The White Mountains by John Christopher

Title: The White Mountains
Author: John Christopher
ISBN: 0-02-042711-5
214 pages
Collier Books, 1988 edition

One of my favorite books as a child, The White Mountains by John Christopher is part of a trilogy, The Tripods Trilogy, that follows the story of a young boy named Will Parker as he and his friends face their Tripod overlords. One of the first series to pique my interest in science fiction, this book holds a special place for me and is one that I was eager to review.

Description:

A young boy named Will Parker finds himself in a world where the Tripods, invaders from another planet, rule over the Earth. Will lives in a sort of medieval village with his family, where he hears rumors of a past before the Tripods; a time known for fear and chaos and of cities as far as the eye can see. Will cousin Jack is fast-approaching his Capping ceremony, a time for every child during which the Tripods come down from the heavens and place a metal cap on the child, marking their transition to adulthood. Fearing his own Capping, Will hears of a far-off land where people live without caps and free of the Tripod's rule and he decides to run away from home.

Will is joined in his journey by his sworn enemy and cousin Henry, and along the way they meet a strange young boy with a strange accent whom they nickname Beanpole. Set in what the reader soon can discern is Europe (England and France), the boys travel through the wooded countryside and a ruined Paris on their way to the White Mountains; the fabled land where people live in freedom. Will and his comrades find it a difficult road, but along their way the learn more about the world in which they live and the Tripods that rule their planet.

Review:

As with many popular works for tweens, The White Mountains does a nice job setting up a situation wherein only young people have a chance to save the day. In this case, due to the fact that Will and his friends have not been Capped, the young people are the only ones that find themselves outside of the Tripod's control. A very nice instance of escapism for kids; a fantastic world in which young, pre-teens are the world's only hope. Re-reading this book, I repeatedly had those type of "Ah-Ha" moments in which you remember something from your past that you had completely forgotten. One such moment was the portion of the book in which the boys find themselves in the ruined city of Paris. I was brought back to the exact moment when I read that section and began to foresee what was to come; as if I had just read it yesterday!

All in all, this book is a great example of science fiction for tweens. While it does not present the most challenging read, in terms of reading level or of ideas, it nonetheless should be an enjoyable read for tweens interested in science fiction or adventure books in general.