You can't go wrong with an April Henry book. This one is a little different than usual. It is more about surviving a forest fire and coping with past experiences than it is about a murder. Super good read.

This book was exciting, nerve-wracking, and very well-paced! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to see how they were going to solve their next challenge.

I like that the plot started almost right off the bat. The first chapter told us how the fire was started and then jumped into the story in the second chapter.

As well, when I say this book was nerve-wracking, I mean it! Literally everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Someone got hurt, or sick, or nearly died in every chapter. I was so anxious by the end and half convinced that I would never hike again. Hahah. But I liked that it kept me so intrigued with what would happen next and invested in the characters. It was truly a page turner.

Something else I enjoyed, that was kinda a small thing, were the time stamps on each chapter. It helped me to keep track of how things were going for them, but I also just thought it was interesting and a nice touch to the story. Speaking of time, we also get a few flashbacks of Natalia's to help us understand what happened to her and her family all those years ago. It was sad and heartbreaking and really helped me to connect a little better to the character.

Also, the characters were so wonderfully written and diverse and I loved them. Everyone had to their quirks and weaknesses and strengths and I loved learning about these things. Also, the author is juggling a lot of characters here, twelve to be exact, but I felt like she did a good job of keeping up with each character. I didn't really feel like there were any that were swept under the rug or that I didn't get to know very well so I was happy about that.

I was also happy to see there was a little bit of romance. Nothing big and crazy, but just enough to make me smile.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending. The second to last chapter ended with them in a precarious situation and then the last chapter was where they were one year later. It gave a small recap of what happened after that situation and how things were resolved, but it didn't let us live through it. I felt like I was being cheated of the experience. After having suffered with the characters through so much, I didn't get to live through the resolution with them

Overall, I was very happy with this survival book. I don't read very many like it so I'm glad I got a good introduction to the genre. This book was a good read and if you enjoy books of strength, heartache, and survival, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

Natalia’s first time hiking goes horribly wrong when a fire breaks out and strands her, her date, and a group of hikers. With zero cell reception and no way out, they team up to find another trail of escape. But outrunning a deadly forest fire isn’t the only thing thwarting the hikers. The threat of wildlife, raging rivers, and heaps of other medical problems hinder the group, and soon Natalia has to overcome her past to save herself and the others.

This book had everything to set one’s anxiety into a full spiral. One thing after another goes wrong, and the group has to work together, pulling their knowledge and skills to save one another. it’s teamwork times a thousand when you’re being chased by a wildfire. I loved the setting. I live in the PCW so any book set there has my heart. Natalia was a strong and fierce heroine, despite her heartbreaking past, and gosh did this book have me in tears. This intense, heart-pounding book kept me up in the wee hours of the morning. Not only that, but it’s based on a true story.

This book is perfect for fans of thrillers, and contemporaries.

A relaxing hike in the woods turns into a fight for survival for a group of strangers. I enjoyed the resourcefulness of the main characters in using their intuition, gut feelings and meager supplies to help themselves and others through the escape from the fire and the medical emergencies. Some good lessons here for the young adult audience.

In the history of YA novel first dates, Playing with Fire, definitely takes the cake for containing the first date most likely to make it or break it.

Yeesh! You guys! *insert wide eyed face emoji* Look, when I started reading Playing With Fire, I knew that it was going to put me through the anxiety reader ringer. It’s a YA survival thriller, about a teen girl named Natalia, who survived a fire as a child, and is now battling to survive one once again with a group of mismatched strangers, and her co-worked/date. So of course, knowing all of that, I expected that it was going to be an intense read. Spoiler alert, it was intense.

That being said, it still managed to shake me, surprise me, and keep me flipping pages into the wee hours of the morning. April Henry did a fantastic job starting this one up quickly and keeping me interested. You’re introduced to the characters, and then they are thrown right into the fire. After that these characters truly did not get a chance to take a breath, and I mean that literally and figuratively. The pace of the story is relatively quick, while still giving the reader time to invest in the characters, and even a break from the fight to survive intensity with flashes from Natalia’s past.

