The Boy Who Said No

September 23, 2013
Young Frank Mederos is not sure how to react when Cuba's dictator Batista is overthrown by Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries. In the years that follow, Frank is given unrequested, unwanted assignments by the Communist regime; Frank becomes increasingly disenchanted by the increasingly doctrinaire Cuban government intervening in nearly every aspect of Cuban life without regard for the desires or needs of individuals. When Frank's one true love Magda and her family flee Cuba for the safety, Frank resolves to follow them but escape from a regime determined to keep its people imprisoned will prove to be difficult and dangerous. Based on a real person, Mederos's actual story contains all the elements for a riveting tale of escape from an oppressive, regimented society, but Sheehy's execution never fully meets its potential. The story is flattened by an overly simple plot, leaving readers longing for the richness that evokes thrill.

June 15, 2013

This debut novel is the fictionalized story of Frank Medero's thrilling real-life escape from Castro's Cuba (with some names changed to protect those still in the country). Medero is a young boy when Castro comes to power but soon realizes that life has become ever more oppressive and dangerous as a criminal dictatorship under Bautista is replaced by a political one led by Castro. In part to gain freedom and in part to follow the girl he worships, Medero plots to escape. But now that he is in the army, fleeing his island nation is even more dangerous. VERDICT This mix of thriller and history offers a fascinating but depressing look at life under Castro's totalitarian regime. Even though the chase Sheehy describes is exciting, the suspense is lessened by Medero's success (as he is the novel's narrator). Despite that minor flaw, this is a tense and exhilarating read.--Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

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