SVT Super Chiller #9: Evil Elizabeth
This is not the cover my edition has. My edition has a photograph of a creepy mask and some candles and sweeties. But this cover is still kind of cool.
I don't think anyone's already done this, but if they have - well, it's Hallowe'en time anyway ^^
I actually kind of like the implied theme about growing up in here, but the book itself is kind of oddly paced. It goes from pettiness to OMG DRAMA with not much in between.
The book opens on 'a Friday morning in October', with Elizabeth being her usual perky self. Today this perkiness is manifesting itself in adapting Christmas carols for Halloween ('Pumpkin bells, pumpkin bells, pumpkins all the way'). Jessica is unimpressed. We learn the usual stuff about the twins being the same, yet different, and also that Elizabeth is 'kind and serious' and always keeps her promises.
Liz asks if Jess has thought about her Halloween costume, and reminds Jess of when the two of them dressed up as a two-headed sea monster. Jessica calls it 'lame', and starts doing her sixth-grade-sophistication act, saying she doesn't want to do a double-costume this year, as it's 'kind of immature'. I always feel like smacking Jessica when she does this.
Liz joins Amy Sutton and Maria Slater for lunch and the three continue massacring carols. Liz tells them about Jessica's sophistication, and the three decide to do a triple-costume instead.
Liz and Jess are having a pre-Halloween slumber party at their house, and so we next see the Unicorns running to Jessica's house (all except Lila, who manufactures a mysterious illness to get out of it. Geez, Lila). They pass a ramshackle house referred to as 'the old Luna place' (how many creepy ramshackle buildings does Sweet Valley have, again? I forget) but we don't learn much more about it, because Lila seizes the opportunity to describe how she's just had her bedroom painted with purple polka dots (how very sixties). Amy, Maria and Elizabeth run into the Unicorns, who snark among themselves about how juvenile the three are being with their carols ('Hark the trick-or-treaters sing'). To try and distract the singers, Jessica starts telling stories about the old Luna place, saying that a witch lives there - one who eats stray dogs and snatches kids off the street. Liz gets very cross with her and points out that none of this stuff is true, that the old woman who lives in the house just keeps to herself. She also tells the Unicorns that 'Luna' is nothing to do with 'loonies', but is 'Greek or Latin or Hebrew' and 'something to do with the stars'. Jessica muses that her sister is just a little too nice. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, JESSICA. The Unicorns leave, and Liz turns to survey the Luna house - when she suddenly sees the full moon floating above it. Amy and Maria point out that although the moon is visible, it isn't full. Liz has also felt a chill wind that no one else felt.
At the slumber party, the girls discuss costumes. Lila plans to go as a figure skater, because she's been having lessons. Jessica is irritated, because that had been her idea too. For no apparent reason, Janet Howell tells everyone that her horoscope said that she was 'as graceful and beautiful as a tropical fish.' Lila elaborates, explaining that she's going to go as gold medallist Kelly Ireland, because her father has bought her Kelly's actual figure skating outfit. The girls decide to have a seance, and after some palaver about how to sit to prevent cheating (Liz suggests they just trust each other, and Ellen gives her a blank look as if she's never heard of such an idea), they start asking questions of the Spirit World. Liz asks if anyone has ever been killed on this spot, and Ellen tries to fool her by answering (but is given away when she claims her name is 'Kelly Ireland' - fail, Ellen). Then suddenly the girls hear a voice saying 'sisters, beware' - the voice is strangely accented and although it's coming from Mandy Miller's mouth, Mandy's lips aren't moving! The voice continues 'watch the rising of the moom, and watch your sister. Otherwise, your lives will end in tragedy. Beware!' Jessica sees the candle flame flare up and form the shape of a full moon - just before a chill wind that no one else feels blows it out. Mandy also seems shaken and scared, but everyone else assumes she was just messing about. (I personally think it would be awesome if there was a book about Mandy being possessed by a ghost, but there isn't.)
