A review by mada_m
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is the start of a family saga, written brilliantly in a dual timeline. We have the present represented by a young woman traveling to Cuba to reconnect with her roots and to fulfil her grandmother's last wish (to spread her ashes in the country she had fled after the revolution), as well as her grandmother's voice telling us her story. The style is descriptive, immersive in the Cuban culture, places and politics. The characters are complex and although the stories are love stories, the focus is more on the complexities of Cuban life and freedoms within a changing country, both during the revolution and in the present. 
I felt that the past love story was much more believable and important to the flow of this book, while the present love story was a bit superfluous. Both love stories are fade-to black, but the genuinely interesting setting of this book makes up for the lack of spice. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings