What better book to start off with than Double Love - I first read this when I was about 10 years old and borrowed it from my older sister. I enjoyed SVH back then, and had no idea at the time what a complete load of crap these books were. I still love reading them for nostalgic reasons, but these days rage overcomes and I find myself wanting to punch the twins in the face multiple times throughout each book. This will be a long one since it requires a lot of character introduction. And I'll try to be nice for the first recap 😈
Cover: Jessica on the left, Elizabeth on the right. They don't look like identical twins to me at all, here. Sisters, yes, twins, no. Both have terrible hairstyles.
The book begins with Jessica complaining to Elizabeth about how hideous and fat she (Jessica) is. Never mind the fact that Elizabeth is her exact double. The author is quick to clarify that the twins are actually perfect: "What was actually reflected in the glass was about the most adorable, most dazzling sixteen year old girl imaginable". Elizabeth calls her out on this and Jess says she wasn't talking about Liz. Segue to the classic Chapter Two spiel from each book. Twins, identical, differing personalities, wearing matching lavalieres.
The phone rings and Jessica answers. It's Todd Wilkins, one of the cutest guys in school, calling for Elizabeth. Jessica considers every hot guy her domain, so she's immediately annoyed the call isn't for her and tells him Liz isn't available. When Liz asked who called, Jess lies and tells her Todd called to wish Jessica luck with the Pi Beta Alpha (high school sorority) pledges that are happening that day. Elizabeth is upset because she has a crush on Todd and they made eye contact recently so she'd been hoping he'd call her, but doesn't let on.
The twins have breakfast with their parents, Alice, an interior designer and Ned, a lawyer. Many times during the series the twins will internally monologue about the attractiveness of their parents and brother, Steven, who's away at college. It gets really creepy at times. They're given permission to drive a family car to school, but Elizabeth is only to do the actual driving as Jessica had a slight accident recently. Jessica has a minor tantrum at this and acts like a huge drama queen. In the car, Jessica mentions that she thinks Ned has been spending suspicious amounts of time with a partner in his firm, Marianna. Liz brushes this off but secretly she's been wondering about this, too. They arrive at school and Jessica's upset that Elizabeth is going to talk to her nerdy best friend, Enid, simply because people might think it's Jessica talking to her instead. Enid excitedly tells Liz that Ronnie Edwards, a new guy, called and asked her to go to the upcoming Phi Epsilon (the male version of their sorority) dance. Liz runs into Todd, who says he wants to talk to her and they agree to meet after school.
Both twins make it into Pi Beta Alpha and Jess tells Liz she thinks Todd is going to ask her (Jessica) to the dance. Liz cries but everyone thinks it's happy tears from being accepted to Pi Beta.
Liz is slightly late meeting Todd and arrives at their designated spot just in time to see him driving off in their car with Jessica.
Elizabeth arrives home and Steven's there, on a break (the first of many) from college. They're making food in the kitchen when Jess arrives home and Elizabeth calls her out for taking the car and making her walk home from school. Jessica is a complete sociopath and turns things around by saying she saw Liz get in another car with a group of kids and leave, so she had to drive herself home. She's all, "How could you!? It was sneaky and rotten of you. Do you want me to get in trouble for driving?" Liz says none of that's true, she got held up at the Oracle (school newspaper) office. Jessica's like, "Okay, I forgive you!" Elizabeth rolls over and takes this, but asks if Todd mentioned meeting 'someone' after school. Jessica says no. Jessica offers to fix Steven up with her friend Cara, but he declines. She deduces from this that he's secretly seeing someone else and it must be someone she wouldn't like, or he wouldn't be secretive about it. Elizabeth tells her to mind her own business and as Jessica leaves, throws a sponge across the room in frustration as her mother enters. Alice asks what's wrong and Liz breaks down in tears and starts talking about how boring she is. Steve interrupts and mentions Jessica's on the phone to Todd and Liz runs upstairs, leaving Alice gaping after her, but not bothering to go up and check on her daughter.
The next day at school, Jessica's friend Cara comes into the Oracle office to tell Liz that the secret writer of the Eyes and Ears gossip column, should add a note about Jessica and Todd. Liz is actually the writer of this column but it's school tradition that the writer's identity remains secret. Liz adds the notes and then breaks down in tears again as the paper's adviser, Mr Roger Collins, who is constantly described as looking like a young Robert Redford, comes in. She tells him what's wrong and he offers her a handkerchief and suggest working as a way to forget her problems. Mr Collins will become increasingly inappropriate and way too involved over the course of the series, but he starts out slowly in this book. The sports editor, John Pfeifer, comes in and mentions Todd and Liz runs out in despair. She passes Jess and Todd in the hallway but doesn't stop and then Todd asks Jess if she explained to Liz why he didn't meet her the other day. She ignores the question and says Liz is always in a rush, since she's got so many guys on the go. She hints that she and Todd should go to the dance together since neither have a date but he doesn't respond as she'd like and takes off. Jessica cries out of frustration and then walks home, swinging her hips, since she always attracts a lot of attention from passing cars and needs validation. It pretty much says exactly this in the book.
She does attract attention, in the form of Rick Andover, a local hoodlum. He calls her Heaven and tells her they have a date for the next night. Jessica knows she shouldn't but he's hot and she needs some attention since Todd isn't giving her any. She agrees to meet him the next night. It's made clear that this guy is bad news and nobody would approve, so she keeps it a secret.
She tells Liz she has a date, but won't tell her who with, so Liz assumes it's Todd. Rick picks her up and takes her to a seedy local bar. They drink boilermakers and he gets gropey, so she gets up to leave. And older guy stops to ask if she's okay, while also being seedy. Rick tries to punch him and the man blocks his fist and knocks him down. The cops show up and one of them assumes Jess is Elizabeth after she says her name is Wakefield. She doesn't correct him. He drops her home and calls her Elizabeth again, while telling her to stay away from Rick and brawls at Kelly's. Jessica doesn't notice but the local gossip, Caroline Pearce, walks past at the same time with her dog and overhears.
The next days, Liz wakes up with a sense of optimism and decides if Todd likes Jess, there's nothing she can do. However, once at school she starts receiving sidelong glances and Bruce Patman, the school's hot, rich douche stops her to tell her he didn't know she 'had it in her'. Liz is confused and Enid, who's heard the gossip, tries to explain and be understanding but gets side-tracked by Ronnie waving at her and runs off. Ronnie tells Enid he doesn't know how she can talk to Elizabeth and gets all judgey. Remember this, because his douchiness is a set up for book #2. Liz spends the whole day dealing with odd looks and whispering. Once home, she catches Enid on the phones who finally explains everything. Jessica then runs in in tears because she's now heard that Steven is dating the town tramp, Betsy Martin. Jessica's horrified at what this will do to the family. Liz momentarily is too, but then demands Jessica explain the Rick Andover mess. She does and apologises and promises to explain everything, especially to Todd. It's implied Jessica will do this to assist Liz but don't be deluded.
We then switch to Enid's place, where Ronnie arrives for a beach date. He's brought Todd along, because Todd is all down about Liz being a whore and tramping around. Both guys judge her at the beach and talk about how difficult 'forgiveness' will be and disregard Enid's efforts to defend Liz. Ronnie says if he was friends with her he'd never speak to her again and Enid then thinks that Ronnie can never find out her own secret! We don't find out what it is, yet. Something trampy, I presume.
The next day, the twins are in the kitchen and Jess is babbling about how all the Rick gossip is dying down. Liz disagrees, but finds when she arrives at school it kind of has - everyone is gossiping about the fact that local rich man, George Fowler, is trying to buy the school's football field and use the land for a new factory. Alternatively, Bruce's father Hank Patman is also buying the land to build an amusement park. These are the two richest families in Sweet Valley. George is the father of Lila Fowler, who technically is Jessica's BFF and always was all throughout the Kids & Twins series, but the first few books in SVH imply their friendship is just starting. This series was published first, so it makes sense but makes the timeline a little odd.
