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An avalanche of heartbroken reactions have emerged on TikTok following the news of the death of author Francine Pascal.
On Sunday, July 28, the 92-year-old former soap opera scriptwriter and author of the best-seller “Love is my life” was murdered. Sweet Valley High School The actress from the teen series died at New York Presbyterian Hospital from lymphoma. The news of her death was confirmed by her daughter Laurie Wenk-Pascal.
In a video shared on TikTok after the news broke, a user named Shonda expressed her shock and grief, addressing her fellow young Gen X readers as she mourned Pascal's death: “Our little girl is gone.”
“I know she was 92 and she had a good run,” he said. “She died of lymphoma, so she didn’t die from being 92, she died from cancer. My girl could have had a few more years of life, but I’m kind of sad because it’s like the older you get, the more people who shaped your transformative years leave you.”
“Francine was one of those people,” he added, noting that Pascal Sweet Valley Twins The series led her to become interested in Olympic rhythmic gymnastics.
In the comments section, other fans of Pascal's work shared some of their favorite memories associated with the Sweet Valley High School books.
“My old babysitter gave me a huge box of Sweet Valley Twins “Books were my obsession,” one user wrote. “Francine will be missed.”
“It's sad. I loved these books too,” added another. “One of the twins' special mystery books was the first time I realized that… [I loved] reading.”
“Those books were my life,” another person commented. “I used to kick down the doors of B Dalton Bookstore to buy those books.”
Another TikTok video used a clip of Inside out along with photographs of antiques Sweet Valley High School books to capture the impact Pascal's books have had on her formative years. In the caption, the user wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to a woman who shaped some of my most important memories as a child, provided me with an escape through all the [stages] from childhood, allowed me to believe [that] “The nerd and the popular girl could be best friends, they gave me my first textbook boyfriend (hi Todd!) and they gave me a character (Elizabeth) to look up to.”
“He Sweet valley The series gave me hope in high school and I was happy. [to] “I reconnected with the Wakefield twins in college and adulthood,” they continued. “These books were a [gateway] “For me, movies, TV shows, and contemporary romance and fiction that I love.”
“Although I never met [Francine Pascal]“I want to thank her for the books she created,” they added. “My heart goes out to her family and fans. Thank you, Francine.”
When Generation X readers were teenagers, Sweet Valley High School The books, which followed the lives of identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, who attended the book's eponymous high school in the fictional Los Angeles suburb of Sweet Valley, were wildly popular. With almost no mention of sex, drugs, and alcohol, the young adult series was remarkably wholesome. The series focused on the ups and downs of the twins' lives, with 181 titles and spin-offs chronicling their teenage adventures.
Within a few years of the series' debut in 1983, the books dominated the young adult section and by January 1986, 18 of the top 20 best-selling books on B Dalton's young adult list were from Sweet Valley High School The series revolutionized youth literature of the time and paved the way for the publication of books for young adults. Since its peak, the series Sweet Valley High School Together, the books have sold more than 200 million copies.
The books were later adapted into a popular television series starring twin sisters Brittany and Cynthia Daniel. The show aired from 1994 to 1997.
