Scarface meets Moby Dick in Say Hello to My Little Friendââa masterclass in pace and precisionâŠbrilliantâ (Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, National Book Award Finalist of Chain Gang All Stars) about a young manâs attempt to capitalize on his motherâs murky legacyâa story steeped in Miamiâs marvelous and sinister magic.
Failed Pitbull impersonator Ismael Reyesâyou can call him Izzyâmight not be the Scarface type, but why should that keep him from trying? Growing up in Miami has shaped him into someone who dreams of being the King of the 305, with the money, power, and respect he assumes comes with it. After finding himself at the mercy of a cease-and-desist letter from Pitbullâs legal team and living in his auntâs garage, Izzy embarks on an absurd quest to turn himself into a modern-day Tony Montana.
When Izzyâs efforts lead him to the tank that houses Lolita, a captive orca at the Miami Seaquarium, she proves just how powerful she and the water surrounding her really areâpermeating everything from Miamiâs sinking streets to Izzyâs memories to the very heart of the novel itself. What begins as Izzyâs story turns into a super-saturated fever dream as sprawling and surreal as the Magic City, one as sharp as an iguanaâs claws, and as menacing as a killer whaleâs teeth. As the truth surrounding Izzyâs boyhood escape from Cuba surfaces, the novel reckons with the forces of nature, with the limits and absence of love, and with the dangers of pursuing a tragic inheritance. âBlistering, hilarious, [and] tragicâ (The Miami Herald), Say Hello to My Little Friend is Jennine CapĂł Crucetâs most daring, heartbreaking, and fearless book yet.