Recently, Blogger extraordinaire Stephanie Faris posted about young adult Novels. This got me thinking of my very favorite: Sweet Valley High series. Oh how I loved those books. I started reading about them when I was about 11 or 12. I devoured them until I was about 14 or so. I just outgrew them. When I started to write this post, I did a little googling. (I love to Google) The last book I remember reading was the 25th installment in the series, “Nowhere to Run”, which came out in 1986. According to the Sweet Valley website, there are a total of 143 books, not including several “Special Editions”. Apparently I gave in to smut pretty early on. I passed on the first 25 novels to my younger cousin. She had just moved to Florida from Haiti and I just new she would love t hem as much as I did. Of course she did. I think I tried to read some of the Sweet Valley High College books, but by then I had moved on to Jackie Collins. Who cares what Liz and Jess are up to, if you can read about the antics of Lucky Santangelo? No contest.
Well kids, Francine Pascal is back. (Apparently she never really went away, I just stopped reading her) And so are Jessica and Elizabeth. Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later is coming out (in hard cover—no less) on March 29, 2011. I won’t lie to you I am getting this book. This takes place 10 years after they have graduated High School and they are now in their late 20’s. Yes, yes, I am well aware that I am hurtling towards 40 at an alarming rate; however I am totally up for this book.
According to the Daily Beast, there is sex in this one. Does Liz finally have sex with Todd? If memory serves, I think Todd had come back to live in Sweet Valley. He had moved to Vermont, Dad got a big job. (insert dramatic sigh here)
My problem, with reading teen novels as an adult, is that I keep thinking, just do it already. But as mentioned in (Sometimes it's ok to give in to the trash) young men and women shouldn’t just do it already. Sex is not a Nike slogan. They should wait until they are ready. Then just do it very carefully. With condoms. I suppose the more important question is why am I reading Teen or Tween novels? (Shrugs) Some things become part of popular culture and there is such chatter about them that you just sort of cave.
So help me, that’s what happened with me and Harry Potter. I may recycle a post I wrote about that. My obsession with HP is epic, and it concerns my friends and family.
At any rate, I am looking forward to reading about Jessica, Liz and the old gang from Sweet Valley.
Well kids, Francine Pascal is back. (Apparently she never really went away, I just stopped reading her) And so are Jessica and Elizabeth. Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later is coming out (in hard cover—no less) on March 29, 2011. I won’t lie to you I am getting this book. This takes place 10 years after they have graduated High School and they are now in their late 20’s. Yes, yes, I am well aware that I am hurtling towards 40 at an alarming rate; however I am totally up for this book.
According to the Daily Beast, there is sex in this one. Does Liz finally have sex with Todd? If memory serves, I think Todd had come back to live in Sweet Valley. He had moved to Vermont, Dad got a big job. (insert dramatic sigh here)
My problem, with reading teen novels as an adult, is that I keep thinking, just do it already. But as mentioned in (Sometimes it's ok to give in to the trash) young men and women shouldn’t just do it already. Sex is not a Nike slogan. They should wait until they are ready. Then just do it very carefully. With condoms. I suppose the more important question is why am I reading Teen or Tween novels? (Shrugs) Some things become part of popular culture and there is such chatter about them that you just sort of cave.
So help me, that’s what happened with me and Harry Potter. I may recycle a post I wrote about that. My obsession with HP is epic, and it concerns my friends and family.
At any rate, I am looking forward to reading about Jessica, Liz and the old gang from Sweet Valley.
Cool! Did I tell you I tested to write for them...twice? A book packager handled those books -- Daniel Weiss Associates. (Daniel Weiss now is a literary agent, I think?) Francine would come up with detailed outlines and they'd pay writers $2,000 a book to write books in her voice. I couldn't get her voice down. I had so much FUN doing it, though!
ReplyDeletehilarious! i never read sweet valley high, but did go through a baby sitters club phase. and am happily still an obsessed harry potter fan!
ReplyDeleteSteph: I always love it when you stop by. thanks!
ReplyDeleteAmy: Welcome, and thanks for reading. I appreciate it.