This was not one of Mr. Hiassen's best books. So why did I give it 4 stars? Well, just because it's not among his very best doesn't mean it's not an extremely good read, and indeed it is.

If you're not familiar with Carl Hiassen, then I highly suggest you take a look at his bio here on Goodreads and also visit his website, which you can find the link to on his Goodreads bio.

His books are all centered around Florida and the environment, and they are filled to the brim with humor. He was a contemporary of Dave Barry when both were columnists on The Miami Herald. Whether one's sense of humor had an influence on the other, I cannot say for sure, but both of them will definitely make you laugh out loud.

I won't go so far as to say that Hiassen's politics lean strongly to the left, but if you are part of a party that doesn't show respect for the environment, it's quite easy to see that he is not on your side. And I like that about him a great deal.

What a truly enjoyable book!

Even though there are some unfortunate events that occur within its pages, it still manages to come across as a lighthearted and engaging read.

It's always exciting to pick up a new book by Carl Hiaasen, and this one is no exception.

With each book I read, I feel one step closer to achieving my goal of reading all of his works.

His unique writing style and ability to create interesting characters and storylines keep me coming back for more.

I can't wait to see what other adventures and misadventures await me in his other books.

This particular book has definitely left me with a smile on my face and eager to dive into the next one.

Funny. Carl Hiassen still has it. His writing is as engaging and entertaining as ever. But I do wonder if he is looking in my families windows. It's almost as if he is spying on us, because he always comes up with the oddest characters. They are so unique and full of quirks that it makes me think he must have some inside knowledge. :)

Maybe he has a special talent for observing the world around him and picking up on the little details that make people interesting. Or perhaps he has a vivid imagination that allows him to create these unforgettable characters out of thin air. Either way, I can't get enough of his books.

Hiassen's stories are not only hilarious, but they also have a deeper message. He often uses humor to shine a light on important issues and make us think about the world we live in. It's a rare combination of entertainment and enlightenment that keeps me coming back for more.

Hiaasen does it again! His seething anger at environmental destruction and indignation at soulless douchenozzles are masterfully transformed into pleasant reading material. Through his creation of clever characters, he brings the story to life. These characters navigate madcap situations that keep the readers on the edge of their seats. The author's use of laugh-out-loud humor is the icing on the cake, making the entire reading experience enjoyable. Despite the serious themes of environmental destruction and soullessness, Hiaasen manages to present them in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking. His unique writing style combines elements of satire, comedy, and drama to create a truly unforgettable literary work.

Carl Hiassen is an incredibly wild and crazy individual.

His books are filled with over the top eco-terrorist content that takes readers on a wild ride.

The characters he creates are all screwballs in their own unique ways, yet they are the kind of folks that you would actually enjoy partying with.

In this particular book, Honey has gone off her meds and reacts to the poor behavior of a telephone solicitor with an elaborate action-revenge plan.

It's a beach read that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and keep you entertained from start to finish.

Hiassen's writing style is engaging and full of humor, making his books a joy to read.

Whether you're a fan of eco-thrillers or just looking for a good laugh, this book is definitely worth checking out.

So grab a copy, head to the beach, and get ready to be entertained by the wild and crazy world of Carl Hiassen.

I don't even know what to say about this book.

I listened to it on tape in my car, and even nearly a month later, I still haven't digested my thoughts on it.

I did listen to the whole thing through out of morbid curiosity, but I don't know that I can say I liked it.

The characters were so completely unrelatable that I never got attached to them. They were all just a little too extreme, a little too crazy.

This is my first Hiaasen book, so maybe it's just that I'm not used to his style. However, I'd read such good reviews about him that I was really looking forward to this book and was so disappointed.

I can appreciate one or two crazy characters mixed up with other relatively normal characters, and that usually makes for a humorous story. But there was not one "normal" person in this whole story. It was weird - too weird.

I thought Honey's relationship with her son was a bit too close for my tastes. Who tells their son that her boss touched her boob?

I thought Boyd was so completely dislikeable that I didn't get the connection between him and Eugenie at all.

Eugenie was the most normal character in the entire book, besides possibly the private investigator, and even she had her oddities that set her off as not quite normal.

