Scan barcode
abooth202's review against another edition
5.0
I really bloody loved this. Picked it up from a random cheap bookshop, intrigued by the blurb. Loved the main character especially.
mabeaver84's review against another edition
3.0
Coming-of-age novel with some powerful storytelling and well-developed characters. Too much coincidence used to connect plot drivers. Parts of the book were very intimate and stick with me. I didn't walk away disappointed for having read it.
jbarr5's review
4.0
The mountain story by Lansens, Lori.
Story of Danny, who's just 18 and he's at Angel's Peak thinking about just ending it all. Starts out with the letter Danny writes to his son-years later.
He recalls his mother, all the good things. Frankie paints the whole house after Gloria dies-Danny's mother. He decides they need to go to CA, the desert, after Frankie has lost the house in a bet.
Danny is of Indian heritage and has no problem being outside. Wolf Truly is what they call him. Love the gift the librarian gives him-his future.
As the tram drops them off, he still has walking up the mountain to achieve. There are other women who are there and one wants the particular flower. The secret lake is closeby. One is there to commemorate her wedding anniversary.
Love hearing of the sights and sounds as he travels. Some chapters go back in time, some are present with those from the past.
Such strategy and survival skills. strong, powerful to the end....
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Story of Danny, who's just 18 and he's at Angel's Peak thinking about just ending it all. Starts out with the letter Danny writes to his son-years later.
He recalls his mother, all the good things. Frankie paints the whole house after Gloria dies-Danny's mother. He decides they need to go to CA, the desert, after Frankie has lost the house in a bet.
Danny is of Indian heritage and has no problem being outside. Wolf Truly is what they call him. Love the gift the librarian gives him-his future.
As the tram drops them off, he still has walking up the mountain to achieve. There are other women who are there and one wants the particular flower. The secret lake is closeby. One is there to commemorate her wedding anniversary.
Love hearing of the sights and sounds as he travels. Some chapters go back in time, some are present with those from the past.
Such strategy and survival skills. strong, powerful to the end....
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
carolpk's review
The Hook Feel a bit embarrassed that I won this book in 2015 and have just read it. My sincere thanks to Lori Lansens for the opportunity to read new novel.
The Line - ”Guess you're stronger than you think”
The Sinker - I picked the above quote as much of what this story is about comes back to this opinion. What do people do when faced with horrible odds but the will to live? In the case of the main character, Wolf Truly, this presents a stronger challenge as he sets out to The Mountain, without the spirit of survival, rather the opposite. What transpires will test him in ways he never imagined.
I'm a sucker for this kind of story. Wilderness, nature, survival, choices. There were a few missteps for me but I try to remind myself these are the author's decisions, not mine. It gives me something to think about, why an author chooses one path, one event, one wrap or outcome rather than another. All in all I enjoyed the journey.
The Line - ”Guess you're stronger than you think”
The Sinker - I picked the above quote as much of what this story is about comes back to this opinion. What do people do when faced with horrible odds but the will to live? In the case of the main character, Wolf Truly, this presents a stronger challenge as he sets out to The Mountain, without the spirit of survival, rather the opposite. What transpires will test him in ways he never imagined.
I'm a sucker for this kind of story. Wilderness, nature, survival, choices. There were a few missteps for me but I try to remind myself these are the author's decisions, not mine. It gives me something to think about, why an author chooses one path, one event, one wrap or outcome rather than another. All in all I enjoyed the journey.
mikaiten's review
4.0
Cheesy name choices aside (Wolf and Byrd? Really?) this book has so much going for it. Written as a letter to his son, Wolf tells the story of the time he was trapped on a mountain in California with three women. The four meet up unexpectedly after taking a cable car up the extremely steep mountain, and after a series of accidents, end up stuck on an outcrop looking out on to the city below.
As the story progresses, each character’s past is revealed, and we learn what brought each of them to the mountain that day. Their shared experience brings out the best and worst in each of them. Lansens does a great job creating characters that you genuinely care about. At the very beginning of the book you learn that Wolf has set out that day to end his life. As stories are shared between the characters, we learn more and more about what drove him to that decision.
After this, I might just read one of Lansens’ other books. If this is any indication of her writing ability, I can see myself becoming a big fan. Not once did I find myself skipping over paragraphs to get to the next bit of dialogue (a habit I have), and I couldn’t wait to tell some of my friends and family that they should read it when it comes out.
As the story progresses, each character’s past is revealed, and we learn what brought each of them to the mountain that day. Their shared experience brings out the best and worst in each of them. Lansens does a great job creating characters that you genuinely care about. At the very beginning of the book you learn that Wolf has set out that day to end his life. As stories are shared between the characters, we learn more and more about what drove him to that decision.
After this, I might just read one of Lansens’ other books. If this is any indication of her writing ability, I can see myself becoming a big fan. Not once did I find myself skipping over paragraphs to get to the next bit of dialogue (a habit I have), and I couldn’t wait to tell some of my friends and family that they should read it when it comes out.
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
3.0
Ein Buch über das Verirren mit interessanter Erzähltechnik, von der ich gar nicht ganz verstehe, wie sie funktioniert. Ich müsste es dazu noch mal lesen, will aber nicht, weil ich den Kinderbuchstil der Rückblenden nicht mochte und den Schluss blöd fand. Ich bin außerdem ein bisschen skeptisch, ob man als weiße Kanadierin so über Native Americans schreiben sollte, kenne mich da aber nicht aus.
clarelynnmac's review
4.0
This it the story of a young man, Wolf, who goes out on a mountain hike intending it to be his last, due to his troubled past. However, he encounters three women along the way and they end up lost on the dangerous mountain, struggling to stay alive. This story was exciting, shocking, and captivating. I could’ve read it all in one sitting if I hadn’t waited until a work night to start it. I cried, I gasped, I audibly yelled, “What the %*$#&?!”. You don’t go into this book thinking it will stick with you, but it really makes you think “What would I do?”. If you like survival stories, this is definitely one to read. And if you hate survival stories- I’d still recommend this one, as it spends enough time in Flashbacks, that it gives you moments to recover from the monotony that comes with being stranded on a mountain for five days, with a backstory that is equally captivating.
Reading the description, you’ll know going in that someone doesn’t survive and so it adds an element of a mystery throughout the mountain portion where you keep guessing who it may be and what will be the cause.
Characters- The characters in this story are so richly described and wonderful. You have a lot of stereotypical characters in the mix (the deadbeat dad, the cool best friend, the girl crush, the wise old woman…) but none of them felt too far one-sided. They were all complex and human enough that the people who would usually fall on the “antagonist” side of the spectrum had redeeming moments, and equally the “good guys” did some pretty terrible things. Part of this is due to the fact that the entire story is from Wolf’s point of view, so we are seeing the various people in his life as HE sees them, not necessarily as they truly are.
Location- The location takes place mostly in the mountain park where they end up stranded, including Angel’s Peak and the secret lake that plays a pivotal role in Wolf’s life. It is a character in this story as much as any of the people. It is beautiful and it is dangerous. I could feel the heat, the rain, the fog, the awe, and the panic. All in all, it was very well described.
Action- There are two stories intermingling throughout the book, which eventually converge for the climax. The present story is the “Mountain Story” which solely revolves around Wolf and the Devine ladies (a grandmother, mother, and daughter) all struggling to survive on a dangerous California mountainside, with Wolf’s past is interspersed throughout the days on the mountain. This format helped to keep the plot moving as the days drag on on the mountain. Lansens also does an excellent job of giving juuuust enough information during Wolf’s backstory to draw you in but not revealing all of the cards up her sleeve. You KNOW bad things are going to happen- you just don’t know when, or to whom, so you are perpetually on the edge of your seat.
Readability- Incredibly readable. The story is told from Wolf’s perspective as a letter to his son, and so the language is very “every day casual”. No frills, nothing fancy- which means no distractions. I wouldn’t qualify this as Hemingway-level of terseness, as there are some descriptions to aid with the mental imagery, but make no mistake, it is the plot that drives this book.
Extras!- *SPOILERS*
Reading the description, you’ll know going in that someone doesn’t survive and so it adds an element of a mystery throughout the mountain portion where you keep guessing who it may be and what will be the cause.
Characters- The characters in this story are so richly described and wonderful. You have a lot of stereotypical characters in the mix (the deadbeat dad, the cool best friend, the girl crush, the wise old woman…) but none of them felt too far one-sided. They were all complex and human enough that the people who would usually fall on the “antagonist” side of the spectrum had redeeming moments, and equally the “good guys” did some pretty terrible things. Part of this is due to the fact that the entire story is from Wolf’s point of view, so we are seeing the various people in his life as HE sees them, not necessarily as they truly are.
Location- The location takes place mostly in the mountain park where they end up stranded, including Angel’s Peak and the secret lake that plays a pivotal role in Wolf’s life. It is a character in this story as much as any of the people. It is beautiful and it is dangerous. I could feel the heat, the rain, the fog, the awe, and the panic. All in all, it was very well described.
Action- There are two stories intermingling throughout the book, which eventually converge for the climax. The present story is the “Mountain Story” which solely revolves around Wolf and the Devine ladies (a grandmother, mother, and daughter) all struggling to survive on a dangerous California mountainside, with Wolf’s past is interspersed throughout the days on the mountain. This format helped to keep the plot moving as the days drag on on the mountain. Lansens also does an excellent job of giving juuuust enough information during Wolf’s backstory to draw you in but not revealing all of the cards up her sleeve. You KNOW bad things are going to happen- you just don’t know when, or to whom, so you are perpetually on the edge of your seat.
Readability- Incredibly readable. The story is told from Wolf’s perspective as a letter to his son, and so the language is very “every day casual”. No frills, nothing fancy- which means no distractions. I wouldn’t qualify this as Hemingway-level of terseness, as there are some descriptions to aid with the mental imagery, but make no mistake, it is the plot that drives this book.
Extras!- *SPOILERS*
Spoiler
Okay. This book packs a one-two (and actually a third) punch. You have the mystery surrounding Byrd’s “death”, and then the inevitable loss of someone in the group (which I think is one of the most haunting moments I’ve ever read), and then the final hit when we learn who is the father of Vonn’s child (it’s NOT who you think). I am still on the fence as to whether the final plot twist was necessary or simply added for shock value. Would Wolf had stayed with Vonn if the child wasn’t his dad’s? I think so. It just to me made things seem a little TOO coincidental, but I know that people do love a good plot twist, so I can’t really fault her for it.rockabillyyarn's review
5.0
“The climb speaks to our character, but the view, I think, to our souls”
― Lori Lansens, The Mountain Story
― Lori Lansens, The Mountain Story
acaciajuju's review
5.0
I don't give 5s easily. A must read. And her first book The Girls - Outstanding too.