Flush by Carl Hiaasen

 

 This six weeks, I decided to read Flush by Carl Hiaasen copyrighted in 2005. This book is a fiction chapter book. Flush is a mystery, suspicion,and a little bit of comedy. There are two kids named Noah and Abbey Underwood/Paine. They have a simple, yet cautious mother and a deranged father, who whenever he sees something that doesn't seem right in his world, he does anything, risky or not, to fix it. Flush is about the two kids, Noah and Abbey, who try to help their father, who is pleaded guilty for sinking the Coral Queen, a boat who is owned by a selfish and rich man named Dusty Muleman. The two kids meet with a lady named Shelly, who used to work on the boat and later got her job back there, to flush down 34 bottles of purple dye to show that the Coral Queen was dumping harmful waste into the ocean, where there is aquatic life. The theme of the book is standing up for yourself no matter what. Noah and Abbey's father was pleaded guilty when he really wasn't, and Mr. Paine continued to try to prove that he was right.

   The author's point of view is first person and third person. He uses I, me, my,etc. as well as he, she, they, etc. for the characters like Abbey and Mr. Paine. When it's talking about Noah, he is using first person. For example, "I wasn't proud that my dad was sitting in jail..." (Page 46) Also, when it's talking about Abbey, Shelly, or the mother, it is in third person. For example, "She says he's got a tendency to get over-excited, which is the understatement of the century." (Page 5) The intended audience is everyone who enjoys a good story. The story has a bit of comedy and sarcasm along with suspicion and mystery. It's the perfect recipe for a good book. This book is a comedic and suspicious book because the characters joke a lot between each other, but also, for example, when Mr. Paine is pleaded guilty instead of Dusty Muleman, a lot of mystery goes around. The author kept me interested by including suspicion and comedy in one story. He also kept you wanting to read more by including cliffhangers. Those are the kind of books that I like to read. I love a mix of general fields. The author's style is a mix of funnies and puzzlement at the same time. I think it is effective towards the intended audience because if there is anyone who likes this sort of style, then they will most likely enjoy the story. 

  The book has not effected me because I have read stories like this and have almost always enjoyed them. For example, I have read all the Diary of A Wimpy Kid books which include numerous amounts of general fields, and I have enjoyed them all. One idea that changed when I was reading was at the beginning, I actually believed that it was Mr. Paine who sunk the boat, but later, I found out that it was actually Dusty Muleman. In this world, there are many times when you think it is someone's fault when it's actually that one person's fault. I have seen it everywhere, and I think that you should find the facts before you accuse someone, especially when the punishment could be death. This has appeared in many books that I have read. For instance, in the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, Dally was accused of something that was actually another gangs's fault.
   I thought this book was really good especially when there was a plot twist. There was a great use of vocabulary and the author was really good with describing the scene. I wish this book could have been longer just to find out what might have happened after the grandpa left. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story and a mix of fields. If you are someone who likes cliffhangers and sitting on the edge of your seat then you will most likely enjoy this book. Also, every person has their own backstory which also got me really interested. For example, the grandpa, Grandpa Bobby, was classified "dead" in South America, when really he was as alive as a happy dog. He then takes a late night boat to Florida to announce to Mr. Paine and his family that he was alive. If you like stories like this, then this is your go-to book.


Nadia Soufi
11/7/2013
RATING: **** 4/5