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Skinny Dip
by Carl Hiaasen


8.5

based on 19 reviews
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based on 4 votes
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The latest comedic thriller from novelist and Miami Herald columnist Hiaasen centers on a biologist who's polluting the Everglades, the wife he attempted to kill, and her rescuer--an ex-cop who helps her plot revenge.

Knopf, 368 pages
07/13/2004
$24.95

ISBN: 0375411089

Fiction
General Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers

All reviews are classified as one of five grades: Outstanding (4 points), Favorable (3), Mixed (2), Unfavorable (1) and Terrible (0). To calculate the Metascore, we divide total points achieved by the total points possible (i.e., 4 x the number of reviews), with the resulting percentage (multiplied by 100) being the Metascore. Learn more...

Booklist

Chock-full of belly laughs and blistering truths. [1 May 2004, p.1514]

Entertainment Weekly Mark Harris

Writers who can construct a wide-ranging plot without losing sight of the mystery at its center are rare; Hiaasen is one.

Los Angeles Times Scott M. Morris

A whopping cannonball splash of fun.

The New York Times Janet Maslin

A screwball delight so full of bright, deft, beautifully honed humor that it places Mr. Hiaasen in the company of Preston Sturges, Woody Allen and S. J. Perelman.

The New York Times Book Review Marilyn Stasio

'Skinny Dip'' has the eccentric secondary characters who lend lunatic charm to Hiaasen's slapstick plots.

The Onion A.V. Club Scott Tobias

A confident and determinedly wacky piece of Southern grotesquerie.

Washington Post Michael Dirda

Skinny Dip follows a traditional caper script, and one never really fears for any of the good guys; one simply waits to see how the baddies will receive their comeuppance.

Kirkus Reviews

Bitingly satirical, sublimely zany, and deeply satisfying. [15 May 2004, p.460]

Library Journal

One of Hiassen's best. [1 Jun 2004, p.122]

The Globe And Mail [Toronto] Margaret Cannon

Another riotous Hiaasen romp.

The Guardian Maxim Jakubowski

Nobody does this sort of nonsense better than Hiaasen, but the novel suffers from over-familiarity.

The New Republic Sacha Zimmerman

Skinny Dip's failure to be a traditional noir is the secret to its success as a comedy. It's not suspenseful so much as it is endlessly amusing.

Publishers Weekly

Hiaasen's books are so enjoyable it's always a sad moment when they end. In this case, however, sadness is mixed with puzzlement because the book seems to end in mid-scene. [10 May 2004, p.34]

Boston Globe Carlo Wolff

Never fails to move and entertain.

Daily Telegraph Toby Clements

The first few chapters of this novel are full of energy... but his romance is mawkish and faintly embarrassing.

Houston Chronicle John W. Royal

Skinny Dip is not a bad novel. It reads quickly. The pages turn. One wants to like it. With a lesser writer, this book might even be called a success. But with Hiaasen, something more is expected.

Sydney Morning Herald Ed Wright

This is not Hiaasen's most keen work.

The Economist

An insidious preachiness gets the better of the jokes.

Chicago Sun-Times Randy Michael Signor

The most annoying thing, to me, is the waste of talent and the author's contempt for his readers.

The average user rating for this book is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dan B. gave it an8:
For this sort of pop fiction, it's definitely good. It has it's fair share of cheese, unfortunately, and some of the writing could use a tightening up, but still--entertaining, and humorous, if not funny.

Paul D gave it a10:
Hilarious, an excellent read.

C W gave it a7:
Typical Hiaasen, while limited in scope, it is still highly entertaining and worth the cover price.

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Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen

Skinny Dip
by Carl Hiaasen