Customer Reviews

Death Mountain

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!

Bought this book for my daughter who is an avid backpacker and a teacher. Read it first and believe that she and her class may enjoy the adventure of the 2 girls in the story.

Wow...what a great read...Here's what I liked:
1. I couldn't put it down...a real page turner
2. Great adventure story where the girls were smart enough to figure things out, yet not so far fetched in what they did that you were going, "yeah right". In other words, truly believable characters and ones you could really identify with.
3. I loved the language and concise, precise use of words. There has been a huge debate on many list serves ranting and raving about the length of YA books and how authors don't know how to tell their stories in a shorter number of pages. (especially those books that are fantasy and sci/fi). I loved the use of language and how it made me feel exactly like I was right there with Erin and Mae - especially on that rock face frozen with Erin. The storm was so electrifying; and how tired, sore and painstakingly slow things were at times; how Erin was so confused and hurt by her mother's choices...that life was a complete mystery for her at this stage in her life.
4. I loved that these two girls showed growth during their ordeal - that they came to realize that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go round and that they needed each other. And that most importantly, true friendship and respect developed out of this experience for them both.

Here's what I didn't like:
1. That it ended and I don't know what's going to happen for Erin and Mae next! I want a sequel...
2. That Erin grew so much during this ordeal and now has a new ordeal waiting for her with her mother...I want to know how she's going to face her mother....another sequel...or different kind of book...
Ms Shahan - Thank you so much for your gift! The book, your use of words, your language - your ability to paint a picture with your words and really capture the reader - you are wonderful - what a great example for being
able to show setting and voice.

At least, I sure did. And that was before I even saw the words "Young Adult Fiction" on the back cover, which didn't happen until I was three-quarters of the way though the book.

Anyone who enjoys hiking can learn something from this story. Death Mountain isn't a how-to, but we can all benefit from the young heroine's trials, tribulations and triumphs. Her actions touch upon what to do and not do when lost in the backcountry and when caught in a thunderstorm while outdoors. The story illustrates the importance of carrying a map as well as knowing how to read it even if one is following a well-marked trail, how to build an emergency shelter, start a fire and how to cross swiftly moving water with a strong current.

Death Mountain is a excellent basis for discussion between parents or teachers and kids about backcountry safety.

My cousin mailed me a copy of "Death Mountain" because one of the chapters shows the main characters struggling to cross a raging river. She even dog-eared the page where one kid nearly drowns. The book was one of many peace-offerings over the years; I nearly drowned in a resevoir as a kid while in her care. Flipping through the pages I saw the Author's Note; the novel is based on something that really happened. Interesting. So instead of just reading the river scene (pg. 90) I actually started at the beginning. No spoilers here; you gotta read the whole thing yourself.

When one thinks of tales of survival in the wilderness one thinks of
books about boys like Hatchet. In many ways the tale of
Erin and Mae is a first person adventure of the spirit as well as the body.
Erin has a puzzling life with her grandmother, because a year before
her mother abandoned them. Her confusion and lost ticket leads her
to a trip to a lake to go swimming that turns into nearly a week of survival in
the worst lighting storms that I have ever heard of.
Her Gram has taught her a lot about the outdoors
and she becomes the leader,
because Mae is truly lost in the outdoors.
Surviving without any major problems
in such an "alone in the woods"
situation is very hard.
The writing is prospective
and the young girl's poetry in view of
" Questions
Without answers",
is very well done. It appears Erin will survive
to take on the world, one day at a time.

My daughter and I went on a camping trip together this summer and I thought it'd be fun if we read a book aloud to each other. A friend recommended this book and I am so glad we took it along in the backpack! I liked the characters - they aren't perfect which makes them relatable. I cared about what happened to them. My daughter loved the main character and rolled her eyes whenever I said, "See?" to the character not listening to the adults in her life. It was full of suspense which made it hard to put it down each night. This book gave my daughter and I something to talk about over the campfire - thank you to my friend for recommending it to us!

Sherry Shahan has created a realistic, informative adventure story that will appeal especially to middle grade, young adult girls. Erin is the protagonist; a young teenager who has been raised by her "Gram" and learned the ways of the mountains. Good thing she paid attention to Gram's wisdom, because it comes in handy when she gets lost in the Sierra Neveda Mountains near Mammoth. Not only does Erin become lost, but she now is responsible for Mae, another teenager who hasn't a clue about back-packing, survival, or common sense when she creates the scene that gets both girls lost.
The reader will learn some basic survival skills that might come in handy, while being riveted to this story. Everything seems to be against Erin as she tries to overcome the obstacles of a lightening storm, rescuing a lost dog along the way, losing their pack of supplies and sharing the limited amount of food she has with Mae, and now the dog.
This is also a story of friendship, that can develop in the strangest of circumstances.
Death Mountain is a story I am sure you will enjoy, as much as I did.

Erin's not overly upset when her bus ticket is stolen. She didn't really want to visit her mother in the first place. She hitches a ride with Levi and Mae, a brother and sister planning a short hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The hiking trail is crowded when disaster strikes: a deadly storm hits. Amid lightning strikes and torrential rain, everyone runs for safety, and Erin and Mae find themselves separated from everyone else.

In the days to come, Erin has to use all the survival skills her grandmother taught her to keep Mae and herself going. Are the two young girls going to make it back before their luck runs out?

Based on an actual event in author Sherry Shahan's life, Death Mountain is a swiftly paced and engaging read. It's interesting to see the power shifts and personality differences between Erin and Mae as they make their way down the mountain. The relationship between Erin and her grandmother (shown in flashbacks) is a very close and special one, and I liked seeing how the older woman kept trying to reconcile her daughter and granddaughter.

But it's not all interpersonal relationships on Death Mountain; there are lots of adventures and survival tips. One of the things I liked most in reading this book after such books as Hatchet and The River was the fact that this time it was two young girls lost in the wilderness trying to find their way to safety. Why let the boys have all the fun?