* Photo credit to The Closet *
I’m enjoying Cheryl Thomas’s jewelry—primarily her rings—but nothing—not even the *gasp!* interracial snuggling—robs my attention more on this cover than Steven Wakefield, looking like an actual person instead of a robot for once. The relaxed pose! The devil-may-care grin! The wind-tossed hair! Dating outside his race really masks the android within. Good for you, Steven.
The eldest Wakefield child has been shirking college again to hang out with high school girls (again), and this time the girl is Cheryl Thomas, Annie Whitman’s new black future stepsister from New York. She’s never had to drive, so Steven’s teaching her how to drive stick (‘nawmean?) so she can get her license. Actually, Steven and Cheryl are just friends, but because they hang around sixteen-year-olds with the emotional maturity of a handful of peanuts, everyone’s like, “ZOMG U 2 R IN LUV!!!” making Steven and Cheryl go “Huh?” But when Steven and Cheryl go out to eat and get harassed by a pack of skinheads, they’re both so upset by this incident that they both go, “Fine, world! We will go out!” and then they have a “deep,” “passionate” kiss. (Are there any other kind in Sweet Valley?) Now it’s my turn to go “Huh?”
Everyone is town is downright aghast at this romantic development—Steven’s so white while Cheryl is so black! Jess can’t be believe how ig’nant people can be (especially Lila Fowler and Bruce Patman, to no one’s surprise), so in order to prove she’s not racist, she—and feel free to insert your own “Huh?” here—calls Cheryl “practically a member of the family now” and offers to bake the wedding cake for Mona, Annie’s mom, and Mr. Thomas, Cheryl’s dad. (I love how Jane Austen “Mona and Mr. Thomas” is throughout this book.)
But eventually, everyone gets used to the new couple—except for the couple itself. Steven and Cheryl privately fret that they’re only with each other to make a point and wonder if the reason they’re not romantically interested in each other has to do with skin color. They can’t formulate any reason why they shouldn’t be together though and keep formulating excuses to explain why they aren’t racist. I would like them better if they just admitted it. Hmm, that came out wrong. Anyway, Cheryl pines for Steven’s black friend Martin, and Steven pines for white Cara Walker, his almost-wife in London, yet they press on, thinking, “It has to work. For all of us.” Because they’re “pioneers.” This is the most awkward, unwanted relationship evs.
Cheryl applauds Mona for sticking it to the man and the system by marrying a black guy, and Mona’s like, “Um, no,” and tells Cheryl that she’s getting married for love, not to prove something. Ultimately, she and Steven realize that they’ve “lied to…the whole world,” and along comes the world’s easiest, most amicable breakup: They look into each other’s eyes at the Mona/Mr. Thomas wedding after Cheryl makes her all-important toast, Cheryl says, “You’re a great friend,” Steven says, “You, too,” and then it’s over and Martin starts hitting on Cheryl!
Other Notes:
- Steven Wakefield really needs to get his date on with some college girls.
- I can’t believe a Wakefield dated someone non-Caucasian. Can you imagine Jess or even Liz making out with a black guy? It had to be Steven, who at one point, recollects back the night he and Cheryl first made out—after being taunted by the skinheads—and “he tried hard to relive that moment when he had looked down into Cheryl’s tragic, tear-stained face. Had he seen her right then as a person, or just a black person?” Oh em gee.
- Another Wakefield being a douche: “Jessica really wasn’t interested in hearing yet another boring story about the boring counselor who was helping Lila get over the trauma of almost being date-raped.” Wow.
- Andrea Slade and Nicholas Morrow broke up! I know, I totally forgot they were going out too.
- After a run-in with racist Bruce, Jess impulsively hugs Sam and says, “I’m just so glad you’re you and not Bruce Patman,” to which Sam says, “I have absolutely no idea where that comment came from, but I’m glad too.” Oh Sam! Why’d it have to be you? You were clearly the superlative of every Sweet Valley boyfriend. I suppose that’s why.
- Here’s something out of character! Jess asks Liz of the kids at school, “Why can’t they accept true love?” (i.e., Steven and Cheryl), to which Liz replies, “Whoa, slow down. True love? Cheryl and Steven have only known each other for about a month!” Dude, Dana Larson fell for Prince Arthur after one slow dance. A month in, they should be developing their wedding registry on Target.com.
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