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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audio book performed by Armando Duran
3.5***
This is a young-adult novel from the Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.
Rico Fuentes is a “dark dude” – which means that he is a very-light-skinned Cubano – living in New York City’s Spanish Harlem. Blond, with hazel eyes and freckles, his appearance gets a lot of attention from the tough guys in the neighborhood, who hassle him for being a “whitey.” The fact that he’s slight of build, and prefers books and music to hanging in the streets doesn’t help. Feeling like he doesn’t belong, tired of getting beat up just for his appearance, and torn by events in his family and neighborhood, Rico decides he cannot continue. With his best friend Jimmy, he runs away to Wisconsin, where a former neighborhood boy is now attending college. Gilberto takes the boys in without question. Rico figures he’ll fit in here; he looks like everyone else in Wisconsin. But the 16-year-old soon discovers that he feels just as “different” in Wisconsin as he did in Harlem.
There are elements of this book that I really liked. I enjoyed Rico’s journey of self-discovery and watching him mature and absorb life’s lessons. I liked the fact that he was fairly strong in character – refusing to get involved in drugs or crime. Rico is intelligent, thoughtful, loyal, curious, diligent and conscientious. I was particularly happy to see how his love of reading – especially the works of Mark Twain – helped him understand his situation and consider his options. What I didn’t like was the casual way in which these teens treated alcohol – they were constantly drinking beer. I wondered why Gilberto, who was portrayed originally as a straight-arrow and a role model, tolerated (and even encouraged?) his roommate’s constant use of marijuana. Bad decisions did not seem to have negative consequences; a couple of times I thought “Oh, this is going to turn out badly,” but the expected turn of events never occurred. I know that real life doesn’t always work that way; people behave badly and get away with it every day. But this is a YA novel, and I think the author needs to show consequences for his intended audience. I also wondered why Hijuelos was so circumspect about the time period. If he specifically mentioned that this is set in the mid-1960s I missed that. I figured it out fairly easily due to the cultural references, but I lived those years. I wonder if the teens which are the target audience for this novel will pick up on the time frame so easily. In all, I loved Rico, but I only liked the book.
Armando Duran does a good job of performing the audio book. He has good pacing and good Spanish pronunciation. His skill as a voice artist also made each character sufficiently distinct to avoid confusion.
3.5***
This is a young-adult novel from the Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.
Rico Fuentes is a “dark dude” – which means that he is a very-light-skinned Cubano – living in New York City’s Spanish Harlem. Blond, with hazel eyes and freckles, his appearance gets a lot of attention from the tough guys in the neighborhood, who hassle him for being a “whitey.” The fact that he’s slight of build, and prefers books and music to hanging in the streets doesn’t help. Feeling like he doesn’t belong, tired of getting beat up just for his appearance, and torn by events in his family and neighborhood, Rico decides he cannot continue. With his best friend Jimmy, he runs away to Wisconsin, where a former neighborhood boy is now attending college. Gilberto takes the boys in without question. Rico figures he’ll fit in here; he looks like everyone else in Wisconsin. But the 16-year-old soon discovers that he feels just as “different” in Wisconsin as he did in Harlem.
There are elements of this book that I really liked. I enjoyed Rico’s journey of self-discovery and watching him mature and absorb life’s lessons. I liked the fact that he was fairly strong in character – refusing to get involved in drugs or crime. Rico is intelligent, thoughtful, loyal, curious, diligent and conscientious. I was particularly happy to see how his love of reading – especially the works of Mark Twain – helped him understand his situation and consider his options. What I didn’t like was the casual way in which these teens treated alcohol – they were constantly drinking beer. I wondered why Gilberto, who was portrayed originally as a straight-arrow and a role model, tolerated (and even encouraged?) his roommate’s constant use of marijuana. Bad decisions did not seem to have negative consequences; a couple of times I thought “Oh, this is going to turn out badly,” but the expected turn of events never occurred. I know that real life doesn’t always work that way; people behave badly and get away with it every day. But this is a YA novel, and I think the author needs to show consequences for his intended audience. I also wondered why Hijuelos was so circumspect about the time period. If he specifically mentioned that this is set in the mid-1960s I missed that. I figured it out fairly easily due to the cultural references, but I lived those years. I wonder if the teens which are the target audience for this novel will pick up on the time frame so easily. In all, I loved Rico, but I only liked the book.
Armando Duran does a good job of performing the audio book. He has good pacing and good Spanish pronunciation. His skill as a voice artist also made each character sufficiently distinct to avoid confusion.
whatrobinsonreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
readwithpassion's review against another edition
4.0
I think this novel has great teen appeal. It deals with the harsh realities that many teens face today. Rico struggles with his identity, a Cuban who looks white and doesn't speak Spanish well. He runs away to Wisconsin to escape the violence and crime in NYC, only to find that crime exists everywhere. His voice felt real to me, and I was sucked into his story. My only complaints are that the novel drags a bit in a few places, and the drug references are quite graphic. In the end, I had to give it five stars, as I truly thought it was an amazing book.
