Hatchet

Hey!
This review or the book summary part was done for a project at school, so thats why it might be a little different then the other reviews, but i hope you enjoy anyway!

Title: Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Pages: 208
Genre: Survival, Fiction, Adventure
Publisher: Bradbury Press
Release Date: September. 30, 1987
Reading Level: Young Adult and Up
*Caution Many Many Many Spoilers*

Synopsis 
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present -- and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent''s divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair -- it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive

                                       My Thoughts 

Brian Robenson (the main character and the point of view we are reading) a thirteen year old boy from New York City, is the only passenger on a bush plane headed toward the oil fields of Canada. We’ve all been there right? Oh, not right. Brian is on his way to spend the summer with his father, and he’s feeling shattered about his parent’s recent divorce. Brian doesn’t have much time to dwell on his unhappy family situation, because the pilot; the only other passenger on the plane, suddenly suffers a heart attack and dies. (Holy game-changer, Superman)

With a combination of good luck, clear thinking, and a suspension of disbelief, Brian manages to crash land the plane into a lake and escape with some bruises and a tattered windbreaker. After a nice nap Brian realizes he needs to find food, and shelter so he can last until he’s rescued.

With his trusty sidekick hatchet at his side, Brian finds some berries, constructs a shelter from a half constructed lean to (this kid definitely was a boy scout), and meets a bear in the woods. Throughout the chapters are Brian’s thoughts and memories of his family, and the “secret” which is led us to his parents’ divorce. His mother had been involved with another man, Brian is attacked by a porcupine, learns how to make a fire, makes a fishing spear from a tree branch, and finds food… Not good food but food. (Try not to read this book while eating, it may induce vomiting)

Brian is counting on rescuers showing up at any time. When a rescue plane does fly overhead, though, Brian misses it, seeing it just in time to watch it fade into the distance. (Ouch.) Brian’s reaction, understandably, isn’t pretty. We’re talking screaming, tears, absolute despair. He is not a happy camper.

As time passes, though, Brian recovers his I CAN DO THIS attitude, and become even tougher then he was before. He constructs a bow and arrow, learns to fish, hunts birds and rabbits, and reinforces his shelter against the elements. He’s attacked by a skunk… then a moose later on (even though the attacks are pretty hilarious, I feel bad for this guy, animals just don’t like him.) And if eating raw turtle eggs and fighting off wild animals weren’t enough. Brian then has to deal with a tornado. Geez. On the plus side, he’s going to be able to write one heck of a “What I Did for Summer Vacation” paper, that’s for sure.

The tornado shakes things up so much that the crashed planes, which had been at the bottom of the lake, ends up sticking out of the water. Brian (again with the help of his handy hatchet) is able to get into the plane and recover the dead pilot’s emergency survival pack. In the pack Brian finds a sleeping bag, a compass, cooking tools, lighters, matches, bandages, a rifle; it’s basically like a great big caveman Christmas package.

Also in the bag is an emergency transmitter, but Brian put is aside after flipping the switch on it, a few times and hearing nothing. He assumes that it was broken when the plane crashed. But no it wasn’t broken. Suddenly a plane appears, circling and landing on the lake. The pilot steps out and tells brian that he picked up the signal from the emergency transmitter. In the end Brian is ablr to get back to New York and doesn’t misuse any of his daily resources (i.e. water, food, shelter, etc) again because he knows what how hard it is to live without them.

This whole book summary was actually written for literature circles for school last year. One of my best friends and I had written this together, though she wrote most of it. So that’s why its longer then I usually would post and spoils pretty much the whole book, IM AM VERY VERY VERY SORRY FOR THAT! But personally if I had a choice I wouldn’t have read this book, because it was for school though I was kind of forced to read it. Surprisingly though I did end up enjoying the book, it wasn’t how I thought it would be. The book was a little predictable and cliché though, but those are just my thoughts. I would give this book 3.5 nail polish bottles out of 5 nail polish bottles.

If you have read this book I would love to hear your thoughts on this book! Email me at coverstoryreviews@gmail.com or comment what you thought of it down below. Remember to subscribe via email, follow us on Bloglovin’, like and comment this post! We Love You ALL! 

- Princess (Jen) ♕

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