April Genreflecting: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen review

ALONE

Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present -- and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self pity, or despair -- it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.

From Goodreads

This book plays out exactly as described above. While we don't learn a lot of facts about our protagonist throughout the course of the book, we learn more than enough to create an incredibly powerful story. Because of The Secret, that Brian knows & plans to tell his father, his parents are now divorced & living in different countries. While Canada isn't that far away, it is a whole other world with respect to wildlife and survival situations.

When the pilot dies mid-flight, not only does Brian have to try to salvage the flight, he eventually must come to terms with the thought of crash landing somewhere. After that trauma & near-death experience, Brian finds himself on the edge of a lake with nothing but the clothes on his back and the hatchet his mother had just gifted him upon departure.

And so begins the saga that is this book. We follow Brian's movements & habits over a period of time, learning from his mistakes & rooting him on in moments of self-doubt. The writing style is very internal. It feels like we're reading Brian's internal dialogue as he goes about his existence. I really enjoyed how the author didn't go into immense detail about any one thing because it allowed me to picture this book taking place just about anywhere. This in turn gave me a more closely connected feeling with Brian.

As for its qualities as an adventure book, I have to say that this is hands down one of the best ones I've come across. It seems that a lot of times the shorter books tend to pack the biggest wallop with respect to their adventure aspects. A survival story through and through, Hatchet is the example that leads the way for this genre.

We really get the sense of not only a physical journey, but an emotional one as well. Brian has to adapt to his new surroundings and find constructive ways to cope with his situation. This provides endless opportunities for growth & self-development that just really can't be accomplished under normal circumstances. Even better is the fact that you truly have no idea where this will end. Just like in Jump & Trapped, I found myself holding my breath for how the story would end. Adventure books don't always have a happy ending; it's kind of an unspoken rule that sometimes not everyone will make it out, if anyone does at all.

I hope you have had the chance to enjoy this book. If not, I highly recommend it as it is such a quick read! Be sure to check back next week when I review The Devil's Breath as my thriller book & host a mystery giveaway!

Waiting on Wednesday: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala is set to come out January 3 of 2012. It's rather crazy to think that I'm already gearing up to read 2012 releases & it's only October! This one sounds very real in a gritty, but not overly gripping way. I might just enjoy it. :)

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From dangerous Ashlyn, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take her cruel words until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the hurt of bullying, family strength and endurance, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

From Goodreads

I like the sound of this book & what the description says takes place. Books where the main character has a self-actualizing transformation can be some of the most uplifting books to read. Honestly, this one sounds along the same lines as Elisa Carbone's Jump which I thoroughly enjoyed as well. Here's hoping this one is just as good. What are you waiting on this week?

P.S. I've never read a Holly Cupala book. Thoughts? Comments? Just thought I'd ask.

Jump by Elisa Carbone

P.K. flat-out refuses to go to boarding school. Just because she ditches her boring classes at her stupid high school and spends more time climbing a rock wall and dreaming of being outdoors does not mean she is boarding school material. That's when she comes up with the great idea of running away with a climbing buddy to the Western wilds in search of primo rock. The downside is that none of her friends want to go with her.

That is until Critter comes bouldering her way in the rock gym. They make off the next morning and make their way out to the Red Rocks. Hooking up with another climber, they manage to put in a new route and start to make their way out of the canyon. That's when things get a little... complicated.

It turns out that Critter is on the run... from the cops... for breaking out of a mental hospital. P.K. and Critter have to decide if they can continue to trust one another and how far they are willing to go to preserve their freedom. There's only so much rock to be climbed and what will happen when they get to the top?

This was an amazing book! I spent a good part of my teenage years playing weekend excursioner by hiking and rock climbing and generally enjoying myself. This book appealed to my outdoorsy side. There is a lot of technical rock climbing speak used in the book, which may turn many people off, but I found it interesting and just as easy to skip over since it wasn't vital information.

P.K. was a typically disgruntled teenager with a free spirit. While I don't think running away is a smart idea, ever, I still admire her courage for seizing her opportunity at a life-long dream. Critter was a big old mess, but in a fun way. His brain, actions, and general demeanor were like a puzzle that every time I thought I was getting it all put together, another piece jumbled my plan. He was a real riot to watch evolve.

The storyline was quite amusing in that "highly improbable" way because the universe would have to be perfectly aligned for everything to go exactly how they needed it to in order for the story to work. Although, I like to think it's totally plausible. This is a nice read that I think is perfect for those looking for some outdoorsy fun, that they can safely do from their favorite reading spot. Enjoy!