Carl Hiaasen's Flush is typical of his writing style, and this work of realistic fiction embodies many of the values seen throughout his other works.
Protagonist Noah Underwood begins to discover that an evil casino boat owner is dumping sewage into the marina, while having to deal with the potential divorce of his parents. Hiaasen attempts to create a coming-of-age storyline, creating struggles that a young boy faces in the real world.
While the idea of an evil casino boat owner may not resonate with young readers, parental divorce just might. After his father Paine is accused of sinking the Coral Queen, Noah finds out that his mother, Donna is considering divorce. She does not want to deal with a jailed husband, and is not sure that Paine is innocent.
After finding this out, Noah and his sister feel alone and overwhelmed. In a way to distract himself, and simultaneously prove his strong commitment to his father by illustrating his innocence, Noah sets out on a mission to show that Dusty is the one that was responsible for mishaps on the ship.
In the process, it is discovered that Dusty is dumping sewage illegally into the marina and causing devastating pollution. Here, Hiaasen pushing his theme seen in other works such as Hoot, of environmental conservation. The importance of respecting the environment and not exploiting it for business purposes comes across clearly in Flush. The perpetrator of pollution, Dusty, is portrayed in a sinister way for his deeds.
Flush succeeds in proving that things to get better, as the novel closing with a satisfying ending with the family departing on a cruise ship. While this storybook end may not be realistic for everyone, it does show that overcoming struggles eventually leads to a reward.
