Star Island (novel)
Encyclopedia
Star Island is a 2010
novel by Carl Hiaasen
, released on Tuesday, July 27, 2010.
The novel takes its name from Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida, where part of the story takes place.
" for habitually intoxicated and drug-addicted pop star
"Cherry Pye," is mistakenly kidnapped by an obsessed paparazzo. Now, the star's entourage must find a way to rescue Ann, and do it without revealing her identity to the star herself, or the world at large.
The novel also features the re-appearance of Hiaasen's recurring character, ex-Florida governor Clinton "Skink" Tyree
.
hotel, on a tip that pop star
"Cherry Pye" has overdosed
again. However, when the paramedic
s bring a woman down to the ambulance
, she flashes him a smile from underneath the oxygen mask
and he sees, from the color of her eyes, that she is a body double
. Meanwhile, the real Cherry is being driven to the nearest hospital in a private limousine
by her entourage
(having ingested "an unwise mix of vodka
, Red Bull
, hydrocodone
, birdseed, and stool softener
.")
The body double is Ann DeLusia, an actress hired by Cherry's family to make brief public appearances when Cherry is too inebriated to do so. Cherry's mother (and manager
), Janet Bunterman, tells Ann to take a few days off, while Cherry is packed off, yet again, to "dietary camp" (i.e., drug rehab
). Cherry's entourage usually turns a blind eye to her "partying," but need her focused on rehearsing for her upcoming concert tour to promote her second attempt at a comeback album.
Like many media watchers, Abbott believes it is only a matter of time before Cherry accidentally kills herself with her excessive lifestyle; unlike others, he believes that once she's dead, photos of her just before her final "crash" will become priceless. Infuriated at having been fooled by a body double, he becomes even more obsessed with getting photos of Cherry under sordid circumstances.
In Los Angeles
, Cherry jumps over the wall of the rehab center, with the sole intention of returning to Florida to resume her "relationship" with the young actor she was with when she overdosed. Her focus is so limited that she hitches a ride to the airport in a car waiting outside the center, before realizing the driver, Abbott, is a paparazzo. Feeling absurdly pleased by his transparent flattery, Cherry takes him along when she charters a private jet to Florida. Aboard the plane, Abbott is astonished when she decides to have an onboard quickie
with him. His astonishment turns to outrage when Cherry drives away in a limousine and strands him at the airport, taking his camera bag and BlackBerry
with her.
Ann decides to spend her few days off touring the Florida Keys
, but while driving through Key Largo
, she swerves to avoid a man scooping a roadkill
off the highway, and her car goes off a bridge. When she wakes up, the man, "Skink
" has rescued her. With apologies, Skink brings her along on a brief mission to kidnap and intimidate real estate developer Jackie Sebago, whose crew cut down a red mangrove forest for his new condominium
project. Afterwards, Skink has a friend give her a ride to the nearest hospital, and gives her the number for his seldom-used cell phone, to call in case she ever needs help.
With Ann temporarily out of contact, Cherry's mother and entourage fly to Florida to track Cherry down. Over Janet's protests, Cherry's record promoter, Maury Lykes, assigns a man nicknamed "Chemo
" to replace Cherry's recently fired bodyguard
. Maury believes Chemo, an ex-convict, is the perfect person to whip Cherry into shape, as well as so ugly that even Cherry may hesitate before trying to seduce him.
Chemo tracks Cherry and her actor boyfriend to a tattoo parlor, and hauls Cherry back to the hotel, though not before Cherry (drunkenly following the advice of a fraudulent psychic
) has had an extremely ugly likeness of Axl Rose
half-finished onto her neck. When Ann reports back, Janet tells her to have the design copied in henna
for her next public appearance as Cherry.
After the surreal sexual encounter aboard the plane, and the subsequent theft of his cameras and phone, Bang Abbott's obsession with Cherry has increased to a manic level; he now imagines himself as the victim of a cruel, convoluted scheme by her to humiliate him. Lying in wait outside her hotel, Abbott kidnaps her at gunpoint, only to realize that the woman he has snatched (misled by the henna tattoo) is Ann.
