Strong title for reluctant readers, and for a classroom, a wonderful background knowledge builder. This book gave me “chills!” Strong female protagonist with a plot that will generate conversations about individual ethics.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nielsen’s books all follow a particular formula - regular teen/tween, thrust in the midst of what turns out to be an historic moment (The Berlin Wall, the Titanic, the onset of World War II, and here - Mt Everest). It always strains credulity a bit, but you kinda just have to go with it.

This book takes place in September 1939, and Atlas, his father, and their climbing team are attempting to summit Mt Everest. At this point in history, no one has made it to the summit yet - George Mallory came the closest, but he disappeared on the second (?) step, so no one knows for certain if he actually made it. And Edmund Hillary wouldn’t get to the top until the 50s, so if you’re worried this book is going to somehow rewrite history with a 12-year-old getting to the top first…rest assured we stay in the realm of reality! Atlas and his dad have climbed many mountains - it’s basically their way of coping with his mother’s death. But Atlas always seems to make some kind of mistake - he freezes up at the wrong moment, he doesn’t follow directions…he’s always nearly falling to his death, or putting other people in danger. His father insists that, although Atlas can come on part of this expedition, he’s supposed to stay at base camp while dad and the rest of the party make for the summit. Of course Atlas thinks he can talk dad into letting him come along.

They also pick up a couple of Americans - Maddie and her father (I want to say his name is Jasper? I’m blanking). Maddie’s terrified of heights, and her father only brought her along because her mother had a premonition of her falling off a boulder…and there are boulders near her home (not for nothing, there are also MASSIVE boulders on Everest, so…nice parenting there, dad). Again, it kind of strains credulity that there’d be not one, but two tweens on this expedition, but again…just go with it! I kind of wish Atlas and Maddie had shared narration duties. Her father is out there trying to study the effects of altitude (and thus, altitude sickness) on the body, and she’s also not afraid to give Atlas some much needed reality checks. He’s a teensy bit insufferable, because in spite of so much evidence to the contrary, he seems to think he’s always right. He frequently puts himself or others in danger, but because everything magically works out in the end, he’s convinced himself that he’s making the best decisions along the way. I’d prefer to have that broken up with Maddie’s perspective.

Eventually the team makes for the summit, leaving Atlas and Maddie behind with their sherpa Chodak. But then there’s an avalanche and Atlas has to face a big choice - save himself (as the “mountain rules” tell him to), or take a big risk to try to save his father.

After reading Amy McCullough’s Breathless, I have a weird fascination with mountain climbing stories. The expedition here somehow seems *easier* than in McCullough’s book - Atlas is just magically able to climb ridges and find just the things he needs at the last second. I get that he has experience with climbing, and also that it would be a pretty big bummer for the main character to just fall into an ice crevasse, but surely there’s a happy medium in there somewhere.

Compared against all middle grade authors this is a decent read, although not as good as Peak, in my opinion. Compared against Nielsen’s other works, I’d give it 2 stars. I have not been overly impressed with her most recent MG stand alones.

Following the death of his mum, Atlas’ father has been trying to help him cope by forging ahead with their mountain climbing interests. It’s 1939 and Mt. Everest stands in front of them. They have joined an expedition which eventually combines with a father/daughter group from Texas. As they work their way from one camp to another, the adults continue on, leaving Atlas, Maddie and the Sherpa Chodak at Advanced Base Camp 3 . But soon after departing, an avalanche descends on the group and radio communication is lost. Not knowing their fate, Atlas and Maddie refuse to leave their dads behind, and set out to find them, despite instructions not to do so.

I have a couple of issues with this book. 1) I know JN loves WW2, but her decision to include a character that might be a Nazi spy set on sabotaging the expedition completely detracted from the seriousness of the climb. Some of the dialogue was absurd and I found myself wondering whether grown men would really be having such conversations. 2) The details of the two kids tackling Everest on their own was not remotely believable. During moments when death was literally feet away, they were laughing and singing, rather than crying. They were facing storms, dehydration, frostbite and severe oxygen deprivation. I could not sense the desperation in their dialogue. Since the likelihood of two kids surviving alone in the last stretch of the Everest ascent is next to impossible in the best of circumstances, I at least wanted a modicum of believability. This is supposed to be a serious book after all.

Kids fascinated by Mt. Everest will pick it up, but it is not a crowd pleaser like A Night Divided or The False Prince. I feel like Nielsen is running out of good ideas.

