Brian's Hunt (A Hatchet Adventure)

Review - The Brain Sagas by Gary PaulsenI have now finished all five of the Brian Sage books - “Hatchet,” “The River,” “Brian’s Winter,” “Brian's Return” and “The Hunt.” and the epilogue “Guts” by Gary Paulsen. “The Hatchet” is one of three Newberry Awards that Gary Paulsen has earned.Basically the series is one story. The story of an teenage boy who at age 13 is left alone in the North Woods of Canada due to a pilot’s fatal heart attack and plane wreck. The first book, “The Hatchet” tells of the guts, intelligence, patience and luck of a 13 year old boy with little wilderness experience in learning how to live and survive in a remote wilderness. We get a marvelous set of instructions in wilderness lore and living, and a glimpse into an intelligent mind that problem solves, learns and masters a strange world. At the end of this book Brian retrieves a signal radio from the submerged plane and is rescued.In “Brian’s Winter” is an alternate ending. Brian is not rescued, but manages to learn more and survive into December. We see more of Brian’s talents and abilities and new found skills. Here, Brian stumbles into a family of Cree Native Americans manning a trap line, who take him in. Brian flies out on the next supply place. The Cree family consider him like one of the “old people” for Brian is dressed in skins he has captured and his arrows have stone points he has made himself. Yes, some of the story is very fortuitous for Brian, but that does not distract from the lessons of the wilderness and the lessons of life Brian has to learn to survive.“The River” is a book with Brian returning to the North Woods with a psychologist, Derek, of the military attempting to learn how to teach survival to the military. The man is not schooled in the wilderness at all, and Brian become “the adult” in charge of the adventure. Brian sends the 200 pounds of supplies back with the plane that flew them in, and commences to recreate the world he knew in the first two books. Half the book is a terrifying trip over 100 miles, 3+ days, down a river, its rapids, lakes and swamps, with Derek unconscious on a wilderness made raft. We get a first hand look at the guts necessary to achieve this. Again, the manage to make a trapper’s cabin and are rescued.In “Brian’s Return” we see Brian not fitting back into civilization, 15 - 16 year old’s school and society. Brian has adjusted to the Wilderness, and that is the reality he much prefers. Brian takes along a few supplies an d does very well.In “The Hunt” Brian is back in the North Woods learning more woods lore and ways. By now he is nearly a expert. Brian finds an old man, Billy, in his camp one evening. Billy and Brian share a mutual evening of silent communication and while few words are exchanged, Brian gains “medicine.”’ In respect, Billy, leaving camp very early before Brian is awake, leaves a amulet of white tail deer fur and crow’s feathers for Brian. Brian recognizes the significance of this and immediately hangs it around his neck. Shortly thereafter, Brian and a wounded dog find each other. It turns out the dog belonged to the Cree Family Brian had met in “Brian’s Winter.” Unfortunately, a bear had devastated the cabin and family of the Cree family , killing two members of that family. Brian rescues the wife, buries the dead, and deals with the stoic, bureaucratic officials. Once they leave, Brian hunts and in a wonderful scene - which I will not spoil - kills the bear.“Guts” is stories from Gary Paulsen’s life, rough childhood, adventures in Minnesota, Canada, the American South West, Colorado. These episodes Gary wove into Brian’s Story - a story beautifully and touchingly told. Gary’s knowledge and actual experiences gave him the insight to write the Brian Saga. Not only is the woods lore appropriately, accurately and well handled, but the changes that the North Woods induces in Brian are well followed. The books are at once a deep lesson in both survival and in life. We learn much about wilderness living. But we also are treated to the contrasts of life in the city and in the Wilderness.Due a few violent scenes, this series should not be read by youth under 13 or so. Death is a part of life, and life is an endless living with what is there. It takes “guts”, perseverance, and patience, to achieve what Brian achieved, and that is the real message of these books. Life takes Real Guts,lots of perseverance, and lots of patience.The books read very well. The stories are well told. The reading level is at least 8th grade. And for those with an interest in Nature and the Wilderness, be it North Woods, SW desert or ocean, the lessons apply. I found the reading to be extremely enjoyable, and the lessons deep and well taught without being preachy. A great series of books.

Good book

Brian returns to the wilderness he loves and befriends a wounded dog. Together they avenge the death of Brian’s friends.

I am the father of 10, trying to read ahead of the kids to keep trash out of their head. Wish me well.This was a fun read and exciting. Written age appropriate for 10yo+. Under that and this would be a stressful read.The Lord's name was taken in vain 3x, redacted with a ballpoint. If you also care about that: pages 31, 71, 80.

It was awesome!!!! I really liked all the action and, I loved to here about what bears can actually do. I live in Hudson Wisconsin so the after word was kind of disturbing. When ever I think of Brian I think of him as a survivor but he's more than that he is a true friend. If I was told that my best friends parents had just been attacked by a bear, sure I would feel bad, but I would never go and fight it!! Nice job Gary Paulson

My 11 year old grandson loves this series. Great purchase.

A good book. Easy to read. Perfect book for a book report.

My 6th grade students have read through the Hatchet series. We are finishing this book over the summer. I had only read Hatchet prior to this, and I read it as a child and then again as an adult. I love the books and this was a good ending to the series. I do wish I could read more about Brian. The students love it because he is around their age when he first crashed into the wilderness. They came to understand that he had to survive. They wanted him to survive. This book, in my opinion, shows the “coming of age” of Brian and the end of his childhood. He becomes a man and does what is needed. The change between himfrom the first book to this one is immense! It’s a great tool to use to teach dynamic characters in novels. Love it and I wish there was more to read!

Justo lo que dice la descripción

Unlike the other books in the The Hatchet series I did not like this one. Of course it has its own charms and is indeed a good, true ending to the series but I like to think of Brian’s Return as the ending to the series more than this one. But, it’s ultimately up to yourself if you wish to read this one. I finished and although I’d wish it wasn’t the last book I do admit that Gary Paulsen was an amazing author, rest in peace Gary.

Excellent book. Would recommend the whole series to anyone.

it is such a good read i really recommend reading this book there is a couple of parts you wish that didnt happen but that is the part of the story keep writing gary

The third book in the sreies, Brian is now 16yrs and was back in the wilderness, this time though he had his bow, knife, food and plenty of equipment, Brian headed north, he brought books with him so he could continue his studies, he paddled his canoe, he shot a pike with his bow and ate it that night, he slept in his canoe anchored out in the river, a strange noise awoke him, he could hear a dog whining, it was 3am Brian paddled to shore, he saw the dog there was a terrible wound across his shoulder, Brian started a fire, the dog was very pleased to see him, he managed to sew up the wound before they both slept, in the morning Brian realised the wound was caused by a bear, he went hunting for meat for them both, Brian headed north the the Cree summer camp, these were the people that had rescued Brian in the last bookThey carried on north, hunting, camping, fishing and crossing beaver dams, entering a lake Brian realised it was veru quiet, this was where the Cree shoud be, Brian headed for the cabin his bow ready, the dog growling, the cabin was completely destroyed inside, he found David Smallhorn torn apart under a blanket, it had to have been a bear, Davids wife, the small children a boy and a girl with their older sister were missing, he found three dogs tied to a kennel dead and the leash where his dog had escaped, in the brush he found Davids wife Anne, mutilated, he found no trace of the others, Brian knew now he would have to track a killer bear and find the childrenMy verdict, nice story, bit short but well worth a read