Wrecker is a descendant of many generations of wreckers, men who dive onto shipwrecks to salvage whatever is left. He loves being on the water and spends a lot of time fishing from his own boat. One day, he finds a wrecked boat and the men on it pay him to pull them off a shoal. They give him a lot of money for it too. But, afterward, they want him to keep helping them with their activities, which Wrecker suspects involve smuggling. He and his friend, Willi, keep encountering the men. They are hanging out in a cemetery where Wrecker has a job cleaning a tombstone each week. When they want him to guard the tomb of their friend, he suspects they are up to something.

The setting on Key West is interesting because it's an island and life is centered around the ocean. Wrecker is of mixed race and encounters some racism, which the author weaves into the story. I liked how the historical incidents were related to modern things in the story. It brought a lot of depth to both Willi and Wrecker's characters. The story also mentions preserving the habitat around the island, since large cruise ships come into the bay and stir up a lot of sediment, which coats marine life and endangers the animals. Wrecker's sister is involved in trying to stop this damage.

The story gets moving into more action as things with the smugglers come to a head. Wrecker and Willi come up with a good solution for their problem. It is creative.

I enjoyed this book. It has a lot of different elements that come together and make it appealing to read. The suspense involving what the teens would do to get out from under the thumb of the smugglers worked well. I liked how the author also wove in the elements of Wrecker's family drama to bring the character to life. The reveal about Willi's ancestor is also intriguing. Willi is a great strong female character.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it for adults as well as young adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Valdez Jones VIII, aka Wrecker, spends most of his time on the water. Though he was born decades too late to join the former family business, shipwreck salvaging, the ocean is in his blood. Out on the water one day, he runs into a grounded boat. He's unable to help them out, but they throw him some cash anyway, and say to forget he ever saw them. Definitely suspicious. He's not the kind of guy to fall in with crowd, but unfortunately they want him to be. And it's hard to say no to these guys...

I did enjoy this read, minus the covid stuff. Personally, I really dislike reading fiction set during the Pandemic, so I wish this had been set any other time and had focused on some other smuggling issue. However, the information on shipwrecks and Key West history were quite interesting. I also appreciate the environmental message. Wrecker is a protagonist that you can root for, and I liked the realistic family dynamics between him and each of his family members. The mystery plot kept me engaged. Makes me want to pick up Hoot again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wrecker comes from a long line of shipwreck divers who recovered cargo from sunken vessels before modern machinery was available. While out on the water fishing off the coast of Key West, he encounters a speed boat that has run aground on a sand bar. When he attempts to help them, Wrecker ends up in a shady business relationship he doesn't know how to get out of.

Let me start by saying I'm a Carl Hiassen fan. I love the environmental bent of his novels set in Florida with offbeat plots and a sense of humor, and Wrecker is no exception. Hiassen also skillfully weaves in the legacy of racism in Key West as the mixed-race MC and his black friend Willi attempt to solve the mystery of Silver Moustache's illegal activities.

This is a fast-paced mystery with heart and depth. His teen characters are relatable and genuine with their emotions and missteps. There is minority and disabled representation, conservation awareness, and an examination of how history affects future generations, all wrapped up in an entertaining story that will stick with you long after you read the final page.

Carl Hiaasen
Wrecker
Awesome characters, great storyline. A truly wonderful book! It was a delight to read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgallery and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Carl Hiaasen has done it again. A rousing good story for middle grade that is one even reluctant readers would get involved in. Unfortunately this one does not have much staying power because in a few years middle grade students will not understand all the trauma about whether or not you had a vaccination card. I received an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review.

Bestselling author Carl Hiaasen yet again gives readers a quirky and entertaining story. "Wrecker" isn't just for a young audience. The absence of overplayed violence, foul language and gratitious sex makes it a fun read for all ages.

Valdez Jones VII, named after generations of salvage divers, goes by the nickname Wrecker in Key West, Florida. Though he's only 15, he wants to be a diver, not a deadbeat like his guitar-playing deadbeat dad. When he and friend Mimi end up in the crosshairs of some crooks, they come up with a plan to catch the bad guys and help save the coastal environment.

It's a great read for a relaxing weekend by the fireplace or a quick trip to the beach.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my opinion.

