Weird to read a story with the pandemic being involved when it still feels so new but this will be a beloved story soon! Wrecker is a character you can’t help but root for and the pirate theme that is in the background brings this story to the next level! Another must read by Carl Hiassen!

This is good ya environmental awareness novel. There is not a lot of depth to the story but has a fun mystery. The characters steal the show.

There's a lot about this book that I found annoying, but overall an engaging mystery that the middle grade crowd is sure to love.

Hiaasen's teen books are unique in that they have an adult vibe. You could replace the teen characters with adult characters and not need to change much. In this story, Wrecker, a high school kid, living on Key West, is inadvertently drawn into a smuggling operation when he attempts to free a boat from a sandbar. The leader, who he calls Silver Mustache, throws him a can filled with money. Now Wrecker is financially trapped. Mustache, a rather menacing and power wielding fellow, first elicits Wrecker's help watching a grave vault in the Key West Cemetery and then as the driver for his fancy speedboat. It doesn't take long for Wrecker to figure out what Mustache is smuggling. Wrecker must go along with the plan without blowing his cover until all the pieces fall into place for a takedown.

I wouldn't say Hiaasen is the best plot writer but his character development is great. I love Wrecker and his new friend Willi (a girl from high school). Wrecker is a bit of a loner, but he's ok with it. He has plenty to occupy his time boating and fishing. He has a genuinely kind heart, helping one of the old-timers keep a grave free of iguana poop. Willi is a bit mysterious like she's hiding something, but finds Wrecker's cemetery break-ins and water excursions irresistible. Both characters have a wit that creates fun conversations, especially their attempts to hide a budding romance. Wrecker's family is a bit odd. Mom remarried, always getting new facial surgeries. Absent dad trying to make it as a singer in Nashville, but deciding to re-enter the picture. Wheelchair bound stepsister, providing Wrecker a home, while fighting for environmental causes in her spare time.

Great characters, but the plot is pretty basic. WAY too much time is spent in the cemetery. I've been to Key West and yes, the cemetery is amazing, but come on. Hiaasen obviously loves Key West. Especially obvious because he goes to great lengths to name every major street in Key West with a few famous gravestones and eateries thrown in. However, in my opinion, he fails to really capture the essence of this island community. This is what happens when authors get too attached to the place. Most annoying of all is that he muddles up the main Covid 19 pandemic plot with both a civil rights and environmental subplot. It's like he was trying to throw every social issue of 2021 into this book. I found neither of those subplots interesting.

But still...the mystery, the great characters, the carefree vibe, the sneaking around, the villain who gets his due...I'll give it credit...even go so far as to call it a page turner.

This was a really suspenseful read, it worked well with the genre. I was hooked from the first chapter and thought it worked with the genre. The characters were what I was looking for and I was engaged with the story. Carl Hiaasen does a great job in creating this world and thought it worked well.

"He should stick with the cowboy hat, Wrecker thinks. A sticker pasted on his father’s guitar case says immune doubloon tour. Stepping forward, Wrecker says, “Hey, Austin. Oops, I mean Dad.” His father rocks back on the heels of his snakeskin boots. “Eight, is that you?” “Wrecker. Everybody calls me Wrecker.” Valdez Seven sets down the guitar case and grasps him by the shoulders. “Damn, son, you grew up!”

Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen is a hilarious and action-packed adventure set in the wilds of Florida. The story follows Valdez Jones VIII, aka Wrecker, a middle-school student who comes from a long line of shipwreck salvagers. Wrecker stumbles upon a stranded speedboat while out on his own boat, and the men on the boat offer him money to keep quiet. But Wrecker's curiosity gets the best of him, and he soon finds himself embroiled in a dangerous plot involving smugglers, grave robbers, and pooping iguanas.

The characters in Wrecker are a highlight of the novel. Wrecker himself is a witty and resourceful protagonist, and his friend, Jibby, a self-proclaimed genius with a penchant for inventing odd gadgets, provides plenty of comic relief. The villains are suitably sinister, with their shady dealings and willingness to resort to violence to get what they want.

Hiaasen's writing is fast-paced and engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes. The Florida setting is vividly described, and readers will feel as if they are right in the middle of the action. The humor is also a standout element, with Hiaasen's trademark wit and sarcasm adding levity to even the most tense situations.

Overall, Wrecker is a highly entertaining read that will appeal to both young and old readers. It's a perfect book for anyone who loves a good adventure story with a healthy dose of humor.

Covid centered. Liberal propoganda. Read Hoot instead.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.