Sweet Valley University #19: Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams
by Laurie John
In the long array of teenage woes, there is one that hasn’t yet graced the pages of Sweet Valley University: unplanned pregnancy. I won’t tell you who gets pregnant, just in case you’re reading ahead and are not yet caught up in the series. But I will tell you that I absolutely loved how the book handled the news and the process of decision making. It’s so perfectly ’90s, and in my view, it can’t get any better.
Nowadays—in fiction, at least, and in circles where people are trying to act tolerant—the response to an unplanned pregnancy is an over joyous “Congratulations!”, an immediate belief that there is only one option available, and the father-to-be feigns excitement but postpones marriage for at least a year. In Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams, the mother-to-be isn’t immediately happy. Her friends are shocked, not ecstatic. The father-to-be suggests a wedding in two weeks. But, in the midst of the harried wedding planning, baby preparations, and mixture of family dynamics, the youngsters decide to discuss all their options. Maybe having a baby and changing all their plans isn’t the right decision. Getting married and having a child are very serious life changes, and the teens are frightened, worried, and angry that they’ve been trapped before their time. Both imagine scenarios of parenthood that show they’re thinking of the bigger picture—not just picking out a name and buying cute clothes. In the girl’s fantasy, her daughter grows up to be a rebellious teenager who dresses in ripped clothes, gets several tattoos, has a boyfriend named Cobra, and carries a gun. Not an unrealistic prediction from 1996.
This is one of my favorite volumes of the series, and that’s a huge compliment! I loved each character’s reaction to the unplanned pregnancy, and the extremely fast-paced side plots moved the story along almost too quickly. As they usually do, the Sweet Valley gang shows maturity as they deal with serious issues. If I ever have a daughter, I’ll give her this book to read, regardless of whether or not she finds herself in such a difficult situation.
More Sweet Valley University reviews here on Hot Toasty Rag!
Nowadays—in fiction, at least, and in circles where people are trying to act tolerant—the response to an unplanned pregnancy is an over joyous “Congratulations!”, an immediate belief that there is only one option available, and the father-to-be feigns excitement but postpones marriage for at least a year. In Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams, the mother-to-be isn’t immediately happy. Her friends are shocked, not ecstatic. The father-to-be suggests a wedding in two weeks. But, in the midst of the harried wedding planning, baby preparations, and mixture of family dynamics, the youngsters decide to discuss all their options. Maybe having a baby and changing all their plans isn’t the right decision. Getting married and having a child are very serious life changes, and the teens are frightened, worried, and angry that they’ve been trapped before their time. Both imagine scenarios of parenthood that show they’re thinking of the bigger picture—not just picking out a name and buying cute clothes. In the girl’s fantasy, her daughter grows up to be a rebellious teenager who dresses in ripped clothes, gets several tattoos, has a boyfriend named Cobra, and carries a gun. Not an unrealistic prediction from 1996.
This is one of my favorite volumes of the series, and that’s a huge compliment! I loved each character’s reaction to the unplanned pregnancy, and the extremely fast-paced side plots moved the story along almost too quickly. As they usually do, the Sweet Valley gang shows maturity as they deal with serious issues. If I ever have a daughter, I’ll give her this book to read, regardless of whether or not she finds herself in such a difficult situation.
More Sweet Valley University reviews here on Hot Toasty Rag!