What do you think?
Rate this book
23 Degrees South: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether
"Consistently entertaining courtesy of Rabin's humor-laced prose...a witty, boisterous ride!" -Kirkus Reviews
"An action packed story complete with some hilarious scenes can be enjoyed in this amusing and entertaining adventurous adult coming-of-age tale...An exemplary and highly entertaining read for today’s hectic pace of living—highly recommended." --Chanticleer Reviews
"23 Degrees South: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether is a laugh-out-loud escapade through South America....[Rabin] writes in a style that evokes comedic elements of Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Robbins, with an original eccentricity that is uniquely his own." -Santa Barbara SEASONS
23 DEGREES SOUTH follows two 23 year-old childhood pals, Hart and Simon, on a twisting and unexpected adventure of force-fed self-discovery. The story departs from the tennis courts of Southern California traveling to the back streets of Sao Paulo, through the treacherous jungles of Brazil, then back again. Meet an eclectic collection of characters, including a Capoeira Master, a Jesuit Priest, and a geriatric Nazi, who all weave their way in, out, and around the path of our two heroes.
"An action packed story complete with some hilarious scenes can be enjoyed in this amusing and entertaining adventurous adult coming-of-age tale...An exemplary and highly entertaining read for today’s hectic pace of living—highly recommended." --Chanticleer Reviews
"23 Degrees South: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether is a laugh-out-loud escapade through South America....[Rabin] writes in a style that evokes comedic elements of Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Robbins, with an original eccentricity that is uniquely his own." -Santa Barbara SEASONS
23 DEGREES SOUTH follows two 23 year-old childhood pals, Hart and Simon, on a twisting and unexpected adventure of force-fed self-discovery. The story departs from the tennis courts of Southern California traveling to the back streets of Sao Paulo, through the treacherous jungles of Brazil, then back again. Meet an eclectic collection of characters, including a Capoeira Master, a Jesuit Priest, and a geriatric Nazi, who all weave their way in, out, and around the path of our two heroes.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2016
11 people are currently reading
1085 people want to read
About the author
Neal Rabin
2 books45 followersNeal Rabin is the co-founder of Miramar Systems, a Santa Barbara-based global software company, of which he was CEO for 15 years. Before that, Rabin graduated from UCLA; worked for Club Med as a tennis and surf instructor; stocked refrigerators; and served as a “fetch” for Time Life Films. Now, Rabin is an instrument pilot who divides his time between mentoring tech start-ups, writing, surfing, volleyball, and tennis. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, two daughters, and a flock of chickens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 27, 2016
A great read that transcends easy categorization, like a cross between a very fine old wine and an exotic, cutting-edge cocktail. The writing is witty and worth savoring, with a colorful cast of characters caught in a plot that keeps the pages turning and won't let go. Wise, ironic, suspenseful and hilariously witty at the same time, the book is reminiscent of the best of David Foster Wallace, Thomas Pynchon, John Irving and Agatha Christie. Highly recommended, and we hope to read more from Rabin in the future.
June 10, 2016
I enjoyed the book but found it hard to follow the story line because there were several different breaks to follow another character without giving me any connection into the full story. However, by the end all the connections came together. I won this book through GoodReads.
January 29, 2018
2 1/2 stars -- because there's potential
I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book, but in all honesty, I didn’t. It had potential; it had great characters, but it had so many problems. First, it’s written like a bad comedy routine, lots of ridiculous rejoinders and non-sequiturs. People and things appear out of nowhere with no reason. Words are misused, dialog is awkward, and punctuation is misused and missing. Examples: poster is used instead of poser, convicted instead of convinced, invariable instead of inevitable. At one point, Carlos is about to set off a bomb at Embratel, a major Brazilian telecommunications company, but by the time he gets around to it, it becomes Brazilian Telecom. In another instance, they’re going to set off the bomb at “the behemoth power company Paulista Electric.” A few pages later, the same target becomes “the brand new Paulista Electronica store,” filled with games and TVs. I don’t know about you, but I find mistakes like that irritating. As for punctuation, you can’t tell the dialog from the characters’ thoughts. You can’t tell if a word is supposed to be a possessive. I often needed to go back and reread sentences because the commas were in the wrong places,, and nothing made sense. This book needs serious editing.
