Skink No Surrender

Skink #7

by Howard Hughes

Skink No Surrender

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Adventure, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction

281 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2014

Reviews

[Ilili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Hiaasen and I love his character, Skink, who has appeared in several of Hiaasen's books for adults. I hope there is never an illustrated or film version of this book, so everyone who reads it can have their own private image of a larger than life character who stands for integrity, honesty and the defense of nature. He is a flawed superhero who lends protection when needed and ruthlessly punishes defilers of innocents and the environment. Kudos to Hiaasen for introducing his iconic character to younger reader's!

[Zoeytron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a quick read to mark time between other books on hold at the library. Recognized the name of this author, but had never read any of his books. Was not expecting a YA novel, but that is not necessarily a deal-breaker for me. Two fourteen year old cousins, one of them missing, kidnapped, or AWOL, at the very least. Let the search proceed!

The thing that makes the book is the character of Skink. Is he a harmless old man who is homeless? A formidable army vet with skills and to spare? Or perhaps a relative of Big Foot, tromping around wearing bird beaks in his beard? Whatever he is, he always has his one eye peeled for 'hopeless defectives'; those who litter, hurt animals, etc. Couldn't help but fall hard for him.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

14 year old Malley is being sent away to a boarding school that’ll displace her from her sunny home state of Florida to the chilly climes of the American North-East – and she doesn’t “do” cold climates. So of course the reasonable course of action is to run away with some guy she met online!

Her close cousin Richard decides to track her down, but, as he’s also only 14, where does he even begin? Enter Skink, the eccentric 72 year old officially “dead” former governor of Florida now turned eco-warrior, who agrees to help Richard track down Malley. Because, unfortunately, the stranger Malley met online has turned out to be a crazy scuzzball but the stranger Richard meets turns out to be a crazy good guy. The mixed message being that it’s ok for a male teenager to run away with a weird stranger but not for a female teenager to, or that you’ve got to choose your lunatic more carefully?

Skink No Surrender is an utterly dismal novel. Its plot is hideously slow and wholly unremarkable as Richard and Skink eke slowly across Florida without a single interesting thing happening along the way, until they blunder across Malley. And when they do, the “villain” is so laughably incompetent that the novel starts and ends with nary a sign of conflict to be seen.

The biggest mistake Carl Hiaasen makes is to treat young adult readers as if they’re a completely different type of audience. Most readers – whether teenager or older – prefer fast-moving, exciting stories over slow, eventless ones, and all readers, I’m sure, dislike being talked down to as if they’re generic idiots. So when Hiaasen lobs in some “young people” terms, they sit awkwardly on the page – it’s clear Hiaasen’s pandering to his audience and hoping that by doing so, they’ll be more invested in the non-story. Hey, kids, Wikipedia, chat rooms, YOLO!!!, Google, Dumbledore, Bruno Mars. That’s the checklist to show that a 61 year old writer “gets” the youngs, right?

Also, just because Skink is a young adult novel, doesn’t mean Hiaasen can be sloppy in his work, like being artlessly heavy-handed with the eco-messages. Whole pages read like excerpts from Wikipedia, “educating” the reader in the midst of the snoozy story. Listen up kids, it’s not cool to litter or disrespect the nesting habits of sea turtles, dig? And then there are more mixed messages as the main characters are told to care about nature and animals, but gators and wild pigs? Kill as many as you like!

The single-saving grace of the book is the character of Skink. He enlivens the story whenever he appears with his unpredictable behaviour, nuggets of homespun wisdom, and general awesomeness – he lives a rough life but he’s smart with his own distinct code of honour. As a recurring character from Hiaasen’s adult novels, he’s a complex and charismatic person – it’s just a shame that level of effort is missing from Hiaasen’s young adult characters.

But though Skink’s a great character, it’s not nearly enough to make Skink No Surrender worth reading. It’s a humourless, tedious, unimaginative stew of non-scenes and endless empty chapters that’ll test both your patience and your ability to stay awake at the same time.

Whether you’re an adult or a young adult, you can do better than this lazy, poorly conceived effort – Skink No Good.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for No Surrender: Skink Series book 7 (audiobook) by Carl Hiaasen read by Kirby Heyborne. A fun and quirky tale. Hiaasen is a nice change after reading more serious books.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I freakin' love Carl Hiaasen. And probably my favorite of his characters EVER is Skink, the former Florida governor who went crazy, took off his clothes, and walked into the swamp one day. Skink is perfect for a YA or MG book, and at last he's in one! (In fact, he's going to be in a bunch, this is the start of a new series. Yay!)