I don’t want to say too much more, because you just need to read this story to get the full intense feeling and desperation these characters feel to just make it out of the woods alive. I can’t say that it’s a FUN read, but it is very entertaining. I caught myself holding my breath a few times. Most of the characters will have you seriously wanting to just hold them and keep them safe. It’s a quick read, and I really flew through it. I think that if you enjoy survival thrillers that have that quickly found family vibe, and teamwork in a fight to survive, then I think you’ll enjoy this read.

Playing by Fire, by author April Henry, is a story of survival against almost impossible odds. This book is inspired by real life events. The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire Columbia Gorge which was started by a 15-year-old playing with fireworks. 17-year old Natalia avoids risks after surviving a house fire as a child, but she agrees to go on a day hike with Wyatt, a friend and outdoors enthusiast. When a forest fire erupts leaving them along with 10 others stranded in the woods trying to find their way to safety, Natalia knows first hand just how bad fire can be.

6 years ago, she survived a house fire that killed her baby brother, but she carries the heavy burden of guilt and grief. Natalia has to confront her PTSD and fear of fire in order to make it out of the woods and help the others in her group. As Natalia faces the wildfires, she has flashbacks to six years ago and the fire that changed her life. This allows the reader to learn more about why she fears fire so much and the trauma she is facing now she is confronted with flames again.

Wyatt and Natalia make a great team. It’s easy to see their connection, though Natalia is playing it safe and keeping the walls up around her heart, knowing Wyatt may not look at her in the same way once he knows the truth about what her past holds. Wyatt (who is an Eagle scout) serves as the leader, instructing everyone to stick together and using his skills and resources to form the best plan for the group. Natalia acts as the medic since she is the one with the most training among the group.

The book makes you aware of the importance of first aid training and always being prepared for an emergency no matter where you go. Even leaving your home for the grocery store can be met with challenges especially if you are caught in a snow storm. Been there, done that! The group suffers just about every medical emergency possible on the trek to get away from the fire and back to civilization, including (but not limited to!) burns, bee sting, asthma attack, panic attack, BEAR attack, and various scratches and damaged limbs.

The story does a fantastic job of exploring the horrific consequences of fires and the importance of treating it responsibly, without being sanctimonious, and all within the plot of adventure and survival. After the incident with her brother, Natalia was urged to see a psychiatrist to deal with her PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, and flashbacks. Here are some interesting ideas for those who have panic attacks like me:

Name 5 things you can see.

Name 4 things you can touch.

Name 3 things you can hear.

Name 2 things you can smell.

Name 1 think you can taste.

Actual Rating 3.5

A group of strangers in the woods find themselves in trouble as a wild fire starts and they have to get to safety before it catches up with them. Fast paced and filled with drama, April Henry's latest is not to be missed!

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, I just couldn’t put it down. There was so much action as the team of 12 hikers race through the wilderness to escape a raging wildfire. Then April Henry throws in a twist with a jewel heist. The main character Natalia goes for her very first hike with her wilderness savvy companion and friend Wyatt. Natalia manages to confront her fear of fire and her tragic past and is able to provide critical first aid care saving several members of the group as they escape the wildfire. I loved how much detail and accuracy there was when it came to the fires, the medical care, and wilderness survival. I can’t wait to read more books by April Henry.

I finished April Henry's latest book (out January 19!) last week! Playing with Fire is about a group of people (young and old) who go hiking on a nice summer day. However, things turn dangerous when they find themselves running from an impending forest fire. What they don't know? The person who set the fire is amongst them.

Like all of April Henry's books, this is filled with suspense! I found myself gasping on almost every page, and it got intense in some parts. It's also based off of true events and well researched as with all of her books. The only thing that is different from the normal April Henry book is that the "villian" is nature and not a kidnapper or murderer. If you love her books, you will really enjoy this one as well!

This was a thrilling rescue story that will especially resonate with middle schoolers and high school readers die to the recent California wildfires in early 2020. I love that it was based on a real fire from 2017, and I appreciated the ending that reunited the crew of 12 survivors. My students will enjoy this one, like they enjoy every one of April Henry’s books. Looking forward to purchase it for my classroom library.

