Book Review: ABOVE ALL ELSE by Dana Alison Levy

 

Above All Else by Dana Alison Levy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book! I'm not a climber. I have no desire to be one, but I loved every page of this journey as two best friends worked toward their goal of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest.

While reading the story, I highlighted a gazillion passages that I intended to share in this review - but there are JUST so many great lines - read the book!

The reasons I didn't give this book 5 stars instead of 4 include: the constant repetition about Rose's mom not being with them; the idea that an implant is good enough protection when having sex (it protects from pregnancy but not STDS); and concepts that seemed too adult for a YA book: Sherpas living in poverty and Nepali-owned tourism companies. (There are sex scenes and use of crude language - so if that bothers you, be forewarned, but these details did not diminish my rating.)

I was especially glad that by the end of the book the characters came to learn that life is "less about the summit and more about the journey."

Bottom line:
Dana Alison Levy's writing is terrific, the character arcs are fully realized, and the non-linear plot of ABOVE ALL ELSE kept me fully engaged. I look forward to reading more of her books!


[I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinions.]

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