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Sweet Valley University #32
The Boys of Summer
Beaches, bikinis ... and betrayal.
Jessica Wakefield finally has Ryan Taylor all to herself. He's wild, daring, spontaneous--everything Jessica wants in a boyfriend. He's also the guy who broke her sister's heart.
Elizabeth Wakefield's summer can't get any worse, now that Ryan has left her for Jessica. But Elizabeth knows Ryan is spinning out of control, and he could be putting Jessica in danger. Can Elizabeth ignore her jealousy long enough to save them both?
Wendy Paloma wants to leave her superstar husband, Pedro, but her friend Winston Egbert knows they belong together. When Winston and Pedro team up to win Wendy back, is their plan too crazy to work...or just crazy enough?
Jessica Wakefield finally has Ryan Taylor all to herself. He's wild, daring, spontaneous--everything Jessica wants in a boyfriend. He's also the guy who broke her sister's heart.
Elizabeth Wakefield's summer can't get any worse, now that Ryan has left her for Jessica. But Elizabeth knows Ryan is spinning out of control, and he could be putting Jessica in danger. Can Elizabeth ignore her jealousy long enough to save them both?
Wendy Paloma wants to leave her superstar husband, Pedro, but her friend Winston Egbert knows they belong together. When Winston and Pedro team up to win Wendy back, is their plan too crazy to work...or just crazy enough?
230 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 11, 1997
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,150 books1,882 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 8, 2017
So ends the Lifeguards saga. And Wendy, Pedro, Miranda, Rachel, Stu, Paul, Theo, Ben, Priya, and Ryan are never to be heard from again.
Speaking of Ryan: one twin's drunken ex is the other twin's drunken treasure. Or, really, just a way for Jess to get back at Ben and Priya even if it means really hurting Liz. But Liz knows Ryan has fallen off the wagon again, and Jess doesn't know anything about his addiction. Liz doesn't want to keep it quiet anymore, because Jessica could be in real danger going out with him. Naturally, when Liz tells her, Jessica thinks she's just jealous. But after a few drunken dates with Ryan (him being the drunk one, of course), it's getting harder for Jess to deny the truth. She finally thinks they may have a normal date when Ryan finds out that Patti, his former AA sponsor who is also off the wagon, was in a car accident while drunk and is now in critical condition. Despite promising to have a nice date with Jess that night, Ryan instead gets blotto.
Jess still can't believe he's drunk AGAIN when she shows up. But this time she's had enough. Only, she sees Ryan running towards the speedboats in the black night and realizes he is putting himself in danger. But when he grabs her and forces her on the boat with him, she gets put in danger too.
Naturally, Liz is in the house moping about Ryan. But she notices an erratic speedboat on the water. Then she hears a scream - and realizes it's Jessica. She calls for Ben and Priya, and they round up Theo as well. Now all of them are in danger trying to save Jess and Ryan. Their boat capsizes. Jess knows she can't swim to Liz's boat. Ben manages to drive up between Ryan and Jessica. Liz and Ben are saving Ryan, which leaves Priya for Jessica. Jess, being the sociopath she is, wants to refuse help FROM DROWNING just because Priya has shown her up all summer. But Priya apologizes and then Jess decides she will deign to take her hand and get on the boat. Somehow, they all make it back to shore.
Naturally, things mostly end well. Except for Patti and Ryan. Liz convinces Ryan to listen to his messages, and he finds out Patti has died. He wants to push Liz away again, for the zillionth time, but he collapses in sobs on her chest. Priya and Jess call truce and she waves at her the next day. Then Ben comes over to make peace with Jessica. Jess decides to focus on someone available for once, and sets her sights on Theo. Ryan apologizes to Jess, but she only tentatively accepts it. Liz says she hopes Ryan will get better, but she doesn't know the future. She has finally pulled her head out of her ass, though, and realized she can't save him.
Meanwhile, Winston put Pedro and Wendy back together, despite the fact that SHE MARRIED AT EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD!!
