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Sweet Valley High #43
Hard Choices
No life of her own ...
Enid Rollins can hardly wait for her grandmother to come live with her and her mother. But when she arrives, Enid is dismayed that the kind, sprightly woman she remembered is now burdensome and demanding.
Because Enid's mother works long hours and is often out with her boyfriend, Enid finds herself making all sorts of sacrifices to please her grandmother. She skips school events and even stands up her best friend, Elizabeth Wakefield. Worst of all, she never has any time for her boyfriend, Hugh. It's beginning to look as if Enid may have to say good-bye to someone she loves.
Enid Rollins can hardly wait for her grandmother to come live with her and her mother. But when she arrives, Enid is dismayed that the kind, sprightly woman she remembered is now burdensome and demanding.
Because Enid's mother works long hours and is often out with her boyfriend, Enid finds herself making all sorts of sacrifices to please her grandmother. She skips school events and even stands up her best friend, Elizabeth Wakefield. Worst of all, she never has any time for her boyfriend, Hugh. It's beginning to look as if Enid may have to say good-bye to someone she loves.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
30 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,849 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 28, 2019
All you need to know about this books is Enid’s nan is an absolute JERK!
That’s about it. It’s very dull. Skip it.
That’s about it. It’s very dull. Skip it.
January 18, 2026
Remember the Sweet Valley High board game? When I would play with cousins, I always had to be Enid Rollins( because of brown hair. So, I always enjoy an Enid-centric storyline. In Hard Choices, Enid and her mother are welcoming her maternal grandmother from Chicago to live with them in Sweet Valley. But the transition is not a smooth or cheerful one. Soon Enid has family, boyfriend and friend problems.
All titles of this series are on Kindle Unlimited, and over the last year or two, I have been walking down memory lane. I thought the storyline was good, but I wish Enid had cried less over her situation and been a bit more proactive in sticking to her ground earlier in this story.
Goodreads review published 18/01/26
All titles of this series are on Kindle Unlimited, and over the last year or two, I have been walking down memory lane. I thought the storyline was good, but I wish Enid had cried less over her situation and been a bit more proactive in sticking to her ground earlier in this story.
Goodreads review published 18/01/26
November 21, 2016
Oddly there were no hard choices in this book. A better title for this book would've been the Rollins' Can't Stand Up for Themselves or Mrs. Rollins is More Immature Than Jessica.
November 16, 2023
I mean, this is a book about ENID ROLLINS and her GRANDMOTHER, so 3 stars max right there. Granted, said grandmother is a nasty little witch with a b who’s all about laying guilt trips on anyone stupid enough to put up with her shit and “pressing her lips together firmly” at everyone, but still just no. Jess is so right about Enid’s wimpiness levels. As she is about everything.
October 19, 2022
You feel so bad for Enid in this one.
November 29, 2021
So Enid's grandma has moved in with her and her mom, after grandpa passed away. And Nana is MEAN and RUDE and says shit like "I dont want to be a bother, I'm just a poor old woman!" and "Go on out with your friends...I can see how they're more important to you than I am!" 😑 I AM NOT DOWN WITH THIS MANIPULATIVE BULLSH*T BEHAVIOR.
Nana proceeds to bogart all of Enid's time, always causing her to cancel her plans last minute, and even throws a huge fit when she catches Enid kissing her boyfriend and tries to break them up. Top all this off with heapimg dollops of nagging, whining, complaining, and it's like, Can we just send this old bitch back to where she came from, please? 😅😅
I internally railed at everyone in this main plot...Enid for being such a freaking doormat and not standing up for herself...Enid's mom who runs out on frequent dalliances with her boyfriend, leaving Enid to stay home and keep Nana company, YET AGAIN...and of course Nana for being such A MONUMENTAL PAIN.
Of course this being Sweet Valley, there is a tearful apology and an outpouring of emotion at the end, at the kitchen table over Nana's freshly baked gingersnaps cookies and milk (gross). I kept getting mad at this mean old bag, but honestly who am I kidding....I will probably be a mean old bag TOO in my older years 🤣🤣🤣
3 out of 5 dramatic declarations of your insolence, disrespect and thoughtlessness from a "poor old woman". Who needs a life and friends when you have dear old Nana by your side? 😭😭😭
Nana proceeds to bogart all of Enid's time, always causing her to cancel her plans last minute, and even throws a huge fit when she catches Enid kissing her boyfriend and tries to break them up. Top all this off with heapimg dollops of nagging, whining, complaining, and it's like, Can we just send this old bitch back to where she came from, please? 😅😅
I internally railed at everyone in this main plot...Enid for being such a freaking doormat and not standing up for herself...Enid's mom who runs out on frequent dalliances with her boyfriend, leaving Enid to stay home and keep Nana company, YET AGAIN...and of course Nana for being such A MONUMENTAL PAIN.
