Native Tongue
By Carl Hiaasen
Publication Date: 1991
Number of Pages: 325
Geographical Setting: Florida
Plot Summary: At the theme park The Amazing Kingdom of Thrills in Florida, the two Blue Tongued Mango Voles of a nearly extinct species are stolen. Joe Winder, writing the press release for the park, decides to look into the crime despite being advised not to by Charles Chelsea, the Vice President of public relations for the park. When the vole's caretaker mysteriously dies, Winder believes there is some big plan that needs uncovered. He uncovers the secret past of the park's owner, Francis X. Kingsbury, and with the help of aspiring actress and park character Carrie Lanier and former governor of Florida Skink, Winder attempts to put a stop to the corrupt who are harming the environment and covering up dirty secrets.
Thriller Appeal and Characteristics:
Rapid Pace: The story begins with compelling events that hook the reader in. The reader is eager to find out more and the pace continues to quicken throughout the story as more and more details are brought to light.
Plot Centered: The plot is intricate with twists and turns that keep the reader interested.
Moral of the Story: There is a strong ethical message in this story, centered around protecting the environment. The bad guys do not care about how they hurt the environment, while the good guys try to save it.
Strong Protagonist: The protagonist of the story is strong and relatable.
Danger and Excitement: The protagonists are faced with danger throughout, but they continue on despite of the danger for the greater good.
Tone: While the plot is dark, there are lighthearted moments that keep the story from being too intense.
Title Read-a-likes:
Bad Monkey / Carl Hiaasen
Florida Roadkill / Tim Dorsey
Murdering Americans / Ruth Dudley Edwards
Author Read-a-likes:
Tom Robbins
Laurence Shames
Tim Dorsey
Might have to check it out. I've read Hiassen but will admit it was one of his kid books ( Hoot, which was made into a cute movie with Jimmy Buffet, Cody Lindly of Hanna Montana, and Logan Leman of Percy Jackson. )
ReplyDeleteI did a caper thriller too ( Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, part of a new series. Very fun.)
I love Carl Hiaasen and his quirky characters, especially Skink who shows up in multiple books. Hiaasen's books on audio have helped many of our road trips back to the East Coast seem a little shorter. It's funny until this week I never really thought of his books as thrillers (even though they definitely fit the criteria for the genre). In my mind they were mysteries.
ReplyDeleteFrom your annotation I could tell that the setting taking place in Florida affects the story's tone and plot. I have never read Hiaasen (the book covers are interesting) though I liked your plot summary and might check out one of his books soon.
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