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cobaltbookshelf's review
3.0
3.5 stars
First, let’s talk about how much I love this cover. So pretty I could stare her all day.
Both Rose and Tate are such well-developed and well-rounded characters. And, more importantly, their relationship was well-developed. Romance is there, but that's not what this book is about their friendship has a deep connection and it was actually quite riveting to read.
This was an overall captivating story, and everyone that the adventure seeker should read it.
First, let’s talk about how much I love this cover. So pretty I could stare her all day.
Both Rose and Tate are such well-developed and well-rounded characters. And, more importantly, their relationship was well-developed. Romance is there, but that's not what this book is about their friendship has a deep connection and it was actually quite riveting to read.
This was an overall captivating story, and everyone that the adventure seeker should read it.
leafblade's review
4.0
I recieved an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I truly don't know where to start with this one. I guess by saying that sometimes I review books and I'm like "oh, I wish it had focused more on the relationships between the characters/character development/the actual plot/the setting" but I can't say any of this with this one because it had it all in the perfect measure. MAYBE I would've spent either a bit more or a bit less of page-time on the romance because it seemed weird at times, but it played such a little bit of a part in the story that I ended up not caring about how it made me feel. The relationship between Rose and Tate is one of the pillars of the book, but not so much because they like each other or because they slept together, but because they're RoseAndTate, a kind of two-headed being that's always been attached to the hip but that now it's divided, because both of them want different things out of Mt. Everest.
The book also spents some time reflecting upon the colonialism of it all. Like, how Everest is a white name because it was a sacred mountain that no one dared to climb but a white guy got to the top of it and suddenly it was named after him. How the MC chooses a climbing group lead by natives because she feels that's what's best, but it isn't, really. How it's selfish to want to climb Everest knowing it has so much meaning to the Nepali (is that the word??) people living around it, and how she wants to climb it anyway, leaving room for criticism for her. Because the author never tries to hide the fact that this is a pretty fucked-up, colonialist, racist thing to do, even if the lines are blurry in some places.
On a personal note, I tend to not get attached to characters in standalones. I think what matters most when you have only one single book to tell your story is just that: telling the story, getting the message across. It's not very often that I come across characters that feel three-dimensional, complicated, human. But this book managed that, and I can't pinpoint how. I mean, there was conflict and there was an experience that brought some of them together and drove some of them apart, but that's a thing that many standalones have and yet they don't quite reach the level of depth that this book has. I guess that's one of those things that you have to give kudos to the author for.
The climbing-actual-Mt. Everest part starts around the 50% mark, and that was PERFECT timing. Maybe you haven't read this book yet and you're like "I came here to read about Everest, why do I have to wait 150+ pages to see them set foot on it??" but believe me: it makes sense. The prep work and flashbacks and character development that takes part in the first half of the book is crucial to everything that comes after it. And you wouldn't root for them as hard as you do while they're on the mountain if you didn't have that.
(Also Tate's decision??? Iconic)
I truly don't know where to start with this one. I guess by saying that sometimes I review books and I'm like "oh, I wish it had focused more on the relationships between the characters/character development/the actual plot/the setting" but I can't say any of this with this one because it had it all in the perfect measure. MAYBE I would've spent either a bit more or a bit less of page-time on the romance because it seemed weird at times, but it played such a little bit of a part in the story that I ended up not caring about how it made me feel. The relationship between Rose and Tate is one of the pillars of the book, but not so much because they like each other or because they slept together, but because they're RoseAndTate, a kind of two-headed being that's always been attached to the hip but that now it's divided, because both of them want different things out of Mt. Everest.
The book also spents some time reflecting upon the colonialism of it all. Like, how Everest is a white name because it was a sacred mountain that no one dared to climb but a white guy got to the top of it and suddenly it was named after him. How the MC chooses a climbing group lead by natives because she feels that's what's best, but it isn't, really. How it's selfish to want to climb Everest knowing it has so much meaning to the Nepali (is that the word??) people living around it, and how she wants to climb it anyway, leaving room for criticism for her. Because the author never tries to hide the fact that this is a pretty fucked-up, colonialist, racist thing to do, even if the lines are blurry in some places.
On a personal note, I tend to not get attached to characters in standalones. I think what matters most when you have only one single book to tell your story is just that: telling the story, getting the message across. It's not very often that I come across characters that feel three-dimensional, complicated, human. But this book managed that, and I can't pinpoint how. I mean, there was conflict and there was an experience that brought some of them together and drove some of them apart, but that's a thing that many standalones have and yet they don't quite reach the level of depth that this book has. I guess that's one of those things that you have to give kudos to the author for.
The climbing-actual-Mt. Everest part starts around the 50% mark, and that was PERFECT timing. Maybe you haven't read this book yet and you're like "I came here to read about Everest, why do I have to wait 150+ pages to see them set foot on it??" but believe me: it makes sense. The prep work and flashbacks and character development that takes part in the first half of the book is crucial to everything that comes after it. And you wouldn't root for them as hard as you do while they're on the mountain if you didn't have that.
