Have you ever seen Scarface? Have you read Moby Dick? Even if you haven't, you can appreciate the elements of both that come together in this mystical plot that could only take place in Miami.

This story of a young Cuban-American Pitbull impersonator turned mafioso wannabe is a coming-of-age story with a conservation-minded side plot that will expand your mind with its powerful messages. Capo Crucet will capture your imagination as themes of family, the immigrant experience, and self-discovery converge with a fantastical animal guide. It's an emotional roller coaster that will have you laughing and crying and leave you breathless at the end.

Pick this one up. Even with elements of other well-known stories, you won't expect the way this novel will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

his is a weird, audacious story, often hilarious and sometimes horrifying. Izzy is well-developed as a basically sweet kid who is completely out of his depth in striving to become a gangster. Lolita is an even more fascinating protagonist, and all her biographical details are taken directly from real life.

I’m shocked Kirkus is the only award to snatch this book up. It has an electric energy and nearly all of this year’s awards themes

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Jennine Capó Crucet's latest novel is a masterful blend of humor, absurdity, and social commentary set against the vibrant backdrop of Miami. The story follows Ismael "Izzy" Reyes, a young man who dreams of fame and fortune by modeling his life after Tony Montana from "Scarface," and the orca Lolita, confined to a tank at the Miami Seaquarium. Crucet's controlled narration skillfully intertwines Izzy's misguided ambitions with Lolita's poignant existence, creating a narrative rich with metaphor and unexpected depth. Despite some initial confusion, the novel's unique style draws you in, with Crucet's confident storytelling and vivid portrayal of Miami's Cuban culture keeping you engaged. This audacious and often hilarious tale ultimately reveals the hidden complexities of its characters, making it a rewarding read for those willing to stick with it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!

This review will appear on Sept. 5th at Southern Literary Review, where it will be the "Read of the Month." A condensed version of this will be posted at Amazon soon, and has been posted at Bookbub and Goodreads. Thank you for letting me read this book on Netgalley.

Books of Note: “Say Hello to My Little Friend” by Jennine Capo Crucet
Reviewed by Claire Hamner Matturro

Readers might never want to visit attractions featuring trained, captive orca whales after reading Say Hello to My Little Friend (Simon & Schuster 2024) by Jennine Capo Crucet, and this intense, haunting novel establishes why that would be a good thing. Which is to say, though the book focuses also on Cuban youths Ismael Reyes, known also as Izzy, and his sidekick Rudy, the real star is a captive orca improbably named Lolita. In some ways, this is a devastating read, but also surely a fascinatingly original one.

The book begins with a chapter called “Etymology,” in which Lolita is brutally captured and ripped from her family, including her mother and her aunts. The use of explosives to separate the orcas and the death of five in the family—drowned by the nets used—are heart-breaking in revealing the cruelty involved in the capture done for profit and entertainment. The author’s remarkable ability to get inside the captured Lolita’s mind, emotions, and memories to give her a voice makes this book special and gives the story much of its strength, impact, and power.

In a soon-to-merge storyline, restless Izzy, having only recently turned twenty and having failed at being an impersonator, recruits a high school acquaintance named Rudy on a quest to become a modern-day Tony Montana of “Scarface” movie fame. Neither particularly wants the violence or drugs involved with Montana’s “Scarface” life, but they want to be someone important and that’s what came into Izzy’s confused head. He explains: “What we want—what we need is to move up in the world in an aggressive way. That’s all we’re trying to do.”
Lolita, though held captive at the Miami Seaquarium in a concrete tank far too small for her and mourning for years the loss of her family, nonetheless proves she has a certain mystical power—at least over Izzy. But before readers see that power, they first see the suffering of these captive orcas. As the omniscient voice narrating the novel observes about Lolita’s tank mate, Hugo was “a whale not much older than her, captured three years earlier, who would, in time, devote an entire afternoon to bashing his own head against the concrete walls of their tank in order to kill himself.”

While Lolita dominates the story, Izzy has his moments and the author creates an absorbing, complicated character in this young man as he sets out on a bewildering path toward Lolita and their mingled fate. The omniscient narrator observes Izzy is young, “threading the water rising” and “as yet unaware of how lost [he is] in the version of Miami that leaves them longing for little more than a life prominently featuring nightclub bottle service and a girlfriend with an impressive set of augmented breasts.” Orphaned when his mother dies escaping Cuba, Izzy lives in his aunt’s garage as he sets out on his misadventures.

With more than a touch of magical realism, the author expertly and engagingly weaves Lolita’s tale together with Izzy’s almost as if they are star-crossed lovers. In some ways, they are. From the moment that Lolita first hears “the water lapping its way up Izzy’s driveway” and “shares and knows his bone-deep loneliness” she understands she might be the “catalyst for all his is truly after.” Thus, the two have a joint destiny, that’s clear from the onset, but the journey—oh, the journey—to the unsettling and surprising ending will captivate readers.
All in all, this is a rare and marvelous book, full of charm, social commentary, excellent writing, believable magic, mesmerizing plotlines, wry and sometimes bitter observations—and the amazing Lolita the orca whale. Say Hello to My Little Friend is distinctive and bold and showcases an amazing talent in its author, Jennine Capó Crucet. Don’t miss this one.

Crucet is a novelist, essayist, and screenwriter. Born and raised in Miami of Cuban parents, Crucet is the author of four award-winning books, and has contributed to the PBS NewsHour, National Public Radio, and The Atlantic, Condé Nast Traveler, and others. Her novel Your Home Among Strangers won the International Latino Book Award and was cited as a best book of the year by NBC Latino, The Guardian, The Miami Herald, and others. Her story collection How to Leave Hialeah, won the Iowa Short Fiction Prize and the John Gardner Book Award. She’s worked as a professor of ethnic studies and of creative writing, as a college access counselor for the One Voice Scholars Program, and lives in North Carolina with her family.

This was a wild ride. It's been a long time since I watched Scarface, and it was surely the edited for TV version. It doesn't matter. This book is so strange and bright and honestly I fell in love with Izzy (call me Ismael! No really) and this mash-up of Scarface, Moby Dick, and... Pitbull. Mostly this is an homage to Miami- not as I know it, but as the author knows and loves and rants about it. I was all in, and I fell completely in love with Izzy and especially our great white (err, orca) Lolita.

I can't describe how much I loved this book. It's weird and wonderful and hilarious and heartbreaking. It takes a LOT to surprise me when it comes to books and Say Hello to My Little Friend was a breath of fresh air. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was fortunate enough to get to see the author speak at a local bookstore, and I am so glad I did. This book is different from what I normally read. I was hooked by the main characters from the beginning and loved getting Lolita's perspective. This book is so beautifully written and really stands out as one of my favorites for the year so far. I can't wait to recommend this to our patrons!

This book was wild!! I feel like I just got done from a weekend bender in Miami Beach!!

As someone who used to live on Miami Beach, this book felt all too real in the most out there way! The main character was so absurd but it can totally see someone like him living in Miami.

I loved the perspectives from Lolita, the whale. Sadly, I have visited Lolita at The Miami Seaquarium so long ago and can attest to the harsh living conditions. It is heartbreaking to read and to witness.

This book is a trip and left me thinking back to it long after I finished reading it. Definitely pick this one up!

This book is a dark comic story and immerses the reader in Miami’s danger and magic. It is unforgettable and will linger in the readers soul.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this refreshingly imaginative eARC.

Jennine Capó Crucet's latest novel, "Say Hello to My Little Friend", is a mesmerizing blend of dark comedy, surrealism, and poignant reflection. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Miami, this book submerges readers into a world where the mundane collides with the extraordinary, and where the murky waters of memory and identity churn.

Ismael Reyes, affectionately known as "Izzy", is no Scarface, but he dreams of becoming the "King of the 305" (Miami's area code). His aspirations are fueled by a cease-and-desist letter from Pitbull's legal team, pushing him to capitalize on his mother's enigmatic legacy. Izzy's journey takes him from life as a failed Pitbull impersonator to an absurd quest for modern-day Tony Montana status.

This isn't just a tale of ambition.

Enter Lolita, a captive orca at the Miami Seaquarium. She becomes the unexpected fulcrum of the novel, with her presence permeating every page. The water surrounding her—whether it's the sinking streets of Miami or Izzy's own memories—holds a power that defies explanation.

As the truth about Izzy's boyhood escape from Cuba surfaces, the novel grapples with forces of nature, love's absence, and the weight of tragic inheritance. Crucet's prose is a hurricane—wild, unyielding, and sharp as an iguana's claws. She weaves a fever dream that mirrors Miami's magic: dazzling, menacing, and impossible to forget.

"Say Hello to My Little Friend" is a masterclass in pace and precision. Crucet can make you cry before you've even realized you're invested, and she'll make you laugh through the hurt.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, National Book Award Finalist of "Chain Gang All Stars", aptly describes this book as "brilliant."

This novel isn't just about Miami; it's a love letter to the city's doomed beauty. It's about climate crisis, migration, grief, and the mythologies we create to survive. So dive in, let the water swallow you whole, and say hello to Crucet's little friend—a literary marvel that leaves ripples long after you've turned the last page.

I'm just not the right reader for this book. I didn't connect with the writing style, the humor, or anything about the story.

DNF

I was drawn in by the premise - a failed Pitbull impersonator and an orca whale? Tell me more! However I should have paid more attention to how much Scarface there would be. I can see how this would be a great read for the right reader but that wasn’t me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

I love Jennine Capo Crucet’s writing. I’ll read anything she writes. What a beautiful Miami Scarface Pitbull Moby Dick novel. More more more.

Wild as it is to mash up Scarface and Moby Dick, the real triumph here is that someone managed to produce Literary Fiction about Pitbull.

If, like me, you often find yourself muttering something like “there truly are no new ideas anymore” while reading, take heart. Jennine Capó Crucet is here to show us that truly original concepts do still exist in novels, and this one is quite the wild ride.

The story makes more sense at some points than others and it drags a bit in the middle, but Capó Crucet’s writing is gorgeous and sharp, and conceptually this is a triumph of experimental fiction.

You do not need to have read Moby Dick or to have seen Scarface to get this one, as it explains enough (especially of the movie) to get you on the same page with the narrative. And fear not, fellow loathers of tragedy porn! This book does an exceptional job of conveying empathy toward its characters without wallowing in their hardships.

Wild stuff, and wildly worth a read.

I couldn’t get into this book, so I started skimming to the end. The last chapter seems to be included for its shock value. This just wasn’t for me. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

In this book we meet Issy he recently received a letter from Pitbul telling Izzy to ceased and assist which puts an end to his impersonating the rapper. This really puts the kibosh on his fledgling career so now he must think of a new career path this is how he comes up with the idea to become Scarface, not the rapper the gangster. The rest of the book is everything that goes wrong before I forget he also has a mental connection with a whale named Lotty.. The thing that gets this imbecile into trouble is he starts asking too many questions about his mothers death he was raised by his aunt and now lives in her garage. His search for the answers and he also wants a Sosa, which I learned from the book was Scarfaces right hand man. People tell him to stop asking questions he doesn’t the mafia gets involved and this guy is so bad at reading a room when he meets Danny the head of the mafia he even contemplates making him his Sosa are usually like silly books with crazy situations but this one just seemed all right stupid I don’t mean to be cruel but there were other things I also didn’t like about the book. Whenever the whale was mentioned she brought up environmental details that isn’t conducive to lol moments. That is just a small thing but I didn’t like it and I’m sorry, it wasn’t the book for me I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Real Rating: 4.25* of five

