I had lived my childhood and adolescence under Batista's dictatorship, and the rest of my life under the even harsher dictatorship of Fidel Castro. I had never been allowed to be a real human being in the fullest sense of the world. Utterly heartbreaking. I cannot think of any other words to describe Arena's memoir yet I had a very hard time reading this book. It is about oppression and poverty, and he did not shy away from explicitly describing not only sex (including bestiality), but also torture and murder. This book is included on the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" list and I can see why. As shocking as the book is, it's definitely an important and exceptional testimonial of Cuba's dictatorships and how they influenced various lives. It's a heartbreaking piece of LGBTQ+ literature and incredibly personal, therefore I won't rate it.