There's a huge uproar with the students, talk of sit ins, etc, since nobody can use the field at all until the matter is settled in court. There's a big group of students all yelling at Bruce and Lila, while they yell at each other. Then Bruce starts yelling at Jess about her trampy sister and how her father is having an affair with Marianna. Elizabeth suddenly recalls an argument she heard her parents having the week before, but dismisses it. Todd comes up and compliments her reporting but Jess pulls him away, saying she needs to talk to him asap. She then starts crying, saying she can't stand what people are saying about Elizabeth and admits it had been her at Kelly's. Todd is a moron and takes this to mean it definitely was Elizabeth there, though he'd had his doubts and Jessica is amazingly trying to cover to save her sister's reputation. He calls her 'noble' and kisses her, then tells her he's taking her to the dance. The news goes around the school and Liz hears, then gets distracted by Bruce Patman making fun of her trampiness and saying he wants to take her to the dance because she's easy. She's saved by Winston Egbert, who's supposed to be a huge nerd but possibly ends up being the best person in the whole series. He defends her to Bruce and says he's actually already taking Liz to the dance. She agrees and thinks she'll genuinely have fun with Winston at the dance and feels happy for the first time in awhile. You might think these two will end up together, but don't be stupid, Wakefields don't really date nerds.
Jessica comes home and brags to Liz about Todd asking her to the dance. She's ecstatic, then has an abrupt mood switch when told their mother is working late and won't be home to make them dinner. Steven then comes home again and he and Jessica get into it over the Marianna rumours. Steven gets angry at Jessica for not trusting their father and she says men always stick up for each other and that their father and Steven both have bad taste in women. He snaps and Jessica starts sobbing that he's ruining her happy day. Sigh. He demands to know what she means and Liz tells him they know about Betsy. He's incredulous and confirms he's not in love with Betsy, he's in love with her sweet sister, Tricia. Elizabeth is happy and relieved but Jessica points out she's still a Martin. Steven tells her not to worry because he blew it with Tricia when she truthfully realised he was ashamed to be seen with her in public due to her family's terrible reputation. Elizabeth thinks that she's lost Todd, Steven's lost Tricia and Alice might lose Ned and Jessica's the only person who's escaped 'unscathed'.
The next chapter begins with Jessica screaming at Elizabeth about how she can't go with Winston to the dance, because it's embarrassing. She then screams some more when Liz tells her Bruce asked her to the dance and she said no, since Bruce is a god is Jessica's eyes. Jessica then grows a heart and tells Liz she's noticed she might be a little into Todd. She tells Liz if it does bother her, then she won't go to the dance with him. Liz sidesteps the question and just says they're both going and will have a terrific time, then cries. Todd and Winston arrive and Todd almost says he's there to pick up Liz. Winston fawns all over Liz and makes her laugh and Todd stands by moodily. He tells Jess she looks 'nice' when she comes downstairs and she rages internally.
At the dance, Todd stares at Liz while Jess notices and Liz stares at Todd while Winston notices. It also comes to light that Winston's always had a huge crush on Jessica. Liz goes home after the dance, while Jess and Todd go out for pizza with friends. Todd kisses Jess on the cheek at the door and she rages internally once again that she's not getting fawned all over and vows to get even. The worst part of her evil side comes out and she goes upstairs crying and tell Liz that Todd basically tried to rape her.
The next morning, Ned and Alice pull Steven out of his room to discuss his moping about Tricia. They convince him that it's what he thinks that counts and he rushes out to go tell Tricia that he loves her. They make up and Tricia is busy so they plan a date for later. On the drive home, Steven sees his dad go into Marianna's house. He lurks outside for awhile, then drives home when they don't come out.
Liz is thinking later how everything is going wrong, including the whole debate over the football field, which doesn't really affect her at all, but whatever. Todd finally asks her out but because she thinks he attacked her sister, she ignores him. They end up having a weird telephone confrontation, with both sides confused about what the other did. Todd mentions it took him a long time to be able to 'forgive' her for going out with Rick. Elizabeth hangs up on him. Following this, the court case re. the football field happens, with the school getting to keep the field. Liz then goes home to Alice telling her they're having guests to dinner and that her father's going to make an announcement about Marianna West, so she immediately thinks the worst and that they're announcing their divorce. She tells Jess and Steven, who think the same and Steven stresses because he invited Tricia to dinner. They go downstairs, Marianna is there having drinks with their parents and Ned announces that Marianna has been made a partner in his firm and dinner is a celebration. Everyone's happy and relieved.
The next day, Liz and Enid see Todd at the local burger joint, the Dairi Burger, with a girl called Emily. Liz pretends not to care and they exchange awkward hellos.
A few nights later, the twins are driving home from a Pi Beta meeting and a drunk Rick Andover stops next to them at a red light. He somehow manages to make his way into their driver's seat and starts driving them to Kelly's. As he passes the Dairi Burger, Todd's with a group of kids who are leaving and jumps in his car to chase them. He stops them as they arrive at Kelly's. He and Rick have a little bust up and Jessica thanks him. She says she never wants to see Kelly's again and that it's even worse inside. She then goes to throw herself at Todd and Elizabeth intercepts her to kiss him herself. It then comes out on the drive home and after Jessica goes inside that Jessica has been lying the whole time about everything. Liz and Todd laugh at her shenanigans and make out. Elizabeth grows balls briefly and confronts Jessica later, who sobs and tries to excuse the whole thing. They make up in the end but Liz still has a score to settle.
Her revenge? She tricks the school into thinking Jessica is her, then divulges that Elizabeth is the writer of the Eyes and Ears column. Each year, the writer is mysteriously disclosed and thrown into the school pool. A group of people grab Jessica and toss her in the pool and Elizabeth's revenge is complete. The book ends with a lead up to #2 - Secrets. Enid arrives at Liz's door in tears, telling her something terrible has happened and she may lose Ronnie if he finds out.
Notes:
- Jessica doesn't wear a watch, because she doesn't feel anything starts until she arrives. 'And if she's late, let 'em wait'. So we've already established that she's incredibly whiny and selfish by page 4.
- Jessica borrows an outfit of Elizabeth's - a tuxedo shirt, with matching pants and a little bow tie. Apparently it's really hot, according to the twins and Dana Larson, the lead singer of the local high school band.
- Jessica calls Elizabeth 'Aunt Fanny' when she refuses to let her drive the car. She also calls Enid 'Eeny'. It's actually kind of funny.
- Liz and Steven have an inside 'joke' where they constantly call each other ugly. It's hilarious, you see, because they're both gorgeous and they know it. Jessica tells them it wouldn't be funny if they were really gross looking and 'shuddered at the thought of having anything but an attractive family'.
Rick's opening line to Jessica is 'Pardon me heaven - which way to Mars?' WHAT? She also thinks he smells like leather and gasoline, and it's sexy.- Rick orders boilermakers at Kelly's, which are beer with whiskey shots on the side.
- When discussing Liz and Rick at the beach, Todd is all, 'Maybe there's only so much a person can take. How long can you go on trusting someone, believing in someone?' He later tells Liz he's willing to forget about the whole thing and forgive her. What a drama queen!! Please note they've exchanged about seven words so far and Liz owes Todd absolutely nothing.
- When Steven goes to Tricia's place, he just opens the front door and lets himself into her house, without knocking.
- Elizabeth meets Marianne at the court hearing for the football field. Marianne literally says hello, then tells Liz she's beautiful and Liz immediately thinks, 'Marianne was no phony'. Right, because she simply mentioned how perfect the twins are, she's obviously genuine.
- It's kind of odd that Ned announces Marianne's promotion to her at dinner with his family. He says his company told him he could, but it's seems a little strange.
- Getting Jessica thrown in the pool is literally all Liz and Todd do to gain revenge after she accuses Todd of rape. It's never even mentioned if Jessica apologises to Todd or it's discussed.