Decò 2.0

by J.J. Colagrande

Decò begins his journey in South Beach. He's a writer armed with "multiple graduate degrees" living a glorified condo-life off of "$400,000 in student loan debt." Life is great with his "super-hot model girlfriend" until the real estate market crashes and he quickly loses it all. Forced to move to the art haven of Wynwood, Decò seeks the success he has always felt he was owed. The over-the-top novel follows the protagonist's misadventures as he stumbles through the Magic City, mixing in with an assortment of bizarre Miamians and movements. Decò is a contemporary take on Voltaire's classic satire Candide. As in Candide, the plot is fantastical and picaresque, with characters exiting and returning, chapters are short and almost blog-like, and where Voltaire commented on philosophical optimism, Colagrande hilariously but sharply explores the tensions between American exceptionalism and American entitlement.

"J.J. Colagrande returns to the page with his trademark aplomb and all-seeing journalistic eye. His dialogue is true and his intimate knowledge of Miami reveals a place seldom seen clearly—raw and teeming with underground hustle.” —Emma Trelles, author of award-winning Tropicalia

"Colagrande takes readers on a ride into the raw and raucous heart of his hero’s Miami, full of outsiders and misfits chasing pleasures and disappointments; a wry, satirical look at modern life in the Magic City told through throbbing prose and a rebel's passion.” —Patricia Engel, author of New York Times notable Vida

"You might find yourself revealed somewhere in the pages of this satire. And don't be offended if you do. It just means you actually made it in Miami." —Liz Tracy, music editor, New Times Broward Palm Beach

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2016

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book with some nice bits. I always feel a little clobbered by satire and this was no exception. All these familiar tropes about Miami played up … idk. The writing hurt the most. I just could not get engaged until the final 20ish pages. I mostly stuck with it because it was only 120 pages. Something about the pacing, how sardonic it was, perhaps a feeling of “I’m going to tell you how things really are”

On the plus, I liked the tour of Miami. It did a much better job than another book I just read, and I appreciated his depiction for the most part.

I would say a good book but didn’t quite land with me and that’s okay.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you need a short fun read that will entertain you? Decò 2.0 will do it with chapter after chapter of Decò's crazy life in Florida with $400,00 in student loan debt, a model girlfriend who leaves him when he's broke, and comes back on the scene as a lunch time stripper. Oh, the stripper's name is ChiChi (shee-shee), until the author must have decided you'll remember how to pronounce it without the (shee-shee) LOL.

[Nicola Friar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An utterly bonkers and brilliant story about a young man embarking on a journey of self discovery in Miami. Think Dickens meets Philip K. Dick and you get an idea how weird and wonderful Deco 2.0 is. There are some wild adventures and colourful characters that help to make this book so unique.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.
Recommend this read.

[Gina Salvatore · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re not from Miami: the characters in this book are wildly exaggerated, but iterations of all of them exist in this city in one form or another.
If you’re from Miami: don’t waste the first few chapters feeling defensive about the city or the way its characters are represented- it’s satire and meant to be mocking, and you’ll miss the fun.
The writing is descriptive and there’s moments of linguistic brilliance, and the entire story is subplot after subplot that amounts to a wild rollercoaster ride through the magic that is Miami.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Deco, you encounter a quirky optimist who takes a life-altering fall from fortune, but manages to emerge with a big, brave, brilliant dreaming heart, full of love for his hometown. This satirical hero's journey pokes fun at the elitist and chic façades Miami is famous for, and reveals the true coronary muscle that keeps Miami alive, the ordinary folks who live and work hard to render an American dream of their own. This book is gut-bustingly funny, yet simultaneously poignant and touching. It's a quick read, but six days after closing the cover, I'm still rooting for the lovable underdog of a main character.