She's Not What She Seems

Sweet Valley High #92

by Francine Pascal (Creator), Kate William

Shakespearean tragedy!

Jessica Wakefield has landed the starring role in Sweet Valley High's production of Macbeth, and suddenly she's too busy for anyone except Paula Perrine, a timid new transfer student who idolizes her.  At first Paula spends all her time fawning over Jessica and helping her prepare for her role.  But before long, Paula seems to be better friends with Jessica's crowd than Jessica is.

Jessica is pleased that her new friend is coming out of her shell, but when Paula falls to tell Jessica that she's been made her understudy, Jessica wonders if Paula is trying to steal not only her friends but her role as Lady Macbeth as well!  No one else, not even Jessica's twin, Elizabeth, believes shy Paula could do such a thing.  Can Jessica convince her friends of the truth before it's too late?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Teen

156 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

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

[Tiffany Spencer]

She’s Not What She Seems
Jessica is reading lines in order to try out for Lady Macbeth. She thinks this is her big chance to get discovered. She gets Liz to help her understand the lines (but only for an hour. Liz tells her she needs to study for a French test). Only tho if she’ll rehearse more quietly. Amy and Lila get on Jessica the next day about how much she’s been practicing. She’s even missed meeting them at the mall. Jessica notices lately that a girl has been staring at her. Lila and Amy have no idea who she is. Lila says she’s going to get the role, but Jessica knows nothing is going to stop her from getting it. (And this series is called Sweet Valley TWINS).

Jessica lets Sam take her for a soda, but tells him it’s not a date. She has to get home to study her lines. She sees the girl again outside that’s been showing up everywhere. Sam says she doesn’t look as sinister. Jessica says she guesses. It’s just creepy. Sam teases she probably has an evil plan to murder her in her sleep and pretend to be her friend. (Hey it’s SV it can happen). She’s the Macbeth to her King Duncan.

Annie tells them she’s thinking of trying out for Lady MacBeth. Lila and Jessica tell her she doesn’t stand a chance. But she says she’s going to try out for one of the smaller roles. Her mother is going out of town and Tony and she broke up so it’ll give her something to do. Bill Chase is trying out also. Liz gives Jessica the good news that she’s been given the role of student publicity director. They see the girl again and Annie tells them her name is Paula Perrine and she’s shy and keeps to herself. Jessica says she thinks she thinks she’s following her. Liz says it’s probably just a coincidence. When her friends aren’t paying attention, Jessica looks at Paula and she doesn’t look away.

Paula is also there when she auditions. Liz tells her she’s starting to sound paranoid. Then she tries to get her mind off it by talking who’ll play who. She thinks Winston should play Banquo. Liz tries to compliment what a great job she did. Jessica changes the subject to why Paula is there. Liz says she has a right to be. Then Jessica changes the subject back to the play. Mr. Goodman calls the first cuts. Bill and Winston are in them.

The girls are called. Jessica and Lila both make the cut. Patty Gilbert, Emily Mayer, Jean West, Joanne Shreves, Annie Whitman also make the cut. Liz notices Paula watching Jessica. That night while the Wakefields have dinner, Jessica asks Liz about the posters. She thinks it should be a close up of her looking tragic and lovely. Liz says don’t get ahead of herself. She still has two more auditions and she’s already decided to have a contest. The winning design will be on the poster.

Steven warns them about the curse. He tells Jessica about how the first time it was performed the boy who was going to play Lady Macbeth got sick at the last minute and Shakespeare himself has to play the part. For hundreds of years cast and crew members have died during performances. Sometimes on stage. Jessica says very funny. Liz says the Sweet Valley News will always be wriing an article and they’ll do some press release. Steven changes the subject and says someone is moving into the Beckwiths. Jessica says she hopes its someone with a gorgeous teenage son. Nothing wrong with *looking*. Lila and Jessica both make the second cut.

Jessica takes the initiative to introduce herself to the famous director. Paula is outside and Jessica confronts her. Paula says she thinks Jessica is amazing and she’s meant to be a star. Then she gushs about how beautiful and popular she is. Jessica says it was nice to meet her before leaving. Paula says if there’s anything she can do for her let her know. She’s still standing there looking at Jessica drive away. Liz calls an informal meeting with Todd and Enid to talk poster designs with maybe Olivia and Dee Dee.

Jessica says she has plans with Sam. Paula comes by and Liz offers her a seat. Paula offers her help with her lines and Jessica accepts and invites her over after school. The next day Annie invites Paula to sit with her, Lila, and Amy. Lila says she thought she would be with her “better half”. She says she would but Jessica is practicing with Bill. Lila bitches a little bit about how unreliable Jessica’s been and asks how she puts up with her. Paula gushes some more about how amazing and talented Jessica is. She also throws a little “fan girl” Lila’s way and tells her she has more range and she should go for a more difficult part.

Paula confesses to her new friends when her parents fought, she’d pretend to be someone else. She’s be a powerful queen or a genie. Every since she’s seen her first play she’s always thought the theatre was the greatest thing in the world. But she’s never have the courage to get up on stage. Paula asks Lila to give her some pointers on her tennis serve. Lila says she’s come to the right place. She’s starting to feel protective of the girl. They ask Annie, but she says she’s no good at it. She says they should ask Jessica. Paula says she’ll probably be busy. The decide to meet the next morning, but Paula says she’s running off photo-copies for Jessica and makes it later. Lila decides she likes Paula better when Jessica isn’t around and she’s not talking about her.

Bill gets the role of Macbeth. Jessica gets the role of Lady MacBeth. Lila gets the role of one of the witches. Winston congratulates Lila and says the role of the witches present some of the most interesting challenges. Lila says she’ll drop out first but Amy gets her to “think about it” tho by telling her she has the talent to pull it off and what better way to show off her talent. Amy invites Paula to join them at the mall for ice-cream at Casey’s but she says she has to get home. She says she’ll meet Jessica later to rehearse.

Liz overhears Paula going over lines while Jessica goes to talk to Sam on the phone. She’s amazed at how good she is. Liz berates Jessica for leaving Paula to talk to Sam. Paula says she doesn’t mind. She knows how much she loves Sam. Then she asks Liz to tell her all about Jessica. Then she asks to know about Sam. Then Liz asks her to tell her about herself. She kind of shuts down and Liz apologizes. She has a brother that ran away and left her alone with her father. She says her father is abusive and drinks too much. She’s living with her mothers friends that’s why she came to SV. It now makes sense to Liz why Paula is attacted to Jessica. She vows to keep her eye on Paula so Jessica won’t take advantage of her. (Her mother died last year).

Liz tells all this to Jessica. Jessica said she had no idea. Jessica wonders why she didn’t tell her. Liz says maybe she didn’t know how. Then she tells her she can be nicer and she shouldn’t have left her to talk on the phone. Jessica says she’ll never do it again and will do everything to make her feel welcome. The next time Jessica sees Paula she asks why she didn’t tell her. She says she was afraid. Jessica says she’s got to get more confidence. Then she suggests she go for the role of the gentle woman in the play it’s only a few lines. Paula says she couldn’t. Actresses are supposed to be beautiful. Jessica gives her a makeover and it does wonders. Paula says she’ll apply the new changes gradually. She’s scared people will think she’s trying to be someone she’s not.

Jessica says they’re already starting to see how sweet and generous she is. Then Paula thanks her and tells her she’s the best friend she ever had. Paula comes by on another day. Liz and the others are going over poster designs. She says she has a present for Annie. No occasion. She gives Annie a brightly covered headband. It was a present from her grandmother but it doesn’t work for her colors. Robin gets on Jessica’s case about missing practices. Jessica says she won’t be coming to practice until the play is over. She’s also not coming to soccer practice. She tells them get use to it. After the play, she’ll probably be on Broadway. Annie tells her she needs to come down to earth.

Mr. Goodman compliments Paula on her hard work with Jessica and this ticks her off. She then tells him Paula wants to audition. Jessica notices she and the director are just chatting away. Jessica thinks I’m better than I thought. Then she starts to feel uncomfortable with it but tells herself she should be happy for her. She then sees them laughing and thinks they’re laughing *at her*. Liz also notices the transformation. She gives Liz the news Frank wants her to play the role of the gentlewomen that is if she can actually *get* on stage. Liz gets it. It’s the love from the audience and the applause. Paula tells Jessica but she’s stiff with her. She’s asks what’s wrong and Jessica says she’s just thinking of a scene. Paula offers to help her with creative ideas not that she’d need her help of course. Jessica yells at her to stop complimenting her and stop putting herself down. She’s sick of hearing it. This makes Paula cry and says she’s trying but she keeps hearing her father’s voice that she’ll never be good enough. Jessica then apologizes and gives her a hug. Now she’s crying too.

