Spring break is here, and the Sweet Valley University gang is in for six nights and seven days of sun, fun, and romance - on a college-students-only Caribbean cruise!
Ship of fools...
When Elizabeth Wakefield catches Tom Watts kissing another woman on the Lido Deck, she can't believe her eyes. Elizabeth tells Tom to get out of her life forever. But can she get him out of her heart?
Todd Wilkins is confused. He thought he was still in love with Elizabeth, but now that she's giving him a chance to rekindle their romance, he finds himself fantasizing about another woman.
Jessica Wakefield is running out of patience. She's desperate to find the dashing stranger who saved her life, but he refuses to come forward. Is he just shy - or does he have something to hide?
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.
The drama continues during the Wakefield twins’ spring break of their freshman year at Sweet Valley University. Everyone is still on the boat, immediately after the cliffhanger from the previous book, and the entanglements twist round and round until at the end. . .well, they’re still pretty entangled.
This one is kind of a filler book; not very much happens to advance the overall plot. But, if you like when relationships are on-again, off-again, this one will be right up your alley! Noah and Alex, Tom and Liz and Todd, Bruce and Lila—all of the couples on board have little squabbles along the way. But don’t worry, nobody says hello or goodbye permanently in this one, and there’s still at least another book to enjoy on the Homecoming Queen boat!
The couples are slowly starting to fall apart and move on to the next available SVU student. Winston and Denise are trapped at sea and it is insane to me that this isn’t even the first time Winston’s been lost at sea. Jess describes her mystery man as being the “emotional styrofoam in the landfill of life” which is quite possibly her best quote ever. Liz kisses Todd, the worlds biggest loser, in an attempt to forget about Tom. Similarly to the last book, no one communicates their feelings, everyone just assumes what others are thinking and talks about ethics.
Very funny - though the story line sort of drags on a bit here. Did this cruise ship thing really need to be stretched out into three books? Actually, my main bugbear is Nicole - I have zero sympathy for her, and Tom is weak and pathetic! But Liz, really, don't go back to Todd - he's even worse!
What was up with me as a kid being obsessed with books about friends going on cruises together? This was a bit weak though... the guys in the lives of the Wakefield sisters are generally a bunch of duds!
In keeping with the one-sentence recap of everyone's hijinks:
Tom and Nicole decide they haven't caused enough misery; kiss for a second time.
Jess is pissed at the universe for putting her on a cruise without a lover.
Todd smacks his head in shock: he will always love Liz, but he's not in love with her.
Bryan overcomes his fear of water but not his extreme jackass tendencies.
Noah ignores Alex and calls her Narcissus, gives budding psychologists a bad rap.
Nina is frantic with worry over Bryan being lost at sea, but I don't see why she cares so much.
Noah and Gin-Yung bond after being ignored by Alex and Todd.
Isabella and Danny are at odds over having different moral codes.
Liz can't believe Tom would betray her like this... except that she betrayed Todd all the time in high school.
Bruce is trying to prove to Lila they are a material match made in heaven.
Lila is trying to prove to Bruce she's not over Tisiano, and she's succeeding.
Alex is being fed manure by Lila's brother-in-law and, being Alex, she's believing it.
Quotes:
"In a flash she realized how empty life would be without Tom Watts's kisses in it."
Jesus, imagine if she'd had his penis already.
"'All my life I've been looking for a woman who could correctly pronounce ophthalmologist.'" - Dr Daniels
Boy, the doctor needs to raise his standards.
"What had held her back was, well, the poetry factor. When she finally said yes to a man, the event would have to be perfect-- a union as deep and starry as those that Lord Byron had set to verse."
Liz has been watching too many Disney movies.
"Elizabeth might not have believed it, but breakfast had been on his mind when he'd tried to talk her into bed last fall. Sure, he'd wanted to make love to her. But he'd also wanted what came after -- talk, tenderness, and orange juice for two."
Then tell her that Tom, you idiot!
"If (Todd) had a camera, thirty-five out of thirty-six shots would have featured Elizabeth Wakefield. He wouldn't have included her in the thirty-sixth, just to show how her absence diminished a landscape."