Forever Hot/Truly Fine (Grovehill Giants)

Forever Hot/Truly Fine (Grovehill Giants)

Stephanie Perry Moore and Derrick Moore

$14.95, Softcover

Saddleback, 2013

978-1622506835

Genre: Realistic, Romance

Age: 12+

Description: The first book released in the Grovehill Giants series focuses on Skylar Cross and Ford Frost. Skylar is new to town and automatically makes the cheerleading squad. While she is adjusting to being a new student at a new high school in a new state she also is pretty angry about some major changes at home—like having to deal with a new and annoying younger stepsister. She catches the eye of Ford Frost, one of the best football players on the school’s team. He, however, is dealing with his own problems at home. His parents have divorced and his beloved dad seems to want nothing to do with him anymore and has begun a life with a new family while his mom is dating his football coach who is known to have a reputation as a player.

Opinion:  Saddleback is known for its high interest/low lever reading books for struggling or reluctant readers. This book is, of course, at its heart a total gimmick but it is a gimmick that does work for some readers. One of my teens, who is a great reader, saw it in the pile of ARCs and was like, “Flip book! Must read!” The thing that I do like about it is that it isn’t really short like a lot of hi-low books are. Each story is about 150 pages minimum. It moved really quick. However, I don’t think the flip book nature really succeeded. I think the story, overall, would have been better as a regular narrative. I decided to read Skylar’s point of view first. She started off as a spoiled brat of a character and one that I was having a hard time even liking. She was mad at her dad for moving her to a new state. She is mad that her dad is going to marry a new woman and now she’s going to have a new stepsister. However, a pivotal point in her story is when her stepsister goes missing and it is discovered that her unstable father possibly kidnapped her. Skylar suddenly realizes how she’s been crap to her new family and grows up a bit. The story of Ford basically focuses on his parents’ divorce and how his dad has moved on and his mom is being embarrassing by getting serious with his football coach. The overall crossing of the plots involves Ford helping Skylar look for her sister and Skylar helping him confront his father. I think the plot failed as a flip book when I began Ford’s point of view. This part just was not written as well as Skylar’s. There were too many occurrences of repeating material (including conversations) and I feel that if anyone started with this side of the story they wouldn’t be pushed to read the second half because it just doesn’t hold the attention of the reader like the first book.

Thanks to the people at Saddleback for the ARC for the YALSA YA Galley Group!

Girls of Central High at Basketball; Or, the Great Gymnasium Mystery (Girls of Central High #3)

Girls of Central High at Basketball; Or, the Great Gymnasium Mystery (Girls of Central High #3)

Gertrude W. Morrison

World Syndicate Publishing, 1914

Genre: Sports, Mystery, School, Realistic

Description

Mrs. Case, the new basketball coach, really has it out for Hester. She complains that she is so good at book matters that none of the other teachers ever get to see her temper. In the locker room after basketball practice, Hester confronts Bobby about talking behind her back. She goes to slap her and accidentally hits Nellie who is trying to prevent a fight. Bobby says that if it wasn't for Gee-Gee's favoring of her she would have been kicked out of Central High long ago.

Later that night Nellie tells her father, a doctor, about the fight in the locker room and he tells her that it would be best if she just ignores Hester. The next day when the girls arrive at school they discover that their gym has been broken into and vandalized. Bobby and Nellie know exactly who hates the girls so much they would do this—Hester. Bobby quickly spreads the gossip and soon all the girls are talking about how Hester declared her hatred of the girls. Luckily, when Principal Sharp calls a meeting he declares that the vandalism and the intent behind it is well beyond any hatred of the students. After school that day, Hester goes to the park and sees Rufus and Johnny Doyle. Rufus, an “innocent” and “half-whitted” young man (the 1914 “polite” way of saying mentally handicapped), does not see three-year-old Johnny fall into an open sewer grate. Hester follows him down into the six-foot water because she can swim and saves Johnny's life.

Many of the girls at school believe Hester did do the damage to the gymnasium or possibly hired someone else to do it for her. Luckily for her the adults in charge don't believe she is responsible and everyone wonders how the culprit got in and out of the building without the custodian noticing. The girls seem to have better things to worry about as their first game of the season is against East High, who beat them last season. It is also Bobby's first game on the team. When the ball goes to Hester, her opponent quickly snatches it and the referee yells at her for over guarding. The captain is forced to replace her. They end up losing the first half. Nellie discovers that Hester has left the locker room and won't even be around for the second half. They end up tying the game. The referee admits that if Hester were in the second half they probably would've won. Naturally, the girls blame Hester for their loss and decide that they want her off the team. A number of the girls get together to write a petition to give to Mrs. Case.

