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2024 Nostalgia Re-readathon | SVH #111: A Deadly Christmas
Is Jeremy the man of Jessica's dreams - or her nightmares?
Jessica Wakefield is in danger! Finally convinced that her fiance, Jeremy Randall, is nothing but a two-timing criminal, Jessica plots to get even. But when her devious plan goes wrong, Jessica is caught in her own trap - seconds away from a fiery death.
Elizabeth Wakefield is scared for her twin sister, and she really doesn't know whom to trust. Has Sue Gibbons really joined their side, or is it Sue and Jeremy against the twins? If Elizabeth's instincts are wrong, Jessica will go up in flames!
You know, credit where credit is due - this wasn't a terrible book. It was actually a fairly decent finale to this whole twisted tale.
We start with a fairly comprehensive recount of this entire saga, I suppose for those people who are reading the Thrillers only. Somehow Jessica makes it through the entire recap and manages to convince herself that she's not seeing her beloved fiance picking up the blackmail money from that phone booth, even though he's wearing the ring that she gave him. She can't see what a scuzzbucket he is, so we do have to deal with Jessica being an idiot over him for the first third of the book.
Two things finally break this business wide open: SVH's answer to LexisNexis, newly installed on the Oracle computers, where Liz can do her sleuthing with cutting-edge technology; and Sue's conscience finally getting the better of her. It takes awhile for this latter bit to happen; not until Sue is confronted with Jeremy's lone plane ticket to the South Pacific does it finally sink in that he is 100% after her money only, and he's more than happy to leave her in the process.
Jeremy shows back up to ingratiate himself with the family because he's discovered that the ransom money is fake (even though he was none the wiser when he counted it so laboriously in the previous book), and its his showing up that causes Jessica's brain to rot after the original recap. He continues to see both Jessica and Sue, promising each girl that she is his One & Only. He is such a slimeball that it's patently obvious WHY he's chosen to being a pedo-grooming asshole: because women his own age wouldn't put up with this nonsense. It's extra disgusting here because he starts pressuring Jessica to have sex with him. SO MUCH ICK.
But honestly? These scenes were also unintentionally hilarious because Jessica makes a ~big deal~ about potentially handing in her v-card, including going to the lingerie store at the mall with Lila to pick out the right outfit for the big night. Of course, this being SVH, the word S-E-X is completely verboten; instead, these girls talk euphemistic circles around each other in ways that no teenagers would ever actually talk, especially two experienced girls like Jessica and Lila. I'm pretty sure Jessica has had some hot and heavy relationships, including Tragically Dead Sam, so you know these girls know about all the precautions and whatnot. There's a practical view as well as the romantic one, but this era of YA just does not acknowledge this at all. Rape is easier to talk about than consensual sex, which tells you all you need to know about this era of writing.
ANYWAY, while Jess and Lila are giggling about the Big Night in one dressing room, Sue is conveniently in the next one listening to them. She realizes that far from Jeremy dropping Jessica, he's fully intending to continue taking advantage of her. By page 84, Sue is spilling her guts in a last-ditch effort to keep Jessica from making a huge mistake. This was a fairly well-written scene, although it brings in yet MORE retconning, making it seem as if Jeremy's hand has been guiding fate since the beginning of this series (which seems pretty unlikely), but Sue is able to convince Jessica that Jeremy is still seeing Sue as well. Jessica finally seems to realize what an idiot she's been, and after spending a bit of time uncharacteristically bashing herself, she decides that she's ready to get even with her two-timing sleazeball "fiance."
Meanwhile, Liz is trying to dig up the dirt on Jeremy, but what she finds is...nothing. Sue scoops up some wedding announcement he foolishly carries with him, about a young socialite couple from Atlanta. The dude's name is Matt Thorn but the picture is of the man they all know as Jeremy. Once they pool this information, and realize the Matt Thorn identity is just as thin as the Jeremy Randall one, our plucky trio realize that they are all in this way too deep. Jessica has the gall to call up Matt's scorned wife, impersonating a local police officer on the phone, and gets the scoop. Apparently Jeremy has done this business before, marrying stupid, rich girls and absconding with their money.
