Wildfire

Content Warning: This section mentions gambling addiction, parental neglect and verbal abuse, and alcohol abuse.

The concept of “unplugging” or disconnecting from phones and social media throughout the novel symbolizes Russ’s and Aurora’s desires to avoid life’s problems rather than face them head-on. Aurora is obsessed with stalking her father’s newest girlfriend, Norah, and her daughter, Isobel, on Norah’s Instagram account. Doing so only exacerbates the hurt she already feels at her father’s indifference toward his former wife and biological daughters. When she arrives at camp, she proposes to “delete [her] spam account and lock [her] cell phone in [her] suitcase” because “if [she] do[esn’t] see it, it doesn’t exist” (88). While this is a beneficial starting point for healing her personal insecurities without Norah’s social media posts primed to reopen Aurora’s emotional wounds, it is not an effective tactic long term. When Aurora returns from camp and “replugs,” the core issues in her life will still be present.

This same logic applies to Russ, who actively avoids checking his phone whenever possible. Honey Acres provides him with a further excuse not to reply to family text messages or phone calls due to its spotty service and the strict camp schedule.