What an excellent story! At first I was concerned at how short this was and if all the details would be present, but April Henry did a phenomenal job telling this story! I have never read anything like it, between the characters, the situation, and the main characters past demons, I couldn’t turn the pages faster!
I very much enjoyed reading even though a couple of the pieces the characters put together were a little far fetched...I really loved this book!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Well written, descriptive, and fast paced (and short!), Playing With Fire follows 12 people in a desperate race to escape a raging wildfire. It was a lot of characters to juggle and, as such, it was easy to either forget about them or accidentally conflated them, but Henry kept them distinct by giving each character a set of one-on-one encounters with main character Natalia. That's how you handle a large cast without relying on stereotypes instead of characterization.

The one thing that I struggled with, though, was the sheer amount of stuff that went wrong. It was a Murphy's Law hike: literally anything you might think could go wrong did. We have a panic attack, an athsma attack, anyphalactic shock (I probably spelled that horribly wrong), diabetic rapid blood sugar loss, falls, slips, stumbles, broken or dislocated bones. Like... It was an entire season of Grey's Anatomy in one 250 page book.

But because of the pacing and the clear distinction of characters, it was a fast and entertaining read. And, as someone whose biggest fear is house fires, it was occasionally rather hard to read.

April Henry yet again prevents me from attending to my real life because I’m lost in the pages of one of her books. A true page-turner, this book is nonstop action and perfect for reluctant teen readers needing an intense read. Clearly well-researched, I felt like I was learning wilderness survival skills as I read. While the ending felt abrupt, this was a strong, thrilling read.

Playing with Fire by April Henry was a good survival story following a group of strangers stranded in the woods and trying to outrun and survive a forest fire. The tension was perfect and pace was pretty relentless. I’ve read quite a few of April Henry’s books now and so far I think this might just be my favorite. She’s got quite a few books, mostly mysteries that I’ve picked up so far, if you fall in love with her so check her out.
Natalia survived a house fire six years ago that took her brother from her and left a permanent mark on her body, ever since she is over cautious and careful. Wyatt, a co-worker becoming boyfriend, talks her into going on a hike with him and while on their way back they discover a fire has cut off their route. Returning to where they came from they warn the others that were also in the area of the fire and thus their adventure to survive starts.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Timely and relatable. Likable characters, basic wilderness survival and first aid info, message about strength in numbers, overcoming fears, discovering new capacities. Solid adventure with local (Oregon) flavor, sure to attract readers.

This is a great book that shows how keeping calm and remembering whatever training you’ve got can make a difference. Well written!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. This was a book that held my attention and the tension level throughout was great. However, Wyatt and Natalia were a little unrealistic with their ability to solve every problem that they encountered on their journey to safety from the fire.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me with a free DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I am always intrigued and happy to discover a new April Henry book on the horizon. As a librarian that works with middle schoolers she is one of the most sought after authors in our library. This one was exciting because instead of a fast paced mystery, it was a survival story with high stakes. The story starts off very quickly and doesn’t let up until the last chapter.

Twelve strangers find themselves trapped between two forest fires. With rescue resources stretched thin and the fire surrounding them on all sides, they are going to have to try to survive on their own. Each of the twelve have their own hidden truths, but none like Natalia, who knows first hand the power that fire can wield. Can she overcome her fears to help the group survive? Or will she be paralyzed by its power, putting her and the rest in their group at risk?

I love adventure/ survival stories. I feel like they are a great way to show the power of the human spirit. When faced with what looks like defeat in every direction, some reach down and find the strength to fight their hardest. This was a fantastic book of overcoming adversity in the most trying of times. I would definitely recommend this book for purchase. Highly recommended.

This adventure book is tense, thrilling, and nearly unrelenting.

Set in a beautiful forest in the state of Oregon, a wildfire is blazing. The fire cuts off a popular trail leaving a small group of hikers cut off by the flames. Now they must find another way out or succumb to the fire. Unfortunately the fire is only one of the perils in the forest.

