Hatchet

Review # 1239 with 1238 posted 15 days ago about "Hatchet," a book written 20 years ago by Gary Paulsen-- The point is: What new thing can I say about such a book? The answer is probably nothing with the point being that Amazon allows each of its customers an individual voice, despite how many there might be. As a children's librarian (including those middle school children), I know that "Hatchet" is a great recommended read for reluctant readers for whatever reasons. Why haven't I read this book, I continued to ask myself. So--this summer I asked my great-niece and -nephew, 12 and 10, if we could all read and discuss this book? All agreed, no one finished. Here's how the first couple of chapters go: Brian, aged 13, is flying to a remote area in Northern Canada to stay with his dad. Because the area is so remote, a private plane must be hired. That means one pilot, one passenger in a tiny two-seater. Then, as it so happens from time to time in the real world--out of nowhere, the pilot has a heart attack and dies. In a rush of panic, Brian takes over and flies the plane until fuel runs out. Then he must land. Therein lies the difficulty. With so many lakes and rivers in the Canadian wilderness, where he is, at that point and moment in space and time, reveals an unsatisfactory water bed, but he must land anyway. Water is like concrete to a flying object on impact. Brian hits his head and wrenches his whole body in the crash, but he makes it out and swims to shore in icy water. Now that's an exciting beginning. Who wouldn't want to read further, but I didn't. Finally, when I discovered that none of us had finished the book, I picked it up again and continued reading. At exactly that point begins one incredible episode after the other in Brian's personal and up close experience with a life threatening adventure. A city boy, Brian knows nothing about survival skills or even simple camping. What resources he calls on are two: television programs and a teacher's mantra that each of us is the person to most rely on. As an aside, Paulsen spent a few nights camping in his backyard, using stones and sticks to start a fire. Finally, his wife asked what in the world was he doing? (I think this is just a neat story to relate about the background for his book and not really true.) He replied, "Trying to start a fire." "Well, why don't you just use matches?" she asked. "I don't have any," he responded. And neither did Brian, so the description of his efforts to start a fire ring true--because they are. In his two month sojourn (not intentional, mind you), Brian meets a bear, fool birds, chokeberries, a crazed elk, rabbits, a tornado, and a continuing incredible (but believable) array of obstacles and milestones and little victories. Brian fully expected to be rescued within 24 hours until he remembered how off-course he probably flew the plane himself. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, and .... I wish I could comment on the ending because I have some things to say, but in whatever subtle way I said it, I would reveal spoilers. Allow me this: I had been right there with Brian the whole way. The ending stunned me. I mean it--I was stunned! Because of the ending I began researching what else Paulsen had written, and discovered more Brian books. I cannot say anything about them either, but I've ordered them for my school library. Now I know why I can recommend this book to reluctant readers--and of course, anyone who loves a good story!! Hatchet? Didn't I mention it? It's really not the hatchet that saves Brian for so long--it is Brian himself wielding the hatchet. This book is definitely a great read!

Excellent book for teens to retirees who love the outdoors! It is the first book in a series of books that are clean and exciting. Read the whole series. Possibly more appropriate for men and boys, but my wife also thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Hatchet is one of the best books for young readers - and their parents! Our family read the book out loud when our kids were about 6 & 8. Our boys really loved the survival stories of Brian who was stranded in the Canadian woods. Great adventure story!

Great story/book. I’m giving 4 out of 5 stars for this product because the book itself has a weird printing issue where some pages lettering is super dark while others are extremely faint. Similar to a printer having toner issues. Book is great, whatever printing service used is lacking.

You have to read this book! My mom made me read it because she read it when she was younger and said it was wonderful book – and it really was amazing! Hatchet has adventure and suspense – you will always want to know what is going to happen next! Brian is going through so much already in his personal life, that life in the woods kind of mirrors his actual life in a strange way. At the end of the story, Brian realizes he can handle pretty much anything – he is a survivor. Brian Robeson, the main character in Hatchet, is going to see his dad for the summer because his parents are divorced. The pilot flying the small plane has a heart attack. Less than 20 pages into the book – you are hanging in suspense as Brian tries to radio for help. “I am in a plane with a pilot who is – he can’t fly. And I don’t know how to fly. Help me. Help….” the text says, the reader feels for Brian and understands the feeling of helplessness he must have (pg 19). The author does a really good job keeping the reader on the edge until Brian crashes into a lake – is he going to survive? Life in the woods became such an adventure for Brian. He had to learn how to survive – how to hunt for food, how to build a shelter and tools. Even though Brian makes many mistakes during his adventure, he tried to learn from them. Like when he buried the eggs he found and the skunk was digging them up. “Those were his eggs, not the skunks and the half smile quickly replaced with fear that he would lose his food…” (pg 122). Brian learns that food needs to be protected and sets out to do that by building a better shelter and found a way to save his eggs. This shows how Brian is growing up and learning how to survive. Throughout Brian’s adventure, he learns a lot about himself and grows up. He is forced to learn new skills almost every day. The author makes the reader realize life is all about growing and learning and if you do this you will be successful. My mom calls this a coming of age book – and if that means you start out one way and end up another, like Brian did, then I would say this is a book that needs to be on your must read list because it is about growing up. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars! I promise you won’t want to put it down!

