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| Nature Girl | 
| Manufacturer: Knopf
Category: EBooks
List Price: $9.95
Buy New: $7.96
You Save: $1.99 (20%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  149 reviews
Sales Rank: 3670
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
ASIN: B000MAH7OU
Publication Date: November 14, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Good author on a bad day? April 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've heard so many good things about Carl Hiaasen. Just my luck to have randomly picked out the book his regular readers seem to rate as his worst. I found the characters quite amusing early on in the piece - Boyd Shreave especially, and the way his wife toys with him. There's something satisfying in seeing a slimeball like that get what he deserves. But that alone wasn't strong enough to carry the novel. None of the other characters really pulled their weight in the story ... Honey was okay as a supporting act, but her plans probably too ridiculous to be believed. Her kid I'm supposed to feel sorry for - not possible when you can't take her seriously as a character. Her husband was pretty nondescript, the stalker was momentarily amusing, the private investigator nondescript (why was he referred to so much as "the private investigator"?? He has a name, call him Dealey, jeez.) Plot? Well there kind of was one, pretty flimsy though. I guess in summary there's indications of a funny, talented writer there who decided to have an easy day at the office maybe?
Nature Girl isn't March 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Not up to his usual standards. I found it very disjointed and was well
below what I expect from this author.
Stretched much? March 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is quite possibly the most unbelievable book I have ever read. Just when I thought Mr. Hiaasen could not make things more ridiculously unbelievable, out popped a new unlikely character or crazy set of circumstances. I'm not sure that it ever had potential, since the plot itself is bizarre and the characters sometimes out right unlikeable (except for the son of the main character). Readers would be best to look for another title if you are considering this one. It also should be noted that some scenes are graphically disgusting.
 Awful March 10, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have read every novel Hiaasen has ever written -- even his early works, co-written with Bill Montalbano (Trip Line and A Death in China -- not funny stuff, but enjoyable nonetheless). Nature Girl is far and away his worst effort. In fact, I'm convinced his staff, and not he, wrote it -- it completely lacks any humor whatsoever, and is missing that Hiaasen edge. All of the characters are paper thin, and garner no sympathy. The plot...was there one? I didn't care about anyone, I didn't care what happened, and I only finished it because I hoped that somewhere this novel would redeem itself. It didn't. Hopefully this was just a one-time slip-up, and he'll come back roaring with his next novel. But you can be sure I'll wait to read the reviews, and won't pre-order it like I did with this giant doorstop.
 Another wacky romp February 22, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been reading Hiaasen books for years, long before he was as popular. His books generally follow a similar plot: Corrupt moron exploiting Florida for personal gain, cool normal guy, and at least one attractive young woman, sometimes more. He also tosses in a couple wacko characters on the fringe that keep you chuckling.
Hiassen uses his humor to further his personal agenda, which is the preservation of Florida, or at least its protection from overdevelopment; both of which are admirable goals in my opinion. I just wish he would stop at that.
Nature Girl didn't make me laugh as hard as some of his older books. The story was good, and there were some funny situations, but it felt like Hiassen was too cynical with this book. He used Honey, the main character, to make off-handed comments about the Bush Administration, which felt like it pulled me out of the fantasy and right into what I read every day in the paper and see on the news. His villians are usually characters that any reader can hate, but when he starts giving his opinion of real people in the real world (e.g. the President), it can't do anything but polarize readers, which I can't imagine he wants to do. I'm not saying this as some defense of the President, I would have felt the same if he slammed Clinton in previous books.
It seems like slamming G.W. is a requirement for anyone in entertainment; and Hiaasen jumped right on the bandwagon with this book. Bummer.
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