Book Review Kidnapped at the Icefall

Takashi Komuro is 17 years old. His father is a world-famous mountain climber and his mother is an expert in Japanese tea ceremony, ikebana (flower arranging), and calligraphy. “Tak” must hide the fact that he has a fear of heights and only started learning two years ago how to climb mountains.

Tak’s mother has a rare disease that is causing her to lose her sight. The family cannot afford to pay for treatment. However, a billionaire is offering $1 million to a guide and their youngest child who can summit Mt. Everest by June. If Tak’s father enters, Tak is sure he will win so that they will be able to pay for his mother’s treatment.

There is one obstacle: Tak’s father’s former partner, Tremont Night. Night has made it his mission to stop Tak’s father from winning the competition, no matter what. Indeed, Night hires a hit man to kidnap Tak’s mother, in hopes that the kidnapping will prevent his father from entering the contest.

What Night did not reckon with was Tak. Tak discovers the kidnapping early on, and with the help of two friends, Dart and Pi, rescues his mother. Eventually, he and his father win the $1 million prize as they summit Mt. Everest together.

As readers of the North American Post may know, I have reviewed several other books by Mariko Tatsumoto, Swept Away, Ayumi’s Violin, and Blossoms on a Poisoned Sea. I liked them all. This book, however, seemed a bit rushed to me and, quite frankly, unbelievable.

I found it unbelievable because for me, it was difficult to fathom that anyone would go to those depths to deceive a former colleague. That said, most readers in the ages 8-12 bracket, loved the book.

That said, it has been a long time since I was an 8-12-year-old, the age range for which this book was written. The reviews for this book on Amazon are almost all 5s, the best you can get, and on Goodreads, 4 out of 5 rating. If you have an 8-12-year-old for whom you are buying a Christmas gift, this may be perfect for you! (There is no need to worry about safety; Tatsumoto has inserted a stern warning about trying climbing moves without a certified instructor.)

The book is available at Amazon, eBay, Barnes & Noble, Elliott Bay Book Company on Capitol Hill (Seattle), and Couth Buzzard Books in Greenwood (Seattle). You can also check your neighborhood bookstore.