Abbott comes up with a new plan: demanding, in exchange for Ann's safe return, that Cherry be made available to him for a private photo shoot. When she calls Janet, Ann is furious to hear that, not only are the Buntermans hesitant to meet these demands, but they have not even reported her missing to the police. For Cherry's "handlers," the paramount concern is that Ann's masquerade remain a secret from the media, and from Cherry herself (in private, Cherry's twin publicist
s reason to Janet that it would be more convenient for everyone if the kidnapper killed Ann instead of returning her).
When Abbott lets Ann use the bathroom, she hurriedly uses her cell phone to call the only number she has: Skink's. He drops his mission and makes his way to South Beach.
Cherry spends the next few days in a sulk, since Chemo is keeping her under virtual house arrest
and keeping all drugs and alcohol out of reach. Once she realizes that he is working for Maury, not her, she makes a lame attempt to seduce him, which fails. Chemo, for his part, is having difficulty putting up with Cherry's endless whining and the awfulness of her "music" during rehearsals.
When the Buntermans refuse to agree to Abbott's demand, he dresses Ann up in costume and shoots pictures of her with a discarded syringe
, making it look as if "Cherry" is a drug addict. His threat to release those pictures to the media is taken much more seriously by the Buntermans than his threat against Ann's life.
Since Cherry and her family have managed to spend nearly all the millions of dollars she has made already, her father, Ned, suggests that they acede to Abbott's demands, albeit under controlled circumstances, since they are cheaper than paying a monetary ransom
. In fact, with Cherry's popularity already fading quickly, Ned has the idea that a kidnapping story with a happy ending is the perfect publicity stunt
to boost ticket sales for her upcoming tour, provided they can replace Ann with Cherry as the kidnap victim.
The photo shoot takes place on Star Island, in the rented home of Cherry's actor boyfriend (who has been unceremoniously evicted for the day). Cherry has been duped into thinking that she is posing for the cover of Vanity Fair
, while Chemo is assigned to watch-dog the session and make sure nothing "porny
" occurs.
When she meets her employers again, Ann is surprised by the depth of her own anger: the Buntermans' obsession with Cherry's career trumped any concerns they may have had about Ann's safety; they covered up her abduction and had a story "ready to roll" if Ann had been found dead; even now, their accession to Abbott's demands is primarily motivated by their worry over the embarrassing "drug" photos.
At that moment, Skink arrives, having finally tracked her down. Ann decides to leave with him rather than spend another moment with the Buntermans.
To his own surprise, Abbott's photos of Cherry turn out artful and striking (giving her an entirely false appearance of depth and complexity). Even Chemo, who is getting dangerously close to killing Cherry out of sheer irritation, concedes their quality, before he confiscates the digital memory cards containing them. Chemo was ordered to kill Abbott and return the photos to Maury, but Abbott convinces him that once Cherry is dead, they can make a fortune publishing them, so Chemo decides to let Abbott live and hang on to the photos.
The afternoon also has the side benefit of curing Abbott of his enlarged obsession with Cherry. Less than an hour spent in "conversation" with her is enough to convince him that she is as vacuous and shallow as she outwardly appears, and that it is absurd for him to have thought her capable of scheming to do anything, whether to entice him or antagonize him. In fact, once the affair is over, Abbott reflects that Ann, Cherry's non-famous double, is by far the more compelling woman.
With Abbott neutralized, the Buntermans prepare the next stage of their planned publicity stunt, meeting with Ann and Skink and offering her $50,000 in hush money
. Ann declines, settling instead for plane fare back to California and the price of a snappy Zegna suit she bought for Skink. Ned is vastly relieved, but Janet finds it impossible to believe that anyone would turn down $50,000, and is sure Ann has some alternate scheme in mind. Ann informs the Buntermans that she's quitting her role as Cherry's double, and warns them never to contact her again.
Maury is so worried by Ann's decision that he flirts with the idea of paying Chemo to kill her. Chemo vetoes the idea, and warns Maury not to send anyone else after her. After less than a week spent with Cherry and her parents, Chemo is now firmly on Ann's side.
In private, the Buntermans admit to Cherry that she won't be appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair. Cherry pitches a fit, but is intrigued when her parents tell her she will be the star of a media blitz surrounding her fictional kidnapping. Cherry is upset to be told that, to sell the story, she will need to be secluded for a few days, ostensibly "recovering" from her ordeal. Janet and Ned encourage Cherry that it will allow her to sober up and prepare for the tour - but in private, Cherry vows to make the most of the remaining night.
With Skink's assistance, Ann has indeed come up with a scheme of her own, but, contrary to Janet's beliefs, it has nothing to do with grabbing either money or fame. Part of it is intended as a snub to the Buntermans, but part of it is a mission of mercy. Like many others, Ann foresees that Cherry is headed for self-destruction, but no one else (least of all Cherry's own parents) seems interested in trying to prevent it. Some, like Abbott, view her death as a potential gold mine, while others, such as her parents and Maury, have too much invested in her career to acknowledge that fame and wealth are what fuel her addictions.
With a tip-off from one of Abbott's South Beach informants, Ann makes a conspicuous appearance at an exclusive nightclub, using Cherry's name. A short time later, Cherry escapes from her parents' guard at the hotel and goes to the club with her actor boyfriend, who has helpfully supplied various recreational drugs at her request. At the club, Ann approaches Cherry and tells her the truth about her role as Cherry's "stunt double." Several persons see them together and notice their striking resemblance. Cherry takes the revelation badly, launching herself at Ann in an inebriated rage, all of which is witnessed by the clubgoers, before Chemo arrives to carry her out. As he is doing so, Cherry vomits, inadvertently ruining the memory card
s in his pocket containing the Star Island photos. Cherry's "meltdown" is captured in graphic detail by the horde of paparazzi outside the club, before Ann and Skink slip away.
Abbott, however, is not among them. Like the others, he has stalked Cherry to the club, but he is shot in the buttocks by a thug hired by one of his disgruntled tipsters. The tipster sent the information to Abbott's BlackBerry while Cherry had possession of it, and Abbott was unaware that the man was expecting his usual fee. In a touch of poetic justice
, Abbott finds himself on the receiving end of his profession's notorious indifference to pain and suffering: as he lies in agony on the sidewalk, none of his fellow "shooters" are inclined to give him aid, but just keep snapping pictures of him as he is lifted into an ambulance.
2010 in literature
The year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device....
novel by Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
, released on Tuesday, July 27, 2010.
The novel takes its name from Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida, where part of the story takes place.
Plot summary
Ann DeLusia, the "stunt doubleStunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
" for habitually intoxicated and drug-addicted pop star
Pop Star
"Pop Star" is a 2005 single from Japanese singer Ken Hirai. The single went on to top the 2005 Oricon Charts and is known for its remarkable music video, featuring Ken in seven different personas, including a raccoon and his own manager. The Video also helped Ken break into the US and Canadian...
"Cherry Pye," is mistakenly kidnapped by an obsessed paparazzo. Now, the star's entourage must find a way to rescue Ann, and do it without revealing her identity to the star herself, or the world at large.
The novel also features the re-appearance of Hiaasen's recurring character, ex-Florida governor Clinton "Skink" Tyree
Clinton Tyree
Clinton Tyree, a.k.a. Skink, is a fictional character who has appeared in several novels by Carl Hiaasen, beginning with Double Whammy in 1987. He is an opponent of sprawl and development, and partakes of roadkill cuisine.-Personal history:...
.
Detailed Plot Summary
Paparazzo "Bang" Abbott is lying in wait outside a posh South BeachSouth Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
hotel, on a tip that pop star
Pop Star
"Pop Star" is a 2005 single from Japanese singer Ken Hirai. The single went on to top the 2005 Oricon Charts and is known for its remarkable music video, featuring Ken in seven different personas, including a raccoon and his own manager. The Video also helped Ken break into the US and Canadian...
"Cherry Pye" has overdosed
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
again. However, when the paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s bring a woman down to the ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
, she flashes him a smile from underneath the oxygen mask
Oxygen mask
An oxygen mask provides a method to transfer breathing oxygen gas from a storage tank to the lungs. Oxygen masks may cover the nose and mouth or the entire face...
and he sees, from the color of her eyes, that she is a body double
Body double
A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, in shots where the character's body is shown but the face is either not visible or shown indistinctly, or in shots where the image of the credited actor's face is joined,...
. Meanwhile, the real Cherry is being driven to the nearest hospital in a private limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
by her entourage
Entourage
An entourage is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a famous, notorious or otherwise notable individual...
