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Chomp
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2012)In this hysterical #1 New York Times bestseller, one kid has to wrangle gators, snakes, bats that bite, and a reality show host gone rogue! This is Carl Hiaasen's Florida—where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!
When Wahoo Cray’s dad—a professional animal wrangler—takes a job with a reality TV show called Expedition Survival!, Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself to keep his father from killing Derek Badger, the show's inept and egotistical star. But the job keeps getting more Derek Badger insists on using wild animals for his stunts; and Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her father and needs a place to hide out.
They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .
It's anyone's guess who will actually survive Expedition Survival. . .
“Only in Florida—and in the fiction of its native son Carl Hiaasen—does a dead iguana fall from a palm tree and kill somebody.” — New York Post
“Chomp is a delightful laugh-out-loud sendup of the surreality of TV that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.” — Los Angeles Times
When Wahoo Cray’s dad—a professional animal wrangler—takes a job with a reality TV show called Expedition Survival!, Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of wrangling himself to keep his father from killing Derek Badger, the show's inept and egotistical star. But the job keeps getting more Derek Badger insists on using wild animals for his stunts; and Wahoo's acquired a shadow named Tuna—a girl who's sporting a shiner courtesy of her father and needs a place to hide out.
They've only been on location in the Everglades for a day before Derek gets bitten by a bat and goes missing in a storm. Search parties head out and promptly get lost themselves. And then Tuna's dad shows up with a gun . . .
It's anyone's guess who will actually survive Expedition Survival. . .
“Only in Florida—and in the fiction of its native son Carl Hiaasen—does a dead iguana fall from a palm tree and kill somebody.” — New York Post
“Chomp is a delightful laugh-out-loud sendup of the surreality of TV that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.” — Los Angeles Times
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
1879 people are currently reading
11350 people want to read
About the author
Carl Hiaasen
100 books9,916 followersCarl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida, he joined the Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the newspaper’s weekly magazine and prize-winning investigations team. As a journalist and author, Carl has spent most of his life advocating for the protection of the Florida Everglades. He and his family live in southern Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,693 reviews
August 8, 2023
A Florida Man book written by Carl Hiaasen for kids.
And it is every bit as fun as you'd think that would be.
An animal wrangler and his son trek into the Everglades with the crew of a "survival" show, and hijinks ensue.
Mostly because the star of said show is a complete phony and the whole show is one long scripted fake, full of edited material and CGI. But all hell breaks loose when this Hollywood imitation of a survivalist decides that he's going to get real and tangles with Florida wildlife without a stuntman.
It's funny. And as someone who grew up in The Sunshine State, it's pretty accurate when it comes to the descriptions of the colorful animals and people who live in Florida.
Bottom line, if you haven't caught a snake or had at least one scary brush with an alligator, I'm not sure what you've been doing with your life.
Recommended.
And it is every bit as fun as you'd think that would be.
An animal wrangler and his son trek into the Everglades with the crew of a "survival" show, and hijinks ensue.
Mostly because the star of said show is a complete phony and the whole show is one long scripted fake, full of edited material and CGI. But all hell breaks loose when this Hollywood imitation of a survivalist decides that he's going to get real and tangles with Florida wildlife without a stuntman.
It's funny. And as someone who grew up in The Sunshine State, it's pretty accurate when it comes to the descriptions of the colorful animals and people who live in Florida.
Bottom line, if you haven't caught a snake or had at least one scary brush with an alligator, I'm not sure what you've been doing with your life.
Recommended.
May 17, 2021
Carl Hiassen has been recommended to me by another reader continuously for years, but me being a typical egocentric know-it-all man, who considers humour totally subjective, and myself a tough nut to crack, just didn't get round to seeking his work out. With the overflow of used books to my local thrift stores as we come out of Lockdowns, I picked this up and was instantly hooked with the easy writing, genuinely believable but funny characters with some subtle dark undertones in this story of a animal loving father and son having to act as consultants to a power and fame driven faux survivalist reality TV show star and his latest venture in the Florida Everglades.
Reading this engaging read reminded me of two key things I want from books - children's books that don't talk down to the reader in anyway (I had to Google to find out this was a middle school-er read, as I couldn't tell by the writing, despite two of the key protagonist being middle teenagers; and that humour is more effective in a non-humorous 'real' world, I find I loathe comedic realities! All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and to coin the cliche, this was a book that I couldn't put down - I found myself finishing it off, by picking it up to read at 6.30 am on a Sunday morning! I also went out and immediately bought more of Hiaasen's work! 8 out of 12.
Reading this engaging read reminded me of two key things I want from books - children's books that don't talk down to the reader in anyway (I had to Google to find out this was a middle school-er read, as I couldn't tell by the writing, despite two of the key protagonist being middle teenagers; and that humour is more effective in a non-humorous 'real' world, I find I loathe comedic realities! All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and to coin the cliche, this was a book that I couldn't put down - I found myself finishing it off, by picking it up to read at 6.30 am on a Sunday morning! I also went out and immediately bought more of Hiaasen's work! 8 out of 12.
December 27, 2012
First, please understand, my rating of a book is based on how it affects me, nothing else. A book does not have to be great literature to get high marks from me, it just has to catch my interest and involve me, and get me to enjoy the experience in the process. This is what makes "Chomp" a five star read for me.
Carl Hiaasen is one of my all time favorite fiction authors. Unfortunately, for his loyal readers, he's been keeping a fairly low profile in recent years after a creative explosion in the 90's. "Chomp" represents his return to the sweet spot of what made me one of those "loyal readers."
Hiaasen's forte is using fun characters, sarcastic humor, and barely believable story lines to raise the readers consciousness about subjects we should have been paying attention to all along. His specific plots vary from book to book, but the overarching foci are; our environment, the animals we live with, ignorance, arrogance, and greed.
"Chomp" brings our much beloved Carl Hiaasen back to us with a passion. With new quirky characters, a crazy plot, and a variety of animals hoping for salvation from money hungry predators, the reader gets a rollicking good ride compliments of one of the most creative and environmentally sensitive authors writing today.
Carl Hiaasen is one of my all time favorite fiction authors. Unfortunately, for his loyal readers, he's been keeping a fairly low profile in recent years after a creative explosion in the 90's. "Chomp" represents his return to the sweet spot of what made me one of those "loyal readers."
Hiaasen's forte is using fun characters, sarcastic humor, and barely believable story lines to raise the readers consciousness about subjects we should have been paying attention to all along. His specific plots vary from book to book, but the overarching foci are; our environment, the animals we live with, ignorance, arrogance, and greed.
"Chomp" brings our much beloved Carl Hiaasen back to us with a passion. With new quirky characters, a crazy plot, and a variety of animals hoping for salvation from money hungry predators, the reader gets a rollicking good ride compliments of one of the most creative and environmentally sensitive authors writing today.
December 28, 2015
My family watches a good amount of survival-skills TV, with Survivorman and Naked and Afraid being our favorites. So when we realized Chomp's plot integrates a similar survival-themed TV show, we were pretty excited. Of course the show featured in this book is from Mr. Hiaasen's imagination, but in my opinion it strongly resembles one particular survivalist's show (that I shall not name). It happens to be a show I won't watch because I think it's strategically and non-spontaneously scripted and completely fake. (It should be noted that I expect a lot from my TV survivalists even though I'm 100% positive I wouldn't be able to keep myself alive if lost in the wilderness.) Anyway, I thought the direction Mr. Hiaasen went with the plot was absolutely hilarious...however, my son was heartbroken. You mean reality TV might not be as real as we think it is???
Chomp is a middle-grade fiction novel written by Carl Hiaasen. It addresses the treatment of animals, personal integrity, parent/child relationships, physical abuse issues, and the "fake versus real" of reality television. It offers a thriller/suspense element, some family drama, and a TON of humor. I ended up enjoying it more than my boy did, which kind of sucked, but I would still recommend it for the middle-grade audience. Pass on the recommendation to the tweens in your life...really, any of Mr. Hiassen's books for young audiences! They're great!
My favorite quote:
What sort of people would name a dumb old alligator Alice?" "The sort of people who treat it like one of the family."
Carl Hiaasen's novels for young readers are great gift ideas for youths in fifth grade through middle school. His collection for young audiences includes the following standalone novels as of November 2015:
Chomp is a middle-grade fiction novel written by Carl Hiaasen. It addresses the treatment of animals, personal integrity, parent/child relationships, physical abuse issues, and the "fake versus real" of reality television. It offers a thriller/suspense element, some family drama, and a TON of humor. I ended up enjoying it more than my boy did, which kind of sucked, but I would still recommend it for the middle-grade audience. Pass on the recommendation to the tweens in your life...really, any of Mr. Hiassen's books for young audiences! They're great!
My favorite quote:
What sort of people would name a dumb old alligator Alice?" "The sort of people who treat it like one of the family."
Carl Hiaasen's novels for young readers are great gift ideas for youths in fifth grade through middle school. His collection for young audiences includes the following standalone novels as of November 2015:
March 26, 2012
Fun -- for a bit (there's a chomp joke in there somewhere). Hiaasen hits the right notes humor-wise in this Steve Irwinesque takeoff of a prima donna phoney Aussie hosting a reality wildlife survival show. His name is Derek Badger and he isn't the best thing about this novel by any means. Unfortunately, just when you think he's as bad as it gets, ANOTHER caricature (um, CHARACTER, I mean... I think) snatches defeat from the gator jaws of infamy by taking his place.
What's to like: the Mickey Cray character, a wildlife rustler hired to help the incompetent Badger during his Everglades show. Ditto his son, Wahoo. And most especially Hiaasen's sense of humor. There's some good badinage here, many of them Mickey C. put-down lines at the expense of Derek B. with gentle readers cheering him on.
What's not to like: the plot. This may be the kiss of death for a YA book, plot being the lifeblood of most of them, but it's so over-the-top and Badger grows so wearisome that it's more automatic pilot than reader flipping pages in hopes of hitting more funny lines. Hiaasen chooses to play an unadvised card, however, when Wahoo's friend, Tuna, a girl who is beaten by her drunken father, joins the troops. This is a bad move because eventually Tuna's father decides to give chase (makes no sense, given his love affair with the bottle) while bearing booze, a gun, and a whole lot of trite, bad-guy lines that we've seen in too many B-grade movies and TV shows over the years.
The lame plot limps home from the moment this stereo-ain't-the-typical-for-it comes on, one dreary scene after another, gun held on people, formulaic threats spewing, blah blah blah until the reader cries "Uncle!" among other things. Hiaasen's plot either shows laziness or disrespect for young readers or both.
What's to like: the Mickey Cray character, a wildlife rustler hired to help the incompetent Badger during his Everglades show. Ditto his son, Wahoo. And most especially Hiaasen's sense of humor. There's some good badinage here, many of them Mickey C. put-down lines at the expense of Derek B. with gentle readers cheering him on.
What's not to like: the plot. This may be the kiss of death for a YA book, plot being the lifeblood of most of them, but it's so over-the-top and Badger grows so wearisome that it's more automatic pilot than reader flipping pages in hopes of hitting more funny lines. Hiaasen chooses to play an unadvised card, however, when Wahoo's friend, Tuna, a girl who is beaten by her drunken father, joins the troops. This is a bad move because eventually Tuna's father decides to give chase (makes no sense, given his love affair with the bottle) while bearing booze, a gun, and a whole lot of trite, bad-guy lines that we've seen in too many B-grade movies and TV shows over the years.
The lame plot limps home from the moment this stereo-ain't-the-typical-for-it comes on, one dreary scene after another, gun held on people, formulaic threats spewing, blah blah blah until the reader cries "Uncle!" among other things. Hiaasen's plot either shows laziness or disrespect for young readers or both.
July 20, 2020
Classic Hiaasen young adult fare where wacky characters and bizarre plot lines tickle one’s funny bone while also communicating the lessons of respect for nature and animals, and personal integrity. In this offering, Derek Badger, the star of the reality TV show ‘Expedition Survival’ has decided to film his latest adventure in the Everglades. His production company hires the animal wrangler, Mickey Cray, to provide live animals and Everglade natural history expertise. His 14-year-old son, Wahoo, and friend, Tuna, tag along. There is plenty of non-stop action with alligator encounters, a massive Burmese python, a biting Mastiff bat, and air boat chases galore. Enjoy.
