Book review: Hatchet by Gary Paulen

Genre:
Adventure, Juvenile Fiction

Interest Level:
12-14

Reading Level: 
Lexile 1020, Grades 6-8


Book Theme:
Wilderness survival, divorce


Books with Similar Themes:  
Juggling Fire by Joanne Bell, Death Mountain by Sherry Shahan


Bibliographic Information: 
Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York: Simon Pulse.


Plot:  
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is flying to the Canadian wilderness to visit his father. His parents have recently divorced and Brian is haunted by his secret memory of why their marriage feel apart, a secret his father does not know. It is just Brian and the pilot on the airplane, and when the pilot has a massive heart attack Brian tries to radio for help but is unsuccessful. He is forced to land the plane alone. Brian then has to fend for himself and learn how to survive in the unfamiliar Canadian wilderness. He has to learn to build shelter, how to find food, how to hunt, how to build a fire, and how to stay alive. Brian holds to hope that a rescue party is coming to save him, but when he realizes that he had flown the plane too far off course he begins to loose hope and realizes he may have to survive in the wilderness forever. Will a survival party come to find Brian, and if not will he be able to find the strength to survive off the land for the rest of his life?

Review:  
This fast-paced novel has become a classic for tweens from 1987 and on to today. It touches tweens on so many levels because it is exciting and page-turning, and it also deals with some tough issues such as surviving in the face of fear, weathering divorce, and the pain of carrying the burden of a terrible secret. This is a great book for reluctant-reader tweens who might appreciate an exciting, fast-paced book to stimulate their reading interest. It is also a great book for any tween who is interested in wilderness survival. Tweens dealing with the fresh wound of divorce may also appreciate this book and relate to how Brian feels incredible sadness and anger but cannot talk about his feelings because life around him continues on and a much more challenging situation surfaces that takes precedence.