And Nina can now rest easy with Stu once he pays to send Rachel Max to a treatment facility. She is severely disturbed about her past.
Quotes:
"'I'm a nice person, but I'm not a Saint,' Elizabeth thought bitterly."
Liz's thoughts: Be the bigger person for once?! I'm always the bigger person!
Speaking of Ryan: one twin's drunken ex is the other twin's drunken treasure. Or, really, just a way for Jess to get back at Ben and Priya even if it means really hurting Liz. But Liz knows Ryan has fallen off the wagon again, and Jess doesn't know anything about his addiction. Liz doesn't want to keep it quiet anymore, because Jessica could be in real danger going out with him. Naturally, when Liz tells her, Jessica thinks she's just jealous. But after a few drunken dates with Ryan (him being the drunk one, of course), it's getting harder for Jess to deny the truth. She finally thinks they may have a normal date when Ryan finds out that Patti, his former AA sponsor who is also off the wagon, was in a car accident while drunk and is now in critical condition. Despite promising to have a nice date with Jess that night, Ryan instead gets blotto.
Jess still can't believe he's drunk AGAIN when she shows up. But this time she's had enough. Only, she sees Ryan running towards the speedboats in the black night and realizes he is putting himself in danger. But when he grabs her and forces her on the boat with him, she gets put in danger too.
Naturally, Liz is in the house moping about Ryan. But she notices an erratic speedboat on the water. Then she hears a scream - and realizes it's Jessica. She calls for Ben and Priya, and they round up Theo as well. Now all of them are in danger trying to save Jess and Ryan. Their boat capsizes. Jess knows she can't swim to Liz's boat. Ben manages to drive up between Ryan and Jessica. Liz and Ben are saving Ryan, which leaves Priya for Jessica. Jess, being the sociopath she is, wants to refuse help FROM DROWNING just because Priya has shown her up all summer. But Priya apologizes and then Jess decides she will deign to take her hand and get on the boat. Somehow, they all make it back to shore.
Naturally, things mostly end well. Except for Patti and Ryan. Liz convinces Ryan to listen to his messages, and he finds out Patti has died. He wants to push Liz away again, for the zillionth time, but he collapses in sobs on her chest. Priya and Jess call truce and she waves at her the next day. Then Ben comes over to make peace with Jessica. Jess decides to focus on someone available for once, and sets her sights on Theo. Ryan apologizes to Jess, but she only tentatively accepts it. Liz says she hopes Ryan will get better, but she doesn't know the future. She has finally pulled her head out of her ass, though, and realized she can't save him.
Meanwhile, Winston put Pedro and Wendy back together, despite the fact that SHE MARRIED AT EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD!!
And Nina can now rest easy with Stu once he pays to send Rachel Max to a treatment facility. She is severely disturbed about her past.
Quotes:
"'I'm a nice person, but I'm not a Saint,' Elizabeth thought bitterly."
Liz's thoughts: Be the bigger person for once?! I'm always the bigger person!
July 1, 2024
Decent. B
March 5, 2014
I'm pretty glad the Sweet Valley University: Lifeguards saga is over. Not least because Gin-Yung Suh died three books ago and they haven't had her funeral yet. I guess they put her on ice until her acquaintances Jessica and Elizabeth completed their second summer of lifeguarding at the Sweet Valley Shore.
What a summer it was. Jessica and Elizabeth vie for the attentions of alcoholic head lifeguard Ryan. Sober Ryan is serious and dedicated and likes Elizabeth. Drunk Ryan is wild and romantic and likes Jessica. He is like twins but in one body!
Elizabeth's best friend Nina's summer boyfriend Stu (whose existence she will no doubt forget entirely by Out of the Picture (Sweet Valley University, #33) ) is not in fact a psycho-hippy as I'd first suspected but is being stalked by last summer's villain Rachel Max.