(having ingested "an unwise mix of vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
, hydrocodone
Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from either of two naturally occurring opiates: codeine and thebaine. It is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive...
, birdseed, and stool softener
Laxative
Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and/or bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas under...
.")
The body double is Ann DeLusia, an actress hired by Cherry's family to make brief public appearances when Cherry is too inebriated to do so. Cherry's mother (and manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
), Janet Bunterman, tells Ann to take a few days off, while Cherry is packed off, yet again, to "dietary camp" (i.e., drug rehab
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
). Cherry's entourage usually turns a blind eye to her "partying," but need her focused on rehearsing for her upcoming concert tour to promote her second attempt at a comeback album.
Like many media watchers, Abbott believes it is only a matter of time before Cherry accidentally kills herself with her excessive lifestyle; unlike others, he believes that once she's dead, photos of her just before her final "crash" will become priceless. Infuriated at having been fooled by a body double, he becomes even more obsessed with getting photos of Cherry under sordid circumstances.
In Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Cherry jumps over the wall of the rehab center, with the sole intention of returning to Florida to resume her "relationship" with the young actor she was with when she overdosed. Her focus is so limited that she hitches a ride to the airport in a car waiting outside the center, before realizing the driver, Abbott, is a paparazzo. Feeling absurdly pleased by his transparent flattery, Cherry takes him along when she charters a private jet to Florida. Aboard the plane, Abbott is astonished when she decides to have an onboard quickie
Quickie (sex)
A quickie refers to a brief or spontaneous episode of sexual activity, with the couple finishing it in a very short amount of time.Generally the term presupposes that foreplay is skipped and that at least one of the partners climaxes. A quickie may involve an intercourse or be limited to manual or...
with him. His astonishment turns to outrage when Cherry drives away in a limousine and strands him at the airport, taking his camera bag and BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
with her.
Ann decides to spend her few days off touring the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
, but while driving through Key Largo
Key Largo
Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and, at long, the largest of the Keys. It is also the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the Keys connected by U.S. Highway 1...
, she swerves to avoid a man scooping a roadkill
Roadkill
Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...
off the highway, and her car goes off a bridge. When she wakes up, the man, "Skink
Clinton Tyree
Clinton Tyree, a.k.a. Skink, is a fictional character who has appeared in several novels by Carl Hiaasen, beginning with Double Whammy in 1987. He is an opponent of sprawl and development, and partakes of roadkill cuisine.-Personal history:...
" has rescued her. With apologies, Skink brings her along on a brief mission to kidnap and intimidate real estate developer Jackie Sebago, whose crew cut down a red mangrove forest for his new condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
project. Afterwards, Skink has a friend give her a ride to the nearest hospital, and gives her the number for his seldom-used cell phone, to call in case she ever needs help.
With Ann temporarily out of contact, Cherry's mother and entourage fly to Florida to track Cherry down. Over Janet's protests, Cherry's record promoter, Maury Lykes, assigns a man nicknamed "Chemo
Blondell Wayne Tatum
Blondell Wayne Tatum, a.k.a. Chemo, is a fictional character who has appeared in two novels by Carl Hiaasen, Skin Tight and Star Island .-Personal history:...
" to replace Cherry's recently fired bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
. Maury believes Chemo, an ex-convict, is the perfect person to whip Cherry into shape, as well as so ugly that even Cherry may hesitate before trying to seduce him.
Chemo tracks Cherry and her actor boyfriend to a tattoo parlor, and hauls Cherry back to the hotel, though not before Cherry (drunkenly following the advice of a fraudulent psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
) has had an extremely ugly likeness of Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
half-finished onto her neck. When Ann reports back, Janet tells her to have the design copied in henna
Henna
Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes...
for her next public appearance as Cherry.
After the surreal sexual encounter aboard the plane, and the subsequent theft of his cameras and phone, Bang Abbott's obsession with Cherry has increased to a manic level; he now imagines himself as the victim of a cruel, convoluted scheme by her to humiliate him. Lying in wait outside her hotel, Abbott kidnaps her at gunpoint, only to realize that the woman he has snatched (misled by the henna tattoo) is Ann.
