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shirleytupperfreeman's review
This is a fun, and timely, YA novel. NYC teenager Rick is the son of a German father and a (deceased) Cuban mother. Rick is a geeky computer nerd who has made a bit of name, and some money, creating a website of cat videos. Rick is challenged to try salsa dancing where he meets Ana - another NY teen, this one actually talented in the salsa department, who also has a complicated life. The two end up on a summer trip to Cuba to meet Rick's relatives and get better at salsa dancing. The pair learn more than they bargained for - about themselves and about life in Cuba - for better and for worse. The author has spent more than a year total in Cuba and he does a good job weaving the bad and good of both Cuba and the US into the story.
alaraor's review
4.0
If you don't dance you will like this book; if you dance...you will love it! Different, fresh and entertaining. And I did get to listen to some great tunes thanks to it!
neveroutofbooks's review
4.0
This book went places I never expected. I expected a funny, coming of age book from the male perspective that included salsa dancing and there was that. But there was also a TON of Cuban politics. I'm completely ignorant on the matter and it was a learning experience for me.
vll295's review
3.0
This is a cute story about Rick, who is known for making cat videos. When Rick decides to take on salsa dancing as a new hobby, his world changes around him. He is part Cuban, but has never known that part of his heritage. When he gets a chance to go to Cuba and learn to dance everything changes.
I enjoyed this book because of the culture. I love learning about new places and this book exposed me to a place I know very little about. I enjoyed the romance in the plot line, but also how much self-discovery Rick went through.
Of course it makes sense that there have been politics that have impacted his family, but that was the part that I wish I would have understood better. I am not sure if it is my own non-familiarity (likely) or if it was something more I would have liked to see from the author. In any case, I think adding the element to the story helped to create a depth to Rick's character and I appreciated that very much.
If you enjoy salsa dancing, learning about new cultures, or just a fun read this would be the book for you.
I enjoyed this book because of the culture. I love learning about new places and this book exposed me to a place I know very little about. I enjoyed the romance in the plot line, but also how much self-discovery Rick went through.
Of course it makes sense that there have been politics that have impacted his family, but that was the part that I wish I would have understood better. I am not sure if it is my own non-familiarity (likely) or if it was something more I would have liked to see from the author. In any case, I think adding the element to the story helped to create a depth to Rick's character and I appreciated that very much.
If you enjoy salsa dancing, learning about new cultures, or just a fun read this would be the book for you.
brice's review
4.0
Manuprāt, šī grāmata patiesi varētu būt par iemeslu latviešu tūristu pieplūdumam Kubā.
Plašāks apraksts blogā: https://gramatas.austra.lv/2019/07/01/toms-kreicbergs-havanas-kaku-karalis/
Plašāks apraksts blogā: https://gramatas.austra.lv/2019/07/01/toms-kreicbergs-havanas-kaku-karalis/
untitledlullaby's review against another edition
1.0
I like the cover but I can’t stand the outdated lingo. It makes for a hard cringy read. I do not like the authors writing style either. DTF
brice's review against another edition
4.0
Manuprāt, šī grāmata patiesi varētu būt par iemeslu latviešu tūristu pieplūdumam Kubā.
Plašāks apraksts blogā: https://gramatas.austra.lv/2019/07/01/toms-kreicbergs-havanas-kaku-karalis/
Plašāks apraksts blogā: https://gramatas.austra.lv/2019/07/01/toms-kreicbergs-havanas-kaku-karalis/
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
This was a fun read, Rick was geeky and fun to read about, with his attempts to learn to dance to impress a girl, and learning about his mom's side of the family!
islandgeekgirl's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't too sure what to expect going into this book. I fell in love with the cover. It looked fun and it immediately had my interest. Internet cat videos, salsa dancing, a bit of a dirty dancing feel, and a family mystery. I couldn't wait to crack the spine(not literally of course). It was one of those books I didn't know I wanted to read until I was reading it.
I really liked Rick, the main character. He was very skilled at editing videos of cats and had made a name for himself doing it, along with some money, but those skills and fame didn't translate to popularity in school. He had a sense of humour that I loved, very self-deprecating and aware, and he was not perfect, nor did he try to be perfect. He did want to better himself, part of the reason he decided to take salsa dancing, and it was his struggle to do this and his journey to discover more about himself that made him an extremely relatable character.
I also loved the dynamics between Rick and Ana. There was nothing insta about them. Rick had a crush on her but she had no interest in him and she wasn't going to suddenly change her mind just because he was the hero of the story.
I thought everything flowed well together. There were times when the plot was slow but not in a way where I was bored. There was a good balance between funny scenes and the more serious ones. The descriptions of everything, Cuba, dance, the setting, were very vivid. Everything worked well together to make a really great read.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked Rick, the main character. He was very skilled at editing videos of cats and had made a name for himself doing it, along with some money, but those skills and fame didn't translate to popularity in school. He had a sense of humour that I loved, very self-deprecating and aware, and he was not perfect, nor did he try to be perfect. He did want to better himself, part of the reason he decided to take salsa dancing, and it was his struggle to do this and his journey to discover more about himself that made him an extremely relatable character.
I also loved the dynamics between Rick and Ana. There was nothing insta about them. Rick had a crush on her but she had no interest in him and she wasn't going to suddenly change her mind just because he was the hero of the story.
I thought everything flowed well together. There were times when the plot was slow but not in a way where I was bored. There was a good balance between funny scenes and the more serious ones. The descriptions of everything, Cuba, dance, the setting, were very vivid. Everything worked well together to make a really great read.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
katrinamarie's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted on Bookish Things & More
Even with the darker sides, this is a fun read. I loved seeing everything Rick did to learn salsa, and seeing him around his family that he's never met. It's the perfect book to wind down from the summer days.
5 Reasons to read The Cat King of Havana
Even with the darker sides, this is a fun read. I loved seeing everything Rick did to learn salsa, and seeing him around his family that he's never met. It's the perfect book to wind down from the summer days.