Swamp Story is a total summer read. Nothing stressful or serious. Just a bunch of goof ball men (and luckily one good guy) trying to be handled by women too good for them. Tons of laughs plus action. A lot of characters to keep track of but Jesse is definitely the highlight and the woman to watch out for.

3.5 stars

Dave Barry is an American writer and journalist who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for the Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005 and has written numerous books of humor and satire. This comic novel contains kooky characters and all manner of of mischief, but what do you expect......it's Florida!

*****

Beautiful Jesse Braddock is accustomed to men falling all over her, and usually fends off their overtures with ease. Unfortunately, Jesse falls for a gorgeous hunk called Michael Slater., who squanders her trust fund and uses her money to buy a dilapidated cabin in the Everglades. Now Jesse, Slater, and their baby daughter Willa reside in the Everglades cabin with Slater's boorish friend Kark, who's a wannabe filmmaker. Slater and Kark are pitching a reality show called 'Glades Man', in which (a mostly shirtless) Slater has adventures in the Everglades swamps.

So when Jesse and baby Willa are threatened by a 15-foot-long Burmese python (in real life), Slater brushes off the danger to his family so Kark can film the muscular hunk pointing and saying, 'A deadly predator, fully capable of killing a man and swallowing him whole. It's risk we take every day, living the life of the Glades Guy.' At which point Kark points out the show is called Glades Man. (This is a running gag throughout the book.)

Jesse is already fed up with Slater and this is the final straw. Jesse wants to take her baby and skedaddle, but she has no money. Serendipitously, Jesse happens upon a cache of gold bars hidden in the Everglades by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Jesse takes one gold bar for starters, meaning to consult a lawyer about her rights, etc.

Unluckily, Jesse is seen hiding the gold bar by two camo creeps called Duck and Billy Campbell, who've been searching for the treasure themselves. The Campbells are determined to learn the location of the gold horde, and they decide to stalk Jesse, and if that doesn't work, do worse.

Meanwhile, two siblings called Ken and Brad Bortle, who own a failing business called Bortle Brothers Bait & Beer, get involved in a money-making scheme. Ken Bortle enlists a tall hefty former journalist called Phil Teagler to don a giant Dora the Explorer head and pretend to be the Everglades' elusive Melon Monster. Ken plans to post a video of the Melon Monster online, and to sell Melon Monster merchandise at Bortle Brothers Bait & Beer. Brad Bortle thinks the idea is ridiculous, but goes along for the laughs.

By a confluence of circumstances, other people also get involved in the Melon Monster project, including Phil Teagler's neighbor Stu, and Kark and Slater. The plan is for Kark to video Ken and (a shirtless) Slater when they suddenly see the Melon Monster lurching through the swamp. The startling site causes the men to regroup (flee to) Bortle Brothers Bait & Beer to 'research' the dangerous beast. Kark will doctor the video to look dark and spooky, post it on social media, and use it in the pitch for the Glades Man reality show.

So, theoretically, it's a win-win all around: the Bortle brothers will sell Melon Monster merch, and Slater will get the Glades Man television show. In the end, the Melon Monster video goes viral, and people flock to the swamp to see what's going on.

As all this is occurring, a mobster from Eastern Europe called Kristov Berliuz learns about the stash of gold bars, and dispatches his henchmen to get it. And it that's not enough, Ken Bortle is in debt to a 430 pound drug kingpin named Pinky, who's chasing Ken for he dough.

Add on a Python Challenge, a faded reporter, a narcissistic U.S. cabinet member who wants to run for President, .along with a swamp dweller called Skeeter Toobs, who has an emotional support boar, and you have the elements of a fun comedy.

This is great book if you want a few laughs.

Thanks to Netgalley, Dave Barry, and Simon and Shuster for a copy of the manuscript.

Dave Barry has always been an absolute powerhouse in my life as a reader and writer. By the time I turned nineteen or twenty, I had read all of his books, owned most of them, met Barry several times, and was grateful for the handful of times I could share personal correspondence with him. As I gained more and more of a postsecondary education in literature and as a writer, it became apparent how he could straddle the thin black line of humor, style, populism, and his audience’s expectations to create an incomparable career that I still follow to this day. Heck, my high school yearbook said I would be a journalist, and despite going to school at first for Computer Science, I had to make my mark in our newspaper as a humor columnist right off the bat.

