Facing the Mountain by Wendy Orr

Pages: 136

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Adventure / Survival

Notes for Parents: Some mature content

The Back Cover

Raven is hiking in the Rockies with her family. But when she gets to the top of her first mountain, the world tilts. She finds herself falling, riding a wave of rocks. Her sister and stepfather are trapped by the avalanche. Now Raven faces wild animals and treacherous terrain as she goes for help. Can she survive long enough to save her family?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This book was shortlisted for the 2013 Diamond Willow Awards in Saskatchewan and for the 2011 Speech Pathologists Book of the Year in Australia. It was also name a Children’s Book Council of Australian Notable Book in 2012 and commended as one of the Best Books for Kids and Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in 2012. In Australia, the book is called Raven’s Mountain. The author was born in Australia and raised in Canada.

What’s good?

Raven has to find a way down the mountain on her own after her sister and stepfather are trapped by a rock slide. She battles the elements and the wildlife, finding an inner strength she didn’t know she had. Raven is a strong, likable character, and her adventure and adversities are realistic and exciting. The story is short and the plot is simple, so this is a quick and easy read. While her physical journey is perilous, her psychological journey is just as engaging.

Best Part: The white bear and cubs.

What isn’t good?

Not surprisingly, Raven’s adventures are predictable. Despite getting a bad sun burn, bee stings, a ton of mosquito bites, and having little to drink or eat, the reader isn’t given a real sense of her discomfort – instead the story focuses on the dangers and her disorientation. It’s disappointing, but understandable in a short book.

Worst part: Nothing was terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

It was a good, quick, and easy read. This is no literary masterpiece, but Raven’s journey was entertaining, and the themes of strength and courage were thought-provoking. The ending was convenient and tidy, as expected. Recommended for those looking for a good adventure story.

Orr, Wendy. Facing the Mountain. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2011.