The girls decide to trap Jeremy once and for all, and they decide to do it on their own, which is dumb. Not without reason, though, as the police are dismissive when the twins first take their story about Jeremy being the kidnapper to them, because Steven taped over the kidnapping video with the telltale pinky ring. But for them to not tell their parents, and only loop in Sam Diamond at the last minute, was incredibly stupid. Master Detective Diamond has apparently only just reached the same conclusion as Sue, Liz, and Jess, with none of the info that the teenagers had. I certainly would not be trusting this woman with my life and safety!
So they decide that Jessia will lure Jeremy to the Project Nature cabin, Sam will follow with a carload of teenagers, and the police will follow her, and somehow they will confront Jeremy. This plan goes sideways from the start: Jessica makes the supremely unwise decision to tell Jeremy that she knows he is scamming them all, but that she doesn't care and wants to run away with him anyway. The lure of Wakefield twin v-card must be damn strong, because Jeremy takes the bait. Unfortunately, the night they are to run away together is the night of a terrible thunderstorm, so OF COURSE Sam and the teens in her car crash during the wild chase to the cabin, and OF COURSE Jessica realizes this too late, and OF COURSE Jeremy is a hard-hearted asshole who leaves Jessica behind to die in a fire, as depicted on the stepback. He's mostly proud of himself for running his scam without actually killing anybody, and he figures he'll get away with this, too - and he almost does. Sam, Liz, Sue, and Todd arrive as Jeremy is leaving, and Liz and Sue rush into the burning building to save Jessica. This was a hectic, climactic scene that was really nicely done.
It's not until they are all at the hospital that Liz confesses the whole scheme to her parents who are bewildered but not upset, even going so far as to bring Sue back into their fold, knowing all of the terrible things she's done to them. The group gets the good news that Jeremy wrecked his car not far from the cabin, was picked up injured by alive by state troopers, and will presumably be brought to justice with a little help from Sue.
The ending of the main plot is ridiculous, honestly, and very abrupt. Jessica is ready to jump out of the hospital bed, where she's being treated for smoke inhalation and burns, so that she can get to the Mistletoe Madness dance at school!
There are two subplots that are also woven into the story. Lila is convinced that Robby will never have his paintings ready by the time of his gallery showing, so she decides that she's going to throw some paint on canvas and display her work under his name, because obviously nothing can go wrong! She is mortified when everyone hates her work, and even Robby is giving her the stinkeye when he arrives and sees what she's done. There was so much secondhand embarrassment to be had here. For all the brains Lila had in the last book, there are none on display here. Robby is kind enough to forgive her, and his real work is hung in the gallery and he is celebrated as a hot new talent. He also wants to go to the Mistletoe Madness dance at SVH, lucky Lila!
The other subplot is that Ken Matthews has developed a crush on Jessica and starts showing it in very age-appropriate, rather adorable ways. The contrast of Ken's wooing to Jeremy's jaded attitude really brings some home truths to Jessica and she realizes that she's not ready for anything she thinks she is. Ken is definitely more her speed than Jeremy, and there are some really cute scenes between the two here. I was wondering how Jess was going to go from this engagement disaster to her second-best boyfriend in the series, and apparently it all starts here. Aww ♥
NGL, the budding romance between Jessica and Ken definitely helps the rating of this book; I think it's a solid three stars, considering the way the plot basically backed everyone into a corner. I think the ghostie was one of the experienced hands who wrote previous Thriller books, and it certainly shows here. This was not a bad way to end the nostalgia re-readathon for this year, and I might just have to revisit some of these Ken/Jess scenes when I get nostalgic for their relationship.
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I'd also forgotten just how much of this book is simply setting up the cheerleading arc. Ken/Jessica! Seriously, Ken crushing on Jessica is the sweetest thing and I will die on the hill that Ken is a good egg and any ghosty who writes him otherwise should be dealt with harshly.
