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Sweet Valley High Super Editions #5
Winter Carnival
A winter wonderland...
Winter's here and everyone at Sweet Valley High is excited about the upcoming Winter Carnival. It's a very special weekend at a mountain ski resort, with ice skating, skiing, sledding, and a spectacular ball.
But Elizabeth Wakefield's got the midwinter blues. She's especially upset with her twin, Jessica, who's been avoiding chores and borrowing clothes without asking. Elizabeth is so sick and tired of Jessica's inconsiderate attitude that she sometimes wishes she never had a sister! And when Jessica's string of broken promises threatens to destroy Elizabeth's romance with Jeffrey French, it looks as though Winter Carnival will turn into a snowy disaster!
Join the Sweet Valley High gang for their mid-winter break at Winter Carnival!
Winter's here and everyone at Sweet Valley High is excited about the upcoming Winter Carnival. It's a very special weekend at a mountain ski resort, with ice skating, skiing, sledding, and a spectacular ball.
But Elizabeth Wakefield's got the midwinter blues. She's especially upset with her twin, Jessica, who's been avoiding chores and borrowing clothes without asking. Elizabeth is so sick and tired of Jessica's inconsiderate attitude that she sometimes wishes she never had a sister! And when Jessica's string of broken promises threatens to destroy Elizabeth's romance with Jeffrey French, it looks as though Winter Carnival will turn into a snowy disaster!
Join the Sweet Valley High gang for their mid-winter break at Winter Carnival!
215 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
5 people are currently reading
258 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 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 29, 2021
*** WILL CONTAIN ALL THE SPOILERS IN THE WORLD, YOU 👏HAVE 👏 BEEN 👏 WARNED***
OHHH THE OTT DRAMA that we expect nothing less than from the SVH Super Editions!! Old flame Todd comes back from Vermont for a visit and invites Elizabeth to some boring charity banquet and Jeffrey is jealous and angry AF. But honestly....can you blame him? He had already made plans with Elizabeth to go to the Snowball dance or whatever at the Winter Carnival, and umm....Liz DOES dump Jeffrey to get back together with Todd after all in #55, so there's also that 😅😅 (That's not really a spoiler, is it?? It's on the dang cover of #55 🙈🙈)
And also leave it to Jessica to be a monumental narcissistic pain in the ass and screw EVERYTHING up. Stealing Liz and Enid's notes so that her and Amy Sutton (I hate that bitch) can win an invitation to a 'Trivia Bowl' that Liz really wanted to be a part of....Botching up an important telephone message for Liz and making her look like an irresponsible idiot to teacher Mr. Collins....forgetting to return home on time with the twins' beloved Fiat so that Liz could go meet Jeffrey for a make-or-break relationship talk (SIGH, all of this would've been circumvented with cell phones, but alas!! THE 80'S! 😎)
Anyway after Jessica forges a letter from Liz to Jeffrey to meet at the Winter Carnival at 6pm in a misguided attempt to right her wrongs, Liz finds out Jessica was with Jeffrey through the gossip mill (Jess was pretending to be Liz patching things up with Jeffrey, after not having time to tell Liz about the forged letter, DOH). Liz flees the ski resort and takes the bus home, in tears. At home Jess calls her to explain and apologize and Liz finally grows a backbone and let's it rip on Jessica. And screams "I WISH I'D NEVER HAD A SISTER!!" 😱😱
Well Jessica immediately drives back down the mountain to head home and talk it out with Liz...except she crashed the Fiat on the icy roads and DIES 😭😭 All of Sweet Valley is in complete shock and Liz is simply inconsolable. I mean, what shitty last words to say to your twin sister!! Oh but WAIT...it was all a (long ass) dream and Jess is alive 🤣🤣🤣 Which means all is forgiven and Liz will never regret having a twin ever again, the end ❄💀
4 out of 5 lousy and nonchalant excuses from Jessica for all her incessant bungles and inconsiderate fuck ups. It's ok though...Liz will forgive her. She always does in the end. 😫😫
OHHH THE OTT DRAMA that we expect nothing less than from the SVH Super Editions!! Old flame Todd comes back from Vermont for a visit and invites Elizabeth to some boring charity banquet and Jeffrey is jealous and angry AF. But honestly....can you blame him? He had already made plans with Elizabeth to go to the Snowball dance or whatever at the Winter Carnival, and umm....Liz DOES dump Jeffrey to get back together with Todd after all in #55, so there's also that 😅😅 (That's not really a spoiler, is it?? It's on the dang cover of #55 🙈🙈)
And also leave it to Jessica to be a monumental narcissistic pain in the ass and screw EVERYTHING up. Stealing Liz and Enid's notes so that her and Amy Sutton (I hate that bitch) can win an invitation to a 'Trivia Bowl' that Liz really wanted to be a part of....Botching up an important telephone message for Liz and making her look like an irresponsible idiot to teacher Mr. Collins....forgetting to return home on time with the twins' beloved Fiat so that Liz could go meet Jeffrey for a make-or-break relationship talk (SIGH, all of this would've been circumvented with cell phones, but alas!! THE 80'S! 😎)
Anyway after Jessica forges a letter from Liz to Jeffrey to meet at the Winter Carnival at 6pm in a misguided attempt to right her wrongs, Liz finds out Jessica was with Jeffrey through the gossip mill (Jess was pretending to be Liz patching things up with Jeffrey, after not having time to tell Liz about the forged letter, DOH). Liz flees the ski resort and takes the bus home, in tears. At home Jess calls her to explain and apologize and Liz finally grows a backbone and let's it rip on Jessica. And screams "I WISH I'D NEVER HAD A SISTER!!" 😱😱
Well Jessica immediately drives back down the mountain to head home and talk it out with Liz...except she crashed the Fiat on the icy roads and DIES 😭😭 All of Sweet Valley is in complete shock and Liz is simply inconsolable. I mean, what shitty last words to say to your twin sister!! Oh but WAIT...it was all a (long ass) dream and Jess is alive 🤣🤣🤣 Which means all is forgiven and Liz will never regret having a twin ever again, the end ❄💀
4 out of 5 lousy and nonchalant excuses from Jessica for all her incessant bungles and inconsiderate fuck ups. It's ok though...Liz will forgive her. She always does in the end. 😫😫
February 15, 2025
4🌟 for reading when I was 11 and 3🌟 for reading now, 40 years later. I read every single Sweet Valley High book and the Super Editions were definitely my favorites.
But, as I read them as an adult, it really upsets me how terribly Jessica always treated Liz. At least in Winter Carnival, Liz speaks up for herself and tells Jessica how badly she is treating her, but it still frustrates me how toxic Jessica is as a sister.
That said, it was still an entertaining read and I still adore the cover art and the descriptions of the clothing and activities for this wintry event. My affection for this series will never end, even if the stories aren't as awesome as I remember them when I was a pre-teen.
So happy that I was able to read this along with my dearest friend, Liz (@pony.books on Instagram) and excited that we have another book to buddy read this month. Yay!
But, as I read them as an adult, it really upsets me how terribly Jessica always treated Liz. At least in Winter Carnival, Liz speaks up for herself and tells Jessica how badly she is treating her, but it still frustrates me how toxic Jessica is as a sister.
That said, it was still an entertaining read and I still adore the cover art and the descriptions of the clothing and activities for this wintry event. My affection for this series will never end, even if the stories aren't as awesome as I remember them when I was a pre-teen.
So happy that I was able to read this along with my dearest friend, Liz (@pony.books on Instagram) and excited that we have another book to buddy read this month. Yay!
July 6, 2024
Extra star for being a book that completely clotheslined me as a kid.
Elizabeth is feeling sad and not as accomplished as Jessica and moping over the course of a week or so, until the SVH Winter Carnival happens. She's fighting with Jeffrey, Todd (who's still in Vermont) somehow sneaks his way back into the picture, she doesn't WIN a writing competition and is awarded a measly honorable mention instead and is (rightfully) just sick of Jessica's shit for once.
Then...Jessica dies.
D-E-A-D.
Crashing into a snowbank, after chasing a furious Elizabeth who's left the Carnival in anger.
I can still remember how shocking this book was to me. YES, it's only a dream (and a very obvious dream when I read it as an adult,) but the grief and pain the Wakefields go through while trying to process that Jessica is gone is intense. It's only a few chapters, but I really remember shaking my head as a child thinking "no! they couldn't kill her off! yet they did!"
So yes, that extra star is for an impassioned and truthful depiction of loss, for breaking my past heart, and of course for all the sparkly dresses and white crepe paper at the Winter Carnival dance. And I mean, damn that cover. Easily one of the best in the series.
Elizabeth is feeling sad and not as accomplished as Jessica and moping over the course of a week or so, until the SVH Winter Carnival happens. She's fighting with Jeffrey, Todd (who's still in Vermont) somehow sneaks his way back into the picture, she doesn't WIN a writing competition and is awarded a measly honorable mention instead and is (rightfully) just sick of Jessica's shit for once.
Then...Jessica dies.
D-E-A-D.
Crashing into a snowbank, after chasing a furious Elizabeth who's left the Carnival in anger.
I can still remember how shocking this book was to me. YES, it's only a dream (and a very obvious dream when I read it as an adult,) but the grief and pain the Wakefields go through while trying to process that Jessica is gone is intense. It's only a few chapters, but I really remember shaking my head as a child thinking "no! they couldn't kill her off! yet they did!"
So yes, that extra star is for an impassioned and truthful depiction of loss, for breaking my past heart, and of course for all the sparkly dresses and white crepe paper at the Winter Carnival dance. And I mean, damn that cover. Easily one of the best in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2016
"If Only"
Liz without Jeffrey /
Winter of her discontent /
Jess schemes and then dies
Liz without Jeffrey /
Winter of her discontent /
Jess schemes and then dies
August 29, 2023
Wow, Elizabeth is really not happy with Jessica in this one! Some is deserved ,others is just bad luck. But Jessica does seem to try a bit. What I want to know is what does this have to do with a carnival. And why does the geography seem so off to be able to go skiing? Funny how they rarely go to LA area in the series which should be close they in southern CA, but we can get away to the mountains quickly...ummm...Gonna unless there is a hidden spot there I am not aware of, they got a ways to go to be able to ski... Not just a couple hours but a good, solid half day drive at least. More via a bus. I love the sad, almost unbelievable tension towards the end. If I was reading this when it was published, unaware of future books...I would have been beyond shocked. Well done on that part.