I am a different kind of writer now, but his influence is no less important. I owe a lot to Dave Barry.

After a career that branched off into novelist after his retirement, I never stopped loving what he wrote, as silly, sophomoric, and safe it was at times. Swamp Story is exactly what I expected to experience when I got an ARC courtesy of Simon and Schuster leading up to the new release of the book this week. Ever since Big Trouble, Barry has come to be the foremost expert in crafting crime novels that offer a huge-cast, zany antics, screwball coincidences, high stakes, and perhaps the most remarkable aspect of all, a somehow deeply moving story with people we actually care about because they are so much like people we actually know.

Swamp Story is about a few things at once, of course. One story thread is about some “Florida Man” boneheaded brothers with a failing business who come up with an idea to create a new viral sensation. Barry tackles the concept of social media and viral sensations in our modern world. Another features a couple more boneheads who can’t rub two nickels together and fail at every venture – especially their new kids' birthday party entertainment business - but one of whom is able to be swayed by the potential to not only pay off his Dora The Explorer costume but be able to raise money and possibly regain the love and trust of his estranged teenage daughter. There is a young mother trying desperately to escape from a neglectful relationship with her daughter, but who becomes trapped, and her only escape is the answer to all of her prayers – a long lost Everglades fortune of unclear origin. Then, there is the one man that cares for her and helps. There’s much more than that, of course, but the core cast of characters offers plenty of intrigue and adventure in the deep heart of our dearest headline-inducing state.

I loved this book. Barry has an incredible knack for fictional narrative – no surprise considering his long tenure as the Miami Herald’s funniest amateur psychologist. His now extensive experience in fiction just solidifies his legacy as one of the least serious and funniest storytellers. If there is one thing that I think he does well, and differently in this book, is his sincere portrayal of his female protagonist Jesse. While much of his work reflects a goofy American machismo (always tongue in cheek), this novel shows an understanding embodiment of American women that forgives any misunderstanding I ever had about his respect for women. Don’t expose him as a feminist deep down – his wife and daughter already know him as a sweet, understanding, chivalrous guy, and that’s enough of that for his career. Everything else is just writing, documenting life in the humid alligator bogs that put everyone just over the edge of sanity.

Dave Barry -- always a great, lol read!! He never disappoints with his Everglades wackadoos. As a Florida native, I can't get enough of his stories! He is a must-read author and this is a must-read book!!

Thank you #netgalley and #Simon&Schuster for the eARC.

Good, but not great satire on Floridian life. Not nearly as humorous or insightful as Hiaasen's (Skink) or Dorsey's (Serge A. Storms)!

If you’ve read Dave Barry’s previous novels, you know what to expect. None of these characters are particularly admirable people, but some of them are relatable. Mostly through their own poor life choices, along with some crazy coincidences, they wind up in increasingly bizarre situations, and hilarity ensues. Despite all the wacky interlocking plots, it’s easy to get a sense of where the story is going. Like watching a train wreck, you might cringe, but it’s hard to look away. And in the end, most of the characters pretty much get what they deserve.

Beware the violence, foul language, drug and alcohol abuse, threatened rape, and other adult situations. Also, exercise caution consuming any beverage while reading, lest your drink shoot out your nose during a fit of laughter.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Florida, crime capers, and over the top humor.

Simon & Schuster provided me with an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

Jesse is in the swampy Everglades with her infant daughter having surrendered her trust fund to her handsome, self-absorbed and stoner boyfriend. If only she could find a way out of there, when just like magic, she finds buried treasure. Too good to be true, but it is - only two violent men are also searching for this buried treasure. And then two criminals pick up the trail and boy, does it get complicated. And funny, but wait - there’s more. A quick and entertaining read.

“‘You shacking up with him now?’ ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, I am. I’m shacking up with him. We are shacking our brains out, and it’s great, because he actually notices which specific person it is that he’s shacking with.’”

Hahahaha omg. This is single-handedly one of the craziest, most ridiculous, and most entertaining books I’ve ever read.

The storyline is just insane. The plot points with fake monsters and drug dealers and the swamp people of the Everglades are crazy. But it WORKS. I feel like I just watched a movie of these lunatics with their crazy ideas and I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it!

