Florida Roadkill

Rating:
Summary: A Clear Winner
Review: This whole series of books by Tim Dorsey can be described as a twisted and funny study on the dark side in all of human beings. Tim Dorsey manages to take everyday situations and make them incredibly funny. Based in Florida, the series follows the twisted life of Serge Storms (one of the best characters ever created) and all his sick, violent and disturbed adventures. Of course, along the way you will get to meet every kind of character you can imagine.

The interesting thing about this series is that behind all the funny stories, there are tons of social and political criticisms. I have read all the books in the series, and each one keeps getting better. If you are a fan of Quentin Tarantino movies, or South Park cartoons, you will love these books. A must buy.




Rating:
Summary: LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY!
Review: Tim Dorsey has joined that small cadre of writers (Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard, Dave Barry) who make me laugh at the state I grew up in. FLORIDA ROADKILL is outrageous, sometimes ludicrous, but downright funny. I had to move into another room to read the book at night because my laughing kept waking my wife up. Dorsey's characters are hysterical, magnifying the best and worst of human behavior to the utter extreme. His descriptions of Florida, especially Tampa (my hometown), are so dead on I thought I was reading a travel guide. My only real issue is that the plot does take a backseat on occasion as Dorsey pulls out all the stops introducing characters, throwing them together in a neverending series of bizarre encounters, dropping them off and then picking them up again later in the narrative. It's easily forgivable, though, when you're laughing so hard at Dorsey's over-the-top descriptions that your sides hurt. I can't wait for the sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Not in the same league
Review: Tim Dorsey's "Florida Road Kill" doesn't belong in the same league, or even bookshelf, as Carl Hiaasen, Lawrence Shames, James Hall, Jimmy Buffett and Randy Wayne White. These guys really know how to delve into the Florida psyche. Dorsey has used all of the crazy Florida eco-terrorist/politico/bimbo/fisherman/hunter/tourist stereotype plot lines, most borrowed from the above authors, in one single book. What you get is a confusing story with a lot of gratuitous violence and bloodshed thrown in. You don't even care what happens to the main characters. Yes, there are some funny parts, which is why this didn't get the dreaded one-star rating. My advice? Throw this one out and start with "Double Whammy" or "Welcome to Paradise". Lots better story telling with a lot less blood and guts. You might even want to visit Florida after that!