"Hatchet" by Gary Pulsen

I may be the only person in the world who is not impressed by Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. I often get asked 'have you read insert-book-title-here?' Hatchet is one of the books I get asked about a lot and it's always followed with praise by the asker. So because of this, I must have expectations that were way too high.

Brian's parents are divorced and he is on his way to see his father for the first time since their separation. As they are flying over a forest, the pilot suffers from a heart attack and suddenly Brian is left all alone and it's up to him to try and land the plane. He crashes in the middle of no where and has no choice but to figure out how to survive.

In my life I have read many many books about people having to survive without the help from others. Included in this list are My Side of the Mountain, Call it Courage, and Island of the Blue Dolphins all of which handle the subject matter wonderfully. Hatchet on the other hand, does not. I felt that Paulsen spent far too much time telling me as the reader what happened instead of showing it. There were really only two scenes where I felt any connection to Brian or felt major concern for his well being.I fully expected that this book would grab and keep my interest, but in the end I think it fell flat. I have read more by Paulsen so I know that I otherwise like his writing, but know that I will not be making any more progress with the Brian books (Though I just might watch the movie).



Happy Reading