Wildfire

November 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Annie and Pete share a wealth of childhood memories, membership in the "Dead Mom Club," and a penchant for dangerous adventure. It was just the two of them for so long that it wasn't until Pete started dating someone else that Annie realized she loves him. When Annie becomes frozen by grief following the death of her grandmother, Pete convinces her to get out of her rut by hiking with him through the Washington forests they both love. A series of disasters and poor choices results in the two of them lost in the woods, with Pete horribly injured and unable to walk, while wildfires loom ever closer. Annie's nonlinear narration, constantly shifting between the events of the doomed hike and memories of their life together, effectively reveals the shared history that has made her friendship with Pete so vital to both of them. Her grief over the loss of both her troubled mother and her devoted grandmother, and the pain of her unrequited love for her best friend, are explored with depth and honesty. As a character, Annie is both complex and highly likable: even when overwhelmed by emotion, she constantly thinks about how her actions will impact the people she cares about. For a novel so introspective, the pace is remarkably quick, in large part due to the constant peril Annie and Pete face. As Annie slowly realizes that this crisis is not like all their other near escapes, readers are likely to experience similar feelings of dread and heartbreak. Recommend to fans of John Green, Adam Silvera, or Sarah Dessen. VERDICT Advise readers to have tissues on hand for this riveting tale of friendship, grief, and survival.-Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield Public Library, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019
Annie's best friend Pete is nearly unconscious with fever as wildfires threaten their solitary tent in the Washington wilderness. Through meandering flashbacks, Annie recounts the events that led up to this dire predicament, including the recent death of Annie's grandmother and Pete's plan to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail to snap Annie out of her grief. The two have been campers, thrill seekers, and wilderness lovers since childhood, but Pete's present plan involves hiking off-trail on a route unreported to their dads. When Pete gets stabbed in the leg with a branch of a shrub, neither could know that their first aid efforts would be in vain or that they would get lost with two dead phone batteries. Interspersed between scenes of incredible natural beauty and inspired joyful discoveries in the wilderness, Annie's life is illuminated through snippets of memory: how she and Pete both lost their mothers as children, how she has developed feelings for Pete that he may not return; how Pete's girlfriend, Preet, is too perfect to hate; and, mainly, how deep Annie's relationship is with her best friend. Despite the somewhat disjointed storytelling, the memories are intensely moving, at turns heartbreaking, joyful, and frightening. Back in the present, Pete's condition keeps worsening, and Annie must make life-or-death decisions about leaving Pete behind to search for help. All characters are white except for Preet, who is Indian American. An affecting combination of wilderness adventure and poignant teen angst. (Fiction. 13-18)

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November 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 Annie and Peter, both part of the Dead Mom Club since they were 12, have been best friends forever, and they're looking forward to Fire Camp this summer, which will teach them and other residents of upstate Washington to fight the wildfires that ravage the state for part of the year. Just before they leave, Annie's grandmother Gigi dies of lung cancer, and the grief hits her hard. Fire Camp?and the hike through the Pacific Northwest Trail that will lead there?is a balm for her pain, and getting out of the house where Gigi died turns out to be just what she needed. The 10-day hike in close quarters with Pete also reminds Annie just how in love she is with him, even if he doesn't notice her next to his gorgeous girlfriend. Burning everything down and starting new may be what Pete and Annie need, but the wilderness is a dangerous place, and whether they'll make it out alive becomes a real question. Buy this wilderness survival adventure for larger collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)