December 7, 2022
A super quick read. Jessica is up to her usual tricks: Meddling in Elizabeth’s relationships, outrunning responsibilities, shirking chores and obligations. As always, Jessica basically learns nothing at the end of the day, is rewarded for her bad behavior, and Elizabeth reflects on all the morals she learns in Jessica’s place. The “Winter Carnival” is sadly a few pages at the end of the entire book 😂
Read for Point High School Book Club’s December readalong on Facebook.
Read for Point High School Book Club’s December readalong on Facebook.
December 29, 2024
3.5 stars rounded down to 3
Well, that's a wrap on 2024, at least in terms of reading novels. Reading a Sweet Vally High winter-themed book to end the year was fun. I am a twin, so it is nice to spend a little time, so to speak, with the Wakefield twins, Elizabeth and Jessica. While my twin and I are not just identical in looks, we are also similar in our tastes and personalities. Elizabeth and Jessica are opposites. Elizabeth is responsible, a high achiever, and mature. Jessica is a troublemaker, a schemer, and she is usually dating two boys at once. She is bad but in a fun and endearing way.
This time though, it is Elizabeth who is torn between two boys. Jessica tries to help, but a "helpful" Jessica is only doomed to make matters worse. Winter Carnival was fun. I read these books, even though I am 47, because I enjoy the sisterly bond between these two really different sisters. The Sweet Valley High books are good palette cleansers when you need something light, fast, and fun.
That said, this book was not a homerun for me. I had a few issues with this book.
1) The Pacing - this book did not have enough plot threads going on to warrant a 200+ page book. I think it needed to be trimmed down by a chapter or two.
2) Not Enough Wintery Vibes - I chose this book because I was hoping that it would take place in more of a wintery setting, like a ski lodge, and that the Winter Carnival would play a bigger role in the story. That's not the author's fault really. It was just a bit of a letdown.
3) "Not that plot device" - Without trying to give away any spoilers, there is a plot device that readers almost always universally hate, and it is used here. To me, it is almost a bookish sin, for lack of a better term. I just find it to be a cheat and a rather lazy cheat at that.
Otherwise, this was good enough to pass the time. I don't regret reading it. I just think it would have been better, if the book was shorter. Winter Carnival does get a bit repetitive in order to fill the pages.
Well, that's a wrap on 2024, at least in terms of reading novels. Reading a Sweet Vally High winter-themed book to end the year was fun. I am a twin, so it is nice to spend a little time, so to speak, with the Wakefield twins, Elizabeth and Jessica. While my twin and I are not just identical in looks, we are also similar in our tastes and personalities. Elizabeth and Jessica are opposites. Elizabeth is responsible, a high achiever, and mature. Jessica is a troublemaker, a schemer, and she is usually dating two boys at once. She is bad but in a fun and endearing way.
This time though, it is Elizabeth who is torn between two boys. Jessica tries to help, but a "helpful" Jessica is only doomed to make matters worse. Winter Carnival was fun. I read these books, even though I am 47, because I enjoy the sisterly bond between these two really different sisters. The Sweet Valley High books are good palette cleansers when you need something light, fast, and fun.
That said, this book was not a homerun for me. I had a few issues with this book.
1) The Pacing - this book did not have enough plot threads going on to warrant a 200+ page book. I think it needed to be trimmed down by a chapter or two.
2) Not Enough Wintery Vibes - I chose this book because I was hoping that it would take place in more of a wintery setting, like a ski lodge, and that the Winter Carnival would play a bigger role in the story. That's not the author's fault really. It was just a bit of a letdown.
3) "Not that plot device" - Without trying to give away any spoilers, there is a plot device that readers almost always universally hate, and it is used here. To me, it is almost a bookish sin, for lack of a better term. I just find it to be a cheat and a rather lazy cheat at that.
Otherwise, this was good enough to pass the time. I don't regret reading it. I just think it would have been better, if the book was shorter. Winter Carnival does get a bit repetitive in order to fill the pages.
November 12, 2024
my first sweet valley high read!!!!!!
i have many thoughts and this might take me awhile to type but oh well.
SPOILERS AHEAD
- i definitely should have started with an original and not a special edition. i would get more background on the characters, but overall i liked the wakefield twins!
- this book definitely kept me hooked though i don’t tend to read books like this. books written in the 80s just hit different. i could picture the characters and settings perfectly in my head.
- one thing that i just can’t wrap my head around is jess DYING AT THE END???? (i know she didn’t really die and that it was a dream but there were little girls reading these books back then 😭😭)
i am starting another one of the special edition ones since i have the box set cuz i loved this lol definitely will be purchasing more sweet valley in the future.
PLEASE SEND ME SWEET VALLEY RECCS 🙏🙏
i have many thoughts and this might take me awhile to type but oh well.
SPOILERS AHEAD
- i definitely should have started with an original and not a special edition. i would get more background on the characters, but overall i liked the wakefield twins!
- this book definitely kept me hooked though i don’t tend to read books like this. books written in the 80s just hit different. i could picture the characters and settings perfectly in my head.
- one thing that i just can’t wrap my head around is jess DYING AT THE END???? (i know she didn’t really die and that it was a dream but there were little girls reading these books back then 😭😭)
i am starting another one of the special edition ones since i have the box set cuz i loved this lol definitely will be purchasing more sweet valley in the future.
