Paradise on Fire tells the story of a teenage girl named Addy who is sent to an outdoor skills camp for the summer. Her parents passed away in a house fire when she was very young, and she is still struggling with her grief and anxiety over it. She's become preoccupied with making maps and drawing escape routes so that she will never end up stuck inside somewhere. Her aunt thinks that the camp will do her some good, and when Addy arrives there, she realizes that her aunt was right. She quickly falls in love with hiking and exploring the woods. Her enjoyment is cut short, however, when a forest fire threatens the camp. Addy must conquer her fears and use her map making skills to find a safe route around the fire to save herself and her friends.
I thought this novel was pretty good and very appropriate for the middle grades audience it was written for. Addy's journey is emotional and uplifting, and the story carries a strong environmental message as well. The sections where she must find a way around the fire are genuinely suspenseful and I think young readers will easily be swept up in the excitement. This novel didn't hit me quite as strongly as the other book by Jewell Parker Rhodes that I have read, Ghost Boys, but it was still a pretty solid read. I will definitely be donating this one to my school and recommending it to lots of students.
Challenge Tally
Middle Grade Mission: 28/24 - Finished!
Total Books Read in 2022: 88
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