I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review.

Really well thought-out book with amazing characters and excellent setting.

Unputdownable! Great adventure book with beautiful imagery. Exciting page turner. Exactly what I would expect from an Iain Lawrence title. Easily read in an afternoon.

This is the exact sort of survival story I'd have loved as a kid. It combines several compelling elements: siblings at odds, a string of bad luck, a natural disaster, a series of bad choices. The characters have some survival skills but are by no means experts so they have to rely upon determination and quick thinking with a healthy dose of good luck. The characters are distinct and flawed, both their strengths and weaknesses adding to the plot in meaningful ways. There are some plot elements that do more to detract from the development of the central conflicts, that add nothing to the way they are growing. And the plot in general doesn't take many risks. It largely treads the expected pathway. Even so, it's a pretty compelling read and one I would easily recommend to kids who enjoy survival novels.

Amazing and page-turning story. I love the adventure of the three siblings. Joshua, Kaitlyn and special for Virgil were so brave, trustwoerthy and responsible. I couldn't imagine if i were trapped in a forest, haunted by fire, flames, thick smoke, strange screaming and mountain lion. It dragged my sensation in horrible of sort, but it was awsome. The main point i've been getting Through out this story is how to be smart and having brilliant ideas if want to survive in horrible and cruel situasion, let alone in solitude.

Mixed emotions on this one, but in the final analysis, I think it's a hard sell. First, the cover is a nonstarter. It looks like a cover from the 1950s. Right off the bat kids are going to think this is an old book. Second, the story has a slow start. There's too much science talk and reminiscing about things of the past. Even if a reader gets past the cover, they'll read a few pages and give up. That's a shame because, all in all, this is a great survival story.

Main character Virgil, who's about 12-years-old, is on a trip into a remote forest with his 19-year-old brother, Joshua, and 15-year-old sister, Kaitlyn. They are on a mission to spread the ashes of their deceased and beloved mother. Their father has decided not to go. They are driving an old Westfalia van/camper they call Rusty. In short order the radiator hose splits, the van overheats and they are stranded. Unbeknownst to them, lightning has struck a tree far away in the distance and ignited a forest fire.

They have no cell phone coverage or way to get help. They simply must use their wits to overcome each challenge. At ever turn there is disappointment. Each decision affects every outcome after. Water. Food. Approaching fire. Injuries. Separation. The inevitable decision to go or stay. Fix the van or get the hell out of dodge before it's too late. At times the pace is fast, edge of your seat even, a nail biter of anticipation. At other times it drags, especially when Virgil's memory flashes back to earlier times. I would rather those thoughts have been incorporated into the present narration.

There are moments when I question the plausibility. Could a kid with no driving experience handle a van going 50 mph with no brakes? Could you survive a forest fire by getting in a pizza oven? How about digging in the mud? If you're not an over-thinker, those details will sail right over your head. A great plot. Very relevant. Just not sure this book will get out of the gate.

This had a great tense atmosphere I thoroughly enjoyed going on this journey. I enjoyed the sibling dynamic and thought it was really sweet. The story was really well done and I enjoyed the journey and getting to the end. Each character was a unique person and I was engaged by them. Iain Lawrence has a great writing style and this worked as a great young adult novel. I look forward to reading more from Iain Lawrence.

"He turned around to go back. But when he looked down the cliff he’d just climbed, he was scared to step over the edge. He remembered how the rocks had crumbled when he touched them, how the tangles of fallen trees had blocked his way in the forest."

Fire on Headless Mountain

Headless Mountain is located in the wilderness, deep in Bigfoot country. In this wilderness is a favorite lake where siblings Virgil, Josh, and Kaitlyn used to go camping with their mother and father. Their mother recently passed away and the siblings are on the way to the lake to spread her ashes. Their trusty camping van, named Rusty, breaks down though, and they are stuck many miles into the wilderness. Unknown to them, a fire breaks out on the other side of the mountain and it's heading their way.

The siblings have to rely on each other, and on their own survival skills, to make it out of the forest before the fire catches up to them. Along the way, they will recall lessons learned from their science teacher mother. These lessons will help them figure out what to do.

I enjoyed the pacing of the story. The events unfolded at about the right pace. The fire seemed to move more slowly than I expected, but then again, the events took place in Oregon, where the climate is a bit more humid, which would likely slow fire spread (as compared to more dry climates).

I didn't like that there were some unresolved things, such as the animal that screamed and the animal they saw. These were left unexplained. As a reader, I was a bit confused by this. I am not sure if the author meant for the reader to think it was Bigfoot or a cougar or what it was. I am probably reading too much into it since my background is in wildlife biology, but I wanted to know what the animal was. It may be that the author was using it as an element of mystery.

The danger Virgil faced at the museum was scary and could trigger some kids who have had similar experiences. Although he got away without any harm, it was a scary scene in its own way. I would have liked to see that incident having some resolution at the end of the story, instead of the perpetrator essentially getting away with it.

The ending was OK, but I did think there were some elements that could have been resolved that were not addressed. I did like how the end brought the story back to the original purpose for the siblings visiting the lake and resolved that in a way that made sense.

Overall, it's a good read and will be of interest to young adult readers who like adventure, nature, science, or firefighting.

This book give strong message about family/sibling love and natural environment. I enjoying the adventure part of this story and how MC try so hard to doing the best. A promising book.

Thanks Netgalley for providing me copy.

Apesar de alguns muitos erros de ortografia, eu achei a leitura do livro fluida, mas não emocionante e cativante. Em nenhum momento eu me vi muito apegada aos personagens e nem ao que eles estavam me contando.