Hello Ocean Heroes! So, you're probably wondering why I haven't been doing posts for almost a week. The short story is, we lost internet so I sadly haven't been able to keep up with two posts a week. But I am currently using a hotspot, so I should be able to post this!
So, remember that post with books having to do with the ocean and ocean pollution? Well, I read one of them, Flush by Carl Hiaasen, and i'm here to do a book review! So, let's get started!
The Back Of The Book:
(This is basically what is written on the back of the book-a little blurb)
Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor--which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement. Right. The boat is pumped out and back in business within days and Noah's dad is in the local lock-up.
Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally . . . somehow.
My Review:
So the protagonist is Noah Underwood, son of Paine and Donna Underwood and the older brother of Abbey Underwood. In my opinion, the book basically centers around Paine, when he sinks the Coral Queen- a gambling boat run by Dusty Muleman- to make a statement when he thinks that Dusty Muleman is flushing sewage into the water. Paine lands himself a cell in the local lock-up and at first, when he is interviewed, Noah comes off like a sensible young man who cares for his dad. It seems like the Underwoods would just bail Paine out of jail and be done with it.
But of course there's more to the story. Noah and Abbey take matters into their own hands to try to help their dad's case. With the help of Shelly, who used to be in a relationship with Dusty himself, and Lice Peeking, Shelly's new boyfriend, of course. I really like how the characters that Hiaasen brought into the story are interesting and have their own backgrounds. They add to the plot instead of just being side characters that are only there to have more characters. Shelly is definitely my favorite character, and you'll see why ;)
I think that the sub plot of Jasper Jr. (Dusty Muleman's son) and Noah's rivalry adds to the story. Jasper Jr. bullies Noah along with his friend Bull (Who's nicknamed that because you can't believe anything he says), and Noah gives in to it. While Dusty and Paine are in conflict, Jasper Jr. and Noah are as well.
I think that the book has a good message about pollution, and that's why i'm reviewing it for ocean heroes! I also like the pace of the book, and the sub plots make it really interesting! I love the characters, and the story is fun but also meaningful.
As far as the ocean pollution factor of the book goes, it's not all about the ocean. But it has a message, and if you want a fun fiction book that somewhat centers around pollution and the ocean, this is for you!
So, in short, I really liked this book! I would've liked to learn more about what Abbey likes to do and who her friends are, but since it's told from Noah's perspective, it makes since that we would see more of his hobbies and friends. Other than that, I would give it a five star rating and I would definitely recommend it!
What did you think of the review? Are you planning to read Flush? Do you want me to do more book reviews if I read any others that have to do with the ocean? Tell me down below in the comments!
-Rowan
Leader, Hero, Activist, Writer
Ocean Heroes