I laughed out loud. I was appalled. I was cheering for them and all the while I’m imaging how, even as insane as this story is, I can actually see it happening in real life. THAT may just be the craziest part of it all.

All in all this was a wildly entertaining, hilarious, and absolutely ridiculous read and I loved every single word of it. Every. Single. One.

“‘Time to go,’ he said. ‘You gonna make me?’ said Slater. Brad shrugged. ‘Sure,’ he said. Slater gave him a hard stare, letting him know that he was a hard starer. Then he turned and went to the front door.” 🤣

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, Simon Books, and the author for the eARC and the #gifted physical copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! I’ve missed Dave Barry so much! I love this fun, crazy book! If you love crazy Florida store stories, you need to read this!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S SWAMP STORY ABOUT?
This is hard to summarize, really. Which is part of the beauty of the book.

Most of the characters in this book aren't what you'd call likable. They're not really villains or antagonists, they're just...people you don't want to spend time with in real life, people with more greed/ambition than common sense (or decency). There are a couple of guys living in a cabin in the Everglades trying to assemble enough footage for a reality show pilot (basically, the good-looking one of the pair walking around shirtless interacting with native wildlife). Their weed dealer owns a failing convenience store/bait shop and has a "so stupid it just might work" plan to put his family's store on the map. There's a would-be talent agent (or just anything to ride the coattails of his buddy who happens to make a little money). Oh, and there's a lawyer and a cabinet secretary/presidential aspirant, too—can't forget them.

On the villainous side, there's the weed dealer's supplier—a former football player who is still large enough to intimidate active linemen who will not tolerate missed deadlines. Two ex-con brothers who are the textbook definition of nasty are also running around. There's also an Eastern European gangster and some of his employees from the old country who should make everyone quake with fear.

On the likable side, you have the shirtless would-be star's girlfriend and mother of his child (who really regrets ever giving him the time of day, no matter how pretty he is). The weed dealer's brother who really needs something to motivate him to do more than play games on his phone, might have found that motivation in her. You've also got a couple of aides to the secretary, who really need a better job. An alcoholic ex-reporter desperate to make a buck is just what the weed dealer wants for his idea. I can't forget either the aging TV reporter desperate to cling to her former relevance or the champion snake hunter.

Put all these characters in a small geographic region, throw in a large amount of buried Confederate gold and a couple of viral videos, shake well, and serve. Swamp Story is the result.

THIS BOOK COULD'VE BEEN SHORTER
Around the 70% mark (I'm keeping it vague because I don't know how it'll go in the final edition), a couple of the characters have an exchange that essentially goes along these lines:

Character A: I hope nothing else happens.
Character B: What else could happen?
Character A: ...


and then there's a map showing the immediate vicinity and some of the major buildings/landmarks of the story, making it very obvious that, based on what we know, all the characters are really near each other and that the likelihood of them running into each other in the very near future is pretty high. The reader will not be able to look at this map and not start imagining how all that running into each other is going to go.

I made a note at this point, that Barry could've ended the novel at that point—that exchange, the map, and the reader's imagination—and it'd have been a fun and satisfying read.

However, odds are, your imagination isn't as good as Barry's is (mine sure isn't), and as zany as I thought things were going to get from this point, the truth was far zanier. His conclusion to the novel (not just the immediate every character and storyline coming together in one spot, but everything that followed) was better than any of the ideas I came up with (and I liked most of my ideas a lot).

Still, there's part of me that wishes he'd left things with that line and the map. I'd have laughed hard at that.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT SWAMP STORY?
I really enjoy reading Barry's novels, and Swamp Story is no exception. It's a different kind of humor (largely) than Barry's columns or books, but it's just as satisfying. I'd want to say that it's more subtle, but that's not true at all. There's more character-based humor, and some of it's the dialogue—which strikes you differently than the straight humor pieces he's best known for.

Now, that said, there's a scene at the beginning—involving a rich child's birthday party, a couple of costumed performers, and a difficult-to-crack piñata, that absolutely cracked me up and I've been replaying it in my head since I read it—it's perfect slapstick.

