Paradise on Fire

This section is the climax of the novel, as Addy’s worst nightmare comes to pass when a wildfire reaches her group’s campsite and threatens all of their lives. Fire is personified as a monstrous creature: “I tremble. I remember this. Fire’s alive, a thickening, ravenous monster. Quieter, it appears to pause, retreat. Then it roars, more explosive than ever, and leaps” (141).

Addy’s relationship with fire is toxic, as it is what killed her parents (See: Symbols & Motifs). However, the skills she has developed to keep herself safe—mapmaking and planning escape routes—enable her to save herself and her friends, reflecting her talent for Survival and Resilience. She figures out the safest route for the group to escape by thinking of the wildfire like the mazes she is so talented at creating.

The external conflict of the wildfire is paired with interpersonal conflict, testing Addy’s newfound leadership skills and the extent of her Personal Growth and Self-Discovery. Dylan argues with Addy over which direction the group should go to flee the fire while the wildfire is bearing down on the camp. Dylan is older and the camp counselor, but Addy knows that she is right and will not let him bully her into taking the group in the wrong direction. Since she has built up her self-esteem and confidence throughout her time at the camp, she is able to stand up for herself instead of giving in to Dylan’s pressure. After a burning tree falls and splits the group into two, Addy leads her group in the direction she believes is safest. Addy is no longer the insecure, isolated figure she was at the novel’s opening—she is now someone so confident and reassuring that even her peers turn to her for guidance.

When Jay, Addy, DeShon, and Nessa are separated from the others, they must physically rely on each other to climb down to the ledge with a rope. Without this collaboration and quick thinking, none of the kids can survive. There is a brief moment of relief that celebrates the kids’ Survival and Resilience when they all make it safely onto the ledge together, having overcome their first major hurdle. This triumph foreshadows how they will be able to survive the wildfire since they can trust each other and themselves.