Steven is showing a sudden interest in astronomy, so Liz asks him first if he knows any groups of three stars she and her friends could dress up as, and secondly what 'luna' means. Steven tells her it means 'moon', and also points out that it'll be a full moon on Halloween. Dun dun dun! Liz heads out and, as she passes the old Luna place, sees a small black dog with a face as orange as a basketball (that's what it says, people). The dog drops a green-yellow skeleton mask at Elizabeth's feet. She picks it up (unperturbed about its origins) and as she does, she sees an orange-yellow moon, looking just like the dog's round orange face. (I have no idea what the hell kind of dog this is. Any thoughts?)
Liz puts the mask on and terrifies Jessica with it back at home. She tells Jess how 'lame' she thinks their sea monster costume was and, as Jess notices, 'sounds like [Jessica] on one of [her] mean days!' Jess wanders off to talk to Steven and sees the moon swell from half to full again. When she goes to talk to Liz, Liz has the mask off and seems more pleasant, but when Jessica suggests she ought to find the original owner and return the mask, Liz refuses, in a very Jessica-like manner. Because, much like a certain ruby necklace, the mask is Elizabeth's and no one can take it away from her. 'Relaxing her grip on the mask, she began to stroke it again.'
Liz embarks on a campaign of evil, tripping Jessica up when her twin is holding a plate of lasagna, and sneering at Amy's idea that the three of them dress up as a tricycle before telling her to 'get out of my life'. Unfortunately, she can't remember doing these things when she's not wearing the mask. Jessica tries to tell Mandy about Liz's evil behaviour, but Mandy can't remember what her warning at the seance, and so thinks Jessica is a little insane.
While wearing the mask, Liz tells Jessica that 'The Unicorns' is a stupid name for a club: 'What do you do, sit around and eat oats all day?' Ouch, Liz - we've all thought it, but... Then she calls Jessica a loser. This pushes all Jessica's buttons, and she rips the mask off Elizabeth's face. Liz immediately reverts to normality, and, when asked, willingly apologises to Jess, saying in passing 'call you what, by the way?' That evening, Steven and Jessica both see the moon rise blood red. Steven carefully colours it in on his star chart, using several marker pens to get the exact shade of red. Which is blood-red. In case you missed it.
Jessica buys pumpkins, planning to bring Liz back to the light side through some shared pumpkin-carving. She reflects in passing how she's actually looking forward to doing it, despite thinking earlier that it was babyish. However, a masked Liz sneers at her and storms out, and Jessica is left to carve alone. When Liz returns, now not wearing the mask, she is hurt that Jess didn't wait for her, and Jessica realises that the mask is the source of all the trouble. Only took you a few chapters. She sneaks the mask out of Liz's pocket and hides it under a pile of old newspapers. Because, y'know, burning it or chopping it up would be too easy. A paragraph later, Liz has the mask back. Jess runs out of the house in tears, and finds the creepy dog with the orange face. It leads her to the Luna place, where she is grabbed by someone who claps a hand over her mouth. This is Corinna Black, the resident of the house, who tells her she's not trying to hurt her, but just didn't want her to bother anyone with her noises. Despite this disturbing introduction, Jessica agrees to go inside with her. In the house, which is dark and candlelit, Jessica sees pictures of Corinna, her parents, and her sister - who bears a striking resemblance to Elizabeth and Jessica.
Jessica tells Corinna about the mask, and Corinna tells her that the mask has been buried for forty years, and carries a deadly curse. She also says that if Elizabeth wears the mask for long enough, it will end up controlling her and even taking it away won't help. Jessica only has a few more days to stop the curse, and if Liz wears the mask through the rising of the moon, it will take possession of her even more quickly. When Jessica gets home, she finds Liz asleep with the mask under her pillow - Jessica tries to take it away, but Liz won't let go of it. That night, Jessica dreams she's back in Corinna's house, and sees Liz in the photo frame instead of Corinna's sister. Liz also has a nightmare, and wakes crying, saying that she feels weird and that it's like everything is changing. Jess offers to escort her back to bed, hoping to swipe the mask, but Liz doesn't bite, and returns to bed alone.
In her new persona, Elizabeth has started to make friends with Betsy Martin, who's apparently too mean even to be a Unicorn. (Yes, I think it's that Betsy Martin.) Jessica spends a day having everyone come up to her (including Todd, in his only appearance in this book) and ask her what's wrong with Liz, who's now being mean even when not wearing the mask. That evening, Jessica goes back to the Luna place, but can't get in - the door has disappeared, as they do. She sees Liz, Betsy and Betsy's goons throwing eggs at the Luna house, because they're evil.