(Also Tate's decision??? Iconic)
polkadotgirl's review
3.0
2.5/5 stars:
I received an e-ARC of this story through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
Above All Else is a book, at its heart, about the challenges we face as we grow up and have to live through doing the things we love most and, at the same time, fear most. This book is very heavily centered on climbing and even though I have never been highly invested in the topic I found myself real enjoying learning more about it. I think that people who love climbing or mountain stories will really enjoy this book.
I know that giving this book a 2.5 rating might make it seem like I think this isn't a good book but that isn't it at all. I think this book was simply not for me but I can appreciate the story in itself and the effort put into it and I can see it becoming a favorite book for some people.
Rose and Tate, our main characters, felt very real and flexed-out. We follow them as they train for their summit of Mount Everest and we also learn about their lives before and after this great adventure will be over. If there was one thing I really didn't enjoy about this book it was the romance. I didn't feel compelled to like the two main characters together and I think the romance comes kind of out of nowhere. I think, for me, the book would have had a higher rating if the friendship between Rose and Tate had just stayed a friendship.
Unfortunately, this book has one of my most hated tropes in the history of the world: bilingual person who speaks nothing like a true bilingual person speak. I'm bilingual in both Spanish and English but i the case of the book character we have a man who is French and speaks English throughout the book. I don't know if the author is bilingual or not but the portrayal of bilingualism wasn't accurate at all and it irked me gravely.
As I said before, I have very limited knowledge about climbing but I did know a little about Mount Everest before getting into this book and I really appreciated how some of the problematic aspects of its climb where touched upon in this book. I liked that we had our main characters being aware of their privilege, I like that they question whether or not what they're doing is ethical and I like that we're made aware that climbing Mount Everest isn't just about the climbers and their dreams.
I think, overall, if the premise of this story seems like something you will enjoy you should pick it up. I can see the potential of this story in the hands of people who tend to enjoy YA contemporaries. In the end this book wasn't for me but I can see that it could be a good read for other people.
I received an e-ARC of this story through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
Above All Else is a book, at its heart, about the challenges we face as we grow up and have to live through doing the things we love most and, at the same time, fear most. This book is very heavily centered on climbing and even though I have never been highly invested in the topic I found myself real enjoying learning more about it. I think that people who love climbing or mountain stories will really enjoy this book.
I know that giving this book a 2.5 rating might make it seem like I think this isn't a good book but that isn't it at all. I think this book was simply not for me but I can appreciate the story in itself and the effort put into it and I can see it becoming a favorite book for some people.
Rose and Tate, our main characters, felt very real and flexed-out. We follow them as they train for their summit of Mount Everest and we also learn about their lives before and after this great adventure will be over. If there was one thing I really didn't enjoy about this book it was the romance. I didn't feel compelled to like the two main characters together and I think the romance comes kind of out of nowhere. I think, for me, the book would have had a higher rating if the friendship between Rose and Tate had just stayed a friendship.
Unfortunately, this book has one of my most hated tropes in the history of the world: bilingual person who speaks nothing like a true bilingual person speak. I'm bilingual in both Spanish and English but i the case of the book character we have a man who is French and speaks English throughout the book. I don't know if the author is bilingual or not but the portrayal of bilingualism wasn't accurate at all and it irked me gravely.
As I said before, I have very limited knowledge about climbing but I did know a little about Mount Everest before getting into this book and I really appreciated how some of the problematic aspects of its climb where touched upon in this book. I liked that we had our main characters being aware of their privilege, I like that they question whether or not what they're doing is ethical and I like that we're made aware that climbing Mount Everest isn't just about the climbers and their dreams.
I think, overall, if the premise of this story seems like something you will enjoy you should pick it up. I can see the potential of this story in the hands of people who tend to enjoy YA contemporaries. In the end this book wasn't for me but I can see that it could be a good read for other people.
kevorkian's review
5.0
Wow! That was not the story I was prepared to read! [b:Above All Else|44232443|Above All Else|Dana Alison Levy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577196985l/44232443._SY75_.jpg|68763638]'s description made me think I was going in for a cute YA romance while trekking up a crazy mountain, but it is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. Don't get me wrong, it is a YA novel (in that the main characters are 18 and you have the whole waiting-on-college-letters-ahhhh! trope) and there IS indeed romance involved, but definitely not in the way I thought there would be and I actually love that. Look at these super vague descriptions as to not give away the plot twists! Let's just say they exist and they are what make this book so so so special.
Anyway.
I loved Tate. I loved Rosie. I got annoyed by Tate. I got annoyed by Rosie. I fell back in love with Tate. I fell back in love with Rosie. Stop messing with my heart, kids! But to get serious here, Dana Alison Levy wrote well-rounded characters that are complex and, well, realistic. None of the story-lines were over dramatized. What these characters were out doing on that mountain was intense and dangerous and life changing and Levy made sure not to make that fact the secondary part of the novel. I think that's what I love the most about this book - the challenge of climbing Everest and everything that comes with that was the MAIN plot of this book. And let me tell you, it sucks you IN. I was at the figurative edge of my seat NEEDING to know what happens next as if I was reading a thriller novel! So much fun (in the 'I'm crying because so many heartbreaking intense things are happening right now and I can't handle it way').
One thing I'd say is that the description for Above All Else probably needs some beefing up because I think this is a way bigger book that it leads on.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advance e-copy in exchange for this review!
Anyway.
I loved Tate. I loved Rosie. I got annoyed by Tate. I got annoyed by Rosie. I fell back in love with Tate. I fell back in love with Rosie. Stop messing with my heart, kids! But to get serious here, Dana Alison Levy wrote well-rounded characters that are complex and, well, realistic. None of the story-lines were over dramatized. What these characters were out doing on that mountain was intense and dangerous and life changing and Levy made sure not to make that fact the secondary part of the novel. I think that's what I love the most about this book - the challenge of climbing Everest and everything that comes with that was the MAIN plot of this book. And let me tell you, it sucks you IN. I was at the figurative edge of my seat NEEDING to know what happens next as if I was reading a thriller novel! So much fun (in the 'I'm crying because so many heartbreaking intense things are happening right now and I can't handle it way').
One thing I'd say is that the description for Above All Else probably needs some beefing up because I think this is a way bigger book that it leads on.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advance e-copy in exchange for this review!
megatsunami's review
5.0
I enjoyed this so much and found it a super rewarding read, well-paced, with high stakes and great characterization.
jaded618's review
3.0
I feel like this book could have been more.
This story is about Tate and Rosie, two High School Seniors who are best friends and have grown up with a love of climbing. Their parents both have climbed with them and fully support them in their interest. It is read in both points of view, with the primary story taking place at the start of their journey to climb Mount Everest. While part of Tate's being from a climb 4 months During this last climb Tate hit some bad ice and fell through a crevice, his ice pick being secure is possibly the only thing that saved his life. He is now struggling to mentally prepare for the new climb and is scared.
Rosie is having some trouble of her own. She always dreamed of climbing the mountain with her mother, but recently her mom was diagnosed with MS and can no longer climb. So she is determined to do this for both of them.
The story emphasizes that a little thing going wrong can be exaggerated and have big consequences when climbing Everest. So now we follow them while they are getting prepared at Basecamp and then slowly working their way up. I won't give away too much more of what happens, but as this book read so fast I didn't feel like I had as much time to get invested with most of the characters. Reaching the summit was not as momentous moment as it would lead you to believe it would be. The more important stuff is happening closer to base and really makes you think of how dangerous things are, even for those who train for years.
I gave this a 3 rating, because I could tell how much was put into the accurate description of things with climbing Everest and preparing when you get there, but it just did not pull me into the story like the description led me to hope.
Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge Teen for an Digital Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about Tate and Rosie, two High School Seniors who are best friends and have grown up with a love of climbing. Their parents both have climbed with them and fully support them in their interest. It is read in both points of view, with the primary story taking place at the start of their journey to climb Mount Everest. While part of Tate's being from a climb 4 months During this last climb Tate hit some bad ice and fell through a crevice, his ice pick being secure is possibly the only thing that saved his life. He is now struggling to mentally prepare for the new climb and is scared.
Rosie is having some trouble of her own. She always dreamed of climbing the mountain with her mother, but recently her mom was diagnosed with MS and can no longer climb. So she is determined to do this for both of them.
The story emphasizes that a little thing going wrong can be exaggerated and have big consequences when climbing Everest. So now we follow them while they are getting prepared at Basecamp and then slowly working their way up. I won't give away too much more of what happens, but as this book read so fast I didn't feel like I had as much time to get invested with most of the characters. Reaching the summit was not as momentous moment as it would lead you to believe it would be. The more important stuff is happening closer to base and really makes you think of how dangerous things are, even for those who train for years.
I gave this a 3 rating, because I could tell how much was put into the accurate description of things with climbing Everest and preparing when you get there, but it just did not pull me into the story like the description led me to hope.
Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge Teen for an Digital Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
kiperoo's review
5.0
Really loved this. I've read a fair amount about people who've climbed Everest and I really appreciated the teen perspectives here, and I especially appreciated the Author's Note at the end (and completely agree). Really great read for any hikers/climbers, as well as those who *don't* want to climb.
illbefinealone's review
2.0
I skimmed my way through this book. I tried to get into it a few times, and I failed at every attempt. I didn't want to DNF it, so I had to resort to the next best thing.
I think the writing was okay, and it has potentially interesting characters, but none of it intrigued me enough. It wasn't for me.
*Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review
*Rating: 2/5 stars
I think the writing was okay, and it has potentially interesting characters, but none of it intrigued me enough. It wasn't for me.
*Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review
*Rating: 2/5 stars