And this is the book that has the whole arc earmarked in my memory as the one where my friends were scandalized that they discussed Jessica and someone having sex. Y'know, without actually saying it. I'd begun to think I'd imagined the whole damn thing and was wondering if maybe I'd lost my marbles.
I'm pretty sure Jessica has had some hot and heavy relationships, including Tragically Dead Sam
I'm pretty sure there's a whole subplot where she's so worried that she and Sam can't be trusted alone together that she asks Liz about how she and Todd handle it and then Jess overcompensates because of course she does. So yeah, having this loser get this much fanfare is just... odd and weird and gross.
Retcon!Robby is still weird though it has good intentions (namely separating Robby from creepy Jeremy), but I actually like the idea that Jeremy had the whole Jessica romance setup from the start. It makes him even worse because each book does seem to be trying to top the last in terms of how bad he can be, but him bonking her on the head with a Frisbee, kissing her and then running off knowing that'll be catnip to her based on Alice's years of correspondence tracks. I mean as much as anything in this arc does track. Sue still comes off pretty terribly with this, but she makes babysteps in not wanting Jessica to waste her first time on an absolute creep who does not care about her at all.
Part of me thinks it's insane that Jeremy would carry around that article and part of me thinks dude has a shrine to his fuckery somewhere so why the hell not. Jessica immediately pretending to be a cop to get info from his previous wife was perfection.
Detective Sam is dragging the name down. You're in a car with two people who know the way to the cabin. Sure, try and keep the creep in sight but there's no reason she should've gotten lost on the way there beyond plot contrivance. *rolls eyes out of skull*
RetconRobby is at it again as I swear that previous books mentioned that Lila had SEEN his other paintings for the show, so having her panic that he's got nothing is just weird. Did I make that up in my cold induced haze?
Coughing/cackling/wheezing at the thought of Jessica shaking off smoke inhalation to try and hit the dance because that's so Jessica it hurts.
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Yes, while I am impressed that the scene on the stepback actually happens in the book as it is depicted, that is certainly...A Choice for a Jessica outfit. Even mid-90s Jess.
Ken/Jessica! Seriously, Ken crushing on Jessica is the sweetest thing and I will die on the hill that Ken is a good egg and any ghosty who writes him otherwise should be dealt with harshly.
It is a crime of late canon that Ken/Jess lasts for such a short period of time. These two are so cute together! They deserved more normalcy and Jessica not being Jessica and dumping him for an unworthy guy.
And this is the book that has the whole arc earmarked in my memory as the one where my friends were scandalized that they discussed Jessica and someone having sex. Y'know, without actually saying it.
I was giggling through this whole section because it is *SO* 1990s YA. OMG - so cringey and unrealistic, and yet, so scandalous! And I don't know about you, but plenty of girls at my school were having sex and the kids to prove it, so it's even weirder than written, if that makes any sense.
I actually like the idea that Jeremy had the whole Jessica romance setup from the start
It gives him way more credit than he deserves, IMO. I can totally buy them going to Sweet Valley with the whole fake-kidnapping--for-ransom scheme already planned, but him also planning the whole Jessica bit? Nah. He's a pedo-grooming asshole, but he's not a sociopathic genius...
Part of me thinks it's insane that Jeremy would carry around that article and part of me thinks dude has a shrine to his fuckery somewhere so why the hell not.
...because the real geniuses know that the only way to not be caught is to not keep any records of their crimes. I mean, I know this lil article is there purely for plot purposes, and I agree, Jeremy probably does keep a shrine to his fuckery around somewhere, but I don't think he can do this and be smart enough to have engineered *everything* right from the start.
Jessica immediately pretending to be a cop to get info from his previous wife was perfection.
THAT'S the Jessica we all know and love!! It makes me want to go back and read early canon again, LOL.
RetconRobby is at it again as I swear that previous books mentioned that Lila had SEEN his other paintings for the show, so having her panic that he's got nothing is just weird. Did I make that up in my cold induced haze?
