Key Stage: 3 (11+)
Rating: ★★★(and a half!)
Reviewer: Ms Casey
Hatchet, Gary Paulsen (1986)
“I owe everything I am and everything I will ever be to books.” – Gary Paulsen
Plot: After surviving a plane crash, 13 year old Brian Robeson finds himself lost and alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet to help him survive.
Positives: A strong connection is built with the protagonist, Brian, who demonstrates real grit and ingenuity far beyond his years. The flashbacks provide an insight into Brian’s family life and meant that I desperately wanted him to survive. This book also taught me some extremely useful survival skills.
Negatives: I felt that sometimes the plot was quite repetitive and the style of writing was a little cliched at times.
If you like this, you might like: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh, Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
Genre: adventure; survival; action; nature; coming-of-age novel