Brian Robeson continues to use his survival instincts by allowing a man from a survival school to tag along in a jouney into the Canadian wilderness. This time it was planned to be a learning experience, but turned into a ride down a raging river with an unconcious man. I rated this book five out of five stars, because I thought this book displayed a theme of perservearance, which is a desired attribute to have in case of emergency or survival situation. I would recommend this book to mainly males or people who are interested in wilderness, survival or adventure. Although this book is a short read, it truly deserves to be read by anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

I like that Derek was still alive and that Brian was being very strong.

I picked this book up because I really loved Gary Paulsen books, especially Hatchet. I did not know that it was a sequel at the time, but when I found out, I was so ready to read it! It was a fast read, taking only a few days, and I read only at night for about 20 minutes. I was disappointed. Hatchet was so good! That book was interesting at ever turn of the page, and it gave me so many emotions. This book, however, seemed rushed, unrealistic, and boring. Gary Paulsen made it seem as if Brian could suddenly do everything after his experience, such as build a raft in a day, let alone a working one. Last time, nothing was handed to him. He had to work day and night to get what he needed. This time, he was handed everything he needed in the first two days. I feel like Gary just decided, "Oh! I need conflict!" and stuck something into the book. On the journey on the river, it was the same way as the beginning. The raft disappears, but somehow he finds it with little effort needed. It just does not make sense. I feel like Gary wrote a masterpiece, but flopped on the sequel, because he had already written the good book, somewhat like how Harper Lee flopped on Go Set a Watchman after her incredible story, To Kill a Mockingbird. I wouldn't recommend this book to very many, but I bet someone out there would like it.

The book I read was The River by Gary Paulsen. I read the book because It was the next one after the Hatchet, and I loved the Hatchet. The main characters of the book are Brian, an Derek. Brian Robeson, a boy who survived in the Canadian wildness for fifty-four days, never wanted to relive his experience again. Unfortunately, two men wanted Brian to go back and survive again. The men were from military survival school and wanted to learn from him in the Canadian wildness. He warned them of the challenges, and eventually decide to go. When they arrive at the wildness, brian makes the executive decision by leaving all of the supplies on the plane. Brian an Derek started to build their campsite with only having pocket knives. After they finished the camp, a freak storm showed up. I would give The River a five out of five stars. I always liked reading books that have to do wildlife and adventure. I highly recommend The River to any reader.

Book 14
Jake Olson

This book starts off as he is at home and his door bell rings. The person at the door is going to change his life forever. His name is Derek Holtzer, and he wants him to survive the bush a second time. He needs to know the information on how to do what he did, he is a psychologist for the government survival school. After talking with his mom about his she still is not ready for that. Will he go or not and if yes what would happen.

In this book is so serious that i could not find any figurative language. If there was there would probably be not that much because of what the book is about and how serious about what is going on.

I love this book. The River is the most fantastic and heart pumping book I have read in a while. In that case I just love Gary Paulsen's books. They are action pack you can learn some cool skills from this serious. Although how awesome this book i, it fails to meet some things as in figurative language. With that added in it would be a very great book.

I really liked all the emotions that the author showed Brian having in the book. It really portrayed how hard it was for Brian to overcome hunger and sleep. I thought it was really impressive how Brian made a raft out of logs and his jacket without any tools. I thought it was clever and stupid at the same time that Brian left almost all the supplies on the plane to make him and Derek truly feel the emotions of being stranded. At first I thought it was stupid for Brian to even go be stranded in a remote forest again just for learning purposes. Especially when he could've just told Derek at home all that he learned from the trip. After reading this book I really reflected on how difficult it must've have been for Brian and how I bet nobody of his age in the real life could overcome the obstacles he did. I wish I could've went on a trip with Brian because it sounds pretty fun, except the coma and hunger parts. I thought it was also cool how Brian could tell if there was a storm coming just by looking at the sky and how it felt. Overall, this book really opened my eyes to what it would take to survive on your own and how careful and conservative I should be on a regular basis just in case.

A sequel so disappointing it actually takes away from my enjoyment of the original. The premise here is so implausible as to be laughable, if it weren't so painful.

(spoiler alert)

Seriously? The government has nothing better to do than enlist a CHILD to RELIVE his most harrowing life event, from which he very nearly didn't survive, and whose survival HE HIMSELF attributes to luck? They couldn't just, you know, ask about it? And, of course, the plot is moved along by... lightning. Right. And, of course, survivalist boy has to save the day! Of course he would never think to toss old coma-pants to the raging surf below! He can construct a raft in a single day! He can go without food or sleep for a week! He can remain good and caring and not a bit cranky! And, of course, no harm done in the end.

The writing style, which is repetitious and a little silly even in Hatchet, now makes exactly NO SENSE since hero-boy HAS SOMEONE TO TALK TO. It was forgivable in Hatchet, since it gave a sort of stream-of-consciousness effect that worked for me.

I knew the story was going to be full of adventure. When I seen the cover of this book it was book I couldn't resist. My favorite character in this story is Brian Robeson. He is full of knowledge of knowing the great outdoors. For example he knew how to create sparks to build a fire with a hatchet and a flint stone. My least favorite character in this story is Derek Holtzer. He was the reason why him and Brian were in the woods stranded with nothing but a radio that didn't work. I did like the setting being out in the woods. It's more comforting to me than it is for other people, it's peaceful and quiet where you could really just be yourself. I would recommend this to the outdoors man that like to feel free and just be in peaceful parts of the woods.

It was really good. I thought that Hatchet was a bit... well... unfinished. It was very sudden. I'm so happy that the author decided to make Hatchet a series and answered out "What if..?" questions. In this book, Derek gets struck by lightning and goes in a coma. He has to sail to the post station, which is 200 miles away. 10/10 recommend, but first, read "Hatchet."

3.5 - 4 stars

Short but a good continuation of Brian's Saga. In this book, Brian returns to the wilderness with Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist who wants to learn about how Brian's thinking led to his survival in the wilderness 2 years previous. The survival stuff isn't quite as visceral as in the previous book because it doesn't rehash some of the things that Brian did to survive the first time, including eating grubs and hunting animals for food. Once again, the narrator's style fits with the author's writing style of short staccato bursts of information when thinking about survival. It may annoy some people, but it worked for me. I'll continue with this series.

how have I never heard of Gary Paulsen before? His Brian Robeson series has been around since I was in grade school, but I never heard about the books -- which follow a young boy's attempts to survive in the wilderness -- until recently. I wish I'd read them as a teen, but I still like them as an adult.

I think this story is pretty cool to read about. He was a kid that got left in the wilderness for 54 days with only a hatchet to survive, and he did. That is pretty cool to do and would mean a lot about yourself. You would get a lot of recognition if you could do that. I think it it cool how the government wanted him to help military people and astronauts to live out there and be able to survive. It is cool as a kid you are getting all this big time attention. I thought he wouldn't be able to/want to go out in the wilderness again. He could not like the feeling again. He thought it was awesome though going to help the government. I think this would be a cool opportunity to have and help out the military and many more things going on!