The River
Written by Gary Paulsen
Reviewed by Rachel M. (age 12)
Ding, dong went the doorbell. Brian Robeson answered the door and met Derek for the first time. Brian soon realized that this man was asking him to return to the wilderness! He wanted Brian to repeat his survival adventure and watch how Brian used his skills in the wilderness. Derek needed information from this trip for scientific purposes. The only thing different this time was that Derek was coming along to take notes.
Everything went surprisingly well (almost too easy, Brian thought) the first couple of days. Within a few days, however, a storm hit. Derek and Brian didn't think anything of it until it was too late...
In this story, which is a sequel to Hatchet, Brian is forced to be very independent again, make important decisions and physically take care of Derek after a major accident leaves Derek injured.
I enjoyed reading this book because it is full of feeling, detail, and it is not too far fetched. Parts of it could really happen. My favorite part was when they started building their home/shelter because I like the wilderness and I love to build forts. Brian acted as though he was a pro, too. Brian changed a lot. He became more independent and wasn't as sensitive. He also learned to like a lot more foods!
I recommend this book because it is very interesting and it could happen in present day life. People that love to learn or hear stories about survival will really enjoy this book. Especially people that read and loved Hatchet.