Going Under

by Virgil Suárez

He's fast. He's nervous. He's outrunning family and friends. Xavier Cuevas is on the treadmill in blind pursuit of the American Dream. Going nowhere. Going under. Xavier is having trouble keeping step with the frenetic, bicultural mambo he's caught up in.Suarez's sparse, elegant prose lures us with a cool and witty portrayal of Xavier and Miami's Cuban personality. And, when this author beckons, the reader can't help but jump into the convertible for a rivetting ride as the novel races along in pastel-colored flashes toward a surprise ending.

155 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose 2 stars because "it was ok." I love books about life in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba, and I enjoy stories about immigrants' struggles to adapt to a new life. That said, I must add that my ability to tolerate angst is limited. Xavier had it all...and he let it all go. The ending was so mired in symbolism that I chose to give the book 2 stars instead of the 4 I had planned to give it.