Carl Hiaasen 4: Native Tongue

There's really only one word to describe a Carl Hiaasen novel: Zany. Whether it is the premise or the people, Hiaasen is outlandish -- and funny as hell. In Native Tongue, Hiaasen centers the action around Amazing Kingdom, a ripoff of Walt Disney World run by sleazy madman Francis X. Kingsbury. (And speaking of madmen, the book re-introduces a hippie and roadkill-eating character named Skink, who happens to be the former governor of Florida.) The book centers around Joe Wilder, a lovable former newspaper reporter turned public relations employee at Amazing Kingdom. Wilder quickly tires of the p.r. shenanigans and joins Skink in a wacky adventure to save the Florida wilderness. Side characters include a couple of dimwitted burglars, working for a crazy old woman with a propensity for violence in the name of ecology. And long before baseball had its steroid problem, Amazing Kingdom had its head security, Pedro Luz, jacked on the juice and taking the muscle-enhancing drugs intravenously using a dispenser on wheels. But the real gem of a character, in my mind, is Kingsbury. Whether it is the x-rated tattoo of Mickey and Minnie on his forearm or the topless photograph of his wife in the living room of his mansion, I started looking forward to the Kingsbury scenes to see what kind of crazy shit he would say or do next. Bottom line: Yes, the book is absurd, but if you can suspend disbelief, this is a highly entertaining novel with a very unique writing style -- and one worth checking out. (Read more about Native Tongue on Amazon)