_eliza's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book but the writing wasnt that great :/ The main character's voice didnt sound quite right. Some of the things he would say sounded more like the author than the character :( It was distracting and brought me outta the story time and time again. Some good discriptive sections but overall disappointing :(
annebennett1957's review against another edition
3.0
(Updated review on 7/22/21) Looking back over ten years I don't recall much about this book other than it is long (over 400 pgs) and I could never get any students to check it out. The main character is Cuban-American and living in the Pac NW perhaps this is a group that my students couldn't relate to.
dlberglund's review against another edition
3.0
This a book about a kid who doesn't feel like he fits in, no matter where he goes. Rico's parents are Cuban and he lives in a Latino neighborhood in New York. He, however, inherited blond hair and light eyes, and is mistaken (and hassled) for being white at his neighborhood school. He's hassled for being a sissy. He doesn't speak Spanish well enough to communicate fully with his parents. He doesn't want to join the junkies in the alleys. He doesn't want to go to school. He wants to write comic books with his artistic friend, Jimmy. Circumstances send him running out to Wisconsin to crash with his older friend from the neighborhood.
The parts about his disconnect are sometimes poignant. He's an The plot devices, however, seem sometimes trite or seem forced. I expected more from a Pulitzer Prize winner, and it sometimes read to me as a first or second novel. (The description of his childhood illness that led to being in a hospital for two years, resulting in disconnect from his parents and culture, seemed odd and out of place. I tried to not obsess about what the illness would have been or why it was handled the way it was. I then read in Hijuelos' biography that he was ill when he was three, and sent to a sanitorium in another state, just as his character was. I had wondered if that were the case, and was disappointed that it didn't feel like it rang true in this novel. I finally had to tell myself to just accept and move on. Accept the effects of it and move on.) I was also surprised that the novel took place in the early 70's, rather than in present-day, which was (for some reason) what I was expecting. Maybe I've been reading too many Walter Dean Myers' books, but I expected a modern look at association and dis-association in urban culture, not a look back at counter-culture movements in the 70s. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention to the marketing, but that expectation colored my reading of the book.
Even with all of these negative things I've said, I did enjoy the book. Rico is a sympathetic character. I want him to succeed. I want his dad to sober up and I want his mom to say something nice to him. I worry about where he can find success. I am on Rico's side.
The parts about his disconnect are sometimes poignant. He's an The plot devices, however, seem sometimes trite or seem forced. I expected more from a Pulitzer Prize winner, and it sometimes read to me as a first or second novel. (The description of his childhood illness that led to being in a hospital for two years, resulting in disconnect from his parents and culture, seemed odd and out of place. I tried to not obsess about what the illness would have been or why it was handled the way it was. I then read in Hijuelos' biography that he was ill when he was three, and sent to a sanitorium in another state, just as his character was. I had wondered if that were the case, and was disappointed that it didn't feel like it rang true in this novel. I finally had to tell myself to just accept and move on. Accept the effects of it and move on.) I was also surprised that the novel took place in the early 70's, rather than in present-day, which was (for some reason) what I was expecting. Maybe I've been reading too many Walter Dean Myers' books, but I expected a modern look at association and dis-association in urban culture, not a look back at counter-culture movements in the 70s. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention to the marketing, but that expectation colored my reading of the book.
Even with all of these negative things I've said, I did enjoy the book. Rico is a sympathetic character. I want him to succeed. I want his dad to sober up and I want his mom to say something nice to him. I worry about where he can find success. I am on Rico's side.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this one up because it was the only book from the Oregon Reader's Choice Award senior division that I hadn't already read. It was also a story that I wouldn't ordinarily be drawn to, and I think it's important as a librarian to read widely so that I can recommend widely.
I never quite knew where the story was going - it takes place partly in New York and partly in rural Wisconsin - two places where Rico doesn't quite fit in. I thought the characters were interesting, and Hijuelos has some great observations about being in that strange, in-between place where you belong yet don't belong. I'd recommend it to teens who are interested in reading about those experiences - either as a reflection of their own lives, in some way, or as a window into what other teens experience.
I never quite knew where the story was going - it takes place partly in New York and partly in rural Wisconsin - two places where Rico doesn't quite fit in. I thought the characters were interesting, and Hijuelos has some great observations about being in that strange, in-between place where you belong yet don't belong. I'd recommend it to teens who are interested in reading about those experiences - either as a reflection of their own lives, in some way, or as a window into what other teens experience.
renatasnacks's review against another edition
3.0
It took me forever to figure out that this book is set in the 60s. I thought it was a contemporary novel for some reason, and the only thing that really got to me was the prices of everything. Anyway. The titular "Dark Dude" is a derogatory nickname for Rico, a light-skinned Cuban-American boy who gets hassled in his school and neighborhood because the black and Latino kids think he's white. He ends up running away to Wisconsin (where an older friend of his has moved to attend college after winning the lottery). It actually feels very plausible in the book, although when I write out that plot point it sounds a little ridiculous. Just go with it. My favorite part of the book was Rico's connection with comic books and Huckleberry Finn.
yaz24yaz's review against another edition
3.0
I read this back in 8th grade and related super well with this book. I saw a lot of Rico in myself at the time. The only reason I don't give it more stars is because the majority of the characters in the book weren't super memorable or I just remember them being quite bland or forgotten throughout the story (or maybe that's just me after not reading this book after years), but also I remember not being super satisfied finishing the book.
When it comes to how it relatable it is, that deserves 5 stars but overall it's 3 stars.
When it comes to how it relatable it is, that deserves 5 stars but overall it's 3 stars.
kevinhendricks's review against another edition
2.0
The first take at a teen novel from this Pulitzer-winning author and I wasn't impressed. I like Hijuelos for his smooth, lyrical writing and it just felt dumbed down here.