Merivale Mall #11 Perfect Strangers and #12 Lost and Found

In Merivale Mall #11, Perfect Strangers, Lori and Nick's relationship gets rockier.  Lori feels that she and Nick do not share enough interests, so she tries to learn about car repairs all in one day. Later, Lori tries to teach Nick how to draw. Nothing works, and Lori fears that she and Nick are incompatible.  Meanwhile, Danielle tries to dazzle a ski instructor while she vacations in Switzerland.

On page 54, Nick is looking over Lori's car.  He suddenly asks Lori where her diary is, and Lori gets flustered.  Nick just wants to know when Lori last got an oil change, but instead, he asks her in such a way as to cause maximum drama.  By this point in the series, I am so over Nick and Lori and desperately want them to break up.  Their relationship is so stupid.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as earlier books in the series.  I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had known how the series ends.  My perspective about the plot and subplot is different now that I know how the series is resolved.

In Merivale Mall #12, Lost and Found, Nick gives Lori an heirloom necklace, but he acts weird about it.  To Lori's dismay, she immediately misplaces the necklace and must hide what happened.  Basically, both Lori and Nick act bizarre in this story, and I just wanted them to break up.  Let's get it over with and put us all out of our misery!

Meanwhile, Danielle decides not to date for a month.  Danielle's restraint helps her experience personal growth so that she is able to make better decisions about romance.

Lori comes up with a crazy scheme to make a copy of the heirloom necklace to hide its loss. How can a high school student with no training think that she has the skill to duplicate an heirloom necklace?  This series has many stupid events in it, but this one takes the prize.  Lori goes through with the plan and tries to pass off the copy as the original.  Not surprisingly, the scheme fails miserably.

This book recaps many of the events of the series.  The book was clearly written with the knowledge that the story would be the final entry in the series.  As I read the second half of the book, I realized that the series began winding down during volume nine.

I am pleased with how the series ends and feel that the ending is appropriate.  I enjoyed reading the Merivale Mall series.

Merivale Mall #9 Never Say Goodbye and #10 Sweet Success

In Merivale Mall #9, Never Say Goodbye, Don is forced to move back in with his parents.  Don's parents are difficult.  They worry about money and fight all the time.  They expect Don to stay home every evening, which puts a strain on Don's relationship with Danielle.  Don must make a change in his life, but his decision could cause Danielle to lose him forever.

Meanwhile, Lori has her eye on a bag lady who frequents the mall.  Lori is determined to help the woman, but she is rebuffed at every turn.

I have already mentioned that Danielle and Don are my favorite part of the series, so not suprisingly, I really enjoyed this book.




In Merivale Mall #10, Sweet Success, Lori's talent at creating fashion has been discovered. Lori now has a wealthy backer who gets her started in business.  Lori quickly learns that the schedule is exhausting, leaving her no time for her friends or for studying.  Lori must examine her priorities and decide what is most important to her.

Meanwhile, Danielle's family has money problems, and Danielle is forced to get a job. Danielle tries several jobs, with each one ending in disaster.

I enjoyed this book.

I didn't realize it as I read these books, but the series is winding down during books nine through twelve.  Each plot and subplot is part of a greater story arc that leads Lori and Danielle to where they are at the end of the final book.

Merivale Mall #7 Hometown Hero and #8 Slave for a Day

In Merivale Mall #7, Hometown Hero, Don James saves a toddler from certain death when he catches the boy after a fall from the upper level of the mall.  Suddenly, Danielle's relationship with Don can become public.  She doesn't have to be embarrassed about seeing a hero, even if he is a mechanic.  But then Don is accused of theft, turning Danielle's world upside down.  Danielle dumps Don while he struggles to prove his innocence.

I like Danielle the best when she is involved with Don.  The relationship between Danielle and Don is the best part of this series.

This book is excellent.  I read it fast.

In Merivale Mall #8, Slave for a Day, Nick's old girlfriend, Vicki, has moved back to Merivale. Word on the street is that Vicki wants Nick back and will stop at nothing to get him.

Lori learns about Atwood's Slave for a Day fundraiser and is devastated to learn that Vicki plans to bid top dollar to get Nick to be her slave. Can Lori save her relationship with Nick?

Meanwhile, Danielle comes up with a crazy scheme to make Don jealous.  Danielle's scheme is so stupid.

It was during this book that I decided that I had grown tired of Lori and Nick's relationship.  I like them fine as a couple during the early books, but by this point in the series, it is apparent that their relationship is on shaky ground.  Nick is not very considerate of Lori's feelings, and I kept wishing that she would dump him instead of continuing to cling to the relationship.

I only somewhat enjoyed this book since I found both the main plot and the subplot to be annoying.

Merivale Mall #5 Better Than the Truth and #6 Junior Weekend

In Merivale Mall #5, Better Than the Truth, Lori agrees to travel into the mountains with her lab partner, Frank, to collect algae samples.  A snowstorm shuts down all travel, and the two teenagers are forced to spend the night together in Frank's family's mountain cabin.  Soon, everyone in Merivale knows that Lori and Frank spent the night together.  Nobody believes Lori's story that nothing happened, and Lori may lose Nick as a result.