Abbott comes up with a new plan: demanding, in exchange for Ann's safe return, that Cherry be made available to him for a private photo shoot. When she calls Janet, Ann is furious to hear that, not only are the Buntermans hesitant to meet these demands, but they have not even reported her missing to the police. For Cherry's "handlers," the paramount concern is that Ann's masquerade remain a secret from the media, and from Cherry herself (in private, Cherry's twin publicist
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
s reason to Janet that it would be more convenient for everyone if the kidnapper killed Ann instead of returning her).
When Abbott lets Ann use the bathroom, she hurriedly uses her cell phone to call the only number she has: Skink's. He drops his mission and makes his way to South Beach.
Cherry spends the next few days in a sulk, since Chemo is keeping her under virtual house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
and keeping all drugs and alcohol out of reach. Once she realizes that he is working for Maury, not her, she makes a lame attempt to seduce him, which fails. Chemo, for his part, is having difficulty putting up with Cherry's endless whining and the awfulness of her "music" during rehearsals.
When the Buntermans refuse to agree to Abbott's demand, he dresses Ann up in costume and shoots pictures of her with a discarded syringe
Syringe
A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...
, making it look as if "Cherry" is a drug addict. His threat to release those pictures to the media is taken much more seriously by the Buntermans than his threat against Ann's life.
Since Cherry and her family have managed to spend nearly all the millions of dollars she has made already, her father, Ned, suggests that they acede to Abbott's demands, albeit under controlled circumstances, since they are cheaper than paying a monetary ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
. In fact, with Cherry's popularity already fading quickly, Ned has the idea that a kidnapping story with a happy ending is the perfect publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
to boost ticket sales for her upcoming tour, provided they can replace Ann with Cherry as the kidnap victim.
The photo shoot takes place on Star Island, in the rented home of Cherry's actor boyfriend (who has been unceremoniously evicted for the day). Cherry has been duped into thinking that she is posing for the cover of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, while Chemo is assigned to watch-dog the session and make sure nothing "porny
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
" occurs.
When she meets her employers again, Ann is surprised by the depth of her own anger: the Buntermans' obsession with Cherry's career trumped any concerns they may have had about Ann's safety; they covered up her abduction and had a story "ready to roll" if Ann had been found dead; even now, their accession to Abbott's demands is primarily motivated by their worry over the embarrassing "drug" photos.
At that moment, Skink arrives, having finally tracked her down. Ann decides to leave with him rather than spend another moment with the Buntermans.
To his own surprise, Abbott's photos of Cherry turn out artful and striking (giving her an entirely false appearance of depth and complexity). Even Chemo, who is getting dangerously close to killing Cherry out of sheer irritation, concedes their quality, before he confiscates the digital memory cards containing them. Chemo was ordered to kill Abbott and return the photos to Maury, but Abbott convinces him that once Cherry is dead, they can make a fortune publishing them, so Chemo decides to let Abbott live and hang on to the photos.
The afternoon also has the side benefit of curing Abbott of his enlarged obsession with Cherry. Less than an hour spent in "conversation" with her is enough to convince him that she is as vacuous and shallow as she outwardly appears, and that it is absurd for him to have thought her capable of scheming to do anything, whether to entice him or antagonize him. In fact, once the affair is over, Abbott reflects that Ann, Cherry's non-famous double, is by far the more compelling woman.
With Abbott neutralized, the Buntermans prepare the next stage of their planned publicity stunt, meeting with Ann and Skink and offering her $50,000 in hush money
Hush money
Hush money is an informal term for financial incentives or rewards offered in exchange for not divulging information.Hush Money may also refer to:* Hush Money , a 1921 silent film directed by Charles Maigne...
. Ann declines, settling instead for plane fare back to California and the price of a snappy Zegna suit she bought for Skink. Ned is vastly relieved, but Janet finds it impossible to believe that anyone would turn down $50,000, and is sure Ann has some alternate scheme in mind. Ann informs the Buntermans that she's quitting her role as Cherry's double, and warns them never to contact her again.
Maury is so worried by Ann's decision that he flirts with the idea of paying Chemo to kill her. Chemo vetoes the idea, and warns Maury not to send anyone else after her. After less than a week spent with Cherry and her parents, Chemo is now firmly on Ann's side.
In private, the Buntermans admit to Cherry that she won't be appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair. Cherry pitches a fit, but is intrigued when her parents tell her she will be the star of a media blitz surrounding her fictional kidnapping. Cherry is upset to be told that, to sell the story, she will need to be secluded for a few days, ostensibly "recovering" from her ordeal. Janet and Ned encourage Cherry that it will allow her to sober up and prepare for the tour - but in private, Cherry vows to make the most of the remaining night.
With Skink's assistance, Ann has indeed come up with a scheme of her own, but, contrary to Janet's beliefs, it has nothing to do with grabbing either money or fame. Part of it is intended as a snub to the Buntermans, but part of it is a mission of mercy. Like many others, Ann foresees that Cherry is headed for self-destruction, but no one else (least of all Cherry's own parents) seems interested in trying to prevent it. Some, like Abbott, view her death as a potential gold mine, while others, such as her parents and Maury, have too much invested in her career to acknowledge that fame and wealth are what fuel her addictions.
With a tip-off from one of Abbott's South Beach informants, Ann makes a conspicuous appearance at an exclusive nightclub, using Cherry's name. A short time later, Cherry escapes from her parents' guard at the hotel and goes to the club with her actor boyfriend, who has helpfully supplied various recreational drugs at her request. At the club, Ann approaches Cherry and tells her the truth about her role as Cherry's "stunt double." Several persons see them together and notice their striking resemblance. Cherry takes the revelation badly, launching herself at Ann in an inebriated rage, all of which is witnessed by the clubgoers, before Chemo arrives to carry her out. As he is doing so, Cherry vomits, inadvertently ruining the memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
s in his pocket containing the Star Island photos. Cherry's "meltdown" is captured in graphic detail by the horde of paparazzi outside the club, before Ann and Skink slip away.
Abbott, however, is not among them. Like the others, he has stalked Cherry to the club, but he is shot in the buttocks by a thug hired by one of his disgruntled tipsters. The tipster sent the information to Abbott's BlackBerry while Cherry had possession of it, and Abbott was unaware that the man was expecting his usual fee. In a touch of poetic justice
Poetic justice
Poetic justice is a literary device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punished, often in modern literature by an ironic twist of fate intimately related to the character's own conduct.- Origin of the term :...
, Abbott finds himself on the receiving end of his profession's notorious indifference to pain and suffering: as he lies in agony on the sidewalk, none of his fellow "shooters" are inclined to give him aid, but just keep snapping pictures of him as he is lifted into an ambulance.
Epilogue
(Like many of Hiaasen's novels, the book ends with an epilogue summarizing the outcome of the various plot lines and the fate of the characters in bulletin form.)- Cherry's concert tour is canceled, and her comeback album is a flop, after her highly public "meltdown" and the embarrassing revelation about her need for a stunt double. Cherry enters rehab yet again (on the tiny island of St. BartsSaint BarthélemySaint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
this time) and her career continues, though on a much humbler level than before. She is last reported as the star of her own reality series on TLC Network chronicling her gradual return to sobriety. - Cherry's parents (whose relationship was sustained only by their shared interest in Cherry's career) separate after her music career collapses, though they still act as her managers and make occasional (paid) appearances on her TV show.
- The rest of Cherry's entourage breaks up, to meet various fates: her publicists continue to be much in demand, while her record promoter is forced to flee the U.S. and is eventually murdered by the father of one of his underageStatutory rapeThe phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
"protegées." - With the revival of the real estate market, Chemo quits security work and returns to his former career as a mortgage loanMortgage loanA mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
broker. - Claude Abbott only partially recovers from his bullet-wounding. While still able to operate a camera, he is no longer mobile enough to chase celebrities, and so abandons freelance photography and now operates a small portrait studio in Culver City, CaliforniaCulver City, CaliforniaCulver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
. - Ann establishes herself as a serious actress in Hollywood through a series of critically successful films. Although her former role as Cherry's double becomes public knowledge, Ann steadfastly refuses to capitalize on her brief notoriety, including turning down several lucrative book deals, and becomes famous on her own terms.
- Ann has never heard from Skink again, but hears from their mutual friend Jim Tile that the former governor of Florida is "in a good place."
Main Characters
- Ann DeLusia: A struggling actress normally based in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Ann was hired by Cherry Pye's family largely because of their physical resemblance. Cherry frequently needs someone to impersonate her in public to cover up her episodes of excess (though Cherry herself is completely unaware of this). Other than their looks, Ann is Cherry's polar opposite in every way: sober, intelligent, and dependable. - Claude "Bang" Abbott: Formerly a Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize for Breaking News PhotographyThe Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, has been awarded since 2000. Before 1968, there was only one photography category, the Pulitzer Prize for Photography, which was divided into the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and feature categories...
