The Jade Notebook (Notebook Series #3)

Children's Literature - Meredith Kiger

Zeeta, aged 17, and her mother Layla have just settled into managing a small primitive resort in a coastal town in Mexico. They have been wandering the globe since Zeeta was born, never calling any place home. Mazunte, Mexico is noted as a sea turtle refuge as well as a resort town off the beaten track. Turtles are protected here since the government placed them on the endangered list. Zeeta's boyfriend, Luke, is spending the summer in one of their cabanas while he completes an internship with the local sea turtle refuge organization. Zeeta has only met her father once, years ago while living in France. He is something of a musical vagabond and from what he has shared of his past, Zeeta thinks Mazunte may be his hometown. She longs to reconnect with him and his family. The resort that Zeeta and her mother manage is more a stopover for old hippies and other characters, but Zeeta feels she has found "home" here. The story follows Zeeta and her relationship with Luke, Zeeta's search for her father and a who-dun-it adventure involving the theft of protected turtle eggs all mixed together with the various odd characters that reside in Mazunte. A suspenseful and well written tale for older teens, it's a realistic look at another culture. Spanish words throughout are defined and phonetically spelled at the end of the book. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger, Ph.D.

VOYA - Shana Morales

In this follow-up to The Indigo Notebook (Delacorte, 2009) and The Ruby Notebook (Delacorte, 2010/VOYA December 2010), Zeeta; her mother, Layla; and Zeeta's boyfriend, Wendall, are living in the majestic beach community of Mazunte, Mexico. Zeeta is determined to set roots in this tropical paradise and also uncover more about her father. As Zeeta and Wendall's relationship appears to be nearing separate paths, they become involved in a local mystery that, when uncovered, becomes dangerous. The treatment of Wendall and Zeeta's relationship is realistic, and readers will appreciate such an accurate portrayal of Zeeta's thoughts as things become less than perfect. A great blend of suspenseful mystery and romance, The Jade Notebook is the perfect addition to collections that already feature the previous titles or are waiting for a worthy addition. Fans of the previous titles will enjoy revisiting Zeeta on this leg of her journey, while new readers can get swept up in this story on its own. Reviewer: Shana Morales

Kirkus Reviews

In this third in a series of novels focusing on Zeeta and her wanderlust-stricken mother, readers are immersed in the details of a lovingly described coastal town in Mexico and an action-filled mystery surrounding the poaching of ancient sea turtles that make their home there. Zeeta's decision to find her mom a job in Mazunte was no accident. Newly armed with a slew of hints about her father's background following the events of The Ruby Notebook (2010), she is madly hoping that it might be his hometown. It quickly becomes apparent that she's on the right track, and with her boyfriend, Wendell, by her side, she begins to fit together the pieces of the puzzle. Yet each answer uncovered seems to create more questions about her father's complex past. As in previous installments, this latest depends on a variety of coincidences, but Resau's skill in evoking an almost visceral experience of setting firmly anchors the story and allows it to expand leisurely to a satisfying end. Detracting here, however, is the appearance of characters that readers will likely spot as villains long before Zeeta does--disconcerting to those who have come to know the narrator as an astute observer. Fans of the series may quibble with some points, but they won't want to miss what is overall a graceful conclusion to Zeeta's story. (Fiction. 12-18)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—After 17 years of annual relocations, Zeeta believes she has found her home in the small town of Mazunte, Mexico, where her mother has taken a job managing cabanas nestled between a verdant jungle and a picturesque beach. Adding to her happiness, her boyfriend, Wendell, has taken a job at the local Turtle Center. Zeeta connects with the locals through interviews and with the land through exploration, recording her observations in a jade notebook. When she begins the search for her father, who initiated her move to Mazunte, she quickly becomes entangled in a series of connected mysteries involving a local bruja, or witch, poachers, and the authorities. In eloquent, full-bodied prose, this companion to The Indigo Notebook (2009) and The Ruby Notebook (2010, both Delacorte) tackles familial and romantic relationships, corruption, and ecological issues with veracity and complexity. Secondary characters are well formed and intrinsic to the plot development. The lush descriptions, intermittent action sequences, and sprinkling of fantasy all come together to form an engaging reading experience that will delight teens looking for a more mature story.—Nicole Politi, The Ocean County Library, Toms River, NJ