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timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
Look, this is not a very good book. So why the 4 stars?
Because I never expected it to be good - only funny and interesting.
A book with 13 authors working on sequence isn't going to succeed any other way.
Even if the authors include Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Edna Buchanan, Elmore Leonard and others.
The plot is complex and ridiculous. But the setting and characters are fun, and I enjoyed seeing what each author did with what he/she received.
They don't need to write another one, but this was fun.
Because I never expected it to be good - only funny and interesting.
A book with 13 authors working on sequence isn't going to succeed any other way.
Even if the authors include Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Edna Buchanan, Elmore Leonard and others.
The plot is complex and ridiculous. But the setting and characters are fun, and I enjoyed seeing what each author did with what he/she received.
They don't need to write another one, but this was fun.
peebee's review against another edition
4.0
3 stars for plot action and writing, one bonus star for the several times the better writers deliberately and overtly light sticks of plot dynamite before ending their chapters, and carl hiassen's final chapters omniscient narrator talking explicit shit on the garbage worse writer's chapters left him to clean up.
tmawhir's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
sindri_inn_arsaeli's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable. I don't know if any of the characters themselves were from any of the authors' other works as I'm not familiar with many of them. But for so many different writers most of the chapters still flowed smoothly enough together. There was one section where the narrative focused on the manatee's inner thoughts and seemed wildly out of character, but the next author corrected well enough. There were a Lot of moving parts, (literally, as well as narratively,) which meant if I paused more than a day or two between chapters I needed to flip back sometimes to see what I'd missed, but it did all come together in the end. For the right reader, I would certainly suggest it.
branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
A fairly enjoyable book, clever in parts, absurd in others, and with a strong South Florida atmosphere that invokes nostalgia for hanging out in Coconut Grove, even if the events here are a bit sillier than the reality.
I remember reading some of the chapters as they were serialized in The Miami Herald's Tropic magazine in the early 90's, starting with the first one by Dave Barry, each writer picking up the story where the previous one left off. I didn't recall actually reaching the ending, though, so when I saw the book available at a used book sale thought I'd pick it up.
The result of this unconventional collaboration is a convoluted mix of eccentric characters, bizarre situations, and loose threads. Worth picking up as a quick read, although it may even have been more fun to write than it was to read.
I remember reading some of the chapters as they were serialized in The Miami Herald's Tropic magazine in the early 90's, starting with the first one by Dave Barry, each writer picking up the story where the previous one left off. I didn't recall actually reaching the ending, though, so when I saw the book available at a used book sale thought I'd pick it up.
The result of this unconventional collaboration is a convoluted mix of eccentric characters, bizarre situations, and loose threads. Worth picking up as a quick read, although it may even have been more fun to write than it was to read.
beautifulandfullofmonsters's review against another edition
Retroactive review:
Read this with my mom without understanding it was a collaboration. Weird AF.
Read this with my mom without understanding it was a collaboration. Weird AF.
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
3.0
Remember that thing where a bunch of people would write a chapter of a book? Do they still do that? This is one of those. The authors include Dave Barry, Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard, somebody named Carolina Hospital (is that a name, or a place?), and several others that I'd never heard of. A neat concept, but the problem is that every author felt the need to introduce a new character, practically, and in some cases flat out contradicted what other authors had written. What's the first rule of improv, guys? Don't say "no." Also, if you get Dave Barry to write your first chapter, you end up with a manatee named "Booger."
The story is set in Miami and involves intrigue, Fidel Castro, a mysterious box, explosions, and the aforementioned manatee. A fun little read, as long as you really don't care anything about solving mysteries, since of course the first author had no idea what would happen next.
The story is set in Miami and involves intrigue, Fidel Castro, a mysterious box, explosions, and the aforementioned manatee. A fun little read, as long as you really don't care anything about solving mysteries, since of course the first author had no idea what would happen next.