-winning staff photographer for the St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, Claude quit the paper under ignominious circumstances and now lives the frenzied, itinerant (but extremely lucrative) life of a paparazzo. Originally obsessed with snapping a photo of Cherry under sordid circumstances, he becomes obsessed in a different way when she seduces him in a drunken haze aboard a private jet.
The star and her entourage
- Cherry Pye: Born Cheryl Gail Bunterman, Cherry won early fame at age 14 with a one-line appearance in a NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
after-school TV special, which her aggressive parents and equally aggressive record promoter inflated into a career as a pop star (though her songs are entirely ghost-written and lip-synched, due to Cherry's nonexistent singing voice and general lack of musicality). Now aged 22, she is uncontrollably addicted to alcohol, drugs, and sexual promiscuity. - Janet Bunterman: Cheryl/Cherry's mother/managerTalent managerA talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
. Janet is fanatically devoted to promoting her daughter's stardom, and insists on maintaining "positive energyOptimismThe Oxford English Dictionary defines optimism as having "hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favourable or hopeful view." The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense...
" at all times - which manifests itself as an immovable state of denialDenialDenial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.The subject may use:* simple denial: deny the reality of the...
about Cherry's many addictions (for instance, blaming her frequent drug overdoses on attacks of gastritisGastritisGastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, and has many possible causes. The main acute causes are excessive alcohol consumption or prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic...
). - Ned Bunterman: Cheryl/Cherry's father/accountant. His devotion to his daughter's career (and the money it brings into the family coffers) is equal to his wife's, though he does not share her blindness to their daughter's fragile state. However, he is of minimal help since his wife usually takes the lead in dealing with their daughter.
- Maury Lykes: Cherry's record promoter (he became interested in her after seeing her on Nickelodeon, which he regularly watches, being a closet pedophilePedophiliaAs a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
). Unlike the Buntermans, he has no illusions about Cherry's lack of talent and self-destructive tendencies, but has a heavy stake in her upcoming comeback album and concert tour. - Lucy and Lila Lark: Cherry's publicistPublicistA publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
s. Born fraternal twins, they were so alike in temperament and thought that they later achieved, through plastic surgeryPlastic surgeryPlastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
, a shared desire to become identical twins. They are renowned in the entertainment industry for their skill at spin doctoring and other forms of "damage control," which allows them to limit their clientele to only the most famous, or most recklessly self-destructive, celebrities.
Recurring Characters
- Blondell Wayne TatumBlondell Wayne TatumBlondell Wayne Tatum, a.k.a. Chemo, is a fictional character who has appeared in two novels by Carl Hiaasen, Skin Tight and Star Island .-Personal history:...
, aka ChemoChemotherapyChemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
: a disfigured bodyguard, first introduced in Hiassen's novel, Skin TightSkin Tight (novel)Skin Tight is a novel by Carl Hiaasen. It focuses on a former detective for the Florida State Attorney's office, who becomes the target of a murder plot by a corrupt, and egregiously incompetent, plastic surgeon.-Plot summary:...
. - Clinton "Skink" TyreeClinton TyreeClinton Tyree, a.k.a. Skink, is a fictional character who has appeared in several novels by Carl Hiaasen, beginning with Double Whammy in 1987. He is an opponent of sprawl and development, and partakes of roadkill cuisine.-Personal history:...
: former governor of Florida, now wild bushman and environmental vigilante. - Jim Tile: A retired State Trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol, Skink's former bodyguard and best friend.
Other Characters
- Tanner Dane Keefe: a young actor of handsome looks and mediocre talent, riding the fame of being attached to Quentin TarantinoQuentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's latest upcoming slasher/parody film (in which he plays a necrophiliacNecrophiliaNecrophilia, also called thanatophilia or necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses,It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from the ancient Greek words: νεκρός and φιλία...
surfer). He becomes Cherry's latest love interest, though it takes all of ten days before she starts to lose interest in him. - Jackie Sebago: a real-estate developer planning to build an upscale condominiumCondominiumA condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
complex in Key LargoKey Largo, FloridaKey Largo is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, United States, located on the island of Key Largo in the upper Florida Keys. The population was 11,886 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the Spanish Cayo Largo, or "long key"...
