Taking Sides

Sweet Valley High #31

by Francine Pascal (Creator)

A matchmaking duel...

Jeffrey French has been at Sweet Valley High for only one week, and already he's made quite an impression—especially with the girls. Enid Rollins has a crush on the rugged junior, but just as she's about to claim Jeffrey for her own, Lila Fowler declares that Jeffrey is just the boy for her.

Elizabeth Wakefield isn't about to let Lila steal Jeffrey from her best friend. And when Jessica, Elizabeth's twin, finds out her sister is helping Enid, she vows to do whatever she can to help Lila. Jessica's not going to stand for Jeffrey ending up with Enid, and she's certainly not going to let herself be outwitted by her own twin!

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Contemporary, Romance, Teen, Chick Lit

134 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Francine 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.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I learned today--I'm a loser. I'm a little chubby, like to read, and (gasp) wear glasses. How did I ever get myself a man? :)

[Julia (Shakespeare and Such) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars, full review to come! Francine Pascal only knows fatphobia, drama, eating hot chip, and lying in her synopsis. Mr. Collins is a ray of sunshine in the ironically grey sky that is Sweet Valley.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 2/5
Pacing: 5/5
Writing: 2/5
Enjoyment: 2/5

[Felicia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite ones!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh the bad drama! So Enid and Lila get the hots for the same guy. Not for his personality or anything, they don't even know him yet! SO they twins team up with their respective best friends and go to town. May the best ploy win the guy!! Because that is how it works, right? HA! Foolish girls and Elizabeth likely the most so. Expect lots of tears from the ladies and eyerolls as you read through them. Decently entertaining nonetheless. And Jeffrey does play a decent role in the series so worth a read to get his origin into Sweet Valley

[Reading with Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which we get yet more fat shaming. Yay. In this one, poor Jenny is portrayed with food actually falling out of her mouth. Because if you’re fat you clearly have the table manners of a farm animal. Stupid fucking ghost writers.

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading for nostalgia. Enjoyable fluff.

[Jenn N · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book cracked me up. I love how Jenny is referred to as their little cousin when she's 15 - just a year younger than Jess and Liz.

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taking Sides
Plot: There’s a new guy at SVH from Oregon (Jeffery French). Enid has the hots for him, and so does Lila. Because Enid is Elizabeth’s girl, she can’t let Lila get him. So, she decides to take action. Jessica also decides Enid can’t win him over Lila. Considering she also won her cousin Christopher over. But she also has her eye on a hot guy, and her annoying little cousin is in town. And she’s all up under her and her new attraction. What’s worse he seems to be into her book-loving ways. (Jessica maybe you should try it). So Lila makes the first play. She has a party and invites Jeffrey. Hes cordial to her, but that’s about it. Then Enid is in charge of the SVH auction (silly things like the prize-winning football, and concert tickets), so Elizabeth decides to auction off Jeffrey. Jeffrey who just so happens to have joined the Oracle as a photographer. (And by this time, we can see it’s Elizabeth he’s into). Enid makes it so Lila and Jessica don’t come, by telling them she needs them to do manual labor and this runs them away. (Because Jessica and Lila are secretly Pizzazz and Roxy of the Misfits). Enid does win Jeffery at the auction, by auctioning 75 can goods (which is what they’re using instead of money). But she soon finds out they just don’t click. Enid decides she’s ok with that. But Elizabeth goes a little insane and won’t let up. She’s constantly pushing Enid at Jeffrey. There’s an event at the school and she tries to get him to go because Enid will be there, but he stands her up because he thinks she’ll be at the Beach Disco with her cousin (and Jessica). Then things blow up when at a beach event she again tries to force him on Enid. This makes Enid cry and Jeffrey blow up at her. He tells her he’s a big boy and can pick his own girlfriend. Jessica sees what’s up and tells her that it looks like she’s the one that has feelings for Jeffery and she does. She confesses this to him (pissing off Lila who she cuts in on with on a dance). And he tells his taken. Only she just doesn’t know it yet. Of course, he means Elizabeth. And I guess this means she’s FINALLY over Todd. That is until he comes back. Which just wait for it.

My Thoughts: I thought Elizabeth was out of her mind in this one. She’s actually no better than Jessica. Remember when she tried to force Steve into dating all these other women at her Dating Agency? She pushes this poor girl so hard she makes her cry. Why does everyone see her as “the nice one” again? The only thing I really liked about this one is Jeffrey’s smooth ass line at the end. “I’m already taken!” BOLD! And I LIKE IT! But as yet I don’t feel anything about Jeffrey and Elizabeth. But then I didn’t feel anything about her and Todd. I still would have liked her to end up with Nicolas Morrow.

