But they were likable, and the supporting characters were fascinating, like the cast from an early season of Survivor, making me want to pull for all of them. They were far too level-headed, prepared, and unemotional to be like any teens I live with, or happen to have met. Natalia and Wyatt never felt like authentic teens to me. The characters were where I felt the story lacked. Because this is a standalone and a thriller, there is no way to know if our favorite characters will all make it out alive, which is the hallmark of excellent storytelling. Even though we know from the opening pages how the fire started, that is the only thing we are sure of. The story is well plotted and crafted to keep me turning the virtual pages on my Kindle. There is a romantic subplot between Wyatt and Natalia, and a very small change arc on Natalia’s part. This is primarily a survival story, and the action moves at a steady pace. At nearly every turn, something impedes their odds of success, from someone missing from their ranks, a blocked bridge, a precarious ledge to cross, and someone within their group working against them. Without a phone signal and no way to call for help, they retreat from the punishing flames, hoping to outrun the fire in time to be rescued. During fire seasons, Natalia and her friends-to-more co-worker, Wyatt, are out for a hike when a new fire breaks out, trapping them and independent groups of strangers as night approaches. PLAYING WITH FIRE is a page-turning thriller set against the majestic falls, deep canyons, and lush landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Hiking in the dark, they must reach the only way out―a foot bridge over a deep canyon―before the fire catches them. With no cell service, few supplies, and no clear way out of the burning forest, a group of strangers will have to become allies if they’re going to survive. For months, her co-worker Wyatt has begged her to come hiking with him, and Natalia finally agrees.īut when a wildfire breaks out, blocking the trail back, a perfect sunny day quickly morphs into a nightmare. Now she is cautious and always plays it safe. Six years ago, she barely survived the house fire that killed her baby brother. Natalia is not the kind of girl who takes risks. When a fire cuts off a popular trail in the Oregon forest, a small group trapped by the flames must find another way out―or die―in Playing with Fire, an unrelenting teen-vs-nature YA thriller by New York Times bestselling author April Henry.
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