, an enterprise which is already teetering on the brink of failure thanks to the real-estate bust and his own fiscal irresponsibility, when Skink appears to violently dissuade him from continuing with it. - William Shea: one of Jackie's aggrieved investors, who demands the return of his money with increasing menace.
- Detective Rob Reilly: detective with the Monroe CountyMonroe County, FloridaMonroe County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 79,589. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 74,737....
Sheriff's Office; he stumbles onto Skink's trail after his assault on Jackie Sebago, but ends up with little to no evidence of a crime. - D.T. Maltby: Clinton Tyree's former lieutenant governor, and one of his principal betrayers. Now a well-paid lobbyist living in Key Largo.
- Ruben "Whaddup" Coyle: a mediocre point guard for the Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
basketball team, whose career is on the skids due to recurring tendencies to lease luxury Jaguar convertibles and then wreck said vehicles under the influence of alcohol and drugs. - Freemont Spores: a retired newsprint mechanic who now operates a bank of contraband police scanners and feeds juicy tips to tabloid reporters, photographers, and the Miami underworld.
- Teddy Loo: one of Abbott's competing "shooters" (paparazzi).
Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science
- The novel drops the names of several real-life celebrities, either as quarry of Bang Abbott, or rivals of Cherry. Some memorable references include:
- Abbott remembers the media "frenzy" that followed Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's death, and his obsession with stalking Cherry is based not so much on her talent or even the stature of her fame, but rather his conviction that she is most likely to "beat the others to the grave," and that her death will generate another bonanza of publicity and demand for photos of her.- Abbott feels "scarred" at not being able to be "on the scene" in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the time of Jackson's death, because he was in NassauNassau, BahamasNassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, on a false tip that Mitt RomneyMitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
had checked into a resort with a pair of prostitutes.
- Abbott feels "scarred" at not being able to be "on the scene" in Los Angeles
- One of Cherry's previous attempts to rejuvenate her failing career involved circulating a sex tape on the Internet, which Abbott bought and was disappointed to find was even duller than Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
's; - Cherry proposes that she adoptAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
a baby as a publicity stuntPublicity stuntA publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
; attempting to discourage the notion, Janet (avoiding saying out loud that Cherry is "unfit to care for a goldfishGoldfishThe goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
, much less a child") argues that celebrity adoptions have already been over-hyped, thanks to Angelina JolieAngelina JolieAngelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
and her adopted daughter, Maddox/Madge; - When asked to name the worst thing he's ever done in pursuit of a photo, Abbott recalls bribing a florist's delivery boy to snap shots of a comatose Farrah FawcettFarrah FawcettFarrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
on her deathbed; - Abbott recounts that the worst humiliation he ever suffered as a paparazzo was when Charlie SheenCharlie SheenCarlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
threw him to the ground and urinated in his ear. - When duping Cherry into thinking she is posing for Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, her entourage recalls the hysterical tantrum Cherry threw when Lindsay LohanLindsay LohanLindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
appeared on the cover of that magazine.
- Abbott remembers the media "frenzy" that followed Michael Jackson
- Behind her back, Cherry's entourage frequently compare her to British pop singer Amy WinehouseAmy WinehouseAmy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
, for her reckless and recurring use of drugs and alcohol. Cherry's father points to Winehouse as an ominous illustration of what might happen to Cherry's career if she is not kept under control, noting that Winehouse (unlike Cherry) has genuine talent, but that has not stopped drug and alcohol abuse from wrecking her career.- One of the most infamous fiascoes of Cherry's career was her aborted concert at the Boston GardenBoston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
, ruined by Cherry's "whimsical" decision to imbibe crystal methamphetamine for the first time, just before going on stage. This debacle resulted in the cancellation of the tour, and, in turn, the flop of her previous comeback album. This was a fictional event, but turned out to be prophetic: in 2011 (a year after the novel was published), Winehouse's concert tour of Eastern Europe was canceled after she appeared on stage in BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
too intoxicated to perform.
- One of the most infamous fiascoes of Cherry's career was her aborted concert at the Boston Garden