Emma Hanmer

Emma Hanmer
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
131

1) Currently I'm reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. The main character's name is Brian. He's a teenage boy whose parents just split up. Brian was on a plane to go visit his dad in Canada, when the pilot of the two person plane had a heart attack. Brian knew how to steer the plane, but wasn't sure which direction to go in. He kept going straight until the plane ran out of fuel. Incredibly, Brian was able to land the plane in a lake as it crashed into the canadian wilderness, doing little damage to himself. He barely survived the first night, being swarmed by insects and suffering dehydration. Once he recuperated he was able to find berries and shelter, and figure out new ways to survive in the wild. I just passed the part where Brian was attacked by a moose. He has a spacious, strong shelter, and a large fish supply from the lake. He was out one day hunting for birds when a Moose came up behind him and started stomping on him. It almost drowned him in the lake. Brian barely got away with his life, because whenever he moved the moose would stomp on him again, breaking more ribs and doing more damage. Brian was very lucky to have survived such and awful attack.

2) This book is very exciting and heart pounding! I love the outdoor survival types of books. They really intrigue me and make me want to keep reading because of the suspense filled chapters! I just read My Side Of The Mountain which is another outdoorsy book. The only difference between Hatchet  and My Side Of The Mountain is that the boy in My Side of The Mountain chooses to be in the wilderness, whereas Brian is forced to be in the wilderness. I love how Brian keeps his hopes up throughout the novel. He undergoes a lot of hardships but keeps fighting and holding on. Gary Paulsen is a new, fun author and I definitely want to look into reading more of his books!

3) A prominent theme in this book is Man vs Nature. Brian is all alone in the Canadian wilderness, trying to battle the incredibly dangerous and life threatening forces of nature. Brian was just attacked by a large female moose, causing lots of damage to himself and his body. He has also been attacked by a porcupine who shot four long, painful needles into his leg. He thought his shelter would protect him from animals, but the porcupine found it's way in. He has undergone a tornado which ripped away his food supply, shelter, and tools. Everything he owned or made or spent hours and hours working on was just gone in the blink of an eye. I don't know how Brian could deal with these types of obstacles and still have the will to keep going and trying to be rescued. Brian is smart and overcomes most of his obstacles, and I hope he wins the battle of man vs nature so he can see his family again!

4) My favorite character in the book is obviously Brian. He's also the only character in the book besides his mom and dad, who we hear little about, and the animals of the forest. I've grown to like Brian because of how intelligent he is. If he makes a mistake, he knows exactly what he did wrong and how to fix it. He remembered that one of his teacher's told him about "you being your greatest asset", meaning that he was the most important thing that would keep him alive. He used everything he had to help protect himself, and luckily had a hatchet that his mom gave him, which was very helpful to him. Brian is also very hopeful. I like how he never gives up, and recuperates from nature's hardships. He only gave up once, when he cut himself. I was very disappointed in him when he did that to himself, after he put all the effort into his camp and making food and tools. But after, he regretted it and didn't give up again. I hope Brian continues to stay strong and courageous in the great outdoors.

5) I do not have a least favorite character, because Brian is the only character we get to know. I can't find one thing I dislike about Brian. He is an intelligent, clever, hopeful, strong person. If the moose counts as a character, that would be my least favorite one! Even though she's an animal who's just trying to protect herself, she hurt Brian. It caused him to be in a lot of pain for several days.

6) Since Brian is fighting so hard to survive, I think that he will be rescued in the end. He was very smart about his survival tactics and went through a lot. The book is almost over so I think he will be rescued because if something did happen to him the book would go on for more time. I also think that Brian will resolve all of  the secrets that his parents kept from him about the divorce. The book always flashed back to him wondering about the reasons for the divorce, so it might revisit and tie up the loose ends. I really hope that Brian gets rescued because he tried so hard to stay alive and I think he deserves to return to his family.