I really struggled with this one. I know absolutely nothing about rock climbing but the climbing aspects seemed real enough and kept me hooked. While it was an interesting read, I struggled a lot with the added romance between the main characters. The story was interesting enough to begin with as Rose and Tate each deal with their own complicated issues, along with their struggles to train and summit Mt. Everest. Despite being best friends, the romance feels like it came out of nowhere and didn't really add or progress to the story.

** I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow. What a book! So I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect with this, as this sort of “real world” story isn’t really my thing. I definitely got more than I bargained for, and a new found respect for any one who survives Everest. The things I liked:

1. The setting description is incredible. You can tell the author did her research well, and did a fantastic job.
2. The depictions and hardships of mental illnesses (PTSD, ADHD, and possibly anxiety)
3. Setting each character up completely uniquely.

I liked how each character had a specific reason for tackling the mountain, and each characters determination. I liked that the “family problems” were real and ones that many people face. The description of climbing Everest really shed light on it; how truly dangerous and deadly it can be. How people die, and are left on the mountain forever. I don’t think people who are not climbers really understand that, not like those who have experienced it, and I appreciate that I learnt so much. Plus the cover is beautiful!

The only thing I didn’t like was the romance - it moved too fast and came out of nowhere; before the first kiss, there was no real signs of attraction to each other, and the physical side happened way too fast to say they were concentrating and focused on a very deadly climb. So that pulled the story back a bit.

I will remember this story, and think about it for a long time. It’s been a while since a book made me cry, and this really did. A real heart rending, touching, incredible story that may be fiction, but is based on real events. R.I.P to all the climbers who never made it off the mountain ❤️

Thank you so much to net galley for giving me a copy of this book. As someone who has been very involved in the mountain climbing scene I was excited to read this book. I ended up not really enjoying the book as much as I thought.

I had to DNF this because of a reading slump.
I only managed to get 20% in but I did enjoy what I read.
I'm going to pick this up again as soon as I'm back in my reading mood.

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.

People often say that they love books because they can take them on new adventures; to places they haven’t been before. That is especially true with this fantastic book, Above All Else.

Rose and Tate are two high school seniors and best friends who are passionate about mountain climbing. Rose’s mom and Tate’s dad have been climbing with them, and the four have been training for the hardest climb of their life — Mount Everest — for 10 years. Finally, at the end of Rose and Tate’s senior year, it is time to summit the mountain. Since Rose’s mom was diagnosed with MS, she stays behind while the other 3 embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

From the moment I started reading, I did not want to put this book down. I’ve never been interested in climbing, but I was so fascinated by this story. This is the kind of book where you are rooting for every character. This book has it all - adventure, family dynamics, thrill, romance, and mental health struggles. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to Charlesbridge and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Climbing Mt Everest is a new dream that I will never do 😂
This story follows two best friends whose dream has always been to climb Mt. Everest. When things don't go as planned for one of these friends, the trip spirals into weird temper tantreums and eventual drama at the end. I like the ending more than the entire book. Alot of it just didnt add up to me, like the fact that everyone trained daily but one of the hikers practically took a 2 week break and was perfectly fine. Yeah okay. It was very superfluous and boring but was definitely a great read if you are interested in learning more about Mt. Everest and the climb. You can tell ALOT of research went into this book.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I am obsessed with mountains, so I knew I would love this book in one way or another. While the writing was great, I did find Rose and Tate's tone and voice a little too immature and it sometimes pulled me out of the story. The plot was also a little slow in some parts, but it still only took me two days to read. Honestly, this story will stay with me forever, I think, because it has sparked an interest in a whole new genre for me - I want to read more books about mountain climbing!!! It's just so fascinating seeing the training and trauma people put themselves through just to reach the summit of a mountain. The themes of this book were so strong and it's what captivated me the most: Rose and Tate's motivation for climbing, the realities of PTSD, what the mind and body go through in order to survive, why people climb mountains in the first place. (Also, Tate is my son and I love him). SUPER INTERESTING. And what I loved the most was that the consequences of their choices and their journey and the brutal environment of the mountain were very real. I was just so impressed by this and I'm excited that I've found a new niche genre that I love!

