Loved this book series when I was young! Hard to rate the books, but I remember them with so much joy that at least 4 stars are they worth even though I probably wouldn't appreciate them now as much as I did when I was a teen. ( )

The various Sweet Valley series aren't exactly known for being excellent literature. Entertaining? Absolutely. Edifying? Not so much. That said, the very first Sweet Valley Twins book is actually good junior fiction.

Elizabeth and Jessica have always dressed alike and done everything together, because that's what identical twins do. But now they're in middle school and developing different interests and groups of friends. Jess is starting to notice boys (Bruce Patman in particular, because of course) and wants to join the super-exclusive Unicorn Club, while Liz doesn't understand the appeal of boys and is excited about starting a sixth grade newspaper with her non-exclusive friends Julie and Amy.

Elizabeth basically freaks out about this, because she's scared that she's losing her best friend. It doesn't help when a Unicorn Club pledge leads to Jessica having a complete makeover and choosing non-matching clothes for the first time ever. And, once Jess actually gets into the club, Liz feels like she has to be a part of it too, even though she has no interest in their gossip-and-boys-filled discussion topics.

The Unicorns don't really think Elizabeth is a good fit, but to keep Jess in the club, they allow her to pledge—and all she has to do is play a prank on resident fat girl, Lois Waller. Liz refuses, because it's Not Nice, but Jess secretly pretends to be her and successfully completes the pledge task on Elizabeth's behalf. Liz is horrified when she finds out what's happened. She makes Jessica apologise and helps Lois to get revenge on the Unicorns. Well, mostly on Lila, for some reason.

In the end, Elizabeth realises that it's okay that she and Jessica have different priorities now, especially as that means she gets to do what she wants, instead of just doing whatever Jess suggests.

So why is it good? Firstly, it's a well executed coming-of-age plot. There's a lot in here about how it's important to be true to who you are, even if that means stepping out of your safety zone every once in a while. While most readers aren't going to be identical twins, many will have long-term friendships that begin to change as they approach puberty, and it's good to reassure kids that it's okay if you like things that your best friend doesn't like, and okay to have friends that aren't shared.

Additionally, Alice Wakefield is a strong and helpful presence throughout the book. Liz really needs her mother to help her to understand that Jessica's new friends and interests don't have to affect their closeness, and to encourage her to develop her own social group and identity that doesn't revolve around her sister. It's good to have that adult voice of reason to counter Elizabeth's fears and Jessica's standard obliviousness.

Oh, and it's made very clear that playing the prank on Lois was unkind. There's a definite distinction in the book between Jessica's pledges, which don't single out an individual for embarrassment, and Elizabeth's, which does.

Best Friends is a very good introduction to the Sweet Valley Twins series. And just a pretty good book overall.


Moral of the Story? It's okay to be your own person.


[re-read: previously read about 3 times]

a good book for soon to be teens and fro teenagers ( )

This was a favorite series of mine when it first came out, but I eventually switched over to Sweet Valley High.

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