Young Richard is worried about his cousin. She told her parents that she was heading off to early orientation for the new boarding school she'll be attending, but Richard is convinced she's run off with a guy she met online. The only person who wants to let Richard truly help, and who seems to know where to begin looking, is Skink. The two set off on a road trip, looking for Malley, and not liking what they're finding out about Malley's new boyfriend along the way.

This book was great, and the only reason I don't give it five stars is because Malley was, well, annoying. She's capricious and arbitrary, moody and awful, and kinda wanted to smack her. But this was a great adventure, and it was good to see Skink again!

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I like the Skink character, this Hiaasen short story is aimed at teens and likely best suited for them. 4 of 10 stars

[Chasity · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few years late on a “review”. Thanks for reminding me of this, Maryland!
I remember picking this up on a whim, but was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Skink. This was the book where I discovered Hiaasen. It was entertaining from the get-go, and continued to the end.
I’ve not enjoyed Hiaasem’s adult novels as much as his middle grade and YA books. Somehow I can accept the ridiculous nature of his stories more when I’m reading his stories geared towards a younger audience.
But, nonetheless, Hiaasen obviously has fun when he writes and it comes through in his books. This one will probably remain my favorite of his. I’ve recommend it as a book hangover cure a few times.

[Alexw · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not near as funny as Bad Monkey, Skink is always hilarious.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH NO! Cousin Malley has run off with some internet dude and Richard is on the hunt to find and return her home. To assist him is the past Governor, now going under the name of Skink. Between them, they have a Florida adventure that includes straws (yes, straws), kidnapping, turtle eggs, boats, snakes, gators, learning to drive, being run over by a truck, a little death, and a fair number of lies.

Carl Hiaasen is Florida's best-kept secret and I think he depicts Floridians with a level of perfection! His books are always full of heroes with a strong sense of right and wrong, if not a little weird, they are super unpredictable and strange, and often eat roadkill in some sort of stew. There is also at least one villain who is evil and despicable and good must overcome evil... it is also the Floridian way! In another life, I have read almost all of Hiaasen's books and find them on the edge of laugh out loud funny.

5 stars

Happy Reading!

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm feeling philosophical today. Carl Hiassen has written books for kids and, now for the first time, young adults. What is the definitional difference? One would think it was the complexity, themes, maturity. In this case, I think it is nothing more than the ages of the protagonists. Teenager Richard joins forces with Hiaason's iconic character, Skink, to find his cousin Malley, who has disappeared. As she is flighty, nobody is quite sure whether she has run away or been kidnapped. Ex-governor of Florida Skink is a staunch environmentalist, defender of nature, who lives off the grid, pursuing his own agenda. He is a hoot. Sadly, the plot here leaves much to be desired and most of the characters are inconsistent during the chase.

[Pop · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I understand this is a book for young adults it nevertheless was absolutely an awesome read. And, being I’m really old, much appreciated to read something good that my granddaughter would like. I have read a few Hiaasen books before but it has been awhile since the last one, a few years anyway. I definitely am going to continue this Skink saga. What I really liked about it was the lack of profanity and a sincere author with a good heart.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Hiaasen's novels which take place in Florida and are full of humor and an abundance of wacky characters. Skink, the ex-governor of Florida who lives in the wild and is fighting to try to preserve Florida's natural habitat, has appeared in several of Hiaasen's novels and is one my favorite characters.

This novel 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. In it, Richard is concerned for his cousin, Malley, who has runoff with her "boyfriend" because she didn't want to attend a boarding school in cold New Hampshire. But is her boyfriend who he purports to be? Richard thinks not and feels her cousin is in big trouble. Then he happens to meet Skink who he finds buried in the sand to protect the eggs of sea turtles. After Richard tells Skink about his missing cousin, Skink agrees to help him locate her and rescue her if need be. Off they go and based on Malley's phone call to Richard, they are able to pinpoint where she might be. She had given Richard a clue about seeing an ivory-billed woodpecker which are supposedly extinct. But Skink swears he had seen one and knows where their nesting grounds are. And Malley's boyfriend? He's definitely not who he claims to be and is holding Malley against her will.

I enjoyed this one. It was as usual with Hiaasen full of environmental issues including preserving endangered species such as the woodpecker. The novel also mentions Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring and how it documented in 1962 the adverse environmental effects caused by the use of pesticides. This was a must read for Skink and was passed on to Richard. And of course, the novel was also very humorous in Hiaasen's style.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book and I am as happy with it as I was the first time.

If you have read any of the author's adult books, please don't worry that this is going to be inappropriate for young adults or teens. It is slapstick, endearing, a bit on the violent side and deals with situations that children must think about every day. Stalkers, running away from home etc.

It ends on an HEA and it was a thrill to see Skink in one of these young adult novels.

[Thomas Stroemquist]

DNF at 20 %.

I wouldn't say that over-the-top storytelling is Hiaasen's only strong suit, but it is surely one thing that makes reading him fun. Writing for young readers, therefore, makes him less fun. I should really have known, but now at least I've tried. Read any of his many earlier great ones instead is my advice.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old reviews went missing. How does save not working?

Entertaining book. Hiassen is funny and his books are a joy to read.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most sought-after books at the recent Book Expo America. I waited in a long, snaking line to get the chance to meet author Carl Hiaasen (he’s charming and friendly) and snag a signed copy of Skink - No Surrender.

Hiassen is well known for his bestselling zany mystery novels set in Florida. His novels always feature criminals who commit a series of dastardly crimes against people and the environment and unexpected heroes who are determined to make these bad guys answer for their crimes.

This is Hiaasen’s first novel for the YA audience, but it’s bound to be a hit with his adult fans as well. It’s narrated by Richard, a Florida teenager who is searching for his runaway cousin, Malley, when he first encounters Skink (aka former Florida Governor Clint Tyree) hiding on a beach in wait for turtle egg robbers.

The two take off on a road trip to try to find Malley, who may have been kidnapped by a man she met online. This book is vintage Hiaasen, with a variety of oddball characters, an unpredictable plot and laugh-out loud scenes and dialog. It’s fun to meet Skink all over again through fresh eyes – he’s one of the most unforgettable characters in fiction. An extremely enjoyable book and a perfect beach read ... pity it won’t be published until September.

[Armand Rosamilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carl Hiaasen has such a free-flowing writing style, humor and danger and action all rolled into one easy-to-read book, over before you realize it. His characters ae over the top, quirky and fun to read. I will keep reading his work as long as he keeps writing them!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad Skink No Surrender wasn't my first Carl Hiaasen rodeo because if it were, I'd likely not want to read any more of his books.

What I liked:
1) Kirby Heyborne's audio narration, which made this lackluster story more interesting than it really was
2) The characters, which kept me listening despite the fact that the story drug on. Well, Skink was really the character that kept me listening.
3) I thought the last paragraph gave the story a nice, resonating ending.


What I didn't like:
1) This book is categorized as YA but it didn't feel any different in tone than his middle grade novels.
2) I came to a point in my listening experience where I was on disc 4 of a 7 disc audiobook and I said to myself, "What else could possibly happen in this story? Isn't it almost over?"
3) The use of pop culture references such as YOLO and the mentioning of artists like Bruno Mars will likely to appeal to today's teens, but what happens in 10-15 years? It gives the book a shelf life. If those references are important to the story, that's one thing, but to me it felt like pandering.

[Kirsten McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable book, if you can call the kidnapping of a teenage girl adorable!
This is the tale of two cousins, born nine days apart, who live in Florida. The girl cousin runs off with a boy she's met in on the Internet. The boy cousin goes on a mission to return her home, recruiting an entirely odd accomplice along the way.
The book is written in the first person, which normally I wouldn't read, but this book clipped along at a generous pace. There was no sex, only a little (appropriate, retribution type) violence, alligators, extinct birds, smelly Gar hunters, and sensible families. I've already recommended my eleven year old daughter read it.
It has a subtle, but in some respects, a not so subtle, message about people on the internet not always being who they say they are... So, if you have a young teen daughter, send this book her way. It was completely entertaining, and I was enthralled the whole way through.
The book also touches on protecting the endangered wildlife in Florida, which was a lovely side plot and helped fill out the characters.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book we chose to listen to on our road trip last month - this one sounded crazy but my husband picked it up at the library anyway - well we started the CD and every time we want to talk or stop - we stop the CD first so no one misses anything in the story. Well my kids yelled in protest whenever we stopped this book - they wanted to know what was going to happen - who would make it and what would the guy with only 1 eye do if he was in trouble - and the alligators and the woodpeckers - what was going to happen and why was his mom OK with him being gone so much and with someone she did not know?

