This post should either count as two books or zero books. Two books because I physically read two separate bound volumes of fiction. Zero books because I’m not sure that Sweet Valley High and Gossip Girls actually constitute real reading. At least I can admit to reading them and getting no small amount of pleasure from doing so.
Let’s start with the classic: Secrets by Francine Pascal. I’ll have to start by saying that this isn’t really a classic. When I was checking this book out at the library, I checked the publication date and found that it was originally published in 1983, which is exactly the kind of thing I wanted; if I had looked closer I would have noticed that it was “recreated” by Kate William in 2006. This means that this Sweet Valley High book contains lots of things that never would have been included in 1983: snooping in other peoples’ email accounts, ecstasy, martini tasting parties, photoshopping and writing blogs to name just a few discrepancies. Also, William modernized the story by having characters make references to shows like 24 and Heroes. Needless to say, I’m a little bitter about all this and I really missed my “vintage” Sweet Valley High. Luckily, the story was still pretty good, Jessica was scheming to win the homecoming crown and hopefully win the heart of the dreamy Bruce Patman (at least they didn’t modernize the characters’ names).
Now for Nothing can keep us together by Cecily Von Ziegesar. Before this weekend, I had never before read any Gossip Girl books. I probably should have started with a book from the beginning of the series, but I figured that since characters are just reintroduced at the beginning of every book anyway, it wouldn’t make such a big deal. And it didn’t. I was perfectly capable of following the story and I knew enough about past events for the plot to be easily understood. Most of the story involved preparations for the upcoming high school graduation and Serena and Blair fighting about boys. From what I had heard in the past about Gossip Girl, I was prepared for scheming, unsupervised minors who all have unbelievable amounts of sex and moderate substance abuse problems; I was not disappointed. If this were a real representation of teen life in America, we would be in serious trouble. Since this is fortunately not the case, people like me are able to enjoy knowing that it’s actually not that bad.
Let’s start with the classic: Secrets by Francine Pascal. I’ll have to start by saying that this isn’t really a classic. When I was checking this book out at the library, I checked the publication date and found that it was originally published in 1983, which is exactly the kind of thing I wanted; if I had looked closer I would have noticed that it was “recreated” by Kate William in 2006. This means that this Sweet Valley High book contains lots of things that never would have been included in 1983: snooping in other peoples’ email accounts, ecstasy, martini tasting parties, photoshopping and writing blogs to name just a few discrepancies. Also, William modernized the story by having characters make references to shows like 24 and Heroes. Needless to say, I’m a little bitter about all this and I really missed my “vintage” Sweet Valley High. Luckily, the story was still pretty good, Jessica was scheming to win the homecoming crown and hopefully win the heart of the dreamy Bruce Patman (at least they didn’t modernize the characters’ names).
Now for Nothing can keep us together by Cecily Von Ziegesar. Before this weekend, I had never before read any Gossip Girl books. I probably should have started with a book from the beginning of the series, but I figured that since characters are just reintroduced at the beginning of every book anyway, it wouldn’t make such a big deal. And it didn’t. I was perfectly capable of following the story and I knew enough about past events for the plot to be easily understood. Most of the story involved preparations for the upcoming high school graduation and Serena and Blair fighting about boys. From what I had heard in the past about Gossip Girl, I was prepared for scheming, unsupervised minors who all have unbelievable amounts of sex and moderate substance abuse problems; I was not disappointed. If this were a real representation of teen life in America, we would be in serious trouble. Since this is fortunately not the case, people like me are able to enjoy knowing that it’s actually not that bad.
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