Peak

__Peak__ by Roland Smith

I really enjoyed reading the book //Peak//. I thought it was a very unique book and had an interesting topic and plot. For me, it was one of those books that was very hard to stop reading once I had started, because it was so full of action and I always wanted to know what was on the next page.

My favorite character in this book was probably Zopa. I liked him because he was simple, but there was always something interesting about him. He also made parts of the story funny with his personality. I also liked Peak’s character because, of course, he was the main character in the story and had everything to do with it, but also because he was determined and willing to take risks. To me, these were the two characters that made the book especially interesting. My least favorite character was Peak’s father. He appeared very self-centered, especially since it seemed that he was only taking Peak to the summit for his company’s publicity. Also I didn’t like how he completely ignored his son until he wanted him to climb the mountain.

There were both things that I really liked in this book, and that I didn't. I didn’t really like the ending of this story where Peak was just about to summit, but then decided not to and went down instead for Sun-jo’s sake. I felt that all of this tention and exitement had been building up, and him doing that let me down in a way. I think that is about the only part that I didn’t like. There were many reasons that I also liked this book, though. My favorite part of the book was at the beginning, when he was climbing the skyscraper. I liked it because you didn’t really know what was going on until it was explained later. I also think that part set the book off really well. Even though this book wasn’t really funny, and wasn’t supposed to be humorous, the author put just enough funny bits in there to make it very enjoyable. I also really liked this book because it was about someone my age accomplishing something so huge, like climbing Mt. Everest.

Overall I thought this book was amazing! For me, the book //I am not Esther// and this one are my favorites so far. I would definitely want this one to be put on next year’s Reading Bowl list. -Shivani Beall

__Peak__ I liked the book Peak because it had action mystery and adventure all in one. I thought the ending was unpredictable. I thought Peak would be mad at Sun-jo for trying for the summit. But he wasn’t. I think if I was so close to the top of Everest I would not turn around and go back down. I think Peak still should have gotten to the summit, just after Sun-jo. Because, I think it would have been a big accomplishment for him. Even if he didn’t tell anyone. During this read I kept forgetting that Peak was writing in a dairy for school and not just thinking the story. I think at the very beginning of the story I actually felt like I was reading a diary. But ,after the part about the skyscraper, I forgot. I liked the idea though, Keeping a journal while you’re on Everest. Back when I was in third grade we spent a year learning about Everest and other Himalayas. I think it helped to have a little background knowledge about Everest before reading this book. I thought it was a little confusing when they were talking about all the different camps. I lost track of witch one was the highest or lowest. I liked the mystery in this book. For example, at the beginning of the book Josh said to Peak that he owed Zopa something. And then in the end I learned that the reason Josh owed him was because, Zopa’s son saved his life. I agree with you Shivani, when the author told about Peak climbing a skyscraper I couldn’t figure it out until the end when he told us what specifically happened. I liked he way the author described this scene. I liked how you could read what was going through Peak’s head as he made this climb. I could also picture a kid climbing a skyscraper when I read this chapter. My favorite character was Peak’s little sisters. I liked how Peak seemed to be a rebellious kid but he really loved these two little girls. Over all I really liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventure.

-- Sally Apolinsky

Peak

Overall I really liked this book. The ending really surprised me. For almost the whole book, I thought Roland Smith was setting up for Peak to climb all the way to the top of Mount Everest. I wish that he had but I probably would’ve thought that the book had a clichéd ending if he had. Peak was definitely my favorite character. I think this because since he was close to my age and I could kind of relate to him. My least favorite character was Peak’s father: Josh. I think that Josh used Peak purely for publicity, and if he cared about peak, he would be way more involved with his own son’s life. I thought it was a great thing that Peak did at the end of the book. Instead of touching the peak himself, he let Sun-Jo touch the peak so that he could go back to school. I think that one of the themes in this book was that Peak was a much better human being than Josh: his father. One thing that I didn’t think was realistic was how it said that Peak was 10 feet away from the peak. In my opinion, if anyone were 10 feet away from the peak of Mount Everest, also the highest point in the world, they would touch it. The thing at the beginning of the book that I liked was the part where Peak was arrested for climbing the building. I think that was what set up the fact that he loved to climb. One last thing that I thought about Peak s that he was really brave. If I were somewhere and saw all of those corpses somewhere I would freak out and turn around, and Peak kept growing. Peak really had a love for climbing.

Robbie H.

I really liked peak, it was a very captivating book, I couldn't put down. My favorite character was Zopa. He was kind of like the puppet master of the book. it was almost like he could see the future. he's one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen. my least favorite character is Josh's father. I think that he got better near the end of the book but he was still kind of selfish. I think peaks dad kind of upset when he didn't go to the top. his dad wanted him to do it so that his company could get publicity and he would get rich. I think near the end he got a little better about not being so selfish. Peak really shocked me when he choose not to go to the top. Even though it was nice of him I think he shouldn't have done it. at least he got his prayer flag on top of the mountain. I was glad though that sun-Jo topped the mountain and that he was the youngest and it was important for his country.it was very nice of peak to do that. If he had topped the mountain then they would of had an ending where peak was being bombarded by the press and it wouldn't have been very interesting.

The beggining of the book was sort of confusing because I didn't understand that he was climbing a skyscraper because he was talking about a mountain that he wanted to climb. I didn't think he was going to get out of climbing the skyscraper because it was such a big thing. I would have been really scared climbing that building. I also really liked his sisters, they really cheered the book up.

Max H.

I really, really completely and honestly enjoyed this book. I mean, it was so like, emotionally and physically, you know, drastic it was completely just hard to forget. One of my favorite parts,the whole first two chapters I think, were some of the best expositions Ive ever read in one book. It was so splendid, and humorous and lovely on the first page, Like he was literally very funny. I laughed out loud a lot at this book, I really just fell in love with his quirky remarks, and he can understand others so well, so he knows like the exact thing to make fun of, I mean Peak (the character) he's amazing. Oh man, it was just the second chapter I was completely confused, cause he's like 'Option 1, Option 2' you know and I had no clue of what he was talking about. And, then we find out he's climbing the building, and that was absolutely shocking, maybe horrifying even, it hit me like right in the face. And, then of course we find out he's climbed six buildings in total, and I love his mark that he put out on them, the little blue mountain, it's a detail like that, in book thats really great to have I think. I mean that was like his definition for himself. Peak, Little Blue Mountain. Whenevr I think of him, Ill think of the mountain........... And, just in general there were a lot of little insignificant, but memorable moments like that. And then, there were the big, huge shocking things like and scenes that strongly held you in place FOR A WHILE. And, these moments, these wonderful moments didn't even just happen on occasion, they occurred in about every chapter, it was beautiful. And, there was no chance of anyone not becoming emotionally attached to this book, because the author really explains through Peak, (Becuase he, the character was narrating) and so we could really understand his feelings. We definitely got a great understanding of other people's feelings, and their personalities as well. I mean, there was a great deal of thought behind this whole process, everything was so well layed out, it was...magnificent. And, overall there was in every paragraph there was such an enormous display of emotional dramatics that related to the story, and that really helped me, to keep reading, to keep me ineterested, and not only nterested, but INTRIGUED and MESMERIZED. There was that one scene when Peak was talking to the officer after he was just pulled off the building, and it was very funny, and...nice, and we really got to know a good deal of Peaks personality from that. And, it was so charismatic and descriptive, and envisioning, I don't know, but that just got me to know and love Peak, (Him and the book) even more. My favorite character, was definitely Sun-Jo, like the main one for me, Sun-Jo. I also really appreciated Zopa so much, and I liked Josh, and I liked Dietrich, for a a reason I can't exactly pinpoint. Sun-Jo, I think was just about the sweetest guy, and he and Peak had an amazing connection, and an amazing bond. Like, Peak was mad at him, when he found out that Zopa wanted to get Sun-jo to the top, and things became pretty weird between them. But, when they were climbing the enormous wall, and Sun-jo's axe broke, Peak came back for him, and helped him up, and he helped him, I mean he really helped him, and they arrived like later than they should have, and he saved him. Peak saved his life, it was......marvelous. Peak let Sun-Jo summit Mount .Everest, because he was reflecting upon himself in his mind, and he's like actually I don't have anything to climb this mountain for, and Sun-Jo does. So he let him go, and goodness my, it was exhilarating because they had about like 3-9- minimum amount of minutes le to no lie Stay Alive. And, he saw, Sun-Jo put up the prayer flag that He had drawn, and then they went on their ways, and all of these moments with their friendship was definitely leading up to just That one moment, and I loved it. And, like I really felt that gratitude that Peak and Sun-Jo had for one another. And, Zopa, I fell in love with him. He was so prudent and mysterious, and I just really, really took a liking to him. And Josh, I hated him, but it was hard because he was so mysterious, and misleading, and I don't know, odd. And, he did "Use" Peak I guess, but he wasn't even At All that bad, because I mean through scenes the author explained how much care Josh had for the climbers, and how much care he had had for Zopa and his son, and how much care he had for the porters, and the Sherpas, and he truly did appreciate everyone. That moment, when Josh told Peak to not be mad at Sun-Jo or Zopa, because in truth, it was them that owed Zopa. Zopa's son passed away right after saving Joshua from a place no other Sherpa dared to even pass, even if would save a life. And, the SHERPAS, the most gracious people in the world...And Peak defended them, the porters too. When that guy was complaining about the yak poop, and was being so terribly rude, Pak defended them, that was a great, great thing. I mean, I don't know where to end there are so many events, small and huge that occurred in this book, they are all worth three or more conversations. And, this book was so great, because there were so many minor details, like the fact that Vincent never used conjunctions...This book was so hypnotizing, it's unexplainable. Us journeying, and following, practically through Peak's eyes, helped so much, for me to really get the plot of this book. I'm not sure what the exact theme was, but through each little section of this book, I definitely received pointers, or messages. This book, was inspiring in a way, this book, "Peak", was Thrilling.

