Sweet Valley High Super Edition (#4?) Malibu Summer
Because I can't let you all think I have more of a life than loubeelou, I present: Sweet Valley High Super Edition: Malibu Summer
This is the summer when Todd is away in Vermont and Jeffrey hasn’t appeared on the scene. It is the summer between the twin’s junior year and their junior year. Maybe Sweet Valley Time is like hammerspace, you can pull summer out when you want it and put it away when done.
Cover:
Jessica is obviously the one in the teeny-weeny pink bikini and Liz is in a matronly striped one-piece. As a kid, I gotta say that I always thought the twins had crap hair. It is so mullet-looking.
The book starts off as many Sweet Valley books do with Jessica and Elizabeth enjoying the beach. Jessica is gushing over her latest celeb crush, Tony Sargent. He is 17, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and a singer-songwriter who is now making a movie. He is totally dreamy. Liz doesn’t even know who he is to Jessica’s outrage. Which leads us to the usual “so similar on the outside, so different on the inside” spiel. The two discuss how they are going to spend the summer. Liz wants to get an internship with the Sweet Valley newspaper while Jessica wants her to go be an au pair with her in Malibu. Lila has a job as one of these “mother’s helpers.” Lila? A job? Knock me over with a feather, I am shocked! But Jessica thinks the job will be cake, play with the kid for an hour or so then head off to the beach to meet hot guys. Liz is unconvinced, especially once she learns Lila will be there. Lila and Jessica put their heads together and manage to guilt-trip Liz into accepting the idea. Liz starts off being a doormat early in this book. When it comes time to interview with the two families, Jessica has a cheerleading camp so Liz has to go and pretend to be Jessica for one of the interviews. The first family is the one Liz will be working for. The Bennets are very rich and have a mansion on the beach. They are never around and have a six-year-old named Taryn who is very petulant and unhappy. The second family is the Sargent family, cousins of the previously mentioned famous star Tony Sargent. They live in a tiny rancher, and they haven’t seen their cousin in three years so they don’t expect him to be dropping by. They have a 3-month old named Sam. This is Jessica’s job. Both girls are hired.
Liz tried to warn Jessica about how small the Sargent family’s house was, but she didn’t believe Liz. And her job isn’t as cushy as she thought since she has to change diapers and get up early when the kid cries and sleep in the baby’s room. The next day, Jess has managed to convince her employer that the baby’s naptime was a perfect time for a jog and is at the beach with Lila. Elizabeth arrives and the Bennets' hot neighbor who just happens to be about 18 and available jogs by. Jessica is smitten. He invites the group to a party that coming Saturday. Yep, less than a third of the way through the book and there is already to be a party. Lila isn’t going to waste her time with 18 year-old kids. She has been reading romance novels and wants a hot millionaire named Rock who has villas in Europe and will take her on a whirlwind romance. Good luck with that, Lila. Jessica tells her to come back to earth anytime.
Another day, another diaper for Jessica. She tells her employer about the party on Saturday but they needed Jessica to baby-sit on that day! Oh noes! But if Jessica can find a replacement, they are cool with that. Who can Jessica ask who is also a doormat…Liz! Elizabeth isn’t having much success in getting Taryn to come out of her shell and be a nicer girl. She is practically abandoned by her parents every day to the maids and cooks running the house so it isn’t any wonder she doesn’t want to open up to a stranger. But still, Saint Elizabeth failing at something? Call the network! Jessica asks if Liz could baby-sit for her on Saturday so she can go to the party and Liz agrees. Even though Jessica keeps trying to get her to switch jobs, Liz does feel sorry for her. Not sorry enough to switch in a moment of rare backboneosity, but sorry enough to miss a party she didn’t really want to go to anyway.
Lila and Jessica go shopping for a dress for Jessica for the party. Jessica really wants to impress Cliff, the jogger. Lila gets bored and wanders off. A cute guy who is almost certainly in college starts talking to her. He has an urbane air and Lila blushes when he talks to her. His name is Ben Horgan. I kinda want to laugh at his last name, but I don’t--much. They make a date to go windsurfing the next day. Back at the beach, Jessica is trying to convince Liz that she is allergic to the Sargents’ cat but Liz knows she isn’t allergic to anything and isn’t going to switch jobs with her. Jessica tries to make friends with Taryn and actually succeeds somewhat. Jessica tells her a story about a “wicked little girl named Taryn” who “got swallowed up by a frog.” Jessica calls the story a “secret” between her and Taryn. She tells her another story about a “wicked little girl named Taryn” and Taryn giggles and loves it. I am not so sure about the whole wicked girl part, but whatevs, this was pre-worried-about-everyones-self-esteem time.
