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    Star Island
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    Star Island
    Unavailable
    Star Island
    Audiobook11 hours

    Star Island

    Written by Carl Hiaasen

    Narrated by Stephen Hoye

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Meet twenty-two-year-old Cherry Pye (née Cheryl Bunterman), a pop star since she was fourteen-and about to attempt a comeback from her latest drug-and-alcohol disaster.

    Now meet Cherry again: in the person of her "undercover stunt double," Ann DeLusia. Ann portrays Cherry whenever the singer is too "indisposed"-meaning wasted-to go out in public. And it is Ann-mistaken-for-Cherry who is kidnapped from a South Beach hotel by obsessed paparazzo Bang Abbott.

    Now the challenge for Cherry's handlers (über-stage mother; horndog record producer; nipped, tucked, and Botoxed twin publicists; weed whacker-wielding bodyguard) is to rescue Ann while keeping her existence a secret from Cherry's public-and from Cherry herself.

    The situation is more complicated than they know. Ann has had a bewitching encounter with Skink-the unhinged former governor of Florida living wild in a mangrove swamp-and now he's heading for Miami to find her . . .

    Will Bang Abbott achieve his fantasy of a lucrative private photo session with Cherry Pye? Will Cherry sober up in time to lip-synch her way through her concert tour? Will Skink track down Ann DeLusia before Cherry's motley posse does?

    All will be revealed in this hilarious spin on life in the celebrity fast lane.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 27, 2010
    ISBN9780739385135
    Unavailable
    Star Island
    Author

    Carl Hiaasen

    Carl Hiaasen was born and raised in Florida, where he started writing after being given a typewriter at the age of six. He writes a column for the Miami Herald and is the author of many bestselling novels, including Razor Girl and Bad Monkey. His books for younger readers include the Newbery Honor winner Hoot, as well as Flush, Scat, Chomp, and Skink – No Surrender.

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    Reviews for Star Island

    3.5/5

    446 ratings48 reviews

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    • 1/5
      Awful. Couldn't wait to finish.
    • 4/5
      Sometimes you just need a fun little distraction of a book to take your mind off your worries, and this is the perfect choice.
    • 4/5
      God Bless Skink!!!
    • 5/5
      Actually, I think this might be one of Hiaasen's best. Although all are good, this one just has the perfect touch. A talentless kid singer 'star', a scumbag photographer, really bad parenting, and, of course, the ex-governor... all mix into a great tale.
    • 4/5
      Carl Hiaasen still has it! I love this man's work, his voice, and his style of writing so much, I cannot even tell you! this book was another amazing ride through the satirical life of Hiaasen's characters, and one that I will gladly go through again and again. I hated to see this book end, and I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
    • 4/5
      This is a classic Hiaasen book with snarky humor and an interesting plot. The story revolves around a pop star who is out of control even with her parents and manager supervising her. Skink becomes involved which always adds fun to one of his books.
    • 4/5
      "Star Island" is classic Carl Hiaasen: ?a wild romp, set (of course) in South Florida, and filled with despicable but hilarious characters who get their due. ?Cherry Pye is a 22 year-old hard-living pop star, who wants nothing more than to get and stay high--and to change her moniker to Cherish. ?To protect her reputation, her parents and her manager hire Ann DeLusia, a look-alike actress, to pretend to be Cherry at events that the singer herself is too smashed to attend. ? ?They also hire a body guard: ?Chemo, a 7 foot ex-con with seriously pock-marked skin, and an amputated arm that's been replaced with a weed-whacker. ? When Ann is kidnapped by Bang Abbott, an obese, odiferous paparazzo pursuing a money shot of Cherry, it's up to Lucy and Lila Lark, the over-Botoxed twins who serve as publicists for Cherry, to manage the situation, and they'd prefer that Ann disappear rather than let the public know that Cherry has a double. ?But this is actually Ann's second kidnapping in just a few days, and her prior kidnapper, who took a liking to her, has promised to help her out whenever she needs it. ? Hiaasen readers will recognize the first kidnapper: ?it's Skink,?the eco-terrorist former governor Florida who now lives as a hermit in a camp in the swamps, and is known to take outrageous steps to punish those whose actions will harm the local environment--like tying up a condo developer and placing a spiny sea urchin in his underwear!Like all Hiaasen novels, the plot is complex, and the writing is first-rate. ?It's not great literature, but it's great fun to read.
    • 1/5
      I normally love reading Carl Hiaasen, and that's the only reason I finished this book. His books are a bit formulaic, but they're fun, quick reads. Star Island was not really worth the time it took to read it(a lot longer than normal since I kept putting it down). It wasn't funny, it wasn't exciting, and I didn't care what happened to any of the characters. Not even Skink.
    • 5/5
      Papparazzi, corrupt real estate development deals, a clueless, utterly untalented pop star whose parents employ a team to keep her and the gravy train going. and crazed former governor of Florida who subsists on roadkill and brings vengeance down on those disrupt the pristine beauty of his state. These are the ingredients that Carl Hiaasen uses to cook up another masterpiece.
    • 3/5
      Hiassen is his typical sarcastic self in his new novel which looks at a pop star out of control and her crazy money hungry family.
    • 4/5
      Carl never lets me down. I love his characters. His books are a joy to read. And oh how happy I was to have my favorite Ex governor back in my life. :)
    • 1/5
      You would think that young nymph-like, lip-synching druggies and their hangers-on would be impossible to parody. But you thought that of Sarah Palin, too. Tina Fey knew how to stick in the knife and twist it. Hiaasen, not so much. He bludgeons with a big hammer.