Great book but never ordered!!!

Bought as a stocking stuffer for my husband and he’s very excited to read it, I read it years ago and thought it was a captivating story

My two granddaughters, my daughter and myself read this book and loved it! I ordered the other books in the series for us all. Keep writing Gary Paulson you are great for young and old readers

Seemingly unknown outside the US, 'Hatchet' by Gary Paulsen never appeared on my radar until recently. Beloved by millions, this youth novel tells the story of 13-year old Brian Ropeson, who is left on his own in the Canadian wilderness and has to rise to the occasion in hope of being rescued. Without giving too much away, the story starts with his mother driving him to a small airport in Hampton, New York, where he boards a Cessna 406 as its sole passenger on his way to visit his father, who works for a drilling company in the Canadian oil fields of the far north. His parents have recently divorced on his mother's behalf and Brian is still in the process of coping with this fact. Throughout the book, Paulsen regularly invokes this aspect of the character's background, going further into detail each time, implying infidelity of the mother as the reason. While his parents' separation is a plausible reason for him to be on such a delicate plane flying this exotic route, Paulsen never manages to weave a character-expanding purpose for it into the rest of the survival tale. Brian neither gains insight from it, nor do the unfolding events affect his perspective in being a divorce-child. Without this subplot, the main arc would literally remain unchanged–a chance unfortunately missed. The book kicks into full gear when the pilot suffers a heart-attack above the lush forest wilder lands of the big white north. Unable to successfully establish communication and with fuel running low, Brian aims for an L-shaped lake on the horizon, revealed in the light of the afternoon sun. The plane relentlessly dives into the concrete-like water of the lake, tearing all of the windows out, throwing him about, and finally sinking into the green-blue depths. Brian escapes to the shore, mostly unharmed, but severely bruised and overall physically weakened. Almost two days of regeneration follow, in which he slowly familiarises himself with the lake, the forest, and their inhabitants. This is when the title-giving hatchet takes centre stage in the story. Gifted to him by his mother before his departure, it becomes the life-saving foundation for all of his endeavours around the lake. A realisation the character also comes to closer to the books' ending, when he almost loses it on his quest to retrieve a survival kit from the re-emerged plane wrack. Without the hatchet, he couldn't have achieved anything; the hatchet is him. With this tool, he not only builds a shelter, crafts spears, bow and arrows for hunting, but also manages to make fire by catching sparks from hacking away at a rock. Drama comes in the form of wildlife encounters and environmental hazards. Since they are crucial to the narrative, I am hesitant to spoil them, but let me state that Paulsen deserves credit for some well-placed twists on the survival formula. There are some unexpected adversaries, but also obvious ones, who turn out to be as curious of the main character, as he is of them. In these passages, the author muses on nature itself. And as the weeks pass by, Brian draws more and more conclusions from his experiences. He becomes driven by hunger, just like all the animals of the forest are, for nature is not allowed to be lazy. Food is life. And even though this hostile environment repeatedly lashes out against him, he becomes part of its ecosystem, and rises through failure with new-found maturity. But Brian can't help but to marvel at the poetic beauty of the scenery. This is wilderness romanticism at its best, but Paulsen avoids meandering on it and manages to make these points by way of narrative. In the end, the book's shortness works to its advantage. A story this linear could've easily overstayed its welcome, but by keeping the chapters short and the word-count economic, the narrative breezily moves from checkpoint to checkpoint. Make no mistake, this is a coming of age novel set against the backdrop of the Canadian wilderness, constantly contrasting civilisation with nature. But I found the main character's arc much easier to digest this way; and with the usual schmaltz of other youth novels avoided, Paulsen delivers a swiftly-paced, captivating read for all ages.

A classic on survival. The book deals with the traumatic journey of a young boy who gets stranded in wilderness after a plane crash. How he survives, how he struggles and forages for food, how he has to use his wits and guts to battle the elements. And how through this harsh, brutal, churning, the boy ultimately mans up. Raw, gritty and uplifting.

I loved It

Very good

Hatchet is an excellent beginner read, especially for young readers or anyone just getting into adventure stories. The book follows thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, who survives a plane crash and must learn to live alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a small hatchet. Gary Paulsen’s writing is clear, straightforward, and easy to follow, making it perfect for readers who are still building confidence. The pacing is quick, the chapters are short, and the story stays exciting from start to finish. Paulsen does a great job showing Brian’s thoughts and problem-solving without overwhelming the reader with complicated descriptions or vocabulary. What makes Hatchet stand out is how it teaches survival skills, resilience, and self-reliance in a way that feels natural and engaging. Readers get to watch Brian grow, make mistakes, and learn from them, which keeps the story motivating and relatable. Overall, Hatchet is a fantastic beginner-friendly book—fast, gripping, inspiring, and easy to understand. It’s a great gateway into reading adventure novels and a classic that many readers remember long after finishing it.