Sweet Valley Diaries

About Sweet Valley Diaries

After years of wide-eyed blogging about the surreal 1980s perfection of Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High book series (and the surprising psychodrama that lurks below the town's perfectly-tanned surface), host Marissa Flaxbart is now forcing people to read the series with her. But beyond its obsession with the ubiquitous-yet-obscure book series, SWEET VALLEY DIARIES is a podcast about nostalgia — '80s nostalgia in particular — and the ways this nostalgia can (spectacularly, hilariously) fail us. It's a riotous cultural conversation about which parts of the past we long for and which ones we want to leave behind for good. It's about friendship, honesty, and learning to speak your truth in the face of a boyfriend-stealing cheerleader or an evil triplet. It's all the life lessons you could ever hope to learn from two size-6, blonde-haired, aqua-eyed, identical 16-year-old twins. Strap in.

Publisher

Marissa Flaxbart

Category

arts · comedy

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

7 Dec 2017

Latest episode

17 Jan 2025

Latest episodes

187 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Jan 2025

   Sweet Valley News & Help Rebuild the Palisades Library/Support LAPL Staff

   Support the Palisades Branch Recovery Fund (https://lfla.org/laplrecoveryfund/) Support the LAPL Staff Emergency Support Fund (https://lfla.org/laplstafffund/) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands (https://redcircle.com/brands)

2. 

   27 Jun 2024

   Extra Drama #82: A Legend of Readin'

   A correction email about ROSA'S LIE and truly the most epically hyperbolic Reader of the Month winner to date! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands (https://redcircle.com/brands)

3. 

   20 Jun 2024

   Book #82: KIDNAPPED BY THE CULT!

   When there's an exclamation point in the name of the book, you know it's going to be a good one. But will KIDNAPPED BY THE CULT! ever deliver on the promise of its title? Find out with filmmaker Sam Wineman as he falls in love with every character in Sweet Valley and Marissa dreams up some new cult-themed merch. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands (https://redcircle.com/brands)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

3,663

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

88 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

21 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

32

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

67