  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2014 *Starred Review* In his first novel aimed at teens, Hiaasen leaves behind middle-school bullying and veers this ecological mystery into the territory of online predators, with inimitable Hiaasen style. Richard’s cousin Malley is missing, and he fears that she’s in danger, despite her eventual calm phone calls and e-mails. When she drops a clue about having spotted the possibly extinct ivory-billed woodpecker, Richard knows she needs help and is giving him a clue. His sidekick on this sleuthing adventure is Skink, from Hiaasen’s adult fiction—a Vietnam vet, an ex-governor, and an ecological-crusading, road-kill-eating hermit. Eccentric doesn’t begin to describe him or the variety of objects he inserts in his empty eye socket. Skink and Richard make quite a dangerous and entertaining duo in a story that careens perfectly from one crazy situation to the next. The predator details are not described in intimate detail, leaving readers to imagine the realities for themselves, but the dangers of online relationships are clearly illuminated. Reluctant readers (especially guys) will surrender themselves to this page-turner. Cross your fingers that we haven’t seen the last of Skink! HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With Skink showing up in teen territory, this YA debut from the number-one New York Times best-selling author has crossover potential. Stock up! - Copyright 2014 Booklist. School Library Journal - 08/01/2014 Gr 9 Up—Richard and his cousin Malley are best friends. But while Richard is pretty levelheaded, Malley tends to get into trouble. So Richard is only mildly surprised to discover that she's run off with a guy she met on the Internet in order to avoid being sent to boarding school in New Hampshire. Richard wants to go find her, and luckily he runs into what may be the perfect person to help him do just that: a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida named Skink. With Skink at the helm, the two set off across Florida in search of Richard's cousin. While Malley's character is not as fully developed as the others and the story seems highly improbable, Skink, a favorite character from Hiaasen's adult novels, is incredibly memorable. Whether it's diving in to a gator-infested river after a rogue canoe, getting his foot run over by a semi while trying to save a baby turtle, or hiding out in the sand to save the next turtle, Skink is always full of surprises. And like a cat with nine lives, one never knows how he'll make it out or what will happen next. One thing's for sure: readers will want to be along for the ride. Although the ending meanders, fans of Hiaasen's novels won't mind the detours one bit.—Necia Blundy, formerly at Marlborough Public Library, MA - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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