Skink -- No Surrender: Hiaasen Turns the Skink Into a Stinker
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Author: Carl Hiaasen
Title: Skink--No Surrender Genre: Young Adult If you’ve read any of Carl Hiaasen’s adult novels in the past couple of decades, you’re already familiar with the Skink; if you’ve read any of his young adult (YA) work in the past few years, you probably wondered why his teenage protagonists haven’t met the Skink. Well, your question has been answered: it’s there in black and white in Skink -- No Surrender. Whether you’ll be pleased or not is another question. Richard Sloan, all five-foot one and fourteen years of him, is worried about his cousin Malley. The high-spirited young lady (eight days his junior) has disappeared: she isn’t answering emails or texts and her phone goes straight to voicemail. Something is definitely wrong, and that something is apparently Talbo Chock. Malley met the “poet” Talbo online, and now she appears to have run off to meet him. Richard is worried… not least because the only Talbo Chock in the history of the state (probably of anywhere) is a dead war hero… That’s when Richard meets the swamp-dwelling nature boy Skink (though at something like 70, the former governor of Florida is hardly a “boy”). Though the Skink has no idea what chat rooms and texting are, he recognizes the symptoms of a girl in trouble and kicks it into high gear. Richard and his one-eyed giant, complete with shower cap and roadkill diet, head for the state’s panhandle to follow the few breadcrumbs Malley has dropped in her wake. Hang on kids, ‘cause it’s gonna be a bumpy ride… The fifth YA novel from the pen of Florida newsman Carl Hiaasen, Skink -- No Surrender differs from the others in more than the number of words in the title. Where Hoot, Flush, Scat and Chomp all followed the timeworn pattern of adolescents outwitting adult criminals bent on destroying the environment, this latest is all about the specter of online predators. The putative Talbo is first, not really Talbo (please tell me you’re not surprised) and second, up to no good. Malley’s poor decision-making skills have gotten her in a lot – a LOT – of trouble this time. The odd couple of Skink and Richard prove equal to the task, however, as they track down the missing girl through a combination of subtle clues and the duo’s unusually strong connection to nature and the environment. The fact that Skink – born Clinton Tyree – is allegedly dead and definitely a few bricks shy of a load, is just a matter of fascination for Richard. After all, he has bigger fish to fry. Hiaasen’s foray into morality plays – “Kids, don’t trust anyone you meet online” – is, unfortunately, formulaic and in fact rather clumsy. Frankly, the plot doesn’t hold water and the villain – though clearly a bad guy – is rather tame for an internet predator, given that he’s merely hauling the young lady around the state instead of something more sinister. Like most YA novels, the author has to get the adults out of the way so the kids can triumph; in this case Hiaasen’s coincidences and the level of parental distraction are both hard to swallow. Though the Skink has been an enduring hero for fans of Hiaasen’s adult novels, his appearance in this YA format makes him seem one-dimensional and little more than a walking collection of tics and oddities. Governor Tyree is ill-served by this vehicle, and young readers are treated little better. After four good to excellent YA novels, Hiaasen has let his fans down with this clinker. all content copyright © 2001-present by scmrak
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