Gabrielle w.

The book Peak. This was a fantastic book, the author chose a good idea that really supported the moral of the story and his characters were not deserving of any unappreciation. Peak, a boy at the age of fourteen who is a climber is arrested for climbing the skyscrapers of NewYork. This is a interesting way to start the story. The suspense lures you in from the start. Then the unexpected happens, Peak is told that he is going to travel to mt. Everest to be the youngest man ever to climb the tallest mountain in the world. On the first flight to get tested for physical exam Josh and peak went to Bangkok, Thailand. Josh told Peak that they are not going to Chiang Mai, where Peak was expecting to go, but will be traveling to Kathmandu. At the Summit Hotel in Kathmandu, Josh leaves Peak and tells him to wait for one of Josh's friends, a Buddhist monk by the name of Zopa will speak with him. Zopa's messenger Sun-Jo comes to Peak to tell him to meet Zopa while Peak is fiddling with his new tools. Like Peak Sun-Jo is young and loves high tec. Mountain gear. This is the beginning of a new relationship with Sun-Jo and Peak. Sun-Jo is poor and the only reason he is coming on the trip with Josh, Zopa and Peak is because he needs money to support his sister's tuition. Skipping ahead, On the 18 and up side of the mountain Base camp of Mt. Everest Peak sees the vast ocean of red, yellow and green tents some bigger than others. Peak is amazed, A man that is in charge of the mountain asks for the mountain passes and their Identification. The man asks why Josh and Peak do not have the same last name? Josh lies, We were divorced. The Chinese man understands now and rides off saying were always watching. Peak meets Holly Angelo, a reporter from New York, and he learns that she will be climbing the mountain with him. Stunningly, Peak also realizes at this point that his father Josh, bailed him out of jail to come and climb Mount Everest. This is important because If he makes the climb, he will be the youngest person to reach the top of the summit of Mount Everest. Holy Angello is not only a reporter though she knows the secret that Peak is climbing mt. Everest and will mediate this if they don't let her up the mountain with them. Later, Peak has caught some sort of virus that has been spreading throughout the camps on Mt. Everest. If you get sick on Mt. Everest, there is a very slim chance you will make it to the top. After Josh finishes explaining his concern for Peak, Holly comes in and tells them all that Sun-jo is Zopa's grandson. Becoming suspicious, Josh asks Sun-jo how old he is, to find out that he is fourteen too, and that he and Peak are climbing for the same reason. Later, Peak calls his mother, and is told that he should not be on the mountain, as well as he should be selfish or else he will not be able to climb the mountain. This is a race to make it to the top, not to just get there anymore. After a few rough days of climbing, Peak wakes up and finds that the people paying for the trip are having a meeting of their very own. They tell Peak that they want him off the mountain. Josh tells Peak that “They're right. This is their climb. They're paying the tab.” Shocked, Peak almost explodes with anger. But despite all this, Peak climbs in the truck with Zopa, and is driven away from camp. After a while, Zopa gives Peak a letter from Josh telling him that he had staged it all, and that he would be climbing up to the summit. Now Peak has to climb on a faster but more dangerous route, with the help of Zopa, Sun-jo, Yogi, and Yash. After all the steep paths and the perilous