Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy. I've been a Dave Barry fan since I read his Sunday column in Parade magazine as a teenager. This is his first novel for me, and it was, I think intentionally, quite a mixed bag. Humor and suspense, a strong female heroin and a bunch of male buffoons, alligators and pythons. Also a boar, but never boring.

🐊BOOK REVIEW🐊

Swamp Story by Dave Berry
Rating: 4/5 🐊

“Jesse Braddock is trapped in a tiny cabin deep in the Everglades with her infant daughter and her ex-boyfriend, a wannabe reality TV star who turned out to be a lot prettier on the outside than on the inside. Broke and desperate for a way out, Jesse stumbles across a long-lost treasure, which could solve all her problems—if she can figure out how to keep it. The problem is, some very bad men are also looking for the treasure, and they know Jesse has it.

Meanwhile, Ken Bortle of Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer has hatched a scheme to lure tourists to his failing store by making viral videos of the “Everglades Melon Monster.” The Monster is in fact an unemployed alcoholic newspaperman named Phil wearing a Dora the Explorer costume head. Incredibly, this plan actually works, inspiring a horde of TikTokers to swarm into the swamp in search of the monster at the same time villains are on the hunt for Jesse’s treasure. Amid this mayhem, a presidential hopeful arrives in the Everglades to start his campaign. Needless to say, it does not go as planned. In fact, nothing in this story goes as planned. This is, after all, Florida.”

This was a fun read full of quirky, zany characters! I laughed through so many parts of it and could just imagine the scenes and characters in my head! I loved the way ridiculous social media trends played into the story and I’d personally love a “Mellonhead” shirt!

Thanks so much to @simonbooks, @netgalley and the author for a copy of this book!

#simonbooksbuddy #netgalley #davebarry #floridafiction #swampstory #mayrelease #newbooks #bookishfriends #bookchallenge #bookphotography #booksta #summerreading

This book that I got through Netgalley is not only hysterical, but it’s also well-plotted and has an important theme. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but even more importantly, greed can make people miserable. Sometimes, it gets people killed.

If I thought the story reminded me of something Carl Hiaasen might have written, maybe that’s because he and the author are friends. You can expect the same kind of humor and silly situations that can only happen in Florida. The star of the story is Jesse, always accompanied by her baby Willa, as she laments her attachment to Slater, her inordinately attractive and extremely unworthy boyfriend who stole all of her money and made her dependent on him. They live in the swamp along with Slater’s friend, Kark, who is the opposite of attractive and frequently gives Jesse leering looks. She spends most of her time wandering the Everglades, trying to avoid her housemates and figure out a way to escape this unfortunate circumstance in which she has found herself. As fate would have it, she finds a buried treasure, gold bars, and sees this as her way out. Unfortunately, there are other people after the gold and they’re not mildly unpleasant, but outright evil.

I won’t go into great detail about the plot because then why bother reading it? And it’s definitely worth reading. There are so many characters involved in this story, it could be difficult to keep track of them, but each is so thoroughly brought to life, it’s impossible to forget them. You don’t need to know names to appreciate some of the comments to come.

There are some truly inspired lines in here, often as subtle as they are slapstick. When Phil retrieves a Dora the Explorer head, part of a costume for the Melon Monster, he’s feeling a bit dejected, so he walks to his car “head in hand” to his car. Another nice touch was when he had the less educated characters use words like supposably, prolly, and irregardless. Ken, one of these characters, creates t-shirts that read: EVERGLADES MELLON MONSTER. The back reads: BORTLE BROTHERS IN THE (heart emoji) OF THE EVERYGLADES. Another character, an Eastern European thug, “was extraordinarily successful, thanks to shrewd business acumen, rigorous attention to detail and a willingness to shoot competitors in the head.” There’s a wonderful interview with a chiropractor turned inventor who claims to have invented a time machine. This had me laughing out loud as it took an unexpected turn in logic. And during an argument between Slater and Brad, “Slater gave him a hard stare, letting him know that he was a hard starer.”

I hope I’ll have another opportunity to read and review one of Dave Barry’s books. It was beyond enjoyable. I laughed through much of it, and since that’s my favorite thing to do, that makes it a success in my book. Highly recommended.

