Saving Everest

by Sky Chase

Overview

From the outside, Everest has it all, but there’s only one person who can see him for who he truly is . . . and it changes his life forever.

In this tender, poignant debut novel by newcomer Sky Chase, two teenagers on the cusp of adulthood learn to embrace life in ways neither of them ever anticipated.

Everest is the most popular boy in school. He’s handsome, wealthy, and captain of the football team—he has the world at his fingertips, but he’s desperately unhappy. And when those feelings become too much to bear, he tries to take his own life.

On the surface, Beverly’s different from Everest in every possible way. She’s quiet, shy, hard working, and keeps to herself on campus, focusing on her schoolwork and her part-time job, distracting herself from her less-than-perfect upbringing.

When Everest returns to school after his attempt, he’s in more pain than ever. Discarded by his friends, he draws little empathy and too much attention from those who surround him. But when Beverly and Everest meet unexpectedly in a dusty corner of the old library, they discover together just how rich life can be when given the freedom to just be yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780993689925
Publisher:	Wattpad Webtoon Studios, Inc.
Publication date:	10/22/2019
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sky Chase is a young author who grew up in the vibrant city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She’s been telling stories since before she could read, but when she joined Wattpad, she found a safe place to create and a platform on which she could advocate for mental health. When Sky’s not writing, she can be found counting the constellations from her window, scribbling song lyrics on napkins, and visiting her local animal shelter. Saving Everest is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

2019-08-13
Beverly's senior year takes unexpected twists and turns when she befriends the most popular guy in school after he attempts suicide.

Everest Finley, quarterback and top of the social pyramid at Shady Hills Academy, suffers from depression. Following a suicide attempt, he's alive but not doing well. His wealthy parents are self-absorbed, and his popularity at school plummets. As he begins a downward spiral, he befriends Beverly, who is a bit of a social outcast and described as the only black girl at their predominantly white school (a biracial black and Asian girl seemingly does not count). The story of Beverly and Everest's budding romance—and Everest's budding music career—is told in alternating first-person chapters. Unfortunately, Everett's and Beverly's narrative voices sound the same, which hinders their character development. Beverly's blackness seems incidental to the story, and both Everett's and Beverly's parents feel like caricatures. And some big questions are left unanswered: Why does Everest's suicide attempt make the local news just because his father is a corporate bigwig? Why does Beverly's mother, who works as a hairdresser and doesn't make much money, somehow manage to send her to private school but then sabotage Beverly's efforts to make a better life for herself?

This ambitious novel tackles tough topics but ultimately suffers from plot weaknesses and lack of character development. (resources) (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews