pickSenior editor of The Oracle, Penny Ayala is too serious for dating! Lynne Henry who found love through letters starts an anonymous personals section & Liz encourages Penny to write an ad. When she gets an especially fun response, romance could finally be in the air for her! Or not, when Kirk the Jerk is involved! The best part is the Fowler vs Wakefield bet using the new column! The beach party reveal is downright hilarious! Liz gets sneaky too!
pickWhen Regina passes a pamphlet on a Swiss boarding school to Liz, she creates a monster. Newly obsessed with a yearlong creative writing program, Liz starts annoying friends & family with her one-track mind. But when she is up for a scholarship seeming tailor-made for her, Jessica starts plotting on how best to spoil the chance Liz has to take her away from #SweetValley. Her plans are hilarious—but effective as she puts their twinship to ill-use!
pickThe main plot here revolves around the mysterious Susan Stewart, who makes an accidental enemy of Lila when she asks the dateless wealthy girl twice who is taking her to the Bridgewater Ball. Lila starts a vicious rumor that Susan‘s mother is actually “in a hospital for the criminally insane” & everyone starts canceling on her! The real highlight is the #SVK plot recycled here where Jessica is certain Alice is pregnant & schemes with her siblings!
pickJohanna Porter‘s the star here— the 17 year old dropout has decided to return to SVH after finding a diary entry of her dead mother‘s lamenting Johanna‘s exit from school. Julie & her dad have always bonded over music (I guess Johanna isn‘t into singing post-junior high & her days of being the voice behind Lila!) but now she wants to graduate. Her longtime crush, Peter DeHaven, sends mixed signals as he‘s also dating Amy! Jessica stirs up chaos!
pickIt‘s the 3rd #SVHSpringBreak & this time, the twins are headed to Walkersville, KS for an 11-day stay with Alice‘s aunt & uncle, Shirley & Herman. Descended from the town‘s founder & the current mayor, Herman & his wife are concerned with propriety… & an early curfew. They warn the twins off the “carnies” but Jessica (& even Liz) are drawn to Alex who runs the horses there— luckily he has an identical twin so there‘s no need to fight over him! ⬇️
pickThe championship soccer game is coming up against Big Mesa, but co-captain Aaron Dallas‘ temper may mean he‘s off team! Lately, he‘s off the handle at the slightest provocation & now that he starts hitting, Liz can‘t help but report the facts…but Jeffrey‘s loyally standing by his friend, knowing he‘s lashing out because of his family‘s situation. Aaron‘s girlfriend, Heather, uses baby talk to calm him & Liz mocks her. Jess becomes a Tofu-Glo Girl!
pickCheerleader Maria Santelli is secretly engaged to senior, Michael Harris. The whole school buzzes about their romance—the 2 families had been close until a client destroyed their business & friendship 4 years earlier. There‘s also a 2-week seminar on marriage with randomly assigned spouses, highlighting how ill-prepared Maria & Michael really are. Jessica‘s assigned to Winston who also loves Maria while Liz & Bruce relive the assignment from #SVT!
pickDana‘s cousin, Sally, moves to #SweetValley & is desperate to finally have the home she‘s always wanted since her mom abandoned her at age 4 after remarrying. Dana wants Sally to keep her real age (she had to repeat a grade from shuffling through foster homes) & her past a secret while her older brother resents her before she even arrives! Sally confides in Liz & eventually wins her spot in their hearts. Also Prince Albert joins the Wakefields!
pickNot an official holiday break, it‘s the midwinter carnival for juniors, seniors & alumni an hour & a half away at a ski resort. Liz has the winter blues, feeling uncharacteristically jealous of Jessica & her careless attitude. Jess steals (& wins) a trivia contest, strands her sister & isn‘t holding up her end of the chores. Todd‘s coming & she‘s nervous for Jeffrey to meet her 1st love. After listening to Jess, she ends up worse off than before!
pickThis is one of my favorites! Jessica has an identity crisis & is fed up with being mistaken for Liz. So she flatters Lila out of her Parisian wardrobe & dyes her hair black & speaking with a vague accent, causing quite the stir! Liz is miserable & feels like she lost her best friend & then loses her diary on top of it! Liz & Jeffrey fight too (Liz thinks he likes Jess & her new look more than her), but lands a mall modeling job that Jess wanted!
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