What worked:
Each chapter begins with a few lines sharing facts relevant to the following events. Mountain climbing is a major part of the story and readers will learn much about it. The first chapter shares information about Atlas’s first mountain climb to the summit of Kings Peak in 1936. It’s also the time when his mother loses her battle with a chronic disease. A map to the summit of Mt. Everest precedes the second chapter with information about the sherpas who assist climbers. Other chapter introductions explain terms like acclimation, climbers adjusting to the lack of oxygen, columns of ice called seracs, and various tools used during a climb. These descriptions are helpful to understand the nuances of scaling Earth’s tallest mountain. Additional maps throughout the book identify Atlas’s location on Mt. Everest to give readers context for the dramatic events. They’ll discover it takes months, a lot of money, courage, and a bit of luck to attempt a climb up Mt. Everest.
The story is told in first-person by Atlas, a teenage boy from London. This allows readers to learn about his feelings and unspoken thoughts about mountain climbing and special memories. Dealing with grief is an issue since Atlas hasn’t had a serious talk about his mother’s death in the three years since it happened. He’s frustrated that his father won’t let him climb to Mt. Everest’s summit but that doesn’t stop Atlas from trying to change his mind. An avalanche will find Atlas climbing farther than his father expected. Telling the story first-person also lets readers in on Atlas’s climbing knowledge and strategies as well as his conflicted thoughts about his mother.
The climbing team presents a variety of personalities to enhance the plot and drama. Mr. Blake is financing most of the expedition but his superior air creates conflict and mystery. He loves to hear himself talk, mostly about himself, and he frequently shares disparaging remarks about Atlas’s age and skill. Hushed comments between Blake and another team member create uncertainty about Blake’s character and his motives. Chodak is the main sherpa guide and his kind personality is a stark contrast to Blake. He’s the group’s biggest asset but an accident complicates his role. Maddie is about Atlas’s age and Atlas initially doesn’t like her presence on the mountain. She has very little climbing experience and one of her phobias may make her a liability. What kind of father makes Mt. Everest his daughter’s first mountain-climbing event?
What didn’t work as well:
The Nazi subplot slowly emerges but it’s not a necessary complication to the mountain-climbing adventure. The avalanche and Atlas’s subsequent efforts and setbacks to rescue his father provide plenty of drama for one book. Reader attention is distracted from this gripping problem as the topic of a Nazi spy continues. Mentioning the possibility of Nazis on Mt. Everest adds historical context to the plot but it would be better to leave it at that.
The final verdict:
The author captures the life-threatening perils and the harrowing weather conditions found on Mt. Everest to help readers experience the torturous quest to reach the summit. Atlas struggles to deal with his grief over his mother’s death and this subplot may resonate with readers. Overall, this riveting survival story will appeal to a wide audience and I recommend you give it a shot.

I always enjoy books by Jennifer Nielsen.. I liked this one, but it’s not my favorite. I had me on the edge of my seat for parts, but other parts dragged a bit. I still think it’s going to be popular.

Wow! Exhilarating and exciting all the way through! The adventure and journey of this book kept me reading, and I didn't want to stop. The journey young Atlas takes on is one of courage, and strength. We are all on this wild journey called life and even though we may not physically climb Mount Everest, we all have our own mountains to climb through. Great story, I recommend to middle grades (6-8 grades). Boys especially will enjoy this thrilling adventure Jennifer Nielsen takes us on in "One Wrong Step".

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book. I was so enthralled with this story! The maps definitely help visualize the monumental task of mounting Everest. This is definitely one I'll be purchasing for my classroom!

Wow! What a story, it was hard to put down!
1939 Europe, an attempt to climb Mount Everest, an avalanche, and a rescue attempt, this book has it all!

Will the audience get the underlying thoughts behind this? I hope so. While the story is about climbing Mount Everest in hopes of saving family members, it really is so much more. It is about keeping going when things are tough, putting one foot in front of the other. Atlas' father says it best, "Where your eyes go, the feet follow". If we are not looking forward, we get stuck in the muck and can stay there for a long time. This is an important message for all of us, but especially our young people.

Thank you Jennifer Nielsen for another wonderful book!

This was not my favorite Jennifer Nielsen book. I've enjoyed several of her other books and appreciate her ability to develop interesting characters and storylines, but this novel was slow going. The characters felt flat and one dimensional, and it never felt like there was any threat or danger in spite of the elements. The historical aspect was interesting, particularly in connection with World War 2 looming.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Jennifer A Nielsen has an award winning way with words. She can easily grab the readers attention and keep it through the book. Great storyline and characters. This is an incredible read.