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Sweet Valley Jr. High #3
Soulmates
Jessica...on a track team?
From the minute Bethel saw Jessica Wakefield she thought, no way. No way was that girl going to make it on the track team. Pretty Jessica wouldn't want to mess up her perfect hair, much less get all sweaty and smelly running every day. She was way wrong.
From the minute Bethel saw Jessica Wakefield she thought, no way. No way was that girl going to make it on the track team. Pretty Jessica wouldn't want to mess up her perfect hair, much less get all sweaty and smelly running every day. She was way wrong.
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 1999
1 person is currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,140 books1,851 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 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 7, 2013
Who are our friendly neighborhood narrators?: Elizabeth, Jessica, Anna, Salvador, Bethel, and Lacey (two chapters)
What’s the main gripe? : Bethel doesn't think that Jessica will be a good runner, and that she is more like a Barbie doll. Bethel has never met Jessica Wakefield, obviously.
Individual Synopses: Elizabeth, Anna, and Salvador: Not much change on this front. Anna is still acting like a brat towards Liz & Sal for secretly liking each other. Liz and Sal are still in COMPLETE denial that they like each other. But sweet Brian Rainey gets Anna to admit that maybe, just maybe, she's more than a little peeved at Sal liking Liz because, well, he was her best friend first. I totally get that, but I still hate Anna. She grates my nerves big time. Also, Anna has up and quit the Spec, because they are a bunch of uptight fuckwads. She assumes that she is so awesome that Liz and Sal will just quit with her, but they want to be with one another, so they don't quit right away. Obviously Anna is mega pissed and avoids both of them. Liz has had enough when she realizes that her recent environmental article is too uptight and stuffy for words. Yes, even Elizabeth Wakefield knows how lame it would be to submit this piece for publication. She can't in any way bring herself to do it. So she quits, and Salvador follows. They all have pizza at Vito's (Anna comes and sort-of makes up with everyone), and Anna suggests they start their own newspaper. Liz says it should be a magazine, and that's that. Doesn't it end up being called "The Zine" or something? Original.
Jessica, Bethel, and Lacey: So Bethel's the new kid on the block in this book, seeing as how we've never been introduced to her before. And she gets a cover third book in. Go Bethel! But she is a hardcore runner on the track team. She is only relevant here because Jessica has decided to join the track team. Why? you might ask. After all, track was SO FREAKING LAME at SVMS (why?). Well, Jessica's a joiner. And a follower (as much as she thinks otherwise). Jessica still thinks Lacey is someone worth being friends with, and when Lacey says she wants to join the track team Jessica is right there with her. We get exactly two (very short) chapters from Lacey's point of view. Basically, she really DOES think track is super lame, so Jessica was right on that one. But she needs an after-school excuse so she can sneak around with her much-too-old brain-dead boyfriend, Gel. She also needs Jessica to provide her with constant watertight alibis. Jessica is a dumbass blind fool for not noticing this in the first place. Bethel is skeptical of Jessica at first (rightfully so). When Jessica needs different shoes and her family won't buy them, she buys a used pair for $1. She tries to make them her own but, SURPRISE!, they used to be Bethel's. This makes them sole mates, get it? Anyway, SVJH wins their first track meet against the county champs. Jessica doesn't whine for too long about being third place (surprisingly). She tells Lacey off in class when Lacey tries to diss Bethel. Jessica admits to their teacher that Lacey isn't on the team. She also says to the readers that telling the truth is good. We believe you, Jessica.
Alternate Title: "Solemates"
The Big Deal: Track meet for SVJH
Lingering Questions: How, exactly, does Lacey rule the school when she isn't even there most of the time?
Cover: Good or Bad?: I love it! Twin Jessica is just so happy and excited, for the first real time since being at SVJH. Her sports top is cute, and she just looks like the perfect candidate for a YA Novel cover.
Quotes from the Book: "I am not exaggerating when I say that my new school is worse than a torture chamber filled with blood-sucking trolls."
You're absolutely right, Jessica. That's not an outlandish comparison at all.
"She was one of the new kids-one of the twins, who looked like she might want to grow up to be Barbie."
High five, Bethel!
"I mean, girls like her don't have feelings that get hurt. They're too snobby for that. Right?"
No, Bethel, she just lacks the empathy for that.
"Waiting around for Lacey seemed to be my new hobby. It's time to get a life, I decided."
No shit.
Final Rating: Three stars. It's always good to see the Wakefields get out of their comfort zones.
What’s the main gripe? : Bethel doesn't think that Jessica will be a good runner, and that she is more like a Barbie doll. Bethel has never met Jessica Wakefield, obviously.
Individual Synopses: Elizabeth, Anna, and Salvador: Not much change on this front. Anna is still acting like a brat towards Liz & Sal for secretly liking each other. Liz and Sal are still in COMPLETE denial that they like each other. But sweet Brian Rainey gets Anna to admit that maybe, just maybe, she's more than a little peeved at Sal liking Liz because, well, he was her best friend first. I totally get that, but I still hate Anna. She grates my nerves big time. Also, Anna has up and quit the Spec, because they are a bunch of uptight fuckwads. She assumes that she is so awesome that Liz and Sal will just quit with her, but they want to be with one another, so they don't quit right away. Obviously Anna is mega pissed and avoids both of them. Liz has had enough when she realizes that her recent environmental article is too uptight and stuffy for words. Yes, even Elizabeth Wakefield knows how lame it would be to submit this piece for publication. She can't in any way bring herself to do it. So she quits, and Salvador follows. They all have pizza at Vito's (Anna comes and sort-of makes up with everyone), and Anna suggests they start their own newspaper. Liz says it should be a magazine, and that's that. Doesn't it end up being called "The Zine" or something? Original.
Jessica, Bethel, and Lacey: So Bethel's the new kid on the block in this book, seeing as how we've never been introduced to her before. And she gets a cover third book in. Go Bethel! But she is a hardcore runner on the track team. She is only relevant here because Jessica has decided to join the track team. Why? you might ask. After all, track was SO FREAKING LAME at SVMS (why?). Well, Jessica's a joiner. And a follower (as much as she thinks otherwise). Jessica still thinks Lacey is someone worth being friends with, and when Lacey says she wants to join the track team Jessica is right there with her. We get exactly two (very short) chapters from Lacey's point of view. Basically, she really DOES think track is super lame, so Jessica was right on that one. But she needs an after-school excuse so she can sneak around with her much-too-old brain-dead boyfriend, Gel. She also needs Jessica to provide her with constant watertight alibis. Jessica is a dumbass blind fool for not noticing this in the first place. Bethel is skeptical of Jessica at first (rightfully so). When Jessica needs different shoes and her family won't buy them, she buys a used pair for $1. She tries to make them her own but, SURPRISE!, they used to be Bethel's. This makes them sole mates, get it? Anyway, SVJH wins their first track meet against the county champs. Jessica doesn't whine for too long about being third place (surprisingly). She tells Lacey off in class when Lacey tries to diss Bethel. Jessica admits to their teacher that Lacey isn't on the team. She also says to the readers that telling the truth is good. We believe you, Jessica.
Alternate Title: "Solemates"
The Big Deal: Track meet for SVJH
Lingering Questions: How, exactly, does Lacey rule the school when she isn't even there most of the time?
Cover: Good or Bad?: I love it! Twin Jessica is just so happy and excited, for the first real time since being at SVJH. Her sports top is cute, and she just looks like the perfect candidate for a YA Novel cover.
Quotes from the Book: "I am not exaggerating when I say that my new school is worse than a torture chamber filled with blood-sucking trolls."
You're absolutely right, Jessica. That's not an outlandish comparison at all.
"She was one of the new kids-one of the twins, who looked like she might want to grow up to be Barbie."
High five, Bethel!
"I mean, girls like her don't have feelings that get hurt. They're too snobby for that. Right?"
No, Bethel, she just lacks the empathy for that.
"Waiting around for Lacey seemed to be my new hobby. It's time to get a life, I decided."
