Sweet Valley Senior Year #8 Maria Who?
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I think all the books I have are already recapped, but
We start with the senior year diary entries where Liz and Maria angst over emo-boy, Conner. Can I add here I would love to read the book where Todd punched Conner? Tia being hyper emotional over Angel going to college and Angel worrying how he’s going to pay for it all.
Live Journal cut From here on I’ll try to split out the different plots.
The play / Maria - We start as Maria is thinking how this Saturday morning would be Utopia if she just had coffee, but horrors if she goes to HOJ she might run into Liz and Connor, but then she realizes that she can make coffee at home and her little woodland creature friends can join her on her mother’s sun porch. Hark! What is that but the telephone? The lead in the school play is ill and only Maria can replace her since the drama teacher didn’t cast an understudy. And this not being my high school, no girl’s parents are going to threaten to sue her for giving the part to someone who didn’t audition over their daughter.
Anyway, Maria goes to run the idea by Ken to see if he still thinks everything she does is wonderful, not that they are into each other or anything. She decides to take the part and at practice we find out she’s better than the lead would have been anyway. Tia and Jessica gossip about the play in the back. Jessica’s nervous because she’s never faked kissed anyone in front of an audience before. Somewhere Bill Chase dies a little. Maria comes home excited to tell her parents. Her parents, channeling Ned and Alice from “Runaway”, say how nice it is that she has talent since she doesn’t have her sister’s brains and that they can’t wait to tell her sister.
Maria, Tia, and Jessica practice for the play and discuss Jessica’s secret admirer (see below). Ken comes over, and Tia hints that he could be the secret admirer. Maria silently freaks since they used to date.
Maria and Liz tell each other they are sorry. Maria realizes Liz + Connor=tru luv. I gag.
Maria’s parents compliment her on the play. Then say it’s too bad that Nina can’t come home to see it because it really is all about Nina. To prove her importance, Maria rearranges the dressing room backstage to give herself the most space. The rest of cast isn’t so happy to be demoted.
Ken decides to eat lunch with Maria, but gets really upset when the twins & Tia join them. Maybe he’s afraid that the twins will tell Maria he’s a bad kisser? Eventually, he gets over it. Tia and Jessica get annoyed when Maria tells them that their voices don’t carry. The teacher doesn’t notice this because she hasn’t been a professional like Maria.
Elizabeth tries to talk to her after class about the Oracle. Maria blows her off, figuring she just wants to whine about Connor some more. I suddenly like Maria a little more. According to the diary entry afterwards, Ken is trying to think of a way to thank Maria for the improvement in his grades. Hope she doesn’t blow him off. Then again, maybe he would enjoy it or maybe Sweet Valley boys prefer calculus help.
The teacher can’t do enough to feed Maria’s ego about how great her ideas are. Maria runs home to tell her parents how smart her teacher says she is. They never hear about it since Nina is so much smarter she won an award. Who cares about Maria’s play? (Okay all of you put your hands down now) They ask Ken to videotape the play when she asks why they are missing it. She and her parents have it out. She snaps at Ken when he tries to listen the next day and then everyone else. The drama teacher is excited that she has a diva starring in her play. Eventually, Maria realizes she’s the problem. Ken tells Tia and Jessica about the Slater’s taking the bad parenting award. The girls make up and the play goes well. And then we find out that Ken convinced Mr. Slater to come to the play. Maybe he informed them about the parenting award.
Tia & Angel - Angel’s got a new job working at the Riot as a bartender to help save money at school. Tia’s pouting since he’s about to leave for school he should be spending every moment she’s free with her. Tia decides what he needs is all his friends hanging around him his first night at work, because that will surely impress his new boss. (Rolls eyes) Tia whines to Andy that Angel like works, okay, during his first shift. Tia calls Angel up the next day, and he gives her a run-down of his schedule since he needs the cash. Tia pouts through the phone call while congratulating herself on not being the type of girlfriend who pouts all the time. Angel surprises Tia by coming by after work one night. Tia tells him that she wants to go to San Francisco for their anniversary. LA to San Fran is at least a day’s drive. I’m sure her parents will be fine with their underage daughter going away with her adult boyfriend. We, then, leave Tia and Angel until the end of the book when she whines about him going out with the boys. He thinks he’s investing in their anniversary celebration when he gambles.
