Synopsis
Even though it’s a scorching summer afternoon, Garth and his friends are hard at work, thinning trees to earn money for a trip to Fiji. They notice a small fire, but before they can put it out flames have completely engulfed a pine tree . . . and then another. And another. As panic rises, an eerie silence falls until there's a thunderous explosion and the entire clearing erupts in flames: the fire is crowning, and all they can do is run for their lives. Dodging burning embers, unable to hear each other over the fire’s deafening roar, hoping to find a ditch, a trench, any protection at all, Garth wonders — how can they all possibly survive? With powerful realism, David Hill evokes the sheer gut-wrenching terror of being caught up in an inferno as well as the resourcefulness bred by utter desperation.
Children's Literature
College students Danny, Garth, Kelsey and Hinu, a spiritual Aboriginal, are spending their school break clearing forest trees in New Zealand while raising money to take a class trip to Hawaii. After spending a long day clearing away brush and thinning trees to help prevent forest fires, they see two all-terrain vehicles speeding through their protected area where it overturns. Sparks from the crash ignite a fire that they are soon able to extinguish. Suddenly, the vehicle's gas tank explodes and they are powerless and do not have the resources to battle the enormous flames. The group, along with their supervisor, follows Hinu's advice to hike to the emergency station—with the raging fire at their tails. The hike is treacherous and proves to be a personal challenge for each of them as they attempt to escape the growing inferno. This title is an exciting adventure that keeps the reader enthralled—a thrill ride! The author, David Hill, knows how to keep the adrenaline running through the use of character depth while supplying contemporary relevance. Reviewer: Melissa Stickles