      His heavy-handed satire (his normal) drags on with sex, drugs, tattoos, private jets, and not much rock and roll. OKish book, if you are stuck someplace with nothing else and cannot sleep.
    • 3/5
      The story follows a spoiled teen music star with a serious party mentality and her double who covers for her when she is incapacitated. Not the best plot from Hiaasen, but a few good digs and politicians and the entertainment world.
    • 2/5
      Part of my quest to read books outside of my normal genre interests. Although funny at times and a parody of celebrity culture, it was just a little too bizarre for me.
    • 4/5
      "Star Island" is classic Carl Hiaasen:  a wild romp, set (of course) in South Florida, and filled with despicable but hilarious characters who get their due.  Cherry Pye is a 22 year-old hard-living pop star, who wants nothing more than to get and stay high--and to change her moniker to Cherish.  To protect her reputation, her parents and her manager hire Ann DeLusia, a look-alike actress, to pretend to be Cherry at events that the singer herself is too smashed to attend.    They also hire a body guard:  Chemo, a 7 foot ex-con with seriously pock-marked skin, and an amputated arm that's been replaced with a weed-whacker.   When Ann is kidnapped by Bang Abbott, an obese, odiferous paparazzo pursuing a money shot of Cherry, it's up to Lucy and Lila Lark, the over-Botoxed twins who serve as publicists for Cherry, to manage the situation, and they'd prefer that Ann disappear rather than let the public know that Cherry has a double.  But this is actually Ann's second kidnapping in just a few days, and her prior kidnapper, who took a liking to her, has promised to help her out whenever she needs it.   Hiaasen readers will recognize the first kidnapper:  it's Skink, the eco-terrorist former governor Florida who now lives as a hermit in a camp in the swamps, and is known to take outrageous steps to punish those whose actions will harm the local environment--like tying up a condo developer and placing a spiny sea urchin in his underwear!Like all Hiaasen novels, the plot is complex, and the writing is first-rate.  It's not great literature, but it's great fun to read.
    • 2/5
      Craziness on steroids in South Florida. 
    • 3/5
      One never opens an Hiaasen book expecting intricate plot themes and stunning charactizations. One reads Mr. Hiaasen because he has a biting wit which blends so well with his satirical look at certain aspects of life. In STAR ISLAND he tackles the pop diva music world personified by Cherry Pie … the perfect melding of so many young popsters on the current music scene. Cherry is over-indulged, under-talented, drug-dependant and stage-mothered. She is also stalked by uber-papparazzo Bang Abbott and has a look alike stand-in for those times she has the “tummy problems” she happens to be so prone to (nudge-nudge-wink-wink).

