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Avalanche
Two groups of teens—those waiting to be saved and those doing the saving—are in a race against time and a battle against Mother Nature after an avalanche traps them in an isolated cabin in this chilling novel.
“I promise it’ll be a weekend you’ll never forget.”
A trip like that is exactly what Matt was hoping for—a fun adventure. A daring escape. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go cross country skiing in a thrilling but dangerous pass through the Rocky Mountains. The perfect way for Matt to forget about his disappointing father and maybe let loose a little with his best friend and a group of carefree adrenaline junkies.
But then their guide takes them off-path…and straight into an avalanche. By the time they make it safely into an abandoned cabin, one skier is dead and another severely injured. Trapped with no heat, no water, and no radio the group decides to wait it out. Help will come. It has to.
Until it doesn’t. And Matt knows if they wait any longer they’ll be dead—just another bunch of victims in Mother Nature’s twisted games. Armed with only a handful of supplies and his fierce determination Matt decides to goes head-to-head with the elements, battling hypothermia, frostbite, and even mountain lions in order to find help and save them all. That is if Mother Nature doesn’t kill him first.
“I promise it’ll be a weekend you’ll never forget.”
A trip like that is exactly what Matt was hoping for—a fun adventure. A daring escape. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go cross country skiing in a thrilling but dangerous pass through the Rocky Mountains. The perfect way for Matt to forget about his disappointing father and maybe let loose a little with his best friend and a group of carefree adrenaline junkies.
But then their guide takes them off-path…and straight into an avalanche. By the time they make it safely into an abandoned cabin, one skier is dead and another severely injured. Trapped with no heat, no water, and no radio the group decides to wait it out. Help will come. It has to.
Until it doesn’t. And Matt knows if they wait any longer they’ll be dead—just another bunch of victims in Mother Nature’s twisted games. Armed with only a handful of supplies and his fierce determination Matt decides to goes head-to-head with the elements, battling hypothermia, frostbite, and even mountain lions in order to find help and save them all. That is if Mother Nature doesn’t kill him first.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 2016
17 people are currently reading
553 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 20, 2020
An adventure is what Matt seeks, and an adventure is what he gets. When he and his best friend, Tony, go with Tony’s brother and friends on a back-country skiing adventure they get more than what they asked for. Much more. An unexpected avalanche leaves one of their own missing, another injured, and it’s up to Matt and Leah – who knows the area – to find help before it’s too late.
I did like how this story was written. I was eager to see what would happen next with Matt and his friends, and it was well-paced. It begins with just Matt’s perspective, but then after the Avalanche we get to see Tony’s perspective once Matt and Leah go for help, and we get a few short chapters of “The Hunter” which I thought was clever.
The characters were pretty likeable, and Matt and Leah do get a bit of backstory at least, which adds to the story. The other characters fell a little flat for me though, but it’s also a bit of a short book… so it’s not like there was a lot of time to get attached to them, I suppose. Though I did feel for Tony during the time his group was waiting for help to come. He was just so cute at times and I wanted to jump into the book and hug him.
As I mentioned before, the story kept me wanting to know what would happen next, which I love to have when I’m reading. I didn’t dread going back to read, and I actually read the book in two sittings. That’s not something that happens a lot anymore. The only issue I had was that it felt like the ending was kind of rushed. It was good; it just felt too quick after all that adventure.
Overall, it was a good book about survival and a quick read. I’ll admit that it’s one that I probably won’t reread, it’s more of a “one and done” story. But it’s still a good one.
I did like how this story was written. I was eager to see what would happen next with Matt and his friends, and it was well-paced. It begins with just Matt’s perspective, but then after the Avalanche we get to see Tony’s perspective once Matt and Leah go for help, and we get a few short chapters of “The Hunter” which I thought was clever.
The characters were pretty likeable, and Matt and Leah do get a bit of backstory at least, which adds to the story. The other characters fell a little flat for me though, but it’s also a bit of a short book… so it’s not like there was a lot of time to get attached to them, I suppose. Though I did feel for Tony during the time his group was waiting for help to come. He was just so cute at times and I wanted to jump into the book and hug him.
As I mentioned before, the story kept me wanting to know what would happen next, which I love to have when I’m reading. I didn’t dread going back to read, and I actually read the book in two sittings. That’s not something that happens a lot anymore. The only issue I had was that it felt like the ending was kind of rushed. It was good; it just felt too quick after all that adventure.
Overall, it was a good book about survival and a quick read. I’ll admit that it’s one that I probably won’t reread, it’s more of a “one and done” story. But it’s still a good one.
July 6, 2018
Matt should have been in Florida spending a week with his father who canceled at the last minute; instead he was skiing with his best friend, his college ages brother and friends of the brother. The group is headed to a once in a lifetime destination through a thrilling, but extremely dangerous pass through the Rocky Mountains. Instead of heading towards the adventure planned, they head directly into an avalanche!
One member of the party is now missing and presumed dead, another is seriously injured. Splitting into groups, three stay with the injured teen, while two traverse extremely dangerous terrain in search of a cell phone signal to call for help.
During a night, a third girl, weary that help is not coming heads out on her own to try to get help. It’s a battle against Mother Nature and her wild creatures. The question becomes, who will make it and who will succumb to Mother Nature!