June 27, 2014
I’m having trouble working myself up to review this one. That may be the definition of a three star book, at least sometimes.
I’ve been meaning to read something by Carl Hiaasen for awhile now. I read this one aloud to my son because my random picks for him lately tended to feature female leads, the ocean, and environmentalist themes to one degree or another: Isabel of the Whales and Island of the Aunts. I figured I owed the guy a break.
Back to Chomp. I liked it. Much of it takes place in the Florida Everglades and the environmentalist theme of our recent reads was continued because the main character’s father is an animal lover and animal wrangler whose orneriness is reserved for people, though not his son, or his wife.
The main character, Wahoo, is a 14 year old boy. He’s a likable enough young man who is much less set in his ways than his father, whom he loves and is loyal to. I had absolutely no problems with that, especially since I was reading this to my son, but Wahoo, decent as he is, needed a little more ummph, some more elvis, to really rule this story. I don’t think he needed to rebel necessarily, certainly not just for rebelling’s sake, but he seems to be in his father’s shadow and doesn’t know it yet.
The family needs money, so Wahoo’s mother takes a job in China. Wahoo’s father, Mickey Cray, was injured but does his part. A reality TV show called Expedition Survival! is doing a show in the Everglades and hires him to supply animals and expertise, but Mickey does not have much respect for the show’s star, Derek Badger. You probably won’t either. You have no choice really, because that’s how it is written. Derek Badger gets the short end of the stick and is the butt of a lot of the jokes, which is okay I suppose, but I did feel a little, not manipulated, but strong-armed. Maybe Mr. Hiaasen should have eased up a little bit and let Derek be a little more nuanced, though .
Wahoo joins his father and the Expedition Survival! crew in the Everglades. They take along a girl from Wahoo’s school, a girl named Tuna, relatively spontaneously, because her Dad was not treating her well. I was a little worried something was going to happen between Wahoo and Tuna that I did not want to read aloud, but nope, doesn't hint at such feelings never mind such things. But Tuna and her Dad, the jerk, and Derek Badger and a few other hotheads provide the pow that leads to the big whammy.
The writing’s solid. So is the story, the characterization, and much of the message. It just was not quite the lovefest I expected, for me, but I’ll try Hoot as a read aloud too -eventually. I’ll try one of his books for adults for myself. Then we’ll have this Carl Hiaasen fellow sussed out.
I’ve been meaning to read something by Carl Hiaasen for awhile now. I read this one aloud to my son because my random picks for him lately tended to feature female leads, the ocean, and environmentalist themes to one degree or another: Isabel of the Whales and Island of the Aunts. I figured I owed the guy a break.
Back to Chomp. I liked it. Much of it takes place in the Florida Everglades and the environmentalist theme of our recent reads was continued because the main character’s father is an animal lover and animal wrangler whose orneriness is reserved for people, though not his son, or his wife.
The main character, Wahoo, is a 14 year old boy. He’s a likable enough young man who is much less set in his ways than his father, whom he loves and is loyal to. I had absolutely no problems with that, especially since I was reading this to my son, but Wahoo, decent as he is, needed a little more ummph, some more elvis, to really rule this story. I don’t think he needed to rebel necessarily, certainly not just for rebelling’s sake, but he seems to be in his father’s shadow and doesn’t know it yet.
The family needs money, so Wahoo’s mother takes a job in China. Wahoo’s father, Mickey Cray, was injured but does his part. A reality TV show called Expedition Survival! is doing a show in the Everglades and hires him to supply animals and expertise, but Mickey does not have much respect for the show’s star, Derek Badger. You probably won’t either. You have no choice really, because that’s how it is written. Derek Badger gets the short end of the stick and is the butt of a lot of the jokes, which is okay I suppose, but I did feel a little, not manipulated, but strong-armed. Maybe Mr. Hiaasen should have eased up a little bit and let Derek be a little more nuanced, though .
Wahoo joins his father and the Expedition Survival! crew in the Everglades. They take along a girl from Wahoo’s school, a girl named Tuna, relatively spontaneously, because her Dad was not treating her well. I was a little worried something was going to happen between Wahoo and Tuna that I did not want to read aloud, but nope, doesn't hint at such feelings never mind such things. But Tuna and her Dad, the jerk, and Derek Badger and a few other hotheads provide the pow that leads to the big whammy.
The writing’s solid. So is the story, the characterization, and much of the message. It just was not quite the lovefest I expected, for me, but I’ll try Hoot as a read aloud too -eventually. I’ll try one of his books for adults for myself. Then we’ll have this Carl Hiaasen fellow sussed out.
July 20, 2020
Not as funny as I was hoping for.
September 25, 2015
Me ha costado engancharme a la trama y a los personajes. Tiene sus puntos divertidos y originales, pero la historia me ha parecido poco creíble y no he conseguido conectar con ella :'(
June 11, 2022
This was so much fun!
I needed a book with an onomatopoeia in the title for an instgram bingo card.
My delightful friend Jenn posted about this series which is nearly all onomatopoeia titles.
My library had this one available first and it is so much fun.
You can follow her on GR by clicking here. or on insta @featherlashesreads
Can't wait to check out the rest of this fun middlegrade series.
I needed a book with an onomatopoeia in the title for an instgram bingo card.
My delightful friend Jenn posted about this series which is nearly all onomatopoeia titles.
My library had this one available first and it is so much fun.
You can follow her on GR by clicking here. or on insta @featherlashesreads
Can't wait to check out the rest of this fun middlegrade series.
May 31, 2016
As you'd expect from Hiaasen - plenty of colourful characters and ridiculously funny situations set in the swamps of the Everglades. And, of course, Nature always wins out over stupid people.
I read this young adult title with my 11 year old son. His rating was 4.5, mine 3.5 so we compromised with 4 stars :-)
I read this young adult title with my 11 year old son. His rating was 4.5, mine 3.5 so we compromised with 4 stars :-)
May 25, 2018
I loved this book!
Chomp is about a father (Mickey Cray) and son (Wahoo Cray) and their adventure on a reality series called "Expedition Survival!" (which is actually a parody of Man vs Wild, I learned some very shocking revelations about these wildlife reality series).
