Nowhere to Run

Nowhere to Run is the 25th book in the Sweet Valley High series.

In this book, Emily Mayer, the drummer of the SVH band, The Droids, was dealing with some harrowing problems at home, dealing with her new stepmother.

For many years, it had been just Emily and her father after her mother divorced and left them. However he began dating a woman named Karen, the daughter of a wealthy couple, and she was often known for wanting her own way. She and Ron Mayer were married and then they had their birth child, a daughter named Karrie.

Karen had no use for Emily's practicing the drums, and when they would come up with a compromise, Karen wouldn't cooperate. What made it worse was that Ron Mayer would constantly be on the side of his wife, and would hurt Emily by not even listening to her concerns.

Feeling alone, Emily tried to find another activity to take the place of her band, even going to sign up for working at The Oracle, the SVH newspaper. There she confided in Elizabeth Wakefield who was there to listen. She stayed overnight a couple of times at the Wakefield residence, but would go back to her own hard home situation.

After her stepsister nearly chokes on a bead from an unsafe toy, Emily saved her by doing the Heimlich Maneuver. Karen misunderstood the situation and blamed Emily for harming the baby, Ron, of course, sided with Karen over his daughter and then ordered Emily to leave the house. Emily had sold her drum set to her friend and fellow band member, Dan Scott.

Emily's world was shattered and she called Elizabeth, to see if she could stay with them once again. Or to plan on moving back with her mother. That plan failed when it was revealed that her mother had not wanted her anyway; she had remarried and moved to Mexico, without even thinking of her daughter one bit.

At that point, Elizabeth's grandmother, who was visiting from Michigan, related a story to Emily about her first years with her husband. She had to deal with his son from his first marriage named Louis. After the story, she comforted the distraught Emily.

Not long after, Emily saw her father and Karen along with Karrie. Karen finally realized that Emily was trying and she wouldn't have hurt her half-sister. Karen finally made peace with Emily and understood how handy she was around the house and how she bonded with Karrie. Ron also understood and the family reunited.

The book's B-storyline was how Mrs. Wakefield was feeling in being left out with the visit by her in-laws, and how much fun the twins were having with their grandparents.

This was one of the rare SVH books, where the twins regular friends, (Lila, Enid, Todd, etc) were not even involved.