Connor / Liz- Connor doesn’t want anyone to mention Diz’s-name around him. Diz is wallowing like there’s no tomorrow. Connor and Angel decide to plan a boys’ night out. They invite Andy who invites Ken. Angel invites Will. Will throws Ken’s former football career in his face, when Ken walks in to the race track. Ken and Connor disagree rather gambling is quality father - son bonding time. Connor convinces Angel it would be more fun if Angel placed bets for them. I can so see this ending well. Ken explains betting on horses to the guys, who are in awe of his knowledge.
Jessica - After play rehearsal comes home to find a box waiting for her. Since it’s not ticking we know it’s not from Melissa. Lila shows up and acts snotty. I still can’t figure out how Lila in all her fabulousness would believe Melissa instead of Jessica. Back to the story, it’s a journal evidently her secret admirer doesn’t know the difference between Liz and Jess. Jessica tries to cheer Liz up, and stays up late. Luckily when she gets to work, her boyfriend has a surprise for her coffee and a rose. Aaaww, but he doesn’t claim the journal, which confuses Jess. After work, Jessica finds a poem has been left on her windshield. She talks it over with Tia and Maria. Tia says that Jessica is pretty dateable. I’m sure the senior boys agree as Jessica has dated pretty much all of them at one time or another. Jessica points out that she’s still a social leper. Maria silently marvels that Jessica isn’t as psychotic as she used to be. Tia thinks it could be Will. Jessica thinks he’s still Melissa-whipped. Of course and he will be for the rest of his natural life. After play rehearsal, Jessica receives a silver necklace from the admirer further making her think that it’s her hot co-star Charlie. It includes a quote from Casablanca. Again, I think he’s confusing the twins because, as we have heard many times, that is size six Liz’s all time favorite movie. Jessica won’t put the necklace on because it wouldn’t be fair to Jeremy. I think Jessica and Jeremy may be the ideal couple that Liz and Todd were supposed to be. The next day, Jessica goes to talk to Charlie and he laughs in her face. The old Jessica would have told him he could only hope on being lucky enough to go out with her. I miss the old Jessica a little. The secret admirer leaves Jessica concert tickets. She’s torn between hoping he’s cute, fearing he’s a stalker, and fearing someone’s setting her up. At the concert, she sees it’s worse. The secret admirer is Will.
Melissa & Will - Will wants to play it low key between Jessica & Melissa. Melissa writes a note to Cherie bitching at her for not reporting that Melissa’s suicide attempt was major news.
I think all the books I have are already recapped, but
We start with the senior year diary entries where Liz and Maria angst over emo-boy, Conner. Can I add here I would love to read the book where Todd punched Conner? Tia being hyper emotional over Angel going to college and Angel worrying how he’s going to pay for it all.
Live Journal cut From here on I’ll try to split out the different plots.
The play / Maria - We start as Maria is thinking how this Saturday morning would be Utopia if she just had coffee, but horrors if she goes to HOJ she might run into Liz and Connor, but then she realizes that she can make coffee at home and her little woodland creature friends can join her on her mother’s sun porch. Hark! What is that but the telephone? The lead in the school play is ill and only Maria can replace her since the drama teacher didn’t cast an understudy. And this not being my high school, no girl’s parents are going to threaten to sue her for giving the part to someone who didn’t audition over their daughter.
Anyway, Maria goes to run the idea by Ken to see if he still thinks everything she does is wonderful, not that they are into each other or anything. She decides to take the part and at practice we find out she’s better than the lead would have been anyway. Tia and Jessica gossip about the play in the back. Jessica’s nervous because she’s never faked kissed anyone in front of an audience before. Somewhere Bill Chase dies a little. Maria comes home excited to tell her parents. Her parents, channeling Ned and Alice from “Runaway”, say how nice it is that she has talent since she doesn’t have her sister’s brains and that they can’t wait to tell her sister.
Maria, Tia, and Jessica practice for the play and discuss Jessica’s secret admirer (see below). Ken comes over, and Tia hints that he could be the secret admirer. Maria silently freaks since they used to date.
Maria and Liz tell each other they are sorry. Maria realizes Liz + Connor=tru luv. I gag.
Maria’s parents compliment her on the play. Then say it’s too bad that Nina can’t come home to see it because it really is all about Nina. To prove her importance, Maria rearranges the dressing room backstage to give herself the most space. The rest of cast isn’t so happy to be demoted.
Ken decides to eat lunch with Maria, but gets really upset when the twins & Tia join them. Maybe he’s afraid that the twins will tell Maria he’s a bad kisser? Eventually, he gets over it. Tia and Jessica get annoyed when Maria tells them that their voices don’t carry. The teacher doesn’t notice this because she hasn’t been a professional like Maria.