Rating: 5

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

RIP Todd Wilkins, hello Jeffrey French. Jeffrey French is the new boy in Sweet Valley and his 2 biggest admirers are Enid Rollins and Lila Fowler. Each twin teams up with her best friend to secure Jeffrey and along the way Jeffrey falls in love with Liz but Liz doesn't realize until the end of the book. Then it's hello to SVH's new power couple-Liz and Jeff. The b-plot is Jenny Townsend, the Wakefield's younger cousin who is 10 pounds overweight and 15, a.k.a the worst combination known to man. Jenny looks up to Jess and hangs out with her all the time, even when Jess is with Eddie Winters, senior, swimmer and Jess' latest crush. Eventually Jess moves on from Eddie because anyone who likes Jenny can't be liked by Jess and the book all but spells out Jenny and Eddie are together, despite the age difference and the fact that Jenny lives in Dallas. The highlight of this book is the can drive and Liz/Enid's hilarious plot to keep Jess/Lila away from the can drive. The lowlight of this book is the fatphobia and the way Liz doesn't respect Enid's wishes and keeps trying to set her up with Jeffrey even when she's said no numerous times. Both twins weren't great in this book so Enid gets best twin award-she's mature but not in the weird way Liz is, in a way that makes it seem like she's 16 but not 16 and stupid, 16 and a good person. #IloveEnid.

[Starry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here comes the new boy... Jeffrey French... and the twins face off against each other as they each try to Svengali their friend right into his arms. Jessica tries to help Lila win his love, and Liz tries to help Enid even though the dude is clearly a better match for Liz who is still boyfriendless. Also the Wakefields have a house guest - younger cousin Jenny - who is obsessed with Jessica and thinks she is the coolest girl in the whole world even though they are nothing alike and her love of Jess does nothing to stop her from stealing her boy right out from under her and I'm guessing every single Sweet Valley fan enjoys this subplot very much!

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Elizabeth... I really question why I liked you so much as a 12 year old. This was painful to read again as an adult. Not because of the poor writing but because of her actions. I have to admit I adored Jeff then (when I was 12) and he seemed like a sweet kid to me now. I liked him so much more than Todd. They have things in common, he likes to have fun and he doesn't have hidden feelings for Jessica (just my opinion... always seems like Todd and Elizabeth were both too wrapped up in Jessica). This book will get 4 stars from me... again not because it was well written but because Jeff was so sweet.

[ThymeOperator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who in the world behaves this way?? And how were Jeffery and Liz 'in love' after about an hour of the most meaningless conversation ever?? 'I love soccer' - 'I love YOU!' That's pretty much how it went. I also love know the teenagers are endlessly referred to as 'women'. But I think the highlight of this book was Lila insisting that she's outdoorsy because she once took a walk in the Alps, and declaring, 'I'm sick of boys with big trust funds who don't care about the real things in life!' The whole thing was hilariously embarrassing.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elizabeth and Enid vs Jessica and Lila- who will win the heart of new boy Jeffrey French? Wakefield scheming and delightful comeuppance when Jenny, the twins "nerdy" and "at LEAST 10 lbs overweight" (*in Sweet Valley?! How dare she!*) cousin steals Jessica's latest crush, this one was typically insipid fun. Two stars because it wasn't necessarily good, but I did like it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun one even if Elizabeth and Jessica found themselves taking sides when Enid and Lila find the new guy-Jeffery French attractive. Also, their cousin Jenny comes to visit and drives Jessica crazy. I definitely liked this one.

Trigger Warnings:Fatphobia


Goodreads review published 03/08/24

[anolinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, whatever. I feel like we barely had enough interaction between Elizabeth and Jeffrey to convince me that they were madly in love with each other, but Jeffrey seems like a nice placeholder until Todd gets back, so I'll allow it.

[K.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeffery French moves to town and immediately Enid and Lila fall for him. Jess and Liz are both determined to help their respective friend win him, but its seems as though Jeffery is more interested in Liz than in anyone else...

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for you, Liz.

[Tiffany Morris]

Half the girls lose their shit over Jeffrey French, for some reason, and Jessica gets mad at Elizabeth for scheming. Love is a battlefield.

