Pollution

The novel argues that both people and nature are in danger of pollution and must be protected in both a physical and moral sense. In the beginning of the book, Ellie and Jay fall into the polluted Herotonic River: “They used to manufacture plastics in town, and the chemical footprint persisted. White signs warned would-be fishermen: WARNING! CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY! HEROTONIC FISH AND WILDLIFE CONTAMINATED WITH PCBs! Near the bridge, somebody had vandalized a CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY sign with a skull-and-crossbones” (6). Human activity damages the river and makes it unhealthy for humans and animals.

Magic in the novel is also causes pollution, and this acts as an allegory for pollution in the real world. As Jay says of his sister, “She’s worried about the environmental impact of magic use. She can step through fairy rings, but that’s not actually a power. Still...