One member of the party is now missing and presumed dead, another is seriously injured. Splitting into groups, three stay with the injured teen, while two traverse extremely dangerous terrain in search of a cell phone signal to call for help.
During a night, a third girl, weary that help is not coming heads out on her own to try to get help. It’s a battle against Mother Nature and her wild creatures. The question becomes, who will make it and who will succumb to Mother Nature!
June 1, 2018
This book was a quick read and I enjoyed it mainly because it was exactly what it presents itself to be: a survival story. I’ve always enjoyed shows like “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”, which is why I decided to read this book in the first place. It read like an episode right off of the show. Matt’s relationship with his father was certainly a catalyst for how he ended up on the trip, but honestly by the time he was mentioned again it seemed a bit out of place, like the author forgot she’d mentioned him and then realized she should probably account for him somewhere. There were also some other random and unnecessary moments and “inner thoughts” that seemed out of place, but they’re easy enough to push pass.
Once the “survival” part of the story was over, it seemed like the ending was a bit lackluster, but I mean I came here for the story of the avalanche right? Not the aftermath. I also liked the various POV’s including The Hunter, which threw me off at first, but definitely added an interesting element during the story. Overall, I’m not sure if I’d read this story again, but I’m definitely intrigued enough to check out the author’s other survival novel.
Once the “survival” part of the story was over, it seemed like the ending was a bit lackluster, but I mean I came here for the story of the avalanche right? Not the aftermath. I also liked the various POV’s including The Hunter, which threw me off at first, but definitely added an interesting element during the story. Overall, I’m not sure if I’d read this story again, but I’m definitely intrigued enough to check out the author’s other survival novel.
Read
March 29, 2017I thought that it was a good book. I might have thought that it was a skiing story but it was mostly an adventure and action story.
April 13, 2018
A really good thriller with great plot and great characters!
August 7, 2023
Avalanche By Melinda Braun - 2016
Premise: Matt, a 17 year old boy, was supposed to go see his estranged father in the sunny shores of Florida for Spring Break, but instead he finds himself skiing cross country with his friend Tony and a few of his friends. Still seething from his Dad cancelling their holiday together – he finds his impromptu trip going from bad to worse. A freak avalanche tests the friend group and their knowledge of survival in the mountains – while also dealing with their own personal drama, a friend with a potentially fatal injury, they’re also being hunted by a mountain lion and trying to avoid bears in the area, while also trying to survive the elements.
My thoughts: As you can probably tell by the way I wrote the premise – it was “and then this happened, then this, oh and this drama is going on too!”
There was too much going on in the plot – there’s developing the characters, and then there’s throwing drama into a survival story for the sake of it. The fact it was thrown in there disrupted the flow of the story – it seemed like she had so many ideas, so many things she wanted to say and include, yet it ended up with a lot of half-baked ideas that didn’t come to full fruition. It’s quite disappointing – because you can see the potential in each idea and each character, but it just never seemed to make it to the point of likability. As someone said: “a good premise, ruined by melodrama; characters underwritten, too regular scenes of peril that was too quickly resolved.”
My first impression as I was reading was that it was a simple read, definitely aimed at a teenage audience, with clunky dialogue and half-baked character development. I wrote that “it is not currently appealing or drawing the reader in.”
The book is aimed at a young adult (YA) audience – which I am definitely not, so will give credit there that I am not the target audience. A few of the reviews online are positive toward how it was a constant thrill and something was always happening, with some even noting the “boy-girl drama” as an extra interest point. Though, it was equally hilarious to reviews where some were condemning it for the use of alcohol, drugs and profanity. Coming from somewhere where the legal age of drinking is 18 – it’s not too far-fetched to think that you’d see the likes of all 3 at a teenage party (especially in the presence of older siblings and their friends, so they’re not all 17.) In saying that, having the 17 year old pull out a few beer cans from her hiking pack after her brother had re-packed it with the “essentials” as they went out to find help in the dark and snow of the mountains, was a bit unrealistic. He was supposed to be the knowledgeable one, yet thought it necessary to weigh down the bags of two 17 year olds with beer cans? Alcohol with the necessity of survival just don’t mix – no matter how thirsty you are, alcohol is worse. It dehydrates you faster and is more detrimental than helpful, but I’m getting off point here.
As the story is told predominantly from two teenage boys – despite the author’s experience in psychology – it seemed forced and fake, like she was trying too hard and ended up stereotypical in her interpretation of a group of teenagers (older siblings’ age is never stated, just “older.”) Yet it doesn’t fail to hit the clichés of a group of party hard teenagers, that are all handsome/pretty, with the “main” character Matt a successful basketball player, that is known to spout random inspirational quotes and name the author of such quotes (though, this does come to reasoning later on), while his friends are portrayed as brainless and drooling over women, or the mere mention of them. Matt is “different” – he likes to read and remain by himself, even in a party setting, with a brooding nature of his absent father. My early thoughts were that the information is crudely provided – making it seemingly rudimentary and pointless to the plot, and that there are better ways to develop plot and characters.
