50 pages • 1 hour read
J. L. Esplin96 Miles
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 14-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 14 Summary
Unable to walk quietly, John and Cleverly run across the gravel; thankfully, the buzzing cicadas masks their loud footsteps. They start slashing tires and notice a four-wheeler and two dirt bikes that hadn’t previously. Even though she’s terrified to split up, Cleverly goes around the opposite side of a truck from John to make their work go faster. To reach the dirt bikes, John has to stand up, putting himself in view of the person sitting at the campfire: Clayton Presley. John notices Clayton’s eyes, staring and void of expression, as he looks into the fire. Stewart wears the same empty look. John had wanted to confront Clayton but seeing him like this shows John that confrontation wouldn’t give him any satisfaction.
John still wants the water tanks back. He walks into the open to reach a tank, but Clayton continues to stare at the fire. John fills his water bottle with the tank hose, chugging the entire bottle before refilling it and drinking more. He remembers Cleverly, and realizes he’s deviated from their plan. Filling the empty canteens for Will and Stew, he overhears snippets of the radio broadcast Clayton is listening to. He hears that the state borders are closed, which would explain why his dad hasn’t returned.
The broadcaster suggests that people are becoming paranoid and thinking the situation is every man for himself.
The radio goes silent, and when John stands up again, he finds that Clayton Presley is looking directly at him.
Chapter 15 Summary
Clayton doesn’t move towards John. Suddenly, Spike emerges from a tent and calls to Clayton. Clayton doesn’t say anything about seeing John; instead, he converses with Spike, who asks: “You still feeling bad about Jim’s kid?” (179). Spike tells Clayton that he needed supplies for he and Steph, the pregnant woman from the truck. Suddenly, there’s a crash from the far side of the camp, and Presley and Spike run toward it.
John goes to Spike’s truck. Although all the tires of the other vehicles have been slashed, Cleverly isn’t there. He hotwires the car. When he struggles to get the panel off the steering column, he refuses to give up. He cuts his hand in the process of removing the plastic, but finally succeeds.
Cleverly jumps into the truck as he’s about the get it started. She helps by holding the light, and just as the engine starts, Spike appears at the driver’s side window and punches John. John is dazed as Spike tries to pull him out the truck window, but Cleverly helps pull him back into the truck. As John struggles against Spike, Cleverly stomps on the gas pedal and they pull away from Spike. Spike yells after them that the truck has no gas.
Chapter 16 Summary
John has only driven once before; it takes him a moment to get used to maneuvering the truck and pressing the gas and brake with the right amount of pressure. Both John and Cleverly chide themselves for forgetting to check the gas gauge, but also celebrate their victory.
On the ride back to Stew and Will, Cleverly reveals that she could see both Presley and John from her position behind a truck. Clayton definitely knew John was there; he chose not to do anything and let John take the water. John has a hard time believing that Clayton Presley could have any good in him.
When they reach the place where they left Stew and Will, Stew is standing in the middle of the road, and John has to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting him. Leaving the truck running, John jumps out and Stew gives him an angry shove. Stew calls John a liar and puts up a fight before finally getting into the truck. Cleverly helps clean and bandage John’s hand with the first aid kit. As they quickly pack their things, Will roots around in the truck bed filled with junk and finds the gas can John noticed before; it’s half full! Just as John is about to empty it into the gas tank, the truck dies as the gas runs out. John carefully pours in the refill, and they get on the road.
Chapters 14-16 Analysis
Esplin highlights John and Cleverly’s bravery as they carry out their plan to steal a car. Even though splitting up scares her, Cleverly is willing to, demonstrating her courage. John shows grit, especially while hotwiring the truck; he is on the verge of giving up when he decides to dig deep and do whatever it takes to make it happen. Through this, Esplin gives her definition of courage: When encountering seemingly insurmountable obstacles, one perseveres to find a solution.
Esplin adds nuance to Clayton Presley’s character. John notices that Presley’s face has similar look to Stew’s, suggesting that Clayton is struggling inwardly. Esplin suggests that Clayton feels guilty for stealing from the Lockwoods, as Clayton saw John and didn’t stop him from taking water. Clayton seems capable of remorse, and isn’t as evil as John had thought.
Seeing Clayton’s empty look affects John. At first, John is scared by the similarity between Clayton’s lack of emotion and Stewart’s. However, John soon discerns the difference between his brother and this man: While Stew’s character has remained intact despite hardship, Clayton’s has not. Even though both of them are struggling, Stew has not let that affect who he is; he still looks out for the wellbeing of others.
This contrast between Stew and Clayton ties in with the radio message John overhears, where people think it’s every man for himself. This relates to the theme Difficult Situations Reveal Character. It also sets the stage for Nate Brighton’s aggression later, when John comes to ask for insulin. In contrast, the four children illustrate another theme, that of The Intertwining of Self-Reliance and Community. John in particular shows that self-reliance is not at odds with helping others, using survival skills to protect his group.
Esplin shows Stewart’s rapidly declining health. Stew is angry with John for lying and making decisions without him, but when he shoves his brother, John notes how weak Stewart has become. When Stewart gets in the truck, he shows signs of utter exhaustion, even though he just slept for several hours.
Will upends expectations from earlier in the novel. He is an unlikely hero, saving the day by finding the gas can in the truck bed. This shows that John can’t keep trying to carry the burden of everyone’s survival alone. The other members of the group, although younger and less experienced in survival tactics, can still be of assistance. Though John is still struggling to ask for help, the group will need one another to make it through the blackout alive.
