Sweet Valley Twins #24: Jumping to Conclusions
I keep picking the ones with the marital troubles or supposed marital troubles, and this is no exception.
Cover:
I am not going to say anything about that cover except that it actually happens in the book.
The book starts with Liz and Jess throwing an anniversary party for their parents. It is their 16th anniversary. Ned and Alice come home and are so surprised because they have forgotten it was their anniversary. Ned is busy with some big lawyerly case and Alice has a big decorating job. Jessica worries that their parents aren’t in love anymore because she saw Alice having lunch with a strange man!
Liz, Amy, and Pamela are assigned a social studies project. They have to interview someone, write a paper, and present it to the class. They decide they will interview their parents about how they fell in love. Oh, the subtlety. They will research famous love stories for the paper and end with a poem. Gag. Everyone is so excited.
Jessica is still worried about her parents’ marriage. She heard her mother on the phone laughing and then Alice went into the bedroom to finish the call. Tee-hee, wonder why? ;) Well, she quizzes Alice about her new job. Turns out Alice is working for some rich Beverly Hills millionaire who has a big mansion and a silver limo and a private jet. Alice shows them a picture of the mansion that was in a magazine. It puts Lila’s house to shame. To shame, I say! He is also just average looking according to Alice.
Liz, Amy, and Pamela first interview Pamela’s mom. Pamela’s mom (PM) met Pamela’s dad (PD) when PM sprained her ankle in a sorority volleyball game. PD was the doctor who patched her up. PM didn’t notice how handsome he was because she was in pain, but noticed on her return checkup and knew that he was interested in her when he made a housecall for the third checkup. That’s gotta be an ethics breach or something. Amy’s parents met when they worked at an amusement park together and got stuck on top of the Ferris Wheel for an hour.
Jess and Lila see a silver limo outside the Wakefield’s house and it is Alice’s client. His name is Francis Howard, but he is called Frank. He is really handsome so we know that Alice lies! According to Lila, who has the rich-person-411, all the women chase him but he hasn’t ever married. Jess now knows her parents’ marriage is doomed. DOOMED!
Mrs. Wakefield is working late and Mr. Wakefield orders pizza for dinner. But he doesn’t seem upset his wife won’t be there, ergo, they are only pretending to be in love! This is the reasoning of Elizabeth. Jessica worries that her mother will never return because she’ll’ve (she will have, I created a double contraction!) run off with Mr. Howard aka Frank. Liz then tries to interview her dad on how he and Alice met but he is far more interested in the basketball game that is on. Alice returns and Liz and Jess pounce on her. Liz tries to get her to answer the questions, but Alice is tired and says the story is long. Another time, dear. Alice heads off to bed and the girls are like, You didn’t say hi to Dad! And Alice is like, “Oh, I almost forgot he was here.” OH NO!
Liz and Jess then tell Steven that they think their mom has fallen for her client. Steven says they are nuts. Steven is so right, you have no idea. Jessica and Liz now think that their mom showed them the picture of Mr. Howard’s mansion because they’ll be living there soon. The stupid, it burns! For some reason, this convinces Steven. The kids hatch the cockamamie scheme to scare Mr. Howard off by being obnoxious, rude, and dirty.
Jess and Liz get their first chance to put the plan into action a few days later. They are taking some of Alice’s designs to Mr. Howard. They go get into ugly, old, small, clashing clothing and comb gel into their hair to make it look stringy and dirty. They then go deliver the plans to Mr. Howard. He is shocked to see them and asks if they have been doing yardwork. They say they always dress like this and their mom designs their clothing-doesn’t she have great taste? They then run off giggling and Mr. Howard is just confused. An hour later, he arrives at the house! Jessica and Liz know they can’t pull the clothing stunt with their mom around so they have Steven turn up his stereo to be obnoxious. That lasts all of five minutes. Mr. Howard loved Alice’s designs. She invites him to lunch with the family. So, dirty and obnoxious didn’t work, so they move on to Plan 2 which is to make really disgusting salad dressing and make him eat it. Wake me when they get to Plan 9 all right? That one should be out of this world. So, Mr. Howard can’t take the spicy salad dressing and doesn’t even want to try Alice’s special casserole and takes off like a shot. As he leaves, Jessica says that it was too bad he couldn’t meet the rest of their brothers and sisters-the children from Alice’s first two marriages. Okay, now that is funny.
Back to the project. Amy has noticed Liz acting funny and calls her on it. Liz spills the whole story. Amy offers some reassurance and Liz starts to think that it is just Jessica’s over-active imagination. At Pamela’s house, PM is taking them to Casey’s for the Sooper-Dooper Banana Scooper. Why not Super Duper Banana Scuper instead? Then you are only misspelling one word. Pam is done with her part and Amy is done with her part, it is just Liz holding the group up. But they still have a week ‘til it is due. They sit where they can watch the Sweet Valley Middle School kids who are around go by. They see Bruce Patman, Charlie Cashman (aka Assman Jr.), and Jerry McAllister. Then they see Mrs. Wakefield. With Mr. Howard. The plan was foiled! PM points out that someone seems to be following them. It is someone in a trench coat and large felt hat (like on the cover) because people in California are always wearing trench coats and felt hats in the heat. It is Jessica in the stunningly stupid getup. Liz runs out to get Jess and they have a confab. Alice and Frank were china shopping and now they are in the (creatively named) Sweet Valley Jewelry Store looking at engagement rings!
The next day, Jessica has a new plan. She even skips a Unicorn meeting to put it into action. Her plan is this: tell Dad what has been going on. Pretty good plan, IMO. Well, they chicken out. They go talk to their dad, but they don’t tell them what they suspect. He is apparently going to win his big case and will take them all out to celebrate. The twins suggest he take their mom out instead because he missed their anniversary and all. He agrees. Liz and Jess hope this new plan will help their parents. But in case it doesn’t, Jessica has Plan 6: Tell Mr. Howard to leave their mom alone (Plan 1: ugly/obnoxious. Plan 2: screw with food. Plan 3: make up family members. Plan 4: follow everywhere. Plan 5: tell dad.). We are getting closer to that Plan 9, and I can’t wait! Unfortunately, Plan 6 is a dismal failure. Jess gets to Mr. Howard’s office and before she can talk to him, she overhears him on the phone and thinks that he and her mom are running away together the next night.
The project group isn’t going well either. Liz still hasn’t gotten her interview. She says she’ll drop out of the group so the other girls will still get good grades. Amy says she told Pamela and both girls support her. Jess runs in and spills what she heard. Plan 7 is hatched! They go get Steven and bring him in on the plan. They will invite Mr. Howard over for dinner since Alice and Ned will be away and introduce him to all 10 Wakefield children. They get some of Steven’s basketball teammates as volunteers. Oh, this will go well.
The Wakefield children hustle their parents out the door on their date and then set about destroying the house. The volunteers arrive looking gross as per orders. Mr. Howard arrives and is befuddled. They continue to trick him but who should return but Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield. Of-bloody-course. And then Mr. Howard’s fiancée Karen shows up. Oops.
Jessica has to explain what the heck they were doing and is really embarrassed. Everyone else is amused. It all works out. Frank and Alice never had anything going on, he had asked for her to redecorate another one of his offices, but she turns him down because she realizes that it was supposed to be a part-time job that had turned full time. And she needs only part-time because she has to keep an eye on her crazy family. Everyone then goes out to dinner together. They take the limo and drive by the Dairi Burger so Jess can impress the Unicorns. Liz also finds out about her parents first date. For continuity-hounds, she says that she and Ned went to DeSalvio’s Italian restaurant on their first date. Kinda. Ned was in law school and about to graduate and he and three other guys plus all their dates went to DeSalvio’s to celebrate. Alice was their waitress and it was her first night. Alice of course spills all the spaghetti and stuff all over Ned. Alice ran to the kitchen to cry and Ned ended up there when the chef gave him a chef’s outfit to wear. The two started talking and forgot about everyone else. They then had dinner together and were serenaded with a mandolin. Aww.
The final chapter deals with Billie Layton and how she is acting all weird. Ain’t no one allowed to act weird but Jessica. Oh, and besides reading the next book, Standing Out, we are told to not miss Super Edition #2 Holiday Mischief. Finally, this book was rather short at 103 pages long.
Cover:
I am not going to say anything about that cover except that it actually happens in the book.
The book starts with Liz and Jess throwing an anniversary party for their parents. It is their 16th anniversary. Ned and Alice come home and are so surprised because they have forgotten it was their anniversary. Ned is busy with some big lawyerly case and Alice has a big decorating job. Jessica worries that their parents aren’t in love anymore because she saw Alice having lunch with a strange man!
Liz, Amy, and Pamela are assigned a social studies project. They have to interview someone, write a paper, and present it to the class. They decide they will interview their parents about how they fell in love. Oh, the subtlety. They will research famous love stories for the paper and end with a poem. Gag. Everyone is so excited.
Jessica is still worried about her parents’ marriage. She heard her mother on the phone laughing and then Alice went into the bedroom to finish the call. Tee-hee, wonder why? ;) Well, she quizzes Alice about her new job. Turns out Alice is working for some rich Beverly Hills millionaire who has a big mansion and a silver limo and a private jet. Alice shows them a picture of the mansion that was in a magazine. It puts Lila’s house to shame. To shame, I say! He is also just average looking according to Alice.
Liz, Amy, and Pamela first interview Pamela’s mom. Pamela’s mom (PM) met Pamela’s dad (PD) when PM sprained her ankle in a sorority volleyball game. PD was the doctor who patched her up. PM didn’t notice how handsome he was because she was in pain, but noticed on her return checkup and knew that he was interested in her when he made a housecall for the third checkup. That’s gotta be an ethics breach or something. Amy’s parents met when they worked at an amusement park together and got stuck on top of the Ferris Wheel for an hour.
Jess and Lila see a silver limo outside the Wakefield’s house and it is Alice’s client. His name is Francis Howard, but he is called Frank. He is really handsome so we know that Alice lies! According to Lila, who has the rich-person-411, all the women chase him but he hasn’t ever married. Jess now knows her parents’ marriage is doomed. DOOMED!
Mrs. Wakefield is working late and Mr. Wakefield orders pizza for dinner. But he doesn’t seem upset his wife won’t be there, ergo, they are only pretending to be in love! This is the reasoning of Elizabeth. Jessica worries that her mother will never return because she’ll’ve (she will have, I created a double contraction!) run off with Mr. Howard aka Frank. Liz then tries to interview her dad on how he and Alice met but he is far more interested in the basketball game that is on. Alice returns and Liz and Jess pounce on her. Liz tries to get her to answer the questions, but Alice is tired and says the story is long. Another time, dear. Alice heads off to bed and the girls are like, You didn’t say hi to Dad! And Alice is like, “Oh, I almost forgot he was here.” OH NO!
Liz and Jess then tell Steven that they think their mom has fallen for her client. Steven says they are nuts. Steven is so right, you have no idea. Jessica and Liz now think that their mom showed them the picture of Mr. Howard’s mansion because they’ll be living there soon. The stupid, it burns! For some reason, this convinces Steven. The kids hatch the cockamamie scheme to scare Mr. Howard off by being obnoxious, rude, and dirty.
Jess and Liz get their first chance to put the plan into action a few days later. They are taking some of Alice’s designs to Mr. Howard. They go get into ugly, old, small, clashing clothing and comb gel into their hair to make it look stringy and dirty. They then go deliver the plans to Mr. Howard. He is shocked to see them and asks if they have been doing yardwork. They say they always dress like this and their mom designs their clothing-doesn’t she have great taste? They then run off giggling and Mr. Howard is just confused. An hour later, he arrives at the house! Jessica and Liz know they can’t pull the clothing stunt with their mom around so they have Steven turn up his stereo to be obnoxious. That lasts all of five minutes. Mr. Howard loved Alice’s designs. She invites him to lunch with the family. So, dirty and obnoxious didn’t work, so they move on to Plan 2 which is to make really disgusting salad dressing and make him eat it. Wake me when they get to Plan 9 all right? That one should be out of this world. So, Mr. Howard can’t take the spicy salad dressing and doesn’t even want to try Alice’s special casserole and takes off like a shot. As he leaves, Jessica says that it was too bad he couldn’t meet the rest of their brothers and sisters-the children from Alice’s first two marriages. Okay, now that is funny.
