#tbt: Peak by Roland Smith

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Peak by Roland Smith. 256 p. Peak #1. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007. 9780152024178. (Own)

Happy Thursday! #tbt features Peak by Roland Smith. Fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello lives up to his name even though he has moved to New York City. There are skyscrapers to conquer and tag. His is a blue peak. After he is caught and arrested, he's facing a trial and time in juvie, but his father swoops back into his life with a deal. Peak can come to live with him in Katmandu. Peak's dad owns a mountain climbing business shepherding rich climbers to the top of the world - Mount Everest. Could Peak's dad have ulterior motives? Peak has already achieved fame/ notoriety as "Spider Boy" in the media. How about youngest climber to summit Everest?

This novel is a real page turner. Readers who strive for adventure need look no further - adrenaline rushes abound. Peak was published in 2007 and has been popular among TMS students. It was named a YALSA "Quick Pick for Reluctant Reader" as well as a "Best Book for Young Adults" and quite a few State Awards. I'm not entirely certain that this book was intended as a series, but a sequel, The Edge, was written and published in 2015. This was followed by another, Ascent, in 2018 and Descent, in 2020.