I'M DEVASTATED, like how amazing the book is, being from the land of mount Everest itself I know how hard and addicting it is. And I know the danger is real. Talking about the cover first, how stunning that is. Title is definitely appropriate, because they'll above all else! But the tremendous amount of research done by author can be seen reading the book. And it was written beautifully. I crashed with them, I fell with them, I rose higher with them, I cried with them. And this tells that yes, I'm devastated and I'm willing to be more

It’s not where you’re going, it’s how you get there!

There are many ways to say it, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” or even more appropriate in this case, “it’s not the mountain, it’s the climb”! Whichever way you say the phrase, it describes this book perfectly. The book is about best friends Tate and Rose who have been climbers since they were very young. Tate’s Dad initially started bringing them to an indoor rock climbing facility and they loved it so much they moved on to bigger and bigger mountains.

Rose’s mother (Mami) was also one of the foursome of climbing partners and she was the driving force behind their trip to Everest once they decided that they wanted to climb it in the future. They decided they would during the second half of Tate and Rose’s senior year (since climbing season on Everest is a short window beginning in March of each year). They held weekly car washes, bake sales, you name it to earn the money for travel and climbing, not only Everest but several of the highest peaks all over the world.

On their last winter climb, Rose’s Mami was feeling tired and sick and they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. It was determined she wouldn’t go, but Rose is dealing with worry over her Mami’s illness and with her feelings of guilt for the fact that she is making the trip to Everest, while her Mother can’t. It’s the trip of a lifetime and Rose is filming everything she can so her Mother almost feels like she was there.

Tate is dealing with quite a bit of his own issues during this expedition. He recently had a slipped while climbing Mt. Rainier and if his ice axes wouldn’t have dug into the side of a cliff he would have fallen to his death. As it was he broke his arm and lost his nerve. This is especially hard on Tate, because he is not a stellar student like Rose, who has already been accepted into Yale. Tate has only been accepted to city college so far and he constantly gets lectured by his Dad about not trying and not living up to his potential.

Climbing was the one thing Tate did and he did it very well. The fact that Tate no longer thinks the climbing is worth the risks, forces him to take a good look in the mirror and he no longer knows who he is. He is searching for an identity. In the midst of all this, Tate and Rose kiss for the first time. They have been friends forever and neither had even thought about the other as more, but all the sudden that is all they can see. The sexual tension is crazy and the furtive looks and staring between these two is all “first time love” romantic.

The book is about relationships, tough issues and coming into your own. Like I said earlier, it is about the climb, not the mountain. The journey is the thing and the world building is spectacular. We see each supporting person as individuals with their own personality, from Tate’s father, to the asian woman climber Yoon Su, who came from a boarding school in Switzerland and befriended Rose to the frenchman Luc and the sherpas. You can hear the traffic in Kathmandu feel the thinning air and smell the Yaks loaded with supplies as they move towards base camp.

Since I first read Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, I have been fascinated with Everest. The danger, the weather during the climbing season, and especially those Ice Falls in the glacier that can move and change. I can’t even imagine trying to cross a crevasse on top of a bunch of aluminum ladders tied together. So one wrong move and you are done. What is even crazier is how the sherpas put up those ladders and ropes over the crevasse’s and throughout the ice fall each year. the scenery and atmosphere is perfectly described and I really enjoyed every bit of this tough climb.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Above all else ... is a YA adventure story but of a very different kind. It’s about scaling the highest peak in the world- MT Everest !
The first half of the book was basically just prepping for the epic adventure of all time’s . Rose and Tate are teenagers who have been climbing since childhood with the ultimate dream to summit Mt Everest together. This is their story, how their lives change , how they overcome the obstacles not only those outside but also their inner demons . The trials and tribulations that one has to go through before attempting the highest peak is no mean feat. Just reading about the horrers that the mountaineers must deal with gave me goosebumps. The last part of the book which deals with the final summit n the road leading to it was quite exhilarating. And heartbreaking too. It brought tears to my eyes!
Kudos to the author for having done the research thoroughly. It really showed in her work . I liked the book but I am never ever going to try my hands on the beast called Mt Everest.

Rose and Tate are best friends and climbing partners. They set off to something that for most people is just a wild, unattainable dream: climb Mt. Everest. It's the adventure of a lifetime. They had been planning it since 4th grade and originally, Maya, Rose's mom was supposed to come with them, but a recent diagnosis prevented her from coming along.

I could never do anything like that. I was anxious enough reading about Rose and Tate doing so. I don't really read adventure type of book before so I was surprised how quickly I was sucked into the story. I was only two chapters in when I knew I wouldn't be putting down this book before I finished. Would Rose, Tate and Tate's father make it up and down the mountain in one piece? Rose is determined, but Tate is more hesitant after taking a scary fall a new months ago. I felt for Tate as he struggled with some PTSD from the fall and struggled with ADHD.

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this.

Everyone has a sport or craft of which they are passionate. In ABOVE ALL ELSE we are introduced to a small community of dedicate mountain climbers. The young men and women of this community have lofty goals, climbing Mount Everest. The title refers to both their efforts to reach this goal and the mountain itself. Reaching the summit is a challenge that few meet. With the preparation for a climb that will test their wills and the expectations of their family and peers, these young people are risking their lives for a singular experience. Dana Alison Levy did an excellent job of bringing the mountain to us. Her backstory of the young people's lives sets the mountain up to be the life's challenge that they do not recognize until it may be too late. While the characters are well developed and definitely up to the challenges, the story of the climb is the most fascinating part of the book. A great read that is not usually what I read but I'd recommend to all my reading buddies.

Rose and Tate have been friends their entire lives. Climbing is part of what they do together. Now, they are heading out to the biggest challenge that they can face: climbing Mount Everest.

Each of these young people is dealing with a few things that are distracting them from the task at hand. Rose’s mother, Miami usually climbs with them but she is dealing with a serious illness. Someone who has always been solid and excited about climbing is now going to be waiting for text messages and videos updating her.

Tate has a challenging relationship with his father. His father is one of those people who has been successful at most things that he does... maybe an over achiever. Tate is a more gentle soul and struggles with letting his father down.

I have read a lot of climbing books, it’s one of my favourite topics. I found that the switching back and forth in time took away some of the emotion and excitement of climbing. The pacing of the novel was a bit slow fore me. Arguably, the author may have chosen a slower pace because it reflects the slow nature of a climb. Climbing is for the slow and methodical.

I think that some young adults will appreciate a book that is about climbing!

I like the premise of the book - teenagers being able to take such a great feat. It's not often that you stumble across grown ups who are prepared for that, so to find teengers who are prepared was a pretty cool idea. With that being said, I thought the pace of the book was too slow, and maybe that's because I went into this knowing it was a book about such an intense activity that I had higer expectations, but it was just very hard for me to stay interested during the slow parts. But MY HEART WAS POUNDING during the actual climb. It was so intense it almost didn't fit with the rest of the book.

The ending was slightly rushed, but I felt like the author did a good job of wrapping everything up and ending it on a positive note.

I received this Advance Review Copy by Netgalley and  Charlesbridge Teen in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge Teen!!

"Mountains are not fair or unfair. They are just dangerous."  -REINHOLD MESSNER (Mt. Everest First solo ascent  without  supplemental oxygen)

"The challenges here are tremendous, and the risks are sobering. But there is no place I would rather be than in the mountains." -Lucien Cartier (Character in the book)

Review
Above All Else is the story of two teenagers Rose and Tate who aims to summit Mount Everest. Summiting Mount Everest is not the simplest of things, even daring to wish for it is a task in itself. This book will make it possible for every reader to summit Mount Everest in their heads with the help of this beautiful piece of work by the author. The readers can vividly see Nepal and the Mount Everest in their mind's eye pretty distinctly. It also clearly broadcast how it feels to climb the highest mountain in the world. The experience acquired from reading this book will always stays with the readers, just like they had been a part of the summit in reality. 
The emotional turmoil encountered by the characters while taking the climb has been described efficiently. Although certain behavior of the lead characters initially seemed to be unreasonable but gradually it started to make more sense as we travel with the characters to higher altitudes. Both Rose's and Tate's reasons behind their hesitation to go for their lifetimes ambition was natural and humanlike. The character development of Rose was initially good but towards the end it kind of slumped slightly. Whereas Tate's character was filled with lot confusing thoughts and decisions but in the end his clarity and development as a person was remarkable and appreciable. The romance parts between Rose and Tate seemed pretty forced, them falling into love din't bring about any earth shattering changes. The story would have been as affective, even if they had remained friends. All the side characters were super good and helped in the maturation of the plot. Most of them managed to make an imprint on the reader's heart.
This book also focusses on describing the life of Sherpas in Nepal who helps the climbers in achieve their goal and at the same time it also talks about the economic status of the country and the people. All these were said in the book in a readable and entertaining manner. The plot was sharp and clear and also unexpected. It will definitely takes some time to get into the plot and understand the characters but after that, with each passing page everything only seem get more and more better. Towards the end and all, it was written so beautifully and emotionally. The writing style was easy but in the beginning the perspective swap between Rose and Tate was mildly confusing, author could've brought some kind of variation to make the swap easier for the reader.
In the end the book emphasis on the ability to say "NO" to something in which one's heart is not into. Saying no to things at times seems like a stupidest thing to do but what we all tend to forget is Saying No is actually healthy and  everyone should inculcate this skill. 
Apparently the author has nearly taken 7 years to complete this book, she has done a lot of research on climbing the Everest and has even visited Nepal many a times to gain first hand experience about climbing. And of course all her efforts are clearly visible in the book. 

"No is my superpower and amazingly, it hasn't blown anything up." -Tate Russo (Character from the book)

My views
A senior of mine has ascent Mount Everest when we were at school. I used wondered, what is so special and difficult about climbing Mount Everest while seeing all their picture at the Everest. This book came as an answer to all the questions I had in my head back then. I know I will never be climbing the Everest ever, I don't have the stamina or the mindset to accomplish it but this book made me ascent the Everest in my head. After reading this book I almost felt I summited the Everest and that feeling was really satisfactory. It also helped me understand the mindset of the climbers and hurdles faced by them throughout the journey. I really enjoyed reading this book.
I would suggest this book to young adults, teenagers and to people who are into climbing and adventures. And I also suggest it to people like me who are too lazy to climb the Everest but still wanted to experience the climb. You guys will definitely enjoy this book.
My rating for this book is 3 / 5 stars

"It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves." -SIR EDMUND HILLARY (First climbers to ascent Mt. Everest along with a Sherpa)

Happy Reading Folks!!!

~Meenu

I went into this hoping it would reignite my simmering obsession with Mount Everest, and I was not disappointed!
This well researched and fast paced adventure story was everything I wanted. I could feel the dreams and fears and heart-stopping moments as they happened, and I loved every minute.
While there was romance in this, it wasn't the main plot, which I found refreshing. It didn't take away from the fact that these teens were attempting something few achieve; summiting Everest is not for the faint of heart.

Each of the characters had their own motivations throughout, and while they made some mistakes, I felt they were pretty realistic based on their ages, life experiences, and setting.

Excellent read overall! And, while I still love Everest and her fierce beauty, I will never sign up to climb anything like it.

What an adventure this book was! I thoroughly enjoyed watching Tate and Rose attempt to climb Everest with a gaggle of a team along their way. It was interesting to get tidbits of back story and find that there was much that was going unsaid between our main characters. I loved the romance and thrill that this story provided. This was such a fun read.

Thank you Netgalley and Charlesbridge Teen for the ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Fantastic. I feel like I just climbed Mt. Everest! This book took me on a journey of emotion. And I LOVED it.