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Sweet Valley High Super Editions #11
Earthquake
The earthquake destroyed Sweet Valley... and one of the twins' best friends is dead...
Twin sisters Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield have been ripped apart in the chaos following a devastating earthquake. Through the agony, fear, and despair, they must dig through the rubble to find each other again, hoping against hope that they haven't been separated for good.
But as they search, tragedy surrounds them. Enid Rollins clings to life by a thread as Devon Whitelaw and Bruce Patman work to save her. Steven Wakefield risks his life to help his one true love. Most frightening of all, Todd Wilkins, Lila Fowler, Ken Matthews, and Olivia Davidson are missing and presumed dead. Can their friends find them before it's too late?
Twin sisters Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield have been ripped apart in the chaos following a devastating earthquake. Through the agony, fear, and despair, they must dig through the rubble to find each other again, hoping against hope that they haven't been separated for good.
But as they search, tragedy surrounds them. Enid Rollins clings to life by a thread as Devon Whitelaw and Bruce Patman work to save her. Steven Wakefield risks his life to help his one true love. Most frightening of all, Todd Wilkins, Lila Fowler, Ken Matthews, and Olivia Davidson are missing and presumed dead. Can their friends find them before it's too late?
227 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 13, 1998
1 person is currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,850 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 20, 2026
Edge of the seat stuff!
January 4, 2017
This was the first book I ever bought in English and it led me to read almost nothing but books in English. So it's very special to me.
And it is one of the best Sweet Valley High books. It's filled with drama and it's very thrilling even as I re-read it now as a grownup.
And it is one of the best Sweet Valley High books. It's filled with drama and it's very thrilling even as I re-read it now as a grownup.
May 31, 2022
This takes up from the ending of the previous book. Sweet Valley is hit by a major earthquake along with a lot of strong aftershocks. From the descriptions of destruction of houses and crevices opening up I'd guess it was a something like the Big One that people expect could happen.
The situation: Elizabeth and Jessica are celebrating their 17th birthday party at their home with a lot of their friends. Herein is one very major problem with the story: their parents are at a movie. So you have a party of teenagers around that age in a house with absolutely no parental supervision at all. I would say that this constitutes very irresponsible parenting. You'd want at least one adult there in case something would go wrong and an adult would have to contact the authorities.
So, the earthquake has hit. Jessica loses control of the jeep she is driving while she is with Steven. The Wakefield's home suffers real major damage. Electric lines are loose and sparking and it seems that water is on the patio near the electric wires.
One girl is severely injured in the house while others are trapped in the house. There are people down on the patio and fire has broken out nearby. The death count has started and could go higher. One person Lizzie should have been able to depend on turns out to be a coward.
Then there's the second thing I found somewhat odd. Jessica and Steven are making their way to the house, Jessica knowing somehow that her sister is in trouble but Steven insists going to check on his girlfriend first. I know girlfriends can be important but more important than the family?
Jessica shows her bravery later, Elizabeth turns out to also show very strong bravery as do some of their other friends.
This is a very moving book and the description of what is happening during and after the earthquake seems to be rather realistic. It can be upsetting, also, especially with something that Jessica is involved with.
Probably the best of the SVH books I've read.
The situation: Elizabeth and Jessica are celebrating their 17th birthday party at their home with a lot of their friends. Herein is one very major problem with the story: their parents are at a movie. So you have a party of teenagers around that age in a house with absolutely no parental supervision at all. I would say that this constitutes very irresponsible parenting. You'd want at least one adult there in case something would go wrong and an adult would have to contact the authorities.
So, the earthquake has hit. Jessica loses control of the jeep she is driving while she is with Steven. The Wakefield's home suffers real major damage. Electric lines are loose and sparking and it seems that water is on the patio near the electric wires.
One girl is severely injured in the house while others are trapped in the house. There are people down on the patio and fire has broken out nearby. The death count has started and could go higher. One person Lizzie should have been able to depend on turns out to be a coward.
Then there's the second thing I found somewhat odd. Jessica and Steven are making their way to the house, Jessica knowing somehow that her sister is in trouble but Steven insists going to check on his girlfriend first. I know girlfriends can be important but more important than the family?
Jessica shows her bravery later, Elizabeth turns out to also show very strong bravery as do some of their other friends.