Back to the project. Amy has noticed Liz acting funny and calls her on it. Liz spills the whole story. Amy offers some reassurance and Liz starts to think that it is just Jessica’s over-active imagination. At Pamela’s house, PM is taking them to Casey’s for the Sooper-Dooper Banana Scooper. Why not Super Duper Banana Scuper instead? Then you are only misspelling one word. Pam is done with her part and Amy is done with her part, it is just Liz holding the group up. But they still have a week ‘til it is due. They sit where they can watch the Sweet Valley Middle School kids who are around go by. They see Bruce Patman, Charlie Cashman (aka Assman Jr.), and Jerry McAllister. Then they see Mrs. Wakefield. With Mr. Howard. The plan was foiled! PM points out that someone seems to be following them. It is someone in a trench coat and large felt hat (like on the cover) because people in California are always wearing trench coats and felt hats in the heat. It is Jessica in the stunningly stupid getup. Liz runs out to get Jess and they have a confab. Alice and Frank were china shopping and now they are in the (creatively named) Sweet Valley Jewelry Store looking at engagement rings!
The next day, Jessica has a new plan. She even skips a Unicorn meeting to put it into action. Her plan is this: tell Dad what has been going on. Pretty good plan, IMO. Well, they chicken out. They go talk to their dad, but they don’t tell them what they suspect. He is apparently going to win his big case and will take them all out to celebrate. The twins suggest he take their mom out instead because he missed their anniversary and all. He agrees. Liz and Jess hope this new plan will help their parents. But in case it doesn’t, Jessica has Plan 6: Tell Mr. Howard to leave their mom alone (Plan 1: ugly/obnoxious. Plan 2: screw with food. Plan 3: make up family members. Plan 4: follow everywhere. Plan 5: tell dad.). We are getting closer to that Plan 9, and I can’t wait! Unfortunately, Plan 6 is a dismal failure. Jess gets to Mr. Howard’s office and before she can talk to him, she overhears him on the phone and thinks that he and her mom are running away together the next night.
The project group isn’t going well either. Liz still hasn’t gotten her interview. She says she’ll drop out of the group so the other girls will still get good grades. Amy says she told Pamela and both girls support her. Jess runs in and spills what she heard. Plan 7 is hatched! They go get Steven and bring him in on the plan. They will invite Mr. Howard over for dinner since Alice and Ned will be away and introduce him to all 10 Wakefield children. They get some of Steven’s basketball teammates as volunteers. Oh, this will go well.
The Wakefield children hustle their parents out the door on their date and then set about destroying the house. The volunteers arrive looking gross as per orders. Mr. Howard arrives and is befuddled. They continue to trick him but who should return but Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield. Of-bloody-course. And then Mr. Howard’s fiancée Karen shows up. Oops.
Jessica has to explain what the heck they were doing and is really embarrassed. Everyone else is amused. It all works out. Frank and Alice never had anything going on, he had asked for her to redecorate another one of his offices, but she turns him down because she realizes that it was supposed to be a part-time job that had turned full time. And she needs only part-time because she has to keep an eye on her crazy family. Everyone then goes out to dinner together. They take the limo and drive by the Dairi Burger so Jess can impress the Unicorns. Liz also finds out about her parents first date. For continuity-hounds, she says that she and Ned went to DeSalvio’s Italian restaurant on their first date. Kinda. Ned was in law school and about to graduate and he and three other guys plus all their dates went to DeSalvio’s to celebrate. Alice was their waitress and it was her first night. Alice of course spills all the spaghetti and stuff all over Ned. Alice ran to the kitchen to cry and Ned ended up there when the chef gave him a chef’s outfit to wear. The two started talking and forgot about everyone else. They then had dinner together and were serenaded with a mandolin. Aww.
The final chapter deals with Billie Layton and how she is acting all weird. Ain’t no one allowed to act weird but Jessica. Oh, and besides reading the next book, Standing Out, we are told to not miss Super Edition #2 Holiday Mischief. Finally, this book was rather short at 103 pages long.