Review of THE CAT KING OF HAVANA by Tom Crosshill

The Cat King of Havana by Tom Crosshill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just finished an amazing YA book, THE CAT KING OF HAVANA by Tom Crosshill, Katherine Tegen Books, my publisher. Its main protagonist, Rick Gutierrez, is awkward and geeky and spends his time in his room on his computer with his website, CatoTrope.com. His Mom has died, his first girlfriend has dumped him and the room is so much easier than being out in the world-that is, until he meets Ana Cabrera and salsa dancing. He invites Ana to his mother's native Cuba for the summer with the hopes of impressing her and learning to dance, but his adventure proves much more dangerous and daring. This is Rick's coming of age story-learning about women, family (why his mother had to escape Cuba) and the ambiguity of politics and love. The book is a nuanced vision of the perils of growing up in such a complex world. And the writing is dynamite. A must read!

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