The book has a distinct stream of consciousness feeling to it. By that, I mean that it seemed that if something popped into the author’s head, he put it in as part of the book whether it fit or not. The worst thing is that while this started off as a story of friendship and coming of age, it turns into a screed on saving the planet and fighting for the poverty stricken. Those are good things, but they don’t fit into the story. They, too, popped out of nowhere.
So many odd things, like Carlos naming his bombs, but there’s never an explanation for why he chose those names. In fact, I’m still not certain why he was setting off bombs at all; the reasoning was never made clear. There’s much time spent in the Brazilian jungle, in intense heat, with a dead body, and, yet, there are no insects, no animals, no fish, carnivorous or otherwise. Like so many things in this book it’s not realistic.
There’s much talk about religion in this book, but it’s not a religious book. The problem is that it’s just talk; there’s no real purpose to the discussions of Judaism, Jesuits, Buddhism, or Nazis. And don’t even get me started on the whole ridiculousness of including Carmen Miranda, over and over and over again.
As I said, the book had potential. There’s a germ of an idea about the friendship of two young men, but it’s so messed up, so mixed in with other things, that it just doesn’t work. I strongly suggest that the author go back and truly figure out what this story is about, stop trying to build in a heavy dose of guilt about the state of the world, and then sit down to rewrite this book.
Unless you enjoy really weird tales that jump around and don’t make a lot of sense, then don’t waste your time on this book.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I had to force myself to keep reading this book; I wouldn’t have finished reading it if I’d bought the book or gotten it from the library; the time I spent reading this was a total waste. However, since it was a giveaway win, I felt it my responsibility to complete it. I don't recommend this book to anyone.
I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book, but in all honesty, I didn’t. It had potential; it had great characters, but it had so many problems. First, it’s written like a bad comedy routine, lots of ridiculous rejoinders and non-sequiturs. People and things appear out of nowhere with no reason. Words are misused, dialog is awkward, and punctuation is misused and missing. Examples: poster is used instead of poser, convicted instead of convinced, invariable instead of inevitable. At one point, Carlos is about to set off a bomb at Embratel, a major Brazilian telecommunications company, but by the time he gets around to it, it becomes Brazilian Telecom. In another instance, they’re going to set off the bomb at “the behemoth power company Paulista Electric.” A few pages later, the same target becomes “the brand new Paulista Electronica store,” filled with games and TVs. I don’t know about you, but I find mistakes like that irritating. As for punctuation, you can’t tell the dialog from the characters’ thoughts. You can’t tell if a word is supposed to be a possessive. I often needed to go back and reread sentences because the commas were in the wrong places,, and nothing made sense. This book needs serious editing.
The book has a distinct stream of consciousness feeling to it. By that, I mean that it seemed that if something popped into the author’s head, he put it in as part of the book whether it fit or not. The worst thing is that while this started off as a story of friendship and coming of age, it turns into a screed on saving the planet and fighting for the poverty stricken. Those are good things, but they don’t fit into the story. They, too, popped out of nowhere.
So many odd things, like Carlos naming his bombs, but there’s never an explanation for why he chose those names. In fact, I’m still not certain why he was setting off bombs at all; the reasoning was never made clear. There’s much time spent in the Brazilian jungle, in intense heat, with a dead body, and, yet, there are no insects, no animals, no fish, carnivorous or otherwise. Like so many things in this book it’s not realistic.
There’s much talk about religion in this book, but it’s not a religious book. The problem is that it’s just talk; there’s no real purpose to the discussions of Judaism, Jesuits, Buddhism, or Nazis. And don’t even get me started on the whole ridiculousness of including Carmen Miranda, over and over and over again.
As I said, the book had potential. There’s a germ of an idea about the friendship of two young men, but it’s so messed up, so mixed in with other things, that it just doesn’t work. I strongly suggest that the author go back and truly figure out what this story is about, stop trying to build in a heavy dose of guilt about the state of the world, and then sit down to rewrite this book.
Unless you enjoy really weird tales that jump around and don’t make a lot of sense, then don’t waste your time on this book.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I had to force myself to keep reading this book; I wouldn’t have finished reading it if I’d bought the book or gotten it from the library; the time I spent reading this was a total waste. However, since it was a giveaway win, I felt it my responsibility to complete it. I don't recommend this book to anyone.
July 7, 2017
Simon and Hart travel recklessly though the tropics screwing up. The story bounces all over the place, which reflects the immaturity of the characters and their decision-making ability. There are touches of realism in some circumstances lends some believability to the eclectic cast. Readers are allowed to forego reality and drift along until unforeseen circumstances test the two friend’s relationship.
I was randomly chosen through a Goodreads Giveaway to receive this book free from the publisher. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I was randomly chosen through a Goodreads Giveaway to receive this book free from the publisher. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
July 8, 2017
Inexplicable Events
Simon and Hart travel recklessly though the tropics screwing up. The story bounces all over the place, which reflects the immaturity of the characters and their decision-making ability. There are touches of realism in some circumstances lends some believability to the eclectic cast. Readers are allowed to forego reality and drift along until unforeseen circumstances test the two friend’s relationship.
I was randomly chosen through a Goodreads Giveaway to receive this book free from the publisher. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Simon and Hart travel recklessly though the tropics screwing up. The story bounces all over the place, which reflects the immaturity of the characters and their decision-making ability. There are touches of realism in some circumstances lends some believability to the eclectic cast. Readers are allowed to forego reality and drift along until unforeseen circumstances test the two friend’s relationship.
I was randomly chosen through a Goodreads Giveaway to receive this book free from the publisher. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
August 4, 2017
I give it a 3.75. This book is one action packed adventure. I have to admit, I had to write down notes as read the first few chapters because I didn't read it all in one sitting. I had to keep track of characters and how they are connected. Once I was through the first few chapters I was good though. After that point I was really captivated and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I didn't want it to end.
August 30, 2017
I received a copy of this through the Goodreads Giveaway Program.
Reading the biography of the author, you can understand how he can write such a tale. Not all of this can come from the imagination! I don't doubt there are people out there who can experience all these two friends did, and still walk away in one piece, but I'd like to try.
Interesting characters. Lush landscapes. Impossible odds.
Just a fun read all around!
Reading the biography of the author, you can understand how he can write such a tale. Not all of this can come from the imagination! I don't doubt there are people out there who can experience all these two friends did, and still walk away in one piece, but I'd like to try.
Interesting characters. Lush landscapes. Impossible odds.
Just a fun read all around!
December 3, 2016
First things, first; I received a free copy provided by the author through a random giveaway. I have to admit I am not a fan of this book but perhaps I'm the wrong demographic. The only thing which prevented this being a one star review was the development of the supporting characters. Frankly, the main characters had little appeal for me.
May 10, 2017
This book is so incredible i love every page of it the author of it is so talented!!
December 12, 2017
This is the first book I have by the author Neal Rabin. The first part of the book I wasn't sure I was getting the story but then the author brings it altogether at the end. After completely this I found some of the background stories in the first half of the book was more enjoyable then the last few chapters. It was definitely a very interesting story about childhood friends Simon and Hart.
May 24, 2016
Started very strong, but took a turn for the mediocre and petered out by the end.
At least the first half of the book is back-story, and I found that to (unfortunately) be far more engaging than the "main storyline" of the novel. The cast of characters introduced, through choppy and sometimes erratic narrative time-hops, are sympathetic and interesting and well-developed. I really thought I was going to love this book, and even after it started declining I held out hope it would bounce back.
It did not.
Once Mr Rabin has drawn you in to care about each of these characters, he then turns them all into whiny and inactive shells who are along for a wholly unrealistic and murky plot-ride, and none of whom grow or develop at all.
For a book that started out so strongly, I really had a hard time finishing this, and almost wish I had not. I really liked these characters until they started on their completely pointless and futile adventure.
I received this book at part of the Goodreads givaways program.
At least the first half of the book is back-story, and I found that to (unfortunately) be far more engaging than the "main storyline" of the novel. The cast of characters introduced, through choppy and sometimes erratic narrative time-hops, are sympathetic and interesting and well-developed. I really thought I was going to love this book, and even after it started declining I held out hope it would bounce back.
It did not.
Once Mr Rabin has drawn you in to care about each of these characters, he then turns them all into whiny and inactive shells who are along for a wholly unrealistic and murky plot-ride, and none of whom grow or develop at all.
For a book that started out so strongly, I really had a hard time finishing this, and almost wish I had not. I really liked these characters until they started on their completely pointless and futile adventure.
I received this book at part of the Goodreads givaways program.
February 10, 2017
I received a free copy through Goodreads.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I would recommend this book to others to read.
It is difficult to tell what made my like this book, but I did like it a lot. Maybe it is the characters that captivated me. They are a strange mix of people whose lives are intertwined and come together at the end of the story.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I would recommend this book to others to read.
It is difficult to tell what made my like this book, but I did like it a lot. Maybe it is the characters that captivated me. They are a strange mix of people whose lives are intertwined and come together at the end of the story.
March 22, 2016
23 Degrees is a laugh out loud ride that takes one through the country of Brazil and many states of consciousness in between. It is One Hundred Years of Solitude on Acid. A great read that doesn't fit into most categories, it felt like Carl Hiassen and Gabriel Garcia Marquez created a comedian of a child. Like a cross between a fine Renaissance painting and Jackson Pollack. The writing is witty, with a colorful cast of characters caught in a twisting plot that keeps the pages unfolding. Ironic and suspenseful, it swallows you whole like the Brazilian Anaconda. I highly recommend it.
KEN BERRIS
Author, WILD CARDS,
A novel about faith and baseball.
KEN BERRIS
Author, WILD CARDS,
A novel about faith and baseball.
July 23, 2016
Nazis, the 2016 Olympics in Rio and Carmen Miranda? These are just a few of the sub-themes that connect and drive this very entertaining novel of self discovery and exploration. Fun, twisted in a good way and, with a few moments of “where the f**k" is the author taking us? And, then, if you’ve paid close attention to the deftly written details, it all comes together in a well paced ride that makes 23 Degrees South a definite read. Thoroughly enjoyable!
October 10, 2016
Although it seemed like there could be a good story from the characters, the potential never developed. Two young men who had a childhood friendship, as well as two brothers, one of whom a Jesuit priest and the other having gone down the criminal road - could have created a story worth reading. I enjoyed reading some parts of the book, hoping for more to pull it together. Unfortunately, it never happened.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
January 28, 2016
Seldom do I read a book that feels as much like an amusement ride as it does a smart, compelling, and well-written read. I read 23 Degrees South in one sitting. The story took unexpected twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, made me wonder and laugh out loud, but mostly it was like reading good jazz; fun, provocative, surprising and rich. I hope the author writes more.
February 16, 2016
Brilliant first novel by author Neal Rabin is a fun house ride of adventure, social comedy and a well-observed study of human nature, not to be missed. The frozen American heart defrosted and given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by Brazil's life worshiping culture of food, music and Capoeira. If you like S. J. Perelman, Carl Hiassen, James Thurber, Mark Twain or Anne Tyler, you'll love this book.
August 8, 2016
Found 23 Degrees to be difficult in the beginning, but persevered because it was a GoodReads Giveaway (and I feel obliged to give them my full attention). The story improved and all the loose ends tidied up at the end. It was an interesting story, glad I stayed with it.
January 27, 2016
A fun, entertaining read! If you are a fan of eccentric authors like Hunter S. Thompson or Jack Kerouac, 23 Degrees South is the perfect read.
January 15, 2018
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It was okay, but not believable. Just took cluttered, there’s one thing about fantastical story, but sometimes it goes too far.
June 20, 2016
This was a strange, humorous, intriguing read. I am glad I did not miss it.
July 15, 2016
Goodreads Giveaway
April 26, 2017
I received this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways. An interesting tale of a young man who takes a job in Brazil where he gets "kidnapped" by his old school buddy and taken on quite the adventure. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
Read
February 12, 2019I'm not sure how to rate this book. It's not that I liked it/didn't like it...I just didn't get it. Have you ever finished a book then wonder what the plot/story was all about? That's what happened to me. Still trying to figure it out...
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews