Hatchet”, by Gary Paulsen, is a book about a thirteen-year-old boy named Brian Robeson, who faces the harsh Canadian wilderness all by himself after a plane crash, with the only assistance of a small hatchet. This exciting book about Brian’s struggle for survival takes us through Brian’s time learning to live in the forest and the hardships he faces along the way. I think this is a wonderfully written action novel, and I believe that most people would enjoy reading it.
This book begins with Brian traveling in a bush plane, all alone except for the pilot. In the first chapter, we learn that Brian’s parents are divorced, and that he is flying from the US up to Canada to visit his father. However, at some point during the flight, the pilot has a heart attack, and Brian is left in the plane, which is slowly running out of gas. Eventually, Brian finds a suitable place for him to attempt to land the plane, then manages to get out of the crash alive. However, now Brian is alone, somewhere in the Canadian wilderness, with his only tool being a hatchet. Soon, Brian realizes that if he is to survive, he will have to accept his circumstances and learn to live with nature rather than against it.
I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys actions books, as Hatchet is pretty much the purest form of an action book I’ve ever read. However, this novel is probably better suited for those aged 8-12. Overall, I think that Hatchet is an exciting, but also humbling read, and I hope you enjoy reading it.