Book Review: Of Dubious Origin

Of Dubious Origin. David Santiago, Arte Publico Press, September 2025, paperback, 296 pages.

Reviewed by Denise Roma.

David Santiago’s debut novel Of Dubious Origin introduces readers to Israell Cruz, a directionless recent college graduate struggling to figure out his very identity. Of Puerto Rican and Jewish descent, the protagonist is mistaken for any number of ethnic backgrounds. 
 
Living in his parents’ basement and drifting through early adulthood, Israel becomes fixated on a Portuguese social media influencer and impulsively decides that reinventing himself as a Portuguese man might offer a fresh start. Santiagos' protagonist and his parents and brother are vividly portrayed, and downright hilarious. 

What follows is an offbeat, humorous journey in which Israel persuades his brother to join him on an unlikely quest to Portugal. With little money and even less planning, the two brothers take work in the kitchen of a ship headed overseas, only to find themselves drawn into increasingly questionable situations. Santiago builds the narrative around themes of identity, restlessness, and the sometimes comic desperation of young people trying to escape their own lives. 
 
One of the book’s real strengths is its humor. Santiago has a sharp eye for awkward encounters and small humiliations, and many scenes are genuinely funny in a quiet, understated way. His prose is clean and confident, and he captures the aimlessness of post-college life with an authenticity that will feel familiar to many readers. 
 
At the same time, the novel’s tone remains deliberately muted and meandering. While I appreciated Santiago’s skill and his wry comedic sensibility, the pacing can feel uneven, and the detached perspective occasionally creates emotional distance from the characters. 
 
Even so, Of Dubious Origin marks an assured first book from a promising new writer. Readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction with dry humor and a focus on the uncertainties of early adulthood are likely to find much to appreciate in Santiago’s debut.