City of the Yeti

Set in 1922 in the south-central Asian countries of India, Nepal, and Tibet, City of the Yeti by Robert Love is the fictional adventure of two young teens, Danny and Rachel. While on a search with their parents for their missing grandfather who had set out on a journey to Mt. Everest, they embark on a fantastical quest themselves in search of the legendary Yeti, fabled to live in the region.

Challenging misconceptions about eccentric strangers and confronting the unknown are themes well-handled in this novel, and who better to impart this new-found wisdom than two promising young teens! The author artfully constructs the story with impressive attention to detail, illuminating descriptions, and emotionally-engaging connections to characters. The descriptions of life in 1922 India are easy to envision as conditions are well-conveyed and placed well in proper historical context. The exceptional mindfulness to detail ensures that no plot element is left unresolved. All relevant loose ends are effectively and realistically handled. And—in a particularly intense and stressful scene—the narrative is so well-crafted that the anxiety the characters are feeling is palpable.

With such amazing story-telling, though, there are a few areas where the novel does disappoint. In the events leading up to the climax of the story, Danny comes up with a rather deceptive plan that seems out-of-character for him. It is difficult to imagine this innocent young boy presenting such a deceptive plan to the others. Also, it is hard not to notice that all of the females in the story are secondary characters. Given that Rachel is purported as a fairly main character present in many of the major story events, she takes a surprisingly passive role throughout. It almost renders her part irrelevant, yet she is still included. This unfortunately whittles down the reading audience to young stereotypical teen boys, when otherwise it could have had such wider appeal.

Yet, for a daring adventure with an exciting plot and a few nuggets of wisdom, Robert Love’s City of the Yeti, not taken too seriously, does promise to entertain.