What I Did Like:

+ A simple, yet chaotic, premise sets off the actions in Florida this time. It's truly captivating how such a basic concept can lead to a series of events that are both unpredictable and engaging. The connections between the various elements feel natural, even when they seem odd or manage to make you burst out laughing. It's like a wild ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

+ The characters in this story are outstanding. From the telemarketer you can't help but hate to the half Seminole you end up loving, they are all so well-developed and unique. Each one has their own quirks and personalities that make them a joy to follow throughout the journey. You become invested in their lives and root for them as they face various challenges.

+ Hilarious! If you have a penchant for dark humor and colorful jokes, then this book is definitely for you. It's filled with that traditional Hiaasen brand of humor that is both clever and entertaining. The author has a knack for finding the humor in the most unexpected situations, which adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the reading experience.

Who Should Read This One:

- If you're looking for something different, almost weird, but still a solid storyline, this fits the bill perfectly. It's not your typical run-of-the-mill novel. It offers a refreshing take on the genre with its unique premise, interesting characters, and dark humor. It's a book that will keep you entertained from start to finish and leave you wanting more.

My Rating: 3 Stars

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/12/...

This book by Hiaasen wasn't my favorite.

Reading it was rather like experiencing a "Tooth-Ache". It had its painful moments, but when those moments passed, it felt good.

Still, I managed to finish it in the end.

The quote on the book cover, "It’s Hilarious…Pure Outlandish Silliness", is a very accurate description of the book.

I can't think of a better way to put it myself.

Overall, while it wasn't my top pick, it did have its entertaining aspects that made it worth reading through to the end.

Maybe for some readers, its outlandish silliness would be just the thing they're looking for in a book.

But for me, it was a bit of a mixed bag.

However, I'm glad I gave it a chance and was able to experience it for myself.

I have a deep love for Hoot. Given my passion for kayaking and nature, I had high hopes that I would also enjoy Nature Girl. However, my expectations were not met.

Some of the characters in the story had a certain comical charm. But in my opinion, they would have been better suited as secondary or supporting roles rather than the main leads. Most of them bordered on the absurd, such as a drug-running mafioso ex-husband, a bipolar and vengeful mom, a lazy telemarketer, and a lecherous fishmonger. I simply couldn't establish any connection with any of these characters.

All of these extremely eccentric characters converge on an island in the Everglades, resulting in chaos. But unfortunately, despite all the madness, none of the characters experience any growth or change.

To make matters worse, I listened to the audio version of the book, and some of the voices were just plain ridiculous. One character was constantly read with a pirate-like voice, and the main character's teenage son sounded like Beevis or Butthead. I suspect that if I had read the book myself, the characters might have seemed a bit more developed.

I had never listened to a fictional book before, and perhaps I won't do so again. I'm not a fan of the way they do the voices. Then again, maybe it was just this particular book or these specific voices that didn't work for me. I was on the verge of giving it only 1 star, but it was at least engaging enough for me to finish all 9 discs.

Honey Santana is on the borderline of being bipolar, and she is extremely strong-willed when it comes to dealing with the pointless. She has this crazy idea in her head to teach a random, rude telemarketer a lesson or two about manners. So, she devises a grand scheme to get the slimy and pathetic Boyd Shreve all the way to the Florida everglades with his mistress, Eugenie Fonda (who might be a cousin of Jane). However, unfortunately for Honey, her plan encounters several bumps along the way. In the form of her sexually harassing former boss, Piejack, and a half-Seminole named Sammy Tigertail who is on the run from a murder.

This was my very first book by Carl Hiaasen, and I am absolutely certain that I will read his work again without a doubt! The plot was not only hilarious but also a little on the ridiculous side. It reminded me of an episode of Seinfeld, where all these seemingly harmless details and random characters somehow manage to come together in these stories that are not only exciting to read but also make perfect sense by the end. I simply couldn't put this book down!

I was completely engrossed in the story from start to finish, and I can't wait to explore more of Carl Hiaasen's wonderful works. His writing style is engaging, and his ability to create such unique and entertaining characters is truly remarkable.

Meh.

I really do not have the perception that the absurdity in Florida can even come close to the absurdity in Britain. I am not entirely certain as to the reason behind this.

I had this strange feeling that I might be able to pen down something of a similar nature (even though I'm quite sure that sounds completely ridiculous).

The author seemed to be exerting an excessive amount of effort, and not a single one of the characters was developed with any nuance or had any interesting qualities.

However, on the other hand, I have to admit that I did manage to let out a few laughs here and there.

It's a bit of a strange mix of feelings, really.

Maybe it's because the British brand of absurdity has a certain charm or quirkiness that the Floridian version lacks.

Or perhaps it's just my own personal preference and perception that is influencing my view.

Either way, it's an interesting topic to consider and discuss.

No my cup of tea.

This simple phrase holds a lot of meaning. It implies that something is not to one's taste or preference. It could refer to a variety of things, such as a particular food, activity, or even a person.

For example, if someone says "Classical music is no my cup of tea," it means they don't enjoy listening to classical music. They may prefer other genres like pop or rock.

Similarly, if someone says "Going to the gym every day is no my cup of tea," it indicates that they don't like that particular activity. They might prefer a more relaxed form of exercise or no exercise at all.

In conclusion, "No my cup of tea" is a common expression that allows us to quickly and easily convey our disinterest or lack of preference for something. It helps us to communicate our personal tastes and preferences to others.

He is not as good as others.

The mayhem is convoluted, as is typical in Hiaasen's novels. However, the build-up to the usually scatty-funny violent scenes doesn't quite achieve the idiot-logic pace of his earlier books.

But I read this in four or five midnight sessions, so perhaps I missed the train-wreck pace that usually elicits the release-laughs.

Hiaasen's motley (and entirely new) group of minor miscreants with ideas far exceeding their IQs become entangled in a series of gradually knotting story-strings that ultimately bring them all together on a desolate Everglades key.

One new aspect is a very shrewd 12-year-old, Fry, who, along with his divorced but still affectionately lingering parents (mom being the NG of the title), seems like a good candidate for future adventures.

The worst of the villains is comically misshapen, another has an interesting encounter with a Taser, and there is the obligatory (but completely tangential) group of religious fundamentalist nuts.

I am a diehard Hiaasen fan, but I will be interested to see if he can regain his blend of eco-outrage, greedy crooks, and daffy, vengeful oddballs that is also present in this one but somehow doesn't emerge with the gleeful childlike schadenfreude of his earlier works.

Hiaasen is truly one of the funniest individuals out there. His characters are always outrageously insane and an absolute delight. In this particular story, we are treated to the wholehearted craziness of Honey, her son Frye, and his ex-father Skinner. They form the most loveable family ever. The supporting cast, including the great Seminole Tiger Tail and his possible soul mate Gillian, was simply fantastic. And when Boyd Shreave joins up with the First Resurrectionist Maritime Assembly Of God, it's almost a given that it's going to be a disaster. The way Hiaasen weaves these characters and their antics together creates a truly entertaining and engaging narrative that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. His unique brand of humor and the vividness of his characters make his books a must-read for anyone looking for a good laugh and an enjoyable story.

Book on CD read by Lee Adams

Once again, Hiaasen transports readers to the Florida wilderness. This time, it's the Ten Thousand Islands in Southwestern Florida. Honey Santana is a force to be reckoned with. She's righteous in her indignation, smart, resourceful, and perhaps bipolar. She's had enough of people's lack of civility and decides to take action when telemarketer Boyd Shreave calls her a "dried up old skank." She tracks him down and tricks him into believing he's won a trip to a lovely eco-resort. Now, she's taken him and his mistress, Eugenie, on a kayak trip into the mangrove thickets. What she doesn't know is that she's being followed by her former boss, the lecherous and obsessed Piejack. In turn, Piejack is being followed by Honey's ex-husband, Perry, and their 12-year-old son, Fry. And all of them find themselves intruding on the half-Seminole, half-white Sammy Tigertail, who just wants to be a hermit, despite the college coed who's more than willing to be his hostage.

This is classic Hiaasen: zany antics, colorful phrases, and quirky characters. The women always outsmart the bad guys (or the good guys, for that matter). The plots are filled with twists and turns, and imaginative coincidental meetings that bring these disparate people together. As unbelievable as the story may be, it's all great fun. It's a fast, enjoyable read.

Lee Adams does an excellent job reading the audio version. She has great pacing and sufficient skill as a voice artist to distinguish the various characters. I particularly loved her Piejack and Gillian.

I have delved into six Hiaasen novels, and among his adult fiction, "Nature Girl" ranks as my least favored. It's not that it's a bad book per se; rather, it simply lacks the captivating allure that his other works possess.

The characters in "Nature Girl" seem more "normal" compared to those in many of Hiaasen's previous endeavors. Ironically, despite this supposed normality, they come across as less human and, consequently, less real than some of his most outrageously crazy characters from earlier efforts. I find myself pondering why this is the case.

The plot adheres to the characteristic Hiaasen style, with the only departures being a slightly reduced level of violence and the fact that much of the action takes place in a single location. The descriptions of the characters are rather typical, almost bordering on stock representations, and the plot is not overly complex or unfathomable. However, what sets this novel apart is that it simply isn't as humorous as his previous works. Additionally, the author inserts an excessive amount of his political biases into the story. These are the only differences I can identify when compared to his previous works, and unfortunately, they seem to be sufficient to undermine the overall quality of this novel.

After finishing the book, only one character managed to leave a lasting impression on me, and that was the villain, Boyd Shreave. Shreave is not so much a traditional villain as he is self-absorbed, whiny, and utterly useless. Good fortune constantly eludes him, and he serves as the novel's punching bag. Since we all encounter people like Boyd Shreave in real life, I found a certain satisfaction in witnessing his repeated failures.

"Nature Girl" is not a complete waste of time, but I would recommend reading it only when you have an abundance of spare time. Readers are likely to find greater satisfaction in Hiaasen's earlier works such as "Skin Tight" and "Double Whammy".

I was completely unaware that Carl Hiaasen had written adult books.

It truly feels as if I have missed out until now.

This particular work was literally laugh out loud funny, just like his kids' books, but in my opinion, even better!

The audio book version of it is simply amazing.

Carl Hiaasen's unique writing style shines through in this adult offering, filled with witty dialogue, absurd situations, and characters that come to life.

Listening to the audio book enhanced the experience, as the narrator brought the story to life with their excellent performance.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good laugh and an entertaining read.

Whether you're a fan of Hiaasen's kids' books or new to his work, this adult book is sure to delight.

Don't make the same mistake I did and miss out on this hilarious and engaging story.

In 2006, a diverse and eclectic cast of characters found themselves colliding in the beautiful and vibrant Florida Keys.

There was the adventurous tourist, seeking new experiences and the thrill of exploration. Then there was the local fisherman, who knew the waters like the back of his hand and had stories to tell.

The artist was also there, inspired by the natural beauty and unique charm of the Keys. And let's not forget the mysterious stranger, who seemed to have a past he was trying to leave behind.

As these characters interacted and crossed paths, their lives became intertwined in ways they never expected. There were friendships formed, secrets revealed, and love blooming in the warm tropical air.

The Florida Keys became the backdrop for a story of human connection and the unexpected twists and turns that life can bring. It was a year that would be remembered by all who were a part of it.