Time elapsed in this book: Two weeks
Length of their junior year: 2 years, 2 months
Jessica’s love interest: Alex Parker
Entertainment rating: 6/10
It’s spring break in Sweet Valley…. again! This time, instead of going to the French Riviera like the twins did on their first spring break of their junior year, they are heading to Walkersville, Kansas, to spend time with Great Aunt Shirley and Great Uncle Herman. One thing that I don’t like about books where the twins go out of town is that we have to learn about a whole new set of secondary characters instead of following the adventures of the gang that we all know and love. Both spring break Super Editions were like this. That said, I liked the spring break in France better than this one, since that’s pure escapist fantasy and this is just a week in the country.
The cover: Liz looks a bit uncertain with her hand on her belt loop as if she’s gonna strut into a bar and challenge someone to a duel. Jess is wearing a gingham dress with white frills and looks like she’s already square dancing. The background is nothing but wheat, exactly what you’d expect from Kansas. The cover is a good indication of what you’re getting into with this book.
We open with the twins packing for their trip to Walkersville. Jessica’s packing clothes like a white cotton jumpsuit with rhinestone studs (what?!?), but Jess does what Jess wants to do. #BigJessEnergy for real. She packs four bags, including a dress bag, for eleven days. Amazing. When they arrive in Kansas, Aunt Shirley and Uncle Herman (could their names sound any older?!?) pick them up. On the way to their house, Aunt Shirley asks if they’re dating anyone and Liz says she has a “special friend” back home named Jeffrey. Aunt Shirley thinks she’s too young to be serious about someone. Jess says she agrees they’re too young and that’s why she isn’t dating anyone. Liz is miffed, since she knows full well that the reason Jess isn’t dating anyone is because Jess gets bored too quickly to stick around.
Once they get home, Jess wants to go out and start meeting dudes, but Aunt Shirley and Uncle Herman insist on accompanying them. Jess briefly ducks away to introduce herself to some hotties, who are all starstruck at her being from California. Things are going well until a girl named Annie Sue shows up and is immediately rude to Jess, saying she’s sure Jess is already bored with Walkersville. Jess denies this, but she ignores her. When Jess rejoins her family, she asks Aunt Shirley about Annie Sue, and Aunt Shirley says Annie Sue is one of the sweetest girls in town.
The next day, Aunt Shirley and Uncle Herman announce that the carnival has come to town! Jess decides this is the perfect opportunity to wear her white rhinestone jumpsuit because she figures she could meet a hot guy there and fall in love! Before they leave, Aunt Shirley tells them that the rules of propriety in Walkersville demand that they don’t associate, let alone date, “carnies” because they come from a different background. It’s vague enough that I’m not sure if she’s being classist or racist, but yikes either way. Jess is annoyed at Aunt Shirley for treating them like kids.
At the carnival, the twins meet a college student named Alex. His dad owns the carnival and is helping his dad out during spring break by taking care of the horses. As he talks, it’s clear that Jess is interested and even Liz can understand why. Liz thinks that Alex seems smart and “not at all like a ‘carnie.'” Alex tells them that he has an identical twin brother named Brad who might get along with Liz! Annie Sue approaches with her boyfriend and is rude to the twins, then asks about riding the horse Alex has. Alex said the horse, Midnight, is not broken in yet, so she can’t ride him. Annie Sue is disappointed and leaves. Jess asks if Alex can give her a riding lesson and he says yes, but he isn’t free until the carnival closes for the night. Jess says she’ll meet him then!
Liz is appalled that Jess said she’d meet Alex that night since they have a curfew. Jess doesn’t care and changes topics, saying that Liz seemed interested in Alex’s twin despite dating Jeffrey! Liz blushes and doesn’t want to admit it.