Yellow Wall, they use the last of their strength to climb up to the summit of the mountain. But Peak lets Sun-jo make it to the top, and take the title of the youngest climber to ever climb Mt. Everest. Since Sunjo's father died saving Peak’s father, reaching the top would save Sun-jo and his sisters from poverty; with the money from the equipment endorsements he would receive, they would all be able to go back to school. Sun-jo ties Peak's yellow prayer flag to the top, while Peak records the whole thing. After Peak comes back down the mountain, he flies home after saying goodbye to Josh. This is a large part of the story because it is the moral. Do what is right, even if it means loading what is yours. Do you think this is the moral?

My favorite part of this book... ...The ending is my favorite part of this book. It shows true friendship developed from all the time Sun-Jo and Peak spent together. From the very beginning you could tell that they were going to be friends. Even on the mountain, they were friends, where people are known to do the opposite, go from friends to enemies. The reason I liked the ending is because It gives a good straight forward example of what friends do for each other.

Favorite character... ...My favorite charector was Sun-Jo. He is a nice, but quiet guy, kind of like my friend. He is never mean, but he is a competitive person. It seems as if he is overlooked like all modiste people are. Sun-Jo was obviously the best climber out on the mountain, even compared to Peak, the main character.

Least favorite character... ...Everyone talks about how Josh "used" Peak to enhance his company, but what about the monk? The monk did the same to Sun-Jo. Even Josh noticed that the monk was getting bored of being a monk. To me he is worse than Josh, selling cigars for money and not being loyal to his ethnic traditions and beliefs. Don't forget the monk was "using Sun-Jo" like Josh "used Peak". So does that make the monk better?

-Nicholas Sadd

To me, the arguably most important line of the book is a quote from Sun-jo's father. Oddly, it is rather simple and short but it expresses many themes and stories of the book as a whole. The quote is "The reason I climb is so that you do not have to." This, was originally said by Sun-jo's father and repeated by Sun-jo. Thus, the simplicity and utter importance is truly reflected. Also, to me it makes Sun-jo in a way similar to peak. Firstly, it shows that Sun-jo is a bit defiant and doesn't always do as told; he finds his own way. This, is easily shown just by the fact that he is climbing with peak; defying his fathers words to accomplish a goal. However, in a way it shows that Sun-jo can be a bit cruel as he said that his father rarely saw him. Yet, his father obviously cared for him as if he didn't, he wouldn't have bothered to climb for his children. All in all, this quote slightly reflects Sun-jo's experiences as a child. Also, the quote says something very prevalent about Sun-jo's lineage. Along with Zopa and his father, Sun-jo climbs for a living. This, shows how their family is oriented; a will to help those who cannot fight. Zopa, climbed so that he could make enough money as a Sherpa to support his family. Sun-jo's father, specifically as stated in the quote, climbs so that his children can grow and do not have to suffer as well. Finally, Sun-jo climbs to support his sisters and mother so that they can thrive and learn. Oddly, they all do, or did this without a complaint or problem. This, shows why Sun-jo is not only kind and helpful, but also why he can relate to Peak and share a role as a protagonist. -Xavier ST

