Teens must outwit smugglers in wild Key West COVID-era tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Wrecker is another wild adventure by veteran bestselling Florida author Carl Hiaasen (Squirm, Skink), with strong themes of environmentalism and the history and culture of Key West. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, it pits two 15-year-olds against a gang of murderous smugglers, which calls for a lot of action, creative thinking, and trickery. The teens are in danger (or scared) pretty much throughout, but come to no real harm and get the best of the bad guys. Several characters end up dead, some by violence. A Klan lynching in the 1800s casts a shadow over the present day. In the past, a drunk driver left a character paralyzed; the character gets on with life and is an active environmentalist. Schemes to get rich selling fake vaccination cards are important to the story. So is the damage caused by huge cruise ships to delicate ecosystems. Through it all, the young narrator is coming to terms with the fact that he and his BFF may be more than just friends. There's some mild crude language ("crap," "pissed"), and animal poop, especially from iguanas, is an element in the story.
Violence & Scariness
some
Wrecker soon learns that the smugglers he's crossed paths with are bad and scary, and one of them isn't shy about killing people who cross him -- most of whom are also shady characters, but he also threatens Wrecker's loved ones. Several characters end up dead, some of natural causes, some by violence. One is mostly eaten by sharks before his corpse is discovered. In the past -- a true historic event, the author notes -- a man is tarred and feathered by Klansmen for living with a dark-skinned woman, kills one of his tormentors, and is then tortured and lynched. Much of the story's action takes place in a cemetery: creepy atmosphere, grave robbers. In the 1800s, the severed head of a deceased Seminole chief was grotesquely exploited by the doctor who'd treated him as a patient.
Did you know you can flag iffy content?
Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Products are mentioned as part of scene setting: FaceTime, Zoom, Coke, Bentley, Mercedes, Cigarette (a type of very fast boat), Evinrude (boat engine). Wrecker's dad drops the names of a raft of successful music acts (Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles, The Beatles), and plagiarizes a lot of them.
Language
a little
"Crap," "pissed," "badass," "moron," "sucks," and "wiseass."
Did you know you can flag iffy content?
Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
A drunk driver struck Wrecker's sister years ago; she's been paralyzed and has used a wheelchair since. Drunken partying (and beer theft by drunken partiers) is just part of the scenery in Key West. Adults drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes and cigars. Teen characters don't. In the past, some characters' ancestors were rum smugglers.
Did you know you can flag iffy content?
Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Wrecker says he and Willi are "just friends." The whole world thinks otherwise, and maybe Willi too, as she frequently teases him about dating and uncool moves. Some hand-holding, a couple kisses on the cheek. Wrecker's parents are divorced; his father, an unsuccessful singer-songwriter, deserted the family years ago and now reappears, causing annoyance and drama. Wrecker's mom has remarried, to a rich guy who adores her and gives her whatever she wants.
Did you know you can flag iffy content?
Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
The pre-Civil War lynching of a Cuban man for living with a dark-skinned woman and taking revenge on one of the Klansmen who tortured him, a true event in Florida's history, casts a shadow over the lives of many characters. The 15-year-old narrator, Wrecker, who describes himself and his dad as caramel-colored, comes from a long line of Black and White ancestors in Key West. He gets a bit of verbal abuse and is briefly arrested by a clearly racist White cop (who, it turns out, no one likes, and who eventually gets his comeuppance). His BFF Willi and her over-the-top rich parents are White, and they leave her with a nanny. His stepsister uses a wheelchair after an accident left her unable to walk; she's a strong-minded environmental activist who leads protests while airborne on a parasail. A song with Spanish lyrics is important to the tale; a character favors music by the late Cuban singer Celia Cruz.
Did we miss something on diversity?
.
Educational Value
a lot
Like most of Carl Hiaasen's work, Wrecker reflects a deep love and knowledge of the Florida Keys: the people you meet, the environmental issues, the history, and more. Smuggling, slavery, racist atrocities, the party scene -- and the beauty of island life, the water, the wildlife, and the quiet -- are all part of the local's-eye view. The story is set during the COVID-19 quarantine, and characters' different experiences with the virus reflect those of real people of the time. Lots of detail about using the internet to get the word (or the video) out to the world, and how this is an effective tool.
Positive Messages
a lot
Strong messages of friendship, integrity, responsibility, keeping your word, making amends when you cause trouble for someone else. Also community, connection, and working together to make things better. Racist behavior of the past and present is seen as wholly negative. Love of nature and the environment, and not being afraid to stand up for them, are important themes.
Positive Role Models
some
Wrecker and Willi, both 15, have a longtime friendship that's maybe growing into something more -- if they can survive all the bad guys. They're brave and work as a team as they try to foil the smugglers. Wrecker's side gig cleaning iguana poop off a gravestone leads to many complications. Wrecker loves nature and the environment, is protective of his stepsister, and is creative in figuring out how to deal with impossible situations (like when the smugglers give him wads of cash, he puts it all in the donation jar for a local charity). Willi is a great skater, also a creative thinker, and consumed with guilt for the bad deeds of a long-ago ancestor. Wrecker's older stepsister Suzanne doesn't let past catastrophe wreck her life, and leads a campaign to save the harbor's ecosystem. Other adults are a mixed bag -- some are cartoonish or clueless (Wrecker's mom seems addicted to plastic surgery, and her adoring husband is a COVID denier who almost dies of the virus and changes his mind), some are kind and helpful, some are racist jerks -- and some are outright villains who kill those who get in their way and also are making millions selling fake vaccination cards.
Key West teen Valdez Jones VIII, 15, goes by WRECKER, in homage to previous generations of Valdez Joneses, a brave seafaring bunch who lived by recovering goods from sunken vessels. And maybe a bit of smuggling. Wrecker is kind of loving the fact that thanks to the pandemic, he does Zoom school for a couple of hours a day and then hits the water in his boat to go fishing. But on one such trip, he crosses paths with a very fancy, very fast boat, and the very scary guys who have foolishly run it aground and now really want Wrecker to help them out. They're not taking no for an answer. Also they're doing something strange in the cemetery at night, involving still more scary guys and a big coffin. Wrecker and his skater BFF Willi (everyone in town, including her, thinks they're an item, but he insists they're just friends) would like to keep themselves and their loved ones out of harm's way. Good luck with that...
Carl Hiassen delivers another wild Key West tale of COVID, smuggling, racism, environmental havoc, and brave teen pals getting mixed up in it all. As 15-year-old Wrecker and his pal Willi try to dodge (and possibly foil) the bad guys, they're also dealing with family complications, the legacy of a long-ago Klan lynching, and life in a tropical paradise where drunken partiers and their misdeeds are just part of life. Though the storyline may seem outlandish, readers will find much to relate to, from Zoom school during the pandemic to family drama to the confusing friendship-or-maybe-romance with Willi. The issues feel real too, with racism, moral dilemmas, COVID denialism, and anti-mask and anti-vaccine debates making this a meaty read worth discussing along the way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories set during the COVID-19 pandemic. How do the stories you've read, like Wrecker, match up with your own experiences during this time?
Have you ever been to Key West? Does reading about it here -- the wildlife, the beautiful scenery, life on the islands -- make you want to visit, or learn more?
Why do you think smuggling is such a popular theme in storytelling? Do you have any favorite tales?
Wrecker has to decide to do the right thing at several points. How does he demonstrate integrity? How does he get support from Willi? Do you think their friendship helps them have courage to face the bad guys? How so?
Available on
:
Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
Last updated
:
September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?