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Hatchet

Hatchet Series, Book 1
Sep 17, 2017TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
As far as "lost in the wilderness" stories go, Hatchet was very entertaining. The fight for life that Brian has every day was easy to immerse myself in because the situations were realistic yet suprising. Brian's journey from a troubled boy to a patient and observant young woodsman gave the story an effective "coming of age" theme. The subplot focusing on Brian's divorced parents was less meaningful to me compared to the message of respecting mother nature, but it added an aspect of inner turmoil that made Brian's journey more dramatic. For example, maybe Brian would not have risked his life to retrieve the hatchet from the lake if he was not still emotionally attached to his mother back in New York. Though it added depth to his character, the subplot did not get a satisfying conclusion, but I suppose that just adds to the realism. As a wilderness lover, I thought Hatchet was a great read. I connected with the setting and had a lot of fun imagining myself in Brian's shoes. The story was descriptive enough without being too long-winded, and I appreciate how Brian learned that the wilderness is not his enemy. Rating: 4/5 - @outdoorsman14 of The Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board Hatchet is a novel about a teenager who spends almost 3 months in the wild after a deadly plane crash, learning to survive on his own, with only a hatchet. This story touches on the topic of empathy and divorce. The main character Brian struggles to accept his parent's divorce, and when on the island trying to survive, learns more about himself, and life. When reading this novel for the first time, I could relate to almost everything Brian was going through. I could feel his pain, anxiousness, and loneliness. The book allowed me to see a new perspective about everyday life, and to never take things for granted. I recommend this book to everyone. I rate this book 4/5 stars. - @CoolReadz of the Hamilton Public Library Teen Review Board This is an amazing book, and I've read it multiple times and even then it feels as if I can relive what the main character Brian has lived through. The story is of a teenage buy, flying to see his Dad in a small plane with only himself and the pilot when the pilot suddenly has a heart attack and is deceased. Brian must learn how to land the plane and wait for help to come, but it doesn't in the perspective of Brian. He has a gift from his mother from the beginning of the book, a hatchet, his trusty tool that helps him with the large aspects of his survival. The book has its ups and downs, and is written as if it would be Brian writing it, but as if a real teenager would write a book. The book highlights the realistic aspects of being stranded in a forest and that all the bad things that can happen will happen, whether it be a tornado, or a cow almost breaking your ribs, the book shows how Brian can recover from that. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a rather short read, but a very interesting story, written by an author that has gone through something similar. Rating: 5/5. - @The_Suspect of the Hamilton Public Library Teen Review Board