Of course this being Sweet Valley, there is a tearful apology and an outpouring of emotion at the end, at the kitchen table over Nana's freshly baked gingersnaps cookies and milk (gross). I kept getting mad at this mean old bag, but honestly who am I kidding....I will probably be a mean old bag TOO in my older years 🤣🤣🤣
3 out of 5 dramatic declarations of your insolence, disrespect and thoughtlessness from a "poor old woman". Who needs a life and friends when you have dear old Nana by your side? 😭😭😭
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August 1, 2013Graded By: Erin
Read the drinking game and review here.
Read the drinking game and review here.
July 13, 2017
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Title: Hard Choices
Series: Sweet Valley High #43
Author: Francine Pascal // Kate William
This book shouldn't be called Hard Choices, it should be called, Mrs-Rollins-and-her-mother-are-selfish-douchebags because that's really what this book was about. Enid's grandmother comes to stay with her and her mother and literally is trying to ruin their lives. She tries to get her mother to break up with her boyfriend, and she makes Enid dislike him too, Enid blows off her boyfriend Hugh all the time leading to them fighting a lot and almost breaking up, and her social life totally deteriorates until she's borderline depressed and has to have an emotional meltdown to make her grandmother see the way she's acting is totally out of line. Her mother also just leaves Enid to do everything for her grandmother.
It was a pretty guff book to be honest.
Title: Hard Choices
Series: Sweet Valley High #43
Author: Francine Pascal // Kate William
This book shouldn't be called Hard Choices, it should be called, Mrs-Rollins-and-her-mother-are-selfish-douchebags because that's really what this book was about. Enid's grandmother comes to stay with her and her mother and literally is trying to ruin their lives. She tries to get her mother to break up with her boyfriend, and she makes Enid dislike him too, Enid blows off her boyfriend Hugh all the time leading to them fighting a lot and almost breaking up, and her social life totally deteriorates until she's borderline depressed and has to have an emotional meltdown to make her grandmother see the way she's acting is totally out of line. Her mother also just leaves Enid to do everything for her grandmother.
It was a pretty guff book to be honest.
December 19, 2024
People are being unfair to this book - people who sound like they've never lived through this sort of thing and so they think they'd act differently / better.
I went into this one thinking it would be painfully boring, but instead it had moments that were painfully real. It turned out to be the most believable of the series up to this point. Enid's grandmother reminded me of soooo many people, a lot of them much younger. She also reminded me of my grandmother, who has everyone wound round her manipulative little finger except me - and because I had the nerve to stand up to it, I got ostracised by all the others. I haven't talked to these people in years. That's how this stuff really goes. Sure, you can tell her to go to hell - but are you comfortable with the fallout? Until you're truly ready for that, you get trapped in the game, just like Enid did. Good for her for hitting breaking point as soon as she did - that's not common.
And that's why I only gave this 4 stars - because people like her grandmother don't just start acting that way overnight after previously being lovely, and they don't have an immediate epiphany and apologise with a rational excuse as soon as you tell them where to go. In reality, her grandmother would have used Enid's outburst as more fodder for her victim act and worked to turn everyone against her own granddaughter.
I get it - it's Sweet Valley, and at this stage in the series we were meant to believe no one is truly bad and everyone can be saved. It wasn't intended to teach kids the harsh reality of things. But the harsh reality is still out there: no one can change someone like Enid's awful grandmother. They have to work to change themselves, and in practice, 90% of the time they refuse to self-reflect and get the help they need to transform. In practice, this story usually ends with Enid battling anger and resentment for years until she comes to accept that some people aren't worth your energy, family or not.
Still. It did what it could within its parameters and was one of the better written instalments in the series.
I went into this one thinking it would be painfully boring, but instead it had moments that were painfully real. It turned out to be the most believable of the series up to this point. Enid's grandmother reminded me of soooo many people, a lot of them much younger. She also reminded me of my grandmother, who has everyone wound round her manipulative little finger except me - and because I had the nerve to stand up to it, I got ostracised by all the others. I haven't talked to these people in years. That's how this stuff really goes. Sure, you can tell her to go to hell - but are you comfortable with the fallout? Until you're truly ready for that, you get trapped in the game, just like Enid did. Good for her for hitting breaking point as soon as she did - that's not common.
And that's why I only gave this 4 stars - because people like her grandmother don't just start acting that way overnight after previously being lovely, and they don't have an immediate epiphany and apologise with a rational excuse as soon as you tell them where to go. In reality, her grandmother would have used Enid's outburst as more fodder for her victim act and worked to turn everyone against her own granddaughter.
I get it - it's Sweet Valley, and at this stage in the series we were meant to believe no one is truly bad and everyone can be saved. It wasn't intended to teach kids the harsh reality of things. But the harsh reality is still out there: no one can change someone like Enid's awful grandmother. They have to work to change themselves, and in practice, 90% of the time they refuse to self-reflect and get the help they need to transform. In practice, this story usually ends with Enid battling anger and resentment for years until she comes to accept that some people aren't worth your energy, family or not.
Still. It did what it could within its parameters and was one of the better written instalments in the series.
March 15, 2025
OK OK. I don't care that these books are really meant for teenagers. There is something kind of comforting for me about reading the Sweet Valley High series. I've read quite a few of them over the years, not in any particular order. I really should just read all of them, but… Well, I am a book hopper so...
I started out finding the old grandmother really annoying once she moved in, but the thing with all these books is that there's always a resolution, so you always know that things will end well.
I started out finding the old grandmother really annoying once she moved in, but the thing with all these books is that there's always a resolution, so you always know that things will end well.
December 21, 2019
Enid and her mother dealing with a nasty grandma may be the lamest SVH book ever. Even the subplot with Elizabeth deciding to make a documentary about Sweet Valley is dull. Also, how old could this angry grandma be? And why is her name unpronounce-able (weird for an SVH book). This was a bad one- no wonder I had no memory of it at all. I may never have actually finished this one as a kid. But. Onward.
June 20, 2022
Ugh…it’s the one about spineless doormat Enid & her passive aggressive cow of a grandmother 😴 How this series ever survived beyond the boring slog that has been the last few books I will never know. And it looks like the streak continues with more Cara and Steven drama in the next installment. I never thought I’d be saying this but I can’t wait for the return of PsychoJess. Wake me up when this dull nonsense is over.
May 13, 2021
Umm ...
So like Enid’s grandma is a dick, but everyone seems to ignore the fact that Enid’s mum is worse, literally neglecting her daughter repeatedly. This wasn’t my favourite, that’s for sure.
So like Enid’s grandma is a dick, but everyone seems to ignore the fact that Enid’s mum is worse, literally neglecting her daughter repeatedly. This wasn’t my favourite, that’s for sure.
December 15, 2021
Enids beloved gran moves in with them after her husband dies, but the beloved granny has become a passive-aggressive tyrant who seems to be set on ruining Enids life , and Enids mom sucks in this book as well BTW
November 28, 2019
I don’t know why I love this one so much, but I do!
June 20, 2020
Enid has to deal with complications of her grandmother coming to live with her.
Elizabeth makes a documentary of Sweet Valley.
Elizabeth makes a documentary of Sweet Valley.
December 24, 2022
Hard Choices
Enid’s grandmother is moving in with her and her mother. At first, Enid is all excited because she can’t wait to spend time with her. She even gave up her old room and moved to the attic. But as soon as the grandmother gets there, she sees it’s not going to be the way she thought at all.
Granny doesn’t seem to like anything. She doesn’t like the man her daughter is dating. Enid really doesn’t either (because her mom spends so much time with him) BEEN THERE! But she dislikes him, even more, when her grandmother points out that “he’s controlling”.
She doesn’t like Enid’s boyfriend (Hugh) and gets her mother to back her on not letting her go on an overnight camping trip with him. This doesn’t help that Enid and Hugh’s relationship has been a little strained because they go to different schools and haven’t been able to see each other much (rolls eyes).
She doesn’t like Enid’s friends and monopolizes her time so she can’t work on a project with Elizabeth. Elizabeth decides to enter a video contest by shooting a documentary of why she loves Sweet Valley with Jess being the narrator and Jeffery doing the filming.
Enid’s mother and her boyfriend are also having issues because he’s pressuring her about becoming engaged. It all comes to a boil when Enid is supposed to go to a party where the film will be viewed at the Wakefield’s house. Enid’s mom for once agrees to let her go and takes up for her when the grandmother tries to get to go with her to a movie. Only Enid’s mom’s boyfriend pressures her to go with him to a special award ceremony and she backs down and tells her she can’t go to Elizabeth’s. Enid blows up at the grandmother and tells her she hates her and she wishes she never moved there.
