Rating: 
Summary: Funny, absurd, and message-bearing
Review: The scene is Florida, an ecologically beautiful state under the constant threat of development. A group of lobbyists, perverts, and other pitiful people is trying to develop an island into a golf course. A furious eco-terrorist is out to stop them.Carl Hiaasen's Sick Puppy is a cocktail of crazy characters, ranging from the sexual pervert Robert Clapey (who has acquired two Eastern European, "rhino sex powder" addicted women and plans to transform them into living Barbies) to Twilly Spree (a disturbed eco-terrorist who hunts people down for trashing the planet in some way). There's Mr. Gash, a hit man who meets his end in a sort of poetic justice involving a 911 call. Then there's the antagonist, Palmer Stoat, a lobbyist for the governor who thinks nothing of throwing trash out his car window and sleeping with prostitutes while drunk (and married). But behind this laughfest of a book is a serious message, a message about all of the Palmer Stoats out there who technically run our government. Hiaasen seems to be saying that in our present society, anti-environmental lobbyists are making decisions for us, and that corrupt, back-stabbing politicians are the most effective. Sick Puppy is a sick, twisted, riotously funny book to be enjoyed by anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Check your decency at the door.
Review: Hiaasen has done it yet again. Sick puppy does a brilliant job painting a comedic image of the American Tragedy. Many readers will be offended by the brutal honesty that Hiaasen brings to bear. To some, Twilly's obssesion with brutal and unyeilding punishment of stupidity may hit a little close to home... to the rest of us, you may find yourself wishing you could lend a hand as Twilly destroys fine German machinery. This is a slightly easier to swallow pill than Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, however the message in this riotous escapade remains deadly serious.
Rating:
Summary: In one word...
Review: Hilarious. I could not put this book down. I found myself laughing outloud at many times during this book. This is my first book by this author but I am going to explore his other works.
Rating: 
Summary: competent product from the Hiaasen factory...
Review: No doubt about it. Carl Hiaasen can produce some wickedly funny fiction. Some of his one-liners, although frequently quite rude, are hilarious. And some of his characterizations and story lines, such as in his 'Strip Tease' and 'Skin Tight', are very well-crafted indeed. But sadly, too often Hiaasen seems to recycle characters and plots ... as with Sick Puppy. 'Sick Puppy' is much like Hiaasen's 'Native Tongue', 'Tourist Season', and 'Double Whammy'. In fact, all three seem like identical clones. The stories involve corrupt politicians and businessmen who willfully or negligently trash the Florida ecosystem, with eco-warriors (including Hiaasen's favorite: Skink, an ex-Florida governor) battling to save the day. Yes, all funny enough. But I get the sense Hiaasen has either gotten lazy or is suffering from writer's block. Will he ever return to the form he had when he wrote the brilliant 'Skin Tight'? Bottom line: competent, funny ... but very deja vu.
Rating: 
Summary: Humour With A Serious Side
Review: It all starts when Twilly Spree witnesses Palmer Stoat littering while driving along on of Florida's highways. Twilly has always had a problem managing his anger, and watching Stoat's thoughtless act just makes him mad as hell. And when Twilly's mad, people just have to be taught a lesson. From this improbable scenario we are led on a journey that ranges from madcap to wryly amusing. Scarcely hidden beneath the humorous façade lies a serious commentary on the ecological fragility of Florida. Palmer Stoat is a political lobbyist and is instrumental in the approval for redevelopment of Toad Island, an act that will destroy the environment and wipe out all native wildlife. Of course, now that Twilly's on Stoat's tail, the redevelopment is sure to run less than smoothly. This is another very entertaining effort from Carl Hiaasen, made even more so by the reappearance of Clinton Tyree, the former governor who has fully embraced nature and is now known as "Skink". Of all Hiaasen's characters, Tyree is the most enjoyable purely for the knowledge that when he's around, the unorthodox is bound to happen. From an unusual beginning and amusing middle we arrive at a very clever ending that can best be described as containing the epitome of poetic justice. For all Hiaasen fans, Sick Puppy should not fail to disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read all year!
Review: This is the first Hiaasen novel I've ever read, but it will not be the last! I laughed my way through the entire book, delighted with the satiric muckraking. The characters, while somewhat cartoon-ish, were well developed and intriguing.
As a progressive, I found "Sick Puppy" to be a much needed vacation from the rather stifling current political atmosphere.
Rating:
Summary: What a surprise!
Review: I read that Hiaasen was one of the favourite authors of Terry Pratchett, so when I found in a second hand store this book I bought, just to check.
Well, what a surprise. I liked it more than I expected.
Now I am still reading the book but I know I will look forward for mor Hiaasens.
Rating:
Summary: Take a look at the story, do you see yourself?
Review: Carl Hiaasen has brought the absurdest style to life in this wonderful tale. The purpose of such a style is to bring forth a view by magnifying it so much, the subject matter becomes a caricature of itself. "Sick Puppy" does this in a delightful way. Who else would come up with the idea of two "Barbie" models hooked on rhinoceros horn? Or the hit man who gets his jollies from listening to recordings of 911 tapes? Woven through the book, Boodle provides a view that is above it all by doing what dogs do best - being themselves. He doesn't care what his name is, or who is around, or where he is. Everything is an opportunity to explore new smells, maybe find some food, or chase another animal. The book is rich with characters; human, canine, toad, and rhinoceros.
Rating:
Summary: Great Dog
Review: Carl Hiaasen is a master in writing true satire. I have loved every book of his I have read.
Rating: 
Summary: *shoulder shrug*
Review: Eh. So-so. It's a shame to see the character of Skink reduced to a cardboard cutout of his former self. It may be time for a different formula. The author has ridden this one to death.
| 