She knew about his portrait of her, but I'm not clear that she'd seen any of this other work, at least as the books went by. Their story was changed so much it's stupid.
no subject
Right? They deserved a good long run before Jessica went full Jessica, dammit. As it is, it's what, two arcs? Boo! Booooooooo. I suppose I must comfort myself with the fact that the cheerleader mini is one of the better ones (even if I hate Heather so, so much).
I was giggling through this whole section because it is *SO* 1990s YA. OMG - so cringey and unrealistic, and yet, so scandalous! And I don't know about you, but plenty of girls at my school were having sex and the kids to prove it, so it's even weirder than written, if that makes any sense.
Oh, it definitely is so of its time and I love it for that. And yes! One of my HS memories is the math class where I don't remember any math but I remember the teacher taking attendence one day and being told that one of the girls was out because she was having her baby and that prompted a discussion about adoptions and how other girls in the class had dealt with it.
It gives him way more credit than he deserves, IMO. I can totally buy them going to Sweet Valley with the whole fake-kidnapping--for-ransom scheme already planned, but him also planning the whole Jessica bit? Nah. He's a pedo-grooming asshole, but he's not a sociopathic genius...
It was his one moment with the braincell! And everything thereafter was just him assuming he was just too brilliant for words. I'd say everyone got a chance with it, but obviously Detective Sam did not, and I'm not really sure Alice and Ned got to do more than wave at it as it flew through the house.
but I don't think he can do this and be smart enough to have engineered *everything* right from the start.
That's fair, but I still like the idea of him intentionally braining Jessica with that Frisbee. :p
THAT'S the Jessica we all know and love!! It makes me want to go back and read early canon again, LOL.
Right?! Liz and Sue are both dithering about how to go about it and Jessica's already putting on the voice and has a plan. Do not fuck with Jessica Wakefield when she's feeling competent, people. Ask early Bruce how well that works.
She knew about his portrait of her, but I'm not clear that she'd seen any of this other work, at least as the books went by. Their story was changed so much it's stupid.
Part of me wants to go flip back through the others to see and part of me doesn't want to bother because if the ghosties can't keep things straight, why should I? One more possible retcon for our boy Robby and poor Lila. Sigh.
no subject
Technically, I think they had 3 full arcs: Cheerleaders, Death Valley, and College before Jess went all West Side Story on their asses. I also hate Heather but I feel like there's a Cheerleaders arc re-read in our near future, LOL.
I'd say everyone got a chance with it, but obviously Detective Sam did not
She was such a waste of space, and unworthy of the name. Ugh, ugh, ugh - especially when Tragically Dead Sam was actually mentioned numerous times!
I still like the idea of him intentionally braining Jessica with that Frisbee
He could've done that just because he wanted to an excuse to meet a cute girl, LOL.
Yes, poor Robby and Lila got the short shrift in this little miniseries. It's not worth giving Lila a full-time boyfriend if he's going to be retconned this much in each and every book :(
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Yesssssss! Cheerleaders! We can hate Heather together. :D And also yay, I'd forgotten the college arc, though that might not be great for Ken but still better than the gang arc. Oh, SVH, why do you make me say such things?
She was such a waste of space, and unworthy of the name.
Still better than SVU!Sam, but that's a painfully low bar to clear.
He could've done that just because he wanted to an excuse to meet a cute girl, LOL.
Now you've given me this mental picture of him and Robby hanging out at the beach all week (gotta keep that friendship super superficial to keep the blowback to a minimum for Mr. Goodman) and Jeremy's out there braining girls left and right with Frisbees while he kills time.
Yes, poor Robby and Lila got the short shrift in this little miniseries. It's not worth giving Lila a full-time boyfriend if he's going to be retconned this much in each and every book :(
I do wonder how the meetings for this went, since Robby's only real constants are he adores Lila, he's a talented painter, and everything else about him changes each book. I get that they needed DRAMA and Lila herself is definitely a drama queen but still. This was... a lot.