Spring Breakdown Review

TITLE: Spring Breakdown #7 Carter House Girls
AUTHOR: Melody Carlson
PUB DATE: February 2010
PAGES: 206

ABOUT THE BOOK:
The six Carter house girls plan to join Mrs. Carter in Florida for a “quiet” spring break, but quiet is impossible when Harry and his guy friends stay in a condo nearby. Focused on her new found faith and sobriety, Taylor is trying to behave, but Eliza has no such intention. In an attempt to win Harry back, Eliza continues to push the envelope and her partying spins out of control. When Eliza goes missing, everyone is left worried and afraid for her safety. Will Eliza wake up and see that her life is built on sinking sand? Or will this quicksand claim her instead?

MY THOUGHTS:

I have been lucky enough to get the chance to read and review this series by Melody Carlson. I have to admit that I am no longer the young teenager that the books are for but I can relate to them just the same. When I was in junior high and high school alcohol was very much an issue back in the 80s as it is now for teenagers.

Thankfully the friends that I hung around with never were into alcohol so I never had to worry about it ever being an issue with us. I have to say growing up with a father who drank alot and other family members it was very much a turn off for me. I never got drunk and whenever I did drink (in my 20s) I always drank just enough to get that buzz but still be in control. Even as an person in my 30s almost 40s I rarely drink and if I do its a reasonable amount.

Now to the book I would have thought with Taylor going to rehab in the last book that the girls would have learned something but Eliza sure didn’t. She is still very much the party girl. When DJ and Taylor throw a party at Taylor’s boyfriends place they stress no alcohol will be allowed. Eliza didn’t like that and set out to make Taylor’s party a bust by lying to the friends so they wouldn’t show up.

The Carter House girls are heading down to Florida for a swimsuit shoot and spring break. The only one not going is Kriti who has decided she wants to stay home with her parents. I wonder why?

Once in Florida, Mrs Carter discovers that the girls boyfriends are going to be down there as well and has no idea what is going on and she is delighted that they will be around. Little does she realize what is about to happen. I think Mrs Carter is in way over her head.

Eliza gets into a fight with her boyfriend because he told her that he wishes she was like DJ. Eliza flips out and is furious. She accepts a date with a guy and we discover that she never comes home that night. Its only the next day that they get a phone call demanding ransom money. Eliza has been kidnapped. But by who and why? Will this episode change Eliza for the better? Will she realize her drinking is the problem? Will Mrs Carter ever put her foot down with these girls?

I really enjoyed the book and there was enough action that made me want to keep reading it. I am curious to find out what will happen with Eliza when she gets back home and if she will admit she has a drinking problem.

Book 8 in the Carter House Girls series is called Last Dance and its scheduled to be released March 2010. I tried to look up online to see if that would be the final book in the series or not but couldn’t find anything.

This book was provided for review by Bridgette Brooks of ZONDERKIDZ.