Wrecker

Wrecker

Carl Hiaasen

Knopf, 2023
329 pages
Grades 5-8
Mystery/Adventure

Wrecker comes from a long life of, well, wreckers. Men who salvage sunken ships for a living off of the Florida Keys. Wrecker doesn't salvage ships, but he is very comfortable on the water and has his own little boat. His part time job, besides working at the local grocery store, is cleaning an elderly eccentric's relative's grave of Iguana poop at night after the cemetery closes. This requires cloak and dagger skills that attracts the attention (along with an incident on the water) of a local smuggler, who insists that Wrecker starts working for him. Set under the backdrop of the Covid pandemic, Wrecker discovers that the smugglers are up to no good in providing a service during these troubled times. He works with his friend, Mimi, to find out exactly what the smugglers are up to and figures out a way to get out from under them. Meanwhile, his sister with whom he lives is wrapped up in protesting threats to the local environment, specifically those caused by cruise ships. How can Wrecker help in this endeavor? Further complications ensue as Wrecker's stepfather gets a serious case of Covid and his estranged biological father returns to town. Can Wrecker break free of the smugglers, maintain his friendship with Mimi and keep his family together?

Fan-favorite, Hiaasen, adds another volume to his environmental mysteries for young people. I like Hiaasen's books because they hit that middle grade sweet spot that straddles the line between children's and YA. He is the perfect seventh grade recommendation and writes books that especially appeal to boys. I like that this new story is set during the pandemic without being ABOUT the pandemic. We all had to live our lives during those few horrible years and that is exactly what Wecker is doing: getting on with it. The mystery ties in with the pandemic, making it relatable to readers who just lived through all of this. As in all of Hiaasen's books, the Florida setting is integral to the story and is almost a character unto itself. Protecting Key West's wildlife and keeping the cruise ships away is woven seamlessly into the plot, alerting young people to the problems without overwhelming the story. Wrecker and Mimi have a bit of an innocent love connection, but not until the end and it is not the point of their relationship. What is not innocent is the behavior of the smugglers and sensitive readers may not be comfortable with how the plot plays out, although I think this Hunger Games generation can handle it. An exciting read with a message that will appeal to a variety of readers.