Lila is enjoying her windsurfing lesson with Ben. She already knew how to windsurf, but let him think that he was a great teacher. She asks if he wants to go to a movie the next night but he says his car is, uh, in the shop. She offers to drive, but he suggests a walk on the beach instead. Lila agrees. During their date, Lila tries to find out more about him. Turns out he isn’t in college. And the reason he didn’t want to go to the movies is because he doesn’t have a car because…he isn’t old enough to drive. He is only 15. GASPOFHORROR!!!!1!one! Lila, who only wanted rich, villa-owning heartthrobs, is falling for a younger man! A kid! A child! Lila is aghast but realizes that she does really like Ben. If Ben could only pretend to be a little older at the party they are going to…but he can’t. He is actually the guest of honor at Cliff’s party and is staying with him for the summer. So it would be pretty hard to pretend to be 19 there. Lila knows that Jessica will never let her hear the end of it.
On Saturday, Liz arrives at the Sargents’ house for her baby-sitting duty. As the couple is leaving, they mention that they have an out-of-town friend arriving that evening, so just let him in and tell him to make himself at home. Liz sits down with her book and hopes to get in some reading before the guest comes. He arrives and he is 21-year-old Jamie Galbraith, Yale junior and English major. He and Liz discover they have a ton in common and within the space of approximately 3 pages, have started falling in love. ::rolls eyes:: Liz knows he is too old, she keeps telling herself that, but she can’t help but be attracted to him. They make plans to meet on Liz’s Monday off.
At Cliff’s party, Jessica is having a great time. She finds out about Ben’s age, and like a great friend, starts ribbing Lila about her “mature man.” After the party, Jess returns to the Sargents’ house. Liz fills her in about the out of town visitor. Jessica tries to get Liz to join Lila, Ben, Cliff, Jessica, and a friend of Cliff’s on Monday, but Liz tells her that she can’t make it but doesn’t say it is because of a date with Jamie. She doesn’t want to tell anyone about her 21-year-old insta-boyfriend.
On Monday, Liz and Jamie head to a small café in Malibu. Elizabeth tells him that she likes him but that the age difference is just too much. He appreciates her honesty and thinks to himself that it is too bad he can’t return the favor. Because, you see, his name isn’t really Jamie Galbraith! He is really rock star Tony Sargent! He has dyed his hair brown (from it’s usual blond) and put in colored contacts because some guy is stalking him. He apparently went and had a drink with some groupie and the groupie had a boyfriend in jail who heard about. And of course, the first think he does upon getting out of jail is to hunt down Tony. So, Tony headed into hiding. But good thing Liz, he isn’t 21, he is only 17! So it is okay to be secret-dating him. Which is good, because a few days later, they have another secret date in Santa Monica. They have dinner and a walk on the beach and a kiss. And Liz knows she is falling in love with him. Her lips have only touched Todd’s but Jamie’s kiss was wonderful. She knows her parents still won’t approve, but maybe once they meet him, they’ll change their tune. Jessica thinks that something might be up-Liz is acting like she might be hiding something but Jessica isn’t sure what. She redoubles her efforts to win over Taryn and get Elizabeth to switch jobs.
But things aren’t all roses at the Bennets’ house. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet keep fighting. They argue where Taryn can overhear them and they argue that they essentially should never have had a daughter. Taryn cries herself sick over what her parents have said and promises herself that she will run away to her grandparents’ house the next day. Her grandparents live in Nebraska.
The next day, Liz is heading off to meet Jamie-Tony at the café again. Taryn is running a slight fever but the other servant tells Liz to go on and give her the keys to one of the family cars. While driving to the café, there is a National Weather Service announcement about a big storm and possible flash floods. Liz decides not to turn around and keeps going to the café. Taryn, once Liz is gone and the other servant on the phone, grabs her suitcase and starts walking for Nebraska. Since she isn’t in a Camero, she doesn’t get the weather bulletin. If you don’t know what is going to happen next, you haven’t been doing your Sweet Valley homework.
Jess heads up to the Bennets’ house (conveniently) to check on Liz. It has started to pour. Jessica suggests that they evacuate the house since it is on the beach and the storm looks awful. The other servant goes to collect Taryn to discover her missing. The two head out in the Fiat to search for the little girl. They also call the police and enlist their help. Jessica is amazingly calm and intelligent in these circumstances. At the Sargents’ house, a man claiming to be Tony’s agent knocks on the door looking for him. Mrs. Sargent tells the manager that Tony is at a café with a friend. He doesn’t thank her and heads off. Guess what, the man wasn’t the manager-he was the stalker-psycho. And now that he knows where Tony is, he is going to make him pay. Jessica and the housekeeper have to abandon the car when they come to a downed tree. They make their way on foot and see the police ahead near a bridge that is almost washed out. And there, right in the middle, is a crying Taryn. She won’t come to the police and if they don’t get her soon, she’ll fall into the rushing water and be killed. Jessica thinks that Taryn will come to her, especially if she has a secret to tell. The rescuers grab on to Jessica as she leans over to Taryn. She coaxes Taryn into her arms just as the bridge gives out. The whole circus then heads to the hospital because Taryn is listless and very sick. At the hospital, Taryn’s parents arrive but the prognosis is not good. Jessica observes that the sky is beginning to clear but “the storm inside was only just beginning.” BARF.
At the café, Liz and Jamie-Tony are trapped too. Jamie-Tony tries to come clean about his true identity but before he is able to, the psycho-stalker arrives. He attacks Tony and tries to cut him with a knife. I’ll cut you bitch! He manages to get a good slice on Tony and Liz shouts at the wait staff to do something. They fail to move quickly enough so she grabs a heavy pitcher and whacks the attacker on the head. He is down for the count. Mr. and Mrs. Sargent and the real manager rush in because they realized that the psycho-stalker had found out where Tony was. (for the record, the psycho-stalker’s name was Frankie LaSalle---how cliché) The crew heads to the hospital for Tony to get stitches. Tony rides with Liz and tries to explain. He tells about the stalker and how he also just wanted to have a normal life. Liz doesn’t really understand because she is pretty slow mentally. She is also pretty upset at Tony because the story requires it-I mean, it’s not like Tony comes back to Sweet Valley with them.
At the hospital, they see Jessica and Jess tells them about Taryn. She has to want to get better or some crap. Taryn keeps calling out for Jessica. Jessica tells her a story and then tells Taryn’s mom how to tell stories too. It works and Taryn magically starts to get better.
A few days later, Tony has arranged for the group to have tickets to his charity concert. Liz hasn’t spoken to him since the day of the storm and doesn’t really want to go see him at his concert. She knows that it would never work out between them and that a clean break now, while painful, will be less painful than dragging it on. (Liz, for the record, is an idiot. You always make the most of what you have rather than waiting for something else to come along or anticipating the loss of that something.) Anyway, Jessica guilt-trips her into going to the concert. Her little heart gives a *thump* when she sees Tony singing on stage. Jessica can’t believe she was living under the same roof as one of her (conveniently fabricated) idols and thought he was a weirdo. Tony debuts a song he just wrote that week. It is dedicated to a special girl-Liz. It is about a “summer girl” who Tony will always remember and hope to meet again. Liz ends the book with a tear in her eye and memory in her brain, and maybe a little love in her heart.
The End. Glaring omission: any closure on the Jessica-Cliff or Lila-Ben fronts.
Only 181 pages, that is considered “Super”? Or was it “Super” because it was one of the summer/holiday books and outside the normal timeline? Eh, who cares, not enough Lila in the book and the whole situation was so contrived. Which makes it par for the course.
copyright, not me
Summer girl, just one brief look,
One stolen moment, that's all it took.
All my life, I'd waited for
A girl who was special, a girl who was more.
We really didn't have very long,
Time for a kiss, time for a song.
But summer girl, I think I always knew,
My whole life, that it was you.
Wherever I go in this big bold world,
I'll be thinking of you, my summer girl.
Thinking of your smile and wondering when
My summer girl, we'll meet again.
