Review Detail

One Wrong Step

Middle Grade Fiction 59

Vicarious Mountaintop Thrills!

November 12, 2024

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

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?

Good Points

Ms. Nielsen has painted a riveting picture of all of the reasons I will NOT be climbing mountains! Atlas is only fifteen, and makes a lot of mistakes that would be inconsequential on the ground, but are nearly fatal given the terrain and altitude. There's a decent amount of history not only surrounding attempts to summit the mountain, but also concerning the escalating war in Europe. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Mr. Pierson was studying the effects of altitude on the body, so when Atlas and Maddie neared Camp Six and Atlas had headaches and other symptoms, Maddie was able to tell him what was going on. For sensitive souls, this ends in a more positive manner than George Mallory's failed expedition did.

I thought this would have a little more to do with World War II. There is some mention of the events that are occurring in Europe, and some hints that one of the climbers might be associated with the Nazis, but if you are looking for a microcosm of Axis behaviors set on Mt. Everest, you will be disappointed. (I was perhaps envisioning something like Tarshis' I Survived: The Hindenburg Disaster, 1937.)

Olson's Into the Clouds or Purja's Beyond Possible: One Man, 14 Peaks, and the Mountaineering Achievement of a Lifetime would be the perfect nonfiction accompaniment to this mountain adventure, which is similar to Smith's Peak or Reedy's Racing Storm Mountain.