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Fever Beach continues Hiaasen’s legacy
Book Review
By Derryll White
Hiaasen, Carl (2025). Fever Beach
Carl Hiaasen always takes conservation to a fever pitch, provokes uncontrolled laughter in his readers and vigorously roasts U.S. politicians. ‘Fever Beach’ continues that legacy.
This novel is a little more subdued than some of the author’s previous works, more introspective and slightly downcast. But then so are common thoughts on the U.S. political situation that Congressman Clure Boyette represents in this story.
Perverted, corrupt and criminally stupid, Boyette portrays the whole of the current U.S. Republican administration Hiaasen takes very serious runs at racism, exploitation and labour laws, but in ways that use ridicule and humour to point out how shallow and accepting most of us, the electorate, are.
This is a story that will make every reader think, no matter what their particular political persuasion is. Give yourself a break from the relentless depressing news of executive decline. Try ‘Fever Beach’!
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Excerpts from the novel:
DECISIONS – The couple’s swing to the political right had been abrupt and vengeful, spurred by an inferior table assignment at a Washington gala to which they’d donated two hundred thousand dollars. Instead of being seated up front with Walter Mondale, their party’s presidential nominee, the Minks found themselves at a distant eight-top pinned between the Utah state comptroller and a Haliburton lobbyist with breath like a bull fart. Electra and Claude walked out before the first course – a grilled-pear salad – was served. The next morning they flew back to Florida and switched their voter registrations to Republican.
MAGA – Dale Figgo’s concave was basically a hate camp for emotionally stunted white boys, complete with treats and games and sing-alongs. The surreal spell of benign recreation in no way persuaded Twilly that these were decent, simple people who’d been warped by toxic trash on the internet. They were bigots, proud and fully formed, who were plotting something dumb and dangerous. Also, they were extremely well funded thanks to the Minks and Congressman Clure Boyette.
VALUES – “Screw next time.” Claude struggled to his feet. “We want our two million bucks right now.”
Electra snorted. “And do what with it, Claude? Buy another MRI for the hospital, so all the rapists and dope dealers sneaking across the border can get a free scan when they show up? It’s real Americans we should be worried about. American culture, American principles, American blood. We’ll give Clure another shot. The stakes are too high to quit now.”
REAL POLITICS – He turned on the radio and heard a commercial for “Stop the Next Steal” mouse pads endorsed by the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. All of Onus’s favorite pundits were predicting a chaotic midterm election with vengeful ballot fraud by border jumpers, college radicals and urban agitators. Onus himself planned to vote for the first time ever but by mail, because on November 3rd he would be in Carpville, defending Precinct 53. The race between Congressman Clure Boyette and some liberal schoolteacher had become unexpectedly tight, making it one of the most important contests in the country. Laura Loomer was warning that a loss by Boyette cold tip the balance of power in the House of Representatives, dooming Americans to a squalid future of unisex bathrooms, pornography-packed libraries, and weak shower nozzles.
– Derryll White once wrote books but now chooses to read and write about them. When not reading he writes history for the web at www.basininstitute.org.