So, Mickey was injured shortly before by an iguana falling on his head and is suffering the after-effects of a serious concussion and Wahoo take cares of his father. Wahoo is the only one who can control Mickey's temper. I loved their relationship. And the best part of the story is that they live in a zoo with all these wild animals around them, a pet alligator, "Alice" who chomped off Wahoo's thumb when he was 12.
Mickey Cray is an animal wrangler and is having trouble finding a job due to the "Iguana incident", which Mickey calls "The Curse of the Iguana", story takes an interesting turn when he got a job for a survivalist show. Derek Badger is the host of the show and he is my least favorite character of this story. He is a pampered, mean and obnoxious person who doesn't care a bit about animals. And there is one girl named "Tuna" who elopes with Mickey & Wahoo on a camping trip to Everglades to stay away from her abusive and alcoholic father.
The book is a very quick and easy read. I finished it one sitting. I loved the plot and the characters.
I like the writing style too, it's simple and easy!
Chomp is about a father (Mickey Cray) and son (Wahoo Cray) and their adventure on a reality series called "Expedition Survival!" (which is actually a parody of Man vs Wild, I learned some very shocking revelations about these wildlife reality series).
So, Mickey was injured shortly before by an iguana falling on his head and is suffering the after-effects of a serious concussion and Wahoo take cares of his father. Wahoo is the only one who can control Mickey's temper. I loved their relationship. And the best part of the story is that they live in a zoo with all these wild animals around them, a pet alligator, "Alice" who chomped off Wahoo's thumb when he was 12.
Mickey Cray is an animal wrangler and is having trouble finding a job due to the "Iguana incident", which Mickey calls "The Curse of the Iguana", story takes an interesting turn when he got a job for a survivalist show. Derek Badger is the host of the show and he is my least favorite character of this story. He is a pampered, mean and obnoxious person who doesn't care a bit about animals. And there is one girl named "Tuna" who elopes with Mickey & Wahoo on a camping trip to Everglades to stay away from her abusive and alcoholic father.
The book is a very quick and easy read. I finished it one sitting. I loved the plot and the characters.
I like the writing style too, it's simple and easy!
August 15, 2020
A teen and his animal wrangler father get a job with a TV survivalist show. The survivalist is not the man he presents himself to be on TV, which leads to all sorts of comical outcomes as they shoot scenes in Florida's Everglades. It's not all comedy though. There's a good amount of action and crime as well. Hiaasen has a good understanding of the kinds of weird people that populate Florida (I know since I'm from there), so all of the characters feel authentic even though they are all over the top.
August 10, 2017
I had no idea this book was supposed to be YA until after I was finished reading it. I'm still not convinced that it is, even though Wahoo, the primary (I guess) character, is young. He is just so...boring. The whole book is strangely packed with action and boredom in equal measure, it's hard to explain. So much happens, and yet none of it got me excited to turn the page and see what will happen. It doesn't help that for the first half of the book it's all about Derek Badger, and then he literally disappears and we forget all about him until he (once again literally) jumps back onto the page. The only redeeming factor for me was that it got me googling Bear Grylls, and guess what? He'd been caught sleeping in hotel rooms during his survival stunts. I enjoyed the whole lifting veil on the survival business, but the humor felt awkward and I did not giggle even once. For example, I assume I was supposed to die laughing every time someone called Derek Mr. Beaver instead of Badger and he got all pissed off about it. Or each time Derek got bitten. Or just because monkeys threw poo at people.
All the characters were one-dimensional caricatures. The good guys were nauseatingly good, and the bad guys were complete bumbling idiots. The really bad guy somehow went from drinking and punching to a murderous rage. I'm still not sure how that leap was justified. The show star Derek was a solid moron without a single redeeming quality. Animals kept biting him, but instead of getting scared he kept putting himself into more and more dangerous situations. One minute he is a fat pampered diva, and in another he demands to wrestle an alligator. Really? And at the end, when he does supposedly redeem himself, it's because he's an even bigger moron than we'd originally thought.
Overall, eh.
All the characters were one-dimensional caricatures. The good guys were nauseatingly good, and the bad guys were complete bumbling idiots. The really bad guy somehow went from drinking and punching to a murderous rage. I'm still not sure how that leap was justified. The show star Derek was a solid moron without a single redeeming quality. Animals kept biting him, but instead of getting scared he kept putting himself into more and more dangerous situations. One minute he is a fat pampered diva, and in another he demands to wrestle an alligator. Really? And at the end, when he does supposedly redeem himself, it's because he's an even bigger moron than we'd originally thought.
Overall, eh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
Middle Grade March. RTC
December 29, 2025
I always enjoy Hiaasen's novels which take place in Florida and are full of humor and an abundance of wacky characters. CHOMP is one of his novels aimed at younger readers and although it is toned down quite a bit from his adult books, it was still very enjoyable.
This novel follows Wahoo Cray as he gets involved in a reality TV show. His father, Mickey, is an animal wrangler in Florida who takes a job with a show called Expedition Survival! mainly because he desperately needs the $1000 per day to pay off his mortgage and other bills. The host of the show, Derek Badger, is pretty much clueless about survival in the wilderness but he is able to use stunt doubles and tame animals to make his show a hit on cable TV. The show that Mickey was hired for is to take place in the Everglades. Along the way, Derek unintentionally wrestles the Cray's tame alligator, gets bit repeatedly by a snake, and gets bit on the tongue by a bat when he tries to eat it making him think he will turn into a vampire. Mixed into the story is a young school friend of Wahoo's named Tuna who is on the run from her abusive father who follows her and the Crays into the Everglades where he becomes drunk and reckless with a gun.
I enjoyed this one quite a lot even though it was not quite on a par with Hiaasen's adult novels. But it was still full of humor and crazy characters. The book had me smiling from the first sentence: "Mickey Cray had been out of work ever since a dead iguana fell from a palm tree and hit him on the head." The story had me hooked from that point on. Hiaasen also included some of his usual environmental issues such as preserving native species. The book also included the theme of family abuse with Tuna being the victim of beatings by her father. I still have a few of Hiaasen's young adult novels left to read and hope to get to them at some point.
