Happy Publication Day to Wrecker and @carl_hiaasen!
Wrecker is another compelling book for middle grade readers by Newbury Honor Winner Carl Hiaasen. The title character, Wrecker is a teen living in Key West with ambitions of salvaging shipwrecks…. Or at least exploring them. Wrecker, aka Valdez Jones, VIII, is from a divorced family with an absentee father, Valdez VII who makes an appearance in the book, but also welcomes some accidental success in the music industry. His mother is remarried living close by and Wrecker lives with his sister.
Wrecker has a part-time job cleaning a headstone in the local cemetery, which he does at night. He encounters some smuggling bandits when they have run their speedy boat aground while he is out fishing. He helps them out and then keeps running into them in the most random places across Key West. Getting tangled up in their lawlessness was not in his plans. He must use his diving, fishing, and boat driving skills to get out of their business.
Wrecker is a well written book that will appeal to middle-grade readers, particularly boys, but also will appeal to girls. The female lead character has some strong personality traits that will endear her to both boys and girls. The book is full of fun, adventure, suspense, and teaches some well intentioned lessons. I appreciate how well the post-Covid Pandemic world was portrayed and made things like masks, virtual school, and vaccinations part of everyday life.
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children’s Knoph Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Wrecker by Carl Hiassen is a novel for teens that presents one of their own as a hero. Wrecker is a fifteen-year-old boy living during the pandemic with his stepsister rather than his mother and his stepfather as they are simply too much. His own biological father left when he was a toddler. Wrecker is entrepreneurial and clever. He is currently doing school remotely so it doesn’t take up much of his time. The rest of his time he spends on his boat. Not odd as he lives on an island in the Florida Keys. He fishes and dreams, mostly. He also has a job which pays $50 a week taking care of a grave. The geckos and other lizards poop wherever they like and they seems to like the cool granite of a flat headstone. The person in the grave is the long-dead sister of an old man who visits every day. She has a story, as does he. Wrecker does this at night when the cemetery is closed and locked, but that doesn’t stand in his way. Being in the cemetery leads him to do all kinds of research about the people he has found there so he spends plenty of time in the library.

Wrecker is a fabulous character. He is the kind of kid who drives teachers nuts. He is so smart that he has plenty of time to get into mischief. Distance learning is perfect for him. His family is odd, to say the least, but they are not bad people. Even his father, when he finally turns up is not a bad person. He calls himself Wrecker as several of his ancestors who dove into the ocean to recover things from sunken ships. He is an amazing character. Well-rounded and well-thought-out. The plot exists but it really takes second place to Wrecker’s adventures in and around the Keys. He doesn’t have lots of friends, but the ones he has are important and he takes care of them. It makes me wonder what his life will be like. I totally recommend this book for anyone who wants to read it, teen or adult.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Wrecker by Random House Children’s, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHouseChildrens #CarlHiassen #Wrecker

Thank you to Random House Children's / Knopf Books publishers and NetGalley for inviting me to read this wonderful advanced copy of a Carl Hiaasen novel.

Wrecker is Valdez the Eighth, descendent of the first Valdez who salvaged ruins hundreds of years ago in the Florida Keys. Wrecker unknowingly recuses a criminal whose boat is stuck while Wrecker is fishing. Meanwhile, Wrecker is living with his step sister during the pandemic lockdown. His mother and her father refused to be vaxxed until her father caught Covid and had to be in the ICU.

Wrecker has several after school jobs, including cleaning a grave at the cemetery. Wrecker meets a girl, Willi, with a dark secret in the past. Because Wrecker recused the criminal, Silver Mustache, he is hired to clean the grave of Mr. Vachs. Wrecker and Willi work together to give the criminals their comeuppance. The criminals took advantage of the pandemic. Wrecker's stepsister and her group are trying to protect the Key West from the Big Cruise Ships.

Loved how the author used humor and satire to deal with the injustices happening in the Key West.

Valdez Jones III calls himself Wrecker because his great-great=great-great-great grandfather salvaged shipwrecks. He comes across a speedboat that has run onto the sand and the men ask Wrecker not to call for help. They actually pay him to forget that he saw them. Now Wrecker is intrigued as to what these men are up to. He keeps seeing them all over and then they ask for her help. He can't really say no but has to figure out a way out of this mess!

Adventure meets mystery and thriller- all wrapped up in the perfect package. Middle grade readers will love this book! Kept me guessing and wanting to read more. Set in a time that they are familiar with and have heard possible stories about- Covid and vaccine cards. Think this is a great adventurous thriller to add to Carl Hissan’s resume! Enjoyed it and will be buying it for our library ASAP!

As a middle school teacher, for many years during our Environmental unit, our 7th graders read the Carl Hiaasen book, Hoot, and enjoyed it. Students are always looking for similar novels by Hiaasen.

Wrecker is another Hiaasen novel that combines interesting characters interacting with the environment in Florida; this time the setting is in Key West. Hiassen explores such topics as the Covid 19 pandemic and Illness, virtual school, family drama, racism, smuggling, and the history of Key West including diving for shipwrecks. Valdez Jones VIII “Wrecker”, the 15 year old quirky main character, discovers a speed boat stuck in the sandy shallow water during low tide. The men on the boat pay Wrecker not to tell anyone about their boat problems, Wrecker is glad to not get involved with the men on the boat, but he keeps running into them in Key West. Somehow Wrecker ends up as a lookout for the shady crew. Wrecker and his friend Willi experience some wild adventures.

Wrecker is a complex character trying to figure out his role in his family while examining environmental concerns and moral values. The book kept my interest but moved back and forth between places a little too much. I would have loved a little more exploration of huge cruise ships and pollution. I would recommend the book to middle school students but would not use it as a part of my reading curriculum.

Thank you NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wrecker will take you on a wild ride around Key West and will get you wrapped up in all kinds of trouble! Buckle up and hang on, because you are going to love this adventure. And you are going to learn something, too, I guarantee it!

I will read anything by Carl Hiaasen. He has written another winner this time as well. Geared toward middle grades to young adult to adults, most readers will be intrigued by the story of Valdez Jones VIII, better known as Wrecker. His family, dating back to his many greats-grandfathers, have been salvagers of boats along the Florida coast for many years. Due to Covid, Wrecker is doing school from home. One of his after-school jobs is keeping the iguana poop off a certain gravestone, which requires daily scrubbing. For this he is paid by an elderly gentleman who explains nothing to him, but pays regularly. The rest of the time, Wrecker is usually out in his boat, fishing, just hanging out when he is through with his school day. He lives with his half-sister and she trusts him to be responsible.

Out on the water one day, he comes across a stranded boat and the adventure takes off from there. It involves staking out a graveyard (not part of his regular iguana poop removal), making sure that a certain burial vault is not disturbed. He ferries certain people out to meet other people and boats, and/or going to remote islands. Packages get delivered and Wrecker realizes he might be in for more adventure than he thought. And who or what is really buried in that vault at the cemetery?

Hiaasen ties in a perfect amount of Florida Keys history and creates a novel that middle grades and young adult readers will enjoy reading.

Where was Skink?!?!?!

Skink is one of my favorite fictional characters and is a regular in Hiaasen’s books, but unfortunately he didn’t make an appearance in Wrecker. This was a good book, but I’m disappointed Skink didn’t make it in.

As a middle school teacher, I've always enjoyed Carl Hiaasen's writing, so I jumped at the opportunity provided by Net Galley to read and review an advanced copy of his newest book, Wrecker. I absolutely loved the story and found the narrative captivating from beginning to end! This was a book I could not put down and I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours, driven by the need to find out the fate of our friends Wrecker, Silver Mustache, and Willi.

The story centers around Wrecker, a 15-year-old growing up in Key West, Florida during the recent pandemic. While fishing one day, Wrecker encounters a suspicious boat that raises some red flags. With the help of a fellow classmate, Wrecker tries to out-maneuver the owners of the boat all while trying to navigate living through a pandemic, virtual schooling, saving Key West from the cruise line industry, and his rocky relationship with his father.

Overall, I think that this is a story that will be enjoyed by many different types of readers, but especially someone looking for a fast-paced adventure laced with a little history.

Carl Hiaasen writes a book that is very much grounded in the events of the past few years with topics around the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinations, and the history of violence against people of color. If that sounds like a heavy book or like the news headlines, don’t worry too much because you are in safe hands with Mr. Hiaasen. He finds a way to work those topics into a Florida adventure with Wrecker, a high school student who really is one of the good guys. Wrecker is smart and has a big heart so it is easy to get behind him as a character. There is peril, some mystery, and adventure. This book is definitely a great pick for middle grade and high school students.

It wouldn’t be a Hiaasen novel if it wasn’t also a love letter to Florida and with an implicit plea to protect its waters, creatures, and environment. (Readers may now think twice before hopping on a gargantuan cruise ship.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I’ve been a fan of Carl Hiaasen ever since I was babysitting in college and found a big stack of his paperbacks in the living room of the family I was working for. I borrowed several and fell in love with his writing. Hiassen’s writing is SO Florida - I grew up in the Panhandle, a world away from the South Florida settings in his novels, but I still connect with the colorful characters and kooky stories. Hiaasen can do middle-grade, young adult, and adult books so well and writes with respect for his readers, no matter their age.

Valdez Jones (aka Wrecker) is a kid who has grown up on Key West and loves nothing more than spending time in his boat on the open water. He’s an unlikely kid to get wrapped up in a smuggling and grave-robbing operation, but that’s exactly what happens to him. What the bad guys don’t realize is that they are dealing with a kid who has both a conscience and a deep respect for the history of his family and home. Wrecker has to get pretty creative and enlist some help to get out of the tangled criminal operation without any of his family getting hurt!

This is the only Covid book that I’ve actually enjoyed! I don’t like reading about what we’ve already been through, but the fast-pace of this story alongside all the moving pieces kept me from getting bogged down in my pandemic feels. This book was a very fun story to read that incorporates mystery, history, humor, and adventure! Grades 6+

Another witty, mystery story from Hiaasen. It contains action and drama for middle grader. Two great friends working together to solve the mystery. You know, crime doesn't pay! The environment is also an issue as in many of Hiaasen books especially for young people. Wrecker lives with his older stepsister in the Keys. His life is on the water. His "life of crime" starts when he find a smugglers' boat stuck on the flats. The two friends become suspicious when the smugglers guard a tomb. Wrecker is quite a brainy teen to solve it all!

The book was engaging and suspenseful. It kept me hooked until the very end. I loved the storyline and how it dealt with topics that are current. Kids will enjoy this book because of how it hooks you in.

I forgot how much I enjoy Carl Hiaasen novels! This was a fun and quick read, with all the trademark Hiaasen wit and quirk. I enjoyed all the quirky characters, and especially liked the redemption for the adults.

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Valdez Jones VIII, age 15, adopted the nickname Wrecker after his 5x-great grandfather who was a shipwreck salvager. He lives in Key West with his adult step-sister (mom and stepdad didn’t really want him in their home). One day when Wrecker is out on his boat fishing, he comes across a fancy speedboat that has run aground. The occupants of the speeder want Wrecker to tow them but his boat is too small and they won’t let him call the Coast Guard. In fact, the leader gives him a wad of cash to forget he ever saw them. Except Wrecker keeps seeing them throughout the town, including the historic cemetery where Wrecker is being paid to keep an old man’s sister’s headstone clean of iguana guano. As Wrecker is sucked into more dealings with these mystery men, he is finding it difficult to back out. The leader, whom Wrecker refers to as Silver Moustache, knows way too much about Wrecker and his blended family and after some veiled threats, Wrecker has to figure a way to extricate himself from illegal schemes.

This latest novel was clearly Hiaasen’s covid project but keeps all the intrigue and excitement of his other middle grade novels. Wrecker is a bit older than his other protagonists, making this appropriate for upper middle grade (5th) or YA. A definite read for fans or Carl Hiaasen but would also recommend for those who like a fast-paced mystery.

#Wrecker #NetGalley

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Key West was transformed from a bustling land of cruise ships back to the quiet, seaside community it once was. Fifteen-year-old Wrecker has lived on the island all his life, and he comes from a long line of explorers who searched the sea for lost treasure. Now, Wrecker has picked up where his ancestors have left off, and while balancing school and a handful of odd jobs, he finds himself discovering treasure of his own. But as his stepsister crusades to prevent the return of cruise ships to their small harbor, Wrecker finds himself sinking ever deeper into the turmoil of a complex and dangerous situation, and he must call upon all his skills to navigate his circumstances safely.

This intriguing young adult novel is written in an incredibly mature fashion. From the vocabulary to the writing style to the characters themselves, this book leans into the inherent maturity found in many young readers and provides a story that respects both their intellect and their interests. Based around the true conflict of climate destruction from cruise ships in Key West and the painful realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, this tale is at once accessible and fanciful. And since it is written in the first person, readers are not initially guaranteed a safe ending for Wrecker. Fans of historical fiction will appreciate the depth and complexity of this tale that is recent enough to be deeply poignant while simultaneously incorporating true historical facts.

Wrecker is not very old, but for his years he is wise. Living with his stepsister, Wrecker no longer feels comfortable with his mother or her new husband, and his father left unceremoniously when he was small. So, Wrecker has embraced his lineage of seafarers and spends time on the water and helping others in his small community. Young adult readers who have had to rely primarily upon themselves will find a kinship with Wrecker, while others will observe his way of life with understanding as the story unfolds. Intriguing characters, mysteries, and dangerous situations keep readers engaged throughout the narrative. This is an excellent addition to library collections for young readers, and it is a book that will easily fit into classroom discussion, as well.

Y/A-only-means-no-gratuitous-erotica, fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, history, history-and-culture, conservation, ecology, Florida Keys, quarantine, covid, crime-fiction, disability, verbal-humor, mystery, smuggling, coercion, friendship, fast-pace*****

Wrecker is a young man with a fractured family and a family history that is encompassed by the sea.
The story moves along quickly and the characters are so very real, as are some awful pieces of history that are told. It grabbed me by the imagination and held me there til the end. Another win for an excellent writer!
I requested and received an EARC from Random House Children's/Knopf Books for Young Readers via NetGalley. Thank you!

Loved it. I hope the expected audience of youth discover this book and enjoy it as well. The protagonist may be a 15 year old, but that just added to the charm for this senior citizen. Thanks to publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Wrecker, by Carl Hiaasen, was a pleasure to read. Set during Covid, Wrecker, a young boy who came from a line of family members that recovered wrecked ships, finds himself in quite the predicament with a mysterious man he has a run in with. With the help from a friend, Wrecker races to unravel the man’s plans before anything bad can happen. Hiaasen is at his best with his latest novel and I would highly recommend for the young adult crowd. The only thing is that there are some mature themes in this book that might not appropriate for all young readers. Recommended for grades 8th-12th. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 stars out of 5!