Review: Everest Trilogy

 

I hadn't read this trilogy, but I shared the first few chapters during World Read Aloud Day at a school. Gordon Korman is always a hit with readers.

There's a competition for hikers and climber under 18 to secure a spot on the team hiking up Everest. There are several in the running. Dominic and his brother Chris are hoping to make it. Dominic is VERY young, but he has experience. 

The first book features the competition to get on the team.

The second book is about getting to Everest and acclimating

The third book is about climbing to the summit

I would read all these books back-to-back.

This trilogy was intense with lots of twists and turns. There are multiple POVs. There's lots of action and danger. There are secrets, betrayals, and death. I didn't want to put these down. It's about luck, survival, and determination. 

Everest is NOT for the faint of heart. This book made me realize that I didn't want to hike Everest or go anywhere near it. 

This book was published over 20 years ago, and it holds up today. If you're late to the party like I am, don't miss these.

Teen Summer Reading (4): Adventure Begins at Your Library

The past weeks, we have talked about craft ideas and food ideas. It's time to talk about books.

It's a little harder to create a booklist for the teens and middle grade crowd with new books, so this is a bland of new and older books that fit the theme.

A booklist featuring survival stories from wildfires, rock climbing, hiking, the elements, and danger

Books included:

Peak

Take

The Canyon's Edge

Be Not Far from Me

Alone

Just Keep Walking (review coming soon)

Five Total Strangers

Trapped

Far From You

Devil's Breath

Thin Air

The Lake House

Life as we Knew It

Up in Flames

Paradise on Fire 

This is the last summer reading post; I hope you enjoyed this series. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Read in One Sitting

 This week's topic is books to read in one sitting.

Books I wish I could have read in one sitting because they had so much action, survival, and fun reads. 

Thrillers:

  

 

Survival:

 

Lots of Fun:

 

Middle Grade Review: Distress Signal

 

Just before the class campout, Lavender and her BFF Marisol start having trouble. Lavender's forced to sit with someone else on the bus and share a tent with another girl. She's certain she can get Marisol back - if she could just get her alone. So she during a break from hiking, she lies to get time alone with her best friend. But the plan backfires. In more ways than one.

There's a flash flood warning that catches the class off guard. Lavender's forced to separate from her class to save the classmates she put in jeopardy. In doing so, they, along with another boy, become cut off from the class. They're forced to climb a tree to stay alive.

When the flash flood ends, debris has piled up forcing them to find their own way. In the foursome with two enemies, they can't get along long enough to come up with a solution. Mistakes and accidents happen. 

Something's going to have to change before long if they want to survive.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book about figuring out friendships and being stuck in the wilderness. I loved the action and the danger. And how these four kids handled everything - coming together when it counted. I liked that they all had skills and knowledge to share. 

Cover Thoughts: Awesome

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: A fun thriller for your middle grade's public and school library collections. 

Review: Be Not Far From Me

The woods can kill you. Ashely knows this to be true.

But it becomes real after a night partying in the woods with her friends.

After she drinks. After she catches her boyfriend with another girl. And after she stumbles blindly into the woods and hurts her foot - badly.

When she wakes up in the morning - everything hits her. She's lost. She has no idea where she is. She can't walk. She has no supplies.

How is she going to survive?

My Thoughts: I'm not going to lie - this book was hard to read in some parts. Gruesome. Ick. Gross. But also, I didn't want to stop reading. I wanted to know what happened and how everything turned out. And it was not the way I expected it. I loved how Ashley was determined and strong. I loved that she had a knowledge of the woods and it helped keep her alive. She was impressive and brave. I would not be that brave.

Cover Thoughts: Intriguing
Source: My library
Library Recommendation: A great survival story/thriller for your public library's collection.

Review: The Living

Shy's happy to work on a cruise ship, earning much needed money until a man jumps overboard. Shy tried to save him, but it was no use.

On his next week shift, the weather turns deadly. An earthquake hits the west coast. As the ship heads to Hawaii, tsunamis endanger everyone. When they hit, the ship goes down.

Now Shy's fighting for this life as he attempts to reach land with little water, no food, and burning under the heat of the sun. Shy doesn't want to die, but if he has to die then he wants to figure out why people are so interested in the conversation he had with the man who jumped to his death.

My Thoughts: I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, although I will think twice about going on a cruise. I loved the layers of this story. I loved the connections between the passengers. I loved the camaraderie amongst the crew. From friendship to almost romance in a little over a week, these friendships were cemented with tight bonds over their work and similarities.  

The class distinction and the boat reminded me immediately of the Titanic. As the boat sank, it struck me how much the world hasn't changed in over 100 years.  Everyone struggled to get off the boat - feat, entitlement, and the desire for survival made people react.

I loved how the plot twisted and turned. At first, I thought it was about the suicide of the man, then about survival, and then about the dangers of the plague. Lots of danger, lots of action, and lots of fast turning pages. I can't wait to read what happens next to these characters.

Cover Thoughts: This is the paperback version, but both are great
Source: My Library
Fun Fact: Read this as a judge for the Cybil Awards

Final Thoughts: Not only a great book that kept me turning the pages, but the depth of this book makes it perfect for book discussions too.

Review: NIL

Charley goes to Target one day and finds herself melting in the parking lot. She wakes up in a rock field - without her clothes.

With no one in sights, she does her best to survive on an island. She builds shelter, finds something to eat, and passes the time. Twelve days later, she sees two guys. Thad and Jason bring her to the city.

Thad becomes her island guide, explaining the rules of NIL. You get 365 days to get off the island from on of the dates. Everyone counts their days. You must contribute something to society while waiting for your turn to go hunting gates.

As Thad shows Charley around, their feelings for each other starts to grow. Can love last on the island?

My Thoughts: I really liked this one, it reminded me of LOST - but with a way off the island. I liked the beauty of the island. I loved how Charley thought about the island as a whole and attempted to figure out it's secrets. A wonderful debut novel with a great visual scene, action, danger, betrayal, friendship, and romance. I can see this one going out a lot in my library. 

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: ARC for review