This is a very moving book and the description of what is happening during and after the earthquake seems to be rather realistic. It can be upsetting, also, especially with something that Jessica is involved with.
Probably the best of the SVH books I've read.
November 5, 2013
I'm only 17.5 years old. I was 2 when this book came out. When I was in sixth grade, or maybe 7th idk, I found a Sweet Valley High book at my library on the rack of books for sale for like, 50 cents. My mom bought it for me. Somehow over the years I've collected almost all of the Sweet Valley High books, with the exceptions of a few, Todd's story, Enid's story, Almost all of the SVU books, all of the Senior Year books, and I've read some of the Sweet Valley Twins ones. I remember some of them very well, and this is one of them. I remember reading Earthquake and Aftershock, and many of the other ones. I've read each one I have at least 5 times.
August 25, 2020
Oh yes, we are at the "feeling nostalgic for books we read when we were 11 and hunting them down on eBay" stage of coronavirus isolation. I remembered the Olivia/fridge situation, but not how annoying Todd and Lila were, or how utterly dark Jessica's storyline ends up. Get these kids some therapy.
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October 1, 2024Earthquake
Jessica comes to after her new jeep loses control after the earthquake hits. She has a severe severe headache but plays it off to calm down Steve whose freaking out (now) about Billie. Jess worries about Liz as her memories start to return to the party. Steve tells her to use her connection but she can’t sense anything.
Elizabeth comes to after falling to the ground and trying to cover Devon. Devon seems to be shaken and isn’t able to form a conscious thought. She worries about Jessica, Steve, and her parents. But then she remembers Jessica and Steven took the car to go get Biliie (who was driving his car to the store and it broke down) and her parents left early to see a movie.
Ken searches for Liv in the debris of the house. When he finds her an aftershock hits and he loses her again. He realizes she’s been buried underneath all the piles of debris and there are cabinets blocking him from getting to her. Liz tries to help her friends. She sees Caroline whose badly shaken and discovers why. A tree fell on Ronnie Edwards and he’s dead. Amy comes over to them panicked because she can’t find Barry. Liz blocks her view from seeing Ronnie. Then she panics again because her parents live four houses down (and if the Wakefield’s house is this damaged). AJ appears and says he saw Barry and Liz tells Amy to go see if he’s ok. AJ says they should move because if another aftershock hits there won’t be anything left of them. Liz thinks they should try to find as many as they can. So she tells AJ to move who he can and tries to get Caroline to help Yoff says he saw Todd going into the house. Liz hopes it’s not too late to tell him how she feels. An aftershock hits and AJ runs off. Caroline becomes hysterical. Four of her friends run off but she can’t tell who they are.
Devon sees Liz trying to help out the ones who need it and feels guilty about not helping. But then decides they aren’t his responsibility and he needs to look out for the only person he trusts. HIMSELF. He stays where he is. Even though Todd is trapped in the bathroom with Lila, all he can think about is Liz. Even though they said their goodbyes he thinks about how he’s holding Lila during the aftershocks instead of her. Ken id sblr yo girl Maria from under the table. Winston and he try to remove the metal bean trapping Olivia. Ken is able to get the beam off her but her arms are trapped by a refrigerator and another beam.
Winston, Annie, and Maria find Liz. Annie says she thinks she broke her arm so Winston takes his shirt and makes a makeshift sling. They tell her about Ken and Olivia. Liz wants to go to them, but they tell her there’s not much she can do. It’ll take the fire department to dig her out. They’re looking for people to assist also. So Liz (feeling useless) says if she sees anyone she’ll send them inside. In the distance she sees a girl laying in the grass who turns out to be other Maria. Something hit her on the head. Liz hears a sizzling and sees Enid by the water and some electrical wires. She forgets about Maria and rushes to Enid to save her from being electrocuted.
Lila and Todd continue to argue in the bathroom. Lila wants Todd to ram into the door with his shoulder like she’s seen on cop shows. Todd points out that the structural damage to the wall won’t permit this but he tries anyway to prove his point. The door gives a little but doesn’t open. Lila demands he think of a way to get them out, Finally, he just tells her to shut up. Devon thinks about how Liz deceived him and the first day he’d meet her. He knew he loved her instantly. It was the day of the explosion at the school. Winston, and Maria try to help Devon but he shrugs them away. They ask if he has a cell phone but he says they don’t have one. Even so, the fire dept won’t rush over because they’re in the middle of a disaster. He tells them no one is alive in there anyway and Winston says they have to try. They ask if he’s seen Bruce and he says he took off. He doesn’t know where Lila is either. Winston thinks if he can get to Lila’s car. Devon tells them it’s no use, They’re all gonna die (Except him, he thinks). Winston decides to take his chances. Maria tries to get Devon to join them in a rescue party because their friends might be trapped, but Devon says there’s no way in hell he’s gonna try to help Todd. They write him off as a jerk and go to try to help their friends.
Liv comes to for a minute and realizes Ken is beside her. She realizes she can’t feel anything and thinks she might be paralyzed but then thinks it’s better than feeling the pain from being crushed by the refrigerator and slips back into unconsciousness. Jessica senses that something isn’t right with her twin but the engine won’t start. Finally, they’re able to get it working. There’s a challenge getting home. All the streets are destroyed. There’s another aftershock and a tree falls in the middle of the street. Jessica heads for home, but Steve grabs at the wheel and makes the car swerve. As Liz attempts to pull Enid away from the electrical wires, a fire spreads from next door. Even if she is able to pull her away from the wires, Liz knows she can’t get her out of the way of the fires path.
As Liv feels herself dying, she remembers Ken’s first gift to her (a red poppy) As she tries to talk she gets choked up from the smoke. She’s able to get out the word “I love you Quarter”. Ken tells her he loves her too. Liz decides that if she can’t save Enid by herself she’ll get help so she asks Deven, but Devon doesn’t respond to her pleas. Jessica and Steve argue over whether to go home or go get Billie. He finally convinces her to go to Billie. When they get to the mart nothing is left of the store. He then sees his car upside down. Billie tho isn’t in the car. He sees the rubble of the store and can’t believe the love of his life is dead. He ruins to the ruins. Billie and another woman appear and they embrace (Steve and Billie). When Devon regains speech he won’t help Liz. Todd tells Lila if she thinks he’s lame then she’s welcome to think of a plan. Lila looks out the window, sees the fire, panics, and thinks of the fire at the Fowler Manner. Then Olivia realizes the house is on fire. (ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE!? OH LOOK A FIRE! LET'S ALL SIT AROUND AND DIE AND NOT CALL ANYONE). Ken promises he won’t leave her. Meanwhile, Liz is sitting around arguing with Devon over saving Enid. SHED BE DEAD BY NOW. Liv makes Ken promise to go and find a search and rescue team. Liv tells Ken to tell her parents she loves them. He promises eventually too.
On the way home, Jessica is stopped by a boy named Brian whose sister fell into a crack in the road. Even though she’s desperate to get home to Liz, she knows she can’t deny helping a 12-year-old. Liz and Devon start to argue. She calls him a “coward” and he calls her a damn fool. He walks off. As she’s yelling at his retreating back that he’ll die alone she slips and falls in the pool. Liz surfaces and finds herself staring at a rattlesnake. Lila becomes so hysterical Todd has to throw water on her. Lila falls in a heap on the floor in front of the door as smoke fills the room. Todd again wonders why if he has to die does he have to die with Lila Fowler. He thinks about Liz and wishes things could be like they were before Devon came. Todd starts to cry and thinks to Liz he loves her. Liz takes a pile of wood and flips the snake. She then rushes back to Enid.
The guy’s sister Alyssa is hanging onto a cliff inside the crack. Jessica tries to keep her talking but has no idea how to save her. Liz rushes right into the fire and picks Enid up. She gets her to safety and sets her down. She tries to wake her up uncablle to carry her any further. So, she decides to drag her. Steve and Billie are at the theatre, where they went to see if Alice and Ned are ok. Billie thinks they’re on their way home, but Steve says they have to check. So,Steve checks the parking lot and sees his dad’s car. But the car looks ok. Maybe they found another way home. Brian and Jessica use their belts to lower them into the hole for Alyssa to grab. Ken is able to make it out and find Maria and Winston. Lila thinks about how she doesn’t want to be there with Todd who could care less about her. For some reason, she thinks about her true friends Amy and Jessica, and how they were the on ly one that stood by her when John raped her. The window breaks and Lila thinks this is it.
Steve and Bill find some people trapped in the movies. Jessica lowers herself down into the hole to save Alyssa. Todd admits to Lila she’s not the only one scared and she feels comforted. He admits he doesn’t want to die alone and she throws her arms around him. They embrace. Liz is dragging Enid. One of the live wires heads toward her ankle. She can’t run and drop Enid. Pain knocks Liz to the ground. She screams and the electricity courses through her. Then she passes out. The firemen finally make it to the Wakefields. They say Winston was the one that made them get their behinds in gear. The men say the don’t have a hook and ladder and so they can’t go in and save Liv. Ken loses his ish and tells the man he will punch him in the face if he doesn’t get his butt in the house and save his girlfriend. Maria says if he doesn’t she will.
Billie and Stever finally spot Ned and Alice and they head for home. Liz wakes up realizing someone is carrying her. She thinks it’s Jessica but then thinks that Jessica isn’t there. Everything that happens flashes through her mind and she passes out again. Jessica plunges further down to save Alyssa but she slips. The fire breaks into the room, and Todd and Lila climb into the bathroom. Lila confesses she never really liked Todd but she wishes she’d been nicer to him. Todd tells her not to talk. He starts to chock. She whispers she doesn’t want to do but if she has to he’s a good guy. He tells her it’s good to finally meet the real Lila before his voice gives out. HE thinks how beautiful she is and leans in to kiss her. When they reach Olivia, she’s already gone. Just as they’re about to kiss, the fireman breaks in with the ax. Minutes later the room is engulfed in flames. The firefighters put out the fires, Lila wants Todd to take her home, but he says he’ll stay with the firefighters. Lila tells herself it’s just Todd and it doesn’t matter, but it does. One of the fire fighters finds the picture of Ken in the debris.
Jessica looks at Brian throwing up and thinks of how she had Alyssa’s hand in her grip and how she should have tried harder and Liz looks up at the stranger carrying her. He says she’s going to be alright and she passes out again.
My Thoughts:
ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE FREAKIN IDIOTS! I have a crazy thought that all these characters in this series are SO BAD that an earthquake just decided to save us the trouble of reading about them after so long any further and it just tried to kill all of em.
First of all Liz is STUPID and Enid should have been died because she wasn’t a WHOLE lot of time begging Devon to help her. I kept thinking SHES DEAD ALREADY and normally she would be. Why keep pleading with this ass hole? Even if the phone can’t be gotten too, she would have done better going around the neighborhod trying to find someone with a phone so she could call 911. Hell, she could have RUN to the nearest station and wasted less time. (Winston did). If my best friend were about to get electrocuted do you seriously think I’d be arguing with my ex over them helping me? It would have taken ONE no for me to say screw you and then try to find another solution. And that solution would not have involved me being a FOOL enough to brun myself and electrocute myself in the process. It is SOO NICE to know that today we have a little thing called CELL PHONES.
Jessica was dumb in the same way. Sometimes characters can be courageous and dumb at the same time. What made her think she could lean into this deep crack and pull out a kid with a belt? Again she could have feel into the hole *with* the kid and died. There are professional people in this world that are trained to handle rescue missions that actually know what they’re doing. I do realize time was of the essence but again. Jessica could have continued to talk to her while her brother could have gone to get help.
Winston was the only one smart enough that seemed to realize that some of these situations needed the fire department. But then the fire department were equally STUPID. So, you mean to tell me you only have ONE LADDER and for some asine reason you didn’t bring it. COME AGAIN? No wonder there are a bunch of teenagers trying to figure these situations out on their own. And you would think since it’s “SWEET VALLEY” ..
Lila and Todd I just wanted to yell out JUST KISS ALREADY AND MAKE OUT! Devon I just wanted the earthquake to swallow up. He should have been the body underneath the tree that Caroline found. I’m not even sure what book introduced him but as I’ve seen in this one no big lost. Olivia’s was the only one that was really touching. Although I will say that I could have done without another retelling of that nauseating scene on their virtual mountain. And then there’s that (the lazy writing). A WHOLE LOT of this was recaps of other books. Books that weren’t even older books in the series. These were books that came RIGHT before this one. For that reason it made this book DRAG and DRAG and DRAG!
Rating: 5 I just haven’t been a fan of these last few in the Super Edition series.
Jessica comes to after her new jeep loses control after the earthquake hits. She has a severe severe headache but plays it off to calm down Steve whose freaking out (now) about Billie. Jess worries about Liz as her memories start to return to the party. Steve tells her to use her connection but she can’t sense anything.
