I did not see this book coming. Warning: It gets darker than you think.

Dealing with major losses in their lives, best friends Annie and Pete set off on a hiking trip. It is the ultimate test of their survival skills - something the pair is used to - they have a journal documenting all of their near-death experiences. But somehow they always survive. But this time, mistakes are made and Annie worries this is one adventure that might end their lucky streak.

This book is intense. Much more intense than I expected. The first chapter drops you in the midst of Annie and Pete's disastrous hike before jumping back to the beginning, and I was completely hooked. I was desperate to know how they got to that point, and where they would possibly go from there.

I think its important to know that Wildfire is much more about friendship, survival, and grief than it is unrequited love. The synopsis gave the impression that this would be an intense romance of best friends realizing their feelings for each other - and while Annie does wonder if she and Pete could be more than friends, it is hardly the focus of the plot and is more of a side note.

I loved Pete and Annie's friendship - they always knew exactly what the other needed. I really felt for Annie, who is dealing with the loss of her grandmother. Both Annie and Pete had more than their fair share of loss in their lives, and as a reader, I could really feel the bond between the two.

I think there will be a lot of mixed feelings about how this book ends. It's absolutely heartbreaking. Personally, I liked the end (I was gutted, don't get me wrong) but it did leave me unsure of where Annie's story would go. I would have liked to see a bit more of a concrete resolution for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book caught my eye on the cover, I thought it was a teenage love story, but it wasn't, it's a little heartbreaking and a little sad book, in some parts it made me laugh and broke my little heart, I liked the characters and I really hateed the mom of Annie, I think very few will like that character.
I also liked how there were flashbacks in the story to understand the plot, and they're also touching.
I also really liked Annie and Gigi's friendship, it reminded me of my best friend from high school.
This book will please you if you like drama, friendship and a little heartbreaking situations, it's like a roller coaster of emotions.

I’m not sure why but this one just wasn’t clicking the vibe between these two was romantic to me it was just friendship. Like I can’t picture them in my mind as friends to lovers type of trope.

This book was nothing like I expected when I read the synopsis. And at times during reading it that was both good and bad. I think the author did a good job of crafting a well written story. But at times things seemed very unrealistic and brought me out of the tale. Overall I felt a deep connection to Annie and Pete.
But the most important thing about this book is that it isn't a love story but it is a book full of love.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I was provided with an e-arc by the publisher and netgalley.

I quite don’t know how to feel about what I read. I liked the storytelling tool of the beginning chapter being a flash into what’s going on flowing back around into the beginning of the story and how they got there.

I love contemporary and I love when characters and actions are realistic.
But when bad things happen in books for stupid reasons or for no good reason at all other than the fact that they really happen like that in the real world, it feels bad.
Everything that happened in this book was because of just being human. Human feelings and mistakes. And it’s scary to see how fast those snap decisions can send lives plummeting downhill.

This story was good. It was sweet and painful and the heartstrings were tugged. I would gladly recommend it. But I can also say I didn’t enjoy it because it was sad and scary.

Although, props to the author for normalizing divacups bc they’re life changing

3.5

Wildfire by Carrie Mac is a book about friendship, love, soulmate and days into the woods.
I didn’t know what to expect from this book but i liked it.

We follow Pete and Annie's lives, best friend since childhood and maybe something more... but they don't want to "crash" - in a million little pieces - their friendship.

I like the strange passages between the present and the past, mostly in the life of Annie. The introspection, the fear, the pain... there is so much in this book that I almost cried..

The romantic interest is filled with doubt, hope and a little bit of jealousy.

The trip that the two protagonist have taken have made me discover many things about nature and camping life. They have to survive in this wood, in this adventure that will change them even in their souls ( this is a personal thought.).

I didn't expected that final. I don't want to talk about it ( 'cause it is obvious spoiler ).

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This was an amazingly intense story, filled with pain, hope and love. The main characters decide to go on a camping trip that would change their lives forever. This book was rough to get through, but in a good way. It gave me the feels and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen. The love aspect was almost secondary to the amazing trip they are going on, but it was nice that it didn't overshadow the story as so many authors like to do.

I have to admit, I cried at the end, but a story that gives me the feels is worth the read. If you are looking for a book to read on a stormy afternoon, cuddle up in a blanket and grab your hot chocolate, this is the story for you.

I was not expecting the emotional punch that this book packed. I felt so many emotions as Annie grieved and grew. I think this was a great YA book that I would have enjoyed as a teen but I still loved as an adult. It’s not 2020 yet but this is already one of my favorites of the year. 5 stars

Title: Wildfire
Author: Carrie Mac
Pages: 272
Genre: Slice of Life, Tragedy, Survival
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is an Advanced Readers Copy. That means that this is not the final version of the book. Therefore, facts and quotes are subject to change in the published book.

Release date: 01/20/2020

Do not be deceived as this is not just about a Wildfire. 

This is about Annie and Pete and their friendship that goes beyond that of any I've ever seen. After the recent passing of Gigi, Annie's grandmother, Annie finds herself spirling out of control. Pete takes it upon himself as her best friend to make this right again by planning out the best adventure they have ever had. That is, until things take a trun for the worse. 

Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart. 

Oh No's
I just do not agree with how this ended. I was fully aware and it was predictable but I wish it had ended a different way. This is only my personal opinion and I'm sure to many, they will like how it ends but I did not. 

Yay's
The first chapter was like a horse running out of the gates. I was pulled in and completely engrossed in this book thanks to the harrowing tale of that first chapter. We are taken back to the beginning after that but I love the author's ability to capture our attention and definitely capture my tastes. 

Annie and Pete's relationship is completely unique and inspiring. They are best friends through and through regardless of their gender. As a child, I also had a best friend who was a guy but parents and people are always mistaking friendship between opposite genders to always be so much more than it is. Their connection was so deep and I loved reading about them so much.

Finally,
This is a great novel about how tough it is to overcome personal tragedy and how there are always those around you who will be there for you. 

My similar recommendation for this novel would be Hatchet by Gary Paulson

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-PM

I was originally attractive to this book because of the great cover, I loved the color scheme of it. I also live in northern California where we seemed to have wildfires every other week, so that also peaked my interesting.

This was a lot more hard hitting than I thought it would be. I went into this book expecting something else, but I did like it. I thought it was going to be about two best friends that go camping and fall in love while facing a natural disaster.

I enjoyed reading Wildfire. I was hooked within the first few pages but I will admit, the story slowed down as it dove back into the past. I think a lot of YA readers will enjoy this book and specifically become invested in Annie and Pete’s relationship. I expected this to be a typical, light hearted contemporary YA read but it actually dealt with grief and the loss of a loved one as well as survival in the wilderness.
The plot and general style of writing was pretty straightforward, in my opinion. Overall, it was a fun YA read and I think a lot of teens will enjoy it.

This book was.. strange. I definitely didn't hate it, but I feel like I went into it thinking it was going to be something different than it was. I thought this was going to have a lot more to do with the main character's unrequited feelings for her friend, but it ended up having way more to do with the survivalist elements and dealing with the loss of a loved one. If you're into hard-hitting contemporaries that don't shy away from giving you all the feels, this is probably a book that you'll enjoy (bonus points if you like reading about hiking/camping!).

The pacing was really off for me on this one. I was disappointed in it and I was really hoping to like it. I struggled to care for the characters and what happened to them.

I really, really loved this book. It was moving, griping. I laughed, I cried. The survival aspects of this story were well done. The pacing was strong, I never felt frustrated by the flashbacks. Each one felt relevant to the action of the story in the presence. I also really felt like the character development within the book felt realistic. The story never felt like it was going to end with Annie being "over" Gigi's death, or that that was ever expected. It allowed for her to heal and grow and still feel sad as well

Firstly, what a beautiful cover! I'd definitely pick this up if I saw it in a bookshop.

Unfortunately Wildfire itself was a below average read. I found that I didn't connect with Annie or Pete at all which meant I really didn't care for the childhood reflections or Annie's heartbreak over Gigi's death. The slow beginning of the book didn't add any value to the overall story either (the pace does pick up further into the book).

The fact that Carrie Mac's story is about friends and not a romance novel is refreshing; especially given the genre "Wildfire" falls under. However, I could not empathize with any of the characters and I found the story to be under-developed and simply an "okay" read.

To be honest, this book was disappointing. I expected so much going into this book such as an interesting backstory with funny, relatable characters and an adventure. However, this was not to be.
The beginning of the story is very slow with Annie remembering everyone in her life who had passed away. This part did not add any character depth or understanding. I wasn't quite sure why it was there.
I couldn't connect with the characters at all and as a result, there was no emotional impact at any part of the story. Not when Annie and Pete were remembering their childhood, not when Annie reminisces over her grandmother's death.
The one thing that I did like was that this story was just a story about best friends, not a romance, which YA already has an abundance of.
Rating: 3 Stars
Content: 2 Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.

The cover was the first thing that made me want to read this book. As I read the synopsis I could see myself enjoying this one, especially since it is a unique setting. Here's the thing, I wasn't sure what to expect but with this book being on the short side it was hard to connect with the characters.

The book is under 300 pages. That's not a lot of time for a well-developed plot and character development. The synopsis also mentioned unrequited love but honestly, I didn't feel like the relationship between the two characters was anything more or would be anything more until the end. It didn't give me the feelings I would have expected and personally, it just didn't feel believable.

As for the plot, it was okay. It felt rather slow in the beginning and it does get faster but at the same time it just didn't leave me feeling engaged. The plot twists were there and even though I didn't predict them, they didn't give me the shock factor that I love.

Overall, it was just an okay read. The characters weren't memorable for me but at least the setting was one I hadn't read about.

I loved this book way more than I expected to. I thought it was going to be a cheesy love story between two best friends, but it turned into so much more than that. It made me laugh, and it broke my heart. I loved Annie and Pete and Gigi and all of the characters, even Annie's mother, who you really weren't supposed to like. But you saw a piece of every single character in Annie, which I adored. I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't get enough.

I was worried the author was going to leave the end of this book way too open, but, even though it did leave you wondering what happened next, it tied the story into a neat little bow.

5 stars for this beautiful, heart-breaking YA novel.