Review: Sneaking Out (Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley Twins Vol.5) by Nicole Andelfinger and Claudia Aguirre

Ahh, Jessica Wakefield is up to no good again. Sneaking Out the fifth volume in the Sweet Valley Twins graphic novel series adapts another classic story from the original series. This is the one where Johnny Buck comes to town. And super-fan Jessica Wakefield, who caught Johnny Buck's hat when he tossed it into the crowd at a film premiere, is desperate to go. After all, Jessica knows that Johnny meant for her to catch that hat, and that if she takes it to the concert he is sure to recognise her in the crowd. He'll just have to invite her backstage. But for now, there are just a few tiny obstacles in the way. Jessica's parents have forbidden her and twin sister Elizabeth to attend the concert as they feel the twins are too young. Second, Jessica cannot afford a ticket. With some characteristic Jessica Wakefield style scheming she comes up with solutions to both problems. She will sleep over at her friend Lila's house. And she will take on a job dog sitting, cash paid up front, to earn money for the ticket.

This was an amusing enough read. Jessica's exploits caused me to chuckle, though perhaps not so much as when I was a child and I read the original. While I thought that she got away with perhaps a little too much and that Elizabeth suffered a little too much over the course of the story, the character definitely gets her just desserts when it comes to the hat subplot. (And a lesson in the differences between parasocial relationships and real ones.) As is the case with these books, the plot is a bit thin and many of the characters aren't great people, but the nostalgia trip is just enough to keep me reading.

Recommended to Sweet Valley fans. 

PS I'm hearing unconfirmed rumours on social media that there will be at least nine books in the series adapted as graphic novels, but to date I can only find confirmed evidence up to book seven Three's A Crowd. Know something different? Let me know in the comments. 

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