PLEASE SEND ME SWEET VALLEY RECCS 🙏🙏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2022
This was a quick fun read from my youth. I had such a fictional crush on Jeffery French back then. :) loving revisiting these again. I remember this being one of my favorites.
January 16, 2011
This is the first super edition I've read in the SVH series. It was ok, wasn't quite what I was expecting/ hoping for though. Given the title and the cover art, I thought it would be more like a campy, fun, Better Off Dead (John Cusack, 1985) feel. The story mostly consisted of Liz whining about how inconsiderate Jess is. (Why can't Liz stick up for herself more? After all she is the older twin.) I would've given it 2 stars if it hadn't been for the turning point towards the end of the story. I liked the reflection of how the thought of losing someone, thats very important in your life, can quickly change perspectives on a straining relationship.
January 10, 2015
First SVH book I've read for almost 2 years or so. This was a pretty standard story as they go, with Liz catastrophising over Jess ruining her life and Jess oblivious to how selfish she is until something major happens. Obviously there's an important school dance involved, and boy trouble. But I did enjoy this fairly well, especially the weird 'car crash' part. Will read the next one in the series in February...
April 8, 2020
Classic narcissist Jessica and doormat Elizabeth. The second Elizabeth even hints at growing a spine, she . What else is new, honestly, did this really need a super edition.
November 25, 2016
3 stars for keeping my interest and the nostalgia factor. Especially funny now that I live in SoCal. But I picked it up used expecting some winter themes and didn't get that at all (barely any happens in the mtns).
February 22, 2017
I kind of legitimately still loved this one. The whole dream plot at the end was great, and I remember being terrified as a kid that it was actually true.
May 14, 2014
It was 1986, and I was 13. What else can I say?
February 1, 2020
In which Elizabeth discovers that her twin is a selfish twat. Really, Liz? Really??? It took you thirty something regular books and four super editions to figure this out?!?
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
July 19, 2024
Winter Carnival
Liz is feeling the winter blues. She’s getting sick of Jessica’s antics and she’s tired of living up to everyone's expectations of her being dependable, hardworking, and loyal. She reminds herself of the Winter Carnival coming up at Mont Blanc (a ski resort). There’s also a Trivia contest she and Enid entered. The winners would appear on tv in the first official trivia show telecast. Jessica then comes home and announces she and Amy also entered the contest and won by stealing some of Liz’s answers. This just adds to Liz’s winter blues.
Enid and Winston are chair people for the dance committee. The festival begins with an opening party. Elizabeth will be sharing a room with Enid, Olivia, and Regina. Amy will also be throwing a mini-ice show. Bill and Ken are setting up a mini-Olympics. There will also be card games, board games, and Ping Pong. Liz won’t be able to make it to the Opening Party, because she promised Todd, she’d go with him to a dinner that’s being thrown for his “lil brother” (Timothy) who won a scholarship to a basketball camp. Liz knows Jeffrey will be upset. He’s not been all that happy with the idea she’s still close to Todd. She hasn’t even told him about it. Jessica, Amy, and Lila sit down at their table with the good news that their cheerleading tram is all-state. Liz tells herself it’s not jealousy as she leaves the cafeteria early. To make the day worse, Liz doesn’t win an essay contest but gets an “honorable mention”. Not that she was all that happy with the essay still she’s Elizabeth Wakefield. Liz is even more annoyed when Jess (up to her old tricks) goes out on a date with her flavor David Campbell (one of the other contestants on the show).
Seeing Liz is down, Jeffrey gets her out the office and plans to take her to her favorite Italian restaurant. She also skips out on making the salad for dinner the next day because she and Amy need to practice for the show. She thinks Jessica will come home, apologize, and then make dinner. But Amy’s housekeeper says they went out. So their plans are canceled. Jeffery says that they should just go out and let Jessica get it. But Liz says she can’t. Jeffrey tells she needs to stop letting Jessica use her. Alice comes home with a sparkly, silver, ski-suit, for Jessica. She says she couldn’t find anything for Liz. Liz is upset because even though it isn’t her type of outfit she wishes she wasn’t so conservative. Jess (as always) comes in with excuses (and lies about doing it the rest of the week). She also has on Liz’s sweater. Liz is PISSED, Jessica is so dumb she thinks because she went out with David he’ll let her win Later, Liz gets on Jess about borrowing her clothes and dodging her responsibilities. Jessica says she can borrow whatever she wants of her clothes-even though they probably aren’t her style. Jessica seeing Liz is serious says it won’t happen again. The issue is dropped! Jessica vows in the next weeks not to give Liz a reason to be mad. At school, Amy and Jessica prove why they SHOULD never be in a trivia contest. But again she’s convinced David will fall madly in love and throw the contest.
