Author: Gary Paulsen
Title: The "Brian" Series
Rating: 4.8
Reviewer: Hotsauce Grade: 6
Review:
As these works of Gary Paulsen are some of the best books he has written, the Brian series soars above all other adventure books as Brian Robeson, a 14-year-old boy from Upstate New York finds his true passion; the wilderness.
In Hatchet, the first book in this exhilarating adventure series, Brian goes to visit his father, flying a 3-seater plane to get there. When the pilot has a sudden heart attack and the plane crashes in the northern wilderness, Brian finds he is lost, with no supplies but a hatchet, and not much experience in the wilderness at all. After the fist few days and nights he becomes desperate for food. He has no food, no fire, no idea what to do. The rest of the book goes through the various decisions he had to make all leading up to the amazing ending. This book is most definitely a must-read for adventure-lovers of all ages.
The River, an alternate sequel to Hatchet, is also a must-read. Now that Brian has been saved, the government wants him to go back again, for information on how they can help people survive should they find themselves lost in the wilderness. But this time he is not alone—a government psychologist named Derek Bowman will be coming with him. But when Derek is struck by lightning, the radio is hit too. Derek falls into a coma, and Brian is forced to build a raft and paddle 100+ miles down an incredibly treacherous river to get Derek to the nearest trading post, hoping his map is accurate.
Brian’s Winter was the original sequel to Hatchet, saying what would’ve happened if Brian had not been rescued. This book tells a tale of a boy’s life where every decision he made was a matter of life or death, and his life was on the line more and more with each step he walked, each breath he took. When he meets a camp of Natives, they call the city on a radio and he is finally rescued. If you are between the ages of 10 and 15 and you are into suspense, I would strongly recommend this book.
Brian’s Return is the sequel to Brian’s Winter, and it explains what happens to Brian when he returns to the city. He is so used to the wilderness and the quiet that all the tests and movies, and city noises really begin to get on his nerves. Though he is dying to go back to the woods- what he considers his new home, he has to stay in the city. After two years, he plans to go back to visit the Indians (ones of the Cree tribe), but this time he is prepared. Though he is prepared, he has no idea what’s coming… This is definitely a great book for all ages.
The last book of the series is Brian’s Hunt, where Brian finds one of the Cree’s dogs wounded, whimpering in the middle of nowhere. After Brian cures the dog, they become companions and the dog leads Brian to where the Cree camp used to be. A distinctive bear had torn the family apart, quite literally. So Brain set out to find the bear, to find and to torture, to torture and to kill.
9/13/04