      This book is a humorous, no hold barred accounting of Ms. Cherry Pie’s sad life and poor career choices. The population of amusing peripheral characters is what made this book work for me. They were so over-the-top and took themselves so seriously that it was hard not to laugh at the unbelievability for the whole time we were allowed to glimpse into their lives. Personally I think this is a book you need to be in the mood to read … kind of like a pallete cleansing light sorbet between heavier main courses.
    • 2/5
      It might be me, but this seems like a not so energetic Carl Hiaasen. All the elements are there, but I just couldn't enjoy this one the way I have so many of his other novels.
    • 3/5
      Given the nature of this book which is simply entertainment and not great literature I can give no more than 3 stars. But for what it is I enjoyed it. If you are looking for mindless humorous quick read than this worked. I doubt if I would read another book by Hiaasen unless it was at a vacation home and I needed something to read.
    • 4/5
      As entertaining as expected. The main characters, Skink and Jim, re-appear lending satire and humor to the story line.
    • 4/5
      No secret here -- I'm a Hiaasen fan, especially when he features Clinton Tyree, a.k.a. Skink in the stories. Those two can romp through Florida like nobody's business, and do it in grand style with some star-powered licks taken as well.
    • 2/5
      Pretty much paint-by-numbers humor from an old hand. The characters are all readily visualizable as their Hollywood templates: Lindsay Lohan, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara (at age 50, or thereabouts, not at age 95, or whatever they actually are now), and, of course, Burt Reynolds as the governor in dreadlocks. Of course there's an ecological message. The land is played out, in every way.
    • 2/5
      As good as it was when it started, Star Island, seems to lose most of it's momentum halfway through, until it reaches it uneventful ending. Overall, it feels like like a book that's half again as long.
    • 4/5
      Self-centered fearless-to-a-fault characters confined to bizarre situations, equals frequent LOLs.
    • 4/5
      "Star Island" is classic Carl Hiaasen:  a wild romp, set (of course) in South Florida, and filled with despicable but hilarious characters who get their due.  Cherry Pye is a 22 year-old hard-living pop star, who wants nothing more than to get and stay high--and to change her moniker to Cherish.  To protect her reputation, her parents and her manager hire Ann DeLusia, a look-alike actress, to pretend to be Cherry at events that the singer herself is too smashed to attend.    They also hire a body guard:  Chemo, a 7 foot ex-con with seriously pock-marked skin, and an amputated arm that's been replaced with a weed-whacker.   When Ann is kidnapped by Bang Abbott, an obese, odiferous paparazzo pursuing a money shot of Cherry, it's up to Lucy and Lila Lark, the over-Botoxed twins who serve as publicists for Cherry, to manage the situation, and they'd prefer that Ann disappear rather than let the public know that Cherry has a double.  But this is actually Ann's second kidnapping in just a few days, and her prior kidnapper, who took a liking to her, has promised to help her out whenever she needs it.   Hiaasen readers will recognize the first kidnapper:  it's Skink, the eco-terrorist former governor Florida who now lives as a hermit in a camp in the swamps, and is known to take outrageous steps to punish those whose actions will harm the local environment--like tying up a condo developer and placing a spiny sea urchin in his underwear!Like all Hiaasen novels, the plot is complex, and the writing is first-rate.  It's not great literature, but it's great fun to read.
    • 3/5
      Any book with Skink in it wins me over. This one was no exception, from changing his human fake eye for one from a stuffed hunting trophy to picking his teeth with a dessicated starling beak, he's a hoot to follow because you never know what he'll do next. Newcomers might think the environmental bit was tacked on, but that's Skink's metier - kicking unscrupulous butt in the name of ecology. And I caught a lovely Zevonism in there about someone leaving the 'detox mansion' - sweet. That being said, this book felt more forced than usual for Mr. H. The idiotic escapades of a brainless pop-star just got to be over the top even for him. And I wished I saw more of what made Ann so attractive to Skink to make him seek her out for rescue, and less of Cherry, her parents and handlers. Bang was pretty entertaining in his conscience-free, hapless way, but unlikeable. Maybe making Chemo a tad more sympathetic would have done the trick. The similarities to Frankenstein's monster weren't lost on me, but the sympathy was. Oh and I hate you, Carl baby, for putting that rancid Warrant song in my head for days. Thanks, bud. All in all not bad if you're a fan and like the lengths Hiaasen goes to, but if you can't put your tongue firmly in your cheek, don't bother.
    • 3/5
      I never thought I would give a Carl Hiassen book only three stars but sadly, that’s the most that “Star Island” deserves. This is a competent comedy written by a man who is normally a comic genius.All Hiassen’s usual characters are here, “Skink” the one-eyed ex-governor turned crazy eco-warrior. “Chemo” the scary killer with the peeled face and the bitten off hand from “Skinny Dip”. There is the usual chaotic larger-than-life plot revolving around greedy, grasping people who are so amoral they have little or no understanding of what they have become and there are the few characters whose humanity, independence and refusal to give up makes them shine in the human-swamp that surrounds them.But the story lacks passion. Hiassen seems to be going through the motions. Skink, for once, seems lost and not entirely sure of why he’s there. Dear God, he even ends up in a pin-striped suit. Chemo loses his menace and even seems to develop a conscience.The evil that the bad people do is largely to themselves and is hard to get excited about.The book is redeemed by the two main female characters, Cherry Pie, the young self-abusing pop-star and her body-double, spunky actress, Anne.These are the women that Hiassen seems to fall in love with in the book and that love drives everything else. He does a wonderful job of showing Cherry as more than an air-head. My heart went out to her because she wants to called “Cherish” because it sounds cool but I couldn’t help seeing the pathos of this name for someone who has never been cherished.Anne is brave and funny and honest and gets all the best lines. What’s not to love. Except perhaps that she treats the governor as an accessory, a plot device in the drama of her life, rather thana person. Perhaps this is what makes her the perfect actress.The book is of course well written, it made me laugh. It just wasn’t as good a “Skinny Dip” or “Nature Girl”.Perhaps I’m missing the point. Perhaps what Hiassen wanted to show was that the paperazzi-ridden pop world is so fake it kills all real passion but I don’t think so.
    • 2/5
      i am not sure how stars really are but I am sure they are not that insane at least I hope so. Not sure if a bodyguard with a weedwhacker as an arm and a govoenor in the swamps of Florida are believable.
    • 3/5
      This is a typical Carl Hiaasen book. He hits it on the nail about how our society builds up mediocre young stars and the trouble they get into. it just wasn't one of his best books. Maybe because I felt none of his characters didn't have any redeeming qualities. and out of the blue he adds the environmental aspect, but it wasn't developed as he has done in the past and was such a small part in the book. His others, tie together more, but to me this was way out in left field.
    • 4/5
      A relentless, humorous send-up of talentless, depraved pop-singers, young vacant actors with ridiculous names (Tanner Dane Keefe,) their greed-driven enablers, stalker paparazzi, moronic night-club themes (Pubes) and Miami Beach night life in general.The pop singer, Cherry Pye, is so reliably besotted that her clueless parents and smarmy manager employ a look-alike, Ann, to make appearances for Cherry when she’s too hammered. When Ann is kidnapped by a paparazzo who thinks she’s Cherry, things turn strange. Disfigured bodyguards and former Governors of Florida now living as Hermits (Skink) come into play. Hiaasen keeps it all boiling nicely as the story plays out.