Later that night, Nellie feels bad when her father tells her how Hester saved Johnny Doyle's life. When she arrives at school the next day she discovers another raid has occurred in the gym but this time it is a case of arson. The police did find some tracks to an open window this time so they think they know how the culprit got in but they still do not know how he got out. Mr. Sharp tells Mrs. Case to remove Hester from the basketball team but rumors about her involvement in these attacks need to be stopped. Laura, Nellie, Jess, and Bobby decide to investigate. They quickly discover that the footprints outside the window can't be Hester's as they are clearly a man's. Laura deduces that the man did not get inside the building from the window; in fact, he exited the window. She points out how the scuffs on the footprints show that the man was actually walking backwards.

On Saturday a number of the girls go to visit Eve Sitz's farm and they learn that her new $150 colt, Jinks, was stolen. They decide to head to the Four Corners, were notorious gangs hang out, and see a boy riding Jinks. They give chase. Laura yells at him and he says that the horse belongs to his brother, Hebe, one of the most notorious liars in town. Eve smacks him. As the girls are fighting with a gun holding Hebe, Hester's mother shows up in a car. Hester is there too but won't even look at the girls. Her mom looks at Hebe and says that he's never had the money to afford a cult like that and demands that he give the horse back. She yells at the women who were gawking at the scene and tells them to clean themselves up. She comments about how she can't believe she used to live here among these people who are a disgrace, which embarrasses Hester. The reason why Hester refused to knowledge the girls is because earlier that morning Mrs. Case showed up at her house with the petition to remove her from the basketball team. Because of all the gossip and rumors Hester has found herself shunned by everyone, including her best friend Lily.

Hester discovers that her father has finally bought a car for her and she demands that she should be taught how to drive it immediately. When she is out with the chauffeur she kicks him out because she doesn't need him chaperoning her. As she is driving along by herself the car stalls. As she's trying to fix it a car with Laura and her friends drive by and save her. They're coming back from a game they won without Hester on the team. She decides to head back the way she came from despite the warnings of a forest fire nearby and proceeds to get caught right in the path of the flames. She runs across a man and helps him get into her car. They decide to take a short cut road to warn other farming families of the danger. For two hours they drive around the small town and save more than 40 people. It takes a few days for her parents to learn that she is considered a hero even though she didn't want her name in the paper.

The big game against Keyport High is upon the basketball team. Halfway through the girls are behind by two points. Some girls lament at Hester still being gone (Nellie and Laura) while some of the girls are happy (Jess and Bobby) and don't think they need Hester to win the game. Nellie then informs them of Hester's latest daring deed—saving people from a forest fire. The girls end up winning by six points. The next Saturday all the teens are gathered at Eve's farm. Laura tells Nellie that Jackway, the school custodian, admitted that the night of the first act of vandalism Rufus had slipped into the building somehow. Could Rufus be the culprit? While laughing and telling stories, they hear some shouts from some fishermen. It turns out that Hebe was out on a rock which twisted and rolled onto his leg trapping him under with his head barely above the water line. Laura sends the boys to look for rope so that they can hopefully get enough leverage to move the rock and free him. They succeed in getting him out and they take him to the hospital.

The girls’ next game is against Lumberport. They do alright but at halftime Nellie sprains her ankle. Mrs. Case refuses to let her play. Nellie, however, bandages of her ankle and demands to play and they end up winning by eight points. It is the beginning of a winning streak for them. One of the boys, Chet, goes to visit Hebe in the hospital and discovers that he is mad that he didn't get the job at the school as Jackway should have been fired. Billson, the old man Hester saved from the fire who happens to be Hebe's roommate, tells Chet that that job is all the man talks about. He can tell that Chet believes Hester is responsible for vandalism and he tells him that he is going to prove that she didn't do it.

Meanwhile, Nellie is terrified and disgusted at the same time to learn that Johnny has developed anemia and needs a blood transfusion or he'll die. Hester volunteers for the procedure. The girls keep winning but they can't move beyond third place in the rankings. Bobby declares that while she hates Hester she does kind of wish she was back on the team so that they'd win the championship. Nellie informs them of Hester's latest daring deed—saving Johnny's life again. Chet has been trying to get more information out of Billson but the man refuses to talk to him because he thinks Chet is against Hester. The girls decide to sign a new petition to request Hester being put back on the team. Hester agrees. The girls soon face off against East High again, this time winning and moving up to second place.

The final game is between Central High and Keyport High. This will determine the championship. After a tough game they end up winning all because of Hester's final goal. Billson is released from the hospital and decides to talk to Chet. He admits that everyone is praising her because of what she did for Johnny but they still think that she is the one that vandalized the gymnasium. Rufus is there with his mother to visit Johnny and Billson tells Chet to go and get Rufus. Rufus comes into the room and Billson shows him Hebe sitting in the bed. Rufus starts shaking and crying while Billson asks Rufus why he is scared of the man in the bed. Rufus replies that the man is a bad man who said that he would kill him if he told. He says that he saw the bad man in the gym the night of the vandalism and Hebe, knowing he had been caught, admits to causing the damage in an attempt to get the job as the custodian. He gets transferred to a prison hospital and after he is healed he looks forward to three months of hard labor.

Thoughts and Nuggets of Wisdom for Research

This book was a fun read. I enjoyed how Hester kept doing daring deeds! The book mainly focuses on physical descriptions of the girls and some major sexist and gender stereotypes when it comes to girls and sports.

Let’s start with the physical descriptions.

Hester is the main character and a lot of time is spent talking about her, her temper, and her family’s economic status.

On page 1 Hester is described as “a rather heavily built girl for her age, with a sturdy body and long arms—well developed in a muscular way, but without much grace.”

She is the “only daughter of the very wealthy wholesale butcher . . . She was one of those girls who fairly ‘boss’ their parents and everybody around their homes. She had bought the friendliness of some weak girls by her display in the lavish use of spending money” (p. 8).

Page 36-37 – description of Hester's family:

For some years now, her daughter had grown quite beyond her control and Mrs. Grimes had learned not to comment upon Hester's actions. Yet, oddly enough, Hester was neither a wild girl nor a silly girl; she was merely bold, bad tempered, and willful.

Mrs. Grimes was a large, lymphatic weighty, given to loose wrappers until late in the day, and the enjoyment of unlimited novels. “Comfort above all” was the good lady's motto. She had suffered much privatization and had worked hard, during Mr. Grimes's beginnings in trade, for Hester's father had worked up from an apprentice butcher boy in a retail store—was a “self-made man.”

Mr. Grimes was forever talking about how he'd made his own way in the world without the help of any other person; but he was, nevertheless, purse-proud and arrogant.

Page 38:

Under these circumstances it may be seen that the girls home life was neither happy nor inspiring. The kindly, gentle things of life escaped Hester Grimes. She unfortunately scorned her mother for her “easy” habits; she admired her father's bullying ways and his ability to make money. And she missed the sweetening influence of a well conducted home where the inmates are polite and kind to one another.

Hester was abundantly healthy, possessed personal courage to a degree—as Dr. Agnew had observed—was not naturally unkind, and had other qualities that, properly trained and molded, would have made her a very nice girl indeed. But having no home restraining influences, the rough corners of Hester Grimes's character had never been smoothed down.

Her friendship with Lily Pendleton was not like the “chumminess” of other girls. Lily's mother came of one of the “first families” of Centerport, and moved in a circle that the Grimeses could never hope to attain, despite their money. Through her friendship with Lily, who is in a miniature already a “fine lady,” Hester obtained a slight hold up on the fringe of society.

Nellie gets an earful from her father about women in sports (p. 19):

Loyalty. That's the kernel—loyalty. If athletics and games they don't teach you that, you might as well give 'em up—all of you girls. The feminine sex is not naturally loyal; now, don't get mad! It is not a natural virtue—if any virtue is humanly natural—of the sex. It's only the impulsive, spitfire girls who are naturally loyal—the kind who will fight for another girl. Among boys it is different. Now, I am not praising boys, or putting them in iota higher than girls. Only, long generations of working and fighting together has made the normal male loyal to his kind. It is an instinct—and even our friends who call themselves of the suffragettes have still to acquire it.

The background into why it is important for girls to compete in sports is contradictory in nature. On one hand, one would think how awesome a book in 1914 is for promoting sports for girls. On the other hand, when one reads the rational for it one realizes it is horribly sexist.

Page 12:

The Girls' Branch Athletic League of Central High had been in existence only a few months. Gymnasium work, folk dancing, rowing and swimming, walking and some field sports had been carried to a certain point under the supervision of instructors engaged by Centerport's Board of Education for the organization of the girls themselves into an association which, with other school clubs, held competitions and all beams, and other, athletics for trophies and prizes.

Page 13:

Public interest had long since been aroused in the boys' athletics; but that and girls' a similar development had lagged until the spring previous to the opening of our story.

Page 53 – 55:

Basketball is perhaps the most transparent medium revealing certain angles of character in young girls. At first the players seldom have anything more than a vague idea of the proper manner of throwing a ball, or the direction in which it is to be thrown.

The old joke about a woman throwing a stone at a hen and breaking the pain of glass behind her, will soon become a tasteless morsel under the tongue of the humorist. Girls in our great public schools are learning how to throw. And basketball is one of the greatest helps to this end. The woman of the coming generation is going to have developed the same arm and shoulder muscles that man displays, and will be able to throw a stone and hit the hen, if necessary!

The girl beginner at basketball usually has little idea of direction in throwing the ball; nor, indeed, does she seem to distinguish fairly adverse between her opponents and her team-mates. Her only idea is to try to propel the ball in the general direction of the goal, the thought that by passing it from one to another of her team mates she will much more likely see it lands safely in the basket never seemingly entering her mind.

But once the girl has learned to observe and understand the position and function of her team mates and opponents, to consider the chances of the game in relation to the score, and, bearing the things in mind, can form a judgment as to her most advantageous play, and act quickly on it—when she has learned to repress her hysterical excitement and play quietly inserted boisterously, what is it she has gained?

It is self-evident that she has one something besides the mere ability to play basketball. She had learned to control her emotions—to a degree, at least—through the dictates of her mind. Blind impulse has been supplanted by intelligence. Indeed, she has gained, without doubt, a balance of mind and character that will work for good not only to herself, but to others.

Playing basketball seriously will help the girl player to control her emotions and her mind is far higher and more important matters than athletics.

Lastly, there is one minor racist element featuring Mammy Jinny, the Beldings’s old black cook (p. 145):

“It's jest de beatenes' what disher fambly is a-comin' to. Gits so, anyhow, dat de hull on youse is out 'most all day long. Eberything comes onter Mammy's shoulders.”

Double Love (Sweet Valley High #1)

Double Love (Sweet Valley High #1)

Francine Pascal

Kate William, Bantam Books, 1983

Genre: Realistic, Romance, School Story

Description

Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are awaiting the results, along with a number of other the girls, of whether or not they will be admitted to the Pi Beta sorority. They have endured their dares, such as Elizabeth having to call in a pizza for delivery to Mr. Russo's chemistry class—one of the best but toughest teachers –or sending a singing telegram to Chrome Dome the nickname of the principal, or when they dyed the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria purple. However, it is Jessica who is a little bit more excited about belonging to the sorority. Elizabeth wants to be a writer. She's currently a reporter for the school newspaper the Oracle and is the secret writer of the “eyes and ears” column. Her best friend, Enid, has been asked by Ronnie Edwards, the new guy, to the Phi Epsilon dance. Elizabeth herself is hoping that Todd Wilkins will ask her. When Todd asks Elizabeth to meet him after school she is late because of work she had to do in the Oracle office and is disappointed to see him and Jessica drive off together. She is shocked to find out the next day the gossip going around school—that Jessica and Todd are the hot new couple.

While Jessica is interested in Todd she is also quite a bad girl, such as when she accepts a ride from Rich Andover, a 17-year-old dropout. He takes her to a local dive bar where he gets in a fist fight with the patron and the cops show up. Jessica, ashamed of being out with him, doesn't contradict the police officer when he accidentally calls her Elizabeth. When Elizabeth asks who she was on a date with and Jessica won't tell her, Elizabeth assumes that it must've been Todd. Unfortunately for Elizabeth Caroline Pearce, the resident gossip queen, witnesses Jessica getting out of the police car and being called “Elizabeth” so she spreads rumors around school that Elizabeth got arrested. Elizabeth doesn't understand why everyone is talking about her behind her back until Enid tells Elizabeth the rumor.

Todd is depressed at the thought that Elizabeth would get arrested and is doubly disappointed when Jessica tells them that Elizabeth already has a date to the dance. He hangs out with Ronnie and Enid and is shocked at how Ronnie is a total asshole who flatly denies Enid's protesting of Elizabeth's innocence and demands that Enid not hang out with Elizabeth anymore. (Considering how straight-laced Elizabeth is and how Jessica is seen as the bad girl usually it is pretty infuriating to read this and to see that no one—including Elizabeth's best friend—even considers the fact that it could have been Jessica, Elizabeth's twin sister, who was really the one arrested!)

