Wrecker is a teenage boy in the Florida Keys during the COVID pandemic. Writing about that period was very interesting - I wonder how young readers will relate. I also like how the author combined some real interesting historical facts about the Florida Keys that I had never heard of. This author’s previous kids literature has emphasized the ecological changes in Florida but it is nice to see that he has added an historical perspective as well. The main character is relatable to middle schoolers and the relationship with his stepsister and friend Willi is compelling as well. Perhaps a series with these characters would be fun!

Carl Hiaasen once again brings his humor and signature style. We love putting out his books in our libraries here in Florida :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.

This is the story of Valdez Jones VIII or Wrecker. He comes from a long line of salvage divers. That is until his father, who changed his name and became a singer. Wrenker is out on his boat, when he comes upon a boat grounded in the flats. One thing leads to another and suddenly he is helping a smuggling ring. This book will keep you on the edge of your seats. It deals with a lot of heavy issues-covid, smuggling, KKK, just to name a few.

I am sure this is going to be another popular book by Carl Hiassen. It is definitely meant for middle grades vs. later elementary.

Carl Hiassen has created a bracing adventure and his writing keeps the pages turning and the pace high. Wrecker is a likeable youthful voice and this adventure will surely be enticing for many young readers.

Valdez Jones VIII . Who prefers to be called Wrecker or Wreck, comes from a long line of salvage divers (except for his dad who took off to find his way in Nashville as country singer, composer artist).
Wrecker comes upon a stranded go fast boat and helps pull it off of grounded flats. From there the story progresses in predictable Hiaasen manner. Cemeteries, smuggling and environmentalism all become a part of a Key West tale. Not your typical novel as it is targeted to the young adult market. An entertaining tale and easy read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advance copy given for review.
Another winner by Carl Hiaasen.

This is one of Hiaasen’s middle grade/young adult books; I will read anything by this author. I am way past “young adult”, yet I think this may be my favorite of his books. Maybe it was the Key West setting (one of our beloved places to get away to for a few days), or the iguana droppings I am constantly cleaning off our dock, or Hiiaasen’s ever present environmental messages, or the history infused into the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Set during the time of Covid, it features fifteen year old Valdez Jones VII, nicknamed “Wrecker” because he is the eighth generation descendent of a 19th century diver who sought salvage from sunken ships. When he and his friend, Mimi, discover criminal activity in Key West, he gets involuntarily involved with it. Together, they save themselves and help put some crooks behind bars.

This is a fun adventure story interspersed with interesting history and, of course, environmental concerns. Sometimes Hiaasen’s writing can be a bit over the top, but I thought this one wasn’t at all. Some non Floridans may think it a bit crazy at times, but believe me as a south Floridian, it’s all feasible.

Although I am familiar with Key West and have roamed through the cemetery there, I learned quite a bit from this book, especially about the early non tolerance and pervasive presence of the Ku Klux Klan in this laid back community. I also wasn’t aware, touched on in this story and through further research on my own, that because the water was so much cleaner during the Covid cruise ship ban, sixty two percent of the voters supported a local referendum to restrict the size and capacity of cruisers that visit its ports. The Florida Senate, in 2021, passed a bill that voided the referendum and it was signed by the governor. So much for the will of the people.

I’d love to see a series featuring these two beguiling teenagers.

