Sunday, May 17, 2015

The Honest Truth, Dan Gemeinhart. The cancer has returned for a second time and 12-year old Mark is dying. With $100 in his pocket and Beau, his dog, in his backpack, he sets out to climb Mt. Rainier, the tallest mountain in North America. No notes, no hints are left for his parents to have a clue where he might have gone. Only Jessie, his best friend and confidant, knows where he went and swore she wouldn't reveal his plan. Despite her personal turmoil, she is keeping her promise. Along his journey, he comes across bullies that knock him down, stealing from him, and sweet Hispanic angels that hold him up and remind him of Jessie's family. Mark is sick and weak and tired and alone. He is making this climb for his grandfather. But with his face plastered on TV screens, he avoids people at all costs, until a gentle man in a pick-up truck finds him near frozen, picks him up, and recognizes him; yet, gives him a small window of time to complete his task before he will make a phone call. With Beau at every step, he begins his ascent of the mighty mountain.




This book will grip you from the very first page, the very first sentence, and hold you until the last sentence wraps itself around to the beginning. Each chapter shares how many miles Mark has left to get to the mountain and each half chapter is told from his one dear friend, Jessie. The climb will have you biting your nails with horror and fear. I found myself thinking about Mark and worried for his family, desperately looking for him. Was Mark selfish or selfless? A question I found myself asking over and over again. Perhaps, you will, too.