3 Reasons Why You Should Read Hoot

3 Reasons Why You Should Read Hoot

Daniel Song

In recent times, I began reading Hoot, a realistic fiction novel written by Carl Hiaasen. This book tells the story of Roy Eberhardt, a middle school boy living in a small town in Florida. It is one day when he is riding the bus to school and he sees a mysterious boy running outside, which piqued his curiosity. The next day, he decides to follow this boy, and during this expedition learns his story, as well as the bigger story, how an industrial construction threatens to destroy the habitat of burrowing owls. He decides he needs to help stop this, which is the main premise of the book. This 2003 Newbery Honor book is a must read, and here are three reasons why:

1. It has an interesting plot
One reason to read this book is the interesting plot. While reading this book, I always felt some sort of suspense, wanting to know what was going to happen next. From wanting to know who the boy Roy sees running barefoot is while on the school bus, to not knowing what will happen next as he waits in the hospital with his friend. It also includes interesting events that I find fascinating, such as vandalizing a construction site by putting alligators in the porta-potties. All throughout this book, there are the types of events that make me interested in reading the book, wanting to read more. It is for sure not a boring read, but this is only one of the many reasons you should read this book

2. Relatable character development
Another reason to read this book is the characters develop in a relatable way. Have you ever felt protective of a sibling, or family member, because you care about them? This is how Beatrice feels, when she sees Roy chase down her stepbrother, whose name happens to be Mullet Fingers, in his attempt to acquaint himself with the boy. The relationship between Roy and Beatrice did not start that well, with Beatrice warning Roy from chasing her stepbrother, as it was none of his business. It makes sense to be wary of strangers chasing down your siblings, and this reaction is similar to what we all might have done in this situation. As the story progresses, and as they get to know each other a bit more, their relationship changes to a more positive one, as they both realize how working together and not against could benefit them in their quest to save the owls. This natural character development really makes the book an even better read, as being able to relate to the struggles of Roy and Beatrice is something that I like in books, rather than not being able to relate to the main characters of a book at all.

3. The motivation behind the actions of the characters really say a lot about society
The main three characters, Roy, Beatrice, and Mullet Fingers, and the motivation behind their actions really say a lot about society. Vandalizing property that is not theirs just to save the environment of burrowing owls does not seem the most logical thing to do, but the motive make sense. This quote really explains most of it: “‘Ever since I was little,’ Mullet Fingers said, ‘I've been watchin' this place disappear - the piney woods, the scrub, the creeks, the glades. Even the beaches, man - they put up all these giant hotels and only goober tourists are allowed. It really sucks.’ Roy said, ‘Same thing happens everywhere.’” This explains the reason behind why he had been vandalizing the property, as he cares for the environment. These few lines in particular really struck me, as it says a lot about the world we live in. With all this new technology, nature is becoming a thing of the past, which is not optimal. This book does an excellent job of getting across the point that nature is important, and that we should do our best to conserve it, which solidifies this book as a must read for anyone of any age.