Danger Peak
Michael Thomas Perone
Wheatmark (2022)
ISBN: 978-1627879507
Reviewed by Grady Darrell (Age 9) for Reader Views (10/2022)
“Danger Peak” is a great and adventurous book that always keeps you on your toes. It is about a boy, Robert, and his friends, who dream of climbing the mountain that lives up to its name, Danger Peak. Robert’s brother died trying to climb the infamous peak, which motivates Robert all the more. However, his brother’s death has rattled his family, leaving him with a few dad problems. Robert and his friends realize that their motorbikes aren’t nearly strong enough to climb the dangerous mountain, so they begin construction on the best bike ever, the Action Bike. However, they don’t have enough parts, which results in a little stealing, and that doesn’t always exactly go to plan…
I won’t tell you whether Robert achieved his goal, but Perone definitely made it to the peak with this book!
The plot was really exciting, especially the mountain climbing scene. The author writes well, with very descriptive sentences that really bring out the drama. For example,
“Storm clouds began gathering overhead, and Robert realized he must be getting closer to the top. He sighed with relief, until a dramatic flash of lightning erupted in the sky, seemingly inches from his face. The skin of his arms practically sizzled from the heat, and he felt like he was entering a boxing ring with Zeus himself.”
That quote demonstrates a lot of excitement and adventure, one of the best aspects of this book. I am also a mythology fan, so the Zeus reference made it really easy to imagine how Robert must be feeling. Another one of my favorite aspects of the book was Rinnie and Chris fighting all the time. I think their actions added to the realistic experience, and made the book easier to relate to. If everyone got along all the time, then it wouldn’t seem as real.
One thing I would change is the final bit. I don’t want to give away much, but up until then you have a book with no magic or supernatural stuff, then at the end, you have a LOT of that. It made the ending feel like too much of a stretch.
One thing I can relate to is Danny’s love of invention, which we learn about through flashbacks, as I hope one day to be an inventor. An especially interesting one is the [name redacted to protect story secret], a super cool powerup for his motorbike.
I would recommend this to an audience of 8-12, especially those who enjoy adventures and bike riding.
In conclusion, “Danger Peak ” is a thrilling and perilous book with a lot of excitement, and the perfect book for someone looking for a very dangerous ride of a book!
(Parental note on Danger Peak: There are occasionally phrases like “Hell, the word ‘Danger’ was in its very name” or “Screw both you guys, then,” along with descriptions of the father drinking beer to the point of slurring his speech. Parents of readers towards the younger end of the target audience might want to be aware and preview the book first.)
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