NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A hilarious novel of social and political intrigue, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast, from the author of Skinny Dip and Razor Girl“If you could use some wild escapism right now, Hiaasen is your guy.” —The New York Times WITH A NEW EPILOGUEAt the height of Palm Beach’s charity ball season, Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, a prominent member of geriatric … Beach’s charity ball season, Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, a prominent member of geriatric high society, suddenly vanishes during a swank gala. Kiki Pew was a founding member of the Potussies, a group of women dedicated to supporting the President, who spends half the year at the “Winter White House” just down the road. Meanwhile, Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, is called to the island to deal with a monster-sized Burmese python that has taken residency in a tree. But the President is focused on the disappearance of Kiki Pew. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, he immediately declares her a victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth, which now lies in the middle of the road, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady’s motorcade to a grinding halt. Irreverent, ingenious, and uproariously entertaining, Squeeze Me perfectly captures the absurdity of our times.
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Carl Hiaasen remains the undefeated, unscored-upon conscience of Florida, maybe the conscience of the whole country. I laughed and laughed and laughed while I read Squeeze Me — until I remembered, hey, I live in Palm Beach! Oh yeah, spoiler alert – the python did it.
You know you’re deep in Carl Hiaasen Country when the citizens of Palm Beach are more reptilian than the python that swallows a woman whole.
Hiaasen’s rapier wit is as sharp as ever in “Squeeze Me,” which draws blood from the moneyed set on that ritzy island. Palm Beach is also home to the novel’s tweet-crazed, philandering President who – wouldn’t you know? – is a former reality TV star with a fake suntan and a private club called “Casa Bellicosa.” The best satire, of course, hews close to the truth.
The President has a coterie of elderly, fawning female supporters affectionately known as the “POTUS Pussies,” and yes, Hiassen is having some fun here. One of the gals, the wealthy widow Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, wanders off from a charity gala and gets eaten by a giant python.
Enter our heroine, Angie Armstrong, a “wildlife wrangler extraordinaire.” Her skills come in handy when the death is blamed on an innocent, undocumented immigrant, rather than the resident, undocumented python.
You see where this is going, right? More skulduggery. More galas. More pythons.
No one has more of a love/hate relationship with Florida than Hiaasen. His novels are more than “mere entertainments,” to borrow Graham Green’s iconic phrase. He’s deadly serious about destruction of the environment, corruption of government, and the gaudy excesses of those we might call the Rich and the Shiftless.
While the novel is a hoot (the title of Hiaasen’s best known children’s book), it’s also a social critique not unlike Tom Wolfe’s “Bonfire of the Vanities.” In summary, you’ll enjoy “Squeeze Me” both for its raucous humor and its piercing commentary.
Carl Hiaasen does it again! When giant pythons invade the super rich of Palm Beach where a loose cannon sitting U.S. president often resides, you’ve got the set-up for another fantastic Florida tale that could happen for real. Over too soon.
Carl Hiaasen captures the wacky world of south Florida like none other. The characters are intriguing and fun to meet. I enjoyed every page.
Hiaasen’s wry humor Hits my funny bone in just the right way. Not for the Trump at heart.
I highly recommend the audio book version because it has an extra chapter called Exiled which is set after the Mastodon is out of the White House.
Squeeze Me is set in Palm Beach, where the Winter White House is located. POTUS (Mastodon) and FLOTUS (Mockingbird) are gearing up for the Commander’s Ball. Prior to this event, a python has devoured a wealthy socialite who was devoted to the president, and in a group called Potussies. Angie, a wildlife expert is called in to capture the python. POTUS, in his usual blustering way, holds press conferences where he flubs the details, and wrongly accuses a Hispanic man for the murder. Angie, a wildlife expert is called in to capture the python, and discovers a larger plot.
Hiaasen mocks the POTUS/FLOTUS relationship in a not so subtle way, and throws all sorts of jabs at the former guy and his train wreck of an administration. Enjoyed it!
Typical Carl. Twisted Florida nonsense, but not so far removed from the real Florida nonsense.
Just a really funny book – lots of action and very Palm Beach timely. Even Republicans (of which I am one) have to like this book because it so witty and sarcastic, Just a fun read. .
Great characters, very funny with an unexpected plot. It’s also very satisfying if you’re not a fan of 45.
Really enjoyed this book about Florida, our ex-president, and the governor!
Love Hiassan. a wonderful writer.
4 stars for a hilarious book recommended by my s-i-l Judie. I have read 11 books by Carl Hiaasen and enjoyed every one. This one is book 8 in the Skink series. Skink is the former Florida Governor who walked off the job in an earlier book. He was and is an environmentalist, given to outrageous acts of sabotage against companies or people who damage the environment. He does not appear in this book until the second half.
The 1st half is about the interchange of incidents between Angela, “Angie” Armstrong, ex Florida Wildlife Officer, Jerry Crosby, Palm Beach Police Chief, a now ex President, along with his wife, and various Secret Service Agents and employees at Casa Bellicosa, aka Winter White House. The President and his wife are never mentioned by name, but the descriptions are so vivid that it is impossible not to know who is who. The second half brings Skink and Jim Tile, a Skink friend into contact with everyone.
Some elements in the book:
Burmese Pythons–an invasive species thriving in the Everglades
Pruitt, a poacher from Angela’s past
POTUS Pussies–Wealthy widows who adore the President
Three quotes:
“Angie had been summoned to Casa Bellicosa to unfasten a screech owl from the presidential pompadour, which the low swooping raptor had mistaken for a road-kill fox.”
“The President’s Secret Service’s code name was “Mastotodon.” He loved it. ”
“On only his second day in the Whit House, the President had ordered his chief of staff to arrange a trip to the National Zoo for a close-up look at a real mastodon.”
This was a library ebook through the Libby app.
Great for those who were not enamored with MAGA. Satire as only Hiasen can write it.
Too political when it did not have to be
Guaranteed entertainment with all the delightful idiosyncrasies this writer is known and loved for.
It was a wonderful send-up, but Trump supporters will not find it funny.
Hiassen has topped himself yet again. Fantastic read!!!
I haven’t laughed this hard in a very long time. Paints hysterical mind pictures of a horrid former president. Absolutely loved this book and highly recommend for anyone who needs to laugh.
Haisen usually has some social issue to explore but I have never seen such a vitriolic personal attack as is exhibited by this book. This was nothing short of slander.
I really enjoyed this author’s past work, especially “Skinny Dip” but his latest is far too political. His hatred of the Trumps combined with his over the top characterization of them and the people who support them was vile.