Hatchet

​Brian Robinson Brian is flying to visit his father when the pilot of his bush plane dies of a heart attack. Brian has to crash-land the plane in a shallow wilderness lake, where he is stranded alone.

He immediately finds a place where he can build a shelter and some berries to eat. After an attack by a porcupine in the middle of the night, Brian figures out how to make a fire and keep animals out of his shelter. Brian later kills larger animals.

One night a tornado hits the section of forest where Brian is surviving. The tornado destroys Brian’s shelter, and it also turns the plane so that the tail section is sticking out of the water. Brian remembers the survival pack that is in the back of the plane and decides to try to get it. Brian builds a raft and floats into the lake. Brian peels the metal shell off the plane and makes a hole large enough to climb inside. Brian can recover the survival pack and dragged it back to his shelter.

Inside the survival bag, Brian finds a great many things such as matches, cooking equipment, and multiple packs of food. Brian also finds a radio, but he does not understand how it works. So, he sets it aside. While Brian is making his first real meal in months, he hears a motor overhead. Brian is surprised to discover that the radio is an emergency transmitter, and he left it turned on. A trader flying overhead heard the signal and had landed to rescue Brian.

Hatchet by Gary Paulson is an excellent read because of the suspense and an interesting character.

First, the author filled this book with suspense and mystery. It has the most exciting ways to drag you into reading on. Once the book has you in that place, it surprises you some time with instant action and sometimes with a more slow and suspenseful action (Survival Pack).

Second, this book incorporates lots of interesting characters that were real people. Brian never really gives up. He survives from many different scenarios such as a bear, crashing the plane, and almost drowning.

---