liz and Jamie spend the evening discussing "everything" and then literally the three things listed are Jamie's interests/thoughts and nothing of Elizabeth's. Bad ghosty. Bad. I still think the premise of the 'wicked secrets' is solid but my god, the execution has always seemed so very, very lame. So next time I'll just concentrate on it being a cute thing Jessica picked up from her father that Liz didn't think to try.
Also, it will never not amuse me that Jessica is great with kids without even trying while Liz is definitely hit or miss.
We're told that Liz and Jamie spend the evening discussing "everything" and then literally the three things listed are Jamie's interests/thoughts and nothing of Elizabeth's. Bad ghosty. Bad. I still think the premise of the 'wicked secrets' is solid but my god, the execution has always seemed so very, very lame. So next time I'll just concentrate on it being a cute thing Jessica picked up from her father that Liz didn't think to try.
Also, it will never not amuse me that Jessica is great with kids without even trying while Liz is definitely hit or miss.
December 17, 2012
For once, Liz is between boyfriends in a SVH special, so she doesn't have to cheat. Instead, she decides to date a 21 year old, so that she still has a reason to sneak around and lie. She also goes on a date in a hurricane, because although the radio is telling everyone to keep off the roads, she's a very good driver. She was supposed to be the nice, well-behaved, level-headed twin again, right? The book keeps telling me so...
Also, Jessica is chasing a pop star who is blatantly Liz's sekrit romance, and Lila cradle snatches. Good times.
Also, Jessica is chasing a pop star who is blatantly Liz's sekrit romance, and Lila cradle snatches. Good times.
August 16, 2019
4.5 stars
Batshit crazy goodness!
Batshit crazy goodness!
May 14, 2020
Summer in Sweet Valley (again- also, they're still juniors with no talk of their upcoming senior year. Again.) and the Wakefield twins are getting summer jobs as nannies in Malibu. Jess takes a job foe the Sargent family because she found out they're related to her favorite pop star and Liz takes a job for some super rich bitch couple who neglect tf out of their elementary aged daughter Taryn who doesn't like Liz at all, which is refreshing. There is romance and secret identities and knife fights and a Jessica who isn't the absolute worst other than her general snobbish self-centered-ness, do for an SVH book, the plot in this one is a lot more fun than most. 3 stars- I liked it, and only vaguely remembered about half of the plot in this one, so that was a bonus.
April 30, 2020
What would’ve been a 3.5 quickly became a 4 star rating just from that ending alone, so bittersweet and heartbreakingly beautiful. I’ll always prefer Todd over any guy Elizabeth is romantically interested in but nothing saddens me quite like a forbidden love story, two people who want to be together but just can’t.
The plot point with Taryn and her parents was also quite emotional near the end as well. Jessica also seems pretty selfless in this book. A drastic change from her usual sociopathic tendencies.
I really enjoyed this one, especially the last couple of chapters.
The plot point with Taryn and her parents was also quite emotional near the end as well. Jessica also seems pretty selfless in this book. A drastic change from her usual sociopathic tendencies.
I really enjoyed this one, especially the last couple of chapters.
August 4, 2020
It was kind of fun to take a trip down memory lane into the world of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield of Sweet Valley High in the 1980s. I quickly understood why these novels were so popular and how much I enjoyed reading the few I read in the series as a young teen. This novel was about the summer the twins spent in Malibu working as mother's helpers and contained the typical relationship dynamics between the twins (Jessica being the more free spirited and conniving twin and Elizabeth the more straight-laced and "good" twin) as well as a bit of adventure and of course romance!
August 3, 2019
Mothers helpers? More like “oh we’ll pretend we’ve got jobs but then actually just spend the summer flirting with inappropriate older boys” 😂
It’s a book jam packed full of summer login’.
Lila is, as always, a Queen. 👸🏻
A fun escape! (I mean how could they possibly stay in dull as dishwater Sweet Valley with its stunning beaches and gorgeous sea? I totally see why they need to jet off to Malibu! 😂)
It’s a book jam packed full of summer login’.
Lila is, as always, a Queen. 👸🏻
A fun escape! (I mean how could they possibly stay in dull as dishwater Sweet Valley with its stunning beaches and gorgeous sea? I totally see why they need to jet off to Malibu! 😂)
May 27, 2018
Wow. This one started out as pretty normal teenager shenanigans (for Sweet Valley, anyway) and then all of a sudden became WILDLY dramatic. In short, Elizabeth starts seeing a guy she thinks is too old for her. It turns out It's not quite "Alice Wakefield goes to a spa retreat and discovers that someone wants to use her face for plastic surgery" wild, but shit's still cray.