On page 107, Lori's mother gives her some wise advice.  "Stop defending yourself.  When people defend themselves, other people just assume something's wrong.  But if you project confidence instead, and ignore the silly lies being spread about you, eventually you'll win everyone over. And if some of them don't come around?  Forget them.  Your true friends will be there for you, Lori. Even Nick."

This is true.  Sometimes a person has to defend oneself, but in many cases, getting defensive makes everything worse.

I greatly enjoyed this book, even though at the beginning I was annoyed about Lori making such a stupid decision to travel into the mountains with Frank.

In Merivale Mall #6, Junior Weekend, Danielle gets her sister, Christine, to invite her to Junior Weekend at the college.  Danielle's mission is to get Christine's friend, Jack, to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, Christine also invites Lori to go on the trip, and Danielle fears that Lori will cramp her style.  Danielle's problems grow when Jack is too busy studying to pay any attention to her.

Danielle is so stupid in this book.  She interrupts Jack at the library and acts flirty while he studies. He's not interested, girl.  Get a clue!

I enjoyed this book even though Danielle's behavior is so annoying.

Merivale Mall #3 Playing Games and #4 Never Stop Smiling

In Merivale Mall #3, Playing Games, Merivale High and Atwood Academy's football rivalry has reached an all-time high.  Lori's boyfriend, Nick, plays for Atwood Academy, and Lori must decide which school to support.  At first, Lori plans to root for Atwood, but a mean cheerleader at Merivale High insists that Lori prove her loyalty to Merivale High.  Will the rivalry destroy Lori and Nick's relationship?

The main plot of this story is a bit annoying.  I find the subplot to be much more interesting.  Danielle has to volunteer at a daycare for extra credit for one of her classes.  It's fun to see Danielle interact with the children while she tries to keep her extracurricular activity a secret from her snobbish friends.

Danielle also has a secret boyfriend, Don, who is a poor boy who plans to become a mechanic. Don and Danielle's secret relationship is the best part of this series.  I love it.

I enjoyed this book.

In Merivale Mall #4, Never Stop Smiling, several of the girls compete for the title of Miss Merivale Mall.  Both Danielle and her friend, Teresa, plan to win the title and lord it over the other.  Danielle is jealous that Teresa's family has hired a coach, and Danielle schemes to find a way to beat Teresa—even if it means cheating!

On page 73, Danielle thinks, "If the contest were fair, all she'd have to do was show up and accept the crown.  So why did she have to go through this other stuff?"  Right, they should give the crown to Danielle, just because!

I enjoyed this book.

Merivale Mall #1 Two for One and #2 The Best of Everything

The Merivale Mall series was published by Troll in 1989.  The series consists of 12 books and is a clone of Sweet Valley High.

Lori Randall attends Merivale High School while her wealthy cousin, Danielle Sharp, attends Atwood Academy.  Danielle is a snob who has no time for Lori, unless she needs a favor.  Lori is always foolish enough to help Danielle, since she loves her cousin.

Lori's character fills the role of Liz Wakefield while Danielle is like Jessica Wakefield. Danielle also has a lot of Lila Fowler in her as well.  Danielle has a couple of dreadful friends who may be more nasty than most anyone in the Sweet Valley High series.

In Merivale Mall #1 Two for One, Lori is attracted to Nick Hobart, handsome quarterback for Atwood Academy.  Unfortunately, Danielle also wants Nick, and she puts the moves on him.  Lori and Nick's romance appears to be doomed before it even begins.

This book sets up the premise for the series. Several of the teenagers work at Merivale Mall, and all of them hang out at Merivale Mall.  

The story arc of this book plays out just like the plot of a Sweet Valley High book, so I knew exactly how the conflict would be resolved.  Near the end of the story is a ridiculous scene in the mall where a note gets intercepted and rewritten multiple times by scheming teenagers.  The note is dropped, changes hands, and is rewritten so many times that I lost track and became annoyed. The scene should have been shortened considerably.  The way it was published is silly.

I enjoyed this book.

In Merivale Mall #2, The Best of Everything, Lori carefully saves for a used car.  She has to make a down payment by a certain date, and she will have just enough money for the payment. Meanwhile, Danielle purchases expensive clothing, and her father warns her to quit going over her credit limit.  Danielle asks Lori for money.  Will Lori sacrifice her dream car to help Danielle?

Anyone who has read Sweet Valley High knows whether Lori helps Danielle and what happens as a result.  And then Danielle has to clean up a big mess.  The way the plot is resolved is very funny and reminds me so much of all the hilarious Jessica Wakefield scenes that I love so much.

I also enjoyed this book, a bit more than the first one.

Note: I have created a Facebook group for enthusiasts of vintage teen books such as the ones reviewed in this post.  Please follow this link to join.