The story primarily took place in the forest or wilderness of Canada called the Canadian Shield.

             The protagonist in the novel is Brian Robeson, a boy from New York who was unwittingly forced to survive in the Canadian wilderness after the plane he was traveling on crashed, following the pilot's death from heart attack.

             Brian Robeson is an individual who is undergoing a 'rite of passage' from being a boy to a young adult beset with family problems. This rite of passage occurred when he changed from being an irresolute and unwise, to being decisive, smart, and courageous individual. .

             Brian's transition in character began early on in the novel, when he was able to survive the plane crash: ".He was momentarily blinded and slammed forward in the seat, smashing his head on the wheel. the water trying to kill him, to end him - somehow he pulled himself out of the shattered front window and clawed up into the blue, felt something hold him back, felt his windbreaker tear and he was free. Tearing free. Ripping free.".

             There were two conflicts that he encountered in the novel. The first conflict was the challenge to survive in the wilderness devoid of any human comforts, and the second was a form of internal conflict, wherein he wrestled between giving in to the hopelessness of the situation he was in and fighting to survive in the wilderness.

             These conflicts were resolved when Brian took on a different attitude and perspective about his predicament, which happened when he learned to accept his fate and worked hard for his survival. .