Reviewed by Michelle, a high school student

The trend of survival stories has been continued in Caroline Starr Rose’s novel, The Burning Season. A young girl named Opal lives on a mountain far away from society, where she longs to attend a regular middle school away from the wilderness. She had been training as a fire lookout, a job for which she must alert people of a possible forest fire. As someone who is afraid of fire, she questions whether the job is for her. When an emergency fire takes place when she is left alone, she must be brave and work fast under pressure. The novel is an excellent story of survival, belonging, and tenacity, and a fantastic read for readers interested in firefighting or who have enjoyed literary classics such as Lord of the Flies.