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Wrecker
Wrecker needs to deal with smugglers, grave robbers, and pooping iguanas—just as soon as he finishes Zoom school. Welcome to another wild adventure in Carl Hiaasen's Florida!
Valdez Jones VIII calls himself Wrecker because his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather salvaged shipwrecks for a living.
So is it destiny, irony, or just bad luck when Wrecker comes across a speedboat that has run hard aground on a sand flat? The men in the boat don't want Wrecker to call for help—in fact, they'll pay him to forget he ever saw them.
Wrecker would be happy to forget, but he keeps seeing these men all over Key West—at the marina, even in the cemetery. And now they want more than his silence—they want a lookout.
He'll have to dive deep into their shady dealings to figure out a way to escape this tangled net. . . .
Valdez Jones VIII calls himself Wrecker because his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather salvaged shipwrecks for a living.
So is it destiny, irony, or just bad luck when Wrecker comes across a speedboat that has run hard aground on a sand flat? The men in the boat don't want Wrecker to call for help—in fact, they'll pay him to forget he ever saw them.
Wrecker would be happy to forget, but he keeps seeing these men all over Key West—at the marina, even in the cemetery. And now they want more than his silence—they want a lookout.
He'll have to dive deep into their shady dealings to figure out a way to escape this tangled net. . . .
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2023
609 people are currently reading
6750 people want to read
About the author
Carl Hiaasen
99 books9,877 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 470 reviews
July 29, 2023
This is one of Hiaasen’s middle grade/young adult books; I will read anything by this author. I am way past “young adult”, yet I think this may be my favorite of his books. Maybe it was the Key West setting (one of our beloved places to get away to for a few days), or the iguana droppings I am constantly cleaning off our dock, or Hiiaasen’s ever present environmental messages, or the history infused into the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Set during the time of Covid, it features fifteen year old Valdez Jones VII, nicknamed “Wrecker” because he is the eighth generation descendent of a 19th century diver who sought salvage from sunken ships. When he and his friend, Mimi, discover criminal activity in Key West, he gets involuntarily involved with it. Together, they save themselves and help put some crooks behind bars.
This is a fun adventure story interspersed with interesting history and, of course, environmental concerns. Sometimes Hiaasen’s writing can be a bit over the top, but I thought this one wasn’t at all. Some non Floridans may think it a bit crazy at times, but believe me as a south Floridian, it’s all feasible.
Although I am familiar with Key West and have roamed through the cemetery there, I learned quite a bit from this book, especially about the early non tolerance and pervasive presence of the Ku Klux Klan in this laid back community. I also wasn’t aware, touched on in this story and through further research on my own, that because the water was so much cleaner during the Covid cruise ship ban, sixty two percent of the voters supported a local referendum to restrict the size and capacity of cruisers that visit its ports. The Florida Senate, in 2021, passed a bill that voided the referendum and it was signed by the governor. So much for the will of the people.
I’d love to see a series featuring these two beguiling teenagers.
Thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHouseChildrens #Knopfbooksforyoungreaders for the ARC
Set during the time of Covid, it features fifteen year old Valdez Jones VII, nicknamed “Wrecker” because he is the eighth generation descendent of a 19th century diver who sought salvage from sunken ships. When he and his friend, Mimi, discover criminal activity in Key West, he gets involuntarily involved with it. Together, they save themselves and help put some crooks behind bars.
This is a fun adventure story interspersed with interesting history and, of course, environmental concerns. Sometimes Hiaasen’s writing can be a bit over the top, but I thought this one wasn’t at all. Some non Floridans may think it a bit crazy at times, but believe me as a south Floridian, it’s all feasible.
Although I am familiar with Key West and have roamed through the cemetery there, I learned quite a bit from this book, especially about the early non tolerance and pervasive presence of the Ku Klux Klan in this laid back community. I also wasn’t aware, touched on in this story and through further research on my own, that because the water was so much cleaner during the Covid cruise ship ban, sixty two percent of the voters supported a local referendum to restrict the size and capacity of cruisers that visit its ports. The Florida Senate, in 2021, passed a bill that voided the referendum and it was signed by the governor. So much for the will of the people.
I’d love to see a series featuring these two beguiling teenagers.
Thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHouseChildrens #Knopfbooksforyoungreaders for the ARC
October 2, 2023
Wish I could rate this story higher, but opportunities to improve it were missed and went by the wayside. 6 of 10 stars
Read
August 14, 2023This book is set during the time of Covid, which a lot of writers ignore. (Not that I blame them. Who wants to read about Covid? Not me!) But Hiaasen handles it with aplomb as he gives us high-school-aged Valdez Jones VII, nicknamed “Wrecker” because he is the eighth generation descendent of a 19th century diver who sought salvage from sunken ships.
Wrecker earns money in some odd ways, including grave marker washing, to keep iguanas from pooping on the tombstones. Through this, he and his gal pal Mimi get reluctantly yanked into suspicious activity in Key West. As in many Hiaasen thrillers for a younger audience, the teens solve the case, environmental concerns are highlighted, the crooks end up behind bars, leaving a satisfying tale.
I love Hiaasen's style. I bought his books for my shelves when I was a junior high teacher, and my better readers loved them. Even though I'm retired now, I enjoy his books for my own sake--and to mention to nieces and nephews.
Wrecker earns money in some odd ways, including grave marker washing, to keep iguanas from pooping on the tombstones. Through this, he and his gal pal Mimi get reluctantly yanked into suspicious activity in Key West. As in many Hiaasen thrillers for a younger audience, the teens solve the case, environmental concerns are highlighted, the crooks end up behind bars, leaving a satisfying tale.
I love Hiaasen's style. I bought his books for my shelves when I was a junior high teacher, and my better readers loved them. Even though I'm retired now, I enjoy his books for my own sake--and to mention to nieces and nephews.
