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May 21, 2007

Lily rated it:

This book is about a hundred pages too long and is a poorly developed story about an unstable environmentalist that stalks an asshole lobbyist/exotic game hunter because he saw him toss trash out the window of his car. The most frustrating thing about this book is that it has potential to turn into an interesting story, but it moves in a bunch of roundabout directions and never delivers. Worst of all, it seems like the author wanted to use every strange character he had ever developed in one bo More...

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Oct 11, 2008

Sac rated it:

Drastically unfunny NPR wank material, written by an author who never met a craaa-aaa-zy character idea he didn't like and want to cram into a book. And character ideas is all they are, since each one can be fully described by two or three dust-jacket-ready adjectives: the main character is "sweet" and "goofy", the big fat evil businessman is big, fat, and evil, the politicians are evil and corrupt (except the deus ex machina ex-Governor who is a hippy version of a Heinlein More...

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Mar 30, 2009

Rhonda rated it:

I love Carl Hiaasen. I am not a big mystery/thriller person and his stuff is great! His characters are OTT and at the same time so very human and in this instance humane. How can you not love a man who would chase down an idiot for throwing trash out of his car doing 80 on the freeway?!?! Twilly Spree is my hero. With Hiaasen you just never know where you will wind up - except that it will be in Florida, that much you know.

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Jan 08, 2008

linnea rated it:

My mother-in-law recommended Carl Hiassen as someone who amusingly sends up Florida politics and corrupt politicos. What I liked is that this book spares no one. The environmental nut really is a total nut, not someone you necessarily want representing your cause. It was funny. What I disliked is how completely irredeemable the bad guys are. Hiaasen paints with broad brush strokes, and the bad guys aren't just bad, some of them are incredibly twisted in ways that seem too horrid and brutal for a More...

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Sep 29, 2007

Julia rated it:

This book was pretty funny but also rather gross. The very interesting descriptions of people we imagine exist (the wealthy conservative game-hunting politician with a trophy wife; the psychotic, environmental terrorist with an anger management problem, etc.) made for an outrageous and dark comedy. Still, something about the book didn't feel good to me.

Maybe I'm just too serious, but reading about people this dysfunctional and the havoc they wreak on each other and the world around More...

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Feb 15, 2008

Jaime rated it:

This was definitely not my favorite Carl Hiaasen. Twilly comes off as a spoiled rich brat who feels justified destroying things when he doesn’t like something, and he really doesn’t grow at all by the end of the book. The “big game hunting” made me sick to my stomach. There was too much death. The only remotely likable character in the book was Desie, and she was just window dressing. I barely talked myself into finishing this one. If this had been the first Hiaasen I read, I would never read an More...

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Dec 16, 2009

Ann rated it:

man. this book made me laugh. hiaasen is friggin hilarious. the book has crazy floridian creeps causing eco-mistakes. the main character simply doesn't like it. picture an entire truck load of dung beetles being dumped onto your fancy SUV because you threw a mcdonalds wrapper out your window. and Skink, the vagabond with good teeth, gives me the smiles. just - if you are wanting to laugh, this is it. so silly. and there is always a good message about development destroying the world and whatnot. More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 03, 2009

Deanna rated it:

Excerpt Publisher's Weekly review.....its been a long time since I read the book.

A funny caper revolving around the environmental exploitation in Florida by greedy developers. When Twilly Spree, an environmental terrorist, begins a campaign of sabotage against a grotesque litterbug named Palmer Stoat, he gets much more than he bargained for. Stoat is a political fixer, involved with a bevy of shady types: Dick Artemus, ex-car salesman, now governor; Robert Clapley, a crooked land dev More...

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Jun 06, 2011

Chip rated it:

Okay. I'll concede that there are oversimplifications in this book. The bad guys are irredeemably bad; the good guys are little better than the bad guys. That's true of most of us, isn't it? The destruction of habitat for condos is a central Hiaasen theme, so don't get your Speedos in a wad. The characters are too wild and crazy to believe? Have you ever spent time in Florida? Every nutjob who isn't on a survivalist ranch in Idaho picks up their mail in Florida (it used to be California b More...

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Jan 21, 2010

Lionel rated it:

The book is about the angry antics of a millionaire eco-terrorist named Twilly, who follows a litterbug throwing trash out of his car while on the highway. The litterbug named Stoat is actually a corrupt lobbyist brokering deals for corrupt politicians and real estate moguls. When Twilly kidnaps Stoat’s black labrador (the sick puppy of the title) and eventually Stoat’s wife Desie, the mayhem begins. A multi-million-dollar real estate deal is endangered, bringing into play various goons of the b More...

