The White Mountains by John Christopher (The Tripods Series Book #1) is a young adult, dystopian, sci-fi. I was reminded of The Giver by Lois Lowry while reading it. There are also some sections that reminded me of The Hobbit – mostly the adventurous parts. If you enjoy children’s books full of adventure and meaningful lessons, I think you’ll enjoy this one.
In The White Mountains we learn about this place where men are free, where they’re not controlled by The Tripods. Our main character is eager to go live there but is warned that the journey will be treacherous. We follow Will Parker and his journey to The White Mountains.
There’s one thing I like about middle grade stories – the characters. Although The Tripods is sometimes referred to as YA, I definitely felt Childrens book vibes. I liked how the characters were brought to life and the adventures they went on. After only a few chapters I was invested in Will’s future and needed to know how it ended. I felt oddly protective over Will and when things went wrong, chewed my nails hoping he’d be alright. If you decide to pick this one up, I strongly believe you will be as invested in the characters as I was.
The world building was good. Not the best I’ve read but not bad. I liked some of the images although there seemed to be little information on The Tripods and what they are. A part of me felt unsatisfied by this. I can understand why it’s a mystery but I also wish there was more time spent developing The Tripods since they’re such a key element to the story. I was also disappointed in the lack of book “quotes”. And by that I mean memorable phrases from the narrator or dialogue. There were two lines that really stood out to me. They were like a punch to the gut but the rest was missing that rich and concise writing.
In all I gave The Tripods by John Christopher 3.5/5 stars. I enjoyed the writing and the characters are dear to my heart but I was missing some world building and story development.
Official Synopsis:
Long ago, the Tripods—huge, three-legged machines—descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods’ power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives.
But for a brief time in each person’s life—in childhood—he is not a slave. For Will, his time of freedom is about to end—unless he can escape to the White Mountains, where the possibility of freedom still exists.
Book details:
195 pages (Paperback)
Genres: YA, Dystopian, Fantasy, Middle-Grade, Adventure
Main character(s): Will Parker
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