This was a truly enjoyable and uproariously funny book that was filled with an abundance of vivid 'characters'. I have only visited Florida on one occasion, so I am unable to assess the authenticity of the portrayal of Floridians in this story. However, it seems highly unlikely that someone could fabricate such a level of eccentricity without there being at least a hint of truth underlying it all.

Beneath the lighthearted exterior, there lies a deeply serious undertone. The two white supremacists, who are so preoccupied with blaming blacks, Jews, Hispanics, gays, and other 'undesirables', are incapable of looking in the mirror and realizing that they themselves could do a far better job of being upstanding citizens. Everyone else serves as a convenient scapegoat for the disappointments they have experienced in life, and they are never willing to take responsibility for their own actions. While I found their antics amusing, there is a part of me that was truly disheartened by the intensity of their hatred towards those who do not resemble them or live their lives in the same way. Most significantly, their hatred is based on manufactured reasons that lack any rational basis.

As unlikable as Bode and Chubb were, I had a genuine affinity for JoLayne and Tom, despite their own idiosyncrasies. JoLayne is an animal-loving vet tech with a history of poor romantic decisions, which she turns into a lottery-winning strategy by playing the age at which she broke up with each partner every week. Tom has spent four years attempting to divorce his wife, who has been evading him because she refuses to be a divorcee. Tom is dispatched to a small town to investigate the lottery win and ultimately volunteers to assist JoLayne in retrieving her stolen lottery ticket.

The romance was seamlessly integrated into the narrative. It begins as a mutual respect and friendship, and the romantic entanglement develops in a sensible manner. Alongside the romance, this book offers a fun and exciting caper, a captivating on-the-road read as JoLayne and Tom pursue the individuals who assaulted her and stole her lottery ticket, while also causing chaos across the state of Florida.

Hiaasen presents the reader with some truly peculiar characters, and along the way, I found myself becoming completely engrossed in this story. I found myself rooting for JoLayne and Tom, puzzling over the psychology of such blatant bigotry as exemplified by Chub and Bode, and relishing in the unique local color of Florida.

I had previously read another book by Hiaasen, but it was quite some time ago. I am delighted that this book has reminded me to include him on my list of authors to explore further in my reading adventures.

A hilarious, thoroughly entertaining book just this side of slap stick. Carl Hiaasen has a definite clever way of setting up a story that sounds like it could be a thriller and then sets everything on its ear.

In this outing, we meet JoLayne Lucks, a veteran's assistant and plucky young woman. She has chosen her weekly lotto numbers based on how old she was when she met the loser men in her life. But this week, the numbers pay off big. However, there are two loopy, gun happy lunatics with a winning ticket of their own. And because one of them is dead set on forming his own militia, they go after JoLayne.

Now JoLayne is after them and she is not alone. A newspaper reporter, who was sent to interview her about her lucky lotto ticket, joins in the hunt. Their goal is to outfox the miscreants, regain JoLayne's winning ticket and manage to stay alive.

With the chase on, an additional number of wild and wacky characters are introduced. There are the town's infamous and suspicious'miracle' workers, the reporter's wife who refuses to divorce him and the jealous husband of the reporter's ex-girlfriend.

This is not edge-of-the-seat reading. Instead, it is fall-off-the-chair laughing. It is a very good read that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Cute and funny, this book is similar to most of Hiassen's works.

However, I was a bit put off by the slightly higher level of violence in it. There was a beating, several shootings, and an attempted rape.

On the other hand, the fake crying Madonna statue was a humorous side plot. And the turtles added an interesting element.

But I kind of got tired of the persistent "white trash" images being portrayed as dumb, racist, and violent idiots. I understand the concept, and I may not even disagree with it, but it was just too much.

Maybe here I wasn't quite as enamored with the "hero" as I was with, for example, Yancy in his other novels.

Overall, I give it 3 stars.

"Lucky You" is a typical Hiaasen novel where the good triumphs, the bad fails, and there are satisfying endings all around.

I have come to lower my expectations with Hiaasen's books, perhaps that's why I've started to enjoy them a bit more.

One irritating aspect of Hiaasen's writing is his consistent portrayal of stereotypical redneck/southern characters and religious yokels (or charlatans) in his works. It's a device that can get tiresome. But to give him credit, he does write them well. One of the highlights of "Lucky You" is the city of Grange, Florida, populated by people who embody my previous statements.

The most enjoyable parts of the text occur when the villains, Bodean and Chubb, take center stage. Especially humorous are the moments when these characters discuss politics. Their views on the Constitution, and particularly their heinous misreading of it, are truly delightful.

Hiaasen always does a great job of creating a large cast of characters who interact with the central plot. In "Lucky You," he masterfully keeps the characters distinct and separate while still loosely connecting them in a pleasing and easy-to-follow manner.

The main female protagonist is a black woman, and I was annoyed by how much Hiaasen made her dwell on race. I felt it was more his attempt to exercise his white liberal guilt rather than a plot/character-enhancing point. However, there were some nice thoughts in the book about the irrationality of hatred and racist thinking, so I can forgive his overzealous attempt to make a rather laborious point.

The last 10 pages or so of this novel are not very good. Nevertheless, the previous 430 pages are an enjoyable romp. "Lucky You" is a fun text, and since that's all I expected, I wasn't disappointed.

This piece is truly one of a kind, so different from anything I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It had its moments that kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next. However, I must admit that there were times when it felt a bit slow-paced.

The characters in the story were both interesting and, at times, quite infuriating. Some of them had such complex personalities and motives that it made me want to understand them better. Others, on the other hand, did things that made me want to scream at them.

Despite the few drawbacks, I would still recommend this story to others. It has a certain charm and uniqueness that makes it worth reading. I'm curious to see what the author will come up with next.

Not a bad story at all.