[Carla Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I actually way prefer Jeffrey to Todd. Todd can be such a twat like 90% of the time. Like even in the Sweet Life he wants Jess to quit her job like wow.

[Kodie · Rating 1 out of 5]

According to this book if you’re chubby straight to jail. You don’t deserve.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

who the heck is Jeffrey. Jessica was right- he is average, and BORING. Team Todd 4 life 😔✌🏻

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liz dates Jeff after Todd.

[bryce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeffrey is “in love” with Liz after talking to her, like, four times?

[Lydia Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I say that about most of them, too. :P I honestly really, really, really like Jeffery, so that mostly why I reread this book. Todd has never been my favorite, so I like it when Elizabeth is with Jeffery. Warning, *SPOILERS*

In this book, everyone's excited about the new boy in town: Jeffery French. Lila Fowler, the richest girl in town, even has her eye on him! So Jessica decides to help her best friend woe him. Poor Enid Rollins, though, has a horrible crush on him and that makes Elizabeth want to help her catch him. It's a war between the twins!

It all backfires, though. Elizabeth ends up hurting Enid, she and Jessica become furious at each other, and she even makes Jeffery angry at her! Little does she know, though, that she's fallen in love with him while trying to set Enid and him up together. In fact, everyone seems to know it before her! But have her actions ruined her chance at him liking her back? I'll let you find out.

[PurplyCookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why is it that whenever a new face shows up in Sweet Valley, the girls call dibs and/or vice versa for the other gender?

Jeffrey French always came off to me as a clean cut boy-next-door type but even with that simplification I would say is a better match for Liz than Todd. Enid standing a chance with him? C'mon, is Enid delusional? Lila of course only wants him since he's the newest addition to the Sweet Valley scene. I wonder why Jessica didn't go for him this time? Maybe because we'll lose the whole showdown-for-my-own-best-friend thing.


More of Purplycookie’s Reviews @: http://www.goodreads.com/purplycookie


Book Details:

Title: Taking Sides (Sweet Valley High, #31)
Author: Francine Pascal
Reviewed By: Purplycookie

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: I read this book online via Open Library.
Cost: Free

Title: Taking Sides
Series: Sweet Valley High #31
Author: Francine Pascal // Kate William
Overall Rating: 3 stars

Jeffrey is new so of course everyone is in love with him or is obsessed with him, but for once, this book starts off with somebody other than Jessica praying on the poor boy! No instead, we have Enid and Lila in a match against one another to win his heart, with Liz and Jess on their consecutive sides. Even though they didn't know they were taking sides until nearly the end...But whatever, the point is that this is finally when we get over Liz's moping over Todd and we finally get the start of Jeffrey storylines that I remember so well as a kid!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd book for readathon, heading back to the Sweet Valley!

I have such a book crush on Jeffrey French! Both Elizabeth's best friend, Enid, and Jessica's bff, Lila, are interested in the new boy- green-eyed, soccer playing Jeffrey French. Both twins vow to help their friends secure the boy of their dreams, but he's got an eye on Liz!

This book just reaffirms my hate for Todd Wilkins. I just can't understand throwing Jeffrey over for anyone (well, Nicholas Morrow was also a fine piece of SVH male flesh...). Uh, oh, I think I'm losing touch with reality! More than usual, that is.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffrey French is a new student at the school and the girls appreciate his good looks. Enid falls for him and wants to date him but Lila wants to add him to her collection of boyfriends. Jessica decides to help Lila while Elizabeth volunteers to help Enid. The subplot is the teens' cousin, Jenny, who has come for a visit of a couple weeks.

She adores Jessica and stays by her side almost all the time, something which Jessica is definitely not happy about.

What neither girl had figured on, though, was that Jeffrey might have someone else he's interested in. It's a cute story.

[Katja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nostalgian kaipuu iski, joten aloin lueskelemaan jälleen Sweet Valley High- kirjoja. Suomennettuja painoksia en löyt'nyt täältä goodreadsin sivuilta vaikka suomennoksen tästä kirjasta luinkin. Nimellä Kilpasiskot. Oivaa aivot narikkaan lukemista nämä ovat vaikka eivät olekaan juoniltaan kovin kummoisia. Joskus elämässä kuitenkin tarvitsee kunnon teinihömppää.

[Hillary]

I mean, sure, they didn't know they were competing until the book was almost over, and, ya, they went through a suspiciously similar series of events in "power play" twenty or so books ago, but let's focus on what's really important here: Liz wants to date someone other than Todd! And he might eventually merit his very own plot line!