The Return

Brian's time in the woods has changed him forever.  He tries to go back and live a "normal" life, but he just can't.  He gets into a bit of trouble with the law, but not really, he is pretty much just misunderstood.  Brian's Return is Brian's journey back into the Northern Woods.  Brilliant.

Brian's Hunt

When I finished listening to Brian's Return, I found it odd that Gary Paulsen had noted that this was going to be the last Brian book.  Fortunately, it wasn't.  Brian's Hunt was fantastic.  At the end of this one, Paulsen explains that he still gets letters from people who want to know more about Brian.  And even now, after finishing Hunt, I still want to know more.
I love the way Paulsen writes about hunting.  I would imagine that he has gotten a lot of flack for it, but it really does make sense.  And no one can call Brian or Paulsen a wimp.  This book had some pretty brutal moments, for sure.  But what a great, great book and so well done.  I do hope that Paulsen gets around to visiting Brian again.

Winter Has Come

I know that winter doesn't technically start until December 21, but winter to me starts when the first snow is on the ground.  That was this morning.  And I couldn't help but think of Brian's Winter when I looked out the bedroom window and saw the snow on the trees.   When Paulsen wrote Hatchet and The River he received a ton of letters from kids, sometimes as many as 200 a day.  In an author's note before the book, he explains that the readers were mad that Brian didn't have to go through the winter and they wondered what it would have been like if he hadn't been found before the winter came.  Brian's Winter takes place right after Hatchet, before the rescue, as if Brian hadn't been found and now had to make it through the snow and ice of the changed season.  A great idea and a great addition to the series.  I am already listening to the next one, Brian's Return. 

On a Roll

Of course, as soon as I finished Hatchet, I had to download The River. I can't believe that I used to rip on Paulsen this way and that way.  Then this happened and I've been in love ever since.  When I was about six minutes from the end, I checked goodreads to see what others had said about The River and there was a lot of criticism, but it didn't matter to me, because I was just sucked into Brian's second adventure.  Now I am finished with it, having loved it as well, and on to Brian's Winter!

I Just Realized

That Hatchet was written in 1987, when I was still in high school, yet the book isn't dated at all.  I have no idea why I didn't try to read it before this.  I've been in love with Gary Paulsen for a while, but Hatchet aways scared me.  I'm not an adventure story kinda gal.  But man, Hatchet was seriously good.   The detail of the plane crash reminded me of the opening scenes of the movie Alive, which I haven't seen since it came out in 1993, but it still stays with me.    I've already downloaded The River and I can't wait to listen to it.  Peter Coyote does a great job with the reading and he does The River as well.