From Publishers Weekly
Nearly two years after being marooned in the wilderness--the experience recounted in Hatchet --Brian agrees to go back, accompanied by Derek, a psychologist who wants to study the strategies and especially the mental toughness that brought Brian through. At first he chafes at the relative comforts, the lack of true challenge, this second time around. All that changes when Derek is struck by lightning and falls into a coma--Brian must raft Derek to the nearest outpost, 100 miles downriver. In attempting this sequel Paulsen has set himself a difficult task, which he meets superbly. The new adventure is as riveting as its predecessor and yet, because of significant differences in the nature of its dramatic tension, is not merely a clone. The experiences of Hatchet , distilled by time, inform Brian's character throughout, so that the psychological terrain of the sequel is fresh and distinct. The older Brian is more reflective and accepting, and these qualities add new dimensions to his interactions with nature. And returning to the north effects a subtle but startling change: instantly, almost unconsciously, Brian finds himself absorbing every detail of the scene around him--taking the scent of the wind, reading the shape of each cloud--and in the process turning inward, finding words superfluous in the face of the wild. There is no dearth of action and physical suspense here, rendered in terse, heart-stopping prose. Paulsen, as always, pulls no punches: a scene in which Brian fantasizes about cutting Derek loose from the raft is as powerful as they come. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
This sequel to Gary Paulsen's award-winning Hatchet, (AudioFile, Apr 93) finds fifteen-year-old Brian returning to the Canadian wilderness where he had been stranded alone after a plane crash two years earlier. The story is self-contained, not dependent on its predecessor. Peter Coyote presents a dry, detached reading which doesn't detract from the inherent power of the story, but adds little. His reading is polished, clear and professional, but maintains a distance from the characters. Despite this, The River should be considered an excellent choice for family listening, keeping adults and children keenly attuned. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
by Gary Paulsen
by Gary Paulsen
by Gary Paulsen
by Gary Paulsen
by Gary Paulsen