Well we discovered the answers to all of these questions and the kids really enjoyed this strange book with its mix up of characters and incidents - they loved the interactions that the characters had and why was Richard called Richard - well you learn all of that along the way -

This book is s fun mix of the absurd and the "sure that could happen" and yet really none of it is out of the realm of possibilities - except that they really is little violence and other adult themes when the themes in this book boarder on adult - kidnapping - etc -

It was a great book to listen to and kept us all listening and following along to the bitter end - I would rank this book 4 stars and would read more from this author.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is the first Carl Hiaasen book I've ever read, and it has me thinking that maybe I need to read some more of his books. This was one fun, wacky, fast-paced read! The characters were lots of fun, from stubborn, hotheaded Malley and good-natured Bigfoot enthusiast Trent to the eccentric loner ex-governer Skink. Even the comparatively ordinary narrator, Richard, was an interesting character; smart and a bit nerdy, but with courage and a sense of humor.
His narrative voice is nearly always engaging and humorous.
But my favorite thing about this book was good old Skink. He is an extremely eccentric and individualistic character who loves nature, books, and old music. He wears a flowered shower cap and a glass eye that came from a taxidermied animal. He has faked his own death, exacts revenge on litterbugs, and hides on the beach to catch turtle egg thieves. How can you not love a character like that?

My only complaints are that the scene with the wild boar seemed to drag on a bit longer than necessary and that we never find out much about why T.C. targeted Malley and exactly what his plans were.
Other than those issues, this was really a great book!

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love anytime we can get some Skink!!!! This was a very charming quick read, as Skink starts imparting his wisdom to a few teen millennials as he performs a rescue in the process. But for God's sake don't litter and remember fresh road-kill is still edible!! :-)

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carl Hiassen is truly an awesome story teller. He creates the best characters. His stories are always about a serious life issue, but he has such a knack of putting fun and humorous spins in them. his books always have fabulous life lessons!

[Mike French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Fart enjoys YA book! This book is a must read for fans of Carl Hiaasen,even though is listed YA. SKINK is back!!!!

[Una Tiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiaasen has some very clear writing. However, when he stops to tell you something historical, I skipped ahead. This is YA.

[S̶e̶a̶n̶ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend sent this to me earlier this year while I was recovering from a cycling accident. I decided to wait until I was on vacation near a beach to read it which seemed appropriate given its large type and wide margins. I did not actually read any of it on the beach but it is decidedly a beach read. I'd never read Hiaasen before, but knew his books and general vibe from working in public libraries where he is a household name. This is also his first YA book, though the Skink character has appeared in some of his other novels. As my friend put it, Hiaasen has a 'light on productive thought, heavy on humor style' that allows one to essentially turn off one's brain while reading. It's been awhile since I've read a book that permits such allowances. I think my friend probably sent this particular Hiaasen book to me for a reason, as the first-person teenaged narrator likes birds and knows a lot about them. The book actually goes into the history of the ivory-billed woodpecker (aka the 'Lord God bird'), which plays a small role in the story. I liked all the bird references. I also liked Skink, a grizzled 72-year-old outlaw eco-warrior who also just happens to be a former governor of Florida. He reminded me of any number of Ed Abbey characters, for which I always have a soft spot, given their anarchist-loner leanings. Anyway, my vacation from books that require thought is over now, but I could see returning for another Skink fix in the future.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My second Carl Hiaasen read, and the only one with Skink in it. I love Skink as a character, and may go back and read the rest of this series! They must be stand-alone stories given that the plot of this one is actually about a boy looking for his cousin who has disappeared with a man she met online. Yes, one of those stories, but with some interesting twists seeing that it's in Florida and Skink is involved.

Sorry, no plot summary as I am woefully behind on reviews and am doing at least six this evening in order to try and catch up.

[Kathy Fiedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read!

[LATOYA JOVENA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book of the Skink series, but you have to read them all to earn it.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it’s a young reader’s book so I’m not the primary audience for this book, but it still felt a little off. Not my favorite book that he’s written.

I’ve finished all the Skink books though!