August 23, 2025
I loved these books growing up and I have over 100 of them! I was looking for a summer read but I'd forgotten just how manipulative Jessica could be. I found it was pretty bad in this book. Everything she did was for herself. I liked that she got what was coming to her in the end. It also had a dramatic twist at the end.
March 18, 2020
Maximum drama...this time in Malibu!!!
February 11, 2022
Not as good as I remember- but I think the last time I read it was in my tween years! Cute story, fast read.
July 2, 2022
This was my first time reading a sweet valley high book and it did not disappoint.I don't usually read books like this but it was worth picking up.
March 13, 2023
Lila, Elizabeth and Jessica all become nannies for the summer in Malibu. They all find love along the way but is it meant to last?
Fun quick read.
Fun quick read.
April 29, 2024
Good read
June 26, 2024
Elizabeth’s a goody goody. Jessica’s a brat. B+
October 14, 2015
I love sweet valley books.
Jessica begs Elizabeth to go to Malibu with her for the summer, but Elizabeth doesn't want to. Finally, Elizabeth said yes, but Jessica has to set everything up. So, Jessica gets jobs for both of them, and they head out to Malibu.
Jessica can't wait because she got picked to baby sit a rock star's cousin's baby. She can't wait, but when she see's the house Elizabeth get's to stay in, she hesitates. She stay's with the house she has, and hopes to see the rock star, Tony.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth get's stuck with a spoiled little girl, and the girls parents are never there. She tries her best to make the little girl feel better, but nothing will help. Until Jessica tells her a secret, about a naughty little girl. Then the little girl wanted to be with Jessica.
One night, Jessica wanted to go to a party with the boy that lived next door to Lizzie, but the baby's parents were going out, too. So she gets Lizzie to baby sit for her, and she heads out to the party. While Lizzie was there, a friend of the baby's parent's came, and Lizzie showed him to his room. During the time she was there, Lizzie fell for him, and he fell for Lizzie. They started to see each other more an more after that, and strange things happened.
It was definitely a keeper. I loved it, and it made me cry at the end.
Jessica begs Elizabeth to go to Malibu with her for the summer, but Elizabeth doesn't want to. Finally, Elizabeth said yes, but Jessica has to set everything up. So, Jessica gets jobs for both of them, and they head out to Malibu.
Jessica can't wait because she got picked to baby sit a rock star's cousin's baby. She can't wait, but when she see's the house Elizabeth get's to stay in, she hesitates. She stay's with the house she has, and hopes to see the rock star, Tony.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth get's stuck with a spoiled little girl, and the girls parents are never there. She tries her best to make the little girl feel better, but nothing will help. Until Jessica tells her a secret, about a naughty little girl. Then the little girl wanted to be with Jessica.
One night, Jessica wanted to go to a party with the boy that lived next door to Lizzie, but the baby's parents were going out, too. So she gets Lizzie to baby sit for her, and she heads out to the party. While Lizzie was there, a friend of the baby's parent's came, and Lizzie showed him to his room. During the time she was there, Lizzie fell for him, and he fell for Lizzie. They started to see each other more an more after that, and strange things happened.
It was definitely a keeper. I loved it, and it made me cry at the end.
June 14, 2016
So in going through things at my parents' house, I found this book along with a few others I had read as a tween/young teen. I quickly re-read it and while the characters were generally as I remembered them--Elizabeth the bookish and serious sister while Jessica is the more daring sister--I found the plot to fall pretty flat. There is an element of the unbelievable here. Also the popular culture references in the book, although they are limited, are very dated and probably would make no sense to a contemporary reader. I was happy for the chance to walk down memory lane, but I found this book would have only been believable or appealing to a tween/early teen.
September 20, 2022
This was a really fun read! The twins were mostly on each other‘s good sides. The setting of Malibu was still familiar in the Southern California way, yet just different enough from Sweet Valley to be fun. I love a celebrity in disguise moment. Also love interests that we never hear from him again, but that’s OK, just summer romances lol.
June 12, 2008
Loooooovvvved it
March 8, 2011
Ahhh, Sweet Valley High. Where high schoolers are menaced by knife wielding cons, rock stars disguise themselves as Yale students, and a little girls lie at the brink of death.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 30, 2010This one has a psycho killer. You know, for a change.
October 24, 2010
Long before Sarah Dessen wrote girly books, Francine Pascal perfected them. Such a great part of my childhood....
May 22, 2012
psycho killers! jealousy! cute boys! lol oh SVH
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