Wow, what a funny and fresh story! I absolutely loved this one. Comedies about the Florida Everglades always entertain me and this one was full of laugh out loud moments. I can't wait to read more of Dave Barry's stories. He definitely picked up a new reader after this!

This book rocked. It was my first Dave Barry but certainly won't be my last - I loved his writing style, the way the plot unfolded, and all of the absolutely zany and shady characters he introduces.

If you like the Coen Brothers movie Fargo and/or the TV show of the same name, you'll love this. It reminded me so much of Fargo's unique style: the evocative setting; the well-meaning and innocent characters who find themselves in way over their heads; some sort of mob, mafia, or drug dealers who get involved; lots of different groups of characters; and some kind of absolutely wacky caper that makes all the different groups converge.

What an incredibly funny, crazy, and fun story. Loved every minute.

I grew up reading Dave Barry in the Washington Post. I always enjoyed his work, as they were short pieces, with funny observations I always chuckled at.

SWAMP STORY is the only novel I've read by him - but as expected it's a whirlwind that's fun and lands a lot of laughs.

Newly minted mom is in full-regret mode over her choice of boyfriend/father material with her self-obsessed semi-bf, who is only really concerned about looking hot on camera as he and his BF are trying to film and pitch a reality show called Glades Man. She stumbles across some gold in the middle of the everglades while being chased by some sketchy camo-wearing bros who look like they're searching for something and is shocked to see that it looks like there's a lot of it buried…

It's fun and funny. I won't give away any of the laughs. But if you're looking for a light, funny read - I had just finished a heavy, more serious read, this helped to lighten the mood and I breezed through quickly. There's quite a wide cast of characters but they're all pretty funny/likeable/hateable in all the right ways.

If you love Florida reads you’ll love this. It’s hard to explain the plot but it contains treasure, pythons, skunk apes, and some real characters. The plot is insane but didn’t feel as insane as Tim Dorsey novels tend to. Definitely recommend for fans of Carl Hiaasen.

Most people would not think Dave Barry could write a book, much less one that was actually fun to read. He must be choosy who he shares that information with! I've read several of his books and watched a few of his shows and would recommend any or all of them to everyone needing a laugh along with a good story.

Dave Barry takes us on a wild romp in Swamp Story. It follows several different characters with different storylines all culminating at one final insane event in the middle of the Everglades.

You’ve got the group trying to get TikTok famous by creating a legendary monster for the Everglades (think Loch Ness Monster or Yeti). You’ve got the young mom who stumbles on a hoard of gold in the middle of the swamp. You’ve got the redneck bad guys after the young mom to get her gold. You’ve got the Russian mob also trying to find this gold. And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s a politician, an another redneck, a boar, and an alligator (because of course there is!).

If that doesn’t sound absolutely bonkers to you, you just might be from Florida (JK I myself am from South FL and it’s still totally bonkers and I read the book)! The whole book was just a really good time. Full of action, slap stick comedy, really all the comedies, and a lot of heart. You can tell that Barry is a man from Florida himself who can laugh at the stereotypes made about its people as well as recognize the crazy shit that does in reality happen there. The man knows how to spin a bat shit tale and make it all make sense though. Let me tell ya! I enjoyed every minute of this crazy tale and would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wish I could give this 5 stars as it was well written and Dave Barry transports you with the vivid descriptions so that you feel as if you are wandering through the Everglades along with the characters. However, it was not laugh out funny like I expected it to be so therefore this made it 4 out of 5 stars for me. But totally enjoyable and engaging. I really need to keep reading to see if whether Jesse and her baby make it out safely from that Swamp and away from her self-absorbed boyfriend and all the totally slapstick nefarious characters who are stalking her. Much was very predictable, but that was okay and there were some twists and turns to keep you wanting to continue reading to the very end. I could easily see this made as a comedy adventure movie. I liked the epilogue with the wrap up to let the reader know what happened to each character as a result of their actions. It just goes to show that there are good people out there who find the true treasure in life. It was a fun read. Many thanks to #netgalley #swampstory #davebarry #simonandshuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Swamp Story is a "Florida Man/Woman" story on steroids. I live in South Florida and I admit there are times where our news reads exactly like this novel. This book provided the much needed laughter I needed. The cast of characters is straight out of every Florida Man story you have ever heard and even more you than you could dream of. If you need a laugh at the end of a day this story will definitely provide it.
Thanks to #netgalley and #simon&Schuster for the ARC.