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Valdez Jones the VIII, who calls himself "Wrecker" has a lot going on in his life, even though he lives in easy going Key West during the pandemic. His father left the family when he was very young, in order to pursue a musical career. Wrecker is fifteen now, and his father's career is just taking off, with a song ripping off both The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett. His mother is remarried to Roger, who has suggested that their house is too small, so Wrecker lives with his step sister Suzanna, who is in a wheelchair after an accident. After a financial settlement, she has devoted her time to championing environmental causes. Wrecker has an odd job; an older man, Mr. Riley, on his street pays his $50 a week to keep a grave at the local cemetary clean. He finds out a decent amount about local history looking at the other gravestones, and since he cleans it at night, also comes across some shady characters. One of these, whom he refers to as Silver Mustache, is a man he meets when he is out of his small boat, and the man and his friends run into a shoal. They hope that Wrecker can help them, so they can avoid being fined for damaging the shoal. Silver Mustache throws Wrecker a beer can with $500 in it for "trying" to help, and we all know that being indebted to shady characters is a bad plan. Sure enough, odd things keep happening. Wrecker and his friend Willi find Silver Mustache's speedboat wrecked, and true to his heritage (the original Valdez Jones was a Black man who dove to retrieve things from shipwrecks) Wrecker saves several packages from the boat, which turn out to be illegal fake vaccination cards. Silver Mustache has too much information about him, but Wrecker doesn't know how to disentangle himself. He ends up watching a suspicious grave for the smuggler as well. He attends school, both online and occasionally in person, hangs out with Willi, and agrees to help Suzanna, who is planning a blockade to keep cruise ships from landing in the area, which has been damaging the ecosystem. Mr. Riley passes away, and his house goes up for sale, and Wrecker is accosted by a police officer when trying to meet Willi at her house, an incident that underlines the history of horrible behavior towards Blacks in Key West. Will Wrecker be able to extricate himself from Silver Mustache's activities before they cause him grief?
Strengths: Mr. Hiaasen always does a great job including a lot of history as well as environmental messages. I didn't know, for instance, that the waters around Key West became healthier when cruise ships no longer stopped there during the pandemic. I found Mr. Riley and his story interesting. This felt a little like Deuker's 2005 Runner or Connelly's Brawler, with the ties to illegal jobs that are too good to be true, but Wrecker is fully aware that Silver Mustache is not a good person to have around. Willi is a good ally most of the time, and Suzanna is a stable influence who contrasts well with Wrecker's flighty mother. The nighttime antics will appeal to readers who want to be allowed out at night to get into trouble!
Weaknesses: I would have purchased this without blinking fifteen years ago, but it seems more involved and complicated than the mysteries my students request now. I'd definitely purchase it for a high school library.
What I really think: This seems like more of a YA mystery; it's more introspective, Wrecker has a lot of freedom, and there is some disturbing history involving suicide, affairs, and lynchings. If you're a fan of the more solidly middle grade Hoot, I'd read this one before purchasing. This is more along the lines of Skink or Squirm.

Hiaasen is always a favorite in my Media Center. His portrayal of the environs of Key West are always right-on-target and intriguing. The main character, Wrecker, is a sensitive and intelligent character who is certain to get a charge out of his readers.
I would definitely recommend his many other books to my older elementary school readers but this book appears to be aimed toward middle and, even more so, high schoolers. Hiaasen incorporates the Covid vaccine controversy well as detailing the KKK in this book. He does this in a way that makes it comprehensible to its readers and I commend him for it.
This is an exciting read and I expected nothing less.

I have always enjoyed Carl Hiassen's books. Amidst absurd, bizarre, and often almost unbelievable situations, he inserts wise truths and insights that resonate with young readers. It probably also helps that I am a native South Floridian and find his stories authentic to the state. They are also and frequently hilarious.

This book moves his work squarely into the younger readers of the YA genre...and he continues to create an intriguing, suspenseful story with plenty of snarky humor. Centering a plot around Key West graveyards, shipwrecks, and criminals allows for lots of weird events ( grave robbers and iguanas who poop daily on graves), references to local seafaring history, the effects of Covid 19, and and the perils of illegal smuggling, to name just a few of the themes. Many of these themes will resonate with his readers.

Wrecker, the main character, was interesting and mostly believable. He has to deal with some serious situations, but manages to extricate himself using his intelligence and problem - solving skills. Hiassen did an excellent job showing how easily a teenager can be lured into a seemingly harmless situation that turns increasingly dark and perilous. Wrecker's strong sense of right and wrong and his savvy knowledge of the town help him thwart the bad guys and bring them to justice. It is a bit of a stretch to believe a fifteen year old could construct such a complex plan, but this is YA lit so I could suspend my disbelief.Wrecker also contends with family issues like Covid, a mother who is only interested in her latest plastic surgery procedure, and a deadbeat musician father while coming to terms with the family legacy of racism. All in all, he is a good role model for young teen readers.

Willi is Wrecker's partner in crime. She is spunky, resourceful, and somewhat of a free spirit. Although she sometimes "ghosts" Wrecker, she comes through at a critical time and effectively helps him with the final plan to get the smugglers arrested. She is also wrestling with Key West 's racist past. The two realize their ancestors played critical roles in that past, although on opposite sides. There is believable banter between her and Wrecker.

Thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.






--
Dr. Amy A. McClure
Emerita Rodefer Professor of Education
Past President, Ohio Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
Past President, Children's Literature Assembly of NCTE
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio 43015
aamcclur@owu.edu

Wrecker has his hands full with his Zoom school that he is taking. Add to that the smugglers, grave robbers and pooping iguanas he doesn't know which to tackle first. Wrecker is the nickname of Valdez Jones VIII whose many times over great grandfather was a salvage diver for ships. When Wrecker runs across three men who ran their boat aground on a sandy beach they beg him...actually they pay him not to call for help !!

This book was for a more mature audiance than Haissan's normal crowd. It dealt heavily with vaccinations and then the random KKK story thrown in. Overall, I think he was doing too much with too little character development,.

Besides writing an award-winning column for thirty-five years for the MIAMI HERALD, Hiaasen is best known for his off-the-wall crime novels, all set in his native Florida, and all eighteen of which have made the New York Times Bestseller List (and several of which also made it to the big screen). But even some of his fans may not be aware that he has also written half a dozen books for younger readers -- and that the first one, _Hoot_, won a Newberry Medal. This latest one is aimed at adolescents and it’s a model of how to take teenage readers seriously.

The focus of the story is Valdez Jones VIII of Key West, fifteen years old and an eighth-generation Conch, descendant of a 19th-century Bahamian salvage diver -- a “wrecker” -- in the days before Scuba gear when freediving on storm-sunken ships was tough and dangerous work. Valdez, who’s kind of a loner, calls himself “Wrecker” in their honor and spends as much time as he can out fishing in his small motor skiff. But he also has a nightly job at the island’s graveyard cleaning iguana crap of a particular marble grave marker for an old gentleman who pays him fifty bucks a week to do it. Wrecker isn’t afraid of cemeteries, so it’s a good gig, especially since zoom-schooling during the pandemic gives him a pretty laid-back schedule. Plus, his Mom remarried a guy with money after his Dad left them to pursuit his dreams of country music fame, and now he’s living with his grown stepsister (who is in a wheelchair because of a drunk driver), and they get along well.

So, one afternoon, Wrecker is motoring back to harbor with a cooler full of snapper and yellowtail when he pauses to watch a fast-moving forty-foot power boat with four huge outboards ground itself heavily on a mud flat. (Idiots, he thinks, paying no attention to the warning markers). Being an astute kid, and a local, he knows probable smugglers when he sees them, but he tries unsuccessfully to tow them off anyway, and the leader of the men aboard, a stocky, older guy with a thick silver mustache, tosses him two hundred for his efforts.

And that’s his introduction to some very iffy guys he soon wishes he had never met. Silver Mustache comes across him (not accidentally) at the graveyard and begins paying him to keep an eye on another family, a new one, and then Wrecker finds their their power boat sunk after running into another warning marker, and he makes his first salvage dive -- but the plastic-wrapped packages he finds and makes off with five of aren’t drugs. And soon Wrecker is in way over his head, and so is Willi, his skateboarding not-quite girlfriend. How can he extricate both of them before they wind up in an unmarked grave like Silver Mustache’s other enemies?

Hiaasen respects his readers and doesn’t talk down to them, regardless of age, so this plot is not that different in content from his adult novels. There’s violence, but it’s non-explicit and kept in the background -- which might make it scarier -- and the language is somewhat (but not entirely) toned down. The humor is dry and Wrecker’s relationships with his plastic-surgery-obsessed mother, his absentee musician father, his not-a-bad-guy stepfather (who is convened the vaccine is a CIA plot until he contracts Covid), and his environmentalist stepsister, and the engaging Willi (“only a friend!”) are all very well handled, as they always are in Carl’s books. I recommend this not-long romp highly, and not just for younger renders. For that matter, any of Hiaasen’s books you pick up, including his nonfiction collections, will repay your time in spades.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had this red-flagged for immediate cataloging in my Baker & Taylor cart when I saw it on NetGalley, and I could not smash that request button fast enough! Hiaasen’s middle grade books have always been popular with my students - they love Hoot and Chomp. In spite of my love of south Florida, I inexplicably resisted the siren song of Hiaasen for years, but after reading Squirm for my social justice class, I changed my tune. Plus, this is set entirely in Key West, and that’s my jam.

Our protagonist is Valdez Jones VIII, but he’d rather be called Wrecker. He comes from a long line of them - wreckers are divers who explored shipwrecks for valuable cargo. And given the number of reefs off the Keys, wrecking used to be a pretty lucrative profession. These days, not so much, thanks to better sonar and channel markers and the like. But Wrecker loves the ocean and loves to be out on the water in his skiff. On one of his fishing trips, he runs across a group of clearly not-local rich dudes who’ve run aground in their fancy speedboat (he calls them “go-fasts”, which is just sort of charmingly quaint). It’s immediately suspicious that they don’t want him to call for help (his boat isn’t strong enough to tow them). In fact, they’re willing to pay him not to mention having seen them. But then he does keep seeing them…all over town. Eventually the leader - a guy he only ever knows as Silver Mustache - offers to hire him for a series of ever more dangerous jobs. And it’s not even that Wrecker wants the money (he finds several elaborate ways to get rid of it, in fact), but more that these dudes are seriously scary and seem to have no qualms about going after his family.

There’s the typical cast of Hiaasen quirky characters here - Wrecker’s father fancies himself a music star and has in fact left Florida for Nashville so he can become the next big thing (he writes a series of terrible rip off songs). His mother is obsessed with plastic surgery - to a ridiculous extent (she gets a Reese Witherspoon chin and Nicole Kidman eyes, for instance), and his stepfather is only interested in golf (which is weird because there’s like 1 golf course in Key West). Wrecker lives with his stepsister Suzanne, an activist trying to stop the massive cruise ships from docking in KW and ruining all the water and coral reefs. For his part, Wrecker spends each night in the cemetery, cleaning iguana poop off the grave of Sarah Riley, at the behest of her brother (since it’s clear he CAN get to the cemetery on his own, it’s not clear WHY he’s willing to pay Wreck 50 bucks a week to go and clean every night). He eventually runs into the creepy boat dudes in the cemetery and gets himself roped into another cleaning job - the tomb of Bendito Vachs. Silver Mustache thinks people might want to deface his good buddy’s grave, so Wreck needs to let him know if he finds anything more suspicious than iguana poop. It’s not long before this grave-watching morphs into different and more dangerous jobs, and it’s clear there’s something hidden in the tomb…and it’s probably not the body of Bendito Vachs.

We also have Wrecker’s friend Willi, his sometimes partner in crime. She runs hot and cold, occasionally ghosting him for days before showing up again unexpectedly. She does turn out to be instrumental in helping him carry out his final plan to take down Silver Mustache’s operation (which is wholly unbelievable, but, you know, it’s fun).

I really like that most of Hiaasen’s books have an environmentalism angle. Here it’s about protecting the water and the reefs. The story is set post-Covid…I’d guess *maybe* summer 2021? I know Florida reopened pretty early, but I also remember the Keys kinda did their own thing and just shut down the bridges. Either way, the big liners are returning, and Suzanne and her group Friend of Blue Waters are trying to get them out again. It’s an excellent criticism of the governor without ever name-dropping the little weasel - none of the actual residents of KW want the boats back (let’s be honest, there’s plenty of tourism down there even without cruise ships). I’d happily have spent more time on this particular fight than Wrecker’s not quite believable espionage. (When you’re reading a book like this, even though it’s technically realistic fiction, you just have to suspend disbelief - yes, a 14-year-old can totally get away with all of this)

What didn’t quite work was some shoehorned in stuff about the history of the KKK in Key West. There’s a scene early on where Wrecker sees a girl singing and crying at the grave of someone named Manuel Cabeza. Wrecker does his research and figures out Cabeza’s undeniably tragic story - the short version is that he was lynched by the KKK for daring to defy them. He obsesses a bit over finding the mystery singer, in between all of his detectiving. We do eventually find her, and learn her story, and while it’s definitely interesting - and as Wrecker himself says, it reminds us that even in a place known for free spirits and acceptance, hatred is sadly everywhere… it just doesn’t add much to THIS story. Lift it out and the story doesn’t lose all that much. There’s still plenty happening, and it feels like it’s given short shrift. I’d rather have put more focus onto it than just dropping it in as background noise.

Overall, it’s a fun story and it’s set in one of my favorite places (actually I kind of hate Key West, but I feel like I’d enjoy Wrecker’s more local version). Although I will admit I have never been to the cemetery (I do remember my mom talking about seeing the “I told you I was sick” tombstone though - it’s real!), I recognized almost all of the landmarks, which was fun. I feel like it would appeal to middle grade readers - it moves relatively quickly, and there’s some interesting local history thrown in.

No one writes like Carl Hiaasen! He is above all, my most favorite author. The way he tells a story, with his favorite subjects, is the BEST! I loved this YA books. Thank you to Net Galley and Alfred A. Knopf, publishing, for this fabulous egalley in return for an honest review. Buy this one for the kids!!! And yourself!

Wrecker was fun, smart, and engaging. I loved the sympathetic characters, hated the villians, and had mixed feelings about Wrecker's complicated parents. Set during the height of the COVID pandemic, the book handles the reality and uncertainty of the crisis well. Haiassen is, of course, masterful in his description of Florida coast culture and idiosyncrasies. The historical Key West context was perfect. Highly recommend, for teens and adults alike.

I love Hiassen's kids books. I'm used to them being written for older elementary kids, but this one definitely skewed a little more towards middle school and early high school. I still really liked it though, especially how he melded real parts of Key West history with the story. Including the early days of Covid will date the book and may turn some people off of reading it. The story was well paced, with multiple levels of intrigue between the mysterious girl at the cemetery, smugglers, and what will happen with cruise ships returning.

I’ve read many of Hiaasen’s novels, including several of his adult books, but Hoot still remains my favorite after all these years.

Hiaasen's teen books are set in Florida with an environmental issue compounded by crime and mystery. This Is the story of Wrecker, a high school kid, living on Key West. One day he is innocently drawn into a smuggling operation as he attempts to help fellow boaters who have carelessly caused their boat to run aground on a sandbar. The head guy on the boat, Wrecker calls Silver Mustache, throws him a can filled with money for his assistance. Well, he really hasn’t done anything to help as Wrecker’s boat motor was too small to free theirs from the sand. Is this hush money as to what Wrecker witnessed? Mustache, is a rather menacing and powerfully persuasive fellow. Feeling bound by the beer can money of five hundred dollars, Wrecker feels he must help the man by watching a grave vault in the Key West Cemetery. Then he finds himself the driver for Mustache.’s fancy speedboat. Wrecker is a bright kid and soon figures out that Mustache is smuggling and what it is he’s smuggling. Wrecker must go along with the plan and appear cooperative until all the pieces fall into place for a sting.

Wrecker is a bit of a loner, but it’s ok by him. He does have a new friend Willi who he met in high school. He is content to spend his days boating and fishing. He seems to have a genuinely kind heart, as he helps an old guy by keeping a relative’s grave free of iguana and poultry poop. Well the old guy does pay him to do this, but still it’s a pretty gross job.

Wrecker's family is a bit unconventional. Mom remarried, and is addicted to getting facial surgeries. Dad abandoned his family to try and make it big as a singer in Nashville. Now dad has decided to re-enter Wrecker’s life. Groan… Suzanne is his step-sister who is wheelchair bound due to a drunk driver. She provides Wrecker a home, while being an activist for environmental causes. Wrecker supports his sister in these endeavours.

I truly enjoyed the characters and how they evolved but the story is quite slow. Much of the story is spent in the cemetery, which is apparently a tourist destination for visitors to Key West. He has set this latest book during the Covid 19 pandemic, with a plot centered on civil rights and environmental issues.

The characters and mystery of this book make it a good addition to the middle school collection especially for those who enjoy the work of Haissen, but I don’t see it flying off the shelf.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. The smuggler story already seemed dated to me, as there isn't a lot of relevance anymore. Although I think we can all reflect back and remember when it was very, very relevant. So this could just be a me thing. I did enjoy the environmental aspect, as well as Manuel Cabeza's story. I wish the book had focused on those two storylines more. I did enjoy the characters and the dialogue. These will seem very familiar to those that have read Hiaasen's other books. While, in my opinion, this wasn't his strongest offering, it was still an enjoyable read. I think that those that have read his previous works will enjoy this one, as well as those that enjoy humorous mysteries.

I've always loved Carl Hiaasen and this book was a great addition to his ever-growing list of wonderful novels.

Wrecker is definitely more than he seems. Key West, boats, smuggling and strange happenings in the cemetery are all part of Wrecker. Loved the bits of history and the story as Wrecker gets pulled into something that he never wanted and found something else that he never knew he needed along the way.