This rollicking adventure across Florida is a wild ride that is sometimes spine-chillingly scary and at other times uproariously funny. A young woman and her boyfriend are in hot pursuit of the villains who stole her winning lottery ticket.

However, my issue with this novel lies in the fact that a significant portion of the page space is dedicated to the villains' points of view. I suppose since the author writes satire, Hiaasen feels obligated to delve deep into the minds of the villains. But the reader is then compelled to do so right along with the writer. And in this novel, the villains are almost a grotesque caricature of evil. Their repulsive 'white-supremacy' ideology is so hideously extreme that it's almost beyond belief.

It's truly unpleasant, bordering on creepy, when they start exchanging their abhorrent opinions about Jews, commies, Mexicans, and other non-white minorities.

I would have much preferred to spend more time with the young woman, JoLayne, and her boyfriend, Tom. Both of them are extremely colorful individuals with captivating personalities. If the author had given me more time to be in their charming company, my rating of this book might have been considerably higher.

As it stands, while the story has its entertaining moments, the overemphasis on the villains' POV detracts from the overall enjoyment for me.

Lucky You had an incredibly diverse and eccentric cast of characters.

There was JoLayne, the lottery winner with a deep passion for the environment. Her heart was set on using her newfound wealth to make a positive impact on the world.

Tom Thorn was the irreverent and almost famous newspaper reporter. He had a unique way of looking at things and a knack for getting into trouble. His wife, on the other hand, refused to divorce him no matter how hard he tried.

Then there were the three wannabe survivalists. They were greedy and extremely stupid, always coming up with harebrained schemes.

The assorted Grange residents added to the chaos with their crying Virgin scheme and an oil stain that they believed formed the image of Jesus.

But that wasn't all. There was also a judge who was far from honorable, and his wife who was determined to seek justice. And let's not forget the girl from Hooters, who had more to offer than just a great body.

From start to finish, it was a wild and crazy adventure. You just had to keep reading to find out who would come out on top in this mad romp.

Hiaasen's characters are truly one-of-a-kind and typically hilarious. They bring a certain charm and quirkiness to the story that makes it engaging. However, the use of vulgar language throughout the book really put me off the story. It was quite excessive and at times, it felt a bit overwhelming.

Yes, I understand that the language was used to suit the characters. Many of them were indeed suffering from impaired logic and morals, and perhaps the vulgarity was a way to emphasize their flaws and idiosyncrasies. But for me, it just got tiring after a while. I found myself skipping over the swear words and focusing more on the plot and the characters' actions.

Overall, while I appreciate Hiaasen's talent for creating unique characters and an interesting story, I think the excessive use of vulgar language detracted from the overall reading experience. It would have been nice to see a bit more restraint in that regard.

Is everybody in Florida nuts? According to Carl Hiaasen, they are.

And, oh, how gosh-darn hilarious they are, too. Hiaasen's novels are a unique blend of humor and satire that take readers on a wild ride through the Sunshine State.

If you've never read a Hiaasen novel, you should consider yourself lucky, only because you have the opportunity to discover and enjoy them. His writing style is engaging and his characters are larger than life.

He's one of the few authors that I can re-read and enjoy upon second or even third reading. The stories are so well-crafted that you notice new details and nuances each time.

If Dave Barry and Elmore Leonard had a baby... it would probably be very ugly. But if that baby grew up to be a writer, it might just be Carl Hiaasen.

Pick up a Hiaasen book (it really doesn't matter which one, but you can start with this one...) and laugh your ass off. You won't be disappointed.

His books are a great escape from reality and a reminder that sometimes, the craziest things in life are also the funniest.

This humorous novel, which is laced with a touch of intrigue and religious eccentricities, truly made for an extremely enjoyable listening experience on the audio book.

The narrator's performance was outstanding, enhancing the overall pleasure of listening.

One key lesson that can be gleaned from this story is that if you are ever fortunate enough to win the lottery, the very first thing you absolutely MUST do is sign your ticket.

Personally, I would rate this audio book an 8 out of 10. It had a great combination of elements that kept me engaged from start to finish. The humor added a lighthearted touch, while the intrigue and religious eccentricities added depth and interest. The narrator's ability to bring the story to life made it all the more enjoyable.

I would highly recommend this audio book to anyone looking for an entertaining and engaging listen.

This is probably my favorite of his books that I’ve read thus far.

The ending drags a little, but other than that, it’s truly hilarious and has a great pace, just like all of his books.

What’s more, the female characters were particularly well drawn. They had their own unique personalities and were very vivid.

The central romance was also great. It was very cute and it was hard not to root for the couple. Their relationship developed in a natural and charming way, and it really added to the overall appeal of the story.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a heartwarming romance. It’s a great read that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

Summer Reads '13 offers a blend of fun and excitement in the sun. It's a unique experience as it features a white supremacist getting high off pepper spray after being stranded in the Florida Keys.

I was drawn to this book after reading Adam Gopnik's article in the New Yorker about the rise of Florida crime fiction. The concept that "weather matters most" in Florida novels really intrigued me.

My reading moods are often influenced by the weather, a concept some might call pathetic fallacy. In summer, I prefer to read about sunny climes.

Thankfully, I discovered "Lucky You" by Carl Hiaasen. The novel follows the misadventures of two white supremacists who win the lottery but can't resist causing trouble.

The bad guys are entertaining, with their stupidity and paranoia. They make hilarious mistakes, like using stolen Visa cards at Hooters.

However, the heroes are less engaging. JoLayne is a great character, but the author's handling of race issues is a bit off.

The ex-reporter, Tom Krome, is rather dull. I actually preferred his editor, who is involved in a strange subplot.

Overall, "Lucky You" has its亮点, but it also has some flaws. It goes on too long and has too many subplots. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable read for the summer.