Putting aside the humor, all the story arcs worked really well and I can see toned-down versions of all the arcs working well together in a grim version of this story. I've argued recently that a good test of a comedic novel is if the plots would work without the laughs—in this case they largely wood. But they're so much juicer and more enjoyable in this comic and heightened versions.

There are genuine bad guys, some actual threats, several characters in search of a good idea,* and a couple of people you hope catch a lucky break and escape from everything they're surrounded by relatively intact. Throw in some good laughs, and some clever writing, and you've got yourself a fun few hours of reading. That's likely what the reader looks for in a Dave Barry novel, and that's what Swamp Story delivers. Strongly recommended.

* Apologies to Pirandello.

This book was difficult for me to get through. I found it challenging to find anything endearing about any of the characters. I found the story upsetting and loathed reading about the poor baby being used as a bargaining trip and living in such sad, dangerous conditions. Barry certainly weaves a twisty narrative, always surprising and hilariously ridiculous. It just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced reading copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Dave Barry’s books are always good for a laugh, and this zany story shows the weirdness of Florida as well as our current social media culture. The book is full of oddball characters and a madcap plot which is perfect for when you are looking for an escape from today.

Jesse is sharing a cabin in the Everglades with her ex-boyfriend, Slater, their infant daughter and Slater’s friend, Kark. Jesse’s broke as the cheating Slater has used her money to buy the cabin and put it in his name, as well as use her remaining savings to take out other ladies. Jesse thinks her only option is to leave penniless, return home to her parents and make a fresh start. Then she stumbles on some bars of gold. Unfortunately, she isn’t the only one who knows about the gold and she is in serious danger.

Meanwhile, Slater and Kark are working on a reality program, Everglades Man. So far, the show is mostly Slater taking off his shirt. Then they meet Ken Bortle of Bortle Brothers Bait & Beer who has a scheme to bring customers to his bait shop by filming the mythical Everglades Melon Monster. The film will be a mash-up for Everglades Man and an advertisement for the bait shop. Astonishingly, the film goes viral but nothing goes as planned. Zaniness ensues, and I can see this one becoming a movie.

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

Being a part time Floridian, Swamp Story caught my eye just as every news story title that starts with "Florida man/woman..." Let's face it, those are some of the best stories that you couldn't possibly make up. Well, unless your name is Dave Barry! This didn't disappoint with a sprinkling of everglades, a dash of far out story twists and some colorful supporting actors that string the reader along. Swamp Story reads like a trainwreck that you just can't look away from and when you think the situations couldn't possibly get worse, they go ahead and do just that.

While Swamp Story was my first introduction to Dave Barry (shocking, I know!) it certainly was a great encounter filled with all the theatrics I was seeking in a fun and fast read. I feel like I need to go make myself a Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer t-shirt now just to carry the story with me a little longer.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this ARC (all opinions expressed in this review are authentically mine).

Oh my, I needed this book. It has been a long time since a book made me laugh out loud over and over again. Dave Barry's comedy of errors gets funnier with every page turned. It amazed me how he could describe incredibly complex slapstick scenes where I could "see" every action like a movie. And when will this be a movie? I hope someone grabs the rights because it will be nonstop fun.

This is a perfect vacation book - especially if you're heading to Florida. I read it, but the audio would be excellent for a road trip.

If you want to laugh, have characters you can root for, along with some dastardly evil dudes wreaking havoc on ATVs - well, grab this book and read it now. I've already sent it to several friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

If you had told me I’d be glued to my seat reading about a loser guy wearing a huge “melon head” while stumbling through the swamps of Florida, I’d say danger, danger, I must be going cuckoo! This is not something I’d usually chomp down on. But no, this romp through the swamps is a kick. In a good mood, I’d say it’s absurdism at its best, but sometimes my grumpy alter ego pipes up and says it’s corny and stupid. The regular Debbie is winning out as I’m writing this review—come on, she’s saying, admit that this book is fun. Okay, okay, arm twisted.

There are two plots. One is completely crazy—a creative and bizarre madcap adventure. The other plot, complete with scary chase scenes, had me biting my nails and worrying relentlessly about a momma and her baby. This is Dave Barry, and although I never read anything by him before, I know he’s the king of funny. So I’m surprised that the book is advertised as pure fun, because half of it is tense as hell and has creepy, nasty characters with guns.

