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Debbie W.'s Reviews > Hatchet
Hatchet (Brian's Saga, #1)
by
by
Debbie W.'s review
bookshelves: 2021-reads, adventure, audiobook, canada, classics, realistic-fiction, juvenile-fiction
Oct 02, 2021
bookshelves: 2021-reads, adventure, audiobook, canada, classics, realistic-fiction, juvenile-fiction
Author Gary Paulsen takes us through teenager Brian's 2-month survival story in the remote wilderness of Canada. Although this story is often on middle-school reading lists, amazingly, I've never read it myself, so I thought I better rectify this.
Positives:
1. I could readily empathize with Brian's wonders, fears and accomplishments;
2. being from northern Canada myself, I was quite pleased when I correctly recognized the flora and fauna Brian encountered as food sources, such as his so-called "gutberries" (chokecherries), "nutbushes" (chestnut shrubs) and "fool birds" (ruffed grouse); and,
3. if read aloud or freely chosen for personal reading, I could easily see older primary and upper-elementary students enjoying this survival/adventure story.
Negatives:
1. phrasing was repetitive at times and could be distracting; and,
2. Brian's encounter with the skunk was quite the head-shaker for me - even a 6-year old wouldn't have done what Brian did!
As far as survival stories involving young people go, I enjoyed this one much more than Where the Crawdads Sing, because it is more realistic/believable to me, but the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell still tops my list!
Positives:
1. I could readily empathize with Brian's wonders, fears and accomplishments;
2. being from northern Canada myself, I was quite pleased when I correctly recognized the flora and fauna Brian encountered as food sources, such as his so-called "gutberries" (chokecherries), "nutbushes" (chestnut shrubs) and "fool birds" (ruffed grouse); and,
3. if read aloud or freely chosen for personal reading, I could easily see older primary and upper-elementary students enjoying this survival/adventure story.
Negatives:
1. phrasing was repetitive at times and could be distracting; and,
2. Brian's encounter with the skunk was quite the head-shaker for me - even a 6-year old wouldn't have done what Brian did!
As far as survival stories involving young people go, I enjoyed this one much more than Where the Crawdads Sing, because it is more realistic/believable to me, but the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell still tops my list!
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Reading Progress
March 27, 2021
– Shelved
September 28, 2021
–
Started Reading
September 30, 2021
–
Finished Reading
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Great review, Debbie! I enjoyed reading your positives and negatives!
Great review, Debbie! So glad you enjoyed this as an adult! I read this in middle school, but don't remember much from it. It's fun to revisit books we've read or should've read as kids! :)
Great review Debbie! Ha yes the repetition! I'd forgotten about that, that was distracting! Do you plan to read the next book?
I remember listening to this with my kids on a road trip years ago. We all enjoyed it.
Sarah wrote: "I enjoyed this one, too, Debbie. And I totally agree about that stoooopid skunk!
Thanks for sharing :)"
Haha! Glad you also caught the issue with the skunk!
Nicole wrote: "Great review, Debbie! I enjoyed reading your positives and negatives!"Thanks, Nicole! I'm glad my review style entertains you! :-)
Yun wrote: "Great review, Debbie! So glad you enjoyed this as an adult! I read this in middle school, but don't remember much from it. It's fun to revisit books we've read or should've read as kids! :)"Too bad this story didn't make that much of an impression on you from your younger years, Yun!
Hilary wrote: "Great review Debbie! Ha yes the repetition! I'd forgotten about that, that was distracting! Do you plan to read the next book?"Thanks for your comments, Hilary! Yes, the repetition is quite distracting, especially on this audiobook! I'm glad this story works as a stand-alone, so at this point, no, I don't plan on reading the other books in this series. Have you read the other books yet?
Lisa wrote: "I remember listening to this with my kids on a road trip years ago. We all enjoyed it."This would be a great story to listen to with your family! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
We haven't, you're right it does work as a stand alone.
Wonderful review Debbie!🌸
Susan wrote: "Wonderful review Debbie!🌸"Thanks, Susan!
Annette wrote: "Great review Debbie :)"Thank you, Annette!
Thanks for always going giving me good recommendations for my kids. I appreciate your reviews, Debbie!
Nancy wrote: "Thanks for always going giving me good recommendations for my kids. I appreciate your reviews, Debbie!"No problem, Nancy! :-)
How old are your kids? If they're in middle-school, I'm surprised that they haven't been "forced" to read this one! If not, get to them first before the assignments, projects, etc. do!
Love survival stories! Wonderful review Debbie. I'm trying to cut my TBR down but now I just might have to add this and Dolphin to the list. 🤪
Kay wrote: "Love survival stories! Wonderful review Debbie. I'm trying to cut my TBR down but now I just might have to add this and Dolphin to the list. 🤪"If you had to choose just one, I would highly recommend Island of the Blue Dolphins! It's based on a real person! Also, it's extremely well-written!
Great review, Debbie.🧡 You've made me curious now... I assume Brian was sprayed by a skunk, but what did he do to provoke it?🦨
Jodi wrote: "Great review, Debbie.🧡 You've made me curious now... I assume Brian was sprayed by a skunk, but what did he do to provoke it?🦨"Yes, he got sprayed when he (view spoiler)
Debbie wrote: "Jodi wrote: "Great review, Debbie.🧡 You've made me curious now... I assume Brian was sprayed by a skunk, but what did he do to provoke it?🦨"Yes, he got sprayed when he [spoilers removed]"
OMG - so stupid!🤪
Jodi wrote: "Debbie wrote: "Jodi wrote: "Great review, Debbie.🧡 You've made me curious now... I assume Brian was sprayed by a skunk, but what did he do to provoke it?🦨"Yes, he got sprayed when he [spoilers re..."
Right?
Books that have things you can relate to or know get an extra star.
Joe wrote: "Books that have things you can relate to or know get an extra star."You betcha! Thanks, Joe!
Great review Debbie. And I got a book recommendation. The Scott O'Dell book. I liked the Crawdads book so someday when I run out of reading material I have two more books to read. I have read Paulson before and I think we talked about his Iditarod book.
CoachJim wrote: "Great review Debbie. And I got a book recommendation. The Scott O'Dell book. I liked the Crawdads book so someday when I run out of reading material I have two more books to read. I have read Pauls..."Thanks, Jim! I've read three of O'Dell's books, and my favorite has to be Island of the Blue Dolphins. Which one is on your list?
Wow, I've never read this one before either but it sounds interesting. Thanks for putting it on my radar. A fab review!
Tina wrote: "Wow, I've never read this one before either but it sounds interesting. Thanks for putting it on my radar. A fab review!"Thanks, Tina! It's been around forever, so I'm glad that I finally grabbed the bull by the horns and took a listen!
Debbie wrote: "Tina wrote: "Wow, I've never read this one before either but it sounds interesting. Thanks for putting it on my radar. A fab review!"Thanks, Tina! It's been around forever, so I'm glad that I fin..."
You know I think maybe my kids have read it. It sounds so familiar. I'm going to ask them if they read it in elementary school. I might just try to get a copy at the library.
Tina wrote: "Debbie wrote: "Tina wrote: "Wow, I've never read this one before either but it sounds interesting. Thanks for putting it on my radar. A fab review!"Thanks, Tina! It's been around forever, so I'm ..."
I know that's how I heard about it - kids in middle school having to read it.
And I totally agree about that stoooopid skunk!
Thanks for sharing :)