No shit.
Final Rating: Three stars. It's always good to see the Wakefields get out of their comfort zones.
January 16, 2023
This was always one of the most popular SVJH books, and I can see why! It's great to see some character development from Jessica finally. I also really like Lacey, even though she is mean. She is a complex character, and her home life affects her behaviour. I also really like Bethel, she's awesome. I can't stand Anna, though. I couldn't stand her as a kid, and I can't stand her now. Some things never change. Anyway, I would give this book 3.5 but I'm rounding it up to 4 due to nostalgia.
April 9, 2012
(I read and reviewed this book for 4th quarter)
This book is realistic fiction - even though it isn't one of the choices...If I have to use one of the choices, it is probably general fiction because it has not happened. For realistic fiction, it is because it hasn't happened, but could happen.
I kind of liked this book, so I rated it "2-Stars." I thought that this book was not really challenging, but it wasn't too easy either. It was kind of cheesy, and also I have read books similar to this one, referring to the way it is set up and the characters and stuff like that. So, I thought that the book could have been more original. I felt like the 2 interconnecting stories didn't have enough detail, and if the book were longer, it would have been much better.
This book has many different characters. The two main characters are Jessica and Elizabeth. Jessica and Elizabeth are twins, yet they have completely different groups of friends and completely different personalities. Jessica is more of a girly girl, while Elizabeth is more serious. In their old school, Jessica was really popular and did cheerleading. Now at her new school, she befriended a "not-so-nice" girl, who is popular, named Lacey. But it turned out that Lacey was just using Jessica. Lacey convinced Jessica to join the track cross-country team with her. Jessica turned out to be really good at running. So, she went to each practice. Lacey barely ever showed up, and thought that it was okay to stand jessica up and then expect Jessica to cover for her. On the cross-country team, Jessica and a girl named Bethel, started off not liking each other. But as the book went on, and Lacey kept not showing up to practice, Bethel decided to be nice to Jessica. Then they were friendly with each other. And finally at the end of the book, when they were about to go the a meet, Jessica told the math teacher that Lacey really hadn't earned her place on the team. Jessica told him all the things that she had lied about. Jessica stood up for Bethel, who had tried to explain the exact same thing. But no one believed Bethel. Then Lacey and Jessica stopped being friends and Jessica and Bethel became good friends.
Elizabeth is not nerdy, but she isn't as popular as Jessica. Elizabeth's friends are Salvador and Anna. They are all on the school newspaper together. But they get annoyed with the main editor for the paper - Charlie. (Charlie is a girl.) Charlie is very picky about which articles can be put in the paper. Charlie, as it seems, only picks articles that are bad and boring that no one wants to read. In her eyes, these boring articles will impress the teachers, the principle, the school board and the other people who fund the newspaper. They keep submitting articles, but none of their articles are picked. One day, Anna gets so annoyed, that she quits the newspaper. Then she just expects Elizabeth and Salvador to follow her and quit too. But they don't quit right away. THen all of the sudden, Elizabeth and Salvador suddenly want to know if one another are quitting, before they do. Anna feels left out, so for a day she tries to stay away from them. Then they all realize that Anna and salvador like each other as more than just friends. Then Salvador and Elizabeth quit the paper. They try to start their own paper including all the great ideas tat got turned down by Charlie.
I can relate to this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, things like this happens a lot. New kids move into the area, come to a school, (in this case, Edgewood), and make new friends. I won't name anybody, but there was a girl who moved here, made friends with a group of girls who I don't think liked her very much. They were nice to her, but then she became friends with a nicer group who liked and included her more.
This book is realistic fiction - even though it isn't one of the choices...If I have to use one of the choices, it is probably general fiction because it has not happened. For realistic fiction, it is because it hasn't happened, but could happen.
I kind of liked this book, so I rated it "2-Stars." I thought that this book was not really challenging, but it wasn't too easy either. It was kind of cheesy, and also I have read books similar to this one, referring to the way it is set up and the characters and stuff like that. So, I thought that the book could have been more original. I felt like the 2 interconnecting stories didn't have enough detail, and if the book were longer, it would have been much better.
