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Description
With the help of an eccentric ex-governor, a teenage boy searches for his missing cousin in the Florida wilds. The plot contains violence.
Quick Summary
Carl Hiaasen's "Skink: No Surrender" drops you right into the gloriously chaotic Florida Everglades with a teenage narrator who's equal parts snarky and earnest, making the whole adventure feel like a wild road-trip with a friend. Kids who love a blend of slapstick humor, eco-adventure, and a dash of danger will devour this, especially fans of Hiaasen's other middle-grade titles or anyone who likes a good underdog story. Parents should know the book contains a few tense moments run-ins with gators, a shady land-development scheme, and some rough scuffles so while it's funny and fast-paced, there's also real stakes and mild violence that keep the tension high. The plot follows 14-year-old Richard as he teams up with the eccentric former Governor Skink a cantankerous hermit who lives in a wrecked car and eats raw fish to track down his missing cousin, navigating swampy marshes, a kooky roadside amusement park, and a corrupt development plot along the way. The humor is dry and absurd, and the environmental message about protecting wild places slips in without feeling preachy. If you liked "Hoot," you'll find the same mix of wildlife mischief and kid-power here, but with a grittier edge that makes the story even more memorable.