Izzy is as average a guy as you will ever find. He has a crazy-ass inner life which suggests to him that making a living as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitbull_%28rapper%29" target="_blank">Pitbull</a> impersonator:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4hyphenhyphenWC1L2ObIo3EtADxMGh3ZMX3UKmgngUC2nrSa4RwyjkA0FpGYkjNRVI0B5x5TdJU7GFOzh5UHiqHeahvR6BOY8Gk9xRN6WKFgnDtNQTjijJSN0VOmKlJU83LqzogGvgMriDbJuFR3p8pGIJpq6QwXUJlo_tRe3jEw_KVl34VH3ICP9qcDTeSBXsNdQ/s1140/Pitbull%20my%20little%20friend.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4hyphenhyphenWC1L2ObIo3EtADxMGh3ZMX3UKmgngUC2nrSa4RwyjkA0FpGYkjNRVI0B5x5TdJU7GFOzh5UHiqHeahvR6BOY8Gk9xRN6WKFgnDtNQTjijJSN0VOmKlJU83LqzogGvgMriDbJuFR3p8pGIJpq6QwXUJlo_tRe3jEw_KVl34VH3ICP9qcDTeSBXsNdQ/s400/Pitbull%20my%20little%20friend.jpeg"/></a></div>
...so we have a visual lock on Izzy from the off. Though, speaking of "off," the novel opens with Izzy getting his life rearranged by a lawyerly letter telling him to cease-and-desist with the Pitbull-y stuff. Now he has to figure out a way to make a living, and a life. Where is his family, you ask. Nowhere. He’s got none.

That central reality, that lack of mooring chains, allows Izzy to follow his inner voice’s promptings to do the absolute most batshit-crazy nonsense...remember he *was* a Pitbull impersonator until forced not to be...like, oh, lets say, model the entire rest of his life on the character in the film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarface_%281983_film%29" target="_blank"><i>Scarface</i></a>.

Follow the links, notice the patterns...this is not random pop-cultural detritus the author has randomly picked up.

Them comes the plot twist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_%28orca%29" target="_blank">Lolita the Orca</a>. How in the name of all that is holy did an ORCA show up in a novel about a Cuban-American man’s identity crisis?!

You really need to follow those links. Do some surface-scratching into the culture not already familiar to you. The word "reggaeton" will enter your vocabulary painlessly this way, and you will need it and the ideas it fronts for to wedge into your brain. The world is changing, and unless you intend to try to stop it by joining the banners and deniers on the radical right, you had best expend some brainergy getting convesrant with Izzy and his world.

Do it painlessly by reading this novel. <i>Moby-Dick</i> was nowhere near this much fun to read, and Izzy beats Ishmael all hollow as a cicerone through all things whale-y. The resonances with the culture of the past make the culture of this century accessible for us midcentury moderns. The read is fun, it’s fast, it’s trenchant...it’s saying a lot more than the words mean.

Isn’t that more or less a novel’s brief? This one does make you work. It requires some effort to get the pop-cultural zeitgeist. It does not pretend to be all about you and center your experience. That novel exists in droves, elsewhere. THIS novel takes you inside the head of a man so traumatized by his past that he can not afford to go deep into anything. This novel parses the cost of cheap thrills and entertainment. The plot, the spine, is the voyage of discovery that we take with Izzy. Like any voyage of discovery, it is not a straight line from start to finish, so douse that expectation right away. Go on the trip as Author Crucet planned it and it will reward you with knowledge and information about the world of a trauma survivor. That can only be a net gain to your own world, because you are statistically likely to know a trauma survivor.

You might not know it yet, but you could easily pick up on signs you would not have seen before if you get your hooks into this story and its meanings.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for this ARC

4/5 stars

This book truly shocked me. As a fan of the movie Scarface, I went into this eagerly expecting a darkly comic story about a Tony Montana-type character trying to make something of himself. This is exactly how it starts with Izzy barely getting by as a Pitbull impersonator dreaming for more out of life, so naturally he decides to start following the blueprint of Tony Montana's life. Then it slowly becomes a moving and thought-provoking exploration into the complexities of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of the American Dream. You get introduced to the orca whale, Lolita, who is the foundation of this story, in the background influencing Izzy. She was kidnapped from the ocean and forced to live in a small pool in the Seaquarium for years. You also begin to learn that the story Izzy has been told about himself and how he got to Miami isn't the true story. Ultimately this book is a love letter as well as a critique of Miami. There were only a couple of things that didn't work for me. One is that the ending felt a little too rushed and not as fleshed out as it could've been. I also didn't love how in your face the symbolism was. I think it would've been more impactful if it wasn't thoroughly explained to the reader.