Point of View

Ashley, the protagonist, narrates the novel in first-person present. Because the novel exists in the “survival” genre, the present tense creates a good deal of tension. As past tense would suggest that Ashley will eventually survive being lost in the wilderness, keeping her voice in present-tense allows the novel to create high stakes and deep tension. Ashley is a 17-year-old track star who loves nature, sports, her friends, and her boyfriend, Duke. She wants to spend the summer having fun, drinking, and enjoying life at home before senior year starts and she heads off to college to run track. During the first section, most of Ashley’s attention is placed on her boyfriend and his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Natalie.

However, once Ashley gets lost with a terrible injury, she must focus all of her attention on surviving. The first week’s narration is highly...