August 31, 2023
I received this ARC from Netgalley. It pains me to give Hiaasen a 2* review, but I almost feel as if that's being generous and the two stars stem from my love of his other novels and that his novels are always well written. A good swashbuckling, seafaring smuggling adventure about a kid named Wrecker? Sounded like a good time to me! Add to it an air of mystery in a graveyard, defecating iguanas, a host of interesting supporting characters and bundle it with Hiaasen's usual wit and it was all set up for a good story.
Unfortunately, he took it to that place. Covid. The Corona virus was front and center of this book, with strong opinions on vaccinations and masks being shoved down our throats. If the political undertones had remained steictly environmental (cruise liners being barred from Key West) I really would have enjoyed the book. But under no uncertain terms did I want to read about the corona virus and the strong opinions the author seeped into the novel. Add to it a story about the KKK and a lynchmob, and you had some extremely heavy plot points for a book being classified as "middle-grade." I didn't appreciate the blatant virtue- signaling in a novel aimed at teens and cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book. Bummer.
Unfortunately, he took it to that place. Covid. The Corona virus was front and center of this book, with strong opinions on vaccinations and masks being shoved down our throats. If the political undertones had remained steictly environmental (cruise liners being barred from Key West) I really would have enjoyed the book. But under no uncertain terms did I want to read about the corona virus and the strong opinions the author seeped into the novel. Add to it a story about the KKK and a lynchmob, and you had some extremely heavy plot points for a book being classified as "middle-grade." I didn't appreciate the blatant virtue- signaling in a novel aimed at teens and cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book. Bummer.
September 6, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Valdez Jones VIII is a typical preteen. Well except for having a natural ability to drive boats and find treasure, being forced to live with his stepsister after being kicked out by his step-dad, dealing with an absent father, navigating the world during covid, having his first crush, protesting cruise ships, cleaning iguana dung off gravestones for extra money, and accidentally working for a mobster. Sounds normal right? Wrong, very wrong. Valdez Jones finds himself in the middle of everything in this novel but can he get himself out of his tangled web before someone gets hurt?
Now for my opinion. This book started out extremely captivating. I loved hearing the history of Manuel Cabeza, Wrecker's odd cemetery job and the mystery girl at the cemetery. For some reason the "mobster' storyline didn't do it for me and seemed like too much with everything else going on. Also, I believe in being vaccinated but the author pressures the reader into thinking that youll be hospitalized if you aren't vaccinated, which we know is not necessarily true. I think it is a controversial topic for young kids and one parents may have a problem with. Lastly, Hiaasen is known for writing eco friendly novels but I felt like the cruise ship plot line was on the back burner for too long for it to be impactful. Overall this story was ovecomplicated, which caused my attention to decrease overtime. I would not recommend this children's book unless you are already a fan of Hiassen's writing style and have previewed the topics mentioned above.
Valdez Jones VIII is a typical preteen. Well except for having a natural ability to drive boats and find treasure, being forced to live with his stepsister after being kicked out by his step-dad, dealing with an absent father, navigating the world during covid, having his first crush, protesting cruise ships, cleaning iguana dung off gravestones for extra money, and accidentally working for a mobster. Sounds normal right? Wrong, very wrong. Valdez Jones finds himself in the middle of everything in this novel but can he get himself out of his tangled web before someone gets hurt?
Now for my opinion. This book started out extremely captivating. I loved hearing the history of Manuel Cabeza, Wrecker's odd cemetery job and the mystery girl at the cemetery. For some reason the "mobster' storyline didn't do it for me and seemed like too much with everything else going on. Also, I believe in being vaccinated but the author pressures the reader into thinking that youll be hospitalized if you aren't vaccinated, which we know is not necessarily true. I think it is a controversial topic for young kids and one parents may have a problem with. Lastly, Hiaasen is known for writing eco friendly novels but I felt like the cruise ship plot line was on the back burner for too long for it to be impactful. Overall this story was ovecomplicated, which caused my attention to decrease overtime. I would not recommend this children's book unless you are already a fan of Hiassen's writing style and have previewed the topics mentioned above.
October 3, 2025
15-year-old Valdez "Wrecker" Jones VIII becomes involved with smugglers in COVID-era Key West.
Smuggler "Go-Fast Boat," like the Last Laugh Wrecker learned to be a driver of.
My audiobook copy was six hours and 40 minutes long. A dead tree copy would be a moderate 336 pages. Both versions had a U.S. 2023 copyright.
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist and novelist. He is the author of more than 20 works of fiction. I have read many of his books, the most recent being Squeeze Me (see my review).
Ron Butler was the narrator for this audiobook. He handled the young voices well, which made up the majority of the dialogue.
A mystery involving child exploitation and criminal coercion during the COVID-19 pandemic, set on the tourist island of Key West, Florida.
Wrecker Jones, an introverted teen of colour, thrives in the flexibility offered by the pandemic lockdown. This allows him time for his side hustle—cemetery memorial maintenance—and for fishing from his small open boat in the waters around Key West. While working in the cemetery (removing iguana and chicken poop from headstones), he meets a man who manipulates and later coerces him into joining a smuggling operation. Wreaker develops into a Cunning Protagonist , reminiscent of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (1990), only seven years older and biracial. He turns the tables on the smuggler and avoids juvenile delinquency.
Themes include pandemic-era Key West home life; historic Key West racism; environmental activism; pandemic politics; child criminal exploitation; and a coming-of-age journey.
The Review
I picked up this book because it was one of the author’s more recent works. However, it was misrepresented. It is properly Middle-Grade Fiction, or at best barely Young Adult (YA). While it carefully avoids the most obvious adult themes of sex, substance abuse and violence, it obscures others such as family abandonment, and child criminal exploitation.
