IN SEARCH OF CAPTAIN ZERO A Surfer’s Road Trip beyond the End of the Road

Consumed by a personal quest to find a surfer buddy from his past, writer Allan Weisbecker sold all of his possessions except his truck, surfboard, and dog and ventured South to Mexico and to Costa Rica, where the so-called “Captain Zero” is alleged to have disappeared. Along the way, he befriends locals, angers back-country bandits, carves waves, and reinvigorates his spirit. Joe Barrett’s intense tone tends to overstate the seriousness of the author's quest. Barrett's weighty voice bends around every word of Weisbecker's tale, transforming the protagonist into a hard-nosed rebel who turns the tide of adversity with the swipe of his hand. Barrett's disconnect with the story makes it sound phony and manufactured—and not the least bit sentimental. L.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2009]