As Jess prepares to go out again with Dave, Liz asks her for a favor. Teddy needs a ride home from a bday party and his aunt can’t drive. She’ll be playing tennis with Jeffery so she won’t be able to be there by the time the party’s over. But she will be there so she needs Jessica to get the address. Jessica does but Dave comes early and her mind is scattered. She sticks the note in her purse with the information. When she finds the note, she tries to call home but no one answered. She convinces herself Liz will understand. At the end of the date, she seductively tries to manipulate David, but he’s not going for it. He did enjoy the date but he warns her he and his partner are GOOD. This makes him a jerk and now she’s MAD! This is HER series after all. Liz is ticked! Mr. Alden tho did bring him home. Jess tries to explain but Liz won’t let her off the hook this time. Jessica is gonna bitch about Dave but Liz doesn’t give her a chance. Todd calls and Jess just thinks of he and Liz getting back together. She makes sure to get his message correct this time. Jess does give her the message but in front of Jeffery. Things have been awkward since the canceled date. Jefferey gets mad and storms out. He confronts her about Todd coming to the carnival and now having a dinner date. Jefferey doesn’t give Liz a chance to explain and is about to drive off. So, she gets in his car. She says he knows she and Todd are friends and asks why he’s so jealous. He says maybe he is. Everyone always talks about how great Todd and Liz were. Liz says she hoped the award dinner would be changed but she really wants to go with him to the party. He apologizes for jumping to conclusions, but then says she shouldn’t have kept it hidden. It just seems sneaky. Liz can’t believe he’s acting like this. She has a right to spend time with an “old friend”. Liz is now confused and upset and they ride back to the Wakefields in silence. She hopes he’ll stop her but he pulls off.
The next day there’s a picnic. Liz was going with Jeffry but she doesn’t know now that he’ll even go. Jessica tells her to use his jealousy to her advantage. He might have been to the point where things were getting old and he was about to take her for granted. She says definitely don’t call him and apologize. She says he’s insecurity will make him love her more. Enid tells her the opposite to just tell Jeffrey there’s nothing between her and Todd. Jeffrey does come to the picnic, but Liz tries to play it cool. Jeffery flat out asks if she’s still in love with Todd and she says no but she can still care about him. Jeffrey says he doesn’t think she’s being honest with him. But Liz just tries to get him to go enjoy the day. He says he doesn’t feel like it and walks away. She blames Jessica.
At school, Enid tells her to stop playing games. Jeffery probably thinks that she has a reason. Jeffery asks Liz to meet him in the cafeteria. He says he feels like he’s losing her. Liz sets things straight. He’s the only one she wants. He asks her to go to the Opening Party and she says she doesn’t know. She’ll talk to Todd. Liz says is it that big a deal. Jeffery says he should be the priority. Liz starts to get mad. She says they can spend the rest of the weekend. Then he says that she’ll probably go to the Snow Ball together too. Liz says if he’s going to act like that she’s glad she’s going to the dinner. He says him too and maybe she should just spend the weekend with Todd. She says he’s better company anyway and leaves. Jeffrey leaves a note of a place he’ll be going to think and tells Liz is she wants to talk meet him. If not he’ll assume the worse. Jessica will have the car but she promises to have it back in time.
Jessica and Amy win. David says let’s celebrate and they all go out for pizza. Jessica completely forgets her promise. When Jess gets home, she tells her she just can’t trust her anymore. She has no consideration or respect for her. Jessica meets with Todd when he gets in. She mentions the fight to Todd and says he doesn’t want to come between them. He says he’ll just tell Liz he doesn’t want her to go with him. Liz and Todd then take a walk and catch up. Todd offers Liz the chance to go up Friday (so she can go to the party) and he’ll come up Saturday. Liz takes it like he doesn’t want her there. So, she’ll be going with the rest of the class. (This was Jessica’s plan all along). She also write a note to Jeffery fro Liz to meet her at the ski lodge so they can straighten things out. Jess plans to tell Liz on the bus, but Amy forgot her pills. This means they’ll have to take the car up. It's decided that since they won’t make it by the time Jessica can reach Liz, Jessica will have to pretend to be Liz.
When Jessica arrives, she finds Jeffery and says she’ll be his date for the party. There’s a noisy girl named Chrissy who sees Jessica with Jeffery. She mentions this to Liz. Liz gets the wrong impression and Enid tells her they were probably just talking. Liz says she’s going home. She decides to tell Mrs.Dalton she feels sick. At the bus station, she sees Steve and Cara (who beg her to stay) but she’s made up her mind. Jessica calls when she gets to the house and she tells her she knows about her and Jeffrey. Jessica tries to explain what happened but Liz coldly brushes her off. She tells her she wishes she never had a sister and hangs up in Jess’s face. After she falls asleep, she gets a call from the police that there’s been an accident and she’s in the hospital. They’re saying she might not make it. When they get to the hospital she faints. When she comes to the Dr. says Jess is dead. Mrs. Wakefield changes her room. Mr, Wakefield can’t even look at Liz. There’s a meeting at Enid’s with some friends and Jeffery shows up and he and Todd start fighting. But as you probably guessed it’s all a dream. When she wakes up Jeffery and Jessica are there. Cara and Steve come to. They all decide to go back to the carnival in the morning. Jeffery and Liz make up. Todd decides to go to the banquet alone. Then they all go to the carnival and enjoy the events.
