Search - Native Tongue

I can't get enough of Hiaasen! This was another of his hilarious satires - full of wacky characters that inhabit South Florida. I think this is about the 6th Hiaasen I have read and I would rank this with his best. (Others I have read include Tourist Season, Double Whammy, Strip Tease, Lucky You, Skin Tight). This novel is one of his most direct assaults on developers wrecking havoc on the Florida environment. The targets include the amusement parks such as Sea World and Disney but he also takes shots at phone sex operators and their clients, steroid-pumped bodybuilders, and extreme animal lovers and birdwatchers. Hiaasen again came up with some great characters including the ex-Mafia snitch who owned a Disney-like amusement park, the bodybuilder security guard who gnawed off his own foot to free himself from a car parked on it, the senior citizen lady environmentalist who doesn't hesitate to shoot whoever disagrees with her, and the ex-Florida governor who lives in the Florida wilderness and wears a dead panther's tracking collar! The book also had a few celebrity guest appearances - I laughed out loud when Willard Scott was interviewing Robbie Raccoon at the amusement park and told him he was a little overweight. Robbie responded: "Look who's talking, lardass." Overall, a very high recommendation for this one.

Hiaasen writes wickedly funny environmental mysteries or adventures. He uses odd characters and plots you just have to love. I especially enjoy his former-governor-turned-swamp rat who is the ultimate recycling person - he cooks and eats road kill.

Fast moving and funny as ever. I love it when the ex-governor enters the picture. If you have not read any of Hiaasen's books you are in for a treat.

Living in Florida, working at a theme park, Carl's work hits home for me. I love his humor, a little trashy in all the right places, definitely "R" rated. Great departure..

It is always fun to read Carl Hiaasen, and this book is no exception. Pure entertainment!

Another great Hiassen book!