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Oct 01, 2009

John rated it:

Sick Puppy is my introduction to Carl Hiaasen, an author that my girlfriend felt would be a good way to get me introduced to Florida. I'll probably read him again, although I found this book to be one of diminishing returns. It starts out as a satisfying read; Twilly Spree is a maladjusted and overgrown trust fund kid who gets to live out a popular revenge fantasy: he spots a litterbug on the Florida highway and decides to spend as much time and energy as possible to teach the litterbug a lesson More...

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Aug 29, 2009

Rossrn rated it:

Carl Hiassen's "Sick Puppy" was a raucous adventure featuring characters who were extreme in their being. This alone made them each comical and entertaining. Taking the cake may have been Boodle/McQuinn the labrador retriever, who was a big part of the story throughout.

Twilly Spree is the trust fund son of a developer father, who is compelled to single-handedly educate people who harm the environment. He comes across Palmer Stoat throwing trash out his window and plans t More...

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Aug 11, 2009

Thomas rated it:

I haven't read any Carl Hiaasen in about ten years. It's worth saying that based on his first 5 books, his investigative reporting and the fact that he once appeared on IN SEARCH OF alongside Leonard Frickin' Nimoy, I regard Hiaasen as a genius to be spoken of in hallowed tones. I will now proceed to speak of him in tones more harsh than hallowed, even though I still think he's one of America's greatest writers and one of the top 10,443 crime novelists in god damned South Florida; since they all More...

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Oct 18, 2011

Marigold rated it:

Unbelievably, I have never before read Carl Hiaasen despite being urged to do so by various friends! I borrowed this from a friend - when I told her I was going to spend five days in Las Vegas & had nothing airplane-appropriate to read, she gave me this book. It is both airplane-worthy and Vegas-worthy! If Charles Dickens had been born in Florida in about 1960, & had had a violent streak, maybe he would have come up with this kind of book! Don't get me wrong, this is nothing like Dickens. But Hi More...

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Dec 02, 2008

Jason rated it:

what my fellow reviewers fail to realize about this book is that it is a complete cartoon. The bad guys are irredeemably bad and the good guys are insanely noble to the point of crusader BECAUSE this is the story of elmer fudd and wile e. coyote. One stalks the other in brambled confusion, the other stalks the other with absurd moral vindication. I will say that the ending is pretty corny (but sometimes ***SPOILER ALERT*** it's pretty awesome to just let annoying characters that are gonna win More...

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Apr 02, 2011

Brian rated it:

The rumors are all true. Carl Hiaasen is very funny and creates characters from the worst impulses of human nature. But I spent this book rooting *for* the corrupt lobbyist, governor, and developer. They seemed the most human and rounded characters - they were all motivated by a desire to be happy and that happiness eluded them no matter how much money or influence they put behind their efforts. The sanctimonious, shallow, and irritating ex-governor and environmental terrorist were just holi More...

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Jul 13, 2009

Dale rated it:

Beach Books On A Bus 2 continues...!!!

So, The Name of the Rose might be a bit cerebral, but Sick Puppy really feels like an archetypal paperbook best enjoyed while reclining under the sun with sand between your toes. It's an interesting blend of the trashy and the compelling - lots of opportunities for rubbernecking at the tawdry worlds of strippers, prostitutes, cigar bars, canned big game hunts for rich jerks, drug dealers, hitmen, and so on ... and then more rubbernecking at the More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Nathan rated it:

One of the funniest books I've ever read. What enjoyable, escapist fiction should be. Twilly Spree is a character Joseph Heller would have been proud of, a hero in anger management classes, and his exploits are so absurd that they are only believable because they take place in the state of insanity known as "Florida". Absolutely fun and all that good, escapist fiction should be.

NC

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 25, 2009

Jessi rated it:

I picked this copy up through BookCrossing; it was a wild release I found in a used book store. The plot is classic Hiaasen: Twilly Spree is a well-off environmentalist who decides to teach a litterbug a lesson. He ends up kidnapping the litterbug's dog and blackmailing him to keep an island off the coast of Florida from being developed. There are tons of other crazy characters, of course, and a lot of political intrigue and wacky high jinks. I found this book immensely entertaining; it was my f More...

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May 13, 2011

Lynne rated it:

'Sick Puppy' was an easy read, entertaining and enough to make me want to read another Hiaasen book in the future. It wasn't without flaws though - namely the female characters are all pretty vacuous - even the supposedly feisty romantic interest provided for the hero. Also, the author *insists* on interrupting his own action scenes with information asides that really could be dealt with elsewhere - for instance making a narrative diversion to describe a villain's sexual perversions during a rat More...

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Jan 06, 2009

Janelle rated it:

Carl Hiaasen's works are usually very funny, intelligent, witty, creative, with a happy ending. What could you want more from an entertaining lite read? The imaginative characters, the adventure, the great use of irony and sarcasm, he keeps you guessing how things could possibly all work out for the best, and they do in his books which I like. I always find good qualities to admire in his heros, and can easily despise the villians, cheering when they meet their demise...in whatever creative f More...

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Jan 09, 2012

Ron rated it:

Yet another masterpiece by Carl Hiaasen. Sick Puppy's hero is, well, a sick puppy. The main story is about greed and the over-development of Florida - the stage for all of Hiaasen's books. The book is populated with just about every imaginable character you can find in any book. You've got some good guys who aren't all that good and you've got some bad guys who aren't all that bad - just like real life. The story is funny and tender at the same time. You'll cheer, laugh and cry through some More...

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Nov 10, 2011

Caris rated it:

Oh my shit.

Guess who read a book. Go on, guess.

Yep. This motherfucker right here. Boo-yah.

I'm so happy I could write a haiku:

The book has been read
Take that, you skeevy assholes
Fuck you, world, fuck you

Anyway.

This book was recommended to me by a friend at work. He and I got to discussing Kerouac one day, and, don't ask me how, but I ended up with this book in my hands. He highly recommended it.

More...

11 comments like (17 people liked it)

Mar 18, 2009

Sasha rated it:

If you're a nature lover and you haven't read any Carl Hiaasen books, Shame On You. Sick Puppy is not a book with characters a reader falls in love with, it is a book where the principle of things is more important.

The book has it all: An eccentric millionaire who doesn't like littering, a bored and attractive wife who falls in love with her husband's nemesis, an island that needs saving and a crazy ex-governor who features in most of Hiaasen's books.

Of course, it invol More...

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Oct 29, 2010

Morgane G rated it:

G4
10.28.10
Sick Puppy Review

Sick Puppy, by Carl Hiaasen, is for anybody who likes a bit of humor, sarcasm, and love thrown into a story full of political stereotypes and psycho environmentalists. Twilly Spree, a young man who inherited millions from his father and spends his time looking for potential dangers to the environment comically deals with a prime suspect, making friends and enemies along the way. Throughout his adventure, Twilly learns that the techniques he’s been More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Oct 01, 2009

Davis rated it:

I appreciate an author who takes his readers on a wild ride. Carl Hiaasen is one of my favorite comedic authors. I have read at least six of his books and I have loved every one of them. While this may not be his best, it is still worth five stars in entertainment value.

His humor is satirical and dark. It is outrageous and over-the-top. It is another delightful adventure filled with outlandish characters and scenarios. It kept me laughing most of the way. I gobbled it up like popcorn More...

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Oct 05, 2011

Michael rated it:

"Sick Puppy" is a novel about greedy politicians and builders who are destroying Florida's beauty. It's packed with colorful characters and wacky incidents.

Twilly Spree is a wealthy environmentalist who is trying to stop a development from bulldozing the trees and killing the animals on a Florida island. The project is designed to enrich a builder who contributed to the governor's campaign, as well as benefiting a lobyest who is trying to set up the deal.

The cha More...

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Oct 24, 2011

Lauren rated it:

This was a pretty funny book. It's about 5 or 6 different people with the same story and the perspective changes every chapter. As you read you see that they all become connected in one way or another. I found the story to be funny as it demonstrates sarcasm and irony. You will not cease to be amazed at the outrageous characters in this story and what happens to them. It was an upbeat book in general that had intense moments throughout the book that always ended up being funny. I recommend it to More...

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Jun 15, 2011

Frank rated it:

Hiaasen crafts creative, exciting, action-filled, and passionate prose. He has a knack for colorful villains and is frequently darn funny. I'm always entertained and Sick Puppy is no exception.

In this book Hiaasen throws a lovable black lab into the madcap Florida antics of lobbyists, developers, politicians and hunting.

But he keeps rewriting the same story. Hiaasen needs to break out of his mold and find another plot. I won't run to read his next book because I already More...

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May 28, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

I always enjoy Hiaasen with his ecological mindedness and his over the top characters! I find myself turning to him in the summer when I crave an engaging read that I know I won't be able to put down! This book contained an eco-terrorist with a temper who chased down a litter bug and dumped ten tons of garbage into his convertible BMW. It presented an ex-mayor living in the swamps of south Florida wearing a NASCAR flag as a kilt and vulture beaks in his braided beard. These characters were some More...

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