What do you get when you combine comedy, suspense, cryptozoology, treasure, mayhem, reality TV, and romance? You get...Swamp Story by Dave Barry of course! I don't know how Dave Barry does it, but he does it and he does it superbly! Swamp Story has all of these elements and Barry has the ability to weave each of these elements in a way that provides you the comic relief when & where you need it. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, and was truly sad when the story ended because I wanted more!!

This book had my attention from the minute I read the dedication, which reads, "This book is dedicated to the state of Florida, which has its flaws, but which is never, ever boring." This hilarious drama takes place in Florida. As a Floridian, this is what originally drew my attention to this book because while most of the United States hears of the "Florida Man" stories and questions their validity, I get to see the "Florida Man" in action on a daily basis, and can tell you these stories are a daily occurrence. Dave Barry's Swamp Story takes the "Florida Man" to a whole new level!

The cast of characters includes Slater and Kark, who are determined to go "viral" with their reality TV pilot, which has cast Slater as the "Glades Man" hunting the "Melon Monster" in the Florida Everglades. What seems like a full-proof plan to achieve rich and fame inevitably goes awry, as nearly all "Florida Man" stories do. The events that occur are laugh-out-loud hilarious, but there is also a suspenseful aspect of this book that centers around Slater's seemingly estranged wife, Jesse, who stumbles upon gold, and she's not the only one trying to stake her claim to the new-found treasure!

This book was a fun page-turner, extremely entertaining with the perfect amount of drama woven in, topped with a sprinkle of romance. I think anyone looking for a comical, suspenseful, read would love this book! I would highly recommend this book to fellow Floridians or those who love the "Florida Man" news stories that make so many Floridians cringe because this book truly encompasses the spirit of the never-ending entertainment that Florida is so well known for.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dave Barry, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, it was my absolute pleasure!

I received this book from NetGalley for free and here is my honest review. Swamp Story was a surprising book. At first I thought how silly and will I really enjoy this book. Surprisingly I did. There was humor, some of it was so far fetched and simple that it was entertaining. Thrown in were some serious parts that brought it up to interesting. I have to say the book was cleverly written. It was a nice change from some of the historical war times books I've been read!

When you snort-laugh on the first page, you hope the rest of the book is just as good. And Swamp Story didn't disappoint! With its cast of quirky characters - Slater, the pot-smoking, reality-star-wannabee; Kark, the pot-smoking creepy cameraman; Stu and Phil, who are willing to dress as a Disney princess and Dora the Explorer for cash; and Ken Bortle, owner of Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer, who cooked up the idea of an Everglades Melon Monster - the laughs keep coming.

Throw in a little mystery when Jesse, Slater's girlfriend who becomes his ex-girlfriend while stranded with him in the middle of the Everglades, stumbles upon a treasure out in the wilderness. She hopes this is the way out of the horrible situation she's gotten herself and infant daughter into. But some others are also looking for the treasure, and they know Jesse's found it.

Hold on to your butts as things all come together in an uproariously hilarious way involving gangsters, an alligator, a wild boar and a smarmy politician!

Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC!

#SwampStory

Swamp Story, by Dave Barry, is set in Florida. Dave Barry lives in Florida, and for the past twelve years, so have I. The crazy bizarre plot populated by similarly odd characters prompts my Philadelphia hometown sensibilities to consider abandoning the book. But I pause and say, "Oh, this is Florida...it could happen." And I keep reading! At times, I actually did laugh out loud. It was a fun, quick read. I recommend it highly for anyone who lives in Florida or who grew up here or who wants to live here. For everyone else, take a chance! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for the opportunity to dip into Florida crazy with a very funny author.