My Thoughts: Winter Carnival? This had very little to do with any such thing. Only the last chapter did it even get into the carnival. So if you're looking at this title thinking it’ll be a book about winter sports activities you’d be WRONG! Not that I’d wanted that either. But it went into the sports stuff at the end anyway. Well I guess I can be happy it was just the last few pages of the last chapter. What I wanna know is why a Super Edition was needed for a repetitive plot that’s in every SVH book. It’s not even like the issue of Jessica getting over on Liz is resolved. As always it’s brushed over because of the “dream” (EXCUSE) that Liz should blindly accept Jessica’s bs because you never know if the last thing you say to someone might be the last time you see them. Yes, you SHOULD be careful what you say to people but that’s really not an excuse either to let people walk all over you either. And then I stopped feeling sorry for Liz a LONG time ago because of that saying “Fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice. Shame on you!” Liz just needs to learn HERSELF not to count on Jessica and make alternate ways to get things. Such as the Fiat. I’m not sure why Ned and Alice thought it was such a good idea to just get them ONE car but instead of waiting on Jessica and Liz knows there’s a 100 percent chance she’ll forget why not try to find a job at the Dairi Burger and save up enough for her OWN car? Or maybe look and see if there are any cab or bus services in SV. And I do NOT believe that out of all the people in these books that she says are her ”friends” that none of them are around to give her a ride. But on second thought I know that a lot of times the people in your life won't be available so Liz just needs to find alternative transportation. As for her clothes, I’d suggest a lock on her door or drawers or closet. COME ON LIZ! This has been going on since what middle school? Then I couldn’t help but notice do all the Super Editions end with some kind of accident. I’ve read three of these (Malibu Summer, Winter Carnival, and Special Christmas) and they ALL end with someone in an accident. The other thing I noticed is all these trips. I don’t even remember taking ONE away trip when I was in HS. The last thought I had was there is NO WAY in the world Amy and Jessica should have won that contest. How do you miss all the trivia questions a friend asks you but then at the show all of a sudden they know enough to win a contest? But then I guess when it's your series you can do that. Either that or one or both of them "spent some time with" the man over the contest and he slipped them the answer book.
Rating: 5 The little snippets we got of the events were fun but reading about Jess taking advantage of Liz for the UMPTEENTH time wasn't.
Liz is feeling the winter blues. She’s getting sick of Jessica’s antics and she’s tired of living up to everyone's expectations of her being dependable, hardworking, and loyal. She reminds herself of the Winter Carnival coming up at Mont Blanc (a ski resort). There’s also a Trivia contest she and Enid entered. The winners would appear on tv in the first official trivia show telecast. Jessica then comes home and announces she and Amy also entered the contest and won by stealing some of Liz’s answers. This just adds to Liz’s winter blues.
Enid and Winston are chair people for the dance committee. The festival begins with an opening party. Elizabeth will be sharing a room with Enid, Olivia, and Regina. Amy will also be throwing a mini-ice show. Bill and Ken are setting up a mini-Olympics. There will also be card games, board games, and Ping Pong. Liz won’t be able to make it to the Opening Party, because she promised Todd, she’d go with him to a dinner that’s being thrown for his “lil brother” (Timothy) who won a scholarship to a basketball camp. Liz knows Jeffrey will be upset. He’s not been all that happy with the idea she’s still close to Todd. She hasn’t even told him about it. Jessica, Amy, and Lila sit down at their table with the good news that their cheerleading tram is all-state. Liz tells herself it’s not jealousy as she leaves the cafeteria early. To make the day worse, Liz doesn’t win an essay contest but gets an “honorable mention”. Not that she was all that happy with the essay still she’s Elizabeth Wakefield. Liz is even more annoyed when Jess (up to her old tricks) goes out on a date with her flavor David Campbell (one of the other contestants on the show).
Seeing Liz is down, Jeffrey gets her out the office and plans to take her to her favorite Italian restaurant. She also skips out on making the salad for dinner the next day because she and Amy need to practice for the show. She thinks Jessica will come home, apologize, and then make dinner. But Amy’s housekeeper says they went out. So their plans are canceled. Jeffery says that they should just go out and let Jessica get it. But Liz says she can’t. Jeffrey tells she needs to stop letting Jessica use her. Alice comes home with a sparkly, silver, ski-suit, for Jessica. She says she couldn’t find anything for Liz. Liz is upset because even though it isn’t her type of outfit she wishes she wasn’t so conservative. Jess (as always) comes in with excuses (and lies about doing it the rest of the week). She also has on Liz’s sweater. Liz is PISSED, Jessica is so dumb she thinks because she went out with David he’ll let her win Later, Liz gets on Jess about borrowing her clothes and dodging her responsibilities. Jessica says she can borrow whatever she wants of her clothes-even though they probably aren’t her style. Jessica seeing Liz is serious says it won’t happen again. The issue is dropped! Jessica vows in the next weeks not to give Liz a reason to be mad. At school, Amy and Jessica prove why they SHOULD never be in a trivia contest. But again she’s convinced David will fall madly in love and throw the contest.
