What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that this is an ends-justify-the-means kind of book: the heroes, young and old, behave recklessly, often stupidly, and at times illegally, but because their intentions are good it's portrayed as admirable. Also, as the main topic is the illegal dumping of sewage, there's a fair amount of potty humor.

The environmental themes provide some grist for discussion, but as the author stacks the deck quite didactically, making no effort to show both sides, there's not much to disagree about. Perhaps you could discuss ways to protect the environment that don't involve theft, vandalism, dishonesty, and reckless disregard for personal safety. On the other hand, you could discuss the ways such organizations as GreenPeace have turned breaking the law into an effective tool.

Common Sense Media Review
There are holes in this plot big enough to float a casino boat through, starting with why the owner is so determined to dump his bilges, thereby polluting the beach his own son swims in, instead of pumping them into a sewer tank. He says it's because the owner is a cheapskate, but it has to cost less than his hired goons, not to mention refloating and renovating his boat, and paying $10 thousand in fines. But Hiaasen is on a soapbox here, and logic or other points of view aren't going to get in his way -- bad guys are bad guys, for no apparent reason; and good guys can lie, steal, and vandalize, as long as their hearts are in the right place.

That's all not to say that there isn't any fun to be had here. It has some aspects of a mystery and some of a caper novel, action, humor, a bit of suspense, and some interesting characters. The resolution is unlikely, and there are some whopping coincidences, but if you try not to think too hard it rolls along nicely and passes the time, much like a Hardy Boys book with potty humor. But from nonsense like this you'd never guess Hiaasen is a highly considered adult novelist.

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