A review by keepingyouonread
In Sight of the Mountain by Jamie McGillen
4.0
3.5 stars
Recently, I won In Light of the Summit on Goodreads and I wanted to read book one before I tackled book two. In Sight of the Mountain is YA historical fiction, set in late 1880’s Seattle. Anna dreams of climbing Mount Rainier but her family wants her settled down, preferably with a wealthy man.
What I liked: This book has a nice mystery element, a love story, adventure and a little about acceptance – of others and what others want to do. I was rooting for Anna to reach the summit and gain her grandfather’s approval to live her life as she sees fit.
Anna shows young girls that they can try for their goals even against what seems insurmountable odds.
I enjoyed the mystery element and appreciated how it tied into the ending of the book.
What didn’t work for me: I found the beginning a little slow but once I got about a quarter into the book, the pacing picked up as Anna started training for the climb.
The dialogue felt a little stiff at times – characters would randomly change topics mid-conversation or share things that didn’t seem natural at the time.
If you’ve followed me awhile, you know I like an open ending and while this book does set-up book two and leaves some questions unanswered, I was also simultaneously a little disappointed how easily things worked out for the characters.
Who should read it: If you’re looking for a story with a strong female lead and enjoy historical fiction. Things stay pretty PG – parents there is some mild discussions of sex, one character is employed in a brothel and a childbirth scene.
Recently, I won In Light of the Summit on Goodreads and I wanted to read book one before I tackled book two. In Sight of the Mountain is YA historical fiction, set in late 1880’s Seattle. Anna dreams of climbing Mount Rainier but her family wants her settled down, preferably with a wealthy man.
What I liked: This book has a nice mystery element, a love story, adventure and a little about acceptance – of others and what others want to do. I was rooting for Anna to reach the summit and gain her grandfather’s approval to live her life as she sees fit.
Anna shows young girls that they can try for their goals even against what seems insurmountable odds.
I enjoyed the mystery element and appreciated how it tied into the ending of the book.
What didn’t work for me: I found the beginning a little slow but once I got about a quarter into the book, the pacing picked up as Anna started training for the climb.
The dialogue felt a little stiff at times – characters would randomly change topics mid-conversation or share things that didn’t seem natural at the time.
If you’ve followed me awhile, you know I like an open ending and while this book does set-up book two and leaves some questions unanswered, I was also simultaneously a little disappointed how easily things worked out for the characters.
Who should read it: If you’re looking for a story with a strong female lead and enjoy historical fiction. Things stay pretty PG – parents there is some mild discussions of sex, one character is employed in a brothel and a childbirth scene.