Skink No Surrender - Blog #1

Summary

I have finished reading Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen during my winter break and finished it in three days.  The story takes places in Florida with a teenage boy named Richard who is walking around in beach where many turtles make nest and lay their eggs for example Loggerhead turtles.  He is walking around waiting for his cousin Malley who does show up.  While waiting he meets a man named named Clinton Tyree but calls himself Skink.  After Richard meets Skink he then receives news that Malley isn't home and find out himself that Malley lied to her parent's about an early orientation in a school Malley is forced to go.  Now reporting to the police that Malley left with someone online named Talbo Chock, Skink tells Richard that he is off to find Richard's cousin since it's been a month or so from her disappearance.  Now Richard is on a adventure to save her cousin with an unknown stranger who was once Florida's governor but faked his death.

SignPost

While I was reading Skink No Surrender I found an Aha-moment, that made me think how is it going to change the situation?  While Richard was in the car with Skink to find Malley he received a call from Malley.  She said to Richard that she spotted an Ivory-billed Woodpecker who are thought to be extinct.  Only Richard solved the reason behind the message.  They think Malley is trying to tell them where she's at and the lonesome part she says's is indicating she wants to go back home.

"The second call was from a blocked number.
"Sup, Ricardo!  Yours truly, checkin' in.  Everything here in paradise is just amazingly awesome.  Guess what I saw up in a tree this morning?  An Ivory-billed woodpecker!  It sounded so lonesome, it made me sad."
On the message, Malley was coughing and her voice sounded rough.  When I played it for Skink, he raised an eyebrow. "She calls you Ricardo?"
"First time ever.  Weird?"
"She wants you to pay attention."
"Also the Ivory-billed woodpeckers are extinct.  I did a project on them for science fair in sixth grade, and Malley helped with graphics.'
"I know where those birds live," Skink said.
"You mean lived."
"Only once place in Florida, Ricardo, and it's not an island."
"I know that."
"The girl's trying to tell you where she's at."
"And the 'lonesome' part-that means she wants to come home."

This was in page 72.  This is my evidence for Richard having an aha-moment finally realizing that Malley wasn't really enjoying her runaway with a stranger and instead was started to get scared.  Probably think the Talbo Chock was somewhat abusing her.