As Jess prepares to go out again with Dave, Liz asks her for a favor. Teddy needs a ride home from a bday party and his aunt can’t drive. She’ll be playing tennis with Jeffery so she won’t be able to be there by the time the party’s over. But she will be there so she needs Jessica to get the address. Jessica does but Dave comes early and her mind is scattered. She sticks the note in her purse with the information. When she finds the note, she tries to call home but no one answered. She convinces herself Liz will understand. At the end of the date, she seductively tries to manipulate David, but he’s not going for it. He did enjoy the date but he warns her he and his partner are GOOD. This makes him a jerk and now she’s MAD! This is HER series after all. Liz is ticked! Mr. Alden tho did bring him home. Jess tries to explain but Liz won’t let her off the hook this time. Jessica is gonna bitch about Dave but Liz doesn’t give her a chance. Todd calls and Jess just thinks of he and Liz getting back together. She makes sure to get his message correct this time. Jess does give her the message but in front of Jeffery. Things have been awkward since the canceled date. Jefferey gets mad and storms out. He confronts her about Todd coming to the carnival and now having a dinner date. Jefferey doesn’t give Liz a chance to explain and is about to drive off. So, she gets in his car. She says he knows she and Todd are friends and asks why he’s so jealous. He says maybe he is. Everyone always talks about how great Todd and Liz were. Liz says she hoped the award dinner would be changed but she really wants to go with him to the party. He apologizes for jumping to conclusions, but then says she shouldn’t have kept it hidden. It just seems sneaky. Liz can’t believe he’s acting like this. She has a right to spend time with an “old friend”. Liz is now confused and upset and they ride back to the Wakefields in silence. She hopes he’ll stop her but he pulls off.
The next day there’s a picnic. Liz was going with Jeffry but she doesn’t know now that he’ll even go. Jessica tells her to use his jealousy to her advantage. He might have been to the point where things were getting old and he was about to take her for granted. She says definitely don’t call him and apologize. She says he’s insecurity will make him love her more. Enid tells her the opposite to just tell Jeffrey there’s nothing between her and Todd. Jeffrey does come to the picnic, but Liz tries to play it cool. Jeffery flat out asks if she’s still in love with Todd and she says no but she can still care about him. Jeffrey says he doesn’t think she’s being honest with him. But Liz just tries to get him to go enjoy the day. He says he doesn’t feel like it and walks away. She blames Jessica.
At school, Enid tells her to stop playing games. Jeffery probably thinks that she has a reason. Jeffery asks Liz to meet him in the cafeteria. He says he feels like he’s losing her. Liz sets things straight. He’s the only one she wants. He asks her to go to the Opening Party and she says she doesn’t know. She’ll talk to Todd. Liz says is it that big a deal. Jeffery says he should be the priority. Liz starts to get mad. She says they can spend the rest of the weekend. Then he says that she’ll probably go to the Snow Ball together too. Liz says if he’s going to act like that she’s glad she’s going to the dinner. He says him too and maybe she should just spend the weekend with Todd. She says he’s better company anyway and leaves. Jeffrey leaves a note of a place he’ll be going to think and tells Liz is she wants to talk meet him. If not he’ll assume the worse. Jessica will have the car but she promises to have it back in time.
Jessica and Amy win. David says let’s celebrate and they all go out for pizza. Jessica completely forgets her promise. When Jess gets home, she tells her she just can’t trust her anymore. She has no consideration or respect for her. Jessica meets with Todd when he gets in. She mentions the fight to Todd and says he doesn’t want to come between them. He says he’ll just tell Liz he doesn’t want her to go with him. Liz and Todd then take a walk and catch up. Todd offers Liz the chance to go up Friday (so she can go to the party) and he’ll come up Saturday. Liz takes it like he doesn’t want her there. So, she’ll be going with the rest of the class. (This was Jessica’s plan all along). She also write a note to Jeffery fro Liz to meet her at the ski lodge so they can straighten things out. Jess plans to tell Liz on the bus, but Amy forgot her pills. This means they’ll have to take the car up. It's decided that since they won’t make it by the time Jessica can reach Liz, Jessica will have to pretend to be Liz.
When Jessica arrives, she finds Jeffery and says she’ll be his date for the party. There’s a noisy girl named Chrissy who sees Jessica with Jeffery. She mentions this to Liz. Liz gets the wrong impression and Enid tells her they were probably just talking. Liz says she’s going home. She decides to tell Mrs.Dalton she feels sick. At the bus station, she sees Steve and Cara (who beg her to stay) but she’s made up her mind. Jessica calls when she gets to the house and she tells her she knows about her and Jeffrey. Jessica tries to explain what happened but Liz coldly brushes her off. She tells her she wishes she never had a sister and hangs up in Jess’s face. After she falls asleep, she gets a call from the police that there’s been an accident and she’s in the hospital. They’re saying she might not make it. When they get to the hospital she faints. When she comes to the Dr. says Jess is dead. Mrs. Wakefield changes her room. Mr, Wakefield can’t even look at Liz. There’s a meeting at Enid’s with some friends and Jeffery shows up and he and Todd start fighting. But as you probably guessed it’s all a dream. When she wakes up Jeffery and Jessica are there. Cara and Steve come to. They all decide to go back to the carnival in the morning. Jeffery and Liz make up. Todd decides to go to the banquet alone. Then they all go to the carnival and enjoy the events.