Elizabeth comes to after falling to the ground and trying to cover Devon. Devon seems to be shaken and isn’t able to form a conscious thought. She worries about Jessica, Steve, and her parents. But then she remembers Jessica and Steven took the car to go get Biliie (who was driving his car to the store and it broke down) and her parents left early to see a movie.
Ken searches for Liv in the debris of the house. When he finds her an aftershock hits and he loses her again. He realizes she’s been buried underneath all the piles of debris and there are cabinets blocking him from getting to her. Liz tries to help her friends. She sees Caroline whose badly shaken and discovers why. A tree fell on Ronnie Edwards and he’s dead. Amy comes over to them panicked because she can’t find Barry. Liz blocks her view from seeing Ronnie. Then she panics again because her parents live four houses down (and if the Wakefield’s house is this damaged). AJ appears and says he saw Barry and Liz tells Amy to go see if he’s ok. AJ says they should move because if another aftershock hits there won’t be anything left of them. Liz thinks they should try to find as many as they can. So she tells AJ to move who he can and tries to get Caroline to help Yoff says he saw Todd going into the house. Liz hopes it’s not too late to tell him how she feels. An aftershock hits and AJ runs off. Caroline becomes hysterical. Four of her friends run off but she can’t tell who they are.
Devon sees Liz trying to help out the ones who need it and feels guilty about not helping. But then decides they aren’t his responsibility and he needs to look out for the only person he trusts. HIMSELF. He stays where he is. Even though Todd is trapped in the bathroom with Lila, all he can think about is Liz. Even though they said their goodbyes he thinks about how he’s holding Lila during the aftershocks instead of her. Ken id sblr yo girl Maria from under the table. Winston and he try to remove the metal bean trapping Olivia. Ken is able to get the beam off her but her arms are trapped by a refrigerator and another beam.
Winston, Annie, and Maria find Liz. Annie says she thinks she broke her arm so Winston takes his shirt and makes a makeshift sling. They tell her about Ken and Olivia. Liz wants to go to them, but they tell her there’s not much she can do. It’ll take the fire department to dig her out. They’re looking for people to assist also. So Liz (feeling useless) says if she sees anyone she’ll send them inside. In the distance she sees a girl laying in the grass who turns out to be other Maria. Something hit her on the head. Liz hears a sizzling and sees Enid by the water and some electrical wires. She forgets about Maria and rushes to Enid to save her from being electrocuted.
Lila and Todd continue to argue in the bathroom. Lila wants Todd to ram into the door with his shoulder like she’s seen on cop shows. Todd points out that the structural damage to the wall won’t permit this but he tries anyway to prove his point. The door gives a little but doesn’t open. Lila demands he think of a way to get them out, Finally, he just tells her to shut up. Devon thinks about how Liz deceived him and the first day he’d meet her. He knew he loved her instantly. It was the day of the explosion at the school. Winston, and Maria try to help Devon but he shrugs them away. They ask if he has a cell phone but he says they don’t have one. Even so, the fire dept won’t rush over because they’re in the middle of a disaster. He tells them no one is alive in there anyway and Winston says they have to try. They ask if he’s seen Bruce and he says he took off. He doesn’t know where Lila is either. Winston thinks if he can get to Lila’s car. Devon tells them it’s no use, They’re all gonna die (Except him, he thinks). Winston decides to take his chances. Maria tries to get Devon to join them in a rescue party because their friends might be trapped, but Devon says there’s no way in hell he’s gonna try to help Todd. They write him off as a jerk and go to try to help their friends.
Liv comes to for a minute and realizes Ken is beside her. She realizes she can’t feel anything and thinks she might be paralyzed but then thinks it’s better than feeling the pain from being crushed by the refrigerator and slips back into unconsciousness. Jessica senses that something isn’t right with her twin but the engine won’t start. Finally, they’re able to get it working. There’s a challenge getting home. All the streets are destroyed. There’s another aftershock and a tree falls in the middle of the street. Jessica heads for home, but Steve grabs at the wheel and makes the car swerve. As Liz attempts to pull Enid away from the electrical wires, a fire spreads from next door. Even if she is able to pull her away from the wires, Liz knows she can’t get her out of the way of the fires path.
As Liv feels herself dying, she remembers Ken’s first gift to her (a red poppy) As she tries to talk she gets choked up from the smoke. She’s able to get out the word “I love you Quarter”. Ken tells her he loves her too. Liz decides that if she can’t save Enid by herself she’ll get help so she asks Deven, but Devon doesn’t respond to her pleas. Jessica and Steve argue over whether to go home or go get Billie. He finally convinces her to go to Billie. When they get to the mart nothing is left of the store. He then sees his car upside down. Billie tho isn’t in the car. He sees the rubble of the store and can’t believe the love of his life is dead. He ruins to the ruins. Billie and another woman appear and they embrace (Steve and Billie). When Devon regains speech he won’t help Liz. Todd tells Lila if she thinks he’s lame then she’s welcome to think of a plan. Lila looks out the window, sees the fire, panics, and thinks of the fire at the Fowler Manner. Then Olivia realizes the house is on fire. (ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE!? OH LOOK A FIRE! LET'S ALL SIT AROUND AND DIE AND NOT CALL ANYONE). Ken promises he won’t leave her. Meanwhile, Liz is sitting around arguing with Devon over saving Enid. SHED BE DEAD BY NOW. Liv makes Ken promise to go and find a search and rescue team. Liv tells Ken to tell her parents she loves them. He promises eventually too.
On the way home, Jessica is stopped by a boy named Brian whose sister fell into a crack in the road. Even though she’s desperate to get home to Liz, she knows she can’t deny helping a 12-year-old. Liz and Devon start to argue. She calls him a “coward” and he calls her a damn fool. He walks off. As she’s yelling at his retreating back that he’ll die alone she slips and falls in the pool. Liz surfaces and finds herself staring at a rattlesnake. Lila becomes so hysterical Todd has to throw water on her. Lila falls in a heap on the floor in front of the door as smoke fills the room. Todd again wonders why if he has to die does he have to die with Lila Fowler. He thinks about Liz and wishes things could be like they were before Devon came. Todd starts to cry and thinks to Liz he loves her. Liz takes a pile of wood and flips the snake. She then rushes back to Enid.
The guy’s sister Alyssa is hanging onto a cliff inside the crack. Jessica tries to keep her talking but has no idea how to save her. Liz rushes right into the fire and picks Enid up. She gets her to safety and sets her down. She tries to wake her up uncablle to carry her any further. So, she decides to drag her. Steve and Billie are at the theatre, where they went to see if Alice and Ned are ok. Billie thinks they’re on their way home, but Steve says they have to check. So,Steve checks the parking lot and sees his dad’s car. But the car looks ok. Maybe they found another way home. Brian and Jessica use their belts to lower them into the hole for Alyssa to grab. Ken is able to make it out and find Maria and Winston. Lila thinks about how she doesn’t want to be there with Todd who could care less about her. For some reason, she thinks about her true friends Amy and Jessica, and how they were the on ly one that stood by her when John raped her. The window breaks and Lila thinks this is it.
Steve and Bill find some people trapped in the movies. Jessica lowers herself down into the hole to save Alyssa. Todd admits to Lila she’s not the only one scared and she feels comforted. He admits he doesn’t want to die alone and she throws her arms around him. They embrace. Liz is dragging Enid. One of the live wires heads toward her ankle. She can’t run and drop Enid. Pain knocks Liz to the ground. She screams and the electricity courses through her. Then she passes out. The firemen finally make it to the Wakefields. They say Winston was the one that made them get their behinds in gear. The men say the don’t have a hook and ladder and so they can’t go in and save Liv. Ken loses his ish and tells the man he will punch him in the face if he doesn’t get his butt in the house and save his girlfriend. Maria says if he doesn’t she will.
Billie and Stever finally spot Ned and Alice and they head for home. Liz wakes up realizing someone is carrying her. She thinks it’s Jessica but then thinks that Jessica isn’t there. Everything that happens flashes through her mind and she passes out again. Jessica plunges further down to save Alyssa but she slips. The fire breaks into the room, and Todd and Lila climb into the bathroom. Lila confesses she never really liked Todd but she wishes she’d been nicer to him. Todd tells her not to talk. He starts to chock. She whispers she doesn’t want to do but if she has to he’s a good guy. He tells her it’s good to finally meet the real Lila before his voice gives out. HE thinks how beautiful she is and leans in to kiss her. When they reach Olivia, she’s already gone. Just as they’re about to kiss, the fireman breaks in with the ax. Minutes later the room is engulfed in flames. The firefighters put out the fires, Lila wants Todd to take her home, but he says he’ll stay with the firefighters. Lila tells herself it’s just Todd and it doesn’t matter, but it does. One of the fire fighters finds the picture of Ken in the debris.
