I thoroughly enjoyed Hiaasen’s earlier works like Hoot
and Flush and was excited to read newly published Skink – No
Surrender which seems an attempt to bridge the gap between those titles
for younger readers and his books for adults.
An award winning and best-selling author, Hiaasen definitely provides
another entertaining work (reluctant reader appeal!) with Skink – No
Surrender.
In fact, I stayed up late to finish the book because I
wanted to know what happened to Richard and his cousin Malley after she ran off
to meet an online contact and went missing.
Richard’s adventures in the wilds of Florida are at times exaggerated, generally
hilarious, and often dangerous (how many guns does that criminal have?). Hiaasen’s
Skink, a former governor and crusader for justice, makes repeated appearances
and propels forward this story that deals with themes of rebellion, friendship,
and safe Internet use.
My only concern is that the main character, Richard, does
not yet drive and while that adds a nice detail to the story, his age limits
interest by older readers. Discussion questions are provided by Random House in
an online pdf and I can readily see this novel being used in a literature circles
where others might be reading titles like Spinelli’s Stargirl or
Bloor’s Tangerine. For an easy read and a suspenseful, fun
adventure, choose Skink – No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen. It has
been included in the longlist for the 2014 National Book Awards.