This novel follows Wahoo Cray as he gets involved in a reality TV show. His father, Mickey, is an animal wrangler in Florida who takes a job with a show called Expedition Survival! mainly because he desperately needs the $1000 per day to pay off his mortgage and other bills. The host of the show, Derek Badger, is pretty much clueless about survival in the wilderness but he is able to use stunt doubles and tame animals to make his show a hit on cable TV. The show that Mickey was hired for is to take place in the Everglades. Along the way, Derek unintentionally wrestles the Cray's tame alligator, gets bit repeatedly by a snake, and gets bit on the tongue by a bat when he tries to eat it making him think he will turn into a vampire. Mixed into the story is a young school friend of Wahoo's named Tuna who is on the run from her abusive father who follows her and the Crays into the Everglades where he becomes drunk and reckless with a gun.
I enjoyed this one quite a lot even though it was not quite on a par with Hiaasen's adult novels. But it was still full of humor and crazy characters. The book had me smiling from the first sentence: "Mickey Cray had been out of work ever since a dead iguana fell from a palm tree and hit him on the head." The story had me hooked from that point on. Hiaasen also included some of his usual environmental issues such as preserving native species. The book also included the theme of family abuse with Tuna being the victim of beatings by her father. I still have a few of Hiaasen's young adult novels left to read and hope to get to them at some point.
August 27, 2024
2.5 definitely written for when Steve Irwin was around and a celebrity
October 30, 2012
I would first like to say that I listened to this on audiobook, and it's read by James Van Der Beek. That's right Dawson was reading the book, and he did a marvelous job. His portrayal of Derek Badger was fantastic, but he really made Mickey Cray become someone I wanted to get to know. It was crazy good.
I'll be honest and say that I haven't ever read any of Carl Hiaasen's books before this. First impression? He's incredibly funny, with a lovely grasp of the depth of emotions that children can latch on to. I think it's easy to make middle grade books rather shallow in the emotion department, but Hiaasen definitely touches on darker themes that are engaging and thought-provoking. I especially liked his view of Derek Badger and the corporate machine of television. Not to say that this was a complete discourse on the corruptness of media or anything like that, it just made suggestions that added to the depth and tone of the story.
The main plot line of Expedition Survival coming into Mickey and Wahoo's animal reserve and essentially tearing everything apart was delightful, over the top, and hilarious. I especially loved Mickey's response to Derek, his resigned knowledge that things would inevitably go badly. Derek's bull-headed decision making, and the thought process behind these decisions, that ultimately put his life in danger over and over were extremely well done. How could I not giggle on my way to and from work when I got to hear about Derek's tongue being bitten by a wild bat that left him with an infected tongue and delusions of vampirism?
While I keep mentioning the adult characters, Wahoo was also a well written character. He's a bit hard to call a child when most of the book his is put into the decision-making role and taking care of his father. It put a very interesting spin on the entire outlook of the book. Wahoo is obviously wise beyond his years, and obviously should not have to be put into this position but you feel for him. You want Wahoo to be allowed to be a child, and still support him in this adult undertaking of making sure his family is able to survive. He is endearing and sympathetic, though he doesn't really get the laughs that everyone else does.
Let me tell you about my one little quibble: the Tuna storyline. I liked Tuna as a character and I was interested in the aspects of her personal growth, but I wasn't sure if it was necessary for the story. It seemed like an addition that made the ending a bit farcical. So many bad things happen at the end that Tuna's alcoholic father showing up with a gun just made me shake my head. And not in a good way. It was an interesting idea, but I didn't think it made for a great addition to the story. If it hadn't been a part of Chomp I wouldn't have missed it wouldn't be making the comment that it made the plot seem a bit fatty. You know?
Anyway, I would highly recommend the audio book, James Van Der Beek does a spectacular job and this book was quite hysterical. Awesome.
I'll be honest and say that I haven't ever read any of Carl Hiaasen's books before this. First impression? He's incredibly funny, with a lovely grasp of the depth of emotions that children can latch on to. I think it's easy to make middle grade books rather shallow in the emotion department, but Hiaasen definitely touches on darker themes that are engaging and thought-provoking. I especially liked his view of Derek Badger and the corporate machine of television. Not to say that this was a complete discourse on the corruptness of media or anything like that, it just made suggestions that added to the depth and tone of the story.
The main plot line of Expedition Survival coming into Mickey and Wahoo's animal reserve and essentially tearing everything apart was delightful, over the top, and hilarious. I especially loved Mickey's response to Derek, his resigned knowledge that things would inevitably go badly. Derek's bull-headed decision making, and the thought process behind these decisions, that ultimately put his life in danger over and over were extremely well done. How could I not giggle on my way to and from work when I got to hear about Derek's tongue being bitten by a wild bat that left him with an infected tongue and delusions of vampirism?
While I keep mentioning the adult characters, Wahoo was also a well written character. He's a bit hard to call a child when most of the book his is put into the decision-making role and taking care of his father. It put a very interesting spin on the entire outlook of the book. Wahoo is obviously wise beyond his years, and obviously should not have to be put into this position but you feel for him. You want Wahoo to be allowed to be a child, and still support him in this adult undertaking of making sure his family is able to survive. He is endearing and sympathetic, though he doesn't really get the laughs that everyone else does.
Let me tell you about my one little quibble: the Tuna storyline. I liked Tuna as a character and I was interested in the aspects of her personal growth, but I wasn't sure if it was necessary for the story. It seemed like an addition that made the ending a bit farcical. So many bad things happen at the end that Tuna's alcoholic father showing up with a gun just made me shake my head. And not in a good way. It was an interesting idea, but I didn't think it made for a great addition to the story. If it hadn't been a part of Chomp I wouldn't have missed it wouldn't be making the comment that it made the plot seem a bit fatty. You know?
Anyway, I would highly recommend the audio book, James Van Der Beek does a spectacular job and this book was quite hysterical. Awesome.
April 8, 2015
Chomp was a fun, wacky ride through the Florida Everglades. Gators, bats, iguanas, and boys named Wahoo! What’s not to like? :)
Wahoo’s family owns an animal wrangler business. Their backyard is full of fun—from turtles to snakes to alligators. A way of life that amazed me! Wahoo and his Dad are so used to the scratches, tangles and chomps from the animals. Just ask Wahoo about his thumb! Haha…It was fun to hear them talk about all the animals like family. A big, slithering, biting family that can take them anywhere!
This fast paced story with crazy “I can���t believe that just happened” twists & turns will keep readers flipping pages to see what happens next. And anything can and will happen when you mix animals, family, and “reality” TV.
Jump in and read!
December 10, 2012
My son came home dying to read this book after the school librarian showcased it at school. We soon realized it was above his reading level, so I read the book to my 4th grade son and 2nd grade daughter. In short, my son loved it and my daughter, well, not so much.
One of the things I love about my kids getting older is watching their personalities come into their own. Unfortunatley (she says with a smile), my son leans toward the silly, slapstick humor filled books. And this fit the bill. The characters were funny, with one liners and silly things they did, like an adult TV star thinking he is going to be a vampire, with plenty of examples and time in several chapters exploring this.
They both loved the aspect of filming a TV show. Although I don't think they understood how cheesy Derek BAdger was, they were intrigued by some details, like explaining the views of the cameras and how tv scenes were shot.
The book also evoked an intriguing sense of place...especially in the swamps of the everglades.
I thought the characters were a bit predictable, and a little cliche, but my son really enjoyed the book and it was fun hearing him ask for it each night.
One of the things I love about my kids getting older is watching their personalities come into their own. Unfortunatley (she says with a smile), my son leans toward the silly, slapstick humor filled books. And this fit the bill. The characters were funny, with one liners and silly things they did, like an adult TV star thinking he is going to be a vampire, with plenty of examples and time in several chapters exploring this.
They both loved the aspect of filming a TV show. Although I don't think they understood how cheesy Derek BAdger was, they were intrigued by some details, like explaining the views of the cameras and how tv scenes were shot.
The book also evoked an intriguing sense of place...especially in the swamps of the everglades.
I thought the characters were a bit predictable, and a little cliche, but my son really enjoyed the book and it was fun hearing him ask for it each night.
July 14, 2016
3.5
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November 21, 2018
Ahoy there me mateys! A while back I was introduced to this author because of a cat on the cover of scat. I enjoyed that book so much that I decided to listen to all of Hiaasen’s other juvenile books. This be a review of the other four books: hoot, flush, chomp, squirm. These books have some common themes. All of them involve a young boy who lives in Florida, gets bullied, loves animals, has a quirky sense of humor, makes new friends, and saves the day. Weird names also seem to be a trend. While the bad guys are very two-dimensional, the good guys are quirky and fun. Also there tends to be loving, if odd, parents involved which is nice.
hoot: This was apparently a best novel nominee for the Newbery medal. I also think at some point I watched some of the movie with me nephews. In this one, Roy Eberhardt moves to Florida. He is chosen to be the school bully, Dana Matherson’s, new punching bag. It is while being smashed into the school bus window that Roy first sees “the running boy” who is running away from the school bus and appears to be wearing no shoes. Roy is pulled into a mystery to find out who the boy is and what he is doing. The running boy is called “Mullet Fingers” and is on a quest to fight a pancake house and save the owls. I loved Roy and the girl Beatrice. I loved the pancake house actress.
flush: In this one a boy named Noah is determined to help his dad stop the local casino boat from dumping sewage into the water. His sister Abbey joins in. Me favourite character was Shelley. There are side plots about the kids trying to save their parents marriage. Also this is one of those books where the dad actually acknowledges faults and takes steps to improve. I particularly loved the family dynamics in this one.
chomp: This was me other favourite. This book follows a boy named Wahoo (worst name ever) as he works with his dad as an animal wrangler for a wildlife reality tv show. His friend Tuna (second worse name ever) joins him on location. This was a tongue-in-cheek look at reality television and made me laugh. The reality star, Derek Badger, is something else. It is over-the-top and ridiculous and I loved it.
squirm: This book was slightly different in that part of it takes place in Montana and there is an absent dad who certainly doesn’t win any awards for best parent. In this book, Billy is determined to meet his father and gets answers to his questions. Like in hoot, snakes are a major theme. For me this plot was the strangest. There is supposed to be a mystery in terms of what the exactly Billy’s father does for a living. The answer was not that interesting to me and the dad seemed to be an idiot in general. I did like Billy though.
I was very glad to read these books. They are rather lighthearted and silly but I can see the appeal for younger readers. They certainly appealed to this older one too. Me personal preference of reading order be scat, chomp, flush, hoot, then squirm. Scat and chomp in particular had some laugh out loud moments. I highly recommend. Arrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
hoot: This was apparently a best novel nominee for the Newbery medal. I also think at some point I watched some of the movie with me nephews. In this one, Roy Eberhardt moves to Florida. He is chosen to be the school bully, Dana Matherson’s, new punching bag. It is while being smashed into the school bus window that Roy first sees “the running boy” who is running away from the school bus and appears to be wearing no shoes. Roy is pulled into a mystery to find out who the boy is and what he is doing. The running boy is called “Mullet Fingers” and is on a quest to fight a pancake house and save the owls. I loved Roy and the girl Beatrice. I loved the pancake house actress.
flush: In this one a boy named Noah is determined to help his dad stop the local casino boat from dumping sewage into the water. His sister Abbey joins in. Me favourite character was Shelley. There are side plots about the kids trying to save their parents marriage. Also this is one of those books where the dad actually acknowledges faults and takes steps to improve. I particularly loved the family dynamics in this one.
chomp: This was me other favourite. This book follows a boy named Wahoo (worst name ever) as he works with his dad as an animal wrangler for a wildlife reality tv show. His friend Tuna (second worse name ever) joins him on location. This was a tongue-in-cheek look at reality television and made me laugh. The reality star, Derek Badger, is something else. It is over-the-top and ridiculous and I loved it.
squirm: This book was slightly different in that part of it takes place in Montana and there is an absent dad who certainly doesn’t win any awards for best parent. In this book, Billy is determined to meet his father and gets answers to his questions. Like in hoot, snakes are a major theme. For me this plot was the strangest. There is supposed to be a mystery in terms of what the exactly Billy’s father does for a living. The answer was not that interesting to me and the dad seemed to be an idiot in general. I did like Billy though.
I was very glad to read these books. They are rather lighthearted and silly but I can see the appeal for younger readers. They certainly appealed to this older one too. Me personal preference of reading order be scat, chomp, flush, hoot, then squirm. Scat and chomp in particular had some laugh out loud moments. I highly recommend. Arrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
April 6, 2017
Alligators, pythons, vampires, and gun-wielding drunks run amok in the Everglades
They’re maybe 14 years old. His name is Wahoo; he was named after the wrestler, not the fish. Hers is Tuna. Yes, the fish. So, they decide to call each other Lance and Lucille.
They live in the Everglades.
His father is an animal wrangler who supplies docile animals to TV survivalist shows that purport to show men wrestling with alligators or snakes. Hers is a drunken bum who drove her mother away to Chicago and now beats her instead of her mother.
They spend a lot of time together, but they are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend.
Now, are you getting the impression that this cockamamie story is a book for young readers?
Welcome to the world of Carl Hiaasen, a long-time columnist for the Miami Herald who has written some of the funniest novels ever on environmental themes. His adult books — there are 16 of them — are all set in Florida. As Wikipedia notes, “Hiaasen’s Florida is a hive of greedy businessmen, corrupt politicians, dumb blondes, apathetic retirees, intellectually challenged tourists, hard-luck redneck cooters, and militant ecoteurs.” That “militant ecoteur,” by the way, is a deranged ex-Governor who walked out of the capital one day long ago and went feral. He now holes up in the Everglades, eating what he can scavenge or kill and ever vigilant to threats to its flora and fauna.
Chomp is one of Hiaasen’s four novels for young adults. Like his grown-up books, Chomp is chiefly a satire, with the environment as the beneficiary. Here, the brunt of Hiaasen’s wit is Derek Badger (“NOT Beaver”), the star of a wildly popular TV show featuring him in constant danger in the wilderness from man-eating beasts. However, as Wahoo and Tuna soon learn once Badger hires Wahoo’s father for a show in the Everglades, Badger is nothing of the sort, since every encounter on his show is carefully scripted and contrived, with little or no danger to the star. The REAL danger comes from Tuna’s gun-wielding father.
As a long-time fan of Hiaasen’s adult novels, I unknowingly picked up Chomp expecting more of the same. From the outset, though, the book seemed a little simple-minded, and the humor even broader and more obvious than I’d expected. I wasn’t aware that I failed to qualify as an intended reader. Still, the book was amusing, the characters rooted in a true if cockeyed version of reality, and the plot was rich. No reader should be surprised to learn that alligators, pythons, would-be vampires, and gun-wielding drunks turn up in this story, not to mention a hedonistic Hollywood producer.
Unfortunately, the feral ex-Governor is nowhere to be found in Chomp. I missed him.
(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)
They’re maybe 14 years old. His name is Wahoo; he was named after the wrestler, not the fish. Hers is Tuna. Yes, the fish. So, they decide to call each other Lance and Lucille.
They live in the Everglades.
His father is an animal wrangler who supplies docile animals to TV survivalist shows that purport to show men wrestling with alligators or snakes. Hers is a drunken bum who drove her mother away to Chicago and now beats her instead of her mother.
They spend a lot of time together, but they are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend.
Now, are you getting the impression that this cockamamie story is a book for young readers?
Welcome to the world of Carl Hiaasen, a long-time columnist for the Miami Herald who has written some of the funniest novels ever on environmental themes. His adult books — there are 16 of them — are all set in Florida. As Wikipedia notes, “Hiaasen’s Florida is a hive of greedy businessmen, corrupt politicians, dumb blondes, apathetic retirees, intellectually challenged tourists, hard-luck redneck cooters, and militant ecoteurs.” That “militant ecoteur,” by the way, is a deranged ex-Governor who walked out of the capital one day long ago and went feral. He now holes up in the Everglades, eating what he can scavenge or kill and ever vigilant to threats to its flora and fauna.
Chomp is one of Hiaasen’s four novels for young adults. Like his grown-up books, Chomp is chiefly a satire, with the environment as the beneficiary. Here, the brunt of Hiaasen’s wit is Derek Badger (“NOT Beaver”), the star of a wildly popular TV show featuring him in constant danger in the wilderness from man-eating beasts. However, as Wahoo and Tuna soon learn once Badger hires Wahoo’s father for a show in the Everglades, Badger is nothing of the sort, since every encounter on his show is carefully scripted and contrived, with little or no danger to the star. The REAL danger comes from Tuna’s gun-wielding father.
As a long-time fan of Hiaasen’s adult novels, I unknowingly picked up Chomp expecting more of the same. From the outset, though, the book seemed a little simple-minded, and the humor even broader and more obvious than I’d expected. I wasn’t aware that I failed to qualify as an intended reader. Still, the book was amusing, the characters rooted in a true if cockeyed version of reality, and the plot was rich. No reader should be surprised to learn that alligators, pythons, would-be vampires, and gun-wielding drunks turn up in this story, not to mention a hedonistic Hollywood producer.
Unfortunately, the feral ex-Governor is nowhere to be found in Chomp. I missed him.
(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)
August 9, 2013
4.8 stars
"Mickey Cray had been out of work ever since a dead iguana fell from a palm tree and hit him on the head."
That, my friends, is the best beginning of a book. Ever. Nothing can beat that.
Having read Hoot, Scat, and Flush back in grade school, I was a bit rusty on how much Carl Hiassen was capable of. Needless to say, This book was thoroughly enjoyable and I loved every single crazy minute of it.
I will never think of badgers the same way again.
Or the name Alice.
Or tuna.
Or wahoo.
Awesome read. :)
Note: I recommend this book for people 10 and up. It brushes on a few iffy topics for kids. Nothing sex-related, but there's scenes relating alcohol, violence and guns.
"Mickey Cray had been out of work ever since a dead iguana fell from a palm tree and hit him on the head."
That, my friends, is the best beginning of a book. Ever. Nothing can beat that.
Having read Hoot, Scat, and Flush back in grade school, I was a bit rusty on how much Carl Hiassen was capable of. Needless to say, This book was thoroughly enjoyable and I loved every single crazy minute of it.
I will never think of badgers the same way again.
Or the name Alice.
Or tuna.
Or wahoo.
Awesome read. :)
Note: I recommend this book for people 10 and up. It brushes on a few iffy topics for kids. Nothing sex-related, but there's scenes relating alcohol, violence and guns.
June 7, 2017
A pitch perfect parody of a reality TV man-verses-wild survival series that doesn’t skim on heart felt moments among the lough out loud humour. Chomp sinks its teeth into the not so glamourous life a reality TV where the ‘real’ in this case is a façade perpetuated by a flabby and clueless self-proclaimed survivalist. Naturally things go bad pretty quick when the star of the show Derek Badger takes his film crew to the Everglades to take on actual wild animals in a last ditch bid to boost his salary for next season. Adding to this already dangerous soupy mix are a couple of animal wranglers and a runaway teenage girl who come along for the adventure (and payday). Chomp had me hooked from the open stanza and put smile on my face that still hasn’t left long after I finished reading.
May 2, 2019
I read a few chapters of this book and could not tolerate it. I had liked the author's other children's book, "Hoot." This one, though, was too much of a book only for children. It was about a TV show, from the point of view of a child telling how his father put on the TV show. Not for adults, in my opinion.
March 15, 2017
Carl Hiaasen's story about a reality 'survival' hero, TV star is one of most fun reads I've had in a long time. Very readable, dry humour mixed with a few weird scenarios made this read very enjoyable.
January 11, 2019
Peak Hiaasen!
World: The world building is awesome, it is a play on ‘Man vs. Wild’ and takes a shot at the genre and reality tv as a whole and it’s done so well in Hiaasen fashion. The pieces that Hiaasen creates here are typical him with the satire and the larger than life characters and locales with the tone of the book really set by the world. This is a strange quirky Florida and it’s beautiful to read it.
Story: The story is simple, the premise is pure Hiaasen with all the familiar pieces that he uses every single time but this time with a reality tv angle to it. Instead of the corrupt business and politician we have a stupid fake reality tv star and it’s great. The story once again is about family and young love also and I really enjoyed it. There are moments in this book when I just bust a gut cause it’s so absurd and ridiculous. Love every word!
Characters: The cast of characters is also just as larger than life as the story and is Hiaasen all the way through. Wahoo is a nice character and really plays well off of Tuna and her story. These two families and their issues are exaggerated but also very real and relatable and how they interact with each other is great. The tv crew and Badger is also great with over the top characters that extend the argument and the point that Hiaasen is trying to make with them to hilarious heights making this book fun.
I love Hiaasen and all that he writes and this is just more of it!
Onward to the next book!
World: The world building is awesome, it is a play on ‘Man vs. Wild’ and takes a shot at the genre and reality tv as a whole and it’s done so well in Hiaasen fashion. The pieces that Hiaasen creates here are typical him with the satire and the larger than life characters and locales with the tone of the book really set by the world. This is a strange quirky Florida and it’s beautiful to read it.
Story: The story is simple, the premise is pure Hiaasen with all the familiar pieces that he uses every single time but this time with a reality tv angle to it. Instead of the corrupt business and politician we have a stupid fake reality tv star and it’s great. The story once again is about family and young love also and I really enjoyed it. There are moments in this book when I just bust a gut cause it’s so absurd and ridiculous. Love every word!
Characters: The cast of characters is also just as larger than life as the story and is Hiaasen all the way through. Wahoo is a nice character and really plays well off of Tuna and her story. These two families and their issues are exaggerated but also very real and relatable and how they interact with each other is great. The tv crew and Badger is also great with over the top characters that extend the argument and the point that Hiaasen is trying to make with them to hilarious heights making this book fun.
I love Hiaasen and all that he writes and this is just more of it!
Onward to the next book!
April 1, 2012
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen follows Wahoo a boy whose father is an animal wrangler. When a reality show contacts Wahoo's father Micky about providing animals to set up a survivalist's show he is reluctant but agrees because he needs to pay the bills. Will Wahoo and Micky be able to handle the arrogant Derek Badger?
I loved this book. It was engaging and funny without being afraid to tackle some heavy subjects. I loved the setting with all of the animals and Derek Badger the fake survivalist and his reality show made for some really funny reading. It reminded me of one of those great family movies that has you laughing throughout. I sped though the book and was happy with the nice solid ending that wrapped everything up.
Appropriateness: This book tackles some very difficult subjects but does so in a way that's age appropriate. Wahoo's friend Tuna comes with them because her father who is a drunk who gave her a black eye. Wahoo's family has dealt with financial difficulties due to his unemployment due to a medical disability. I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 it's a nice starting point to talk about child and substance abuse and what to do if they suspect a friend is in trouble.
I loved this book. It was engaging and funny without being afraid to tackle some heavy subjects. I loved the setting with all of the animals and Derek Badger the fake survivalist and his reality show made for some really funny reading. It reminded me of one of those great family movies that has you laughing throughout. I sped though the book and was happy with the nice solid ending that wrapped everything up.
Appropriateness: This book tackles some very difficult subjects but does so in a way that's age appropriate. Wahoo's friend Tuna comes with them because her father who is a drunk who gave her a black eye. Wahoo's family has dealt with financial difficulties due to his unemployment due to a medical disability. I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 it's a nice starting point to talk about child and substance abuse and what to do if they suspect a friend is in trouble.
April 18, 2012
Carl Hiaasen wrote a very over the top novel for middle school age boys. I think they may enjoy it but my good will flagged as the book went on. I can see a multimillion dollar movie deal in his future, this book was a scenario for a clean Will Farrow movie. The idea that a poor dad would be hit over the head by a frozen dead iguanas falling out of a tree was sad and funny. The idea that a man from a naturalist TV show would try to eat a bat, be injured and that he could have rabies was not. The author downplays the possibility in a way that is stupid and not funny. Lack of concern about him is supposed to be funny as is the belief he has that he is a vampire and sucks the blood from the throat of another chatacter. There is also a father who shoots another character. The back says that Haansen has been writing stories about Florida since he was six years old. What he fails to portray is why anyone in their right mind would want to live near these horrible people with bad judgement in naming their kids.
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