A few days later Jessica tells Elizabeth it will blow over. In fact no one even talks to her about it anymore. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is supremely pissed off. She tells Jessica that she is a walking conversation stopper. Everyone hints at it when she's around. In the Oracle office someone even wrote on the board about how the big shot editor makes the news but it isn't even mentioned in the school paper. Elizabeth is tired of her reputation being dragged through the mud. Elizabeth tries to focus on one of the biggest stories currently happening. Sweet Valley High might lose their football field. George Fowler wants to take the football field and turn it into another factory while the Patman's supposedly want to turn it into an amusement park. Basically the two rivals are using the football field to continue their longstanding family feud. The Patman family made all their money in the canning industry while the Fowlers are of “new” money and made it on silicon chips. The reason why they might win the football field is because the school leased the land through the city and the lease is coming up. It turns out that the rumors are partially true. The Fowlers do indeed want to build a factory while the Patmans want to re-create the Vanderhorn garden as it was in 1916. The football team convinces everyone to stage a sit in which is successful until people start to accost Lila and Bruce. Bruce says that if they want to talk about a disgrace to Sweet Valley Jessica should look at her own family as her dad and his assistant, Marianna West, are clearly fooling around.

To try to make it up to Elizabeth, Jessica tries to come clean to Todd and admit that it was her that was at the bar and got arrested. Todd thinks she's being noble and trying to take the blame for Elizabeth. He kisses her that asks her to the dance. Elizabeth meanwhile is being bugged by Bruce Patman and finally tells him that she has a date to the dance and won't go with him. When Bruce asks who, Winston pipes up and says him. Bruce, being an egotistical jock, can't believe that Elizabeth would rather go to the dance with a nerd. Jessica tells Elizabeth that she told Todd everything and that Todd forgives her (Jessica) and asked her to the dance. However, she fails to tell Elizabeth that Todd thanks Jessica was just trying to cover up for Elizabeth.

Jessica and Elizabeth talk with their older brother, Steven, about rumors that are going around about their father and Marianna. Stupidly, Jessica admits that they know that Steven is seeing Betsy Martin, the town druggie. Steven says that they've got it wrong as he is actually seeing Tricia, her sister. Unfortunately since he was hiding the relationship she realized that he was ashamed of her family and dumped him. When Elizabeth tells Jessica that she is going to the dance with Winston Jessica can believe that she chose that clown over Bruce who she would kill to go with. When the day of the dance arrives Elizabeth makes a stunning entrance into the living room while Winston acts like a dork and causes Jessica to get mad that he spoiled her own entrance. At the dance Jessica is jealous that Todd seems disinterested in her so she points to Bruce and claims that he is just one of the many boys who asked Elizabeth to the dance. Winston easily notices Elizabeth interest in Todd and urges her to talk to him. Meanwhile, Steven is depressed and confronted by his parents after they forced the truth out of Elizabeth and Jessica. They encourage him to go and make up with Tricia. On his way over to her house later Steven sees his father and Marianna driving in the car and he follows them to a house.

After the dance Jessica, in her jealousy towards how Todd was paying attention to Elizabeth, tells Elizabeth that Todd is a player that has nothing but sex on his mind. So with Todd now showing an interest in Elizabeth she wants absolutely nothing to do with him because of what Jessica said. Todd eventually calls her to apologize for his behavior and says that he will forgive Elizabeth if she promises never to see that creep Andover again. He says that everyone “knows” it was Elizabeth. Elizabeth can't believe that Todd is taking a bunch of rumors for truth and says that she never wants to speak to him again.

Elizabeth focuses on the court case to take her mind off of things. It is Marianna who does most of the speaking and ends up getting the lease awarded to the Sweet Valley High Board of Education. When she discovers that Marianna is being invited over to dinner and that her father has a huge announcement to make she immediately decides that it has to be about a divorce. The announcement in fact happens to be that Marianna is now a new partner at her father's firm.

Elizabeth eventually tries to go on other dates as she sees Todd out with other girls. One day after a meeting of the sorority Jessica and Elizabeth discover that their car is being followed. It is a drunk Rick Andover who gets in their stalled car, fixes it, and races away with them. It causes havoc at the Dairi Burger and Todd gets in his car to try to save the girls. They end up in the pub parking lot were Todd and Andover get into a fight. Todd wins and Elizabeth kisses him. Todd takes them home and that is where he reveals that he should've known that Jessica was the one who got arrested and Elizabeth learns that Jessica told him that she was supposedly uber popular and had tons of dates to dance. Elizabeth learns that Todd at the end of the dance was hardly grabby and all he did was give Jessica a kiss on the cheek. Elizabeth is upset at Jessica and has the perfect plan for getting back at her.

Elizabeth and Jessica ride to the rally for the football team with Todd. It is part of her payback plan. While they are getting dressed she accidentally dumps water on Jessica to force her to change clothes. She offers up her own outfit so that Jessica will look like Elizabeth. Once there Elizabeth goes to see Dana, lead singer of the Droids. Pretending to be Jessica she tells Dana that Elizabeth is the writer of the “eyes and ears” column. Dana makes an announcement to the entire crowd and Jessica gets dumped in the pool as per the tradition that if the writer of the column gets ousted they get dumped in the pool.

Later that night Enid shows up at Elizabeth's door. She says that something awful has happened and Ronnie will never talk to her again.

Thoughts and Nuggets of Wisdom for Research

Sweet Valley is best known as being full of gender and physical stereotypes. When I was younger I read the Sweet Valley Twins spin off but this was actually my first Sweet Valley High. On the very first page we get numerous accounts of how the perfect Jessica Wakefield with her “All-American” good looks thinks she’s disgusting (p. 1-3):

“Oh, Lizzie, do you believe how absolutely horrendous I look today!” Jessica Wakefield groaned as she slipped in front of her sister, Elizabeth, and stared at herself in the bedroom mirror. “I'm so gross! Just look at me. Everything is totally wrong. To begin with, I'm disgustingly fat. . . .” With that, she spun around to show off a stunning figure without an extra ounce visible anywhere.

She moaned again, this time holding out one perfectly shaped bronze leg. “Isn't that the grossest? I swear I must have the skinniest legs and America. And the bumpiest knees. What am I going to do? How can I possibly go to school looking like this today? Today of all days!”

Jessica stared at herself in the full-length mirror and saw a picture of utter heartbreak and despair. But what was actually reflected in the glass was about the most adorable, most dazzling 16-year-old girl imaginable. Yet there was no stopping Jessica Wakefield when she was in this mood.

“Why couldn't I at least have an oval face? It looks like someone stuck a pumpkin on top of my neck. And this hair—a dull yellow mess of split ends. I hate it!”

In a gesture of absolute hopelessness, she ran her hand under her silky blonde hair, lifted it up, and watched as it drifted lightly back to her shoulders.

“Only thing duller are my eyes. Look at that color, Liz.” She put her face under her sister's nose and fluttered long eyelashes over almond-shaped eyes the blue-green of the Caribbean. “They're so blah.”

Both girls had the same shoulder length, sun streaked blond hair, the same sparkling blue-green eyes, the same perfect skin. Even the tiny dimple in Elizabeth’s left cheek was duplicated in her younger sister's—younger by four minutes. Both girls were five feet six on the button and generously blessed with spectacular, all-American good looks. Both wore exactly the same size clothes, but they refused to dress alike, except for the exquisite identical lavalieres they were on gold chains around their necks. The lavalieres had been present from their parents on their sixteenth birthday.

The thing that bugged me the most about this series is how utterly selfish Jessica is. I can’t believe any teens when this series was popular actually liked Jessica. I have always been an Elizabeth girl because I enjoyed school like her (of course there are those readers who complain that Elizabeth, being a nerd, is horribly stuck up). In this one volume alone there are numerous occurrences to how stuck up Jessica is and, quite frankly, how rude she is to others, including her own sister!

Page 4 - 

He wanted her sister! Jessica's eyes narrowed dangerously. One of the cutest boys at Sweet Valley High, and he was calling to talk to Elizabeth! Todd Wilkins was currently the basketball team’s hottest star, and Jessica had been admiring him for some time now as she practiced her cheers in the gym alongside him. The idea that he would prefer Elizabeth to her infuriated Jessica, though she was extra careful to conceal this from him.

Page 8 – 

At noon the Wakefield twins would find out if they had made Pi Beta Alpha, “the positively best sorority at Sweet Valley High,” according to Jessica. That meant “the snobbiest” in Elizabeth's book.

Page 18-19 – 

 

“How can you be best friends with somebody as blah as Eeny Rollins? I don't want you to go over there. Somebody might think it was me talking to her.” (Jessica)

“Enid is a wonderful person. Why don't you like her?” (Elizabeth)

“Eeny is a nerd. And there's something weird about her.” (Jessica)

Page 34 – 

“You wouldn’t think it was funny if you really were gross-looking,” Jessica said, shuddering at the thought of having anything other than an attractive family.

Page 47 – 

“No, really, Todd,” Jessica was saying, “don't laugh. It's not funny. Really. I really am one of the most unpopular girls in school. Everyone else has a date for the dance. Really, everyone. Every single girl I know. Everyone but me.”

Page 49 –

 Jessica felt a tiny twinge of panic. Why was Todd ignoring her? Had something happened to the Wakefield magic? Impossible! she told herself. She was still the most fantastic girl in school. So why didn't Todd know it? Cheers and angry frustration filled her eyes. She decided she would walk home from school. Whenever she was out walking, she never failed to attract a good deal of attention from passing cars. The more the better, she thought, swinging her hips a little as she set off.

Page 75-76 –

“He [Andover] has everything to do with all the kids in school thinking I have a police record and that I'm out on parole!” Elizabeth shouted, for once making no effort to control her temper.

“Oh, that.” Jessica shrugged, flushing guiltily. “I can clear that little thing up in no time.”

“Do it now!” Elizabeth said.

“Later, Liz! I'm talking about something really important. I found out this afternoon why Steve has been coming home every weekend. No wonder he's been so mysterious and obnoxious to everybody. He should be ashamed of himself! My whole life is going right down the tubes! How could he do this, Lizzie?” she began to cry.

“Stop babbling, Jess! And stop crying! Tell me what Steve has done.”

“Our brother, a member of the Wakefield family, has been spending every weekend,” Jessica got out between sobs, “with Betsy Martin!”

“Jess, are you sure? I can't believe it. Betsy's been doing drugs for years—she sleeps around—”

“And her father gets bombed out of his mind every night,” Jessica said wildly.

Page 117-118 –

“Bruce Patman!” Jessica squealed. “Liz Wakefield, how dare you sit there calmly and tell me Bruce asked you out as if it weren't important! You’re incredible! No—you must be dead! No girl alive would turn Bruce down. He's handsome, Liz. He is sooooo rich. And he drives that awesome Porsche!”

“Are you saying you wish you were going to the dance with Bruce instead of Todd?” Elizabeth challenged.

“Of course not. Why in the world would you think that? Todd is terribly good-looking, and he's so sweet. I just wish he didn't drive that gross excuse for car. Bruce's Porsche is so—so . . . I mean, it's a Porsche.”

122-123 –

“Hi, Jess,” he answered. “You look nice—really very pretty.”

Nice! she screamed silently. Three hours of working on my nails, my hair, my makeup and I look “very pretty”? Whatever happened to gorgeous?

“Thanks, Todd.” Maybe he's not good with words, she thought. But she knew from the other day that he was good with kissing—and there certainly would be more kissing that evening!

Page 126 – 

No guy—not even Todd Wilkins—could take Jessica Wakefield to a dance and treat her like a piece of furniture. He wasn't going to get away with it, she vowed.

Page 128-129 –

“Oh, Liz, it was so awful!” Jessica's eyes filled with tears.

“Awful? What are you talking about, Jess?”

“I thought he liked me, Lizzie,” she said between sobs. “I thought he respected me and everything!”

“Jessie, what happened?”

“Oh, Liz, I can't. I can't tell you!” Jessica collapsed, covering her face with her hands. “I'm—I'm too ashamed.”

Elizabeth put her arm around Jessica shoulder. “It's all right, Jess. You can tell me anything, you know that.”

“Maybe I should tell you.” Jessica sniffled. “You really should be warned about him. You might go out with him sometime, and I'd just never forgive myself if I didn't tell you what the real Todd Wilkins is like.”

“What did he do?”

“That rat tried just about everything. The horrible thing was that I could hardly make him stop. I had to beg him and beg him to please stop!”. . .

“He just wouldn't stop. His hands! Oh, God, they were everywhere.”

Page 133 – 

Tricia Martin's family was no bargain, and they knew it. Her father was the town drunk, and her sister Betsy had a horrible reputation. The mother had died of leukemia when the kids were little, which really torn the family apart. It was all understandable, but that didn't make it any easier. And now Steven was mixed up with them. The question was, how seriously?

Page 172 - 

 

“Lizzie, honey. I did it because I felt he was wrong for you. That you wouldn't be able to handle him.”

“Jessie, honey. You're really full of it. You did it because you liked him yourself and you were trying to get rid of the competition.”

Page 174 - 

“I knew if it got around school that I was in a bar with those terrible people, I'd be finished. It's a rule, an absolute rule, that you can't be on the cheering squad if you have any black marks against your name. I couldn't give that up, Liz. You know how much being co-captain of the cheerleaders means to me.”

There is some talk about how affluent and well off the Wakefield family is:

Page 14 – The twins squealed with delight. Only on rare occasions were they allowed to drive to school in the family's second car, a little red Spider convertible.

Page 15 – As she did very often, Elizabeth thought how lucky she and Jessica were to live in Sweet Valley. Everything about it was terrific—the gently rolling hills, the quaint downtown area, and the fantastic white sand beach only 15 minutes away. She and Jessica were even luckier now, with a new in ground pool their backyard.

Page 33 – “They're so busy I hardly see them. Mom's always rushing off to meet a client. Her design business is really booming. And dad—well, he's always out. He's working on a case with a new lawyer in the firm, somebody by the name of Marianna West. She used to be married to the big heart specialist, Gareth West.”

A few interesting non-Jessica occurrences happen in relation to the importance of looks and reputation. When Bruce attempts to ask Elizabeth out thinking she’s the one who was out with Rick the following conversation occurs (p. 104):

“I never thought you were such a fast number until now. But from what I hear, I decided you're my type. I'd like to take you to the dance.”

“Is that so?” Elizabeth snapped.

“Sure. I can't stand most of these wimpy girls. We can put in appearance of the dance, then head for someplace where we can have some real fun.”

Later when Elizabeth asks Winston if he really wants to go to the dance with her he says, “You want to know the sort of girl people fix me up with? It goes like this: 'Win, have I got a girl for you! Was a personality!' that always means 250 pounds and two-foot-five! I have to put her hamburger on the floor so she can reach it” (p. 125).

The biggest and scariest part of the book was Jessica going off with Rick. Here are key elements from that:

She'd heard a number of stories about Rick and the fast lane life he led. He ran around with an older crowd and always had a lot of money in his pocket, even though it didn't look as if he had a job. He spent most of his time either working on his Camaro or cruising around in it—usually with a gorgeous girl at his side. Jessica squirmed with pleasure at having been selected as Rick's companion for the afternoon (p. 51).

Conversation at page 52-53 – 

 

“I'll pick you up at eight,” Rick told her as they were cruising down Calico Drive, doing 50 in a 35 zone.

“What?”

He grinned. “Tomorrow, at eight. We've got a date, Heaven.”

“But you never even asked me,” she complained.

“I told you—I'm used to getting, not asking. Are you saying no?” he challenged, as if the thought were unheard of.

“No.” She frowned slightly, biting her lip. “It's just that I'm not sure my parents –“

“Mommy and Daddy wouldn't like the idea of their Little Red Riding Hood going out with the Big Bad Wolf?” he supplied, sneering. “What do you want?”

He was looking at her in a way that made her skin tingle. His heavy-lidded eyes held a hypnotic hint of the excitement to come and she decided to go out with him. Jessica found it irresistible.

Page 58-60 –

For an instant she wondered if she would be able to keep him at bay, but she quickly dismissed the worry. She had yet to come up against the situation she couldn't handle.

Even so, nothing could squelch the nervous fluttering in her stomach as Rick's car spun to stop in a shower of gravel in front of the seedy-looking beachfront roadhouse. A red, blinking neon sign advertised that it was Kelly's. Loud music spilled from the open doorway, punctuated by harsh bursts of laughter.

None of Jessica's friends had ever been inside Kelly's. It had the most notorious reputation of any bar in the whole valley. A mixture of alarm and excitement raced through Jessica's body. Boy, would she have something to talk about tomorrow!

Jessica had never been so acutely aware of both her age and her appearance before. Several of the men stared at her, and one let forth a low wolf whistle. Her face was burning from anger and embarrassment, and her eyes watered from the cigarette smoke that wreathed the cramped room. As they slid into cracked vinyl booth, she leaned over to tell Rick how uncomfortable she felt, but her words were drowned in a sudden burst of twangy country-western music from the jukebox.

. . .

“And I should have known you were the kind of guy who couldn't keep his hands to himself,” she scolded lightly.

Rick's eyes narrowed. “All tease and no tickle, huh? Didn't your mommy tell you not to put anything in the window that you don't sell in the store?” His fingers groped higher, and she noticed he was beginning to slur his words. “Well, I've seen the merchandise, baby, and I'm sold.”