The Tribes of Palos Verdes

by Joy Nicholson

Book Overview

Medina Mason is a defiant, awkward newcomer to the affluent beach community of Palos Verdes, California. As her parents' marriage disintegrates and her beloved brother falls prey to the temptations of drugs and the lunacy of their mother, Medina surfs to survive, finding a bitter solace in the rough comfort of the waves. This is the moving story of growing up different, of the love between siblings, and of one girl's power to save herself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031219532X
• ISBN13: 9780312195328
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

What a Misleading Cover!

I picked up this book thinking, "Oh cool, a book about a girl in a group with guys surfing!" I soon found out that was not the case, or not really the case. This book astonished me and made me thank myself for all of the good things I have in my life. The story started out fairly normal, and me thinking "Everything will end up happy-go-lucky" boy, oh boy was I wrong. It was a rollercoaster, everytime something good would happen, it would scaled downward. The ending is very surprising, yet depressing at the same time! I just kept reading it because you wanted to find out what else could go wrong in Medina's life!

brilliant

The story is about a disfunctional family from which a girl surfer emancipates throught surfing, while also triyng to save her twin brother. Moving and brilliantly written, you can't stop reading this book until the end.

An excellent and captivating book

After reading some of the reveiws listed I had to give my review. It seems that the major complaint was that it talks about things like drugs and sex and has a downer ending. This is life....and did you read the ending the same way I did? I didn't see it as a downer but as a way to start over for the main character. The book is a fast read...great for vacation reading (I read it, aloud during a 7 hour car trip last summer). I find the characters very real and believable.

The Tribes of Palos Verdes

As you can notice, I gave this book 5 wonderful, shiny, gold stars; thus, well deserved. This is the best book I've ever had the pleasure of reading and I'd highly recommend this book to anyone. Reason being is that I can relate to and understand many of the things that occur. I'm not the type of person that would usually sit down and read a book over and over again. Heck, I'm not the type of person that would sit down and read a book at all. At first, all I wanted was a book to get me through a report and I ended up with the only book I think I'll ever enjoy reading.

This is the best book I have ever read

I was given this book as a gift and while I was slow to pick it up and start reading, once I did I never put it down. I've read it at least twenty times since I got it, and each time I find a new reson to love it. I've never related to a charcter before, but Medina is different.She's strong, passionate and intense. She's the literary incarnation of me growing up and today. The way she draws her strength from the waves and from her pain is a wonderful lesson to any young person dealing with problem. This book is wonderful, truthful and beautiful. Do yourself a favor and read this book.