4 Stars: "The Boy Who Said No" by Patti Sheehy

Goodreads.com Description: As a boy Frank Mederos's grandfather teaches him to fish, to navigate the seas, and to think for himself, much needed skills under the new Castro regime. When Frank is drafted into the army, he is soon promoted to the Special Forces, where he is privy to top military secrets. But young Frank has no sympathy for Fidel. He thirsts for freedom and longs to join his girlfriend who has left Cuba for America. 
Frank yearns to defect, but his timing couldn't be worse. After two unsuccessful escape attempts, Frank learns that the departure of the next available boat conflicts with upcoming military exercises. If he stays, he will miss the boat. If he doesn't, he will be the object of a massive manhunt. 
Problems abound: How will Frank escape the army base without being seen? Where will he hide until the boat comes? How can he outwit his commanding officer? And how can he elude hundreds of soldiers ordered to bring him back "dead or alive"? 
Frank's true story, a tale of love, loss and courage that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page is turned.

"The Boy Who Said No" was a very accurate and easy to relate story of a young man seeking the freedom that was snatched from him and his family upon the rise to power of the communist government in Cuba in 1959. Although the story is very well written and includes great detail on the day to day life of Cubans it doesn't accurately represent the way that Castro rose to power (he was not the president elected from the outset). This was the only fault I found in the book.

I enjoyed living through the culture of the island as well as the lives of people who were left without their properties and businesses. The book showed great insight into the ranks of Cuba's officials and I enjoyed being able to connect my own experiences when dealing with Cuban officials as to those described in the book. I've been witness to shaming and demonstrations against dissidents just as described in the novel. I've met with people that left the island illegally and the feelings conveyed by them are very much the same as those of the protagonist. The hurt of leaving your loved ones behind as well as the resentment towards the party for forcing you out of the only place you've ever called home is a common feeling that every Cuban living abroad can identify with.
I fell in love with the characters; I remembered family members that are still behind and those that have already passed on without ever seeing their country free from oppression and hunger. I can see my mother and the mothers of millions of Cubans in the way that the characters in the book sacrifice themselves for their children and loved ones.
The maturity shown by the characters at young ages can seem unreal to many north-americans but poverty and necessity make children age faster. It's hard to forget all worries and play when you hear your neighbours being beaten by police for expressing what they believe in; for not agreeing with a statement or new law; when unemployment skyrockets and young men spend the days sitting on their porch gossiping like old ladies.
This is the truth of what Cuban culture has become, and the stories told in the book make reading the decline of the country much more bearable to people like me, who can imagine the true potential of the island.
The thrilling chase will keep your eyes glued to the pages (or screen) throughout this very emotional and exciting read. You will blink as you look around you after feeling teleported into the Cuba of 1960s and visiting places unheard of by locals and tourists alike.
"The boy who said no" is so accurate that the hearts of hundreds of Cubans will break upon seeing in its pages the streets, parks, and cities  left behind; the aunts and uncles that didn't make it out; and wondering what happened to their long-lost childhood friends.