Review: Good, suspenseful read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2011
Latitude-38 takes place in some undefined future when the United States has been split into two parts, the north and south - divided by Latitude 38 - one of which is a Republican nightmare (Guess which one!  Guess! Guess!) and one of which is more tolerant and humanitarian.  Diego and Adriana Sanchez, the latter of whom is dying of cancer and wants a humane euthanistic end - must navigate a terrifying journey with other 'rabbits', people who are trying to escape the South for the North, led by the large and Neanderthal Arnold Cutbirth, a man with a cash register for a heart and with very few moral scruples (at least at first.)  A motley assortment of 'rabbits' join Diego & Adriana - an extremely religious Spanish woman, a hippie-style mother and her daughter who suffers from a blood disease and for whom they hope to find medical help in the north - an extremely annoying businessman, and a young gay couple just looking to get away from all the damn homophobes.  While Adriana becomes sicker and experiences more pain, Arnold and the 'rabbits' do their best to travel close to Latitude 38 and avoid the law and a couple of bounty hunters.The story is well-paced and suspenseful.  Diego's love for his wife is extremely touching and when her 'pain patches' go missing he determines to find out who took them.  Arnold Cutbirth is a terrifying nightmare of a man whose biggest concern is his satchel of money.  The characters are all well-differentiated and the description of the cave the 'rabbits' must travel through is particularly interesting.  It's a bit of a satiric commentary on modern American politics and its constant ideological battles - Latitude-38 shows us where we might go if we don't start paying attention.All in all, a very good read that'll keep you turning the page.