JUNE 2013 - AudioFile
Sheehy’s compelling novel is based on the life of Frankie Medeross and his quest to find freedom in America. Henry Leyva gives voice to Frankie, who grows from childhood into young adulthood as Castro comes to power and changes Cuba forever. The listener witnesses Frankie’s maturation as his family navigates their new world and he falls in love, gets drafted, is chosen for Cuba’s elite Special Forces, and slowly comes to the realization that he can’t live in a totalitarian society. Many failed escape attempts keep the tension high as listeners root for this inspiring young man to succeed. The epilogue assures us that Frankie is a real person and hints that a sequel will fill in the rest of the story. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
09/23/2013
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)
From the Publisher
“ The Boy Who Said No is a powerful fictionalized version of a true story and one that stays with the reader for a long time. The book concludes with the veiled promise of a sequel. Let’s hope so.”
— New York Journal of Books
“This mix of thriller and history offers a fascinating but depressing look at life under Castro's totalitarian regime... a tense and exhilarating read.”
— Library Journal
" The Boy Who Said No will grab you by the lapels and won't let you go until you finish the last sentence. Your pulse will race as Frank Mederos battles to escape Cuba—amid treachery, suspicion and suspense. Bravo Patti Sheehy!"
— Todd Buchholz, author of The Castro Gene
" The Boy Who Said No is a beautifully written story of love, friendship and adventure. The descriptions of Cuban life under Fidel Castro, as seen through the eyes of a maturing young man, are vivid and paint a clear picture of the beauty of the country, and the desperation of her people. The drama of the challenges Frank Mederos faced in his attempts to escape Cuba resonates with an underlying theme of human experience that transcends culture, country and politics. Patti Sheehy captures the passion and spirit of the times and brings it to life."
— Jonathan L. Lewis
Library Journal
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
JUNE 2013 - AudioFile
Sheehy’s compelling novel is based on the life of Frankie Medeross and his quest to find freedom in America. Henry Leyva gives voice to Frankie, who grows from childhood into young adulthood as Castro comes to power and changes Cuba forever. The listener witnesses Frankie’s maturation as his family navigates their new world and he falls in love, gets drafted, is chosen for Cuba’s elite Special Forces, and slowly comes to the realization that he can’t live in a totalitarian society. Many failed escape attempts keep the tension high as listeners root for this inspiring young man to succeed. The epilogue assures us that Frankie is a real person and hints that a sequel will fill in the rest of the story. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
