Notes from a Spinning Planet--Mexico [Paperback]

Melody Carlson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Notes from a Spinning Planet | Publication Date: August 21, 2007

Madison Chase’s holiday break is drawing to a close and she’s eager to leave the gray Washington winter and join her Aunt Sid on a warm vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Maddie is pleasantly surprised when her good friend Ryan McIntire shows up to enjoy the trip with them, and she looks forward to spending time with him. But when Ryan runs into his high school crush, the beautiful Shelby Wagner, Maddie’s jealousy threatens to spoil their sun-drenched days.

Unsure of her relationship with Ryan, Maddie distracts herself by befriending a local girl, Francesca Tarrago, who is both intelligent and hardworking but lives in deep poverty. As Maddie does what she can to help Francesca, she discovers a secret that Shelby has been keeping from all of them. Can Maddie put aside her conflicted feelings and love Shelby enough to help her?

This third book in the Notes from a Spinning Planet series invites young women to the romantic beaches of Mexico to explore a love deeper than simple affection and the meaning of true sacrifice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Melody Carlson has crafted a brilliant, kick up your heels, laugh out loud, winner.  Welcome to the Chick Lit side of the bookshelf, Sisterchick.  Keep ‘em coming!

–Robin Jones Gunn, bestselling author of the Sisterchicks novels and the Christy Miller Series

About the Author

Melody Carlson has published more than a hundred books for children, teens, and adults, with sales totaling over 2.5 million copies. Several of her books have won awards, including the ECPA Gold Medallion and the Rita Award. Melody has two grown sons and lives in central Oregon with her husband and her chocolate lab retriever. She enjoys skiing, gardening, camping, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (August 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400071461
• ISBN-13: 978-1400071463
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.7 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melody Carlson has written around 200 books for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her books range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including the Rita and Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun in the Sun, August 21, 2007

By 

Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Notes from a Spinning Planet--Mexico (Paperback)

Maddie is going on yet another trip with her Aunt Sid. Except this time its for fun and relaxation in beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Maddie is prepared for beaches, sun, and tropical drinks and is even more excited when Ryan is due to show up. However, the vacation is not all that's cracked up to be. First the timeshare location is rundown and not managed well. Then Ryan's ex girlfriend shows up making Maddie feel like a plain Jane third wheel. But Shelby has a secret that puts the pretty face facade to shame. Maddie has to fight feelings of jealousy in order to help her do the right thing.

I think that this was my favorite book out of the series. With this story, Maddie was able to enjoy herself and seek out social justice at the same time. The whole situation with Francesca's sisters and the orphanage sounded really sketchy. I wonder how many similar situations take place and it makes me worry that people will not use money correctly. I was really glad that the subject of binge drinking was brought up. In previous books, drinking one or two beers was not seen as a problem. However with this book, Shelby has become an alcoholic and refuses to admit it until Sid threatens her with drastic measures. Even an allergic reaction that almost kills her doesn't stop her. Sadly this is how many teens view their own lives. They don't care if something harms them as long as it makes them feel like it's giving a good time. But I really love how I can relate to these books. The feelings that Maddie had whenever Shelby was around her and Ryan, I think almost every girl has felt that way. And no matter how Christian a guy will be, just like Ryan they will always seem to give more attention to the prettier girl that seems to flaunt herself. It's a typical guy thing that will sadly never change, lol. I found the timeshare bit quite funny. I don't think I could get out of one of those as well as Sid could have. I really hope there will be another book in this series. There's so many other places that Maddie and Sid should travel to. I would highly recommend this book for older teens.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, March 10, 2011

By 

jlund0 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Notes from a Spinning Planet--Mexico (Paperback)

I have read books by this author before and this one was just as good as the rest! The book came when it said it would come and I enjoyed it a lot. The wear on the book was just as they said it would be, which was not a big deal to me. Great purchase =)

5.0 out of 5 stars Another awesome book!, January 28, 2010

By 

Jenna Cagle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Notes from a Spinning Planet--Mexico (Paperback)

It was an awesome book! I'm sad there are no more books in this series!