There are 12 of them trapped and not all are proficient hikers, rather there is a toddler, a grandfather, young child, and Susan who maybe shouldn’t have been there to begin with. Yet they come together pooling their meager resources to work as a team in the effort to survive. Well all except the one dissenter. And there is always one. Each has their own story which impacts their survival.
There is no cell service, few supplies, and no clear way out of the burning forest, yet this group of strangers become allies in this perilous struggle.

I enjoyed the author’s research into survival skills in the wilderness and how they were implemented as each calamity arose one after the other.

At times I felt the scenario a little fantastic and some character development. a bit thin.

But the readability is her best to date in my opinion.

I predict the intended audience will devour and clamor to read this newest disaster book by April Henry.
Thank you a Netgally and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

Maybe survival stories just aren’t my thing no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise? I chose this book because 1.) I love trying new authors and I haven’t read anything by April Henry before and 2.) speaking of April Henry, she’s received so many awards for her writing that who wouldn’t want to read her books? Especially when the premise promises mystery, romance, and survival – a winning combination!

Playing With Fire focuses on Natalia, an incoming college freshman with aspirations of becoming a doctor. When Wyatt, the guy she likes, learns she’s never been hiking before, he drags her onto a supposedly simple trail that ends at a beautiful waterfall. But on their way back, they run directly into a wall of forest fire blocking their only one way to the parking lot. This forces them to team up with a group of other hikers stranded on the trail – including a rather shady character named Jason. What follows is a twenty-four hour hike deeper into the woods with nature throwing everything at them.

Honestly, I enjoyed the flashbacks into Natalia’s childhood the most as they gave context to her fearing literally everything. (The fearing everything part annoyed me at the start of the book but thanks to the flashbacks I better understood Natalia’s perspective by the end.) Also the chapter cliff-hangers were on point.

However, overall I unfortunately found Playing With Fire to be a frustrating novel. First, why did April Henry choose this adventure? Because it felt like she chose the subject simply to give readers a crash course in first aid training. The characters’ dialogue was incredibly stiff the whole narrative and it was highly unbelievable everyone had that much precise first aid knowledge. Also, when a child wakes up in the Burn Center after barely surviving a house fire, why would any mother start with telling said child the terrifying statistics for surviving a fire in the first place? Secondly, the whole adventure lasts for about twenty-four hours. Yes, hiking can be dangerous but running from a forest fire, almost getting attacked by a bear, the numerous times someone almost fell off a cliff, fighting off a swarm of bees plus the medical injuries like asthma attacks, panic attacks, allergic bee stings, and dislocated knees and broken collar bones (and this list isn’t even complete) seems improbable to all happen at the same time. (Once again, it felt like Henry was just working off a list titled “Everything That Can Possibly Go Wrong in the Woods” and using this novel to explain how to medically treat said list.) Moreover, I grew up in the mountains (a national state park was basically my backyard) and in my experience if a forest fire is occurring anywhere in the park, the whole park is closed down. Or, at the very least, any possible trail that could even remotely get close to the fire would be closed. So Natalie, Wyatt and the gang shouldn’t have even been on that trail in the first place. Speaking of Natalie and Wyatt, where was the chemistry? The personality? I don’t know anything about the main characters except that Natalie is scared of everything and she wants to be a doctor (even though she struggles with high-stress/high-pressure situations). Honestly, the two act like good acquaintances rather than first-date-lovers. And Jason made absolutely zero sense. Why did he light the car on fire to being with? Why did he steal from a museum in the middle of the day? And how did he get stuck on the trail? Yes, fires spread fast but he was already in the parking lot when it began while trail entrances are usually narrow so he would’ve purposefully chosen to be stuck on the trail. Also, the reasoning behind his thievery felt like it was thrown in just tie up lose ends. Based on how the novel began versus how it progressed felt like Henry forgot her original idea/outline in favor of sharing all her Red Cross training.

Verdict: The pieces are there but the end result remains flat with a heavy emphasis on educational value.