Sweet Valley

Ok, the world is a-buzz with Sweet Valley news.  It's all over twitter, The Mountain Goats even tweeted about Sweet Valley.  Why is it everywhere?  Because!!  There is a NEW SWEET VALLEY BOOK out!  Yes!  It has happened!  Elizabeth and Jessica got past those pesky teen years (or I guess they did that sometime in the series when I had given up reading?  I heard something about an earthquake and people dying and what not).

I am about to embark on a review reading from over at Forever Young Adult but before I spoil myself too much I am going to wax all poetic about my on-going love for the crap-fest that is Sweet Valley.

So yeah, basically chicky-babe Francine Pascal, or whomever, wrote a shitton of books about the physically perfect Wakefield twins and their idyllic, and not so idyllic, lives in Sweet Valley, California.  The girls somehow managed (at one point in time) to be 6 years old, 12 years old, and 16 years old all at the same time (see Sweet Valley Kids, Sweet Valley Twins, and Sweet Valley High).  These books shaped my youth.  Or they were part of it.  Seriously.  Yeah I still remember asking for Sweet Valley High 40 for Christmas in 5th grade, then pouring over it the whole day (or well the hour and a half it took me to read it).  Because that was the book where REGINA DIED!  Yes, the infamous, try coke once and you DIE story-line!

The girl who modeled for Lila on the cover of the original books was the most beautiful girl I'd seen, and dude, I don't care if he is the biggest lamer EVER (aside from Jeffrey French) but I was totally in love with Todd.  Seriously.  I couldn't help it.  He seemed so nice, and sweet, and I was 9.

I loved those books, and of course the Baby-Sitter's Club, and some of the other generic and random series that were all craptabulous but that I loved.  So, it's been awesome to delve into the Sweet Valley Nostalgia...well aside from the nice trips down memory lane that Forever Young Adult offers every so often with the Sweet Valley drinking game posts.  Now, off to read the review of the newest Sweet Valley book!