I liked this book a lot because it is serious but also has humor. Like the time when Peak was at his cell in juvie, and he and his mom knew this was a sad time but still made each other laugh. It had a sort of mysterious beginning because I was still trying to figure out what was going on, which I thought was cool. The characters have fun personalities which the author did a great job of creating. One theme I noticed was perseverance. There were many times in the book where Peak could have given up, especially when he was climbing the mountain. I think the author did this to keep us interested and also worried for Peak. Another theme was family. When Peak got in trouble, his dad stepped up and offered to take him in. Even though they weren't on the best terms, Peak's mom and dad worked together to help their son. Also, when Peak was down or sad he thought of the twins to help him keep going. This event showed both perseverance and family. There were a few things that confused me like: When other random people started climbing buildings after Peak got caught, why did they blame it on Peak? Another question I had was why didn't Sun-jo give some credit to Peak for reaching the top? After all, Peak did contribute a lot of work to Sun-jo getting up to the top.I would recommend this book to kids my age. It keeps you hooked the whole time, and the author used great detail to describe the sport of climbing. Also, it could help someone whose parents are divorced relate to the story. Although Peak's parents are divorced and Peak rarely saw his dad, he eventually is able to build his relationship with his dad back, as well as help his parents get along. -Spencer K

Peak: This book had me hooked from the first chapter. Going into it I assumed it would be a boring read since I have no interest in mountain climbing. However with the author weaving in meaningful/personal elements such as Sun-jo's motive to get to the summit and Peak's family predicament. I was very proud of Peak for letting Sun-jo be the youngest person to make it to the summit of Mount Everest, and being able to recognise that Sun-jo's reason for reaching the summit was more important than his own.

I don't think any one line was the most important in the book, but there is a slightly humorous kind that stuck out to me. "He was crying. So was I. Apparently I had forgiven him." It was short and would probably not be considered an amazingly written line or anything, but to me it means two things. One, it's showing that Peak's relationship with Sun-jo is revived. (At the time Peal was mad at Sun-jo for not telling him that he was Zopa's grandson, and that he would be accompanying Peak on the climb.) The other more important meaning is that you don't get to choose who you love or are friends with, it just sort of happens. Peak didn't really feel like forgiving Sun-jo, but he couldn't help but do so because he was his friend.

For characters, I appreciated that the author didn't try to forge a relationship between Peak and Josh, because I feel it wouldn't have worked, and since Josh was using Peak, it just would've been a forced and one sided relationship, with Peak getting the short end of the stick. Zopa seemed to be more of a parental figure for Peak, even though they never really talked and didn't appear of the surface to get close, there seemed to be a sort of unspoken connection, though more out of respect than a family like relationship.

The book to a certain extent humbled me, because at times I forgot that Peak was only 14, and 8th grader. I know it isn't real, but the concept of a 14 year old climbing Mt. Everest still makes me think about what I'm doing with my life. The author did a good job of not making it feel ridiculous that a 14 year old was doing this, because even at the times I thought about how young Peak was, it didn't seem unrealistic.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to people from the age of 13 to adult, because I think some kids younger than that wouldn't understand Peak's decision to not reach the summit of Mt. Everest. I would also recommend this to people of all interests, because even if you don't like mountain climbing in the least, it is still and amazing read because of its rich character development and plot. -Alix Draper