Book Club, part 1

If I were to run a book club right now, I would choose this book to read.

Why, you may ask? Because I have recently re-acquired this book, and have been reading it, but I have all these comments to make, and no one to say them to. So, since I can’t bring you all together to discuss this fine piece of literature, I will give you my commentary in a few installments, while I continue to read what is, in my opinion, Francine Pascal’s finest work.

As the book’s title suggests, this Sweet Valley Twins novel is a special holiday edition. The book starts on Christmas Eve, with Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield in their respective bedrooms, with their respective friends, wrapping their respective presents to each other, while discussing how incredibly perfect the gifts are with these friends.

In true Elizabeth fashion, she has written a story about she and Jessica’s seventh birthday party, her favorite memory of herself and her sister. Of course she did this, Elizabeth is the twin that only cares about studying and homework. After all, we are only two pages into the book, and she’s already mentioned being the editor for the Sweet Valley Sixers (the sixth grade newspaper) about ten times. Elizabeth’s friends are all jealous of Jessica’s present, since they’re all nerds, too.

At the same time, across the hall, Jessica is sitting with her friends in the Unicorn Club discussing the totally awesome present that she got for Elizabeth. (Yes, my lovelies, she’s that tweenage girl. The one who started the Unicorn Club. It’s basically the precursor to the Plastics)

Jessica got Elizabeth two tickets to the Save the Whales concert.

Whaaat?! They also come with two bus tickets, so that the two thirteen year old girls can go by themselves. If that isn’t enough, she also bought her that really cool rose pin that they saw at the mall together (I know, I was thinking the same thing, what was Elizabeth doing at the mall? Then I realized, she was probably going to the bookstore, the boring one).

Once both twins have wrapped their presents, they go downstairs to talk to the rest of the family. They have a fun little sparring session with their idiot brother about what they got him for Christmas. Todd wants a basketball, but Jessica and Elizabeth convince him that they bought him a curling iron.

After Todd is sufficiently disappointed and his spirits crushed, Mr. Wakefield, his wife and his son go to the airport to pick up Grandma and Grandpa. Jessica and Elizabeth stay at home to open each other’s presents.

Like I said before, each girl thinks that her present is the best present ever, and that her twin will love it. They are each BURSTING with excitement. Jessica opens her present first. She is slightly disappointed when she sees the framed picture of her seven year old self, but brightens up a bit when she finds out there’s more…until she realizes the more is a story. After a half-a’d attempt to hide her disinterest in Elizabeth’s life work, she pushes it aside and shoves her gift into Lizzie’s hands.

Elizabeth opens the gift with tears in her eyes, and much less excitement than Jessica was expecting. For some reason, she keeps repeating that the concert is on January 1^st. Eventually, this all makes sense, as the Sixers have a meeting that day. Obviously a meeting with a bunch of pre-pubescent, glasses wearing, pocket-protector toting teachers’ pets is way more important than the concert that Jessica saved her money to get tickets for.

Jessica is very offended by Elizabeth’s skewed priorities, and says that she should be grateful, especially since the gift she received was so lame. Elizabeth spits back that her gift actually had meaning, it was important in their lives, whereas Jessica didn’t even take the time to check her schedule before buying the tickets. Jessica yells that she got homework for Christmas, and this fight continues to get worse. Eventually, it ruins Christmas Eve and It’s a Wonderful Life for the whole family. The girls go to bed early on Christmas Eve, and everything is not copasetic.

Teaser of what's to come: More angst from the blue/green eyed duo, some obvious (and idiotic) statements from Todd, and we'll find out what makes this Christmas so magical.