Reviews

Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capó Crucet

emerichase's review

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The ending of this book literally haunts my dreams but I can't deny it was good.

ambershelf's review against another edition

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4.0

gifted by the publisher

Growing up in Miami has shaped Izzy Reyes into someone who dreams of money, power, and respect. After his business impersonating Pitbull failed, Izzy embarks on an absurd quest to transform into a modern-day Tony Montana, as seen in Scarface.

FRIEND is an off-beat "anti-immigrant" story that follows a Cuban American's fever dream and resists the tropes of trauma porn or generational divide while examining Izzy's inheritance via inventive storytelling. There's so much going on in FRIEND, with frequent references to Putbull & Scarface (which I was quite lost) and narratives from a captive orca.

I'm not sure if I fully got everything happening in the book, but the unique storytelling kept me engaged, and the ending is especially poignant. FRIEND is a little hard to categorize, but if THE BEE STING (Paul Murray) and REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES (Shelby Van Pelt) have a tragicomic baby, that would be FRIEND.

snaranjo8's review against another edition

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3.0

Yo wtf

venneh's review against another edition

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4.0

This is the story of a young Pitbull impersonator who decides to try and become the next Scarface of Miami, a captive orca named Lolita, and how their lives end up crossing each others' paths. Lots of swagger, just a hint of mystery and tragedy, and an absolutely wild, in the best kind of way, climax. Picked it up from the library, and definitely worth reading as a YouTube facing reimagination of Moby Dick. Too het for my taste though.

junesparklily's review against another edition

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3.0

I can't say I loved, or even liked, this book. But I finished it. Maybe I just don't get it.

makennajonker's review against another edition

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DNF at 42%. main character reminded me of my loser ex and the connection to the whale took too long to get to the point

aliciafaithreads's review against another edition

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5.0

Scarface meets Blackfish with as much emotional trauma as you’d expect.

rapgamenancyreagan's review

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adventurous lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

valeriaq24's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

nadinekc's review against another edition

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4.0

4 1/2 stars. 20 year old Izzy Reyes is at a loss after high school - he's ambitious, but has no skills and no purpose - until he lights on what only a teen or post teen boy could think was an actual, viable idea - to become a 21st century Tony Montana, following his trajectory in Scarface (minus the spectacular death) replacing the drug business with the immigrant smuggling business. He's written it all down, step-by-step in a notebook, but (surprise) it isn't long until things go off the rails in amusing and heartbreaking ways. This sounds like a plot that could get old fast, but instead it gets deeper and deeper in surprising ways. The tongue-in-cheek narrative voice, with its perfectly placed 4th wall breaks, intensifies the books charms and heartbreaks - and there are plenty of both. Wonderful characters, all show and no tell - most brilliantly done with Lolita, the killer whale who is absolutely not anthropomorphized, yet brought intensely to life. Nearly as good is the character of Miami itself - I've only been there a few times in my life, but Crucet made it feel as familiar as home.