There were a few, all too brief, moments of comic relief. But it's honestly a stretch for me to have shelved this book on my Humour shelf. (I just didn't know where else to put it, and I think this was supposed to be a humorous story.)

I may give Hiaasen another chance due to the rave reviews I've read, but I'm not in any hurry to have another repeat of how I felt with this uncomfortable cast of characters, so it may be a while.

A library book that I recently read was rather entertaining. However, it was nowhere near as good as _Bad Monkey_ was. Hiaasen, the author, is known for creating crazy characters and storylines in his works. In this particular book, while the characters were indeed quite outlandish and the storyline had its moments of excitement, it felt a little too silly at times.

It seemed as if the author was trying too hard to be funny and unique, which ended up detracting from the overall quality of the story. The plot had some interesting twists and turns, but they were sometimes overshadowed by the excessive silliness.

Despite its flaws, the book still managed to hold my attention and provide some entertainment. But compared to _Bad Monkey_, it just didn't measure up. I would still recommend Hiaasen's books to others, as he has a talent for creating engaging and original stories, but this particular one may not be his best work.

This was not a book I would have read myself if I came across it myself.

I was recommended this book by someone from school. It was definitely an adventure story. I loved all the different characters and smaller storylines.

Hiaasen did a great job carefully developing every single character as well as keeping the storyline going from each person's perspective without creating confusion. He transitioned beautifully from person to person as the story unfolded, always keeping in mind what that particular character was like and what they knew, or didn't know, compared to the others.

However, there were many sexual scenes that got very tiring and the male gaze was very evident in the way Hiaasen described the women so explicitly. That is my main complaint. What was his obsession with mentioning "mesh panties" all the time and describing women's body parts?

On the other hand, I do compliment him on adequately portraying the idiocy and primitive nature that most men possess. I also like the independent and empowering female characters. That was probably my favorite part.

This novel also had a nice sense of humor that wasn't always apparent, but when it was, I did grin. It added an extra layer of enjoyment to the reading experience. Overall, despite its flaws, I still found this book to be an interesting and engaging read.

What I truly appreciate about Carl Hiaasen's books is the fact that they are brimming with a wild and chaotic array of eccentric characters and situations. These elements might initially seem completely insane and unrealistic. However, as one delves into the story, they somehow manage to come across as entirely possible.

The main characters are also one-of-a-kind individuals, some might even call them crazy people, yet they possess deeply ingrained values and opinions. It is impossible not to develop a fondness for them and cheer them on. This particular book is no different.

The central plot revolves around Honey Santana, a single mother residing in the Everglades. She becomes incensed by the rude behavior of a telemarketer, Boyd Shreave, and resolves to teach him a lesson. Boyd is enticed to Florida under the pretense of a free trip and a real estate sales pitch. Honey then takes him (along with his mistress) on a kayaking "ecotour". Along the way, numerous other people get involved, including Honey's ex-husband, a stalker fisherman determined to seduce her, Boyd's vengeful wife and the private investigator she hires, a half-blood Seminole striving to break free from the curse of his white blood, and many more.

This book is like the ultimate form of book therapy. It is wildly entertaining, outrageously out there, and, in the end, thoroughly satisfying.

I came across a copy of this at my daughter's place about a year ago. I took a quick look and had the good sense to put it right back down. But for some unknown reason, I checked out the large-print version from the library this past week. Carl Hiaasen, who writes a weekly column for the Miami Herald, has published over ten novels. This particular one will likely never be made into a movie, which is almost a pity. The book is filled with visual humor, a madcap whirl of complex plotting. However, there are two major drawbacks for cinematization. The main protagonist is crazy and constantly hears two songs simultaneously in her head, which would be extremely challenging to depict on screen. Additionally, the language used by all the characters is atrocious, and there are so many sex scenes that I lost count.

"Nature Girl" is Honey Santana, a real sweetheart but as nutty as a fruitcake. She lives in a trailer in a small fishing village on the west Florida coast and is raising her precocious 12-year-old son on her own since her husband left years ago. At the start of the book, she is stressed because her despicable employer, a fishmonger named Piejack, groped her (after which she hit him in the privates with a crab mallet and quit). On top of that, she is really bothered by nightly calls from telemarketers, so she decides to take revenge on the one who disrupted her supper that night. I won't reveal the entire story as it would spoil it for you. But the end result is an incredible cast of characters all on a small desert island in the thousand islands at the mouth of a large river. Their interactions as they chase, deceive, and even kill each other are pure slapstick, despite the fact that several of them endure a great deal of pain. The characters include Honey and the telemarketer, who has a great phone voice but is a jerk; his current mistress, who wants to dump him; the defective detective his wife hired to catch them in the act; the angry fishmonger, who had his fingers on his good hand reattached in the wrong order after Honey's husband hired some immigrants to teach him a lesson; a mixed-breed Seminole Indian trying to figure out if he is a Seminole or not; the ghost of the ugly American who died on his first boat tour of the Everglades; a college girl who thinks the Indian is quite a hunk; a bunch of her college friends; a group of religious fanatics dancing on the beach while waiting for Jesus; Honey's son, who is wearing a football helmet because he skateboarded into a garbage truck, and Honey's husband, who left her but can't let go. He must have had a great time writing this!

The exact kind of chaos that I live for

is the kind that makes my heart race and my mind whirl. It's the chaos that comes with unexpected challenges and opportunities, the kind that forces me to think on my feet and come up with creative solutions. It's the chaos of a busy city street, with people and cars and sounds all around, or the chaos of a crowded party, with conversations overlapping and music blaring. It's the chaos of a new project or adventure, with all its unknowns and possibilities. This kind of chaos is what gives my life meaning and excitement. It's what makes me feel alive and keeps me on my toes. Without it, I would feel bored and unfulfilled. So bring on the chaos! I'm ready for it.

Anyone familiar with the Darwin Awards will quickly recognize the seemingly endless array of human stupidity exhibited by Hiaasen's characters. Since this is a work of fiction, however, readers need not experience that twinge of appalled guilt. Moreover, in Hiaasen's world of the Florida Keys, there is a distinction between good stupid and bad stupid.

Hiaasen has populated "Nature Girl" with a diverse cast of colorful characters who make bad choices that boomerang back to deliver absurd indignities. It all starts with a telemarketing call, one of those irritating dinnertime interruptions. The caller is Boyd Shreave, a sleazy loser, and the unlucky recipient is Honey Santana, whom her ex-husband Perry Skinner describes as "good crazy." She can't simply ignore the phone. Instead, she decides to track down Shreave and teach him a lesson. Crazy as she may be, she is also resourceful. Meanwhile, Shreave wallows in self-delusion, believing that his affair with co-worker Eugenie Fonda is more than it really is and that his wife is oblivious to his after-hours activities. It's no surprise that he falls for Honey's scam.

Honey is being stalked by her former boss, Louis Piejack. Hiaasen spares no detail in his description of Piejack. "Thirty years in the seafood business combined with grossly irregular bathing habits had cloaked upon Louis Piejack a distinct and inconquerable funk. Were it cologne, the essence would have included the skin of Spanish mackerel, the roe of black mullet, the guts of gag grouper, the wrung-out brains of spiny lobster and the milky seepage of raw oysters. The musk emanated most pungently from Piejack's neck and arms, which had acquired a greenish yellow sheen under a daily basting of gill slime and fish shit. Nothing milder than industrial lye could have cleansed the man." These vivid bursts of writing are what make Hiaasen's books so enjoyable.

Before the book concludes, a dozen characters will be chasing and tripping over each other on the appropriately named Dismal Island. It's a significant increase from the normal population of zero. This cast includes Sammy Tigertail, conflicted about his half-Seminole identity; Dealey, a private detective hired by Shreave's wife; Gillian, a feisty student on break from Florida's biggest party school; Honey's volatile ex-husband; and Fry, her ten-year-old son and the only sensible character in the book.

This was an entertaining diversion from my more serious reading. There are numerous elements in motion, propelled by the forces of greed and lust, all coming together in a fast-paced and exciting conclusion.