2 out of 4 stars
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Citizen Cardenas by Steven Cole tells the story of George, Alexia and Gato. Jesus ‘Gato’ Cardenas is a Cuban refugee who fled his country during the time of the socialist revolution led by Fidel Castro. Due to a misunderstanding, the US Social Services declare Gato dead, and as a result the paycheck that he received from the authorities on the basis of his refugee status, is cancelled. He, then, seeks the help of George and Alexia Demas to get his money, and identity, back. But this is not the only problem with him. The Demas soon realise that Gato is synonymous with trouble. Along with a treacherous past, that no one fully knows about, Gato has had his fair share of troubles. He is an alcoholic, with no place to call home and some very unusual acquaintances that the Demas want to stay away from. However, in the quest of finding redemption for him, Gato becomes an ever-looming, undeniable, and rather unwanted, part of their lives. This book takes us through the trials and tribulations that George and Alexia face, in their efforts to make Gato a better man.
The story is told from the point of view of multiple narrators, most frequent and important of whom are Gato, George and Alexia. The other narrators add a few here and there bits and pieces of information so that the story might come together as a whole to the reader. While the writing style for most narrators takes form of simple, usual English, a different perspective has been provided in the narration of Gato. The part of his character that he is Cuban and can’t speak the language properly has been displayed by the use of broken English. This thing proves a little difficult to get used to and sometimes it becomes hard to comprehend what the character is trying to say.
What drew me towards this novel was its atypical premise. I love reading books that are related to history and the fact that one of the protagonists in this story was a Cuban refugee peaked my interest. Right from the start, I had some expectations about the story, the characters and the history. All of which were proven otherwise. Reading the term ‘Cuban refugee’ might lead the reader to believe that there will be things related to Cuba and its revolution in the book. The reader will be sorely disappointed. Yes, a few things related to US, Cuba and Castro find a here and there mention, but none of them are of any importance. So, if someone has decided to choose this book based on any of the above-mentioned contexts, they need to think again. It is advised not to have any preconceived notions about the storyline.
There was, however, a lot of substance in the book. The portrayal of the characters is very vivid and real. We could all very easily say that we have known someone like Gato, if not closely then as a mere acquaintance- a person who takes things for granted, often seems selfish, constantly keeps justifying his rash behaviour but also shows some level of uncanny charm that draws people towards him. The condition of George and Alexia will seem more relatable, as they find themselves on the crossroads with helping Gato while tolerating his fluctuating mannerisms. They think about leaving him behind for good, but then find it questionable to leave someone so helpless. This moral tug of war is the essence of this story.
Citizen Cardenas has a lot of room for improvement, which clearly states that it is not a perfect book. I liked the idea of multiple narrators, but I believe it could have been written better. I found myself drifting away and reading the same line on loop for quite a few times. The only reason I kept reading it was Gato’s intriguing past. Throughout the novel, it is hinted that he is hiding something and no one really knows anything about him with certainty. I wanted to find out what it was and so I read it to the end. And for all these reasons, my rating for this book is 2 out of 4 stars. Some people might find it better than I did. But for me, it is one of those books where the idea is brilliant but the execution doesn’t match up. The bottom line is that it doesn’t keep you hooked.
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Citizen Cárdenas
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