Estimated Elapsed Time: 2 weeks
Summary/Overview:
Todd Wilkins is moving back to Sweet Valley after an unspecified amount of time living in Burlington, Vermont. Liz is distraught about this news, because she heard it from other people and not from Todd himself. She also worries about what it will mean for her and Jeffrey. Jeffrey is also worried about this.
When Todd gets back into town, he’s a little different. His dad is now president of his company, and they’re moving into a huge mansion in Lila’s neighborhood. Todd visits with Elizabeth and makes it pretty clear he wants to start seeing her again, even though she’s dating someone else. Elizabeth is confused.
Winston throws Todd a welcome back party, and everyone attends. The girls meet Courtney Kane, who clearly has it bad for Todd. Jessica gets Todd to take her to a party at his school. She meets a boy named Sheffield Eastman (seriously). Liz is still confused about her feelings for both Jeffrey and Todd, despite the fact that Jeffrey takes her on a romantic date and couldn’t be more supportive of the bullshit she’s putting him through.
Todd and Courtney co-host a party, for whatever reason. Courtney has set things up so that Todd thinks Elizabeth and Jeffrey are stronger than ever. Liz seems to be awfully heartbroken about the fact that Todd has a date to his party, and Jeffrey picks up on this, because Jeffrey is not an idiot. He realizes that Liz wants to be with Todd. This is reinforced when he sees Courtney slip a piece of paper into Liz’s jacket and sneaks away. He can tell she’s plotting something.
And she is: she sets it up so Liz accidentally sees the two of them kissing. Liz runs away crying. Jeffrey tells Todd what happened, and Todd rushes off to Secca Lake to meet Liz. They get back together.
Poor Jeffrey.
Memorable Quotes:
- “Elizabeth punched him playfully on the arm. ‘I didn’t wear silk to eat pepperoni!’” (43)
- “Elizabeth giggled, but Lila was not amused. ‘Oh, Jessica,’ she said, ‘don’t be so gauche! I’m sure if you had the chance to spend more time with Courtney, you’d like her as much as I do.’” (71)
Trivia/Fun Facts:
- Todd no longer attends SVH. He now goes to Lovett Academy.
- The company Todd’s dad works for is called Varitronics.
- Todd drives a BMW now instead of a rusty brown Datsun.
(Totally Unqualified) Critical Analysis:
I guess my biggest problem with this book is the fact that Liz’s actions are totally irrational. I understand that seeing an old boyfriend can stir up feelings long repressed, but it doesn’t make sense that her immediate reaction would be, “Will I choose Todd or Jeffrey?” It’s incredibly egotistical to think that she’ll even have that choice.
Also, poor Jeffrey. He might be totally boring, but he doesn’t deserve this kind of crap. The whole concept that he has to wait while Liz makes up her mind about who she wants to be with is totally shitty. I don’t even begin to understand how this is like, a legitimate course of action. It makes me mad, and then I get even madder because I’m mad about a Sweet Valley High book.
Tags: jeffrey french, love triangle, someone else is a sociopath, someone throws a party, todd wilkins, you can't understand my pain








