Peak Marcello is a 14-year-old boy who learned how to rock climb through his parents. His father, Joshua Wood, has almost never seen him and leads climbing expeditions. Because there are few places where Peak can climb, he scales skyscrapers. During one climb, Peak attempts to scale yet another skyscraper. When Peak realizes that he has not prepared enough for this climb, he starts to rest only a few feet from the top of the skyscraper. By doing so, his face becomes injured from being frozen to the wall. He is sent to the Juvenile Detention Center. After another boy attempts to scale the Flatiron, and falls to his death from inspiration from Peak. Peak is sent to court because of this. Peak meets Josh, his long-lost and world-famous biological father. Since Peak is temporarily banned from New York, Josh agrees to take Peak in. Josh tells Peak that they will be visiting Chiang Mai. Josh and Peak fly to Bangkok, Thailand. Josh tells Peak that they are not going to Chiang Mai, where Peak was expecting to go, but will be traveling to Kathmandu, near Mount Everest. At the Summit Hotel in Kathmandu, Josh leaves Peak and tells him to wait for one of Josh's friends, a Buddhist monk by the name of Zopa. Zopa will take him to Everest Base Camp, where they will prepare for the long climb up Everest. Sun-jo, a Nepalese boy who is the same age as Peak, takes Peak to Zopa on a broken motorcycle. Sun-jo, Peak, Zopa, and two Sherpa brothers named Yogi and Yash travel to Base Camp. When they get there, Peak meets Holly Angelo, a reporter, who forced Josh to take her to the top of Mount Everest, who happens to be the same reporter that almost got Peak jailed, and he learns that she will be climbing the mountain with him. Peak realizes at this point that his father bailed him out of jail to come and climb Mount Everest. If he makes the climb, he will be the youngest person to reach the summit.
Reception
This book was favourably reviewed in Publisher's Weekly, which described the book as "the perfect antidote for a kid who thinks books are boring... The hook here is irresistible," and "the nifty plotting, gripping storyline, and Peak's assured delivery give those who join this expedition much to savour." It goes on, saying In 2012, Peak was listed as one of the American Library Association's "Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults."
