Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
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Book Reviews of Hoot
Book Review: If you're a fan of fantasy epics, skip Hoot
Summary: 2 Stars
Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen, takes place in Florida, probably in the 21st century. It follows the story of Roy Eberhardt, a new kid from Montana, as he tries to unravel the story of the "running boy," the protector of the burrowing owls. The burrowing owls will be heartlessly slaughtered if the running boy fails to stop Mother Paula's Pancake House from building a restaurant over their dens. To help protect the owls the running boy does things like putting alligators in the construction site traveling johnnies and removing the seats from the earth movers.
Overall this book was, in my opinion, a flop. Not only did it lack an intricate story that was challenging to read, but I didn't like the way it showed teens in average everyday life. If I want to know the habits of teens I can just look around me. Also, I found grammatical errors aplenty, as well as places elaboration of the story could have been made. For example, the book doesn't say what Mullet Fingers did after he escaped from juvenile detention. I'll admit I don't like realistic fiction, but for other reasons I didn't really like the book Hoot.
Book Review: Be mindful of swear words/political agenda
Summary: 2 Stars
My 9-year-old brought this home from the school library and upon reading it, informed me the word "damn" is used multiple times in the book. While it's not the most horrible thing in the world, I guess, teachers and parents should be aware it's in there. I'm puzzled as to why a children's book, and one that's apparently won awards, has swear words in it. Also, the synopsis on the book jacket described the story of a boy who moves to a new school and finds an unusual person to be friends with. However, my son told me the main points of the story were environmentalist in nature, coming out against a company developing land in Florida. While that kind of thing is something that should be discussed, I wish the synopsis had been more truthful. It's disappointing to see that there's some deception on the story description and then includes swear words once you get into it. Full disclosure is a good thing.Book Review: Honestly?
Summary: 2 Stars
Hoot is an exceptional book with a respectable message. While I was reading it I was thinking it's okay, that's interesting, hmmm, aha, oh, ect. But what I never thought was wow!, cool, haha, weird, oh no! and so on. I felt like the author lacked passion, the comedy was juvenile, and the drama unrealistic. When I was done reading I was actually a little relieved it was over! That has never happened to me before. So read the book if you are a great Hiaasen fan, or 8 and under, but otherwise set the book down; walk away with your hands raised; and forget about the whole crazy idea of reading it. Cause honestly, it just ain't too special.Book Review: I wasn't particularly impressed
Summary: 2 Stars
"Hoot" could have been a really fine story of a boy's coming of age, facing an obstacle that pits life's lesson against life's lesson, right against wrong, moral against legal. As it turned out, Hiaasen just didn't carry his vehicle particularly deftly. The characters are paper-thin: frankly, we just don't give a HOOT about them. Roy is dull and predictable; the police are run-of-the-mill buffoons; and, as for the mysterious, barefooted Mullet Fingers, I couldn't care whether he lacerated both plantae on one of those new onion slicer gadgets. I wish I had taken a "pass" rather than invested three hundred pages in this trivium.