We'll meet again,
I think I always knew,
My summer girl, that it was you.
This is the summer when Todd is away in Vermont and Jeffrey hasn’t appeared on the scene. It is the summer between the twin’s junior year and their junior year. Maybe Sweet Valley Time is like hammerspace, you can pull summer out when you want it and put it away when done.
Cover:
Jessica is obviously the one in the teeny-weeny pink bikini and Liz is in a matronly striped one-piece. As a kid, I gotta say that I always thought the twins had crap hair. It is so mullet-looking.
The book starts off as many Sweet Valley books do with Jessica and Elizabeth enjoying the beach. Jessica is gushing over her latest celeb crush, Tony Sargent. He is 17, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and a singer-songwriter who is now making a movie. He is totally dreamy. Liz doesn’t even know who he is to Jessica’s outrage. Which leads us to the usual “so similar on the outside, so different on the inside” spiel. The two discuss how they are going to spend the summer. Liz wants to get an internship with the Sweet Valley newspaper while Jessica wants her to go be an au pair with her in Malibu. Lila has a job as one of these “mother’s helpers.” Lila? A job? Knock me over with a feather, I am shocked! But Jessica thinks the job will be cake, play with the kid for an hour or so then head off to the beach to meet hot guys. Liz is unconvinced, especially once she learns Lila will be there. Lila and Jessica put their heads together and manage to guilt-trip Liz into accepting the idea. Liz starts off being a doormat early in this book. When it comes time to interview with the two families, Jessica has a cheerleading camp so Liz has to go and pretend to be Jessica for one of the interviews. The first family is the one Liz will be working for. The Bennets are very rich and have a mansion on the beach. They are never around and have a six-year-old named Taryn who is very petulant and unhappy. The second family is the Sargent family, cousins of the previously mentioned famous star Tony Sargent. They live in a tiny rancher, and they haven’t seen their cousin in three years so they don’t expect him to be dropping by. They have a 3-month old named Sam. This is Jessica’s job. Both girls are hired.
Liz tried to warn Jessica about how small the Sargent family’s house was, but she didn’t believe Liz. And her job isn’t as cushy as she thought since she has to change diapers and get up early when the kid cries and sleep in the baby’s room. The next day, Jess has managed to convince her employer that the baby’s naptime was a perfect time for a jog and is at the beach with Lila. Elizabeth arrives and the Bennets' hot neighbor who just happens to be about 18 and available jogs by. Jessica is smitten. He invites the group to a party that coming Saturday. Yep, less than a third of the way through the book and there is already to be a party. Lila isn’t going to waste her time with 18 year-old kids. She has been reading romance novels and wants a hot millionaire named Rock who has villas in Europe and will take her on a whirlwind romance. Good luck with that, Lila. Jessica tells her to come back to earth anytime.
Another day, another diaper for Jessica. She tells her employer about the party on Saturday but they needed Jessica to baby-sit on that day! Oh noes! But if Jessica can find a replacement, they are cool with that. Who can Jessica ask who is also a doormat…Liz! Elizabeth isn’t having much success in getting Taryn to come out of her shell and be a nicer girl. She is practically abandoned by her parents every day to the maids and cooks running the house so it isn’t any wonder she doesn’t want to open up to a stranger. But still, Saint Elizabeth failing at something? Call the network! Jessica asks if Liz could baby-sit for her on Saturday so she can go to the party and Liz agrees. Even though Jessica keeps trying to get her to switch jobs, Liz does feel sorry for her. Not sorry enough to switch in a moment of rare backboneosity, but sorry enough to miss a party she didn’t really want to go to anyway.
Lila and Jessica go shopping for a dress for Jessica for the party. Jessica really wants to impress Cliff, the jogger. Lila gets bored and wanders off. A cute guy who is almost certainly in college starts talking to her. He has an urbane air and Lila blushes when he talks to her. His name is Ben Horgan. I kinda want to laugh at his last name, but I don’t--much. They make a date to go windsurfing the next day. Back at the beach, Jessica is trying to convince Liz that she is allergic to the Sargents’ cat but Liz knows she isn’t allergic to anything and isn’t going to switch jobs with her. Jessica tries to make friends with Taryn and actually succeeds somewhat. Jessica tells her a story about a “wicked little girl named Taryn” who “got swallowed up by a frog.” Jessica calls the story a “secret” between her and Taryn. She tells her another story about a “wicked little girl named Taryn” and Taryn giggles and loves it. I am not so sure about the whole wicked girl part, but whatevs, this was pre-worried-about-everyones-self-esteem time.