Elizabeth tries to talk to her after class about the Oracle. Maria blows her off, figuring she just wants to whine about Connor some more. I suddenly like Maria a little more. According to the diary entry afterwards, Ken is trying to think of a way to thank Maria for the improvement in his grades. Hope she doesn’t blow him off. Then again, maybe he would enjoy it or maybe Sweet Valley boys prefer calculus help.
The teacher can’t do enough to feed Maria’s ego about how great her ideas are. Maria runs home to tell her parents how smart her teacher says she is. They never hear about it since Nina is so much smarter she won an award. Who cares about Maria’s play? (Okay all of you put your hands down now) They ask Ken to videotape the play when she asks why they are missing it. She and her parents have it out. She snaps at Ken when he tries to listen the next day and then everyone else. The drama teacher is excited that she has a diva starring in her play. Eventually, Maria realizes she’s the problem. Ken tells Tia and Jessica about the Slater’s taking the bad parenting award. The girls make up and the play goes well. And then we find out that Ken convinced Mr. Slater to come to the play. Maybe he informed them about the parenting award.
Tia & Angel - Angel’s got a new job working at the Riot as a bartender to help save money at school. Tia’s pouting since he’s about to leave for school he should be spending every moment she’s free with her. Tia decides what he needs is all his friends hanging around him his first night at work, because that will surely impress his new boss. (Rolls eyes) Tia whines to Andy that Angel like works, okay, during his first shift. Tia calls Angel up the next day, and he gives her a run-down of his schedule since he needs the cash. Tia pouts through the phone call while congratulating herself on not being the type of girlfriend who pouts all the time. Angel surprises Tia by coming by after work one night. Tia tells him that she wants to go to San Francisco for their anniversary. LA to San Fran is at least a day’s drive. I’m sure her parents will be fine with their underage daughter going away with her adult boyfriend. We, then, leave Tia and Angel until the end of the book when she whines about him going out with the boys. He thinks he’s investing in their anniversary celebration when he gambles.
Connor / Liz- Connor doesn’t want anyone to mention Diz’s-name around him. Diz is wallowing like there’s no tomorrow. Connor and Angel decide to plan a boys’ night out. They invite Andy who invites Ken. Angel invites Will. Will throws Ken’s former football career in his face, when Ken walks in to the race track. Ken and Connor disagree rather gambling is quality father - son bonding time. Connor convinces Angel it would be more fun if Angel placed bets for them. I can so see this ending well. Ken explains betting on horses to the guys, who are in awe of his knowledge.
Jessica - After play rehearsal comes home to find a box waiting for her. Since it’s not ticking we know it’s not from Melissa. Lila shows up and acts snotty. I still can’t figure out how Lila in all her fabulousness would believe Melissa instead of Jessica. Back to the story, it’s a journal evidently her secret admirer doesn’t know the difference between Liz and Jess. Jessica tries to cheer Liz up, and stays up late. Luckily when she gets to work, her boyfriend has a surprise for her coffee and a rose. Aaaww, but he doesn’t claim the journal, which confuses Jess. After work, Jessica finds a poem has been left on her windshield. She talks it over with Tia and Maria. Tia says that Jessica is pretty dateable. I’m sure the senior boys agree as Jessica has dated pretty much all of them at one time or another. Jessica points out that she’s still a social leper. Maria silently marvels that Jessica isn’t as psychotic as she used to be. Tia thinks it could be Will. Jessica thinks he’s still Melissa-whipped. Of course and he will be for the rest of his natural life. After play rehearsal, Jessica receives a silver necklace from the admirer further making her think that it’s her hot co-star Charlie. It includes a quote from Casablanca. Again, I think he’s confusing the twins because, as we have heard many times, that is size six Liz’s all time favorite movie. Jessica won’t put the necklace on because it wouldn’t be fair to Jeremy. I think Jessica and Jeremy may be the ideal couple that Liz and Todd were supposed to be. The next day, Jessica goes to talk to Charlie and he laughs in her face. The old Jessica would have told him he could only hope on being lucky enough to go out with her. I miss the old Jessica a little. The secret admirer leaves Jessica concert tickets. She’s torn between hoping he’s cute, fearing he’s a stalker, and fearing someone’s setting her up. At the concert, she sees it’s worse. The secret admirer is Will.
Melissa & Will - Will wants to play it low key between Jessica & Melissa. Melissa writes a note to Cherie bitching at her for not reporting that Melissa’s suicide attempt was major news.