In amongst all this though, even early on, I noticed that there was some beautifully written lines and descriptions points, such as describing Leah’s eyes as being “lit from within” – but in between the dialogue, this was few and far between in the beginning. We get to see more of this talent later in the book – with the one almost redeeming chapter. Almost. Where it becomes a true survivor novel – with just two characters, trying to survive the cold; with the danger of hypothermia, starvation and wild animals all too real. Here is where the story really shone – it was simple, it was survival, it was interesting. Little was said, things were nuanced than explicitly stated outright. Though, this was ruined when I audibly laughed out loud and even had to read it to my partner to show the ridiculous of how Matt realised his “pelvis wasn’t as frozen as he thought” while he was sharing his body warmth with Leah, who was shivering after a river tumble, and was at risk of hypothermia. Yeah, 17 year olds get boners at weird moments, but was this really necessary to mention?
Unfortunately, the enjoyable chapter with good writing didn’t last and was passed over back to the clunky dialogue and random, forced moments of action, with a rushed ending.
My biggest thought about it was that it was trying to “jump the shark” – either purposefully or not. With a constant flick between those waiting to be rescued with a potentially fatally wounded friend and those looking to send out the SOS, as well as a few random chapters that were from the perspective of “The Hunter” – a mountain lion that was in the throes of starvation and looking to prey upon the group. Throw in Matt’s daddy issues, Leah and Carter’s parental issues, a love triangle between Dylan, Carter and Julie, a bear and her cub at one point, a random snowstorm that passed as soon as it started, the second group smoking out their cabin and I think it was around 3x slides for life (all Matt), one while wrestling with a mountain lion, 2x river tumbles and one waterfall tumble (again, Matt. Given that this was based off her husband, she really tortured the poor character.) All within less than 300 pages of story – it was just so cluttered with everything. Maybe if it were longer – primarily focused on Leah and Matt, with the danger of the mountain lion and bear still there, but spread out and not without closure. Where did both those animals go? They did their thing, and then vanished. But more focused on how hard it would be to survive after an avalanche, with little food, limited phone signal, in the cold, with wet clothes and a snowstorm closing in, I feel like it could’ve taken it so much further. The gut-wrenching thought of whether the two would find their friends alive or not, with the threat of the mountain lion and their fatally wounded friend.
The ending was in fact rushed, and after everything, there was very little closure to the characters and their rescue. It was glossed over, we didn’t get to see some of the characters and their survival, only heard about it, a few characters got a “I don’t know what happened” ending, and given Matt was unconscious for his rescue, we didn’t get to feel the happiness of being rescued after being so close to death.
So, all in all, it had a good promise, yet was disappointing with too much being thrown at the reader, and too much unnecessary drama, some knowledgeable aspects thrown in as to mountaineering, and some questionable aspects incorrectly represented as survival tactics. This book might be okay for the younger audience, who might find some enjoyable out of all the drama and action, but it’s a book you’d probably only pick up once and wouldn’t go out of your way to find other books by the same author, or hope there was going to be a sequel.
Premise: Matt, a 17 year old boy, was supposed to go see his estranged father in the sunny shores of Florida for Spring Break, but instead he finds himself skiing cross country with his friend Tony and a few of his friends. Still seething from his Dad cancelling their holiday together – he finds his impromptu trip going from bad to worse. A freak avalanche tests the friend group and their knowledge of survival in the mountains – while also dealing with their own personal drama, a friend with a potentially fatal injury, they’re also being hunted by a mountain lion and trying to avoid bears in the area, while also trying to survive the elements.
My thoughts: As you can probably tell by the way I wrote the premise – it was “and then this happened, then this, oh and this drama is going on too!”
There was too much going on in the plot – there’s developing the characters, and then there’s throwing drama into a survival story for the sake of it. The fact it was thrown in there disrupted the flow of the story – it seemed like she had so many ideas, so many things she wanted to say and include, yet it ended up with a lot of half-baked ideas that didn’t come to full fruition. It’s quite disappointing – because you can see the potential in each idea and each character, but it just never seemed to make it to the point of likability. As someone said: “a good premise, ruined by melodrama; characters underwritten, too regular scenes of peril that was too quickly resolved.”
My first impression as I was reading was that it was a simple read, definitely aimed at a teenage audience, with clunky dialogue and half-baked character development. I wrote that “it is not currently appealing or drawing the reader in.”
The book is aimed at a young adult (YA) audience – which I am definitely not, so will give credit there that I am not the target audience. A few of the reviews online are positive toward how it was a constant thrill and something was always happening, with some even noting the “boy-girl drama” as an extra interest point. Though, it was equally hilarious to reviews where some were condemning it for the use of alcohol, drugs and profanity. Coming from somewhere where the legal age of drinking is 18 – it’s not too far-fetched to think that you’d see the likes of all 3 at a teenage party (especially in the presence of older siblings and their friends, so they’re not all 17.) In saying that, having the 17 year old pull out a few beer cans from her hiking pack after her brother had re-packed it with the “essentials” as they went out to find help in the dark and snow of the mountains, was a bit unrealistic. He was supposed to be the knowledgeable one, yet thought it necessary to weigh down the bags of two 17 year olds with beer cans? Alcohol with the necessity of survival just don’t mix – no matter how thirsty you are, alcohol is worse. It dehydrates you faster and is more detrimental than helpful, but I’m getting off point here.
