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Latitude Zero
“I have to run,” said Juan Carlos. “You will call? Please? It is very important.”
“Yes. I will call. Definitely. At two.”
That’s what Tessa promises. But by two o’clock, young Ecuadorian cycling superstar Juan Carlos is dead, and Tessa, one of the last people ever to speak to him, is left with nothing but questions. The media deems Juan Carlos’s death a tragic accident at a charity bike ride, but Tessa, a teen television host and an aspiring investigative journalist, knows that something more is going on. While she grapples with her own grief and guilt, she is being stalked by spies with an insidious connection to the dead cycling champion. Tessa’s pursuit of an explanation for Juan Carlos’s untimely death leads her from the quiet New England backwoods to bustling bike shops and ultimately to Ecuador, Juan Carlos’s homeland. As the ride grows bumpy, Tessa no longer knows who is a suspect and who is an ally. The only thing she knows for sure is that she must uncover the truth of why Juan Carlos has died and race to find the real villain—before the trail goes cold.
“Yes. I will call. Definitely. At two.”
That’s what Tessa promises. But by two o’clock, young Ecuadorian cycling superstar Juan Carlos is dead, and Tessa, one of the last people ever to speak to him, is left with nothing but questions. The media deems Juan Carlos’s death a tragic accident at a charity bike ride, but Tessa, a teen television host and an aspiring investigative journalist, knows that something more is going on. While she grapples with her own grief and guilt, she is being stalked by spies with an insidious connection to the dead cycling champion. Tessa’s pursuit of an explanation for Juan Carlos’s untimely death leads her from the quiet New England backwoods to bustling bike shops and ultimately to Ecuador, Juan Carlos’s homeland. As the ride grows bumpy, Tessa no longer knows who is a suspect and who is an ally. The only thing she knows for sure is that she must uncover the truth of why Juan Carlos has died and race to find the real villain—before the trail goes cold.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2014
4 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
Diana Renn
12 books122 followersI write mysteries for readers of all ages, some featuring international intrigue and some set close to home. Most recently, I write eco-mysteries for middle grade readers. The first in the Backyard Rangers series, TROUBLE AT TURTLE POND (Fitzroy Books / Regal House), was named a 2023 Green Earth Book Award Honor Book and a Massachusetts Book Award "Must Read." The second book in the series, THE OWL PROWL MYSTERY, releases August 13, 2024. My three YA mysteries, TOKYO HEIST, LATITUDE ZERO, and BLUE VOYAGE (Viking/Penguin Random House) feature globetrotting teen sleuths. I'm also a co-author of FALSE IDOLS, an episodically-released international thriller for adults, available on Realm (formerly Serial Box) and in print from Adaptive Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 16, 2015
This book was PHENOMENAL. I became a fan of Mrs. Renn after reading her book Tokyo Heist, which I reread at least 3 times. What I love about not only this book, but Tokyo Heist as well, was that it was unique-from the setting to the storyline. I really liked the storyline itself; the ending made sense, but the story itself was still a page-turner that kept me guessing until the end. Personally, the reason why I enjoyed this book was because of how different and unique it was. Who can honestly say they have read a book about the "accidental" death of an Ecuadorian pro cyclist, or a host of a kid's television show who goes down to Ecuador to track the killer. This book is diverse from any other one I have read, while still being believable. The author also does a great job with showing the character's thoughts f Another thing I thought was well done was the villain as well as the murder itself. The villain still had very a sense of humanity, rather than being the heartless killer with no thoughts or feelings. To be honest, I don't have a complaint about any of the characters in this book. I even found myself feeling bad for the characters I didn't care for(i.e. Jake), but found myself very attached to other characters, such as Juan Carlos(and even Santiago). This book was phenomenal and I cannot wait to read Blue Voyage!!! I would recommend this book to anyone, it was such a great read.
April 18, 2015
The great thing about Diana Renn's novels is that you know you will be leaving behind what you know most and treading new territory. You will confront the person you think you are and question her, challenge her, until she starts to be the person you wish her to be. This is exactly the case in "Latitude Zero." Tessa thinks she has it all figured out - the perfect boyfriend, the most unique job a teenager could have, excellent, reliable friends. But then, death comes into her life and everything falls away. But in its place she experiences the thrills of riding, traveling, volunteering, and new romance. You will follow her on this mystery packed journey and discover that by opening yourself up to the world, you learn the most about yourself . [Full Discourse: I wrote the readers' guide and consulted on the Spanish for this novel.]
April 15, 2014
Latitude Zero is the type of book that hooks you on the first page. This book has it all - mystery, suspense, and great characters - including a strong, plucky protagonist that you will root for from the very first page. It's a roller coaster ride of twists and turns, as Tessa travels from New England to Ecuador to discover who really murdered her friend, and why. I highly recommend this book!
November 3, 2018
Diana Renn is an amazing writer! I loved her first book, Tokyo Heist, and this one was just as good. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys YA mystery novels, or just mystery in general. I learned a lot about cycling I didn’t know before and was excited to see she’d used local organizations to learn more herself.
Yes, she’s a local author for me!
Yes, she’s a local author for me!
August 19, 2014
Really loved this book, having stayed with a host family and being enamored with Spanish language made the book even better for me. It was very interesting and I was always wanting to know who was at fault for this cycling tragedy.
August 19, 2014
I loved this book so much I read it in one sitting, it was that good and suspenseful! There were lots of twists I didn't see coming, and I loved Tessa. She was a great character who struggled to make up for one mistake that changed everything.
July 1, 2014
YA Books Central review: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...
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January 23, 2016Do to a reading slump I will not be continuing.
March 30, 2021
This was an okay book, but it didn't blow my socks off. I didn't go into this book with that many expectations because I have never read a book about cycling and I have never read anything by Diana Renn. The characters were okay, but I feel like they fell a little flat to me at times. None of the characters really made me mad, none of the characters really elicited any strong feelings in me. I also wish that I would have had stronger feelings for Juan Carlos. I think that if I would have cared about him more then I would have cared about the book more. I mean, his murder is where everything started and was the catalyst that started everything, so if you didn't care about him the book didn't mean as much. I also, honestly, got bored once or twice. I just was never really on the edge of my seat. For some reason, I just really struggled to get invested in this book. I thought that the mystery was decent while a touch twisted. Not in a bad way, but it felt like it tried to be complex while making things a little confusing. There wasn't really anything that I hated about this book, but there wasn't anything that made me love it. I did enjoy the cycling aspect because I've never read a book with that aspect especially not a book that was so revolved around cycling. I do remember there being at least a few curse words in the book, but it didn't really stand out to me. There was some violence, but nothing that gory or anything that I would classify as too much. There was no sexual content other than kissing and making out. Having said that, I do still think that this book is YA. I don't think that a younger reader would enjoy it or understand a lot of it. I don't know if there is anything that I would call super inappropriate for a middle-grade reader, I just think that a YA reader would enjoy it more. I can't say that I recommend this book. I'm sure that this book is for someone, but it wasn't really for me. I do own another Diana Renn book, so I will be giving her another shot in the future.
March 21, 2018
She was annoying! Tessa was always whining and seriously how does a girl her age care have to care about a reputation outside of school? I really loved how you have absolutely no idea who did it and then you have a slight suspicion and then it’s like BOOM you know. The ending was fantastic, it was action-packed and hair raising. It’s all slightly creepy, like a guy had his bike sabotaged, but yeah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2019
Good story. Enough twists and turns to keep you interested. A bit unrealistic when it comes to what a teenager can do, especially in a foreign country but a good read, nonetheless.
