Rating: 
Summary: Very funny, no attempt at depth
Review: This book is a great romp from beginning to end. As the author notes in the "Acknowledgements and Warning," however, this is not a book for kids.Although my edition runs 255 pages, it actually reads about 1/2 that length -- it has big type and lots of white space. And it reads really fast because it is a heck of a lot of fun (and I'm not making that up). I read it in one day (I was home from work -- "sick"). My recommendation is: If you are anything like me (and, if so, you have my deepest sympathies), you will love this book. For those who enjoy this book, I offer the following recommendation: Barry's narrative style (especially in the 1st half of the novel) reminded me of that of Tom Sharpe, a Britisher who wrote a bunch of comic novels in the 1970s and 1980s. They were published in paperback in the US by Vintage in the mid-1980s, and may be the funniest novels ever written in English...
Rating: 
Summary: What a dog!
Review: And I don't mean Roger--I mean this whole book! Underdeveloped characters, radical shifts in tone, clumsy plotting, uninspired dialogue, and ham-handed intrusion of the humor columnist's (as opposed to the novelist's) voice in the narrative all combine to sink this book. It was like Barry made up his mind to write a novel, started it, then couldn't wait to get it off his desk. And I can't believe that Barry's buddies Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard, with whom he consulted when he needed help finishing this book, didn't take him aside and tell him it stank; they did him, and us readers who spent good money on this book, no favors by pretending it was good!
Rating:
Summary: Ferociously Funny ?
Review: All this booked lacked was the Marx brothers and the Three Stooges. To call this a "Ferociously Funny Novel of Love and Mayhem" is like describing a root canal as a mildly uncomfortable experience. The characters re-defined uninteresting and the plot had the depth of a parking lot puddle.I kept waiting for the good part and at each turn another moron showed up and added to the galactic stupidity of this novel. If I sound like I did not enjoy this book it is only due to the fact that I really did not enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: 255 Page Sunday Comic
Review: All women are smart. Men are slow. Criminals are stupid. Police officers can never figure out what is going on. Criminals are Italian. Parents don't understand teenagers. Teenagers think their parent's aren't cool. Dave Barry manages to write a 255 page book with all the generalities and depth of the Sunday comics. The plot is simplistic and the characters thin and the stereotypes well known and not funny. Dave Barry manages to rehash the same material he has been using for years . . . most of it humerous on its own but hard to take in book form.
Rating: 
Summary: Very funny but a bit uneven
Review: Dave Barry is a great humorist and his first novel is no exception to that label, but I think that he was clued into what his major problem was going to be in his introduction where he talks about his problem with plotting. Not that the plot is bad, but the tone with which he writes seems to shift midway through the book and he starts drifting more and more into the sarcasm that he's famous for. It's very funny and enjoyable, but it's a bit disconcerting. The other thing that was kind of surprising was that it moves fast. Really, really fast. In fact, I think I read the whole thing in one day, which shows you that there's no messing around with the stuff that usually bogs down most first-time novelists.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, funny, funny
Review: I couldn't put this book down, but I had to get out of bed to finish it, because I kept waking my husband up when I had to laugh out loud. Not many books can make me do that. Nice feeling for characters, too. Anyone who likes Barry's columns will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Take a ride with Barry to Zanyville!
Review: This book was a blast to read. The plot was outrageous, but everything fit together very well. It follows along the lines of a Leonard or Hiassen book, but its a bit wackier perhaps, not as subtle. Barry comes out swinging for the fence in this one, and although the writing itself is not quite as good as Hiassen, etc.(it is his first novel after all), the book doent't miss a beat. The characters themselves are not really well defined, but the book takes place over only a day or two, so that isn't a big problem. The book is more plot and dialogue driven anyway. I noticed that many people were complaining about the language in the book, but I feel that is ridiculous and unjustified - stop being such prudes! Some of the characters are pretty shady guys - I don't think that they would likely speak politely. The only complaint was the ending in the airport seemed a bit rushed, and kind of jumbled. It could have been handled much better. But nonetheless, it is a very enjoyable book with a lot of laughs.
Rating:
Summary: A True Comic Relief
Review: I was feeling down, and this book most definitely perked me up. By reading some of the other reviews, I was perplexed by those who turned their noses up and rolled their eyes at this humorous page-turner. If you're picking up a Dave Barry book, don't expect Dickens! Lighten up! Have some laughs! In fact, have lots! I think anyone who has a teenager or any teenager who has a single parent will find this story quite amusing; it was a very creative plot, filled with coincidence, but then, isn't that how life really is? Great story, Dave.
Rating:
Summary: Big Trouble
Review: One of few books that can make you laugh every few pages. Only second book I have bought and sent to all of my adult children and friends. Rave reviews from all.
Rating:
Summary: One Word "Funny"
Review: This being Dave Barry's first shot at fiction, I was very surprised at the outcome. Even though it is modeled after a Carl Hiaasen novel, it is almost up to par with Hiaasen's best. This wacky-Florida novel groups a cast of characters, whose strangness, simpleness and quirkeness show that Barry can do fiction. The plot has a few holes, but Barry makes up with it with great character presentation. This is a must read for those who love this genre, and for those who love Dave Barry. Don't let the fact that it is fiction scare you away from reading one of America's top humorist. The book is not for younger readers. The language is a bit rough, and Barry mentions this in the onset of the book. There is a lot of adolscent humor which may un-nerve a few readers. If you don't like books were people wet their pants stay away. If you do want a laugh a page quick read pick this up right away
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