As the story is told predominantly from two teenage boys – despite the author’s experience in psychology – it seemed forced and fake, like she was trying too hard and ended up stereotypical in her interpretation of a group of teenagers (older siblings’ age is never stated, just “older.”) Yet it doesn’t fail to hit the clichés of a group of party hard teenagers, that are all handsome/pretty, with the “main” character Matt a successful basketball player, that is known to spout random inspirational quotes and name the author of such quotes (though, this does come to reasoning later on), while his friends are portrayed as brainless and drooling over women, or the mere mention of them. Matt is “different” – he likes to read and remain by himself, even in a party setting, with a brooding nature of his absent father. My early thoughts were that the information is crudely provided – making it seemingly rudimentary and pointless to the plot, and that there are better ways to develop plot and characters.
In amongst all this though, even early on, I noticed that there was some beautifully written lines and descriptions points, such as describing Leah’s eyes as being “lit from within” – but in between the dialogue, this was few and far between in the beginning. We get to see more of this talent later in the book – with the one almost redeeming chapter. Almost. Where it becomes a true survivor novel – with just two characters, trying to survive the cold; with the danger of hypothermia, starvation and wild animals all too real. Here is where the story really shone – it was simple, it was survival, it was interesting. Little was said, things were nuanced than explicitly stated outright. Though, this was ruined when I audibly laughed out loud and even had to read it to my partner to show the ridiculous of how Matt realised his “pelvis wasn’t as frozen as he thought” while he was sharing his body warmth with Leah, who was shivering after a river tumble, and was at risk of hypothermia. Yeah, 17 year olds get boners at weird moments, but was this really necessary to mention?
Unfortunately, the enjoyable chapter with good writing didn’t last and was passed over back to the clunky dialogue and random, forced moments of action, with a rushed ending.
My biggest thought about it was that it was trying to “jump the shark” – either purposefully or not. With a constant flick between those waiting to be rescued with a potentially fatally wounded friend and those looking to send out the SOS, as well as a few random chapters that were from the perspective of “The Hunter” – a mountain lion that was in the throes of starvation and looking to prey upon the group. Throw in Matt’s daddy issues, Leah and Carter’s parental issues, a love triangle between Dylan, Carter and Julie, a bear and her cub at one point, a random snowstorm that passed as soon as it started, the second group smoking out their cabin and I think it was around 3x slides for life (all Matt), one while wrestling with a mountain lion, 2x river tumbles and one waterfall tumble (again, Matt. Given that this was based off her husband, she really tortured the poor character.) All within less than 300 pages of story – it was just so cluttered with everything. Maybe if it were longer – primarily focused on Leah and Matt, with the danger of the mountain lion and bear still there, but spread out and not without closure. Where did both those animals go? They did their thing, and then vanished. But more focused on how hard it would be to survive after an avalanche, with little food, limited phone signal, in the cold, with wet clothes and a snowstorm closing in, I feel like it could’ve taken it so much further. The gut-wrenching thought of whether the two would find their friends alive or not, with the threat of the mountain lion and their fatally wounded friend.
The ending was in fact rushed, and after everything, there was very little closure to the characters and their rescue. It was glossed over, we didn’t get to see some of the characters and their survival, only heard about it, a few characters got a “I don’t know what happened” ending, and given Matt was unconscious for his rescue, we didn’t get to feel the happiness of being rescued after being so close to death.
So, all in all, it had a good promise, yet was disappointing with too much being thrown at the reader, and too much unnecessary drama, some knowledgeable aspects thrown in as to mountaineering, and some questionable aspects incorrectly represented as survival tactics. This book might be okay for the younger audience, who might find some enjoyable out of all the drama and action, but it’s a book you’d probably only pick up once and wouldn’t go out of your way to find other books by the same author, or hope there was going to be a sequel.
July 16, 2016
Sadly, this was a great premise ruined by hopeless melodrama. The characters were underwritten, the increasingly regular scenes of peril too many and too quickly resolved and the scenes from the POV of a mountain lion unnecessary and disruptive in terms of narrative. However, there were glimpses of great writing amid the dross - particularly in the scenes where characters see their lives flashing before their eyes - and the dialogue is believable. Sadly, this promise does not make up for a pretty generic and underwritten survival story.
November 2, 2018
If you're a fan of books like Hatchet, and Peak, this is a must read. Focusing on the epic journey of a group of teenagers who become trapped on a mountain by a brutal avalanche. They must face both the dangerous winter wilderness, and the darkness within themselves. It focuses on the growth from childhood to adulthood.
September 4, 2017
I abandoned this book (I never abandon books) didn't want to waste my time.....definitely YA material with underage drinking and pot use within the first 30 pages. Calling other characters offensive names, etc.
April 23, 2018
I guess I expected too much for this book. The plot was excellent but it was poorly written and the characters' experiences were flashed back and forth. However I frowned about the underage drinking and smoking pot. I was losing interest with the characters. It could have been a good book.
February 6, 2017
I can confidently say that the novel, Avalanche by Melinda Braun, is one of the most thrilling stories I've ever read. This book has it all: adventure, action, romance, and even suspense. Avalanche tells the story of the main character, Matt. Matt has just decided to spend spring break with his best friend, Tony, in Colorado after the scheduled trip to Florida with his father was canceled. Matt and Tony planned to stay with Tony's brother, Sid, who's in college and lives in Colorado. Sid promises to show Matt and Tony a little bit of college life as well as the best back-country skiing trip they've ever had. Sid takes Matt and Tony to a party so they can meet the people who will be going skiing with them the next day. Matt meets a girl that he thinks might like him back and starts to believe that this trip might be fun after all. Sid's friend, Dylan, claims that he knows where an abandoned cabin is in the woods near where they plan to go skiing. So, the group plans to stay the night there while on their ski trip. Just when things are starting to look up, Matt and Sid's group of friends go on the back-country skiing trip. The trip results in multiple injuries, and one death due to an unexpected avalanche. From that point on, it seems like everything that could go wrong for the group does, such as having trouble finding help due to no cellphone signal. However, Matt and his new friends have no time to waste as they have to fight against time in order to save the remaining group members.
There are many reasons why someone should read this book, such as because of the realistic imagery used throughout every page. Although I've never been caught in the middle of an avalanche myself, Braun's intense details made me feel as if I was experiencing every minute of every obstacle along with the characters. Another reason is because Braun frequently references the character's pasts. By learning about their pasts it made the book more enjoyable because it made you feel like you knew/understood the characters and why they did what they did throughout the book. In addition, there is never a dull moment in this book. I found myself constantly not wanting to put this book down due to all of the action and suspense that it portrayed. '
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure, action, romance, and suspense. I would also recommend this to anyone 13 years or older due to frequent profanities and some mature subject matters. I can assure you that you wouldn't regret reading this book.
There are many reasons why someone should read this book, such as because of the realistic imagery used throughout every page. Although I've never been caught in the middle of an avalanche myself, Braun's intense details made me feel as if I was experiencing every minute of every obstacle along with the characters. Another reason is because Braun frequently references the character's pasts. By learning about their pasts it made the book more enjoyable because it made you feel like you knew/understood the characters and why they did what they did throughout the book. In addition, there is never a dull moment in this book. I found myself constantly not wanting to put this book down due to all of the action and suspense that it portrayed. '
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure, action, romance, and suspense. I would also recommend this to anyone 13 years or older due to frequent profanities and some mature subject matters. I can assure you that you wouldn't regret reading this book.
March 2, 2018
Avalanche by Melinda Braun was an action-packed book that had me constantly turning the page. It begins with two high school boys, Matt and Tony, arriving in Colorado for a spring break ski trip with one of the boys' older brother, Sid, whom they accompany to a college party where their ski trip is planned out. Though it is told from the third person, the story focuses on Matt, one of the two high schoolers who is only there because his dad bailed on him and whose personal life is revealed throughout the text. The next day, while on the slopes with their plan of going to a hidden cabin in the woods at night, an avalanche strikes and buries the kids. With only six out of the seven found and one with a deflated lung, Carter, Julie, and Tony must hurriedly carry Sid, the one with the deflated lung, to the cabin as emotions begins to run high, while Matt and Leah head out to the mountain peak to find a cell phone signal to call for help where they encounter many obstacles and must survive in the wilderness. This plot filled with strange occurrences and the theme of survival kept me reading as I enjoy action-packed books and especially the outdoors. The constant threats including a bear, a mountain lion, many cliffs and even a tree well that Matt, the main character, faces, are very thrilling; one scene especially, where Matt and Leah battle hypothermia after Leah falls into a river attempting to run away from a bear and gets her foot stuck under a rock and Matt must strip and save her, made me keep turning the page. The events and focus on Matt also allowed to reader to become closer to the character as his thoughts divulged throughout the book revealed not only his personality but how his identity was changing as well, as he faced difficult situations in the woods. The changing chapters between Matt and Leah and Tony, Carter, Sid and Julie also added to the suspense as often, Braun left each group with a cliffhanger (literally) or a surprise. The connection between the characters themselves including the building romance between Leah and Matt, the love between brothers Sid and Tony, and the drama building with Julie and Carter made the story more real and added another dimension to the story. I also appreciated how Braun dragged out some events with dialogue and characters' thoughts because it made each scene more suspenseful. I would definitely recommend Braun's suspense and action-packed book kept as one will not be able to it down.
September 17, 2022
"'Have you ever heard of these things happening out here before?'
By these things, he meant the following:
Avalanches. Mortal wounds. Hypothermia. Bear attacks. What else did he forget? What else was there?
Matt thought of Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong, will. That seemed to be true, and it was getting truer by the minute.
'I think these things happen all the time,' Leah answered. 'It's just that they've never happened to us.'"
Seven skiers start into the mountains. Not all of them return alive.
When Matt's trip to visit his disappointing father falls apart, he joins his best friend Tony on a skiing trip through the Rocky Mountains with Tony's older brother and college friends. The adventure is supposed to be fun and lighthearted, but when the group strays into an avalanche, their entire trip turns for the worse.
One skier is dead. Another is severely injured. With no heat, no signal, and no easy path back to safety, it becomes clear that everybody's lives are at stake. If the rest want to make it out alive, they must split up in groups and work together to survive.
Dang! This book was certainly a journey!
Everything, and I mean everything that could have gone wrong on this trip went wrong. It was kind of comical, in a way that isn't funny to these characters or if this were to happen in real life, but rather in a way that has you thinking "It can't get any worse, can it? Oh. It did." For the sheer amount of life-threatening incidents that happened to multiple characters persistently, I don't think such a series of near-death experiences one after the other would be realistic.
But man, did I eat this up anyway! I love a good survival story and this had everything you could ever ask for! I rooted for every member of the group, as even those that complained had every right to for what they were going through. Once the avalanche struck, I was flying through the pages, completely immersed until the end.
I still adore the mountains. But stories like these remind me that there is much to fear as well.
"True to his father's word, he thought of a quote from the book. 'Energy and persistence conquer all things.'
'Nice,' Leah replied. 'So who said that?'
'Benjamin Franklin.'
'Did Benjamin Franklin ever climb a mountain?'
'Don't think so.'
'Yeah, that's what I thought.' Leah turned away and began the long, slow ascent. Up and up and forever up."
By these things, he meant the following:
Avalanches. Mortal wounds. Hypothermia. Bear attacks. What else did he forget? What else was there?
Matt thought of Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong, will. That seemed to be true, and it was getting truer by the minute.
'I think these things happen all the time,' Leah answered. 'It's just that they've never happened to us.'"
Seven skiers start into the mountains. Not all of them return alive.
When Matt's trip to visit his disappointing father falls apart, he joins his best friend Tony on a skiing trip through the Rocky Mountains with Tony's older brother and college friends. The adventure is supposed to be fun and lighthearted, but when the group strays into an avalanche, their entire trip turns for the worse.
One skier is dead. Another is severely injured. With no heat, no signal, and no easy path back to safety, it becomes clear that everybody's lives are at stake. If the rest want to make it out alive, they must split up in groups and work together to survive.
Dang! This book was certainly a journey!
Everything, and I mean everything that could have gone wrong on this trip went wrong. It was kind of comical, in a way that isn't funny to these characters or if this were to happen in real life, but rather in a way that has you thinking "It can't get any worse, can it? Oh. It did." For the sheer amount of life-threatening incidents that happened to multiple characters persistently, I don't think such a series of near-death experiences one after the other would be realistic.
But man, did I eat this up anyway! I love a good survival story and this had everything you could ever ask for! I rooted for every member of the group, as even those that complained had every right to for what they were going through. Once the avalanche struck, I was flying through the pages, completely immersed until the end.
I still adore the mountains. But stories like these remind me that there is much to fear as well.
"True to his father's word, he thought of a quote from the book. 'Energy and persistence conquer all things.'
'Nice,' Leah replied. 'So who said that?'
'Benjamin Franklin.'
'Did Benjamin Franklin ever climb a mountain?'
'Don't think so.'
'Yeah, that's what I thought.' Leah turned away and began the long, slow ascent. Up and up and forever up."
December 9, 2019
Matt is a teenage boy that goes to visit his best friend's brother in college for week with his best friend Tony to get away from his disappointing family life. They go cross county skiing through the Rocky Mountains and unexpectedly accouter an avalanche. Matt, Tony, and his brother's friends have to figure out a way to escape the dangers of mother nature while trying to keep themselves and the others alive. Matt has to try and figure out a way to send for help because no one knows where they are and that they are missing. A quote that stood out to me was said when Matt and Leah had to hike up a mountain to get cell service and call 911 to tell them where they were and to send help. "Energy and persistence conquer all things" which was a famous quote by Benjamin Franklin. Now in this scene Leah thought that these words were useless and in no way shape or from could help them. In reality these words are the things that will help them survive and save their friends because without energy you are unable to live and with persistence you are determined to accomplish something. Persistence has helped many people in the past conquer amazing challenges like winning gold medals but also smaller issues like getting a good grade on a test or report card. Leah was right in this situation for thinking these words could not help them because physically words can;t do anything but she was wrong in thinking that they could not help you mentally. Through Matt's terrifying ski trip he has been put up against obstacles they are almost impossible to accomplish but with persistence he was able to prove to himself what he is capable of.
May 11, 2017
Avalanche is a book that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls. It is filled with adventure, action, arguments, nature, and boy-girl problems. I really like how Braun describes the struggles of the characters. She does this by switching the point of view throughout the book. The action is believable, and she does a good job of drawing the reader into the peril the characters face.
I really like how Braun made this book personal. The main character is named after her husband; several of the other characters were named after people she knows. She even includes her alma mater, the University of Minnesota into the story.
For me, there was only one negative with this book. I felt that every possible bad thing that could happen to the group happens. It made it a little unrealistic for me. As I read, I found myself thinking, “Not again.” SPOILER: I mean avalanche, death, bears, mountain lions, freezing rivers, tree wells, cliffs….was a little too much. Middle schoolers will probably not think this, but I feel more advanced readers might it distracting.
Some will need to be aware of the language used in the book. It does contain cursing and occasionally drops the “F-bomb”. I think the language is realistic for the plot. It is high school student and college students talking, and they are in some hairy predicaments.
I really like how Braun made this book personal. The main character is named after her husband; several of the other characters were named after people she knows. She even includes her alma mater, the University of Minnesota into the story.
For me, there was only one negative with this book. I felt that every possible bad thing that could happen to the group happens. It made it a little unrealistic for me. As I read, I found myself thinking, “Not again.” SPOILER: I mean avalanche, death, bears, mountain lions, freezing rivers, tree wells, cliffs….was a little too much. Middle schoolers will probably not think this, but I feel more advanced readers might it distracting.
Some will need to be aware of the language used in the book. It does contain cursing and occasionally drops the “F-bomb”. I think the language is realistic for the plot. It is high school student and college students talking, and they are in some hairy predicaments.
May 20, 2024
I very much enjoyed this book. The novel was interesting from start to finish due to its heavily effective use of suspense during important scenes and the use of multiple points of view to develop each character's conflicts. They also used the switching of characters to create multiple different storylines, such as Tony's increasing worry over his brother's condition, Julie's guilt and anger over the death of Dylan, the romance between Julie and Matt, and Matt's frustration with his father. I also would like to credit the story for its incredible pace changes, which put the reader in the moment. An example is when Matt is describing the waterfall, taking it slow, stating, "It was stunningly beautiful, starting a different kind of ache in Matt's stomach," but once the bear comes along, he is more rushed and states, "Leah grabbed him from behind, jerking his backpack toward her, but the bear had already closed the gap..." However, a critique I have is that the story seems quite rushed. Matt and Leah are surviving out in the wilderness, things getting more grim by the second, and then the lion attacks, and BOOM! the story resolves everything just like that. It somewhat cheapens the finish of the book, but I personally enjoyed it anyway. The author also doesn't address Matt's father in the novel as much as is needed to make it a centerpiece conflict like she tries to make it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2022
The book Avalanche by Melinda Braun is a book that to me is interesting because I enjoy adventurous stories. This book has many twists turns and disasters that made the book even more interesting to read. In this book there are 7 characters 6 that are main characters but the most important is Matt. Matt and the others are all friends that are off of school and on vacation. They all go skiing together until one time something horrible happens, an Avalanche! Matt and another character, Leah have to get help while the others have to rest because they are weak. Read to find out all the twists and turns and struggles Matt and the others go through. This book was captivating from the start. I enjoyed reading about the characters and what they do to survive. This story is also informative about survival in the snow along with it being enjoyable making it an even better read. Lastly what I have to say about this book is it shows good emotions from characters and has different pov´s of characters, these help get a better understanding of their situations rather than just 1 character making this book unique to others.
Thank you!
Thank you!
November 14, 2021
Ok, I'm good with any YA/middle grade novel that gets readers interested in getting outside. Avalanche is a fast paced, page turner as well. Maybe I'm too jaded, however, to fully appreciate this novel, knowing folks on Alpine Rescue Teams and the area in the book but...would a party, no matter HOW unlucky:
-Get caught in an avalanche
-Asphyxiate themselves in a cabin
-Be stalked by a mountain lion, three times
-Almost fall off a cliff (1 person)
-Actually fall off a cliff (another person)
-Get attacked by a bear
-Fall in a river (2 people)
-Survive a blizzard
-Suffer from frostbite
Also, some of the areas referenced were 50+ miles of each other so it was a bit implausible and I wonder if older, more sophisticated readers would sour on it.
For older middle grade and younger teens this an exciting story featuring a mix of male and female characters.
-Get caught in an avalanche
-Asphyxiate themselves in a cabin
-Be stalked by a mountain lion, three times
-Almost fall off a cliff (1 person)
-Actually fall off a cliff (another person)
-Get attacked by a bear
-Fall in a river (2 people)
-Survive a blizzard
-Suffer from frostbite
Also, some of the areas referenced were 50+ miles of each other so it was a bit implausible and I wonder if older, more sophisticated readers would sour on it.
For older middle grade and younger teens this an exciting story featuring a mix of male and female characters.
December 24, 2019
I wanted to read something different that what I had been reading so picked up this book as liked how it sounded. I like that it wasn't an adventure story with a couple things and everyone is happy. It played more true to life that people did some things they shouldn't and not everything came up all sunshine. Some things happened that I wasn't expecting because of this. You grew to know the characters in a way as they had to face extreme circumstance. I liked the story flow and how it all played together. It caught you up in the tale and held you there. I was disappointed as got to a good part and had to set it down for awhile and couldn't wait to see what happened next. I would recommend this book and will look for more by this author.
July 7, 2022
A good addition to my YA for boys list, and possibly a good reluctant reader book. A quick read (less than 4 hours for me), YA survival adventure. A 17-year-old boy and his best friend go to Colorado for some cross-country skiing. And lots of bad things happen. If you made a list of the ten worst things that could happen on such a trip, six or seven of those happen in this book. And it has real consequences.
Only four stars for two reasons. 1) I was at first irritated how the author couldn't seem to have dialog with just dialog or a tag. there was always some piece of stage business, and it often wasn't important. It caused a hiccup in the reading for me. Eventually the characters and story made me ignore that flaw. 2) And it really is too many things to have happen to people in one 48-hour period. I've hiked in the Cascades and through Bryce in winter and in northern AZ and in Acadia and Idaho and all kinds of places, alone entirely or alone with my dog most of that time, and never once did I get attacked by a wild animal. I saw prints, but as far as I can tell they'll do nearly anything to avoid you (save, probably grizzlies and polar bears and sharks, who would happily eat you, but I never ran into any of those.) Hell, even rattle snakes give you many many feet of warning. So I sort of didn't believe that, but whatever. It made for a better yarn, I guess.
