The Problem with Paradise [Paperback]

Lesley Dahl (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Nobody gets why Casey's upset. She's just been informed that she's spending the ENTIRE summer on some deserted tropical island with her father, his new wife, and her two brothers. Her father will study the endangered sea turtle, her brothers will drive her crazy, and Casey's sure she will die of boredom while dreaming of all the fun she could have been having with her friends back home.

But Tartuga turns out to have its charms--particularly a cute boy Casey's age named Jonah. And spending so much time away from cell phones and emails give Casey the unexpected chance to listen to herself. But when a tropical storm bears down in Tartuga and Casey's father can't make it back in time, will Casey be able to pull it together and save Paradise for all of them?


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up—Fourteen-year-old Casey had been looking forward to spending the summer with Matt, her almost boyfriend. Now she will be spending it with her newly married dad, her stepmother, and her two brothers on a small tropical island where the turtles outnumber the people. Casey is not excited, but no one else seems to think it is a hardship. Things take a turn for the better when 16-year-old Josh comes to visit his uncle. Casey begins a relationship with him, but while hiding from a hurricane, she discovers that his family is involved in poaching the island's endangered turtles. This exciting coming-of-age story has danger, mystery, and romance. It moves quickly and will keep readers engaged.—Sheilah Kosco, Bastrop Public Library, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

The plot is familiar: a teen grudgingly spends the summer away from home, technology, friends, and boyfriend only to discover that there's a new, quite wonderful world waiting for her outside her usual frame of reference--if only she allows herself to experience it. Casey, 14, is sure she will be "bored to death" with her two little brothers and with her father and new stepmother, who are studying turtles on a remote Caribbean island. But deciding to make the best of it, she learns to sail, pulls back from a summer romance because she realizes it won't last, and steps up to protect her brothers during a crisis. With the exception of a storm (and a few secret kisses), there's not much tension or excitement in the first-person narrative. Yet Dahl pulls things together with a light touch and plenty of sand and sunshine, making her debut a pleasant change of pace from the explicit, angst-ridden narratives comprising so much of today's teen lit. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Yearling; Reprint edition (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440239508
• ISBN-13: 978-0440239505
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,349,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, January 30, 2007

By 

S A M "middle schooler" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Problem with Paradise (Hardcover)

I read this book during finals week when I should have been studying, but I couldn't put it down. This book is a perfect combination of humor and drama. I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book to go away with......, May 2, 2007

By 

neenah (Temecula, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Problem with Paradise (Hardcover)

I had the luxury of reading this book while vacationing in paradise but, even if you are not on vacation Lesleys book will take you there. Her writing is descriptive and heartfelt. Not to spoil it for those that have not yet read the book, I will only say that young and old you will "feel" as you are reading the experiences, like the frustration of being sent away from your friends, or a pesky little brother that just won't leave you alone, but best of all the warm sun tanning your body, the feeling of swimming in the amazing blue, blue water and of course the yummy romance! Thank you Lesley for the adventure and fun. One would like to know how Casey and Matt are getting along now :-)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a really entertaining read, April 27, 2007

By 

Marta Carlson (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Problem with Paradise (Hardcover)

This is a really fun book. It's the perfect combination of humor, excitement and a little romance. It didn't take me long to read it. In fact, I wish it had been longer. It's very good to read on an airplane or on vacation, unless you have a pesky brother or sister, like Casey. It turns out that the author, Lesley Dahl, has pictures an island where she has dived up on her website. Maybe she'll write another book about Casey. I hope so.