I’ve been looking forward to this release for several months, so I was understandably eager to get a copy as soon as it was released. Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later begins with the Wakefield twins separated – Elizabeth in New York and Jessica back home in Sweet Valley. We find out that Elizabeth has been victim of some unforgivable betrayal, and Jessica is desperate to contact her. The betrayal? Jessica has stolen Elizabeth’s longtime boyfriend Todd Wilkins!
Francine Pascal and St. Martin’s Press released the first chapter online months prior to the release of the book, and I have to say, this betrayal of Jessica’s is probably the most obvious twist imaginable. Many of us fell in love with the Sweet Valley that included kidnappings, murder, evil twins and vampires, so this new book is relatively mild in comparison.
Even thou there are many new characters, Pascal features many characters from the original series and updates us on what other folks have been doing. Some fans of the original Sweet Valley High series may be disappointed that some of the old characters are peripheral characters rather than major players in the action, but I think that may be one of the more realistic things about the book. How many of us are still close friends with exactly the same group of people that we knew in high school? Things change, even in Sweet Valley.