This book wins the prize for having the most losers in one book. There are four (!) pairs of men—each a friend set—who, with the exception of one nice guy, are messed up and/or completely dumb. Let’s just say I’d have no interest in being in a room with any of them. One guy is so dumb he spelled “melon” with two “l’s” on a t-shirt. This cracked me up, but it also messed with my very serious editor self; I wince just thinking of seeing that shirt! All wrong!! Oh, and there are even a couple of other bad guys doing bad things to the good guys. You can’t accuse Barry of glorifying men, that’s for sure. Even though there are so many characters, they aren’t hard to keep track of—I think because each of them is so distinct and so well-drawn. Luckily (since spending time with so many losers gets annoying), one of the main characters is a chick with a baby, and she’s a light in the middle of these shady buffoons.

So bottom line, I’m glad I read it. It’s a fast read with adventure out the ying-yang. Is it deep? No. Does it make you think? No. Would you highlight sentences? I don’t think so. But it was entertaining and crazy. Barry is a great storyteller, plus he has some one-liners that make you chuckle.

Barry fans will love this one, I think. I wouldn’t mind reading more Barry in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book was too funny, I heard this author gives us a ton of humor and these “Glades men” are so annoyingly funny and such airheads. I was all for it!!!! I loved the twists!!! There is corruption, mobsters, some family drama, this book comes packing with greatness and of course it happens in my fave state of Florida. I cant give it all away but get ready there is much that goes on but its all tied together. So happy I got the opportunity to read this one, thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me that opportunity.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 2, 2023

A proper “only in Florida” story. This has it all: the Everglades (gators, pythons, and rednecks, oh my!), a parasite of baby daddy, civil war era treasure, sleazy Miami lawyers, drug dealers, and more! This may equally make you roll your eyes and laugh out loud at the hijinks that ensue. Seemingly absurdist but also…it’s Florida so it’s all believable. Fans of Carl Hiassen may enjoy this comedy of errors, it was certainly a nice break from some heavier reads!

Swamp Story
By Dave Barry

This is a typical Barry romp through the Everglades. Jesse is a beautiful young woman with a baby girl, Willa, and poor taste in men. She is shacked up in a cabin in the Everglades with the baby's father and his buddy, a videographer. She is desperate for a way out.

Also in the cast are: Stu and Phil, a couple of losers trying to make money as characters for kids' birthday parties; Ken and Brad Bortles, owners of a bait and beer shop which is almost defunct; two nasties Duck and Billy, who believe Jesse knows the location of a treasure hidden in the 'Glades and wanting to relieve her of it; and various other nefarious – not to say ridiculous – characters, all after said treasure.

This book also explores TikTok, the Melon Head Monster (see Yeti, Bigfoot), and how gullible people are today. Mr. Barry pokes fun at them all in a way that shows how much he really loves quirky Florida.

If you are looking for a quick, funny, entertaining read, Dave Barry will not let you down.

Dave Barry is a hoot, and so is "Swamp Story." Carl Hiaasen, whom I also read and greatly enjoy, has real competition with this Florida story. It is a typical wild ride with several different threads which eventually become entangled in a hilarious ending. What is it about Florida which gives rise to stories like this?

I detest spoilers so I am not going to give any. Anyway, I could hardly do this absolutely weird and convoluted plot justice! This is a book you have to read for yourself, and I totally recommend that you do so at your earliest opportunity.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

If I see a Dave Barry book with an alligator on the cover I don’t even need to read the book’s blurb, I’m already all in. Why? The first book I ever read by Dave was Big Trouble (which also featured an alligator on the cover) and it had me laughing my butt off, instantly making me a huge fan. The man is a comic genius and national treasure. Nothing you can say will convince me otherwise. I’m honestly not sure how to explain the plot of his newest book without sounding like a rambling lunatic, lol. But its classic Dave Barry. He takes some the most unique characters (I often wonder if any of his characters are based on real people he knows, lol) and throws them into some of craziest storylines that often don’t seem related and yet by the end everything comes together. If you don’t find yourself laughing while reading this book I suggest you see a doctor, because there’s clearly something wrong with your funny bone. I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Swamp Story.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2LF4SVNLY0P87/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv