Hatchet - Gary Paulsen

Rating:****

A book I really enjoyed reading was “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen. Its a book that really knows how to take you into the world of the wild and although its a simple book its still immersive and interesting.

This book is about a boy who was in a private plane which was taking him to meet his father who lived far away. While flying over a forest the pilot gets a heart attack and the plane crashes in a lake. Luckily the boy survived but now he was in the middle of a forest with little to no chance of rescue. The boy would have to rely on what little knowledge of wilderness survival that he had and a hatchet that he salvaged from the wreckage.

I really enjoyed this story because it showed how knowing about outdoor survival can actually save your life. I also enjoyed seeing the main characters growth and how he set up systems to keep living. The book is also realistic in the fact that the main character made many mistakes as he was learning to survive, and he suffered the repercussions. The book makes sure to emphasise the fact that you need to learn these important survival skills so that you can survive if you ever end up in a similar situation.

I highly recommend this book and if you’re interested you could also read the sequel.

Paulsen, Gary, and Peter Coyote. Hatchet. New York: Listening Library/Random House Audio, 2004. Print.