Sweet Valley Twins #1: Best Friends

Ah, the book that started the Sweet Valley Twins franchise. Jessica and Elizabeth are starting sixth grade and realizing that they are two really different people. Elizabeth wants to start a school newspaper and is shocked that Jess wants nothing to do with it. Jessica wants to join the Unicorn Club and doesn’t give a damn if Liz wants in the club or not.

Janet Howell decides that Jess must complete three tasks before joining. Apparently the club is really selective about bringing in sixth graders, but they are interested in her and one other girl. She is a little surprised that they don’t want Liz, but gets over it pretty fast. Her first task involves hiding Mrs. Arnett’s lesson plan book and putting it in her bag. Then she has to stand outside the girl’s room and convince three girls to use the boy’s room.

The last task is to come to school looking completely different from Liz. She waits until Liz gets dressed, wears a different outfit, curls her hair and puts on makeup. Liz can’t believe how different she looks and runs to change her looks too, but they’re late for school. Janet is stunned and invites Jess into the club.

Liz kind of loses it because she thinks that she is losing her twin. She cries constantly, but then decides to change her hair in a way that Jess doesn’t like and everyone fawns all over her. She invites Amy and Julie Bowen to help her with the paper and suddenly has a new group. Liz tells Jess all about how bad she feels and Jessica decides that she will get Liz an invite into the club.

At the next meeting Jessica brings up her sister and Janet freaks out. She claims that they can kick people out, but no one can leave the club. Jessica threatens to quit if Elizabeth can’t join. Janet decides to give her one task and if she passes, she’s in the club. Her task is to take Lois Waller out to the Dairi Burger and switch her whipped cream with shaving cream on her sundae.

Elizabeth thinks it’s a mean joke and refuses to do it. Jessica decides to call Lois herself and pretend that she’s Liz. Lois meets her, she pulls the joke and Lois runs home in tears. Jess tells her sister that the club decided the joke was wrong and wants her in anyway. Liz goes to one meeting and is completely bored because all they do is talk about movies and boys.

Elizabeth eventually learns what Jessica did and quits the club. She calls Lois and they come up with their own scheme. Lois switches Lila’s whipped cream with shaving cream and they all have a big laugh. They keep fighting so much that Alice decides that it’s finally time that each girl have her own room, so everyone is happy.

Oh and Jessica is suddenly fascinated with ballet dancing because of a lesson in gym class. Ned signs the girls up for dance lessons through Madame Andre’s dance school. Jessica comes to the first class in a purple leotard, purple legwarmers and bright tights, with streamers in her hair and a bunch of makeup. Madame Andre calls her out and barely looks at her again, while highlighting everything Liz does.

Ah and we cannot forget poor Steven. The girls hear rumors about a girl named Roberta Manning getting kicked out of the Unicorn Club for dating a high school boy. Jessica learns that it was Steven and he flips out, demanding that they never mention her name again. When Jess makes a comment about the club, Steven cracks up. Roberta wasn’t kicked out, she quit after she went out with Steven and Janet asked him out behind her back. Then Roberta went after a college guy, so Steven doesn’t want to even think about her again. Poor guy.