Jessica looks at Brian throwing up and thinks of how she had Alyssa’s hand in her grip and how she should have tried harder and Liz looks up at the stranger carrying her. He says she’s going to be alright and she passes out again.
My Thoughts:
ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE FREAKIN IDIOTS! I have a crazy thought that all these characters in this series are SO BAD that an earthquake just decided to save us the trouble of reading about them after so long any further and it just tried to kill all of em.
First of all Liz is STUPID and Enid should have been died because she wasn’t a WHOLE lot of time begging Devon to help her. I kept thinking SHES DEAD ALREADY and normally she would be. Why keep pleading with this ass hole? Even if the phone can’t be gotten too, she would have done better going around the neighborhod trying to find someone with a phone so she could call 911. Hell, she could have RUN to the nearest station and wasted less time. (Winston did). If my best friend were about to get electrocuted do you seriously think I’d be arguing with my ex over them helping me? It would have taken ONE no for me to say screw you and then try to find another solution. And that solution would not have involved me being a FOOL enough to brun myself and electrocute myself in the process. It is SOO NICE to know that today we have a little thing called CELL PHONES.
Jessica was dumb in the same way. Sometimes characters can be courageous and dumb at the same time. What made her think she could lean into this deep crack and pull out a kid with a belt? Again she could have feel into the hole *with* the kid and died. There are professional people in this world that are trained to handle rescue missions that actually know what they’re doing. I do realize time was of the essence but again. Jessica could have continued to talk to her while her brother could have gone to get help.
Winston was the only one smart enough that seemed to realize that some of these situations needed the fire department. But then the fire department were equally STUPID. So, you mean to tell me you only have ONE LADDER and for some asine reason you didn’t bring it. COME AGAIN? No wonder there are a bunch of teenagers trying to figure these situations out on their own. And you would think since it’s “SWEET VALLEY” ..
Lila and Todd I just wanted to yell out JUST KISS ALREADY AND MAKE OUT! Devon I just wanted the earthquake to swallow up. He should have been the body underneath the tree that Caroline found. I’m not even sure what book introduced him but as I’ve seen in this one no big lost. Olivia’s was the only one that was really touching. Although I will say that I could have done without another retelling of that nauseating scene on their virtual mountain. And then there’s that (the lazy writing). A WHOLE LOT of this was recaps of other books. Books that weren’t even older books in the series. These were books that came RIGHT before this one. For that reason it made this book DRAG and DRAG and DRAG!
Rating: 5 I just haven’t been a fan of these last few in the Super Edition series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2026
🚨🚨 Non-stop trauma, danger, and action. I’ve never read a Sweet Valley High book like this one. I’m sure the next one, Aftershock, won’t disappoint either! For those that love Disaster Books - this one is good for YA fiction.
November 26, 2022
Oh man, this was so dramatic!!
August 15, 2023
Rating for pure nostalgia lol.
August 25, 2024
I have loved this series and love this specual edition sequence. It slowly unravels where everyone is after the earthquake. One member dies.
What's hard to understand is Steven's behaviour of putting Billie ahead of Liz and their parents. Of even risking Jessica's life to reach Billie.
Also there is too much focus on Liz trying to rescue Enid.
And sad that Alyssa didn't survive. But maybe it was necessary for Jess to go through that pain.
Glad that Maria survived.
Olivia's and Ken's part was kind of as expected based on how it was build up.
What's hard to understand is Steven's behaviour of putting Billie ahead of Liz and their parents. Of even risking Jessica's life to reach Billie.
Also there is too much focus on Liz trying to rescue Enid.
And sad that Alyssa didn't survive. But maybe it was necessary for Jess to go through that pain.
Glad that Maria survived.
Olivia's and Ken's part was kind of as expected based on how it was build up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2014
I wiped from my forehead the perspiration which this book had engendered while reading the last few chapters. An air of melancholy surrounded me, made me shed tears which I rarely do. This book is a good one.
September 23, 2009
This book was very good and sad!
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
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