Sweet Valley High Slam Book Award 9: Most Memorable Minority

…Hmm.

There’s Annie Whitman’s stepsister Cheryl, whose only claim to fame was for dating the twins’ brother Steven for fifteen seconds. There’s Jade Wu, the dancer of Chinese ancestry who betrays her old-school family to perform in the talent show and win the adoration of her peers at SVH. There’s Manuel Lopez, who saves the life of his girlfriend but she still won’t tell her prejudiced parents that they’re dating until he’s about to be hauled off to jail. Patty Gilbert did some stuff. But the most memorable minority in the world according to Sweet Valley High is:

Winner: Maria Slater

She lasted more than one book, you guys! Unfortch, it’s only because she was validated by Liz Wakefield and christened her new best friend in the later books. She was the ex-child actress who grew up to be a black, slightly cooler Enid Rollins. Laaame.

Runner Up: Andy Jenkins, that guy who almost made out with Neil Freemount on the cover of #69 – Friend Against Friend