Catching Tales

Summary: The only thing you’ll find on the summit of Mount Everest is a divine view. The things that really matter lie far below. – Peak Marcello

After fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he's left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand. But Peak quickly learns that his father's renewed interest in him has strings attached. Big strings. As owner of Peak Expeditions, he wants his son to be the youngest person to reach the Everest summit--and his motives are selfish at best. Even so, for a climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is the challenge of a lifetime. But it's also one that could cost him his life.

Roland Smith has created an action-packed adventure about friendship, sacrifice, family, and the drive to take on Everest, despite the incredible risk. The story of Peak’s dangerous ascent—told in his own words—is suspenseful, immediate, and impossible to put down.

I love everything Everest. The mystery behind it, the story, and the scenery. I will never make it up the mountain myself, so I live vigorously through books of those who did. In this case when I found the story of Peak, I had to read it.

Peak is a 14 year old boy who lives in NYC with his mother. He gets in trouble with the law because he was climbing skyscrapers. Once caught, he is sentenced on probation, but he also joins his dad who is a mountaineer. When Peak gets to where his dad is located he is shocked to find out that he’s going to be climbing Everest. He is shocked, and hurt once he finds out that his attempt up Everest isn’t for himself but his father’s personal gain as Peak would be the youngest person up the mountain.

The story was well written, and the author knew what he was talking about. A lot of research went into the novel, and you can tell. For this type of story that is needed. I loved this story. I’m slightly disappointed at the end, but the ending is still bittersweet. Some parts of the story it did drag, but I plugged through it.

Highly recommend for anyone who likes a good tail of struggle and lessons learned through those struggles.