Enid ends up going to the party but is worried about the Grandmother. So she goes back to check on her. At first she can’t find her. Then she smells something coming from the kitchen, walks in, and sees she’s making oatmeal, raisin, cookies. They have a heart-to-heart. The Grandmother tells her she thought about what she said and that she’s moving back to Chicago because even though her husband died that’s where her life and heart still is.
And it looks like Steven and Cara are having issues again and Jessica is about to interfere just like she did in the other book where she thought they were getting too close.
My Thoughts:
I knew this one would be lackluster from the last book’s end. I actually thought that Enid herself and her mother were about to move. I already knew the Grandmother would be a problem and she wouldn’t be nice. Maybe because I was thinking of the very similar plot in the BSC where Jessi’s aunt comes to stay and she is the EXACT same way -CONTROLLING. There really isn’t that much else to say about it. I kind of can relate to this one though when I thought about it because recently a relative came to stay with me and they were ALWAYS calling my name. It drove me UP THE WALL. And I love the relative but I was very happy to get my space back!
Rating: 5
Enid’s grandmother is moving in with her and her mother. At first, Enid is all excited because she can’t wait to spend time with her. She even gave up her old room and moved to the attic. But as soon as the grandmother gets there, she sees it’s not going to be the way she thought at all.
Granny doesn’t seem to like anything. She doesn’t like the man her daughter is dating. Enid really doesn’t either (because her mom spends so much time with him) BEEN THERE! But she dislikes him, even more, when her grandmother points out that “he’s controlling”.
She doesn’t like Enid’s boyfriend (Hugh) and gets her mother to back her on not letting her go on an overnight camping trip with him. This doesn’t help that Enid and Hugh’s relationship has been a little strained because they go to different schools and haven’t been able to see each other much (rolls eyes).
She doesn’t like Enid’s friends and monopolizes her time so she can’t work on a project with Elizabeth. Elizabeth decides to enter a video contest by shooting a documentary of why she loves Sweet Valley with Jess being the narrator and Jeffery doing the filming.
Enid’s mother and her boyfriend are also having issues because he’s pressuring her about becoming engaged. It all comes to a boil when Enid is supposed to go to a party where the film will be viewed at the Wakefield’s house. Enid’s mom for once agrees to let her go and takes up for her when the grandmother tries to get to go with her to a movie. Only Enid’s mom’s boyfriend pressures her to go with him to a special award ceremony and she backs down and tells her she can’t go to Elizabeth’s. Enid blows up at the grandmother and tells her she hates her and she wishes she never moved there.
Enid ends up going to the party but is worried about the Grandmother. So she goes back to check on her. At first she can’t find her. Then she smells something coming from the kitchen, walks in, and sees she’s making oatmeal, raisin, cookies. They have a heart-to-heart. The Grandmother tells her she thought about what she said and that she’s moving back to Chicago because even though her husband died that’s where her life and heart still is.
And it looks like Steven and Cara are having issues again and Jessica is about to interfere just like she did in the other book where she thought they were getting too close.
My Thoughts:
I knew this one would be lackluster from the last book’s end. I actually thought that Enid herself and her mother were about to move. I already knew the Grandmother would be a problem and she wouldn’t be nice. Maybe because I was thinking of the very similar plot in the BSC where Jessi’s aunt comes to stay and she is the EXACT same way -CONTROLLING. There really isn’t that much else to say about it. I kind of can relate to this one though when I thought about it because recently a relative came to stay with me and they were ALWAYS calling my name. It drove me UP THE WALL. And I love the relative but I was very happy to get my space back!
Rating: 5
December 8, 2008
I'd rate it higher, but there's nothing really standout about the book. Enid's grandmother moves in, causes problems, and Enid's mother is really, really selfish but never gets fully called on it.
There isn't even a fantastic subplot to back it up. Liz makes a documentary love letter to Sweet Valley. Wake me when Prince Albert, fresh from the ocean, pounces on Jessica.
There isn't even a fantastic subplot to back it up. Liz makes a documentary love letter to Sweet Valley. Wake me when Prince Albert, fresh from the ocean, pounces on Jessica.
October 24, 2010
I loved all of these and I still do. They had hard choices in the books and we all had hard choices as kids growing up, I loved the lessons that Francine Pascal spun.
May 23, 2014
Amazing how everything works out in the end.
April 28, 2016
great
December 2, 2016
Frustrating grandmother behaving like a teenager.
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews