Losing Latitude (part two) by Cory Cramer

Review of part one.

Part Two, subtitled “The Past Comes Back to Haunt Us”, continues exactly where the first part leaves off. Lilly North is in a Naval hospital recovering from the tragic storm that took her parent’s lives. While she’s only “on screen” long enough to remind readers that she’s still the main character it’s enough to keep all the flashbacks in context. Keeping track of the real focus of the story is important because they are a lot of flashbacks in this part of Losing Latitude.

Most of the story is told through the journal of Buck, a teenager who is wanted for a murder he didn’t commit. But what cop would believe Buck’s take on the slaying–a demon did it? While Buck’s story starts out as a somewhat selfish, hormone-infused tale Cramer works Buck into a solid, sympathetic, if not somewhat likable character.

Between the passages of Buck’s journal are flashbacks from the point of view of Lilly’s father, Brady. The answers to why Brady steered his family into the storm are answered, and in a way that piques the reader’s interest in the supernatural aspects of the tale.

However, the story still doesn’t feel like a paranormal. While the demon might make a real appearance it’s brief and its connections to Brady and Lilly are little more than implied.

The back story might throw some readers off at this point. But it does serve to expand the characters and to tie together many of the strings that began in the first part. By the end of Part two the reader has the definite feel that something bad is about to happen.

Stay tuned for part three…