January 17, 2015
Tessa Taylor is an aspiring journalist and the teenage host of KidVision, an inspirational cable show for youth. When she and her boyfriend participate in a charity bike ride without paying their entry fee she is uncomfortable to be going against the rules. But things get even more uncomfortable when she runs into famous cyclist Juan Carlos Macias-Leon in the woods and he gives her his lucky necklace saying he needs to talk to her after the race. When Juan Carlos is killed during the ride in a suspicious bike accident Tessa becomes determined to solve the mystery of what happened. Her investigations lead her to uncover doping scandals, professional racing power struggles and the big business of cycling. And all the while she is pursued by a shadowy tough guy known only as Darwin who threatens to destroy her family if she gets the police involved. This first section of the book suffers from significant credibility problems as Tessa’s motivations and decisions about how to investigate the case seem far-fetched on the one hand and short-sighted on the other. I had more than one horror-movie “don’t do it, don’t do it!” moment in the first half of the book.
Then from Boston her investigation leads her to Quito, Ecuador where Juan Carlos was from and where a major cycling event is set to happen. In Quito the setting gets more interesting and Renn renders the city in clear but not overwhelming detail. There is also a nice secondary plot line about a bicycling non-profit that empowers Ecuadoran women. Unfortunately the plotting suffers in this second part as the story gets convoluted with unnecessary plot twists that dive into international gambling schemes, racketeering, money-laundering, drug trafficking and all that the seedy underworld of Quito has to offer. The characters are fairly predictable types and there is one cringe-worthy section at the end where the villain tells Tessa everything about his evil plan in classic James Bond fashion. This book is billed as a fast-paced suspense novel and international thriller and in this second half of the book it mostly delivers, but does so at the expense of relatable characters and sacrifices what could have been a really strong, smart, young female heroine which would have been nice for the thriller genre. Nevertheless the story does hang together well enough and cycling enthusiasts will enjoy seeing their sport take center stage. It does reference several more mature themes including criminal activities, drug use and sexual situations. But the language is fairly tame, sexual situations are not explicit and the only violence happens off the page, making for both appropriate and compelling reading for teens of all ages.
Then from Boston her investigation leads her to Quito, Ecuador where Juan Carlos was from and where a major cycling event is set to happen. In Quito the setting gets more interesting and Renn renders the city in clear but not overwhelming detail. There is also a nice secondary plot line about a bicycling non-profit that empowers Ecuadoran women. Unfortunately the plotting suffers in this second part as the story gets convoluted with unnecessary plot twists that dive into international gambling schemes, racketeering, money-laundering, drug trafficking and all that the seedy underworld of Quito has to offer. The characters are fairly predictable types and there is one cringe-worthy section at the end where the villain tells Tessa everything about his evil plan in classic James Bond fashion. This book is billed as a fast-paced suspense novel and international thriller and in this second half of the book it mostly delivers, but does so at the expense of relatable characters and sacrifices what could have been a really strong, smart, young female heroine which would have been nice for the thriller genre. Nevertheless the story does hang together well enough and cycling enthusiasts will enjoy seeing their sport take center stage. It does reference several more mature themes including criminal activities, drug use and sexual situations. But the language is fairly tame, sexual situations are not explicit and the only violence happens off the page, making for both appropriate and compelling reading for teens of all ages.
October 27, 2014
Tessa Taylor is an aspiring journalist and the teenage host of KidVision, an inspirational cable show for youth. When she and her boyfriend take part in a charity bike ride without raising their entry fee she is uncomfortable to be going against the rules. But things get even more uncomfortable when she runs into famous cyclist Juan Carlos Macias-Leon in the woods and he gives her his lucky necklace saying he needs to talk to her after the race. When Juan Carlos is killed during the ride in a suspicious bike accident Tessa becomes determined to solve the mystery of what happened. Her investigations in Boston lead her into doping scandals, professional racing power struggles and the big business of cycling. And all the while she is pursued by a shadowy tough guy known only as Darwin who threatens to destroy her family if she gets the police involved. This first section of the book suffers from significant credibility problems as Tessa’s motivations and decisions about how to investigate the case seem far-fetched on the one hand and short-sighted on the other. I had more than one horror-movie “don’t do it, don’t do it!” moment in the first half of the book.
Then from Boston her investigation leads her to Quito, Ecuador where Juan Carlos was from and where a major cycling event is set to happen. In Quito the setting gets more interesting and Renn renders the city in clear but not overwhelming detail. And there is a nice secondary plot line about a bicycling non-profit that empowers Ecuadoran women. Unfortunately the plotting suffers in this second as the story gets convoluted with unnecessary plot twists that dive into international gambling schemes, racketeering, money-laundering, drug trafficking and all that the seedy underworld of Quito has to offer. The characters are fairly predictable types and there is one cringe-worthy section at the end where the villain tells Tessa everything about his evil plan in classic James Bond fashion. But this book is billed as a fast-paced suspense novel and international thriller and in this second half of the book it mostly delivers. It does so at the expense of relatable characters and sacrifices what could have been a really strong, smart, young female heroine which would have been nice for the thriller genre. Nevertheless the story does hang together well enough and cycling enthusiasts will enjoy seeing their sport take center stage.
Then from Boston her investigation leads her to Quito, Ecuador where Juan Carlos was from and where a major cycling event is set to happen. In Quito the setting gets more interesting and Renn renders the city in clear but not overwhelming detail. And there is a nice secondary plot line about a bicycling non-profit that empowers Ecuadoran women. Unfortunately the plotting suffers in this second as the story gets convoluted with unnecessary plot twists that dive into international gambling schemes, racketeering, money-laundering, drug trafficking and all that the seedy underworld of Quito has to offer. The characters are fairly predictable types and there is one cringe-worthy section at the end where the villain tells Tessa everything about his evil plan in classic James Bond fashion. But this book is billed as a fast-paced suspense novel and international thriller and in this second half of the book it mostly delivers. It does so at the expense of relatable characters and sacrifices what could have been a really strong, smart, young female heroine which would have been nice for the thriller genre. Nevertheless the story does hang together well enough and cycling enthusiasts will enjoy seeing their sport take center stage.
March 11, 2015
When Tessa Taylor goes "bandit riding" (riding in a charity bike race without paying the entry fee) with her jerk of a boyfriend, little does she know she'll end up in the middle of a possible murder, gambling scheme, money racketeering, and international crime. The internationally famous, sweet, adorable, and sexy bike racer, Juan Carlos, dies when he's involved in a crash during the race (caused by Tessa). Due to a series of mysterious events that Tessa witnessed before the race, it is possible Juan Carlos' death was no accident. Tessa, being the aspiring investigative reporter that she is (she's hosted KidVision on PBS for the past three years), decides to take matters into her own hands and get to the bottom of this mystery, even when it takes her to Ecuador. Of course, she doesn't have much of a choice. She's being stalked, harassed, and threatened by the ominous "Darwin" and his thugs who know she witnessed the series of mysterious events that took place before the race. Sound complicated? It's not. Latitude Zero is a whodunnit that contains some refreshing aspects - the world of professional cycling (not something I've ever read about in YA lit) and the city of Quito, Ecuador. These two aspects were my favorite things about this book. The story is way too long (435 pages) and there is definitely too much of Tessa's self questioning (I wonder if it's this, but it could be this, but don't forget about this, etc.). I found Tessa to not be very likable. She comes across as selfish and doesn't learn from her mistakes. The more I think about those characteristics, though, the more I realize that they are realistic for a teenage character. I really enjoyed the ending of this book. After the cheesy and unrealistic mystery wrap up, Tessa is able to enjoy the last two weeks of her trip to Ecuador with her new friends and host family. So often in YA mysteries, the story abruptly ends after the mystery is solved. I found this character resolution to be a nice change. Really like the cover and title, too. Probably a no for Gateway, though.
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August 4, 2014I can never fully enjoy a book unless I like the protagonist (or in special cases, I don't like them but I feel something for them like pity or sympathy or respect). I did not like the protagonist in this book and it was not one of those special cases. The premise of the book was fantastic, the plot was fine and the writing was good enough, but Tessa Taylor bothered me. It is not just that she made mistakes (doesn't everyone?), it was that she was selfish with her time, money and thoughts, hypocritical and she didn't seem genuine about her actions. Maybe the goal was to make her a flawed teenage girl, and it succeeded, those character traits do seem quite normal for a teenager. But I don't think the goal was to make me dislike her. I think in the end she was supposed to redeem herself (by going to Ecuador) but it seemed like she only went Whenever she talked about how privileged she felt compared to the families she saw in Ecuador it came off to me like she was almost... whiney. Then she keeps ditching people that she made promises to and was rude to her host family.
The other characters also didn't quite resonate with me. Sure, I liked Santiago. Yes, I liked Mari. But everyone seemed somewhat ... cardboard. I didn't feel any real personality in most people.
That being said, I was intrigued by the mystery and by Juan Carlos. I also learned a lot about Ecuador and bike racing culture, neither of which I had interest or knowledge about previously. I suppose it was a good read for those reasons, but the characters kind of made the book less than its potential.
The other characters also didn't quite resonate with me. Sure, I liked Santiago. Yes, I liked Mari. But everyone seemed somewhat ... cardboard. I didn't feel any real personality in most people.
That being said, I was intrigued by the mystery and by Juan Carlos. I also learned a lot about Ecuador and bike racing culture, neither of which I had interest or knowledge about previously. I suppose it was a good read for those reasons, but the characters kind of made the book less than its potential.
August 8, 2014
I often enjoy books that take me someplace exotic or new and this book is no exception as the second half of the book is set in Ecuador. It is a young-adult mystery. It reminds me of other books I have read. The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart is one example. Another is by M. M. Kaye (better known for The Far Pavilions), also wrote a number of mystery novels set in far-off locations. Death in Cyprus is a favorite. Sadly, both of these books are hard to find now.
As with the above two books, Latitude Zero involves a young female protagonist who becomes embroiled in intrigue. Being a teenager she assumes that she is best equipped to solve this mystery for various reasons. Also, because she is a teenager she is prone to make foolish decisions which is something she very much realizes. This realization alone makes her a refreshing character. Let's call her a work in progress. This was a fun and fast paced read. Just don't expect it to change your life.
As with the above two books, Latitude Zero involves a young female protagonist who becomes embroiled in intrigue. Being a teenager she assumes that she is best equipped to solve this mystery for various reasons. Also, because she is a teenager she is prone to make foolish decisions which is something she very much realizes. This realization alone makes her a refreshing character. Let's call her a work in progress. This was a fun and fast paced read. Just don't expect it to change your life.
November 28, 2014
The premise of this book had such promise. After an accident and a death at a charity bike ride, local teen TV host Tessa Taylor finds herself embroiled in an international mystery, filled with conspiracies as a powerful group seeks to find out just how much she knows about "the accident".
Sports, murder, mystery, world traveling...should be good, right?
However, there were several issues, most of which I think deal with characterization. While I liked that the parents were semi-involved, their actions puzzled me. They are completely overprotective, but then almost on a whim decide to let their daughter go volunteer in Equador? Also given how Tessa has parents like this, and was even terrified to illegally enter a bike race in her home town...her bravery in investigative reporting just seemed uncharacteristic.
Plus, there were almost too many stereotypical stock secondary characters to count. This had promise. More character development, less random bike and "in between action" scene descriptions, shorter story overall...it could have been a great mystery/spy/sports romp.
Definitely preferred Tokyo Heist over this one, and despite my above criticisms, I'm still curious what this author will do next.
Sports, murder, mystery, world traveling...should be good, right?
However, there were several issues, most of which I think deal with characterization. While I liked that the parents were semi-involved, their actions puzzled me. They are completely overprotective, but then almost on a whim decide to let their daughter go volunteer in Equador? Also given how Tessa has parents like this, and was even terrified to illegally enter a bike race in her home town...her bravery in investigative reporting just seemed uncharacteristic.
Plus, there were almost too many stereotypical stock secondary characters to count. This had promise. More character development, less random bike and "in between action" scene descriptions, shorter story overall...it could have been a great mystery/spy/sports romp.
Definitely preferred Tokyo Heist over this one, and despite my above criticisms, I'm still curious what this author will do next.
February 18, 2015
I can definitely say that I had no idea how much was involved in riding bikes competitively. Plus, there was a good plug about the importance of bikes to many countries and even people in the US who would need a bike just to survive. So that was good. But for some reason, I just couldn't get into it.
Tessa was an ok heroine, but for the most part is was hard to decide if she was a girl just trying to right her wrongs or just a brat who felt that she could even blow off her host family in Ecuador, then feel jealous that her friend got along better with them. Plus, I didn't sense enough fear from her predators. I'm sorry, but if someone is cyberstalking me and then follows me to the Equator, then I wouldn't be so sassy.
The murder itself was pretty good, (I meant that in the best way), but kind of rushed through the reasoning at the end, especially when the villain was explaining everything. Kind of odd.
But I did enjoy that a lot of the first part of the book was centered around the MIT area. I'm kind of familiar with that area since we have family there, so that was cool.
Overall, not a bad book, and I'm definitely willing to try Tokyo Heist, but this one is just ok for me.
Tessa was an ok heroine, but for the most part is was hard to decide if she was a girl just trying to right her wrongs or just a brat who felt that she could even blow off her host family in Ecuador, then feel jealous that her friend got along better with them. Plus, I didn't sense enough fear from her predators. I'm sorry, but if someone is cyberstalking me and then follows me to the Equator, then I wouldn't be so sassy.
The murder itself was pretty good, (I meant that in the best way), but kind of rushed through the reasoning at the end, especially when the villain was explaining everything. Kind of odd.
But I did enjoy that a lot of the first part of the book was centered around the MIT area. I'm kind of familiar with that area since we have family there, so that was cool.
Overall, not a bad book, and I'm definitely willing to try Tokyo Heist, but this one is just ok for me.
July 31, 2014
This fast-paced mystery gives us a behind-the-scenes look into the bike racing world. After the death of a well-loved teenage bike racer, Juan Carlos, we travel with main character Tessa from Boston to Ecuador to solve the mystery of his death. Diana Renn has a great eye for interesting research details and the gift of bringing setting to life. Latitude Zero is one of those rare books with equal appeal to both girls and boys. The plot is twisty and brilliant, I loved the character building, and even though I haven’t been on a bike for years, I was intrigued and learned some fascinating stuff. A great read with a lot of insight to offer, this book belongs in every public, middle and high school library.
October 16, 2016
(Importing reviews from my blog here.)
I've read this, Tokyo Heist, and half of Blue Voyage by Diana Renn. This is by far the best of the three. Tessa is a great protagonist: driven and goal-oriented; a good person, but not perfect. She makes mistakes and gets called out on them, then strives to do better. I enjoyed her self-reflection and personal growth throughout the novel. Diana Renn really built a set of characters that felt like they had history to them – I had to check to make sure I hadn’t picked up a later book in a series! Latitude Zero is fast-paced, and the mystery has plenty of twists and red herrings. I would love to read more about these characters.
I've read this, Tokyo Heist, and half of Blue Voyage by Diana Renn. This is by far the best of the three. Tessa is a great protagonist: driven and goal-oriented; a good person, but not perfect. She makes mistakes and gets called out on them, then strives to do better. I enjoyed her self-reflection and personal growth throughout the novel. Diana Renn really built a set of characters that felt like they had history to them – I had to check to make sure I hadn’t picked up a later book in a series! Latitude Zero is fast-paced, and the mystery has plenty of twists and red herrings. I would love to read more about these characters.
July 23, 2018
I had to give this book 4 stars and that is because I am a little lost in the waters.
I am not really into YA contemporary books unless it's a really good one, so with that there, I read the book knowing I will hate it just because of its genre.
And then I read it and it's about cycling. A smile on my face. But then, I continued knowing I'll be reading a YA book with a light element of cycling in it just to spice things up.
And then I continued reading and it has a great awareness of some illegal cycling anomalies. Wider smile on my face.