This book has many different characters. The two main characters are Jessica and Elizabeth. Jessica and Elizabeth are twins, yet they have completely different groups of friends and completely different personalities. Jessica is more of a girly girl, while Elizabeth is more serious. In their old school, Jessica was really popular and did cheerleading. Now at her new school, she befriended a "not-so-nice" girl, who is popular, named Lacey. But it turned out that Lacey was just using Jessica. Lacey convinced Jessica to join the track cross-country team with her. Jessica turned out to be really good at running. So, she went to each practice. Lacey barely ever showed up, and thought that it was okay to stand jessica up and then expect Jessica to cover for her. On the cross-country team, Jessica and a girl named Bethel, started off not liking each other. But as the book went on, and Lacey kept not showing up to practice, Bethel decided to be nice to Jessica. Then they were friendly with each other. And finally at the end of the book, when they were about to go the a meet, Jessica told the math teacher that Lacey really hadn't earned her place on the team. Jessica told him all the things that she had lied about. Jessica stood up for Bethel, who had tried to explain the exact same thing. But no one believed Bethel. Then Lacey and Jessica stopped being friends and Jessica and Bethel became good friends.
Elizabeth is not nerdy, but she isn't as popular as Jessica. Elizabeth's friends are Salvador and Anna. They are all on the school newspaper together. But they get annoyed with the main editor for the paper - Charlie. (Charlie is a girl.) Charlie is very picky about which articles can be put in the paper. Charlie, as it seems, only picks articles that are bad and boring that no one wants to read. In her eyes, these boring articles will impress the teachers, the principle, the school board and the other people who fund the newspaper. They keep submitting articles, but none of their articles are picked. One day, Anna gets so annoyed, that she quits the newspaper. Then she just expects Elizabeth and Salvador to follow her and quit too. But they don't quit right away. THen all of the sudden, Elizabeth and Salvador suddenly want to know if one another are quitting, before they do. Anna feels left out, so for a day she tries to stay away from them. Then they all realize that Anna and salvador like each other as more than just friends. Then Salvador and Elizabeth quit the paper. They try to start their own paper including all the great ideas tat got turned down by Charlie.
I can relate to this book for a couple of reasons. Firstly, things like this happens a lot. New kids move into the area, come to a school, (in this case, Edgewood), and make new friends. I won't name anybody, but there was a girl who moved here, made friends with a group of girls who I don't think liked her very much. They were nice to her, but then she became friends with a nicer group who liked and included her more.
May 12, 2018
So now Jessica comes into her own, and Elizabeth finds out what it is to be the object of a crush. And then to experience a crush of her own. Middle school is so unbearably heartbreaking sometimes, and the kids are absolutely ruthless. But that's part of being that age, and learning not just who you are, but how that affects those around you.
Again, I'm impressed with this series. I liked seeing Jessica try something new - and to learn what loyalty actually looks like. I want to see how these friendships grow and develop in the books to come. Of all Sweet Valley books, this has become my favorite series.
Again, I'm impressed with this series. I liked seeing Jessica try something new - and to learn what loyalty actually looks like. I want to see how these friendships grow and develop in the books to come. Of all Sweet Valley books, this has become my favorite series.
May 14, 2008
I read this book when I was a teen, and I reread a copy from Bookmooch and loved it very much!
This is my favorite edition of Jessica :) she stood up for herself for the very first time and made friends with both Damo n and Bethel. I also like the other 'voices' - either Anna's, and Elizabeth's.
Brilliant read.
This is my favorite edition of Jessica :) she stood up for herself for the very first time and made friends with both Damo n and Bethel. I also like the other 'voices' - either Anna's, and Elizabeth's.
Brilliant read.
April 14, 2009
I read a whole bunch of these books when I was nine, before moving on to the SVH, Senior Year and SVU. These were definitely the cutest, and on par with Senior Year for realism. I remember liking this book especially.
March 3, 2011
Swedish title: Jessica & Elisbeth -Skokompisar
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover but just not the story
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews