The Cat King of Havana (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780062422835)

Lolcats. Salsa dancing. Unrequited love. Tom Crosshill's smart and witty debut teen novel treads a colorful coming-of-age journey from New York City to Havana that will appeal to fans of books by Matthew Quick and Junot Díaz.

When Rick Gutiérrez--known as "That Cat Guy" at school--gets dumped on his sixteenth birthday for uploading cat videos from his bedroom instead of experiencing the real world, he realizes it's time for a change. So Rick joins a salsa class . . . because of a girl, of course. Ana Cabrera is smart, friendly, and smooth on the dance floor. He might be half Cuban, but Rick dances like a drunk hippo. Desperate to impress Ana, he invites her to spend the summer in Havana. The official reason: learning to dance. The hidden agenda: romance under the palm trees.

Except Cuba isn't all sun, salsa, and music. As Rick and Ana meet his family and investigate the reason why his mother left Cuba decades ago, they learn that politics isn't just something that happens to other people. And when they find romance, it's got sharp edges.

Author: Tom Crosshill
ISBN-10: 0062422839
ISBN-13: 9780062422835
Publisher: HarperCollins
Language: English
Published: 09/06/2016
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.70w x 1.30d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.6
Point Value: 11
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 184178 / Cat King of Havana


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/27/2016
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2016
Voice of Youth Advocates 10/01/2016 - Recommended - Hard To Beat
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2017 pg. 124 - Recommended, Satisfactory