I love the way this book explored identity. The Cuban American Miami. of every type were represented in a way that was believable. The harsh journey from Cuba and the dangerous involved were described in a way that promoted empathy but Not so much that it felt like trauma porn. there was just enough tension about where the story might end to allow me to have fun for the entire ride. Izzy was a fun character to view the world through. He was immature and misguided with hidden depth that he only began to tap into when he began his journey. The comedic elements also land well it juggles a climate change plot, and an animal abuse plot without feeling overstuffed

I was given a free advanced reader copy of Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capo Crucet by Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you, Simon & Schuster!

Let me just start with Say Hello to My Little Friend is definitely one of the weirder books I've read in a while.  It is essentially a satirical mash-up of Moby Dick and Scarface in modern Miami.  Those are two stories I never would have thought about attempting to blend together, but Jennine Capo Crucet somehow managed it.  The story commentates on several themes running the gamut from Gen-Z behaviors, climate change, immigration issues, gender roles, and childhood trauma while telling an entertaining, and oftentimes funny, story about a young man trying to find his path in life.

The main character, Ismael "Izzy" Reyes, is a failed Pitbull impersonator (cease-and-desist letters tend to end these types of career decisions fairly abruptly).  So, as someone who already has a history of latching onto a celebrity he admires and emulating those behaviors, Izzy decides his next goal in life is to become the new Tony Montana of Miami.  He rewatches Scarface, taking notes and making a list of steps to achieve his goal.  On that list are things like:

• Find a Manolo
• Get hired as dishwasher
• Get hooked up with shady dudes who hire us for job of some sort
• Do job and EXCEL
• Quit dishwasher job... walk out in a show
• Meet future wifey (aka Michelle Pfeiffer – should hate me at first but not really)

This list definitely lets the reader know what they should expect out of this book.  It's silly, and it's ridiculous.  However, over the course of the story, Izzy manages to follow this list a lot more closely than he realizes (to his eventual detriment, which is also pretty predictable even if I didn't immediately see it coming).  In fact, the first two steps turn out to be pretty easy, and so does step three once he finds his Manolo.  Unfortunately, about halfway through the book the whole tone of the story shifts dramatically.

It took me a while to figure out what this book was trying to say.  How should I take what I was reading?  I finally realized it was a satire, but then the author threw that out the window at the half-way mark.  Instead, the story morphed into an exploration of childhood trauma and immigration with some magical realism thrown in thanks to a strange metaphysical connection Izzy acquires with a captive orca named Lolita.  The tone went from "this is funny because I could see this happening" to "this is actually pretty heartbreaking."

In the end, I did enjoy reading this book.  I definitely haven't stopped thinking about it off and on since I finished it a few days ago.  However, I don't think it's a book I'll re-read soon.  I may eventually re-read it, though, because it's one of those books that will likely make more sense upon re-reading it.  This would definitely be a good book for people who already enjoy literary fiction, but for someone like me who primarily reads fantasy and sci-fi, it was not what I'd typically pick up.  

I gave Say Hello to My Little Friend by Jennine Capo Crucet three out of five stars.  There is definitely an audience out there for this book.  I just don't think I'm in that audience.  Everything Crucet explores in this book's pages is well-written in an entertaining narrative voice.  I will say it made me want to learn more about Miami and its culture and how that culture has developed thanks to Cuban immigrants.  Everything in the book is tied together by Cuban immigration and the mix of cultures in the city in one way or another.  If you enjoy literary fiction, then definitely give this book a try.