" Dark Dude " By Oscar Hijuelos

Provacative, yet understandable, Dark Dude tells a first person narration story of a young cuban kid with white skin. His troubles never seem to end with him living in the worst part of Bronx. Rico Fuentes, a geeky, comic-book-loving, Huckleberry Finn-reading and Irish-looking Cuban teenager who lives in New York. He sees a new light in his desperate chance to get away from his life in the Bronx. He decides to go to a farm in Wisconsin, with the threats of military camp from his father behind him. He settles in quiet nicely with the white folks who are oblivious to his secret. His departure leaves him with questions about himself and trying to find his identity in himself. Which part should he join? His Latino roots or his distant Irish ones.


Dilemmas are present in every way in this book. Running away from your problems may not be the best thing as it turns out in Dark Dude. A very interesting story indeed. The emotions that Rico has are sometimes hard to understand as if he try's to hide them from the reader? Anyway would recommend.


Exotix rating 4/5