That night, Aunt Shirley tells the twins she saw them talking to Annie Sue and that she’s happy they’re becoming friends. Jess says Annie Sue doesn’t seem to like them very much, but Aunt Sue doesn’t believe her since she thinks Annie Sue ie lovely. Jess says she’s going to go on a walk and meet up with a new friend she met at the carnival. Aunt Shirley clutches her heart and asks for her pills. Uncle Herman tells Jess that she can’t upset Aunt Shirley like this and that carnies are strictly off limits! Jess tries to explain that he’s not a carnie because his dad owns the carnival, but they won’t hear of it. So, she tries another tactic and says she’s really tired and is going to go straight to bed. Aunt Shirley and Uncle Herman are complete morons and buy this, saying she’s obviously too tired to go out and meet this guy anyway. In a complete shock to everyone, Jess sneaks out.
Alex gives Jess a riding lesson on Midnight. Apparently Midnight’s almost fully broken in but Alex didn’t want Annie Sue riding him since he thought she’d scare him. The lesson is great, and Jess feels herself falling in love.
Jess sleeps in and then tells Liz that she’ll get to meet Alex’s twin, Brad, that afternoon! Liz feels weird about being set up on a date when she has a boyfriend but, in true Liz form, justifies that it can’t hurt to meet him because maybe they’ll become friends. Okay Liz.
The twins work a shift at the soda fountain Uncle Herman owns. I’m not sure how this is legal or whether they’re getting paid for it or what, but sure. Things are going well, and they’re even left alone (seriously, WHAT?!), but then a group of local teens come in. Annie Sue appears and tells the twins that she knows they’ve been calling the town stupid and that they’re really there to steal all the local girls’ boyfriends. It’s crazy that anyone buys this, but on the other hand, it does sound like something that Jess would do. In this instance, however, Jess hasn’t done anything. Annie Sue says all the local girls are leaving the soda fountain and the guys mumble their goodbyes and follow her out. Realistic? That would be a no.
Liz leaves the soda fountain and meets up with Brad. He looks identical to Alex but seems more sensitive. She enjoys their date and is relieved that due to Brad’s schedule, they can only meet during the day since she thinks that’ll make sure things aren’t too romantic. Brad kisses her on the cheek.
Annie Sue’s grandmother calls and invites the twins to a picnic with Annie Sue and all her friends. When they arrive, the grandmother is sweet, but Annie Sue is nowhere to be found. Her little sister, Janie, gives them a tour that includes suggesting they milk a cow the wrong way so the cow will kick them, getting them lost in the woods, trying to lead them into poison ivy, and being generally rude. They realize that Annie Sue has instructed Janie to torture them. The grandmother knows nothing about this and is worried about why Annie Sue never showed up. She thinks there must be an explanation. Aunt Shirley says the same when they tell her about it. I have no idea why everyone is so reluctant to see the obvious: Annie Sue doesn’t want to socialize with the twins. She’s not even trying to hide it.
Jess meets up with Alex more at night, and Liz meets up with Brad during the day. She’s basically forgotten about Jeffrey, but then Jeffrey actually calls her and Liz resolves to stop cheating and remembers that it’s Jeffrey whom she wants to return to because she loves him. Jess has no such entanglement and is falling head over heels for Alex and kissing him passionately at night. He tells her he’s falling in love with her. Jess thinks that they barely know each other yet she’s in love with him too! But just then… Annie Sue appears and sees Jess with Alex! Jess knows she’s going to use this information to torture Jess somehow.
The twins work at the soda fountain again. Annie Sue comes in and asks Jess if her aunt and uncle know she was out so late unchaperoned. Jess says no, and Annie Sue tells her she won’t say anything if Jess gives her the headband she’s wearing. Jess can’t believe she’s going to be blackmailed over this but she complies.
Aunt Shirley and Uncle Herman ask the twins if they’d like to go to the big square dance on Sunday night. Liz says yes and that they’ve already accepted invitations to double date there. Aunt Shirley and Uncle Henry are concerned because they’ve never met either of these boys. They say they’ll need to think about whether to allow this double date to happen.
Liz goes out and runs into Annie Sue, who tells Liz to give her the sunglasses she’s wearing if she wants Annie Sue to keep Jessica’s secret. Liz is annoyed but hands them over. Annie Sue leaves and Brad shows up. He opens a gate and accidentally cuts his hand. Liz tells her that their double date is in jeopardy due to her aunt and uncle, and he seems almost relieved but they don’t cancel their plans yet. Liz realizes that there isn’t chemistry between them but they could be friends.
Aunt Shirley and Uncle Herman tells the twins that they’ve discussed it and they cannot allow them to go on a double date to the square dance. They say it’d be different if the twins had merely invited boys to join the four of them at the dance, but it’s not right for them to go alone with these boys. Aunt Shirley also says she doesn’t think Jess should go anywhere since she clearly gets too tired at night and needs her sleep.
Jess sneaks out to meet Alex once more so she can tell him that her aunt and uncle have forbidden them from going to the square dance together. Alex says he has good news: they found a buyer for Midnight! It’s Annie Sue’s father, and he’s buying the horse for Annie Sue. Alex leaves to take care of some business, and Annie Sue rubs the purchase in Jessica’s face. She then gets on Midnight since she figures she owns him now. Jess begs her not to, since Midnight isn’t ready to be ridden, but Annie Sue doesn’t listen and Midnight takes off!
Back home, Aunt Shirley wants to talk to the twins. Liz has to admit that Jess snuck out to the carnival. Aunt Shirley clutches at her heart again. Liz tries to explain that Jess wanted to tell the guys they can’t make the date so they aren’t stood up, but Aunt Shirley says they need to go get Jessica because there’s no telling what could happen to her being out alone!
Jess gets on another horse and goes after Annie Sue and Midnight. She knows how to calm Midnight down since she’s been working with him all week; she just needs to catch them! She’s doing a great job and starts calming both Midnight and Annie Sue down. Alex runs up and grabs Midnight’s bridle and calms him down more. Annie Sue tells Jessica that she saved her life!
The Walkers and Liz appear in time to see the aftermath. Aunt Shirley says she should be mad at Jess for sneaking out, but she’s just so proud that Jess saved the day! Annie Sue admits that she was always the most popular girl in town and she was jealous of the twins coming to visit since they sounded so glamorous, so she’d been mean to them out of jealousy. She promises to return everything she’s taken from them, and Jess says she can always borrow stuff.
Aunt Shirley realizes that the other person who saved Annie Sue was Alex and decides she might have been too hasty in judging him since he seems nice and not at all like a carnie. Jess apologizes for sneaking out and says that she’s used to different rules at home. Aunt Shirley says they might have been behind the times since they haven’t had teens in the house since Mrs. Wakefield came to visit years earlier.
Liz notices that Alex has a cut on his hand and realizes that it’s the same cut that “Brad” got on their date! Alex doesn’t have an identical twin! He was lying to date both girls! Liz talks to him privately and he admits that he made Brad up. Liz tells him she won’t tell Jessica because she doesn’t want her sister to be hurt but that it’s up to Alex to make an excuse for why Brad isn’t at the square dance. Liz is absolutely protecting the wrong person here… she absolutely SHOULD tell Jess!
At the square dance, Liz decides to give Alex a taste of his own medicine and show him that he can’t handle both twins. Every time he dances with Jess, she has her new friend Annie Sue whisper to him that Liz wants to dance with him; every time he dances with Liz, Annie Sue whispers that Jess wants to dance with him. It’s the dumbest revenge plot yet. Another reason why Liz should have told Jess about Alex’s lie: Jess would 100% have come up with a better scheme!
At the end of the dance, Uncle Herman gets on the microphone and tells the crowd how they’re going to miss having the twins there. The crowd goes wild and starts chanting for the twins to give a speech. The twins are too overcome with emotion to speak, but that’s okay because I’m ready for this book to end.