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Summer dreams... Summer's here, and the Wakefield twins can't wait to join Lila Fowler in fabulous, beach-lined Malibu. Elizabeth and Jessica have arranged jobs as mother's helpers and are looking forward to a dream vacation filled with Hollywood stars and gorgeous guys. But the girls soon find out things aren't always as they seem in sunny Malibu. Elizabeth's heart Is won by someone much too old for her. Even though she feels guilty about it, she begins to show more see him secretly. While Elizabeth tries desperately to keep her sister from finding out, Jessica is busy trying to get bronzed Cliff Sherman to notice her. Can the girls straighten out their summer romances, or will Malibu's magic be only an illusion? show lessTags
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Member Reviews
2.5 stars
You should have seen my face expression when I found this series in a used bookstore. Sure, it's for the young adult crowd, but I remembered reading these when I was younger and just had to walk down memory lane....again. You guys must think I'm a complete sentimental nut. Most people don't care about getting the books back that they read when they were that young, but alas, I'm never normal.
Once I jumped in...err, well. My enthusiasm flattened. The material was younger than I remembered, for one thing. I can read Pike with ease and still think many of his books are adultish, and R.L Stine pushes it at times but still tells a great little tale, but this...too young. The bigger stinker of the thing was (Hey, I read Judy Blume show more too remember?), that the plot just isn't good. I don't care what age level it's meant for, the realism is too anorexic. I read a few other reviews before penning this one, and found some feel the same and cite other stories as more defined. It's too much that one sister falls in love with a rock star (who no one recognizes). The unbelievability probably failed to move when I was wetter behind the ears, too.
Character wise, it's decent. Jessica and Elizabeth are always perfect opposites of each other, both endearing in their own ways. Things are too dramatic for the most part with them, but I can see why young adults would be drawn to the females. It is frustrating never to see what developed with Jessica's friends younger guy, but I suppose the moral of that sub-story was summed up. Still there is something undeniably attractive about reading a story about two girls so popular, outgoing, with everything at their fingertips.
For young teens it's worth a try but nothing they should savor much. I'd gear them toward other books in the series or other authors first. The writing style is thankfully pleasant, if not catering to the Valley Girl exclamation mark style. When suspense is there for this type of book, it was done well. I did feel a small heart squeeze at the end, so emotions are stronger than you'd think. Even if I didn't find myself enjoying this one at this age, I'm still glad I became reaquanted. show less
You should have seen my face expression when I found this series in a used bookstore. Sure, it's for the young adult crowd, but I remembered reading these when I was younger and just had to walk down memory lane....again. You guys must think I'm a complete sentimental nut. Most people don't care about getting the books back that they read when they were that young, but alas, I'm never normal.
Once I jumped in...err, well. My enthusiasm flattened. The material was younger than I remembered, for one thing. I can read Pike with ease and still think many of his books are adultish, and R.L Stine pushes it at times but still tells a great little tale, but this...too young. The bigger stinker of the thing was (Hey, I read Judy Blume show more too remember?), that the plot just isn't good. I don't care what age level it's meant for, the realism is too anorexic. I read a few other reviews before penning this one, and found some feel the same and cite other stories as more defined. It's too much that one sister falls in love with a rock star (who no one recognizes). The unbelievability probably failed to move when I was wetter behind the ears, too.
Character wise, it's decent. Jessica and Elizabeth are always perfect opposites of each other, both endearing in their own ways. Things are too dramatic for the most part with them, but I can see why young adults would be drawn to the females. It is frustrating never to see what developed with Jessica's friends younger guy, but I suppose the moral of that sub-story was summed up. Still there is something undeniably attractive about reading a story about two girls so popular, outgoing, with everything at their fingertips.
For young teens it's worth a try but nothing they should savor much. I'd gear them toward other books in the series or other authors first. The writing style is thankfully pleasant, if not catering to the Valley Girl exclamation mark style. When suspense is there for this type of book, it was done well. I did feel a small heart squeeze at the end, so emotions are stronger than you'd think. Even if I didn't find myself enjoying this one at this age, I'm still glad I became reaquanted. show less
TWINS JESSICA AND ELIZABETH WAKEFIELD SPEND AN ADVENTUROUS SUMMER IN MALIBU, FILLED WITH ROMANCE, DRAMA, AND SURPRISES.
The twins are nannies for the summer.
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current retro ya summer reads
31 works; 1 member
Author Information
816+ Works 48,363 Members
Francine Pascal grew up in New York City and attended New York University. She is the author of the Sweet Valley High series, featuring twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. She had originally planned the idea for a daytime soap for teens, but a close friend talked her into making the idea into a book series instead. Pascal has also written show more "Hangin' Out with Cici, which became an ABC After School Special called "My Mother Was Never a Kid", "The Hand-Me-Down Kid," also made into an ABC After School Special, "My First Love and Other Disasters," and "Love and Betrayal & Hold the Mayo." She has also worked on a musical and several adult books, and is the executive director for the Sweet Valley High TV show. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Malibu Summer
- Original publication date
- 1986-08
- People/Characters
- Elizabeth Wakefield; Jessica Wakefield; Lila Fowler; Tony Sargent/Jamie Gilbraith; Malcolm Bennett; Audrey Bennett (show all 13); Taryn Bennett; Maria; Lucy Sargent; Josh Sargent; Sam Sargent; Cliff Sherman; Ben Horgan
- Important places
- Sweet Valley, California, USA; California, USA; Los Angeles County, California, USA; Malibu, California, USA
- First words
- Elizabeth Wakefield couldn't remember ever feeling so relaxed.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And he had reminded her what it was like to fall in love again, a love that was the most magical and poignant she had ever known.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 146
- Popularity
- 224,864
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (2.86)
- Languages
- English, Swedish
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 4
