Scat

I love his books and this is a cute and funny series of 4 books that are easy to read for adults and teenagers.

One of the legacies of J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter books is a virtual glut of so-called "young adult" literature that can appeal to both kids and adults. The problem is that not all writers, even those successful at "adult" fiction, can write for this particular audience (for example, Michael Chabon is generally a good writer, but his attempt at this genre, Summerland, falls flat). Fortunately, Carl Hiaasen is not one of these lacking writers, as demonstrated in his first foray, Hoot and again in his new book, Scat.The main character in Scat is Nick, a mid-teens Florida kid concerned about his father, a reservist in Iraq. These concerns are justified but are also competing with a more local concern: the disappearance of the dreaded Mrs. Starch, Nick's drill sergeant of a biology teacher. Mrs. Starch has vanished after a field trip to the local swamp that had been concerned by a fire that turns out to be caused by arson.The prime suspect for the arson is Duane Scrod, Nick's classmate and a known troublemaker who has also vanished after a nasty argument with Starch. Duane has had previous arrests for arson and has a nickname of Smoke, so things don't look good for him. Of course, there's more to Smoke than meets the eye, and there is another suspicious party: a shady oil exploration company that has a scam that involves digging in a nature preserve.Similar to Hoot, Scat also deals with a threatened animal, in this case, the Florida panther. And like almost all Hiaasen books, a major theme involves overdevelopment and the destruction of Florida's natural beauty. And like all Hiaasen books, this is a fun read, with a lot of humor and some more serious moments as well. Though tamer than Hiaasen's adult work (i.e., no real sex or violence), this will appeal to most people, regardless of age.

Carl Hiaasen makes me want to move to Florida and live out of a canoe, traveling around the Ten Thousand Islands and savoring the vast (but last) sprawling wildernesses of southern Florida. He is the sage of the saw palmetto, the bard of the bromeliads, the patron saint of the panther, the defender of the endangered, the troubadour of the deranged, and the banging bell of sanity amidst the insanity that destroys Florida's natural beauty and develops its malls, condos, and golf courses.Hiaasen is a good and wonderfully original writer, whether he is writing his seriously disturbed, disturbing, and completely entertaining and enlightening novels for adults (my favorites are Lucky You and Basket Case) or his marvelously engaging novels for young readers, Hoot, Flush, and now Scat. I've loved all his books for kids and Scat is another winner, sure to engage any reader over age ten from start to finish. Hiaasen creates normal but exceedingly brave and honest characters as well as nut job characters on a mission, both evil and angelic. He places his characters within a uniquely Floridian landscape and lets the story take off. Scat takes off in a blaze, and kept me fired up straight through to the end. Hiaasen is always able to slip into his stories rock-hard lessons on integrity, respect, sorrow, and bravery, as well as running a line of unquenchable spirit, both human and of nature, that pulses through the chapters. Best of all, he makes every novel one big wonderful ride and read.If you read everything Hiaasen ever wrote, you'd still be begging for more and I hope he keeps on writing for decades, relying on Seminole wisdom and Florida spirit and whatever else it takes to get the job done.For more reviews, go to [...]

Bought, by teachers recommendation. My kid loves it. Will get the other books by this author, too

Once again, Hiaasen paints a vivid picture of South Florida and the environmental challenges they face. This one stars a ragtag pair of school students on a mission to find a missing teacher, and they encounter more than they bargained for. A good read for young readers--and adults too.