Steven's astronomy teacher tells him it's very unlikely that the moon would rise blood red.
Jessica manages to find Corinna again, who tells her that Liz must destroy the mask during a lunar eclipse - one of which happens to be forecast imminently - to break the curse. Jessica learns that the last person to be cursed by the mask burnt down her own house, and her entire family perished, apart from one survivor - Corinna herself. Dun dun dun!
Steven and Jessica try to tell their parents how unpleasant Liz has got, but in traditional Wakefield parenting fashion Ned and Alice claim that Liz is just going through a phase, and developing different interests. Steven asks Jessica what's going on, and she tells him everything (yay!) He confirms that there's a lunar eclipse due at Halloween night, at midnight, and the two make a plan.
At school, Jessica puts on her grottiest clothes and acts mean, and fools Betsy into thinking she's Liz. Because it ain't Sweet Valley without a twinswitch. Jess suggests they crash a high school party the next night, the night before Halloween, and leaves a note purporting to be from Betsy for Liz, telling her about said party.
Halloween night. Jess has been so busy trying to save her sister from an ancient evil that she completely forgot about her costume, and so just wears an old sheet to be a ghost. The Unicorns are unimpressed - well, what with Lila's super-authentic skating costume, Mary's gypsy outfit and Janet's ballgown (Janet's mother knows a friend of the designer who makes clothes for the Queen of England. Insert handbag joke here) they would be. Amy and Maria have dressed up as a bicycle, and see Liz and Betsy wreaking mayhem; Liz steals candy from little kids!
Jessica runs into Aaron and, not wanting him to think she's unoriginal, tells him that she's dressed up as a mad scientist who discovered a formula to turn people evil.
"Oh." Aaron seemed doubtful. "And you spilled the formula all over yourself?"
Jessica felt a surge of irritation. "No, Aaron. I'm dressed this way to keep the bad guys from finding me."
"Uh-huh." Aaron scratched his head. "Why are the bad guys trying to find you if your formula makes people evil?"
Jessica sighed. "Never mind."
I don't totally get it either, but no matter. Aaron tries to cosy up to Jessica, but she will not be dissuaded from her mission, and hurries away. At eleven p.m., she and Steven cycle out to the high school party. As they ride up Courage Mountain, a place I have never heard of before or since, Jessica sees the moon burning, and she can't get the vision out of her mind's eye. She stops, and the vision shows flames falling from the moon - onto her house. Then she sees Corinna, crying, and puts two and two together.
And she is right to, for Elizabeth and Betsy are at the Wakefields' house. Betsy dares Liz to smash Jessica's pumpkin, which is out on the porch with a candle in it. Can you see where this is going? Liz smashes the pumpkin, and the candle lands in a pile of dead leaves. Betsy cheers, 'This place is history!' because she's apparently really evil, but as Liz watches the leaves catch light, she feels a single tear run down her cheek.
Jessica leaves Steven and rides back home. As she goes, she sees the eclipse begin - a small patch of darkness on the side of the moon.
Betsy and her goons flee, leaving Liz to watch the flames. She realises that her family are in the house, the house is about to be set on fire, and that she can neither run nor do anything proactive, but simply watch and cry. Luckily, Jessica arrives, gives Liz a hug and then gets the hosepipe. As she watches Jess take charge, Liz takes the mask out of her pocket and throws it into the flames. It burns, and Jessica looks up to see the moon has returned to normal. I wish Steven could've helped more to save the day, because he's awesome.
Jessica and Liz go to visit Corinna and drink iced tea. They decide they'll do some household tasks for her to show their appreciation, and muse over whether the mask cursed Corinna's sister, or Corinna herself. Elizabeth says gently but firmly that Corinna would've told Jessica if she'd wanted her to know, Jessica realises her irritatingly good sister is back, and the book ends with a rousing chorus of Liz's Thanksgiving carol, 'Turkey bells, turkey bells, turkey all the way'.