The narrative is enthralling the heroes’ cunning plans and illicit actions are downright exhilarating. Saving owls is a noble cause, and Hiaasen’s style brings comic relief to issues that aren’t a laughing matter. Readers will find themselves empathizing and even identifying with the characters. The entire book is - dare we say - antithetical to societal values. A burrowing owl (Photograph: Bryan Jones) The heroes lie to authority figures, vandalize construction equipment, evade police officers, and entrap bullies. They pursue justice with reckless abandon, doing whatever it takes to achieve their goal. In the face of overwhelming odds and paralyzing moral dilemmas, the story’s heroes stay true to their hearts. It’s all here - corporate greed and corruption, environmental destruction, teenage malaise, boneheaded bullies, and ecoterrorism.Īt its core, Hoot is a story about middle school students standing up for what they believe in. The story’s young heroes - Roy, Beatrice, and Beatrice’s step-brother, a homeless boy known as “Mullet Fingers” - work together to stop the construction and save the owls.Ĭombining all the hallmarks of modern society together with elegance and humor, Hiaasen’s book is a masterpiece that keeps readers in suspense to the end. A popular pancake chain is preparing to break ground and start building its 469th restaurant on that very spot in Coconut Cove, Florida. The story centers around the burrowing owl, an endangered species that happens to live on a plot of land that’s soon to become a construction site. It’s a hilarious coming of age story, and a rollercoaster of a ride that readers won’t soon forget. “Build your wings on the way down.” That bold advice could serve as an apt metaphor for Hoot ( public library), Carl Hiaasen’s novel for young adults. “Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off,” Ray Bradbury once said in an interview. An unforgettable story about pursuing justice with reckless abandon in the face of overwhelming odds.

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