Only four stars for two reasons. 1) I was at first irritated how the author couldn't seem to have dialog with just dialog or a tag. there was always some piece of stage business, and it often wasn't important. It caused a hiccup in the reading for me. Eventually the characters and story made me ignore that flaw. 2) And it really is too many things to have happen to people in one 48-hour period. I've hiked in the Cascades and through Bryce in winter and in northern AZ and in Acadia and Idaho and all kinds of places, alone entirely or alone with my dog most of that time, and never once did I get attacked by a wild animal. I saw prints, but as far as I can tell they'll do nearly anything to avoid you (save, probably grizzlies and polar bears and sharks, who would happily eat you, but I never ran into any of those.) Hell, even rattle snakes give you many many feet of warning. So I sort of didn't believe that, but whatever. It made for a better yarn, I guess.
February 2, 2023
When Matt joins his friends for a backcountry ski adventure, he doesn’t fully understand the danger he is facing. Half a day into the trip, an avalanche is triggered leaving one dead and another severely injured. Soon Matt and his new friend Leah are fighting the elements to save their entire group.
A fast-paced story of survival, Avalanche will keep readers hooked. It is perfect for reluctant readers because the action never stops (it’s actually a little over the top for me--what are the chances you get chased by a bear AND attacked by a mountain lion within a few hours of each other) and the book is rather short. Even with a quick story, the characters are well-developed. Perfect for action movie lovers.
Recommended ages–12 and up
A fast-paced story of survival, Avalanche will keep readers hooked. It is perfect for reluctant readers because the action never stops (it’s actually a little over the top for me--what are the chances you get chased by a bear AND attacked by a mountain lion within a few hours of each other) and the book is rather short. Even with a quick story, the characters are well-developed. Perfect for action movie lovers.
Recommended ages–12 and up
September 9, 2024
I gave this book a 5 star review, my reasoning for that is because it met my wants, and had amazing detail in the writing. An age I would say that is perfect for reading this book is probably 13 years old and older. I feel like adults could love this book, mainly because it has action and keeps the reader intertwined with the pages. As a reader who likes action, adventures, and a little romance. This book is perfect for that genre. Readers who love action and adventure would love this book because each page gets more adventurous as you read on. The author did an amazing job describing and telling you about what's going on, where it's happening, and when it’s happening. I really enjoyed this book because I never got bored of it.
May 5, 2018
I read this book as part of the 2018 Tayshas reading challenge at my high school. It was a nice break from the usual teen romances that make the Tayshas list. I had not read an action/adventure YA novel since Hatchet, which I read when I was in high school myself. This move reminded me a lot of that book, both of which I enjoyed. If you are not familiar with Rocky Mountain settings, as I am not, in may be difficult to get a clear picture in your head of what is going on in some scenes.
November 27, 2019
Not bad for a disaster tale. Other than a few odd characterizations and some weirdly placed emphasis on Leah at the end, it was a strong book. The kids felt like kids and it never seemed like the author was throwing bad things at the group to make the story more intense. Everything that happened felt logical.
April 20, 2020
What a good read. Matt upset with his father goes on a ski trip with his friend Tony, Tony’s brother Sid lives in Colorado and sking is what is planned. Seven adults went up but one doesn’t have a tracking device , a avalanche occurs killing one seriously hurting one, Tbe story continues of their survival through the storms breaking off into pairs, a nice read
January 27, 2025
Poprawny thriller survivalowy (dosyć realistyczny)
Poza głównym bohaterem i Leah reszta wydawała się dość płaska co jest chyba jednym z niewielu minusów, szybko się to czytało (bo książka jest dosyć krótka) i napisana w prosty sposób , trochę mało emocji przez co momenty z 'akcją' też wypadały nieco średnio.
Poza głównym bohaterem i Leah reszta wydawała się dość płaska co jest chyba jednym z niewielu minusów, szybko się to czytało (bo książka jest dosyć krótka) i napisana w prosty sposób , trochę mało emocji przez co momenty z 'akcją' też wypadały nieco średnio.
February 25, 2017
I don't see how anybody survived this scenario. Author did a great job of making the reader feel the cold, pain and desperation. I just thought it was a little wordy and skipped over some of the details as I read.
April 29, 2018
I’d give this YA adventure book 3.5 stars. This is a survival story— an avalanche in Colorado during spring break for some inexperienced campers. My 13 year old recommended this book to me because he liked it.
September 28, 2020
Loved it
Fast paced keep me interested hated to put it down.would recommend it to anyone who likes a clean adventure interesting story line and characters. Action packed belieable adventure.
Fast paced keep me interested hated to put it down.would recommend it to anyone who likes a clean adventure interesting story line and characters. Action packed belieable adventure.
May 20, 2024
Solidly fine. No huge qualms. It does get a little absurd with the amount of bad luck the protagonist winds up having but I enjoyed the writing and the story kept going at a nice clip. Not extremely memorable but no qualms either.
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