Name: Hatchet
Rating: 3.43015873015873 (315 reviews)
ISBN: 9780689840920

Gary Paulsen

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

Hatchet

Sarah Sammis

This book kept me up past my bed time. I read it in one sitting!

Michael Springer

This might not get a 5 if I read it again. But, when I was 13, it was a definite five.

Janice Hopper

I don't THINK I've read this book before. But I've read other, similar books. I'm a sucker for the survival-in-the-wilderness genre.

The plane Brian's in crashes in the remote wilderness of Canada. He survives the crash, and survives for 54 (?) more days. This is his story.

The bits I liked best: how Brian's retrieval of the survival pack changes his attitude to the world he's living in. This made sense to me. And how the time he spent surviving alone in the wilderness changed him forever.

Looking at Goodreads, I see that there are sequels to this book. Not sure if I want to read them or not. Not sure how they could be other than derivative. But who knows -- I like Gary Paulsen's writing, for the most part. I get to live a little vicariously through his heroes.

Celeste Richardson

Some books imprint themselves on your mind and stay with you. You can remember vividly where you were when you first read them. Hatchet is one of those books for me. I remember being in Mrs. Alison’s sixth grade class, and this book was raging though the male half of my class like a wildfire. Even boys who usually hated reading couldn’t put it down. Obviously, as the class’s self-proclaimed queen of the bookworms, I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. So, when a copy finally made it back to the book cubbies that lined the back of the classroom, I nabbed it. And I totally saw what the fuss was about.

Survival stories have been popular for centuries. Robinson Crusoe, Kidnapped, The Swiss Family Robinson; even The Odyssey had survival aspects. So what was so special about Hatchet? It was the story of a thirteen-year-old plane-crash victim struggling to survive in the Canadian wilderness. Alone. With nothing but his hatchet.

This was a main character who was close to our age. Who was struggling to accept the recent divorce of his parents, which was something that multiple kids in our class were going through, and that the rest of us feared. Who had absolutely none of the knowledge and skills seemingly necessary to make it in the wild. Like the rest of us. Seriously, what middle school kid would actually know what to do if they were dropped in the woods, alone, with no supplies and no tools except for a hatchet? If we’re honest, most of us as adults would have no clue what to do, either. One thing about kids, though; they don’t know enough yet to doubt their ability to survive anything. Kids believe that death doesn’t apply to them, and in some ways that’s the only way one could survive this type of dire situation.

And survive Brian does. But Paulsen doesn’t pull punches; this is not a romanticized survival story, where food falls in the protagonist’s lap and they never get so much as a blister. Brian gets put through the wringer. This poor child get severely sunburned, violently ill from bad fruit, attacked by various forest dwellers, and more. Not to mention the near starvation he is constantly battling. 

As a twelve-year-old, this book was terrifying and empowering and completely enthralling. I’ve read it six more times since then, and it’s still all of those things, with a healthy dose of nostalgia thrown in. So thanks, boys in my class, for getting me interested. If you’re a parent, you should definitely get this book for your kids. If you’re still a kid at heart and have never read this, track down a copy. You never know; the things you learn from this book could save your life if you ever get stranded alone in the middle of a forest.

For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.

Meredith Boster

This was a terrible book. It was not well written and the plot was similar to other 'survival' stories that I've read about teens having to survive in the wilderness. It was very bad and I would not recommend this to anyone unless they wanted to waste their time. If you liked this book then I am sorry, but this is my opinion.

Caroline Lewicki

I can’t believe it took me so long to read this book! It’s an incredible adventure book. I think a lot of kids would enjoy the thrill of this book and the idea that a kid can fend for themselves!

chloe g

A gritty, realistic look at life in the wild and survival at its most non-glorified. Brian went through a lot, and no details were spared for the reader. You could maybe learn some things about survival, but more importantly, you'll learn what it means to live, to truly live. Brian finds meaning in his human life and hope in unexpected things, from learning to live as the animals do, and to get back to home. I would hate to be in this situation, but it was so enlightening to read about his. Elementary school was a great time to introduce this book to younger readers.

Toni Turner

I read this in the eighth grade. 
Six years ago. 
Gary Paulsen is so talented and all of his books are so wonderful. 
This just happened to be the first one I read.
I feel everyone should have to read this book. 
It's incredible and I think could really make kids enjoy reading more. The main character is relatable, but also a role model in many ways. He makes me want to be more productive and prepared. This book is brilliant and I love it.

Celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Newbery Honor–winning survival novel Hatchet with a pocket-sized edition perfect for travelers to take along on their own adventures. This special anniversary edition includes a new introduction and commentary by author Gary Paulsen, pen-and-ink illustrations by Drew Willis, and a water resistant cover. Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills—how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire—and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.

30th Anniversary Edition

Emily

I never read this book in elementary school, and I really can’t tell you why. I think I was already experiencing the desire to not like what everyone else loved. While now I understand how stupid that idea is, I feel like that could be what stopped me from reading this sooner.

However, after seeing the gorgeous 30th anniversary edition of this book at the bookstore, I just had to pick it up. From the first page alone, I immediately became engrossed in the determination of Brian. 

I could feel every thought he had and I could experience every effect that nature had on him. I was hit by every blow of anger and frustration at each setback. I was hollowed out by the disappointment he felt from each passing day. But most importantly, I learned the importance of resilience and the stupidity of feelings when it comes to survival. 

Paulsen’s writing style is very repetitive, and I understand why some people don’t like it, but it just so happened to click for me. My mind followed the exact same train of thought as Brian, and Paulsen’s writing made me feel like I was stranded in the woods as well. 

I’ve found a new overly-specific genre that I enjoy: survival in solitude. I don’t like survival stories that involve fighting and miscommunication; I enjoy survival stories in which one must learn one’s own limits. A person can accomplish much more than they can ever anticipate. 

So, thank you, Hatchet, for teaching me that I am capable of so much more than I thought. If Brian can do it by simply taking a step back, then so could I. And, most importantly, so could you.

I didn't like it. There was no personal connection to the main character, and considering there is essentially one character, it got old fast.

I'm sure a kid like my nephew would like this. It just doesn't seem to keep the awe as you get older trying to read it. Like, raw eggs isn't a huge issue for me, but I can see a kid being grossed out by that.

And the ending really just fell off, nothing that made me glad to have read it or adding anything to it. 

This is another Great American Read flop, but really, if someone waxes nostalgic at it from a forced school, read I guess I can understand it.

Faith Collins

I read this book a long time ago and simply hated it. I found it boring and just not of interest to me. In the book's defense, it was assigned school reading and maybe I was just grumpy.

Denise B.

Wow! This book took off running from the first chapter and it didn't stop. It's a young adult, coming of age tale taking from the author's own life. Following the divorce of his parents, Brian Robeson is going to visit his father for the summer, in the oil fields of Northern Canada. Things are tense between he and his mother whilst she drives him to the airport largely due to The Secret, of which I will not be divulging. Gary Paulsen really gets you into Brian's head from the get go and carries that perspective through the entire book. Brian's journey is a rollercoaster of emotions and a confluence of events you don't see coming until it's tapping you on the shoulder. Brian is forced to leave the child he is behind and survive circumstances he is ill-equipped to handle. The author gets gritty with description but not gory, and he describes the environment so well that you feel and can almost see everything young Brian experiences and senses. His struggles and desperation are felt and you definitely root for him to the very end. The one major issue I had, was the ending was rushed and sudden. There were loose ends but it may be that was on purpose as the Meat of the story very much focused on Brian's journey and how he transitions mentally from a boy into a young man, instead of his final destination. I definitely recommend you pick this up and bonus that it's fairly short.

Hatchet

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