Skink: No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen
As a bestselling adult and children’s author, Carl Hiaasen has carved out the swampy, alligator-infested backwaters of Florida as his unique literary landscape. And Skink, a retired ex-governor of Florida turned one-eyed homeless vigilante for animals and the environment, is one of his most beloved characters. In Hiaasen’s latest novel for teens, Skink makes a comeback to help Richard, a teenager on a rescue mission.
Richard immediately thinks something is up when his cousin, Malley, sends herself off to boarding school early. That is not the Malley he knows. When he discovers that Malley has actually disappeared with some guy she met online, he panics. So Richard and Skink, who become friends after catching a loggerhead turtle poacher, decide to take the law into their own hands with a road trip to rescue Malley. But will she welcome their efforts or just run away again? This is a hilarious, hell-raising thriller populated with eccentrics, sassy one-liners and roadkill dinners.
Highly recommended for readers aged 12 and up.