delicatewatkins's review
2.0
So, the second panel in this book is like (paraphrasing) "Sweet Valley is welcoming of people from all walks of life" and then it's white people as far as the eye can see... I don't know if this set out to be diverse and then gave up or what. I don't think this was updated in any way. Just seemed like a graphic adaptation of one of the original books and it's not a good look for 2019.
taracalaby's review against another edition
I think my biggest issue with this is that it just doesn't feel like Sweet Valley. I think it's partially the fact that it mostly uses SVTwins canon, with a touch of SVH thrown in (Tricia Martin) and some really weird changes (Mrs. Wilkins and her label obsession and that bizarre "hipping and hopping" line), but it's more than that. Elizabeth doesn't feel like Elizabeth at all, but rather a kind of caricature of someone who is a community minded good student. Jessica is more Jess-ish, but almost not extreme enough. You know the real Jess would've tried a lot harder to nab her TA!
The weirdest part for me is that you basically needed to already know who Liz and Jess are for this to make sense from the beginning, and the people who DO know them are the ones wishing this graphic novel had a better understanding of its ancestral roots.
I think it's time for the powers that be to stop trying to reboot Sweet Valley, and I say this as a huge fan of 30 years. For the people who are the right demographic for it, it's the series their parents read, which is a real turn-off when you're a teen. For those of us who still hold great love for it, the reboots don't hit the mark, because they're too focused on modernisation and not enough on the soul of the originals.
The weirdest part for me is that you basically needed to already know who Liz and Jess are for this to make sense from the beginning, and the people who DO know them are the ones wishing this graphic novel had a better understanding of its ancestral roots.
I think it's time for the powers that be to stop trying to reboot Sweet Valley, and I say this as a huge fan of 30 years. For the people who are the right demographic for it, it's the series their parents read, which is a real turn-off when you're a teen. For those of us who still hold great love for it, the reboots don't hit the mark, because they're too focused on modernisation and not enough on the soul of the originals.
annelihghh's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
iffer's review
2.0
On impulse, I requested this from Netgalley, so I read this as an advanced reader ebook. The copy had horrendous resolution, so I can say that the art seemed canned, but I can't tell definitively because of the publisher's decision to discourage pirating by making the image quality poor.
This was okay, but not for me. As a caveat, I didn't grow up reading the Sweet Valley High books. I was a little bit too young to read them when they were at peak popularity, but I did enjoy the Sweet Valley Kids series when I was in elementary school. It could be that I'm now too old to enjoy this title, and I don't have nostalgia to make this title more appealing.
Both Elizabeth and Jessica were annoying, and this didn't seem particularly woke or relevant for 2019. The only update seems to be that there are smartphones and social media. Other than that, it still pushes traditional gender roles (except some comments about gender binaries when Jessica is in her Shakespeare class, and Jessica quoting "Teen Femme," which was probably supposed to be a stand-in for "Teen Vogue," that felt like the author's demand for a woke cookie). While some people might say that worrying about outfits, boys, and gaining weight are normal preoccupations of teen girls, this felt ick to me. Plus, I don't really need a title in my life that is about twin white wealthy cishet teenage girls with peak privilege, complete with vapid brand name-dropping.
I haven't read any of them yet, but I suspect (from reading her previous books) that Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel reboot of The Babysitter's Club is probably better. Also, Disney Channel has been doing a better job of telling more inclusive, but family-friend and child-appropriate programming, for years...
This was okay, but not for me. As a caveat, I didn't grow up reading the Sweet Valley High books. I was a little bit too young to read them when they were at peak popularity, but I did enjoy the Sweet Valley Kids series when I was in elementary school. It could be that I'm now too old to enjoy this title, and I don't have nostalgia to make this title more appealing.
Both Elizabeth and Jessica were annoying, and this didn't seem particularly woke or relevant for 2019. The only update seems to be that there are smartphones and social media. Other than that, it still pushes traditional gender roles (except some comments about gender binaries when Jessica is in her Shakespeare class, and Jessica quoting "Teen Femme," which was probably supposed to be a stand-in for "Teen Vogue," that felt like the author's demand for a woke cookie). While some people might say that worrying about outfits, boys, and gaining weight are normal preoccupations of teen girls, this felt ick to me. Plus, I don't really need a title in my life that is about twin white wealthy cishet teenage girls with peak privilege, complete with vapid brand name-dropping.
I haven't read any of them yet, but I suspect (from reading her previous books) that Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel reboot of The Babysitter's Club is probably better. Also, Disney Channel has been doing a better job of telling more inclusive, but family-friend and child-appropriate programming, for years...
cwarnier's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I loved reading Swwett Valley books as a kid and was excited about this gn. It didn't really live up to my expectations. The plot was kind of blah and it was too modern day for me.
liralen's review
2.0
Well, that was weird. Meant to be a graphic novelization of one of the Sweet Valley High books—or possibly a new take altogether; I can't tell which—this is an odd combination of earnest and snarky. The writing seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the original books, except it doesn't seem written for a 30-something audience, and I think any teens reading this without any exposure to the originals would just be confused. (I'm confused, and I remember the originals.)
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this is sort of a nostalgia trip, but not in as good as way as I thought. In trying to bring the sorts of stories that Sweet Valley High is known for, screaming and kicking into the 21st century, there are some odd moments, such as the use of social media, and the drumming into the story that under age girls should not have relationships with older men.
For those who never read the series, I'm not sure if they would be bothered by the updates, and think of this as a typical story, and have fun with the antics of the twins.
For me, I like better, how the Baby Sitters Club graphic novelization has been handled, keeping it firmly in the 1990s, from where it sprang.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
For those who never read the series, I'm not sure if they would be bothered by the updates, and think of this as a typical story, and have fun with the antics of the twins.
For me, I like better, how the Baby Sitters Club graphic novelization has been handled, keeping it firmly in the 1990s, from where it sprang.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
meredithmc's review
2.0
I had high expectations for this one, because I'm one of those women in her thirties who read every possibly Sweet Valley book she could. Unfortunately, it did not live up to those expectations.
Yes, it's a book for teens but it felt very dumb and trying to be hip at times. The writing was cliche and full of phrases we've heard in other media about teens. The attempt at bringing social media and Internet speak into the book felt very heavy-handed. It almost felt like a satire at times weirdly enough. I don't know if I'd recommend this to any actual teens but probably adults who read Sweet Valley in their youth and want to revisit the twins in a more modern retelling.
The only thing keeping me from giving it one star was that I actually liked the artwork, it went well with the story, and the ending did intrigue me. If the whole book had been about that scenario as opposed to what it was, I probably would've liked it a lot more.
Yes, it's a book for teens but it felt very dumb and trying to be hip at times. The writing was cliche and full of phrases we've heard in other media about teens. The attempt at bringing social media and Internet speak into the book felt very heavy-handed. It almost felt like a satire at times weirdly enough. I don't know if I'd recommend this to any actual teens but probably adults who read Sweet Valley in their youth and want to revisit the twins in a more modern retelling.
The only thing keeping me from giving it one star was that I actually liked the artwork, it went well with the story, and the ending did intrigue me. If the whole book had been about that scenario as opposed to what it was, I probably would've liked it a lot more.
reading_cat's review
3.0
Enjoyable enough, but not really blowing my mind or making me want to read the next installment in the series. I did like the art, though.