I absolutely had the best time reading this young adult adventure story. This was so good and I think any reader would like this book and that they can connect with Valdez. So amazing. 5 star read for sure.
I just reviewed Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen. #Wrecker #NetGalley
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I will be purchasing as any Hiaasen book is sure to attract a few readers, but this one was not as engaging as many of his previous books for young readers. I found it got off to a bit of a slow start and had a number of tangents intended more for adults audiences.

DNF at 39%

I kept trying, but it never got any more believable or any more interesting. It felt very preachy. There was more lecture than story. It was not what I expected at all and I can't find the patience to finish it.

Wrecker is a salvager. One day he happens upon some men stranded in a speedboat. He tries to help them, but ultimately is paid to forget he ever saw them. However, he keeps seeing them around everywhere and becomes determined to uncover what they are doing.

Another good one by Hiaasen!

Although my students will grab it up because it’s Carl Hiassen, it didn’t contain the usual depth and humor of his previous books for teens. Students will like the quirky characters, humor, and fast-paced, thriller type crime story and the Key West setting, though.

I liked this book and think it will hook middle grade readers. I will definitely add it to my classroom library and recommend to students who like stories with a strong protagonist and lots of adventure.

Fun story for preteens and early teens. Wrecker lives on Key West, where he has his own boat, a few odd jobs, and trouble with his parents. He accidentally gets involved with smugglers, who smuggle a very unusual item. The descriptions of Key West are beautiful and clear, bringing the island alive as few authors can. I think most young people will enjoy spending time with Wrecker. Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC.

This book is supposedly for ages 10 and up but the main characters are 15. The whole story read like pro vaccine propaganda and hit you over the head with it repeatedly. There was some family dynamics that would be interesting to discuss but the mystery was just so so, not interesting, I got bored with it. I honestly don't think a 10 year old would get into this book or any tween for that matter. The ending was wrapped up in a nice bow. However, I think the author missed the boat with this one (pun intended).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Wrecker, by Carl Hiaasen. Hiaasen is a must-read author for me and this was a great addition to his body of work. I appreciated the adventure and humor-both musts for the middle grade crowd. Hiaasen is a gem and we should all be thankful he is still churning out great work!

Great MG read about Wrecker, a young teen who adopts the name because his distant relatives salvaged shipwrecks. He accidentally becomes tangled with smugglers and has to figure out the best way to untangle himself without getting killed.

Definitely a quick read, though I struggled through the historical parts, as I wanted to get back to the smuggling!

Takes place during the COVID pandemic and there is quite a bit of concern about receiving the vaccine.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers for this ARC!

I really enjoyed what I read of the book. Sadly i wasn't able to finish. I recomend this book for more mature young adults. The inclusion of the pandemic was an intresting touch but I don't know if future readers will understand the way things were during the pandemic without a backstory, with that said the story as a wole might not hold water with readers in the future, but for now it is a great story; however with graphic information that might be triggers to sensitive readers it best read by the more mature ones.

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.

Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen is a joy ride of a MG book. I liked this book because I became attached to Wrecker and his adventures with gangsters, a cemetery, a girl who he insists isn’t his girlfriend, his boat which he fishes from, as well as a whole host of quirky characters in his life.

I did find myself skimming the real or made-up history in the book. I personally am not a fan of history in general, so some readers may find this part appealing. I became unnerved and almost didn’t finish when a lynching by the KKK of a black man who lived with a white woman was described in detail.

I’m glad I didn’t give up, as the ending was more than satisfying. As always, I enjoyed the environmental message that Carl Hiaasen has in all his books. This message was about how large cruise ships come to port in Key West and dredge up sediment that kills the reefs. Wrecker’s sister Suzanne is the leader of the resistance group.

Wrecker faces danger much of the time, but like most MG, you know the main character isn’t going to die so I didn’t worry about his fate too much.

I recommend this book to fans of Carl Hiaasen, those who like books full of adventure, and those looking for a good environmental message to learn more about.

Another great Carl Hiaasen title for Middle Grade. I really enjoy the way he pulls the subject matter from the headlines. Wrecker's story takes place after vaccines have become available for the pandemic, but the mistrust in those vaccines creates problems for those refusing to get vaccinated. Never one to ignore environmental issues, Carl Hiaasen's latest story takes on the damage caused by large cruise ships entering fragile shoreline of south Florida. Most of the story is seamless and is an outstanding read.