Nature Girl

By: Carl Hiaasen

Narrated by: Lee Adams

Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Honey Santana, impassioned, willful, possibly bipolar, self-proclaimed "queen of lost causes", has a scheme to help rid the world of irresponsibility, indifference, and dinnertime sales calls. She's taking rude, gullible Relentless, Inc., telemarketer Boyd Shreave and his less-than-enthusiastic mistress, Eugenie, into the wilderness of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands for a gentle lesson in civility.

What she doesn't know is that she's being followed by her Honey-obsessed former employer, Piejack. And he doesn't know he's being followed by Honey's still-smitten, former-drug-running ex-husband, Perry, and their wise-and-protective-way-beyond-his-years 12-year-old son, Fry. And when they all pull up on Dismal Key, they don't know they're intruding on Sammy Tigertail, a half white-half Seminole failed alligator wrestler, trying like hell to be a hermit despite the Florida State coed who's dying to be his hostage.

©2006 Carl Hiaasen (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Old fans and newcomers alike should delight in Hiaasen's 11th novel, another hilarious Florida romp [with an] engaging and diverse screwball cast...Hiaasen's humorous touches and his all-too-human characters carry the book to its satisfying close." (Publishers Weekly)

Fave so far

I've read many of Hiaasen's works and this, so far, is my favorite. I just identified too much (scary) with Honey. I understood how close we all are to that nervous breakdown. So, if you want to listen to a tale of crazy-inspired revenge, life altering decisions, and some warm and humorous romance spend the credit on this one!

Just OK

Let's face it - Carl Hiaasen is a very funny writer and a good writer as well and this book starts out both good and funny, with lots of laugh out loud quips.....and then....

well...somewhere in the middle it loses itself and starts to drag and seems to go nowhere.
It's not a bad book, just certainly not up there with his best- "Skinny Dip" !
By the middle of the book I just didn't seem to care much about the characters or how they ended up...but, that being said.....I'd continue to read anything Carl Hiaasen writes because I am a big fan of his wit & writing style.

I love this book

This book speaks to me. I just love it. I've read it several times.

One of Hiaasen's Best

The characters and the story are absurdly perfect and so, so funny. Loved every minute.

Nature girl

I have owned this book for many years but it got damaged and so I ordered the Audible and it gave new perspectives to that story and the performance was great the character studies were wonderful

Couldn't stop laughing

I love Carl Hiaasen (except A DEATH IN CHINA which was probably ALL written by Bill Montalano) and this one was not a disappointment. Highly recommend if you also are a Hiaasen Fan

Typical Hiaasen

There is the not-quite-right-in-the-head protagonist and the offbeat people who love her. The even stranger antagonists, a couple of innocents wondering around to round out the story; each and every one of them carrying an offbeat, if descriptive, name. Still the author is entertaining, and the humor flows freely and naturally from the characters. Added to the main characters are bit players like an FSU coed named Gillian and a young mixed blood Seminole once known by the name of Chad McQueen now going by Sammy Tiger Tail and the phone solicitor Eugenie Fonda. As usual many bizarre not to mention highly improbable events transpire and credulity is broken over and over in the name of entertainment. If that sounds like entertainment to you you'll enjoy this one.

fabulous as usual

absolutely great carl is the best at whacky, fun characters.

Carl Hiaasen's " Nature Girl"

As always, Mr. Hiaasen's storytelling is much like the south Florida it is set in; light, airy and enjoyable as a snow cone. But, it always hints at the dark turnings that lurk underneath- undersea monsters of the unspeakable human condition; the gators and bull sharks of the ID. The love and wonder for the region is present in every syllable, and so is the ground-in cynicism of anyone who has been exposed to the worst that people can offer. Both are dished up in fair amounts.
The Narration by Mrs. Lee Adams is a joy to listen to. Her grasp of the southern accent is wonderful and well presented. Her voice is flexible and subtle,and lends the story a great deal of color, that might not be there in the hands of a lesser talent. BRAVO Lee Adams!

Hiassen at his best

This is just another in a string of great books by Carl Hiassen. The plot is engaging. The characters are full bodied and well-developed. The action is funny, and the ending is better than expected.