Reviews

Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas

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nea's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-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? No

3.75

erine's review against another edition

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5.0

This takes a minute to get going, spending a fair amount of time establishing what Cumba's life in Cuba looks like before moving on. Cumba has a stable and loving family and mischievous friends, although the shadows of revolution haunt everyone in his community. Once Castro takes over the government, Cumba's father becomes targeted as a former supporter of Batista, and Cumba himself will be forced to join the local Youth group, where they indoctrinate and propagandize the kids.

So his parents organize a way out of Cuba.

There are some parts that don't make sense to me:

Spoiler

one is the soldier, Ignacio, who demands that Cumba report for youth duty, but then there are no repercussions for the family until several months after Cumba leaves. The other part that left me confused was the rest of Cumba's family gets out of Cuba. Organizing Cumba's departure was complicated, I just don't get how the rest of the family waltzes out of the country.

I wish those bits had been addressed either in the story or in the author's note.

But overall, I appreciated the story arc: from home in Cuba to adrift and alone in Florida, Cumba's story tells of a political refugee who flees for greater opportunity and safety only to find a different host of challenges.

bibliobrandie's review

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4.0

This is solid middle grade historical fiction. Set in Cuba during the rise of Fidel, Cumba and his family must make the very difficult decision to send Cumba north to the US. I loved the sense of place and family in this story. I loved all the Spanish language. I didn't love how some things tied up too easily (but middle grade readers should enjoy this though). I had no idea that Fidel had tried out for the Yankees but didn't make it. That line has had me thinking since I put the book down: Imagine if he had, what would Cuba look like today?

rainbowbookworm's review

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4.0

I am half Cuban and this one resonated with me.

blogginboutbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I don't think I've ever read a book about Cuba under Fidel Castro, so I was pleased to see the topic addressed in fiction. It's an interesting period in history, one I don't think most people know about. I appreciated the chance to learn about it and to broaden my understanding of Cuban history, appalling as it sometimes is. Although CUBA IN MY POCKET is set in 1961, its subject matter—the plight of refugees, not just in their own countries but also in America where they're supposed to find sanctuary—is both timely and important.

Cumba is a sympathetic narrator, one who's easy to feel for and root for. His experience feels authentic, without being too grim for a middle-grade audience. His story teaches empathy using many real-life experiences that the author's father had when he was a young refugee in Florida. Readers will (hopefully) come away with more open minds and hearts toward the people who continue to flock to America hoping to find refuge and peace. It also address issues of PTSD, racism, found family, and finding hope in hard situations.

CUBA IN MY POCKET lacks a bit in plot since it's mostly about what happens to Cumba instead of what he MAKES happen. That lack of focus makes it sag a bit in places. Still, I found the story eye-opening, moving, and important.