Wildfire

by Carrie Mac

Into the Wild meets The Serpent King in this story about Annie and Pete, two best friends on a dangerous and emotional trek through the woods.

Annie and Pete have been best friends since they were little. They know each other better than anyone, and they've been on more adventures than they can count--they even have a notebook filled with all the times they've almost died. But they always survive, because together, they're invincible.

And they've always been just friends. But lately, Annie has been thinking that maybe friendship is just the beginning, and she's been mentally replaying all the times they were almost something more.

Now they're heading out on their next great quest: a ten-day backpacking trip through the mountains of Washington State, ending at Fire Camp, where they'll learn to fight the area's growing wildfire problem. The woods spark with the promise of adventure, but a freak climbing accident interrupts their progress, and as the wildfires close in and smoke envelops them, Annie and Pete wander farther from the trail. Carrie Mac's gripping story of the power of unrequited love and the danger of the elements is harrowing, beautiful, and unforgettable.


A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year

"Mac is as comfortable writing about the wilderness as she is exploring the internal world of a teenage girl, and the combination of the two is enthralling and devastating."--Quill and Quire, Starred review

"At turns heartbreaking, joyful, and frightening. An affecting combination of wilderness adventure and poignant teen angst."--Kirkus

"For a novel so introspective, the pace is remarkably quick...Recommend to fans of John Green, Adam Silvera, or Sarah Dessen. Advise readers to have tissues on hand for this riveting tale of friendship, grief, and survival."--SLJ

• ISBN10: 039955629X
• ISBN13: 9780399556296
• Publish Date: 28 January 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780399556296

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

2.5*

Wildfire and I had a very tumultuous relationship. I fell in love, deeply and quickly. And when the love ended, it, like its name suggests, crashed and burned. My problems may not be a problem for you though, and there are things to love about this one, which leaves me incredibly conflicted. I'll do my best to sort it out.

The First Half

First and foremost, I am a sucker for a survival story, so when we open lost in the forest in the middle of an actual wildfire needing to escape, I was hooked. Annie had been through so much, which we learn almost immediately. She'd lost her mom awhile back, and her beloved grandmother had just passed away from a pretty brutal bout of cancer. As I had just lost my own beloved grandmother (who actually had a ton in common with Annie's, personality-wise) this hit extra hard and Annie won me over.

Add to it that she and Pete are besties, but she's secretly holding a torch for him, and hello, so relatable! Regardless of whether their relationship ever progressed beyond friendship, I loved their bond. They shared so much together- stories, secrets, memories, love. And his presence was exactly what Annie needed to get her through this difficult time.

The story alternates between action/adventure scenes and flashbacks from moments they shared together, and I found it was the perfect balance between character development and plot. I was pretty sure this was going to be a five-star read for me, tbh.

The Second Half (Fine, the last 20%)

Okay. Remember how we had that discussion about whether an ending of a book/series can ruin the whole thing? Turns out yes, it totally can. The worst part is, I can't even explain why without ruining the whole book! So. Look at your own risk, though I know that most of you can't help yourselves