One Wrong Step

By 1939, Atlas Wade and his father have scaled a number of mountains, since his father is a map maker who has inherited wealth. Since Atlas' mother died three years ago, Atlas accompanies his father on many of their expeditions. The newest one is a climb of Mt. Everest, something that is fraught with difficulties. They have Mr. Thromley leading, Chodak, who is a sherpa, and the difficult Mr. Blake in their group. They are in communication with Mrs. Thromley, who gives them updated weather reports, checks in with them, and as Europe descends into war, tells them what is going on. Atlas is not very careful, putting himself in danger when a yak falls into a river. When the group gets partway up, they meet Americans Jasper Pierson and his daughter Maddie. The Wades have met Pierson before, and he witnessed a serious misstep of Atlas'. He is studying the effects of high altitudes on climbers, so hopes to go with the climbers as far as Base six. Maddie is afraid of heights, but does a decent job. When the group reaches the Advanced Base Camp, the plan is to leave Maddie and Atlas with Chodak, who has injured his hand. There is an avalanche, and while it doesn't affect the Advanced camp, there is no longer any radio communication from the rest of the group. Atlas (who really would like to summit) is determined to climb up to Base Six to rescue the group, so the three take off up the mountain. This does not go smoothly, but at one point they do hear a Morse Code SOS from the other group. Will Atlas be able to find his father and save him, or will he continue to lack focus and perish on the mountain?

What worked:
Each chapter begins with a few lines sharing facts relevant to the following events. Mountain climbing is a major part of the story and readers will learn much about it. The first chapter shares information about Atlas’s first mountain climb to the summit of Kings Peak in 1936. It’s also the time when his mother loses her battle with a chronic disease. A map to the summit of Mt. Everest precedes the second chapter with information about the sherpas who assist climbers. Other chapter introductions explain terms like acclimation, climbers adjusting to the lack of oxygen, columns of ice called seracs, and various tools used during a climb. These descriptions are helpful to understand the nuances of scaling Earth’s tallest mountain. Additional maps throughout the book identify Atlas’s location on Mt. Everest to give readers context for the dramatic events. They’ll discover it takes months, a lot of money, courage, and a bit of luck to attempt a climb up Mt. Everest.
The story is told in first-person by Atlas, a teenage boy from London. This allows readers to learn about his feelings and unspoken thoughts about mountain climbing and his special memories. Dealing with grief is an issue since Atlas hasn’t had a serious talk about his mother’s death in the three years since it happened. He’s frustrated that his father won’t let him climb to Mt. Everest’s summit but that doesn’t stop Atlas from trying to change his mind. An avalanche will find Atlas climbing farther than his father expected. Telling the story first-person also lets readers in on Atlas’s climbing knowledge and strategies as well as his conflicted thoughts about his mother.
The climbing team presents a variety of personalities to enhance the plot and drama. Mr. Blake is financing most of the expedition but his superior air creates conflict and mystery. He loves to hear himself talk, mostly about himself, and he frequently shares disparaging remarks about Atlas’s age and skill. Hushed comments between Blake and another team member create uncertainty about Blake’s character and his motives. Chodak is the main sherpa guide and his kind personality is a stark contrast to Blake. He’s the group’s biggest asset but an accident complicates his role. Maddie is about Atlas’s age and Atlas initially doesn’t like her presence on the mountain. She has very little climbing experience and one of her phobias may make her a liability. What kind of father makes Mt. Everest his daughter’s first mountain-climbing event?
What didn’t work as well:
The Nazi subplot slowly emerges but it’s not a necessary complication to the mountain-climbing adventure. The avalanche and Atlas’s subsequent efforts and setbacks to rescue his father provide plenty of drama for one book. Reader attention is distracted from this gripping problem as the topic of a Nazi spy continues. Mentioning the possibility of Nazis on Mt. Everest adds historical context to the plot but it would be better to leave it at that.
The final verdict:
The author captures the life-threatening perils and the harrowing weather conditions found on Mt. Everest to help readers experience the torturous quest to reach the summit. Atlas struggles to deal with his grief over his mother’s death and this subplot may resonate with readers. Overall, this riveting survival story will appeal to a wide audience and I recommend you give it a shot.