Swamp Story was a true romp through The Everglades. The characters are laugh out loud entertaining. The book moves along and grabs you from the first chapter
Imagine being in a Swamp and not “looking” but “finding”
My true reading taste is Historical Fiction and this book is literally off the beaten path
If you are looking for an escape read.
This is it!

This book was a nice palate cleanser, after reading two heavy books this was a good distraction. This was nothing new if you have read other books by south Miami writers. It was good but nothing new. If you’re looking for a chuckle after reading dark books this will work.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 3⭐️

Strange things are afoot in Everglades swampland ranging from a down-on-their-luck brothers who run a bait shop to squatters spending days getting wasted in isolated cabin. Involved with the squatters is a woman who just wants a better life for her young baby. Joining in are two men approaching alcoholism and desperate for money who decided to accept a role as a Melon Monster roaming the wild. Barry keeps the story moving at breakneck speed with outrageous disasters happening to all the characters who manage to keep their eyes on the prize which is a cache of Confederate gold bars just waiting to be discovered. Pair this book with any of Tim Dorsey's tales. Readers are in for a great time as they cheer for these flawed and helpless characters.

Jesse Braddock is living in a cabin in the Everglades with her infant daughter, a no good boyfriend and his friend. The boyfriend wants to be a realty show star as “Glades Man” who likes to remove his shirt to show off his physique. When she stumbles across long lost treasure of gold bars from the Civil War, she places herself in danger as there are two disreputable characters also seeking it.

Meanwhile, down and out Phil, a disgraced journalist, is enlisted to make a video about Melon Monster who had “emigrated” down from the midwest. This is the brainchild of one of the Bortle brothers, owners of the equally down and out Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer store on Tamiami Trail. Sure enough, the video goes viral.

Then there is the narcissistic man who wants to be president, the slimy Miami lawyer, the gator, the urinating boar, the python….well, you get the idea. Yes, it is insane, but, after all, it is Floriduh (write I, a Floridian).

This is a suspenseful, humorous, not too much over the top read if you understand Florida; very entertaining, along with a good spoof of social media.

A lot of the characters and activities here represent the true south Florida…only maybe a little bit more so. And, by the way, there really is a Skunk Ape Research Headquarters on Tamiami Trail with a stature of the legendary creature out front.

Fun Florida Fiascos!

When you read in the news about crazy Florida stories, they never disappoint in originality and absurdity. Dave Barry has captured that essence in a hilarious if not scary-realistic story line on humanity today in Swamp Story. This book captures the vibe of the Everglades with the scenery, the people, and the romp through the swamp with alligators, thieves, and worst of all, media!!

Swamp Story is the first book I have read by Dave Barry, and I am wondering how I could have missed anything he has written before! I totally enjoyed the break from reality and the story that kept getting crazier and crazier until coming to a satisfying end.

I would highly recommend this book, get ready for a quick, fun read that will keep you laughing out loud until the end!

A special thanks to NetGalley, Dave Barry, and Simon Schuster for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book really made me think. It was twisty, intriguing, and I loved it. The green cover is perfect. I can’t wait for the next book from the author.

When you need a light, humorous book, this may be a good choice. Definitely not the kind of book I"m normally drawn to, but I'm glad I picked it up. Sometimes you just need something different. There is a lot of silliness in this book, but many of the characters are also going through very difficult things which adds a dose of reality to the craziness.

I received an advance reader copy of Swamp Story from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a handful of Dave Barry books, including at least one other novel. I consider Barry to be one of the funniest authors of our time, but I did not find this book all that enjoyable. The plot is convoluted and fussy, and I kept hoping the funny part was just around the corner, but it proved as elusive as gold bars hidden in the swamp. Additionally, it’s kind of violent and doesn’t seem to reckon with the violence in any kind of responsible manner.

Fine for a quick meaninglessness read, but I bet you can find something better, including other books by Barry.

Dave Barry captures the essence of all that is Florida in this humorous tale of greed, revenge and redemption.

I’ve been a fan of Dave Barry's for decades and found his newspaper columns to be entertaining and clever. I’ve been a fan of Dave Barry's for decades and found his newspaper columns to be entertaining and clever. He often demonstrated an uncanny ability to spot the irony, humor, and satire most of walk by everyday without noticing. As for SWAMP STORY, I guess every good writer is entitled to a clunker. For me, it simply wasn't that funny.

I suppose I could praise Barry's ability to translate the slapstick comedy of a keystone cops silent movie into a novel. But if I try to come up with my own best one-word descriptors for this book.... on the positive end, silly - and on the negative end, dumb.

The setting is Florida, which, according to Barry (and he lives there), is a one-of-a-kind place where anything strange can and does happen. So I guess as a non-Floridian, it is entirely possible that residents of that state will find this book a deeply insightful treatise and I’m just not knowledgeable enough to recognize its intellectual depth.)

The story offers a bit of everything in the way of plot. Alligators and snakes. A bit of romance. An infant in danger. Amateur movie-making. Long buried treasure. Incompetent crooks and muscle men. Even a few chase scenes through the swamps of the Everglades.

Barry pokes fun at everyone and everything. Our relentless passion for striking it rich. The vanity of beautiful people. The duplicity of attorneys and grandstanding of politicians. The meaningless of assignments covered by news reporters. TV shows about people roughing it in the wilderness. And the power and ridiculousness of social media where the most random events go viral - for no apparent reason other than the gullibility and/or stupidity of us humans.

Clearly, this book was not for me. But, while I can’t exactly recommend the book, it’s lightweight and easy to read. And YOU might be entertained by what amounts to a wild romp with characters you may well recognize from your own life.

Light and fun story from Dave Barry! Set in a fabulous locale (I grew up in a similar place), and full of funny situations and even some nuanced social opinions. Definitely recommended for fans of this author!

This story lived up to my expectations and did not disappoint! Mr. Barry sets his stories in my home state of Florida and his characters are hilarious caricatures of our inhabitants. Many moments in Swamp Story had me laughing out loud! The plot was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat. This could be a great movie! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a humorous and entertaining break from the mundane and boring.

“Sometimes insane is the way to go.”
That phrase pretty much sums up this Dave Barry novel. Flat out insane, of the good kind. His forte is developing crazy characters that take stupid to a whole new level. And all I wanted to do is see if they would survive until the end of the story.
The blurb explains the plot better than I could. Suffice it to say, it’s bonkers from the word go, building up until it comes to a wild conclusion. Despite the craziness, I was able to easily envision each scene.
I recommend this for fans of Carl Hiaasen.
Interesting fact - while reading this I just read that pythons are moving north out of the Everglades, already reaching West Palm Beach and Fort Myers. I foresee a sequel!
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

Many years ago, when I lived in Miami and was a Florida Kid (a more youthful and far less offensive version of Florida Man) I discovered Dave Barry's writing.

My literary life has never been the same since!

I was so excited to get my hands on Swamp Story, which takes place in the Everglades- arguably one of South Florida's weirdest settings.

South Florida is an extraordinarily odd place in real life. What I love about Dave is his way of taking that local reality and twisting it into something bizarre, yet not totally impossible that it could actually take place. After all, he is not making this up.

For example, this passage is classic Miami:
"A utility shed in Hialeah...was drawing crowds because it had a rust stain that many people thought looked like Jesus, although a substantial minority insisted it was Celia Cruz."

Dave's novels usually deliver a cast of the most moronic and entertaining characters and this one is no different. I think the one who made me giggle the most was Phil, a drunk who starts singing songs from the Beach Boys and Grease when he's given painkillers.

The book is a hilarious blend of the natural eccentricities of South Florida, suspense, and politics gone haywire. A must-read for any grown-up Florida Kid or adults hailing from anywhere else.

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #swampstory it was a nostalgiac delight!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hilarious cast of characters and a fast-moving storyline that kept me guessing (and laughing!) all the way through. Swamp Story is an easy-to-read, imaginative trip to the Everglades and the perfect light-hearted book for spring/summer!

Dave Barry’s “Swamp Story” is an utterly absurd read, perfect for pure escapism and fun. Each plot twist pulls the novel's characters (and readers) further out of reality and deeper into a world where anything can happen: a man in a Dora-the-Explorer head convinces the world he's a mellon monster (the guys with the bright idea to cash in on the phenomenon can't spell), a chiropractor/inventor claims his tanning bed is a time machine, and villains are whomped in the head with bars of solid gold. Barry’s writing is brisk and well-suited to the rapid-fire pace of the story. This book is reminiscent of early Carl Hiaasen novels: nothing too serious or dark, just a comic satire that targets social media, human greed and the chaotic state of Florida. The perfect caper novel.

Are you laughing after reading that description? I laughed my way through this entire book. This is dark humor with really evil bad guys but we just feel that Jesse and baby Willa will be okay. Poor Jesse, she has no one to help her so baby Willa goes everywhere with Jesse in her baby carrier even running from the bad guys. Yes, this book is very over-the-top and the author asks us to suspend our disbelief over and over. However, I couldn't help but have an achy smile face while I read the entire book. I especially like how the author wrapped up ALL the loose ends. Delightful!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Swamp story is a very silly story filled with bizarre scenarios and quirky characters. The plot is all around a woman living in the Everglades who finds a treasure. The story was interesting yet I found it slow going at time. I just wasn’t invested in finding out what happened. So I could have stopped reading at any time.

The pros - it was quite funny in parts. Some of the descriptions I could picture and found I laughed out loud a several times. It was the humor that kept me reading. I liked the tie up of what happened to the characters at the end.

The cons - there isn’t a very deep story line. Also, it is quite gory in parts, especially for a novel that is so heavy on humor.

Overall - if you are looking for a light, funny read disguised as a caper you will absolutely enjoy this.

Swamp Story
By Dave Barry
Pub Date May 2
Simon & Schuster
Humor fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion,
I’ve never read Barry’s fiction before and this one was good.
If you could use a laugh I think you will enjoy this one,
4 stars

I have read Dave Barry books before and knew he was very funny. So was this twisted tale, I had a few good laughs, Other than being funny, the story was a little weird for me. 3 stars.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own,