Full Tilt

Blake first sees her as he tries to follow Quinn; she is a literal distraction from Blake’s quest to save his brother. When the carousel animals become a stampede, Cassandra announces herself as the novel’s true antagonist. When the beast she rides catches up to Blake, “Cassandra tugged on the ears […] It turned its head, opened its massive jaws, and dug its tusks into my lion” (52). Cassandra is not a passive antagonist; her goal is in direct opposition to Blake’s, and she engages physically in that goal.

Cassandra fulfills roles beyond the antagonist. She is also a tempter and, in some ways, a mentor. The sight of Cassandra lures Blake onto his first ride. While readers could attribute this to his curiosity, Blake has expressed a clear attraction to Cassandra. That lustful element compels him to continue much like a “siren’s song” in classic storytelling. She even tempts Blake into breaking his safe driving habits, a product of his trauma: “Floor that accelerator and ram someone. Anyone” (62). Even after that, Blake struggles to overcome Cassandra’s spell: “the way she was looking at me now defused all my defenses” (68).

As a mentor, Cassandra is responsible for guiding Blake. She provides him with insight into the context of his journey. Without the information she gives, Blake would not understand the stakes of his journey. When Blake sits with her at the diner, Cassandra explains, “If you lose your life on a ride, the park just…absorbs you” (69-70). This knowledge compels Blake forward. He understands the risks for himself, Quinn, and his friends. Without that understanding, his motivation would not be strong enough to ensure his survival.

Full Tilt dives headfirst into supernatural territory when the rides begin: “There was a heightened sense of reality to everything around us, as if this place truly was made up of whole new dimensions” (53). From the carousel animals coming to life to the vanquished riders appearing on Chicago billboards, Blake has crossed the threshold of his journey; he exists entirely in this new world. Cassandra’s explanation for her identity is vague and paranormal, as well: “If this amusement park were flesh […] I’m its soul” (70). Logic and organization consume Blake in the real world, but Cassandra denies him those safety nets in the park.

The park’s magic builds itself around Blake’s fears. According to Blake, “It’s like she gets inside your head […] takes what she finds there and whips it up into this” (55). Each of the seven rides confronts a fear or unease in his psyche. For example, the carousel animals are “all college mascots” (50): This confronts Blake’s fear in leaving for college, the subject of the argument between Blake and Quinn earlier in the story. Blake’s fear that college will overwhelm him manifests into representations of school mascots that could end his life.

The second ride, the bumper cars, requires that Blake abandon the caution he usually shows when driving, which connects to his deepest trauma—the bus crash. Here, Blake confronts the symptoms and causes of his fear. However, balance is an important theme in the story. The ride tempts Blake with road rage, the opposite extreme of his usual approach. Blake rejects the temptation, finding a middle ground between his conservatism and the ride’s chaos. This parallels his relationship with Quinn and foreshadows the importance of their reconciliation.

Russ exposes his true nature after the carousel stampede. Blake, who is often scared of his surroundings in the real world, adapts to the rules of this supernatural space. Russ, however, moves in the opposite direction. After the first ride, Russ is scared and suggests they find Cassandra and “bargain our way out” (55).