‘Sweet Valley High’ to make an adult comeback

Like a lot of girls my age, I read many of Francine Pascal’s books from the Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High series when I was in elementary school and early middle school. And then, as it often happens with these type of books, I grew bored reading about couldn’t-be-more-different identical twins Elizabeth (goody two-shoes) and Jessica (party girl) Wakefield. Though the situations changed slightly from one book to the next, the characters themselves never really did, making for some all-too-predictable story lines.

But this, apparently, did not keep some readers from wondering what Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield would be like as adults. Francine Pascal has reportedly received thousands of fan queries asking about these two characters’ adult lives. And in 2011, Pascal will answer their questions by publishing Sweet Valley Confidential, a book that will follow the twins’ lives in their late 20s and early 30s.

As the Guardian reports, Sweet Valley Confidential “will, according to publisher St Martin’s Press, see ‘the real world intrude after a perfect childhood.’” Pascal adds, “And I can guarantee [readers] will be very surprised. Actually, more like shocked.”

Actually, maybe not. Given that at least some of these readers have grown up themselves, attended a high school reunion or stalked former high school classmates on Facebook, and watched a few too many Lifetime movies, they’re probably aware that the real world isn’t much like high school.

Then again, if they’ve been daydreaming about Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield’s all-too-perfect lives all these years, maybe they need a little reality check.