Jessica asks how she knows Mr. Goodman. Paula says she dropped her books and he’d help her pick them up. Jessica decides her suspicions are unfounded and she should let up on Paula. At school Paula offers to help Annie study. Then she picks up an extra lunch to bring Jessica-whose again running lines-. She assures Annie she’s not being taken advantage of. She’s getting more out of the deal then she knows. Annie tells don[‘t change. She likes her like she is. Paula says she’s going to throw a cooke-out this weekend at Secca Lake as her thanks of everyone making her feel so welcome. She says she’ll invite Jessica and Liz but she doesn’t think they’ll come. Jessica will be rehearsing. Liz will be doing publicity stuff.

She says she’s been helping Liz (make calls), but pleads with them not to tell Jessica because she doesn’t want Jess to think anything is more important than helping her. Jess comes out and chews Paula out for being late for their meeting in the drama room. Paula takes the tongue lashing and says she’s used to be ordered around. Jessica realizes what she did and apologizes. Paula says its just how Jessica is. She doesn’t take it personal. Amy and Annie say they’re glad Jessica can’t come to the cook-out.

On Thursday, Paula offers to go get Jessica’s book from the drama room so she won’t be late for a costume fitting. Jessica tells Sam, she thinks Steven is right. She feels something is gonna go wrong with the play and she doesn’t know why Paula makes her so crazy. She should be glad to have her as a friend. She doesn’t know why she isn’t. It feels like she’s hiding something. Why did she hide playing tennis with Lila and Annie. Sam says she sounds jealous. She says it feels like Paula has more friends. Sam says she just hasn’t had time for her friends. She says she’s going to stop being so paranoid and suspicious and be more understanding. Paula’s had it rough.


Jessica learns from Annie, that Paula has been chosen as her understudy. Paula never even mentioned it. Annie says she guesses Paula assumed she knew. Jessica confronts Paula who says she didn’t tell her because she didn’t think it was important. It was because of her she had the confidence to try out. Not even her family gave her that. Jessica apologizes and feels guilty. Jessica talks to Liz who just tells her she needs to be more understanding. She’s surprised that she’s been so preoccupied that Jessica doesn’t know they’re hanging the designs in the art room. Jessica wants Liz to give Mr. Goodman a push for the poster that features her but Liz says no way. David’s design is so good he doesn’t need it.

At practice, Jessica isn’t happy that Mr. Goodman complimented her the day before on he blocking but tells her now he wants something different. She finds out it was because of Paula. Her friends call Jessica out for being a drama queen and Paula defends her. Jessica snaps on her. Lila tells her everyone’s talking about her and Paula might be the only friend she has left. She apologizes again to Paula. Amy says they’re all going to the Dairi Burger. Jessica and Paula turn it down. Olivia wins the design contest. Jessica vents to Steven. Olivia’s poster features Lila and the witches.

Lila is mortified to have her face plastered all around the town in witch makeup. Jessica decides to go see her friends after talking to Steven at the Dairi Burger. Paula is there-completely transformed- ALL OVER SAM! Her friends also seem enamored with Paula. She realizes Paula has taken over everything she cares about. Sam and Paula come over. Paula stays back. Jessica says she has to leave and tries to go but Sam stops her. She accuses him of flirting. He says they were just *talking*. She’s interested in dirt bike racing, but Jessica never told her about that. Sam tells her she’s the only girl he cares about and it’s not like her to be so paranoid. Jessica insists Paula is trying to sabatauge her. She doesn’t know how but she knows she is. She accuses him of being on her side. Sam gets mad and says she’s just mad because her protégé is getting some shine now and she can’t deal with it. Then he walks away.

Jessica finds out that not only did Paula go to the mall with Lila (who knows about her new dress for the cast party and also offers to buy Paula a dress she saw that she loved) that Liz told Paula to tell her the LA TIMES and all the other major news publications will be sending reviewers. So, now she’s stealing her sister too. Liz didn’t tell Jess herself There’s a minute when Jessica thinks the curse is real. There’s a thunderstorm and she forgets her lines for a second. Paula calls Jessica from a gas station and says something happened to her father. She got a call her father is in the hospital from a man he plays poker with. She says she hates her father but he’s all she has. She took a bus there but it was a lie.

He was fine. Just drunk. He wanted money and took all the money she had for the bus back. He says she’ll have to stay with him. Paula asks Jessica to come get her. Liz calls Paula and her mother answers the phone. She says she’s heard about her. They’ve been there for a month and has wondered why she didn’t invite any friends over. She says her brother Marty took her to the mall to get a new dress. She’s happy she’d be playing the lead. Liz asks if she and Paula’s father will be there. She says her father died months ago. Liz tells her she doesn’t have to give her a message. Jessica gets lose and can’t find the location Paula told her she was. Thankfully she finds a map in the glove department. She realizes Paula has tricked her to ruin her opening act.

She calls Mr. Goodman and tells him she’ll be there in less than an hour. He says for her to get there asap. Her understudy is already ready to go on. Jessica doesn’t make it on time and Paula goes on in her place. Jessica confronts Paula but Paula just laughs and calls her jealous. Jessica says that’s what she wanted everyone to think. She says her plan worked. She won. Paula says to think about that while she’s reading her name in the reviews. Paula sweeps out of the room and everyone applauds Jessica.

My Thoughts:
I was thinking haven’t I heard this plot in this series before and just recently only the girl was obsessed with Elizabeth. I had to go backwards and find the book. Almost the same plot as “Elizabeth the Impossible”. I was hoping that by the end of this to at least get a logical explanation of why Paula told so many lies but maybe there really wasn’t one. There *are* people in this world that just lie for NO REASON WHAT SO EVER and I’m just gonna leave it at this girl was just one of those people. I was thinking what is it about the Wakefield twins that attracts these psycho obsessive females? Or is the question what is about Sweet Valley that draws them to it?

Rating: 5

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing because I thought Paula Perrine would be just like Suzanne Devlin. The truth is Sweet Valley High #11: Too Good to Be True is more interesting and actually has a backstory. I know why Paula tried to sabotage Jessica’s part, but there are still some unanswered questions. What else has Paula lied about? Why did she lie about her family problems? Was it a petty, unnecessary attempt to gain popularity? Or was it to gain sympathy? Perhaps some unknown reason of revenge against her family? Maybe an alibi? Who is the real Paula? Only Paula knows these answers, but since Paula took them with her when she moved, I guess no Sweet Valley High fan will ever know.

[Joie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I make no apologies for loving this book. Love with a capital "L". Yes, it is ridiculous. Yes, these books are vapid, insane, and more than a little dangerous if taken too seriously. And yet....the nine year old in me will always love this book. Truth be told, my love of Shakespeare can probably, shamefully, be traced to this book. But, seriously, I'm sticking with that "no apologies" thing.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet Valley High jumps on the Single White Female bandwagon, when mousy-shy-sophomore Paula Perrine starts ass-kissing Jessica during the Macbeth auditions. Soon enough, Paula is ingratiating herself to Jessica's friends and being all passive aggressive and shady about Jessica, and Jessica is super busy trying to actually play a decent Lady Macbeth and realizes everyone's kind of pissy with her all the time and Paula is creeping her out. It's classic SVH crap and I actually really liked this stupid book.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure that I've ever actually read this book. I know the plot based on my endless re-reading as a kid of Jessica's Secret Diary Volume 3, but I don't think I ever read the book itself.

That being said, Paula is even creepier here than she comes across in Jessica's diary. Since I knew how it ended, I could just sit back and look for all the clues and signs, and that made this a lot of fun to read.

[K.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess gets the part of Lady Macbeth, while Lila is cast as one of the witches😂 Naturally this goes to Jess's head and she starts treating her friends like trash, including shy sophomore Paula who seems to be more than happy to let Jess walk all over her. Soon though, it seems as though Paula is closer to Jess's friends than she is, Jess is on the outskirts of her own life, but will anyone believe Jess when she tells them that Paula is not what she seems??

[Mackenzie Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this when I was like 12 and it was in a box with a lot of my sister's other old teen books. And the writing is really cheesy and almost cartoonish compared to YA books today! But it is a decent book though, it's kind of like the old Bette Davis film All About Eve. Paula is a bitch but she was right about Jessica not knowing what show business is really like because yeah, there is backstabbing and sabotage when you are trying to come up and it's good that Jessica who always thinks things should go her way, got this lesson early.

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the cover just not the story.

[MissNYix · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright. Not the best.

[MissNYix · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright. Not the best.

[Reena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit bubble gummy but a nice read.