My Thoughts: Winter Carnival? This had very little to do with any such thing. Only the last chapter did it even get into the carnival. So if you're looking at this title thinking it’ll be a book about winter sports activities you’d be WRONG! Not that I’d wanted that either. But it went into the sports stuff at the end anyway. Well I guess I can be happy it was just the last few pages of the last chapter. What I wanna know is why a Super Edition was needed for a repetitive plot that’s in every SVH book. It’s not even like the issue of Jessica getting over on Liz is resolved. As always it’s brushed over because of the “dream” (EXCUSE) that Liz should blindly accept Jessica’s bs because you never know if the last thing you say to someone might be the last time you see them. Yes, you SHOULD be careful what you say to people but that’s really not an excuse either to let people walk all over you either. And then I stopped feeling sorry for Liz a LONG time ago because of that saying “Fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice. Shame on you!” Liz just needs to learn HERSELF not to count on Jessica and make alternate ways to get things. Such as the Fiat. I’m not sure why Ned and Alice thought it was such a good idea to just get them ONE car but instead of waiting on Jessica and Liz knows there’s a 100 percent chance she’ll forget why not try to find a job at the Dairi Burger and save up enough for her OWN car? Or maybe look and see if there are any cab or bus services in SV. And I do NOT believe that out of all the people in these books that she says are her ”friends” that none of them are around to give her a ride. But on second thought I know that a lot of times the people in your life won't be available so Liz just needs to find alternative transportation. As for her clothes, I’d suggest a lock on her door or drawers or closet. COME ON LIZ! This has been going on since what middle school? Then I couldn’t help but notice do all the Super Editions end with some kind of accident. I’ve read three of these (Malibu Summer, Winter Carnival, and Special Christmas) and they ALL end with someone in an accident. The other thing I noticed is all these trips. I don’t even remember taking ONE away trip when I was in HS. The last thought I had was there is NO WAY in the world Amy and Jessica should have won that contest. How do you miss all the trivia questions a friend asks you but then at the show all of a sudden they know enough to win a contest? But then I guess when it's your series you can do that. Either that or one or both of them "spent some time with" the man over the contest and he slipped them the answer book.
Rating: 5 The little snippets we got of the events were fun but reading about Jess taking advantage of Liz for the UMPTEENTH time wasn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2020
I definitely did not read this one as a kid- had zero recollection of the plot at all, and having just finshed book 58 about Todd returning to Sweet Valley and Elizabeth having to decide between him and Jeffrey, it seems out of chronological order as this book was written first and the two boys not only met, but get along in this book, which definitely took place before and was published before the other. At any rate, Elizabeth is in a serious mid-winter funk, despite Sweet Valley not really having seasons, and she spends most of the book becoming more and more pissed off at Jessica, whose carelessness is at an all time high- she forgets phone messages, borrows clothes without asking, slacks on her chores, hoardes the car, and is generally an inconsiderate selfish bitch, culminating in her meddling with Elizabeth's relationship with Jeffrey. Elizabeth is pissed. The story concludes with a bizarre sequence that seemed to be written more for a television script than a novel, and then everyone makes snowmen and gets dressed up for the Snow Ball and the Droids play a song called Snow Girl, and...yikes, this one was just kind of messy all around. 1.5 stars, rounded up.
August 23, 2020
I don't know why sweet valley high books have such low/bad reviews most of the time. I really enjoyed this one at almost 16 years of age. Might be one of my favorites I'veread so far, and I'd say I've read about 30-40. Granted, the whole time I knew Jessica didn't actually die since I've read books made after this one. It was really intriguing and I liked the whole plot honestly. I wish Elizabeth just grew a backbone though, Jessica gets away with too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2019
Jeffery is the only good part of this book, I'm not kidding. I'm not a huge fan of Elizabeth anymore and I really dislike Todd, so I honestly didn't enjoy it much. But Jeffery is SO sweet and I (usually) love reading the books that have him in them.
February 23, 2021
More adventures of the Wakefield twins, Jessica and Elizabeth and a trip back down memory lane to the 1980s before cellphones and the internet. I enjoyed this one as Jessica was at her unthinking worst in many ways and Elizabeth was driven by emotion. Very relatable.
September 16, 2017
The Super Editions are always fun! ☺
December 25, 2022
Cute and easy to read, with an utterly bonkers twist.
November 16, 2011
This book was... WOW. nothing like the other books in the Sweet Valley High series. This is the first super edition that I have read and it was amazing. It had qualities that I didn't think this series possessed. I knew the twins argued and their was always love feuds going on but nothing like this. When they described how Elizabeth felt after Jessica "died" I was stunned. I really felt Elizabeth's' pain as if it were my own. This book really let you feel the characters emotions and so on. But lets not forget the plot which was pretty spectacular. This is a must read even if you don't particularly read books like Sweet Valley High.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2013
This is a nudge and a wink to "It's a Wonderful Life". Liz has had it with Jess. Jessica can't keep her promises and she shirks her responsibilities far too often. So much so that it has put a damper on Liz's life. At the end of her rope, Liz finally tells Jess she wished she was an only child. Liz decides to take the bus home, not wanting to stay in the mountains any longer. She thinks Jessica has pretty much ruined her relationship with Jeffrey. But, as Liz sleeps, she dreams about her life after her sister dies in a car crash. The dream is so real, she swears it really happened. With twins, nothing is as is seems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2013
What a hoot! Found this in my kid's school library the other day! I haven't seen one of these since I was in middle school! Read it in like 2 hours....I used to love these books! I am sure there is some obsessive person out there who probably has the entire collection ;) Very cute, very sweet, and totally alien to my way of life now (or then).
October 24, 2010
I remember finding this one at a library sale....and being so excited to get home and read it. I loved every minute of the sweet valley life.
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
April 1, 2017
I enjoyed many SVH books in my preteen years
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