Of course Winston has his own story (about trying to match-make his friend Wendy with her own husband) because EVERYONE LOVES THIS CHARACTER and he's SOOOOOOOOOO funny. Actually my futuristic knowledge of his fatal balcony-plunge in Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later makes his chapters a little poignant rather than just Catelyn Stark-style cheek-shreddingly annoying. RIP Winston.
I'll be relieved to get back to Sweet Valley University in the next book. Gin-Yung can finally be laid to rest, and for Jessica, Elizabeth, Nina and Winston, any memories of lifeguarding, the people they met and their near-death experiences can dissolve into the ether.
Goodbye forever, Sweet Valley Shore.
What a summer it was. Jessica and Elizabeth vie for the attentions of alcoholic head lifeguard Ryan. Sober Ryan is serious and dedicated and likes Elizabeth. Drunk Ryan is wild and romantic and likes Jessica. He is like twins but in one body!
Elizabeth's best friend Nina's summer boyfriend Stu (whose existence she will no doubt forget entirely by Out of the Picture (Sweet Valley University, #33) ) is not in fact a psycho-hippy as I'd first suspected but is being stalked by last summer's villain Rachel Max.
Of course Winston has his own story (about trying to match-make his friend Wendy with her own husband) because EVERYONE LOVES THIS CHARACTER and he's SOOOOOOOOOO funny. Actually my futuristic knowledge of his fatal balcony-plunge in Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later makes his chapters a little poignant rather than just Catelyn Stark-style cheek-shreddingly annoying. RIP Winston.
I'll be relieved to get back to Sweet Valley University in the next book. Gin-Yung can finally be laid to rest, and for Jessica, Elizabeth, Nina and Winston, any memories of lifeguarding, the people they met and their near-death experiences can dissolve into the ether.
Goodbye forever, Sweet Valley Shore.
August 29, 2019
Given the title of this summer edition of Sweet Valley University, wouldn’t it be nice if the reader actually liked one of the boys of summer? I did not, as many changes have happened since last summer. Ryan, once the hunky head lifeguard, is now incredibly annoying and frustrating. Poor Elizabeth, blaming herself for his bad choices, when her innocent behavior had nothing to do with it! Ben, once the sweet loverboy, is now mean and immature. Winston is the only unchanged one, and his wacky foolishness is still funny. Paul, Nina’s love interest from last summer, is nowhere to be found, replaced by the Zen hippie who was once refreshing but has quickly gotten roped into plot that belongs in one of the thriller editions.
So, since this last book of the summer focuses on boys I wish would grow up, I didn’t find it very enjoyable. Elizabeth spends the entire book blaming herself, and Jessica spends the entire book doing the unforgivable that Elizabeth should never forgive. While last summer I was disappointed that the Sweet Valley gang suffered amnesia as soon as they went back to school, now I’m looking forward to their memory loss. So, remember folks, the gang will forget everything they did over the summer in the next book, Out of the Picture, until the next batch of summer books.
http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/svu-32...
So, since this last book of the summer focuses on boys I wish would grow up, I didn’t find it very enjoyable. Elizabeth spends the entire book blaming herself, and Jessica spends the entire book doing the unforgivable that Elizabeth should never forgive. While last summer I was disappointed that the Sweet Valley gang suffered amnesia as soon as they went back to school, now I’m looking forward to their memory loss. So, remember folks, the gang will forget everything they did over the summer in the next book, Out of the Picture, until the next batch of summer books.
http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/svu-32...
August 12, 2011
The Boys of Summer is one of the best books I've read over the summer! It's all about the dramas in the lifegaurds lives. It's so interesting and exciting from the very first page and kept me reading all day long. Although I don't really like the ending but anyway, I enjoyed reading this book ALOT! I recommended this book for every girls!
June 22, 2013
when I was a kid I have had quite a few of the sweet valley books but as years went by I lost all them. It's to bad but I figure that if I ever got back to collect them again I will get them and give them to my cousin. Because she doesn't have very many books.
July 24, 2009
This is an awesome book! There is 3 different stories in one, and it switches off around every other chapter. I LOVE this book! It makes me want to read the other Sweet Valley books. :)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews