A compelling story of a young boy's survival after a plane crash, fuelled by lessons learned while his father was pushing him to be a competitive surfer and skier. I listened to the audio version, narrated by the author, himself. I recommend that you NOT do the same. Ollestad delivers every line with the same cadence and intensity, whether he's talking about the harrowing crash, a gnarly wave, a road-trip or a girl. If you read the hard copy and let the voice in your head add the dramatic emphasis, I think you'll enjoy the book much more.Additionally, I have to point out that he writes the book about his pre-teen experiences several decades after-the-fact so some of the language he uses is very adult. Also, he fully admits that some of his recollections have been proven wrong by time. This is an interesting quandary that could only be prevented by detailed documentation of the events at the time -- something I'm sure he was not keen to do, having just lived through the horrifying ordeal. A compelling story of a young boy's survival after a plane crash, fuelled by lessons learned while his father was pushing him to be a competitive surfer and skier. I listened to the audio version, narrated by the author, himself. I recommend that you NOT do the same. Ollestad delivers every line with the same cadence and intensity, whether he's talking about the harrowing crash, a gnarly wave, a road-trip or a girl. If you read the hard copy and let the voice in your head add the dramatic emphasis, I think you'll enjoy the book much more.Additionally, I have to point out that he writes the book about his pre-teen experiences several decades after-the-fact so some of the language he uses is very adult. Also, he fully admits that some of his recollections have been proven wrong by time. This is an interesting quandary that could only be prevented by detailed documentation of the events at the time -- something I'm sure he was not keen to do, having just lived through the horrifying ordeal.
Do You like book Crazy For The Storm (2009)?
I loved this story. At 11 years old Norman had true grit. My sons could never handle such adversity, not even now at 18! His guilt at the loss of Sandra (not a spoiler...says so on the cover!) Is unfortunate. I hope he has forgiven himself. I know that all his father put him through gave him the strength to survive. That being said, if his Dad was my husband, I'd kill him for putting my child at risk! Great story of survival. Way to go Boy Wonder! (the book was not slow. My reading time is long because i usually have 3 books going at a time. My concentration was on the others. Once I focused on this one, it was done in a few days. )
—avidfoodlover
A lot of reviewers say they found this book boring, mostly because of what they perceive to be "filler" material. They couldn't be more wrong. It's exactly that background material that makes the story so powerful, that shows what the author really lost on the mountain that day, that helps us understand the full impact of the event on the person he eventually became. I don't ski or surf, but I found the segments about those sports - and how his dad influenced his love for them - to be the best bits. Ollestad ably showed us who his dad *was,* and his loss is felt by the reader all the stronger because of it.
—Sulimenko
I see there are many mixed reviews of this book. It kept my attention so I gave it four stars.
—tainted_love