The writing was solid. Hiaasen is an experienced author with many books behind him. Since I listened to the audiobook, “how good” the prose was is harder to judge. The action sequences were handled competently, though they were rather brief. Dialogue was decent and occasionally amusing in the author's familiar satiric style. Notably, there was no profanity, even from the criminals. Hiaasen's exposition on pandemic politics was a bit heavy-handed even for an adult reader.
The story was told entirely from the protagonist Wreaker Jones’ point of view. His inner voice often felt too adult for a 15-year-old, which contributed to the Adults Are Useless theme running through the story.
The antagonist, “Silver Moustache Man”, is a career criminal turned smuggler. Yet he has been sanitized as well: he is not violent and barely threatening.
There was no sex or drugs in the story. Alcohol, in moderation was consumed by the book's adult characters. Still, Key West tourists were described as drinking themselves into vacations from reality. Wrecker is abstemious in all respects, including only chastely giving his GF wannabee pecks on the cheek. Interestingly, there was rock 'n roll mentioned, specifically Jimmy Buffett , a Key West icon and The Beatles.
Violence was minimal and mostly off camera. Wrecker injured himself in a diving accident, and was cut-up in an episode of police brutality, but recovered with near-miraculous speed. Blood appeared, but without graphic descriptions.
Technically, "Go Fast Boats" like featured in the story are typically operated by a team that includes both a driver and a throttleman. Wrecker manages to cover both jobs by himself?
Most of the action unfolded in Key West , where the author resides. The location descriptions were detailed and felt authentic with embroidered details.
Summary
Having spent extended periods in Florida, I can recognize the: degree of exaggeration, sources of ridicule, prejudices, and ironies in Hiaasen’s work. His humorous narrative style is not as OTT as it might seem.
In this book written for middle readers, Hiaasen avoids “writing down” to them, but at the cost of sanitizing the serious plot elements to the point of near-unrecognizability. Moreover, much of his humor and satire is still too sophisticated for middle readers to grasp. Overall, as an adult reader, the book felt as though it had been written for the Hallmark Channel .
This book was a disappointment. Shame on me for not noticing the Reading Age 12+ fine print. I hadn’t realized that Hiaasen also wrote for middle readers—everything else I’ve read by him has been for adults. However, like in many of his adult novels, the good guys are good, the bad guys are feckless, yet impervious to harm, and in the end, the villains get what they deserve.
Recommended for tweens and puerile adults.
Smuggler "Go-Fast Boat," like the Last Laugh Wrecker learned to be a driver of.
My audiobook copy was six hours and 40 minutes long. A dead tree copy would be a moderate 336 pages. Both versions had a U.S. 2023 copyright.
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist and novelist. He is the author of more than 20 works of fiction. I have read many of his books, the most recent being Squeeze Me (see my review).
Ron Butler was the narrator for this audiobook. He handled the young voices well, which made up the majority of the dialogue.
“Badass is a juvenile aspiration.” – Gabrielle HamiltonTL;DR Review
A mystery involving child exploitation and criminal coercion during the COVID-19 pandemic, set on the tourist island of Key West, Florida.
Wrecker Jones, an introverted teen of colour, thrives in the flexibility offered by the pandemic lockdown. This allows him time for his side hustle—cemetery memorial maintenance—and for fishing from his small open boat in the waters around Key West. While working in the cemetery (removing iguana and chicken poop from headstones), he meets a man who manipulates and later coerces him into joining a smuggling operation. Wreaker develops into a Cunning Protagonist , reminiscent of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (1990), only seven years older and biracial. He turns the tables on the smuggler and avoids juvenile delinquency.
Themes include pandemic-era Key West home life; historic Key West racism; environmental activism; pandemic politics; child criminal exploitation; and a coming-of-age journey.
The Review
I picked up this book because it was one of the author’s more recent works. However, it was misrepresented. It is properly Middle-Grade Fiction, or at best barely Young Adult (YA). While it carefully avoids the most obvious adult themes of sex, substance abuse and violence, it obscures others such as family abandonment, and child criminal exploitation.
The writing was solid. Hiaasen is an experienced author with many books behind him. Since I listened to the audiobook, “how good” the prose was is harder to judge. The action sequences were handled competently, though they were rather brief. Dialogue was decent and occasionally amusing in the author's familiar satiric style. Notably, there was no profanity, even from the criminals. Hiaasen's exposition on pandemic politics was a bit heavy-handed even for an adult reader.
The story was told entirely from the protagonist Wreaker Jones’ point of view. His inner voice often felt too adult for a 15-year-old, which contributed to the Adults Are Useless theme running through the story.
The antagonist, “Silver Moustache Man”, is a career criminal turned smuggler. Yet he has been sanitized as well: he is not violent and barely threatening.
There was no sex or drugs in the story. Alcohol, in moderation was consumed by the book's adult characters. Still, Key West tourists were described as drinking themselves into vacations from reality. Wrecker is abstemious in all respects, including only chastely giving his GF wannabee pecks on the cheek. Interestingly, there was rock 'n roll mentioned, specifically Jimmy Buffett , a Key West icon and The Beatles.
Violence was minimal and mostly off camera. Wrecker injured himself in a diving accident, and was cut-up in an episode of police brutality, but recovered with near-miraculous speed. Blood appeared, but without graphic descriptions.
Technically, "Go Fast Boats" like featured in the story are typically operated by a team that includes both a driver and a throttleman. Wrecker manages to cover both jobs by himself?
Most of the action unfolded in Key West , where the author resides. The location descriptions were detailed and felt authentic with embroidered details.
Summary
Having spent extended periods in Florida, I can recognize the: degree of exaggeration, sources of ridicule, prejudices, and ironies in Hiaasen’s work. His humorous narrative style is not as OTT as it might seem.
In this book written for middle readers, Hiaasen avoids “writing down” to them, but at the cost of sanitizing the serious plot elements to the point of near-unrecognizability. Moreover, much of his humor and satire is still too sophisticated for middle readers to grasp. Overall, as an adult reader, the book felt as though it had been written for the Hallmark Channel .
This book was a disappointment. Shame on me for not noticing the Reading Age 12+ fine print. I hadn’t realized that Hiaasen also wrote for middle readers—everything else I’ve read by him has been for adults. However, like in many of his adult novels, the good guys are good, the bad guys are feckless, yet impervious to harm, and in the end, the villains get what they deserve.
Recommended for tweens and puerile adults.
January 22, 2024
For someone who writes such ADULT books, he also does upper middle grade/young adult books so well! It's really an impressive skill! He's got the same wacky Florida characters, yet the emotional growth of the main character, the situations they're in, etc, are all perfect for the age group.
This was a delightful mystery, set during the height of the pandemic, about a kid who just wants to be out on the water, not bothering anyone and not being bothered. Of course THAT'S not going to happen!
This was a delightful mystery, set during the height of the pandemic, about a kid who just wants to be out on the water, not bothering anyone and not being bothered. Of course THAT'S not going to happen!
June 9, 2024
1.4/10
Alrighty then. Let's get this show on the road, I guess.
It's kind of crazy to me how quickly an author can go from "will buy anything from them" to the "no-buy" list in less than 100 pages. Because that's how long it took me to decide I hated this and I was just torturing myself to keep reading it. (Which I recognize is something I do multiple times, but I think I did better this time. More on that later.)
About 50 pages in, I got fed up with how soapbox-y and sermonizing the book was. Hiaasen really spent 3 pages talking about how everyone who didn't get the Covid vaccine was going to get so sick they have to be hospitalized, but everyone who did get the vaccine is totally safe and fine. Because oh yeah, this is a Covid book. And that's... pretty much it's actual only plot.
Now, there can be good things in a Covid book. There was demonstrably a positive impact on nature when things were shut down in the world for so long, and since conservation and protecting endangered animals in the great Florida expanse is literally what the rest of Hiaasen's books are about, it's maybe not the worst time period or focus to have for another one of his juvenile conservation books.
If he had stuck with that then maybe, just maybe, he would have been okay. But alas.
And sure, I have personal biases in one direction about the vaccine, but I have family members that I love dearly who lean the other way, and I can understand and respect that it can be a nuanced conversation. But. I absolutely do not want pages upon pages of literal vaccine preaching in what was supposed to be a goofy fun times book, regardless of how I personally feel about the topic. And it was in another span of this covid weaponization that I nearly yote my hardback book all the way across a Dunkin Donuts before my brain caught up and remembered I was in a public place.
In all fairness, I sort of didn't read the entire book. I got to about 150 pages (the point of aforementioned Dunkin rage) and decided my sanity and ability to remain a functional member of public society was more important than finishing this damn thing. So I skimmed the rest of it, mostly while mentally singing "I Was Made for Lovin' You" (The Fall Guy brainrot go brr) to keep my sanity. I did slow down to actually read through the final chapter, but even though I finished it five minutes ago I couldn't actually tell you anything about what happened. Severe apathy kicked in long before I even actually gave up on the book, and ultimately I don't give one iguana poop about any of the multiple, very disconnected, and very chaotic plot threads this book tried to get me invested in.
On the bright side, getting rid of this book and its fugly new cover design means the rest of my Hiaasen collection will retain its unified, simplistic, and beautiful cover uniformity.
Alrighty then. Let's get this show on the road, I guess.
It's kind of crazy to me how quickly an author can go from "will buy anything from them" to the "no-buy" list in less than 100 pages. Because that's how long it took me to decide I hated this and I was just torturing myself to keep reading it. (Which I recognize is something I do multiple times, but I think I did better this time. More on that later.)
About 50 pages in, I got fed up with how soapbox-y and sermonizing the book was. Hiaasen really spent 3 pages talking about how everyone who didn't get the Covid vaccine was going to get so sick they have to be hospitalized, but everyone who did get the vaccine is totally safe and fine. Because oh yeah, this is a Covid book. And that's... pretty much it's actual only plot.
Now, there can be good things in a Covid book. There was demonstrably a positive impact on nature when things were shut down in the world for so long, and since conservation and protecting endangered animals in the great Florida expanse is literally what the rest of Hiaasen's books are about, it's maybe not the worst time period or focus to have for another one of his juvenile conservation books.
If he had stuck with that then maybe, just maybe, he would have been okay. But alas.
And sure, I have personal biases in one direction about the vaccine, but I have family members that I love dearly who lean the other way, and I can understand and respect that it can be a nuanced conversation. But. I absolutely do not want pages upon pages of literal vaccine preaching in what was supposed to be a goofy fun times book, regardless of how I personally feel about the topic. And it was in another span of this covid weaponization that I nearly yote my hardback book all the way across a Dunkin Donuts before my brain caught up and remembered I was in a public place.
In all fairness, I sort of didn't read the entire book. I got to about 150 pages (the point of aforementioned Dunkin rage) and decided my sanity and ability to remain a functional member of public society was more important than finishing this damn thing. So I skimmed the rest of it, mostly while mentally singing "I Was Made for Lovin' You" (The Fall Guy brainrot go brr) to keep my sanity. I did slow down to actually read through the final chapter, but even though I finished it five minutes ago I couldn't actually tell you anything about what happened. Severe apathy kicked in long before I even actually gave up on the book, and ultimately I don't give one iguana poop about any of the multiple, very disconnected, and very chaotic plot threads this book tried to get me invested in.
On the bright side, getting rid of this book and its fugly new cover design means the rest of my Hiaasen collection will retain its unified, simplistic, and beautiful cover uniformity.
September 27, 2023
Once you’ve read one of Carl Hiaasen’s kids books you’ve pretty much read them all, so this is pretty repetitive if you’ve delved into these before. Hiaasen’s adult novels are a lot better than his kids books, though these are entertaining enough and very age appropriate for young readers.
I liked the setting here and the plot was just ok, but it works well enough for a quick read and provides enough excitement without any real scares for a young audience. I didn’t love the pandemic elements of this (forged vaccine cards is something I hoped never to think about again), but the rest was fine.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I liked the setting here and the plot was just ok, but it works well enough for a quick read and provides enough excitement without any real scares for a young audience. I didn’t love the pandemic elements of this (forged vaccine cards is something I hoped never to think about again), but the rest was fine.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
November 2, 2023
This slightly shorter than my usual novel was well written. I enjoyed the characters a great deal, and the plot line. I did not feel that this novel was in ANY way “preachy” or “lecturing”, like some reviewers here on goodreads did, either. It was a good, solid novel that I spent an enjoyable evening listening to. The ending was very sweet! It is a standalone novel, and not a part of any of Hiaasen’s series.
Ron Butler is the Narrator of the audiobook version of this novel, and he was wonderful also. Thank you for a great job, Mr. Butler and Books On Tape! And thank you Mr. Hiaasen for a lovely evening.
Solid 4 stars, and recommended.
Ron Butler is the Narrator of the audiobook version of this novel, and he was wonderful also. Thank you for a great job, Mr. Butler and Books On Tape! And thank you Mr. Hiaasen for a lovely evening.
Solid 4 stars, and recommended.
July 24, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Valdez Jones the VIII, who calls himself "Wrecker" has a lot going on in his life, even though he lives in easy going Key West during the pandemic. His father left the family when he was very young, in order to pursue a musical career. Wrecker is fifteen now, and his father's career is just taking off, with a song ripping off both The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett. His mother is remarried to Roger, who has suggested that their house is too small, so Wrecker lives with his step sister Suzanna, who is in a wheelchair after an accident. After a financial settlement, she has devoted her time to championing environmental causes. Wrecker has an odd job; an older man, Mr. Riley, on his street pays his $50 a week to keep a grave at the local cemetary clean. He finds out a decent amount about local history looking at the other gravestones, and since he cleans it at night, also comes across some shady characters. One of these, whom he refers to as Silver Mustache, is a man he meets when he is out of his small boat, and the man and his friends run into a shoal. They hope that Wrecker can help them, so they can avoid being fined for damaging the shoal. Silver Mustache throws Wrecker a beer can with $500 in it for "trying" to help, and we all know that being indebted to shady characters is a bad plan. Sure enough, odd things keep happening. Wrecker and his friend Willi find Silver Mustache's speedboat wrecked, and true to his heritage (the original Valdez Jones was a Black man who dove to retrieve things from shipwrecks) Wrecker saves several packages from the boat, which turn out to be illegal fake vaccination cards. Silver Mustache has too much information about him, but Wrecker doesn't know how to disentangle himself. He ends up watching a suspicious grave for the smuggler as well. He attends school, both online and occasionally in person, hangs out with Willi, and agrees to help Suzanna, who is planning a blockade to keep cruise ships from landing in the area, which has been damaging the ecosystem. Mr. Riley passes away, and his house goes up for sale, and Wrecker is accosted by a police officer when trying to meet Willi at her house, an incident that underlines the history of horrible behavior towards Blacks in Key West. Will Wrecker be able to extricate himself from Silver Mustache's activities before they cause him grief?
Strengths: Mr. Hiaasen always does a great job including a lot of history as well as environmental messages. I didn't know, for instance, that the waters around Key West became healthier when cruise ships no longer stopped there during the pandemic. I found Mr. Riley and his story interesting. This felt a little like Deuker's 2005 Runner or Connelly's Brawler, with the ties to illegal jobs that are too good to be true, but Wrecker is fully aware that Silver Mustache is not a good person to have around. Willi is a good ally most of the time, and Suzanna is a stable influence who contrasts well with Wrecker's flighty mother. The nighttime antics will appeal to readers who want to be allowed out at night to get into trouble!
Weaknesses: I would have purchased this without blinking fifteen years ago, but it seems more involved and complicated than the mysteries my students request now. I'd definitely purchase it for a high school library.
What I really think: This seems like more of a YA mystery; it's more introspective, Wrecker has a lot of freedom, and there is some disturbing history involving suicide, affairs, and lynchings. If you're a fan of the more solidly middle grade Hoot, I'd read this one before purchasing. This is more along the lines of Skink or Squirm.
Valdez Jones the VIII, who calls himself "Wrecker" has a lot going on in his life, even though he lives in easy going Key West during the pandemic. His father left the family when he was very young, in order to pursue a musical career. Wrecker is fifteen now, and his father's career is just taking off, with a song ripping off both The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett. His mother is remarried to Roger, who has suggested that their house is too small, so Wrecker lives with his step sister Suzanna, who is in a wheelchair after an accident. After a financial settlement, she has devoted her time to championing environmental causes. Wrecker has an odd job; an older man, Mr. Riley, on his street pays his $50 a week to keep a grave at the local cemetary clean. He finds out a decent amount about local history looking at the other gravestones, and since he cleans it at night, also comes across some shady characters. One of these, whom he refers to as Silver Mustache, is a man he meets when he is out of his small boat, and the man and his friends run into a shoal. They hope that Wrecker can help them, so they can avoid being fined for damaging the shoal. Silver Mustache throws Wrecker a beer can with $500 in it for "trying" to help, and we all know that being indebted to shady characters is a bad plan. Sure enough, odd things keep happening. Wrecker and his friend Willi find Silver Mustache's speedboat wrecked, and true to his heritage (the original Valdez Jones was a Black man who dove to retrieve things from shipwrecks) Wrecker saves several packages from the boat, which turn out to be illegal fake vaccination cards. Silver Mustache has too much information about him, but Wrecker doesn't know how to disentangle himself. He ends up watching a suspicious grave for the smuggler as well. He attends school, both online and occasionally in person, hangs out with Willi, and agrees to help Suzanna, who is planning a blockade to keep cruise ships from landing in the area, which has been damaging the ecosystem. Mr. Riley passes away, and his house goes up for sale, and Wrecker is accosted by a police officer when trying to meet Willi at her house, an incident that underlines the history of horrible behavior towards Blacks in Key West. Will Wrecker be able to extricate himself from Silver Mustache's activities before they cause him grief?
Strengths: Mr. Hiaasen always does a great job including a lot of history as well as environmental messages. I didn't know, for instance, that the waters around Key West became healthier when cruise ships no longer stopped there during the pandemic. I found Mr. Riley and his story interesting. This felt a little like Deuker's 2005 Runner or Connelly's Brawler, with the ties to illegal jobs that are too good to be true, but Wrecker is fully aware that Silver Mustache is not a good person to have around. Willi is a good ally most of the time, and Suzanna is a stable influence who contrasts well with Wrecker's flighty mother. The nighttime antics will appeal to readers who want to be allowed out at night to get into trouble!
Weaknesses: I would have purchased this without blinking fifteen years ago, but it seems more involved and complicated than the mysteries my students request now. I'd definitely purchase it for a high school library.
What I really think: This seems like more of a YA mystery; it's more introspective, Wrecker has a lot of freedom, and there is some disturbing history involving suicide, affairs, and lynchings. If you're a fan of the more solidly middle grade Hoot, I'd read this one before purchasing. This is more along the lines of Skink or Squirm.
dnf
June 12, 2025DNF @ 10%
i'm sorry it was just so boring 😭
i might come back to this eventually tho
🛥️‧₊˚ pre read┆buddy read with my brother!! i'm hoping this gets him into reading 🤞
i'm sorry it was just so boring 😭
i might come back to this eventually tho
🛥️‧₊˚ pre read┆buddy read with my brother!! i'm hoping this gets him into reading 🤞
June 1, 2023
Valdez Jones, VIII, Wrecker as he calls himself, comes from a long line of salvagers. He's still in school though. One evening coming home from fishing, he comes across a stranded boat and gets caught up in a scheme that is far bigger and far more dangerous than he thought. He will have to use all his wits to beat the bad guys and come out alive.
I love Hiassen's kids books. This one definitely skewed a little older than the others I had read. I still really liked it though, especially how he melded real parts of Key West history with the story. Including the early days of Covid will date the book and may turn some people off of reading it.
Thanks to Random House Childrens and NetGalley for the e-arc.
I love Hiassen's kids books. This one definitely skewed a little older than the others I had read. I still really liked it though, especially how he melded real parts of Key West history with the story. Including the early days of Covid will date the book and may turn some people off of reading it.
Thanks to Random House Childrens and NetGalley for the e-arc.
February 17, 2024
Would've been three stars but the labeling of a certain group of people as "idiots" and portraying them as the ones who were vulnerable and risking other peoples lives makes the author ignorant. I know this book is a work of fiction but I won't be reading anything else by this propoganda-pushing author.
Read
October 24, 2023dnf
June 7, 2025
Wrecker (My Kindle Review)
Wrecker, or Valdez Jones VIII, comes from six generations of diver workers who have dipped their feet in the waters of Key West. Taking place during the COVID pandemic, the teenager currently most of his time on his boat helping with shipwrecks while living with his stepsister and doing a job of cleaning the gravestone of a man’s sister at night. He unexpectedly gets tangled with a strange mustached man who gives him money to keep his mouth shut, and it won’t be long until the man and others will be in his sights that will bring danger.
Like Hiaasen’s other YA novels, “Wrecker” is another exciting read that has what made those other books had with its fairly outlandish characters, likable protagonist and adventurous story. While it has its environmental message, there’s more darker issues the story tackles such as the pandemic, Wrecker’s family past, smugglers and death. It’s certainly a swimming Hiaasen story with a slightly dark feel at times. A- (91%/Excellent)
Wrecker, or Valdez Jones VIII, comes from six generations of diver workers who have dipped their feet in the waters of Key West. Taking place during the COVID pandemic, the teenager currently most of his time on his boat helping with shipwrecks while living with his stepsister and doing a job of cleaning the gravestone of a man’s sister at night. He unexpectedly gets tangled with a strange mustached man who gives him money to keep his mouth shut, and it won’t be long until the man and others will be in his sights that will bring danger.
Like Hiaasen’s other YA novels, “Wrecker” is another exciting read that has what made those other books had with its fairly outlandish characters, likable protagonist and adventurous story. While it has its environmental message, there’s more darker issues the story tackles such as the pandemic, Wrecker’s family past, smugglers and death. It’s certainly a swimming Hiaasen story with a slightly dark feel at times. A- (91%/Excellent)
July 8, 2024
"Wrecker" is a middle-grade novel set in the wilds of Florida, filled with the author's characteristic blend of humor and adventure. The protagonist, Valdez Jones VIII, nicknamed Wrecker, lives in Key West and grapples with a series of chaotic events involving smugglers, grave robbers, and pooping iguanas, all while balancing his Zoom school responsibilities.
Wrecker’s life takes a complicated turn when he discovers a speedboat stranded on a sand flat, occupied by men who prefer not to be noticed. They offer him money to forget about them, but soon Wrecker finds these men appearing all over town, from the marina to the cemetery, even outside his own home. These encounters escalate as they demand more from Wrecker, pushing him into their shady operations.
Despite the adventurous premise, "Wrecker" falls short in several areas. The novel struggles with a disjointed narrative and characters that don't seem to fit their described ages. The main character, supposedly 15, acts more like a 12-year-old, which created a huge disconnect for me. The storyline feels like a jumbled mess with multiple threads that never quite come together coherently.
The book’s handling of contemporary issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, feels heavy-handed and preachy, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the story. There's also discomfort with an old historical paper's mention of "negro," which, while contextual, feels inappropriate coming from a white author. The portrayal of the family dynamics and the interactions with law enforcement are unrealistic and unconvincing, further diminishing the believability of the plot.
Overall, "Wrecker" is a disappointing read with mishandled themes, disjointed plot, and inappropriate cultural representation that contribute to a novel that feels messy and ultimately unenjoyable.
Wrecker’s life takes a complicated turn when he discovers a speedboat stranded on a sand flat, occupied by men who prefer not to be noticed. They offer him money to forget about them, but soon Wrecker finds these men appearing all over town, from the marina to the cemetery, even outside his own home. These encounters escalate as they demand more from Wrecker, pushing him into their shady operations.
Despite the adventurous premise, "Wrecker" falls short in several areas. The novel struggles with a disjointed narrative and characters that don't seem to fit their described ages. The main character, supposedly 15, acts more like a 12-year-old, which created a huge disconnect for me. The storyline feels like a jumbled mess with multiple threads that never quite come together coherently.
The book’s handling of contemporary issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, feels heavy-handed and preachy, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the story. There's also discomfort with an old historical paper's mention of "negro," which, while contextual, feels inappropriate coming from a white author. The portrayal of the family dynamics and the interactions with law enforcement are unrealistic and unconvincing, further diminishing the believability of the plot.
Overall, "Wrecker" is a disappointing read with mishandled themes, disjointed plot, and inappropriate cultural representation that contribute to a novel that feels messy and ultimately unenjoyable.
September 5, 2023
This book has everything: a thrilling adventure mystery with diverse and intriguing characters, an immersive setting, local activism, local history, niche history, and a touch of pirate vibes. This book deals with COVID, environmentalism, racism, the KKK, lynchings, and violent smuggling; so it has some pretty serious topics, but I felt they were all handled really well and appropriately. I think middle grade and YA readers who were in school during COVID lockdowns would relate to the main character, and for those burnt out on COVID stories, rest assured that the virus isn't the main theme of this book at all. (I rather appreciate this handling of peak COVID- despite your personal opinions, it affected all of us, so why shouldn't it show up as a matter of fact in our books?)
The main character calls himself Wrecker after the profession of "wreckers" who dived to salvage from shipwrecks. I absolutely loved reading and coming across facts about this topic and seeing how this piece of history played a part in the story. I love love love when characters in books have an interest or a hobby like this and the author introduces me to the topic, and then all of a sudden I find myself on the Wikipedia page reading up on it. Hiaasen did a great job of weaving in not only wrecking but also racism, COVID, and environmentalism, creating a complex and well-rounded story that isn't entirely about any of these topics, but seamlessly includes them and therefore the book also isn't NOT about these topics. My only complaint is that the ending felt slightly rushed - I felt it came up suddenly and all too quickly was gone - but it was a pretty clever ending so I do give it that.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the e-ARC!
The main character calls himself Wrecker after the profession of "wreckers" who dived to salvage from shipwrecks. I absolutely loved reading and coming across facts about this topic and seeing how this piece of history played a part in the story. I love love love when characters in books have an interest or a hobby like this and the author introduces me to the topic, and then all of a sudden I find myself on the Wikipedia page reading up on it. Hiaasen did a great job of weaving in not only wrecking but also racism, COVID, and environmentalism, creating a complex and well-rounded story that isn't entirely about any of these topics, but seamlessly includes them and therefore the book also isn't NOT about these topics. My only complaint is that the ending felt slightly rushed - I felt it came up suddenly and all too quickly was gone - but it was a pretty clever ending so I do give it that.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the e-ARC!
December 15, 2023
DNF at 52%. I gave it a good, solid try, but didn’t care for the agenda. Especially in a children’s book. Ugh.
January 11, 2024
Why did Carl H write this. Not funny, at all, boring slow moving plot, too Covid centric, just a waste of time.
October 1, 2023
Once again Carl Hiaasen gives us an outdoor adventure with a strong lead character who has had a challenging life and we learn a bit about Florida's fauna and history. This one takes place in Key West where young Valdez, aka Wrecker, is always on his boat when he isn't on his computer for Zoom classes or cleaning gravestones of iguana poop at night. He doesn't go looking for trouble but finds it when he accidentally comes upon smugglers. He and his unlikely friend Mimi go off on an adventure to figure out what is going on and end up in a bit of danger. Hiaasen's books are always funny, full of adventure and come with a warning to take care of the natural beauty and this one is no different. It does include some tough topics like racism, smugglers and a sad history of KKK, lynchings and bad behavior which is handled well. I would recommend this one for older middle schoolers and young adults. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
December 5, 2025
What can I say? I love Carl Hiaasen’s books. This one wasn’t up there with his best but Wrecker was a great protagonist and Willi made for a great sidekick. Lots of nice scenes on the water and the history of Key West was interesting. I loved Suzanne, the sister, snd her crusade to save tge reefs from the destruction of the cruise ships. Carl wrapped everything up nicely, and the good guys won. A very nice read.
April 1, 2025
At the height of the Corona Virus, a young high schooler, Wrecker, falls in the midst of a scam worth millions of dollars to an unscrupulous group…Wrecker works his way through the ungainly teen relationships of a nonstandard family and friendship…The usual good YA stuff from Hiaasen!
June 20, 2024
read in a day. Hiaasen is a go to when I need something entertaining and not challenging. I read it while I had covid and couldn't sleep. Perfect for that.
April 26, 2023
Weird to read a story with the pandemic being involved when it still feels so new but this will be a beloved story soon! Wrecker is a character you can’t help but root for and the pirate theme that is in the background brings this story to the next level! Another must read by Carl Hiassen!
October 27, 2024
Valdez Jones VIII loves living in Key West, FL and cannot imagine living anywhere else. He has a job cleaning iguana and bird poop off the tombstone of Mr. Riley’s sister. He lives with his stepsister and currently goes to school online. He goes by Wrecker in honor of the original Valdez Jones Senior and Junior who were wreckers who retrieved treasure from sunken ships.
He is fishing from his small boat when he comes upon a speedboat that is stalled on a sandbar. Wrecker tries to pull them off but his boat is too small. Next thing he knows he’s been hired to watch a grave for any vandalism. Wrecker really wants to put distance between himself and this smuggler. But he feels trapped.
He is fishing from his small boat when he comes upon a speedboat that is stalled on a sandbar. Wrecker tries to pull them off but his boat is too small. Next thing he knows he’s been hired to watch a grave for any vandalism. Wrecker really wants to put distance between himself and this smuggler. But he feels trapped.
October 20, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade Adventure
This is a part of a series of stand alones set in Florida, full of adventures. This particular book was centered around Covid and for me I wasn’t ready for a book about it. If you take away the politics and vaccine talk, the mystery and adventure would have been better. It had pirate vibes in Key West and that part was fun. I have read other MG books of his that I have enjoyed. He gives you a little local history and some environmental friendly messages in each book.
Overall, for me it was just ok.
This is a part of a series of stand alones set in Florida, full of adventures. This particular book was centered around Covid and for me I wasn’t ready for a book about it. If you take away the politics and vaccine talk, the mystery and adventure would have been better. It had pirate vibes in Key West and that part was fun. I have read other MG books of his that I have enjoyed. He gives you a little local history and some environmental friendly messages in each book.
Overall, for me it was just ok.
April 4, 2024
I read pretty much anything Hiaasen writes, including the young adult oriented fiction.
He’s a great writer, but the most recent few I haven’t enjoyed as much.
Compared to his library, this one is good but not great.
The story is fun.
The present tense writing is a little bit jarring but he does it well.
Some of the devices used for humour are just a little tired. Instead of zaniness and antics, he kind of relies on the “Look how stupid republicans / rich people / antivaxxers / people who don’t think like the author are. For the most part, I do think like the author on a lot of these subjects. I watched people die of COVID who had refused to be vaccinated and whatnot. But it was more of a sad tragedy, the failing of the human race to navigate truth and fiction in the online era. It wasn’t really funny, and a lot of those people weren’t particularly stupid - they just believed the wrong influencers on that issue.
I’m tired of divisiveness. The fact that everyone is being polarized into extremes to the point that even a book for kids has to fight the culture war - it’s just so stupid.
Anyway, aside from that, it’s a good story told by a master writer.
My son will probably read it, but I’ll probably advise him to take it with a grain of salt. The real world isn’t black and white. I’m disappointed that some of my favourite authors use their platforms to tell us it is.
He’s a great writer, but the most recent few I haven’t enjoyed as much.
Compared to his library, this one is good but not great.
The story is fun.
The present tense writing is a little bit jarring but he does it well.
Some of the devices used for humour are just a little tired. Instead of zaniness and antics, he kind of relies on the “Look how stupid republicans / rich people / antivaxxers / people who don’t think like the author are. For the most part, I do think like the author on a lot of these subjects. I watched people die of COVID who had refused to be vaccinated and whatnot. But it was more of a sad tragedy, the failing of the human race to navigate truth and fiction in the online era. It wasn’t really funny, and a lot of those people weren’t particularly stupid - they just believed the wrong influencers on that issue.
I’m tired of divisiveness. The fact that everyone is being polarized into extremes to the point that even a book for kids has to fight the culture war - it’s just so stupid.
Anyway, aside from that, it’s a good story told by a master writer.
My son will probably read it, but I’ll probably advise him to take it with a grain of salt. The real world isn’t black and white. I’m disappointed that some of my favourite authors use their platforms to tell us it is.
April 3, 2024
I like Hiaasen. I have ever since college when I took a Florida Authors course and his pulpy novels were the coup de grace. The previous authors (John McDonald, Randy Wayne White, etc) were traditionally pulpy detective/murder stories, so I didn't have high hopes going into TOURIST SEASON, but it turned out to be a twisted romp with finely sharpened political skewer contained within.
Hiaasen's decade-long foray into YA and middle grades fiction has largely been a success. WRECKER does all of the things right: clever plotting, sufficient surprises and mystery, and -- most importantly for his brand -- a bevy of satirical barbs that ring way too true. WRECKER features a washed-out would-be Jimmy Buffet, anti-maskers, eco protests against cruise ships, and a criminal cartel based on vax cards.
It's very much a of-the-moment novel, and the masks and COVID of it all may not age great with a younger audience, but it was a quick, fun read and great for ages 12-15, I think (though there are some dark discussions of Key West's battles with the KKK -- but it's nothing so awful that the conversation it might spark isn't useful).
Another solid Hiaasen product!
Hiaasen's decade-long foray into YA and middle grades fiction has largely been a success. WRECKER does all of the things right: clever plotting, sufficient surprises and mystery, and -- most importantly for his brand -- a bevy of satirical barbs that ring way too true. WRECKER features a washed-out would-be Jimmy Buffet, anti-maskers, eco protests against cruise ships, and a criminal cartel based on vax cards.
It's very much a of-the-moment novel, and the masks and COVID of it all may not age great with a younger audience, but it was a quick, fun read and great for ages 12-15, I think (though there are some dark discussions of Key West's battles with the KKK -- but it's nothing so awful that the conversation it might spark isn't useful).
Another solid Hiaasen product!
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