Lila is enjoying her windsurfing lesson with Ben. She already knew how to windsurf, but let him think that he was a great teacher. She asks if he wants to go to a movie the next night but he says his car is, uh, in the shop. She offers to drive, but he suggests a walk on the beach instead. Lila agrees. During their date, Lila tries to find out more about him. Turns out he isn’t in college. And the reason he didn’t want to go to the movies is because he doesn’t have a car because…he isn’t old enough to drive. He is only 15. GASPOFHORROR!!!!1!one! Lila, who only wanted rich, villa-owning heartthrobs, is falling for a younger man! A kid! A child! Lila is aghast but realizes that she does really like Ben. If Ben could only pretend to be a little older at the party they are going to…but he can’t. He is actually the guest of honor at Cliff’s party and is staying with him for the summer. So it would be pretty hard to pretend to be 19 there. Lila knows that Jessica will never let her hear the end of it.
On Saturday, Liz arrives at the Sargents’ house for her baby-sitting duty. As the couple is leaving, they mention that they have an out-of-town friend arriving that evening, so just let him in and tell him to make himself at home. Liz sits down with her book and hopes to get in some reading before the guest comes. He arrives and he is 21-year-old Jamie Galbraith, Yale junior and English major. He and Liz discover they have a ton in common and within the space of approximately 3 pages, have started falling in love. ::rolls eyes:: Liz knows he is too old, she keeps telling herself that, but she can’t help but be attracted to him. They make plans to meet on Liz’s Monday off.
At Cliff’s party, Jessica is having a great time. She finds out about Ben’s age, and like a great friend, starts ribbing Lila about her “mature man.” After the party, Jess returns to the Sargents’ house. Liz fills her in about the out of town visitor. Jessica tries to get Liz to join Lila, Ben, Cliff, Jessica, and a friend of Cliff’s on Monday, but Liz tells her that she can’t make it but doesn’t say it is because of a date with Jamie. She doesn’t want to tell anyone about her 21-year-old insta-boyfriend.
On Monday, Liz and Jamie head to a small café in Malibu. Elizabeth tells him that she likes him but that the age difference is just too much. He appreciates her honesty and thinks to himself that it is too bad he can’t return the favor. Because, you see, his name isn’t really Jamie Galbraith! He is really rock star Tony Sargent! He has dyed his hair brown (from it’s usual blond) and put in colored contacts because some guy is stalking him. He apparently went and had a drink with some groupie and the groupie had a boyfriend in jail who heard about. And of course, the first think he does upon getting out of jail is to hunt down Tony. So, Tony headed into hiding. But good thing Liz, he isn’t 21, he is only 17! So it is okay to be secret-dating him. Which is good, because a few days later, they have another secret date in Santa Monica. They have dinner and a walk on the beach and a kiss. And Liz knows she is falling in love with him. Her lips have only touched Todd’s but Jamie’s kiss was wonderful. She knows her parents still won’t approve, but maybe once they meet him, they’ll change their tune. Jessica thinks that something might be up-Liz is acting like she might be hiding something but Jessica isn’t sure what. She redoubles her efforts to win over Taryn and get Elizabeth to switch jobs.
But things aren’t all roses at the Bennets’ house. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet keep fighting. They argue where Taryn can overhear them and they argue that they essentially should never have had a daughter. Taryn cries herself sick over what her parents have said and promises herself that she will run away to her grandparents’ house the next day. Her grandparents live in Nebraska.
The next day, Liz is heading off to meet Jamie-Tony at the café again. Taryn is running a slight fever but the other servant tells Liz to go on and give her the keys to one of the family cars. While driving to the café, there is a National Weather Service announcement about a big storm and possible flash floods. Liz decides not to turn around and keeps going to the café. Taryn, once Liz is gone and the other servant on the phone, grabs her suitcase and starts walking for Nebraska. Since she isn’t in a Camero, she doesn’t get the weather bulletin. If you don’t know what is going to happen next, you haven’t been doing your Sweet Valley homework.
Jess heads up to the Bennets’ house (conveniently) to check on Liz. It has started to pour. Jessica suggests that they evacuate the house since it is on the beach and the storm looks awful. The other servant goes to collect Taryn to discover her missing. The two head out in the Fiat to search for the little girl. They also call the police and enlist their help. Jessica is amazingly calm and intelligent in these circumstances. At the Sargents’ house, a man claiming to be Tony’s agent knocks on the door looking for him. Mrs. Sargent tells the manager that Tony is at a café with a friend. He doesn’t thank her and heads off. Guess what, the man wasn’t the manager-he was the stalker-psycho. And now that he knows where Tony is, he is going to make him pay. Jessica and the housekeeper have to abandon the car when they come to a downed tree. They make their way on foot and see the police ahead near a bridge that is almost washed out. And there, right in the middle, is a crying Taryn. She won’t come to the police and if they don’t get her soon, she’ll fall into the rushing water and be killed. Jessica thinks that Taryn will come to her, especially if she has a secret to tell. The rescuers grab on to Jessica as she leans over to Taryn. She coaxes Taryn into her arms just as the bridge gives out. The whole circus then heads to the hospital because Taryn is listless and very sick. At the hospital, Taryn’s parents arrive but the prognosis is not good. Jessica observes that the sky is beginning to clear but “the storm inside was only just beginning.” BARF.
At the café, Liz and Jamie-Tony are trapped too. Jamie-Tony tries to come clean about his true identity but before he is able to, the psycho-stalker arrives. He attacks Tony and tries to cut him with a knife. I’ll cut you bitch! He manages to get a good slice on Tony and Liz shouts at the wait staff to do something. They fail to move quickly enough so she grabs a heavy pitcher and whacks the attacker on the head. He is down for the count. Mr. and Mrs. Sargent and the real manager rush in because they realized that the psycho-stalker had found out where Tony was. (for the record, the psycho-stalker’s name was Frankie LaSalle---how cliché) The crew heads to the hospital for Tony to get stitches. Tony rides with Liz and tries to explain. He tells about the stalker and how he also just wanted to have a normal life. Liz doesn’t really understand because she is pretty slow mentally. She is also pretty upset at Tony because the story requires it-I mean, it’s not like Tony comes back to Sweet Valley with them.
At the hospital, they see Jessica and Jess tells them about Taryn. She has to want to get better or some crap. Taryn keeps calling out for Jessica. Jessica tells her a story and then tells Taryn’s mom how to tell stories too. It works and Taryn magically starts to get better.
A few days later, Tony has arranged for the group to have tickets to his charity concert. Liz hasn’t spoken to him since the day of the storm and doesn’t really want to go see him at his concert. She knows that it would never work out between them and that a clean break now, while painful, will be less painful than dragging it on. (Liz, for the record, is an idiot. You always make the most of what you have rather than waiting for something else to come along or anticipating the loss of that something.) Anyway, Jessica guilt-trips her into going to the concert. Her little heart gives a *thump* when she sees Tony singing on stage. Jessica can’t believe she was living under the same roof as one of her (conveniently fabricated) idols and thought he was a weirdo. Tony debuts a song he just wrote that week. It is dedicated to a special girl-Liz. It is about a “summer girl” who Tony will always remember and hope to meet again. Liz ends the book with a tear in her eye and memory in her brain, and maybe a little love in her heart.
The End. Glaring omission: any closure on the Jessica-Cliff or Lila-Ben fronts.
Only 181 pages, that is considered “Super”? Or was it “Super” because it was one of the summer/holiday books and outside the normal timeline? Eh, who cares, not enough Lila in the book and the whole situation was so contrived. Which makes it par for the course.
copyright, not me
Summer girl, just one brief look,
One stolen moment, that's all it took.
All my life, I'd waited for
A girl who was special, a girl who was more.
We really didn't have very long,
Time for a kiss, time for a song.
But summer girl, I think I always knew,
My whole life, that it was you.
Wherever I go in this big bold world,
I'll be thinking of you, my summer girl.
Thinking of your smile and wondering when
My summer girl, we'll meet again.
We'll meet again,
I think I always knew,
My summer girl, that it was you.