fairy skeletons.: Book Review: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds...

In this definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest, Jon Krakauer takes the reader step-by-step from Kathmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, unfolding a breathtaking story that will by turns thrill and terrify.

This is a true story.

I had to read this for school and wasn't expecting much. The general attitude of most adolescents is that nonfiction isn't supposed to be cool, right? But this was beyond... anything I've ever read. It's a captivating and achingly descriptive account of a jarring tragedy.

The impartial, journalistic tone used throughout the book was superb, and really assured me that I was reading the truth and nothing but.

It's a very moving, powerful book filled with symbolism and shattering truths.

Just read it.

I know this is a brusque review, but EEK I'm behind and I need to get moving. I'm requiring you to read this one. Seriously.