SVH 58: Brokenhearted
Sweet Valley High #58: Brokenhearted

I can't find the cover art, but it's got Jeffrey French and Liz on the cover and they look sad.



Jessica bursts in on Liz early in the morning demanding to know what Liz will do. She thinks Todd and Jeffrey will fight in a duel for Liz. Liz thinks that is silly, but considering how often Todd resorts to violence, I'm with Jess on this one.

Lila has all the dirt. Todd's dad has been made President of his company, so Todd's family is now rich. And he's not intending to go back to Sweet Valley High; his parents have enrolled him in a snotty private school. Liz is sad that Lila, Ken, Winston and everyone know more about Todd's plans than she does until she comes home and finds a letter from him (it was lost in the mail, a convenient excuse!). It basically says, "Dear Liz, I'm moving back. I'm not dating anyone, wanna make out? Love, Todd."

Jessica thinks Liz should get back together with Todd and dump Jeffrey. Not because of their true and fuzzy love oh no, because he's rich now and Jess wants him to introduce her to a rich boy at snotty prep school.

Todd returns in his shiny, new BMW (hasta la vista, Datsun); he and Liz almost kiss. Then the Wakefields invite Todd to dinner, something Liz thinks will be a neutral setting. Of course dinner with the fam doesn't go over well with Jeffrey (and why should it?). He overcompensates by giving her roses and taking her to an expensive restaurant.

Winston throws a party for Todd's return. At which Jessica is totally insensitive to her sister's dilemma by asking Todd to take her and Elizabeth to snotty prep school for a tour. Liz, naturally, knows nothing about it but Todd agrees because he wants to please her. Then Jessica is further insensitive when she decides she's going to introduce Todd to Jeffrey, theoretically so Liz can see how much better Todd is. In practice it just makes everyone uncomfortable.

At the snotty tour, Jess meets a snotty guy with the improbably name of Sheffield Eastman. Liz is intimidated to meet Courtney Kane, a girl Todd, per Lila Fowler, is hanging around a lot. Liz gets grouchy when she hears Todd was out with Courtney the previous evening (at some corporate thing he swears his parents made him go to with her because her father is on the board or whatever). I don't think Todd needs to make excuses to Liz; she's dating another dude.

When Liz gets home she cries because she is "so confused," or more probably, because she's only cried once this book and she needs to up her cry count.

Jess and Liz invite friends over to sit by the pool. Jess laments not buying a pair of "silk trousers" at the mall. I can't imagine Jessica wearing silk trousers as she's not an old lady or a genie. Lila thinks they'd be good to wear to Todd's party. Liz wasn't exactly aware he was having one. Of course he's having a party, Liz! It's been nearly three whole chapters since there's been a one!

Lila heard about the party from her friend Courtney. Courtney said she is going to be the "cohost" of the party. I am confused. What it is it? A party or a morning chat show?

The next chapter is about Courtney. Naturally she's a bitch but not quite at the Devlin level, so I'm disappointed. She wants Todd for herself so she lies to Sheffield (and his brother, Kent. Haha) that Jeffrey gave Elizabeth a "ring." Shef tells Todd. Todd pouts and then decides to invite Courtney to the party as his date instead of Liz. For a nasty plot it's sort of boring. I wish someone would accuse some teacher of raping her already!

Jessica goes out with Sheffield but he likes charity work and she thinks that's boring. He wants to save the whales, oh noes. (Later, at the party, it turns out he's going to spend next semester volunteering and living at a homeless shelter. Jessica is scandalized. She wanted a rich boy!)

Todd invites "Miss Elizabeth Wakefield and friend" to his party. This makes her cry again (that's three). because she thinks if he wants her to bring a date, then he's bringing a date, and he's not "waiting for her." Again, Liz you're dating another dude. Also? A lot of assumptions to make from an envelope.

Jeffrey takes Liz to Todd's party and he's somewhat understandably bummed because he can tell he's "won" Liz by default. What I can't understand is why the two of them are going to this party to begin with, if both of them are so unhappy about it. I guess parties are obligatory in Sweet Valley.

When they get there it's all fancy and stuff and Jeffrey says, jokingly, "Madam, it would be my pleasure to promenade with you at yonder posh party." Ok, belatedly I want Liz to pick him.

Todd is, I shit you not, wearing a white dinner jacket with a carnation on his lapel. Wait, is he a spy? Because if he's a spy I might change my mind about the Jeffrey thing.

While Jeff and Liz are dancing in the ballroom, he sees Courtney put something in Liz's jacket pocket and becomes suspicious so when Liz heads to the loo, he follows Courtney to see what she's up to. She's pretending to have a headache to get Todd alone.

Just when I'm getting bored and thinking, "When does someone get pushed into the pool already?" Bruce Patman comes along and pushes Winston and Ken in. Good ol' Bruce, I can always count on him for awesomeness.

Meanwhile, back at Liz's boring non-pool related story, Liz finds the note in her pocket. It says it's from Todd and he wants to meet her at the gazebo. I love the word "gazebo" don't you? Liz is so happy to find the fake note she realizes she loves Todd. (Eh.) But when she gets there, Courtney is macking on her Todd! Liz does what she does best and cries, cries, cries (four).

Jeffrey sees it all and finds the note which Elizabeth conveniently dropped. He's not a dumbass so he figures it all out quickly. He thinks he could keep the truth to himself and stay with Liz, but ultimately decides Liz's happiness is more important than his or whatever. So he tells Todd everything.

Liz, in her tears, has driven to Secca Lake where she and Todd used to go to make out. After she sits and cries for awhile, a shiny new BMW drives up. It's Todd. They make out. As a kid I was real happy about this, because I was all L/T OTP! But now I'm sort of thinking Jeffrey was a better guy? Also he used yonder in a sentence. I bet Todd can't do that.