Customer Reviews

Sweet Valley High #1: Double Love

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am an old SVH addict. I admit it, even as my 34 year old self, cringes a little bit. I stopped reading the series when I was about 19, too old for the books even then, I guess. About three years ago, when I was home for weeks on medical leave I ordered some online (my originals being long gone) and voila, in a few weeks I was the proud owner of the entire original SVH series, AGAIN. I read them until my six weeks of leave ended but I still kept collecting. So its very odd to me, that just a couple years after I start thinking about them again, they pop back up with a modernized version. I was excited. I have a twelve year old daugter. I wanted nothing more than some cool remake to renew the names of Jessica & Elizabeth Wakefield in today's culture. I eagerly sank into these books when they arrived. I was disappointed beyond belief to see the Dairi Burger completely gone to make way for a funky named Mexican restaurant. What, there aren't any small independent burger restaurants in small sunny California towns anymore? The twins are a perfect size 4 now instead of a 6. There are no sororities and fraternities (which seems legit to me as even in the 80's I never knew a high school with them) Enid has straight hair instead of curly hair, which makes me wonder if they are modeling her after the actress that played her on the tv series. Most of these changes are ok with me, I guess. I don't like that Bruce seems to be missing his 1Bruce1 license plate. I don't like that Dana Larson has become a goth girl imitation of herself. I don't like that Winston seems to play a geekier role than before, if possible. I know I will still buy each of these books. I am dying to see young girls devouring these remakes like I did (hopefully), I am dying for the appearance of the much anticipated Sweet Valley Confidential set when the twins are 26 years old, and I am dying for this New Kids on The Block reunion. Hey, I said I was all about bringing the 80's back.

I went to my local bookstore and saw they were re-releasing Sweet Valley High and I was excited because now I could finish my collection, I had no idea they were rewritten and when I was reading one of the books in the store I was shocked to realize this. I almost flipped out.

I can see the whole email thing and cell phones but changing story lines and characters and other stuff wasn't necessary they pretty much rewrote the second book. This is very upsetting.

They didn't need to change their sizes from a 6 to a 4. Teenage girls already have issues about that and now they are trying to say a size 6 is too fat? Since when?

As a self-proclaimed SV addict I followed the series throughout my teenage years and began re-reading them well into my late 20's and early 30's for nostalgia's sake. I was so excited about the re-release, yet after I read the first book I was very disappointed. It's as though the authors are trying to hard to compete with Gossip Girls. I didn't buy the updates and "modern" language and I doubt teenagers will either. As much as I would love to see this series continue to grow (and I am anticipating Sweet Valley Confidental or Sweet Valley Heights) I think the biggest fanbase will be readers like me- those looking for a bit of nostalgia.

I was so thrilled when I found out they were rerelasing the SVH books.

Then, I found out the shocker: As if a size 6 wasn't perfect and threatening enough, they've gone and made it a size 4!

Come on, people! There's enough pressure out there today. Why not the perfect 10, 12 or 14..or why "perfect" at all?!?!

I, for one, will spend my money on the rereleases of LJ Smith's novels, and the new Baby-Sitter's Club graphic novels. There, the only pressure we felt was to find a guy as hot as Adam/Stefan/Damon/Julian, and to find clothes like Claudia!

The Sweet Valley High books written in the 80's were very clever and the characters and stories were interesting and had depth. Now these have been re-written to reflect the current times but I notice the twins talk like airheads now in this new version and the story and characters in general have declined in quality. Its one thing to re-work sweet valley into modern times but did they have to change what we loved about the characters? I wish they had kept everything the same and only changed the names of places and objects (such as letting the twins have cell phones now and etc.) instead of changing the characters themselves.

I too am a SVH addict. I started reading them in my teens and couldn't stop. I couldn't wait for the next book to come out. I had most of the collection and then when I started going out with my girlfriends and bought my first car, I gave them away. I regret doing that now. Now that I can get them for my Kindle I will be renewing my teen years of SVH. At the time I got taken away to adventures and love lives of the characters and thought...... Now, I suppose it will be corny to read, but I will be reading them, even at my age.

SWEET VALLEY HIGH: DOUBLE LOVE
CREATED BY FRANCINE PASCAL
WRITTEN BY KATE WILLIAM


Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

Welcome to the town of Sweet Valley, hometown to twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. They may look identical, but their personalities couldn't be any more different.

Elizabeth is the stereotypical `good girl'. Good grades, good attitude and at times a little naïve, especially when it comes to her twin sister, while Jessica plays her role of the `bad' sister equally well. Jessica wants what she wants and she's determined to get it, even if that means going up against her sister. She's willing to sabotage Liz's possible relationship with the hottie football captain Todd Wilkins, just because she likes him too.

When a case of mistaken identity slanders good girl Elizabeth's reputation, will Jessica finally come clean and admit the truth that it was her who came home in the back seat of a cop car? Or will she prefer to stay silent and watch Todd, not to mention the rest of the students at SVH, believe the gossip and condemn Liz for something she didn't even do? And if she does tell the truth, will anyone choose to believe her?

But that's not the only storyline going on in the book. Two powerful Sweet Valley families are after the property the high school football field is on and the Wakefield sisters' father is on the case. While the girls wonder about all the late hours he's working (is he having an affair?), older brother Steven is a mystery all to himself. He's been coming from University every weekend but they barely see him. What's he really up to?

The Sweet Valley High series has been revamped and brought up to date for today's teens. Blogs, cell phones, digital cameras, web pages, everything that didn't exist in the original version is here for today's version of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield.

SWEET VALLEY HIGH: DOUBLE LOVE is a good kick off to the Sweet Valley High series. The friendly rivalry between sisters Elizabeth and Jessica is sure to entertain fans of this revamped series.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
May 2008

My teenage daughter loved this old series....the publisher should consider updating the cover art and re-releasing....they could definitely find a whole new audience of teenage girls.

bought this book for her hoping she would start reading more, and she has loved svh so far.

Identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield couldn't be more different.

Jessica loves boys, flirting, and fun, while Liz takes a more serious approach to life. But these sisters stick together through everything.

When a date goes wrong for Jessica, she finds herself in major hot water. Only, the people rescuing her think that she's Liz. Suddenly the whole school is buzzing about the wrong twin and Liz's life is falling apart. Her best friend defends her, but for how long? Todd, her crush, now seems to be attracted to her sister. Will Liz forgive Jessica this time?

DOUBLE LOVE is the first book of the old SWEET VALLEY HIGH series that has been updated to include cell phones and the Internet, but still contains the same plot. It's a great book for the beach.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel