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Sweet Valley High

157 replies

Stillinbedat10am · 30/05/2020 22:30

I have just discovered that most of the Sweet Valley High series are available on Kindle Unlimited and that I can get a two month free trial.

Anybody like to join me on a (socially distanced) journey back through life with Elizabeth, Jessica, Todd, et al?

OP posts:
Fudgewhizz · 31/05/2020 14:32

I seem to remember one (some sort of Halloween special maybe?!) where they discovered ancestors called Elisabeth and Jessamyn who lived in a circus or something... I seem to remember one of them died tragically (of course)

kierenthecommunity · 31/05/2020 14:32

Did the twins live in some sort of time vortex? They had all these stories including Robyn loosing how many stone by running, Elizabeth’s six week stint in hospital, at least two of each of Xmas/spring/summer breaks that I can remember and yet they remained 16 and in junior year?

And the continuation book was then aged mid/late 20s and yet was set in modern times with texting and Facebook. When in reality this would have been in the early 90s and if they’d been emailing and had a mobile phone it would have been a bit novel.

frazzledfatty · 31/05/2020 14:34

Also, such a big thing being made of Regina Morrow being deaf - I seem to remember that in every book after this where she is mentioned there is once again a description of her "tragic handicap" which she "bravely overcomes." You just wouldn't write about a disability like that now and actually get it published.

OMG, yes!

One of my faves was the twin series when there was a ghost girl on a fairground ride.

frazzledfatty · 31/05/2020 14:36

And yes the fashion, on one hand I wanted to be them but when I imagined the slacks & barrettes in real life I wasn't so sure.

SallyLovesCheese · 31/05/2020 14:37

@Fudgewhizz

I seem to remember one (some sort of Halloween special maybe?!) where they discovered ancestors called Elisabeth and Jessamyn who lived in a circus or something... I seem to remember one of them died tragically (of course)
I remember that one! Didn't Jessamyn become a circus act riding horses and fell off one day?

The one when Elizabeth and Jessica went to France and Elizabeth fell in love with the prince but then didn't marry him because she wanted to be a publisher author in her own right Hmm She could have just published under a pseudonym, surely?

iamtheoneandonlyyy · 31/05/2020 14:40

No it was owl feather that fell. Her bloke was in love with jessamyn but after the fall he devoted himself to owl feather.

Blush
kierenthecommunity · 31/05/2020 14:41

Didn't their brother,Stevan,s girlfriend have leukaemia or something equally tragic ? And I think she had turned her life around from being a drinking ,drug taking floozy ? Or maybe that was Enid

Trisha was the girlfriend who was a perfect saint despite being from the ‘wrong side of town.’ It was her sister Betsy (who sometimes was her older and sometimes younger sister) who was the tarty one. I think she went to the trashy bar with two men once! The scrubber!

Enid also had issues which I’m struggling to remember, but were revealed as some scandalous secret. I think it involved her ex boyfriend Ronnie and unspecified drugs. Liz stood by her throughout the scandal I imagine.

Whatnext2018 · 31/05/2020 14:45

Oh god yes, Enid and Ronnie..! 😂

Seashell80 · 31/05/2020 14:45

There were two specials that focussed on the twins ancestors, one with a blue cover that was about their dads side and a peachy coloured one that was on their mums side, I got them both for Easter one year instead of chocolate-I was thrilled!! I think they were called Sweet Valley Saga, in fact I'm sure that's what it was!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/05/2020 14:45

I've lost count of the amount of times they both cheated on their boyfriends too. There was a spin off "secret diaries" series where it's revealed that Jessica was seeing Elizabeth's boyfriend behind her back, and then later on Elizabeth had a fling with Jessica's boyfriend too!

Seashell80 · 31/05/2020 14:48

There are other editions about other families in Sweet Valley too.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/05/2020 14:48

@kierenthecommunity not only that but she was drinking whiskey! And then I remember she mentioned that one of the boys was going to get them some pot later. The scandal. Jessica was horrified at the thought of her brother being involved with such a family.

wizzbangfizz · 31/05/2020 14:48

Oh I remember the saga!!!

wizzbangfizz · 31/05/2020 14:51

One I remember vividly was the girl who was ashamed to be Mexican, Rosa but who was called rose and acted like her grandma was their maid

kierenthecommunity · 31/05/2020 14:52

I just looked at the Snark Valley blog and it was Enid and George who went off the rails. Ronnie was her knobber of a boyfriend but a clean and wholesome George reappeared and they were reunited.

ChocolatelyAsFuck · 31/05/2020 15:41

Has the bit where the twins’ brother shot and paralysed Jessica’s husband been mentioned yet?

My favourite bit from SVU is where Elizabeth discovers a homicidal and ultra powerful “secret society” operating at her small Californian university.

JustMeAndMyTins · 31/05/2020 15:59

This is amazing. I have just committed to learning Spanish during this ongoing shit show but now I’m thinking rereading SVH is a MUCH better plan.

@Sammysquiz I remember the TV episode with Elizabeth’s personality change! Well I can’t exactly but I remember Enid telling her she looks just like Jessica (because she’s sexed it up and is wearing her clothes) and Elizabeth answers with a SCATHING ‘how perceptive of you, Enid’. Ha! The things you remember.

Also, guys, there’s already a Babysitters Club series. I distinctly remember the line ‘say hello to your friends’ from the theme tune.

And just to round it the ‘random lines I remember from teenage TV shows’, I remember an episode of SVH where a boy (?) somehow knows loads of stuff and he says to Lila (I’m the mall) ‘wow, Jess (?) was right - that looks just like a real Rolex’. I remember her face and everything. Bahahaha!

CrazyToast · 31/05/2020 16:18

Who remembers when Regina the girl who was deaf, did cocaine at a party and died?! I was shocked.

And the time Jessica had an older boyfriend who tried to feel her up--on the cover he had a big moustache!

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 31/05/2020 16:27

@SallyLovesCheese yeah that's the one!! Nah they killed her off in the many many years later one. She wasnt one of the successful ones lol where as everyone else seemed to be..

I quite liked some of the horror ones! Some again odd..woman wanting to steal their mums face and murders here and there but the children ones were better. The carnival one freaked me out

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/05/2020 16:30

Wasn't there one where Lila went on a date and got assaulted and no one believed her except Jessica because she was known as a flirt and he was a nice quiet guy. That was actually quite harrowing.

Mucklowe · 31/05/2020 16:35

I remember studying the cover art for ages - the pastel colours, fluffy 80s hair, beachy outfits, dodgy moustaches on 16-year-old lads. The cover artist was James Mathewuse, and I used to puzzle over how to prounounce it.

Egora · 31/05/2020 17:20

I did wonder if Kate Moss was a fan when she named her DD Lila.

Amani · 31/05/2020 22:37

Anyone remember the love triangle with Liz? Todd and Jeffrey? I think Todd went to stay in Canada for a while and when he returned Elizabeth was dating Jeffrey. Todd tries to win Elizabeth back and after some who-ha Todd is picked ....

CarpeNoctem · 01/06/2020 00:55

@Inmyownlittlecorner I remember the theme park special. One of the twins was meeting fairytale characters like Rapunzel, and at the end of the book it turned out she'd hit her head while on one of the boat rides and it had all been a concussion dream.

EmpressLangClegInChair · 01/06/2020 06:26

Does anyone remember a series of books about a Cheerleader squad? Red and yellow covers l think

Yes! They had a coach called Ardith Engborg.