My whole journey with this book was little bits of that in a gradual succession though I found the characters, especially the protagonist, a bit too annoying for me. Though that's just personal, this book is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me
I am not really into YA contemporary books unless it's a really good one, so with that there, I read the book knowing I will hate it just because of its genre.
And then I read it and it's about cycling. A smile on my face. But then, I continued knowing I'll be reading a YA book with a light element of cycling in it just to spice things up.
And then I continued reading and it has a great awareness of some illegal cycling anomalies. Wider smile on my face.
My whole journey with this book was little bits of that in a gradual succession though I found the characters, especially the protagonist, a bit too annoying for me. Though that's just personal, this book is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me
April 29, 2015
Latitude Zero is a book that takes you into subjects that many do not know much about. After reading this book, I learned more about biking and bike culture, Ecuador and its sights, and how teenagers view, use, and feel about media. Being a suspense story lover, I enjoyed the suspense and unpredictable twists and turns, although towards the end, it started to become a bit obvious as to how the book would end. A recommended reading to those who enjoy reading about a strong teenage girl show her ability to cope with loss, fear, and insecurity and handle it with strength, wit, and ambition, and not to mention those who love to bike and travel.
August 6, 2017
I WON THIS AUTOGRAPHED BOOK IN A COMPLETELY FREE GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS ( together with two bookmarks and a sticker. :D )
3.5 STARS!!
ATTENTION!! LITTLE SPOILERS BELOW ;)
I state that I read this book in a month in the summer so when the protagonist Tessa is left for Ecuador this novel has earned a thousand points !!
As all the pieces of the puzzle come together towards the end, the novel becomes more compelling and I found myself sharing all the excitement of Tessa.
If you like cycling and you like thrillers, this is gonna become one of your favorite books!
3.5 STARS!!
ATTENTION!! LITTLE SPOILERS BELOW ;)
I state that I read this book in a month in the summer so when the protagonist Tessa is left for Ecuador this novel has earned a thousand points !!
As all the pieces of the puzzle come together towards the end, the novel becomes more compelling and I found myself sharing all the excitement of Tessa.
If you like cycling and you like thrillers, this is gonna become one of your favorite books!
September 26, 2015
The book has a number of intriguing elements and I would recommend it for a young reader. The background in pro cycling lends itself to an unusual plot. The setting of much of the story in Quito is also uncommon. Some YA books work equally well for adult reader. However, Tessa, the heroine and narrator of this book has been raised to be socially conscious at the expense of developing a strong sense of identity and has a very immature voice.
July 4, 2018
I started reading this book quite a while ago. I had to stop off and on, at least twice before ever getting to finish it. I would give this book a 7 on 1-10 scale. It was pretty good, nowhere near as good as Diana Renn's other book, Tokyo Heist, which I thought was amazing. I could relate to more of the characters in Tokyo Heist better than I could in Latitude Zero. There were a couple of twists and turns that I did not see coming. There were a few typos or grammatical errors I noticed.
December 28, 2014
I liked her first book so much because it was about Japanese culture. I put off reading this one for so long because I'm just not into cycling, but she was able to make it interesting. I like that the main character is brave and not completely boy focused, but she does have some blinders on for too long.
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December 3, 2015Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Hub Focus
BFF Charm: Meh
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Shop Talk
Bonus Factor: Cycling
Anti-Bonus Factor: Mary Sue
Relationship Status: Dropped
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Hub Focus
BFF Charm: Meh
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Shop Talk
Bonus Factor: Cycling
Anti-Bonus Factor: Mary Sue
Relationship Status: Dropped
Read the full book report here.
March 30, 2015
Pro cycling racing, a horrible crash during a race and a death all make for intriguing bits for this novel. High school student Tessa, an aspiring journalist finds herself in the middle of it all in Boston and in Ecuador as she tries to unravel the mysteries of the death of Juan Carlos a pro cyclists.
May 18, 2015
Excellent thrilling mystery!!! And what a strong, courageous, independent, and smart young woman as the protagonist!!! A female 007!!! Highly recommend this book!
June 10, 2015
JUAN CARLOS. <3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews