Rating: 
Summary: Fast paced and hilarious.
Review: The narrative of Stormy Weather unfolds like a soap opera on LSD. In it, Carl Hiaasen skillfully interweaves several plot threads each riotously funny in its own right.
With a hurricane ravaged Miami as backdrop, the author uses a large cast of colorfully bizarre characters to expertly lampoon life in South Florida.
Found among the many subplots are the following:
While on his honeymoon, New York ad man Max Lamb is abducted. Not by space aliens but by a scary hermit called Skink, who happens to be a former Florida governor.
As she searches for her missing husband, Bonnie, Max's bride, meets and becomes attracted to Augustine Herrera. Augustine is one of the book's more normal characters. That is if you overlook the fact he enjoys juggling human skulls for relaxation.
Two hapless con artists named Edie and Snapper take up residence in a stranger's hurricane damaged house with plans to collect the sizable insurance payoff.
A corrupt building inspector named Avila is a devoted follower of Chango, a santeria god who seems to require increasingly exotic species of animals for sacrifice.
And there's much, much more.
Stormy Weather is great satire. Filled with the most outrageous dark humor imaginable, it just drips with cynicism. Another outstanding comic novel from the warped but nimble mind of Carl Hiaasen.
Rating:
Summary: Quality Will Blow You Away!
Review: Stormy Weather is one of Hiaasen's masterpieces. Hiaasen writes simultaneous stories in the one novel where the characters all cross paths at different times. Unethical and criminal characters get their comeuppance like in all his other novels but the setting in the aftermath of a hurricane just makes Stormy Weather a bit more realistic than his other novels. I was extremely tempted to not go to work once I had started this book because it is so hard to put down. My advice is to start reading this when you have a weekend free or something as once you start reading the first page you're addicted to the fast paced surreal storyline.
In Stormy Weather a hurricane hits southern Florida wiping out trailer parks, houses and anything in its path. Looters and con artists are of course drawn like magnets trying to prosper from the victims, as are honeymooners Max and Bonny Lamb. Max drags his reluctant new bride to the devastation so he can get it all on film to impress his yuppie friends back in New York but disappears while following an escaped monkey. Ex governor now living in the wilderness Skeet knows where he is as he has taken him prisoner to teach him some lessons. Meanwhile a dishonest caravan salesman is planning on how to survive the vengeance of his customers who have lost their homes and their loved ones while con artist roofing contractors take deposits and never return to their victims until they rip off the wrong people.
Other masterpiece level Hiaasen novels are Sick Puppy, Lucky you and Skinny Dip.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark Satire of Thieves, Scam Artists and Ghouls
Review: If a hurricane doesn't do enough damage, the human scum that grows on the surface of the resulting troubles will make it infinitely worse. Carl Hiaasen covers his disgust for such low lifes with this offbeat comic novel about what happens after the hurricane of the century roars through Florida just south of Miami.
Storms bring out the best and the worst in people. If that intrigues you, this is your novel. If it disgusts you to think about how low people can stoop to take advantage of one another, skip this book.
I normally love Carl Hiaasen's books, but this one was too dark for me.
The book opens as a young couple is spending their honeymoon at Disney World. Already bored, the husband is excited about seeing the aftermath of the storm and talks his wife into heading to Miami. Once there, he pokes his video camera into everyone's misery and looks forward to sharing what he saw with his friends back in Manhattan. His new wife isn't so sure she's thrilled by what's going on.
Then all of a sudden, it goes wrong. A small creature grabs the camera, the husband follows . . . and the comic tale begins.
The book looks deeply into false sales practices for homes and mobile homes, fraud among building inspectors, crooked roof repairmen, political payoffs, crooked insurance adjusters, scam artists who prey on those who are suffering, robbers and looters. I felt overwhelmed by all of that corruption.
There's a lot of violence in this book, of the most macabre sort. That also darkens the mood.
Fortunately, Mr. Hiaasen leaves a little room for redemption. The new wife begins to see how she could improve her life and takes steps to do so. An environmentalist loves to see the storm's beauty and hopes that it will encourage people to leave Florida (that's a vain hope!). A lonely man finds love in a most unexpected way.
Through satirical slaps at human nature, a few more of the guilty escape their just rewards . . . but do bear a few scars in the process.
If you like to see criminals receive harsh treatment, this book has one of the most unusual punishments you can imagine in it.
After you have finished enjoying the book (if that's how you experience it), I hope you will think about how you can protect your family and yourself from the corrupt practices that may be going on around you.
Rating: 
Summary: Wacky, wacky stuff
Review: "Stormy Weather" is just plain wacky. Carl Hiaasen deftly casts a diverse group of characters whose only common bond is being in post-hurricane ravaged Florida. But this bond inescapably links these characters in a land of moral destitution and the book details their life changing and in some cases life ending experiences. This book walks the fine line between zany and bizarre; going just far enough to test the even the limits of fiction without going as far as insult. It keeps you laughing throughout the outlandish journey. I don't think I could stomach a steady diet of Hiaasen tales, but it hits the spot for those looking for a lite but entertaining snack. A very good story and inventive fiction. I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Another hit by Hiaasen!
Review: Hiaasen has done it again with Stormy Weather. This is the second book of his that I've read this week, and both have been a complete joy. The books revolves around a couple going through their first marital problems, and on their honeymoon of all times! A hurricane has ravaged south Florida and it brings out the worst in everyone. Hiaasen once again brings Skink into his story. Skink is a fun and colorful character that gave up on politics to live the life of a recluse in the everglades. He is appalled by what is happening to Florida and every once in a while goes off the deep end. The story is fast passed, and kept me interested from cover to cover. The characters are well developed and I found myself truly feeling for the good guys, and repulsed by the bad guys. Over all I found this to be a very easy read, and very entertaining.
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