1Bruce1, the very fun Weblog that recaps Sweet Valley High books, has a recap of "Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams," the SV University book in which the twins' brother and his girlfriend deal with an unplanned pregnancy. I find this book especially hilarious because I lways thought of the twins' brother, Steven, as the most prissy, strait-laced guy on the planet, and here it turns out he's actually having sex with his (equally prissy) girlfriend.
Of course they deal with the pregnancy in a way never before seen by anyone on the planet. Abortion is actually mentioned in a very weird way. Steven gets all 1950s and "it's my child," Billie acts shocked that a woman can be a doctor. I don't think it's ever mentioned if they used birth control or just felt like rolling the dice.
Their parents are pissed, then pleased that their still-wet-behind-the-ears kids plan to raise a child. (If I recall correctly, Alice and Ned blither on about how they were proud to be young parents. Yeah, you did a great job with those psycho twins.)
But the main point is to teach preteen readers not to get pregnant, so of course Billie has just won some music contest or scholarship or something that would involve her studying in Spain, and now all that will be spoiled because of the baby. NO TRIP FOR YOU! Only drudgery and diapers!
There is also a great bit where both the parents-to-be fantasize about their child. Excerpt: "Billie locks herself in the bathroom and has a panic attack about becoming in-laws with the Wakefields. I can sympathize. She also fantastizes about her kid turning out like Jessica or Elizabeth. The Jessica girl is goth and carries a bazooka. The Elizabeth girl is a total control freak who calls Billie a bad mother. "
But because an actual baby would be too much lesson for this series, she miscarries, apparently simply because they argue, and no more baby. I bet the ghostwriter was so proud to come up with this completely original ending of a pregnancy storyline, which never ever is used in soap operas or other cliched genres. And you just know the pregnancy will never be mentioned again. The end!
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There absolutely IS a mention of birth control. Steven reflects (in his internal monologue) that although they were very careful about using birth control, the only method that is 100% effective is abstinence.
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