Ok, if you know Dave Berry, then this is a no brainer, you need to read this book. If you don't know who he is then, this is a great book to start with. Jesse Braddock is trapped in the swamp with her boyfriend and child. She finds a way out, but can she use it? Ken Bortle of Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer has found a way to boost his failing business. Also thrown into the mix is a presidential hopeful. Nothing goes as planned for any of them, but can they each get what they want?

I was really grateful today that my boss wasn’t paying attention too closely when she breezed by my cube to ask me to order more legal pads while I was at lunch because she may have noticed that I was almost crying. Why was I almost crying? Because I was reading about five stoned Florida men arguing about whether or not bats have radar before they (the men, not the bats) set out to make a video of two of them spotting a made-up cryptid composed of a guy high on painkillers in a Dora the Explorer costume head so that one of them could sell t-shirts with misspelled words and two of the others could sell a reality show based on the fact that one of them was incredibly good-looking and the other one knows how to work a camera and edit videos.

But if that’s what you think Swamp Story is about, you would be wrong. There is so much more going on in this book. There is a singe mother accidentally discovering a cache of gold. There are brothers who own a beer and bait shop who don’t care about selling bait or selling beer but spend their time playing games on their phone and trying to come up with an idea for Shark Tank. There are some really bad guys, like drug dealers and killers and politicians. There is a champion snake catcher, and a frightening number of young adults going crazy because of things they have seen on TikTok. There are alligators and pythons and a boar who really needs to urinate. But most of all, there are Florida Men in the craziest, most iconic and hilarious way.

Swamp Story is the latest by Dave Barry, a genius with words who managed to win a Pulitzer Prize while writing mostly about boogers and exploding toilets (although that’s not what he actually won for). He is a Florida Man in his own right, and he has a unique way of bringing characters together that creates a special kind of chaos, humor, insanity, and inevitability to the page. And if you’re a longtime fan of his, as I am, then you will not be surprised that he not only brings up the song MacArthur Park, he also specifically mentions the line about the cake being left out in the rain.

I loved this book. I laughed, I cried (from the laughing), I was reminded once again of why I don’t want to go to Florida. But mostly I laughed, and I think that’s something most of us can use more of these days. So if you’re on the fence about Swamp Story, I hope this helps you decide about read this book. Just, maybe don’t read it at work.

Egalleys for Swamp Story were provided by Simon & Schuster, with many thanks.

I really wanted to love this book. It started out great. It was funny, I was intrigued by the characters, immediately rooting for some, laughing at others but overall was interested in seeing how the story unfolded. More and more characters were introduced, as well as more plot lines but it crossed the line from kooky to unbelievable. There’s a search for buried treasure, a viral video of a mythical Swamp Monster and Eastern European mobsters. I think I would have enjoyed this more if there were a few less characters and a focus on one or two story lines.

A perfect beach or poolside read this summer! Anything set in a tropical setting is always a great read!

This was a fun, quick easy read.

Several different stories all come together in the Everglades of Florida, and in typical Dave Barry style, they are full of oddball characters and offbeat humorous moments.

Jesse is stuck living in a cabin in the Everglades with her baby daughter, ex boyfriend and several of his loser friends. When she finds gold while out on a walk with her daughter, she has to figure out how to collect it, and use it to get herself away from the cabin and into a better life. Unbeknownst to her, two very bad men see that she found something worth a lot of money, and they want to collect it for themselves. They don't know where it is hidden and so start following Jesse.

Meanwhile, Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer, just a short distance away, is slowly going out of business. Ken Bortle is desperate to find anyway to make some money, and hatches a scheme to create a fake video of an "Everglades Melon monster" to lure tourists to the area. Slater, Jesse's ex, is trying to make himself the star of a TV show about a "Glades Man" and gets himself involved in the video scheme as the 'talent' along with Phil, an alcoholic ex newspaper man way down on his luck, who agrees to play the monster.

When the video does indeed go viral, utter mayhem ensues. Throw in a crooked lawyer, a Python hunting challenge, a presidential hopeful, a true Gladesman, some drug dealers, some Russian heavies and an alligator and you have the makings of a very funny story full of utterly idiotic characters.