Strength of the Mountains

The morning arrives. The balloon is filled. An unexpected storm strikes. Matt, all alone, swept off into the wilderness in an unfinished balloon. He crash lands in the wilderness without a cell phone or other means of contacting others. He must find a way to survive with only the items in the balloon.  

He tries hiking out of the valley, but the steep mountains and raging rivers make the escape nearly impossible. While looking for a way out of the valley, he discovers a hidden house carved into the side of the mountain cliff. With only his survival book and a small food supply, Matt stays in the valley until he can catch enough food for a long trek back to civilization.  

Then, another disaster strikes. After a pilot jumps out of his plane, sisters Erica and Natalie crash in the forest near Matt. Twelve-year-old Natalie is uninjured, but her older sister Erica cannot walk. Now, Matt must find a way to keep himself and the two girls alive. With little food and no hope of walking out, will the three ever make it home? 

Despite being stranded in the wilderness, twenty-three-year-old Matt keeps an optimistic outlook and finds simple joys such as breathing fresh air and stargazing. At first, Matt spends his time exploring the Cliff House and the tunnels that twist deep into the mountains. His curiosity and resourcefulness never wane, and he never gives in to anger or self-pity. When Erica and Natalie arrive, Matt jumps in to help the girls without complaint, even though his plans must pivot in order for everyone to survive. 

Even though Matt’s story is a survival story, his situation never seems genuinely dire. For example, he notices wolf and bear tracks but never encounters dangerous animals. Similarly, he knows he needs to find food but never runs out of breakfast bars. At first, he doesn’t realize how isolated he is, so he explores and enjoys nature’s ruggedness. This slows the story’s pacing, which doesn’t pick up until Erica and Natalie appear. The characters’ interactions help propel the story forward and show the importance of teamwork.  

Readers will instantly like Natalie, who, like Matt, is optimistic and upbeat, while Erica often voices her complaints. Readers will enjoy Matt’s inability to form coherent words when talking to Erica. While the two eventually get engaged, their relationship never feels romantic. Unfortunately, the story’s conclusion comes too quickly to feel complete. In addition, not all of the plot points come to an end, leaving the readers with unanswered questions.  

Strength of the Mountains will appeal to nature-loving readers who enjoy survival stories such as Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Even though Strength of the Mountains has few intense, action-packed scenes, Matt’s story is still compelling because of his curiosity about his surroundings, his friendship with a raccoon, and his willingness to care for Erica and Natalie. In addition, the book highlights the importance of forgiveness, teamwork, and reading the Bible. If you’d like to read more about teens who must rely on themselves to survive, grab a copy of Mayday at Two Thousand Five Hundred by Frank E. Peretti and Alone by Megan E. Freeman. 

Sexual Content  

• After Erica agrees to marry Matt, he “kissed her right on the lips. It was a right, wonderful kiss.” 

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• Matt discovers a home carved into the side of a mountain. In a trunk, he finds a Bible with an inscription: “Read this Bible daily, live its teachings, and happiness and joy will be yours. / Pray to the Lord each day for each other and your family. Be thankful, and God will bless and prosper you on your journey. Let Him be your Strength, and He will always be there to help you.” 
• Matt often says quick little prayers. For example, after crash landing in the wilderness, he finds a breakfast bar and gives a blessing. “Heavenly Father. Thank You for this food. And thank You for keeping me safe, keeping me alive. Please, please help me find. . . my family. . . my home.” 
• While exploring the wilderness, Matt “offered a silent prayer for health and safety, and that he would be able to find his way back to Cliff House.” Not all of the prayers are included below. 
• Tunnels go through the mountain. While exploring the tunnels, Matt “offered a silent prayer about which way he should go.” 
• While looking at the stars, Matt thinks, “It’s almost as if we could reach out and touch the throne of God.” 
• Matt gives Erica’s sister a Bible and says, “If she’s grumpy, give her this to read.” 
• Matt, Erica, and Natalie discuss forgiveness. Erica doesn’t want to forgive “Turkey Tom,” who jumped out of the airplane and left Erica and Natalie behind, almost killing them. The discussion shows the importance of forgiving others “so we don’t carry the burden.” The discussion lasted for half a page.  
• While preparing to fly the hot air balloon, Matt says, “Prayer is good. We’re going to need all the help we can get.” 
• Erica finds an important paper in the Bible. She tells Matt, “You know how you said to take your problems to the Lord and He will always help you? Well, that’s just what I did. I picked up the old McAllister Bible and this paper fell out of it.”