Climb Harder by Phil Barker is the second book in the Ashley Davis series. While this book can stand on its own, I recommend reading the first book in the series as well to appreciate the richness and depth of the characters. The story of Climb Harder picks up where the first book left off. Teenager, Ashley Davies leaves the small-town life of Abbeydale for the first time in her life and flies to Sydney for the climbing competition that will determine the direction of the rest of her life. While in Sydney she is scheduled to stay with her estranged dad, Wyatt. He walked away from her family when she was four, following a climbing accident that left her older brother, Cameron, wheelchair-bound. With no real memories of him, her nerves are on edge.
She lands in Sydney on a chilly July day. Wyatt is not what she expected. His hunched posture throws her and when she looks into his eyes she sees a tired man, but his flecked hazel eyes match her own and a connection is made. She steps up and hugs his thin frame and breathes in his scent of tobacco, dust, and chalk. At that moment, she feels safe.
In his home, she studies a wall of photos. In them, she sees her brother Cameron before his accident as a lead climbing champion in the under-15 division. A rush of responsibility and pride elates her. When she takes a closer look at the championship photo, she notes a web of spidery hairlines revealing the picture had been smashed and shattered in the past. This is a masterful harbinger of foreboding that leaves the reader wondering if Ashley is safe. She thinks she can take care of herself, but can she? Does she need to?
Climb Harder introduces a new main character in Jessica Marsden who shares the role of protagonist in this story. She is a native Australian who lives with her dad and autistic younger brother, Bradley. Life is tough for them financially and emotionally since the loss of their mother. Jessica portrays a hardboiled side to the outside world, but when she is thrust into the climbing competition after the first-choice climber breaks her arm, she learns of the cash prize that can help her family. She sets her sights on winning the competition.
Author Phil Barker does a great job developing both characters creating a dichotomy. Both girls want to win, and work hard, leaving the reader with two, strong young females skilled in climbing. Both deserve to win. The stakes are high for both.
When I read The Climb (The Ashley Davies Trilogy Book 1), I expected a coming-of-age story but the author
delivered more. It was a story of healing and growth. Climb Harder mirrors
these elements times two. Barker captures the emotional turmoil and rationality
motivating these teens in their roller-coaster journey to become a champion. In
the process, Ashley discovers it means more than she realized. Phil Barker is
one of the best authors I’ve read this year. His action-packed writing is
filled with imperfect characters that grow and heal through emotional and
physical struggles and decision making. I give this book 5 stars and recommend
it to fans of books like I
Was Born for This by
Alice Oseman or Someday We’ll
Find It by Jennifer
Wilson.
As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received Climb Harder as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with #Blackberry Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.
About author Philip Barker
Young adult literary fiction author Philip Barker believes it is important to do something every day that scares you, even if it’s only a little bit; it means you are pushing yourself to experience new things. Through his writing, he aspires to provide his young readers a different perspective, to put emotions into words so that they can hopefully feel a way that they normally wouldn’t, or even wouldn’t want to.
Philip realized in high school that he wanted to be a writer when he discovered that books have the capacity to make him think outside of the established way that was taught to him growing up in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. He likes to ground his stories in reality and relate them to personal experiences. It is his opinion that life itself is amazing and story-worthy, and there are so many interesting people in the world, all things that he can harvest great writing from.
Philip believes a great story is one that has relatable and interesting characters. Everyone lives interesting lives, and getting to know people is the fun part, even with fictional characters. Having them leave their comfort zones becomes fascinating and often hilarious. To Philip, everyone has a story to tell, and he hopes his young readers learn from his own story that life is complicated and things occur that can often be out of their control. But how they overcome obstacles is what’s important and committing oneself to something with a goal and purpose, like rock climbing, can help ground you.
When he isn’t writing thought-provoking fiction stories for young adults, Philip enjoys rock climbing, gardening, and watching B Grade movies. His wife, siblings, mother, and in-laws provided positive support and courage for his books and in his life. He lives in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, NSW, Australia with his wife, two dachshunds, Alfie and George, and a rabbit named Abby. Climb was his debut novel and first in the series.
Author’s Social Media Links:
instagram.com/abbeydalecollective/
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