Bloom

In Chapters 7-12, the main conflict shifts from humans versus nature to humans versus aliens, as the new plant species are revealed to be from another planet. Dr. Weber significantly advances the plot when she first uses the term “invasion” to describe what they’re dealing with. The conflict between Anaya and Petra develops in these chapters as well. When the two finally confront each other about their friendship ending, Anaya is forced to acknowledge her own disloyalty. Anaya’s recognition of how jealousy and fear of losing her friend influenced her betrayal helps normalize these feelings in teenagers’ lives and develops the theme of Friendship and Loyalty as a Source of Strength. The connection Seth senses between Anaya, Petra, and himself expands on another aspect of that theme. Throughout the course of the novel, they learn that their friendship is a source of their power, allowing them to combat the invasive threat. It is through their togetherness, through their likeness in a personal and biological way, that they understand and combat the plant species, speaking also to Global Crisis, Heroism, and Togetherness.

Setting is important to the story through its demonstration of how the familiar can become unfamiliar, taking away people’s sense of security. When giant pit plants are first discovered on the school field and Petra escapes from one, she feels as if she’s “just arrived in a very dangerous new world” (117). Unlike some wars in which citizens volunteer to fight and leave home to do so, this war comes to their homes, transforming the world as they know it into a battleground. Protesters rally outside government buildings, demanding to be told the truth about the plants. This example of how society responds to crisis develops a larger theme about Global Crisis, Heroism, and Togetherness. Although some people display animosity within this global threat, others embrace togetherness, and they are the ones who challenge the plants and help defeat them.

Setting is also portrayed through observations of human behavior and social structures, demonstrating how society is changing in the current era. Crowds of people filming random events with their cell phones is a new phenomenon in the 21st-century. When Anaya, Petra, and Seth battle pit plants on the school field, onlookers from the high school all have their cell phones out, showing how quickly this phenomenon has become the norm. Petra’s observation that “no one had privacy anymore […] You could probably find everyone’s hospital records on social media” highlights this trend in society (155), though a non-critical tone is maintained. Moreover, transformation occurs in Petra’s relationship with her mom after their car is swallowed by a pit plant with them in it. Petra’s mom, the police officer, is usually the one seeing to everyone else’s safety. In this situation, Petra rescues her mom, reversing their roles and giving Petra’s mom cause to be proud of her daughter. Petra’s mom then refers to her as brave. Then Petra hugs her mom long and tight for the first time in ages, demonstrating how crises can bring people closer together. This also demonstrates how closeness and togetherness are sources of strength in this global tragedy, speaking to Friendship and Loyalty as a Source of Strength.

The teen-parent relationship is approached from another angle when Anaya’s and Petra’s moms consent to their children going to Dr. Weber’s facility. Despite being scared for their children’s safety, they show trust in them. Allowing their children to risk their own safety in order to help save the world is a sacrifice for the parents. Their choice suggests that in a time of global crisis, individual sacrifices are required. Seth’s relationship to Mr. and Mrs. Antos, the closest thing he currently has to parents, takes a very different turn in these chapters. Rather than increased trust and support, Seth experiences loss through Mrs. Antos’s death and Mr. Antos’s decision to cede guardianship. Col. Pearson’s character also represents a common science fiction trope: the military figure who values only traditional weapons and sees no use for science. “I wanted more weapons, but they sent me a scientist instead” (166), Pearson says of Dr. Weber. It’s made clear to readers that identifying an effective way to fight the cryptogenic plants requires scientific research. Therefore, characters like Pearson symbolize ignorance. In keeping with the themes of togetherness, the author suggests an ecological crisis, such as climate change, will require science and understanding, not fighting and brutality as exemplified by the military.

Dr. Weber’s character models an open-minded response to Pearson’s ignorance. She tells the teens, “Don’t worry about the colonel. […] He’s a good man, and he wants to kill these things as quickly as possible. We’re both trying to save lives, but I’m not sure he sees the value in what I’m doing” (167). Rather than adopting an “us versus them” mentality at the first sign of Pearson’s antagonism, she demonstrates a willingness to see things from his perspective and give him the benefit of the doubt. She demonstrates togetherness and understanding, even when he does not. It is clear in these chapters that she will be a source of benefit in this battle against the plants. The novel continues to emphasize Alienation From One Group as Belonging to Another; it is through understanding that these characters will fight off the invaders. The teens will learn that they are like each other, and like others around the world, and this will be a source of their understanding of and power against the plants. Difference in this case is just a source of togetherness with another group, of belonging, which is something Pearson does not grasp.

Seth and Petra’s arcs contribute to a motif acknowledging problems teenagers commonly face and modeling appropriate coping skills. After being afraid to tell Anaya and Petra what he dreamed and what he thinks will happen to them, Seth “wished he’d had the courage to tell them” and thinks “Maybe it would be easier if he drew it” (147). Sketching helps Seth process difficult thoughts and feelings. Petra makes sense of chaos and uncertainty by connecting people she encounters to those she sees on television. For example, Fleetwood reminds her of Jefferson, “the cute, shaggy guy on the surfing show,” and Seth looks “just a tiny bit like Garrity on that TV show, who was a weirdo but also kind of hot in a crazy, intense way” (105; 91). This helps her feel like she knows something about the person in front of her, easing her anxiety. The novel continues to underline the connections between these teens and the connections many teens have to each other.