14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE WAY YOUTH BOOKS SHOULD BE WRITTEN. Give your child and yourself a real treat with this one. Should be given six stars., September 27, 2009
It is so refreshing, and to be honest, exciting, to run across an author that actually knows her subject; in this case wilderness survival and young people, and she then possesses the skills needed to tell a very compelling and realistic story, i.e. this lady can write!
Through a very believable and realistic set of circumstances, two young girls find themselves lost in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The author is able to hook the reader right from the start with her realistic, and I must say likable characters. Even the individuals, who inhabit the background of this story, playing minor roles, stand out, and with brief sentences and descriptions Ms. Shahan gives the reader the feeling of "knowing" them and knowing them all their lives. I did not find one character in this book that I could not name a counter part to in real life. The dialog between the two main characters in this work and indeed, between each individual throughout is quite realistic...there is no forced or contrived chatter here. Anyone who has been around teens will recognize the fact that the author knows her kids.
Sherry Shahan's knowledge of the wilderness and the ability to survive is again quite remarkable. I was quite taken with her description of the thunderstorm (which by the way, contrary to some comments here, are not at all "freaks" when hiking or camping in the high country). Having been caught four times in these situations; The Rockies twice, Sawtooth Mountains once, and a mountain chain in Northern Turkey, I can attest to the fact that these are terrifying events and can catch even the savviest off guard. Trust me, I did not just fall off the back of a turnip wagon when it comes to this sort of thing and even I was caught. This book is a great warning to day hikers who should take note here! The author has described this storm and its effects perfectly.
I was quite impressed with the description of the various mood swings, logic and illogic of the teen protagonists in this story. Life is not simple during the early teen years; lack of life experience, hormones and situations that the teen has no control over all make this a very difficult time in every person's life. The author has nailed this aspect perfectly. I doubt seriously that when a member of this age group reads this work that they will not be able to identify with the characters instantly. Adults too, if they have any memory of their younger years will have great sympathy and empathy when they search their memories.
Conflict with parents, misunderstandings, perceptions distorted by age and experience are only too common in this day and age (of course during what era where they not?). The author has blended these internal and real conflicts with her story of physical survival. The reader must answer for themselves the question as to the difficulty of surviving a physically harsh environment versus surviving an emotionally harsh environment is more difficult.
The implication also has been somewhat hinted at that this is a "girls" book. Balderdash! This work is completely suited for both female and male readers. I can remember one of my favorite books while growing up (also one of my wife's) was
Girl in Buckskin. Hey folks, a well told story has no gender limitations, nor in this case age restrictions. As an old man I must admit to having completely been captivated.
Now as one reviewer has pointed out, this is not a "how to survive in the wilderness book," although the spirit of common sense and a little knowledge comes shinning through on every page as these two young girls battle for survival.
Well written, realistic, exciting and thoughtful, I cannot see how you or your child could possible go wrong with this work. On a personal note I must admit that I found it quite refreshing that there was not some sort of blood sucking vampire jumping out at me from every page which is all too common in YA books these days. This genre is fine and dandy but is sort of being overly done at this time, and this was a very nice departure for a change.
Recommend this one highly. It is an excellent work and I strongly suspicion that we will be hearing much more from this author as time goes by.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Death Mounatin, October 25, 2005
This review is from: Death Mountain (Hardcover)
One of the most importants things about Death Mounatin was my connection to the main character, Erin. From the first paragraph I was engaged with her. I liked her seriousness and spunk. By the end of the first page Erin was stranded with only her grandmother's words of wisdom playing in her head. Great start! But soon I learned Erin had an even bigger problem. Her mother had left the family and Erin didn't know why. At one time I thought maybe the mother was ill and didn't want to burden her family. Then I wondered if the father had somehow driven her away. The author let me come to understanding when Erin did and I liked that. The secondary characters of Mae and Levi brought another depth to the story. Especially Mae, with her "city girl" silliness. Seeing May grow because of Erin's strengths was rewarding. And when Erin's will sagged, Mae was strong enough for them both. It was a wonderfully woven subplot.
Erin joins Mae and Levi for a Mt. Whitney hike. They get caught in a freak electrical storm. Mae panics and runs, and Erin tries to chases her down before she comes to harm. The girls end up lost but together. Now it's them against the mountain. I loved all the mountain education/information the author wrote into the story. It never felt forced. The realism of the storm scenes, the lightning strikes, the total chaos and scramble to stay alive in the midst of danger and death drew me in completely. The action and suspense kept the tension level high and each chapter ended in a way that pulled me on. Yet, the author let me "rest" when needed. The pacing was great.
I really enjoyed Erin's grandmother. She mainly came in the backstory and in Erin's knowledge of the wilds, but she gave a strength to the story. She was a comforting character, strong and steady. Her balance helped keep Erin levelheaded in her life and death struggle for survival on Mt. Whitney. I especially appreciated the parallels between surviving in the wilderness and surviving life.
The ending of the book was perfect. The author gave me enough resolution to made me smile. Yes, Erin still has some tough things to face, but she is going to be fine! I loved the symbolism--the tree healing over the carvings. The author did that well throughout the book.
This is definetly a book worth reading. A book worthy of being made into a movie!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
