I would recommend reading the first book in the series called “The Hatchet,” to fully understand how Brian got to this point of going out into the wilderness again. The River written by Gary Paulsen is a book in his survival series, it was published in June 1991. Have you ever wondered what it takes to survive with only a knife in the woods? In this book you will experience how Brian Robenson, and Derek Holtzer manage to survive in the woods, eventually making it out alive. Once again, if you are a person who enjoys watching people push past adversity to achieve their goals, then this is the book for you. Both books focus on survival and what it takes to stay alive in times of adversity. This book is similar to Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson. Continual action and plot surprises peaked my interest throughout.

In addition, I enjoyed this book because it was suspenseful and I didn’t want to put it down. Teamwork is critical to success which this book highlights when Brian and Derek use teamwork in order to survive in the woods. This relates to life in general because working with other people is a day-to-day experience for most of us. Another reason I liked this book is because the characters show how teamwork is the best strategy to use in tough situations. Although, the experience takes a drastic turn which places them in a fight for their lives. They are forced to survive in the woods when they make the decision to pursue a realistic survival experience. If you enjoy learning about survival skills and overcoming adversity, then this is the perfect book for you because the two main characters, Brian and Dereck, do both. I highly recommend this book and I give it five stars. As a nineteen-year-old college student, it kept me thoroughly entertained and I really enjoyed reading it. How long could you survive in the woods without help or supplies? The River, by Gary Paulsen is a fictional, action-packed must read. It presents the question of how prepared we are to face disaster and survive. It brings up ideas and values many of us hold and asks us to take a closer look at them. The book is written for young teenage boys. Between times when I can sit down and read, the book calls me, begging me to find an excuse to open it up. Perhaps it is because I live out in the hills but I can relate to these books. Derek has a radio and his briefcase to keep notes. The Time makes him uneasy yet lures him.īrian and Derek are dropped off. He learned to survive but was changed greatly by the experience.įor this second book government people who teach survival skills wan Brian to return to the wilderness and show them how to make their course better. In the first book Brian is in a plane crash and stranded in the Canadian wilderness for almost 2 months. This is the second book in a series and should be read in order for these two.

The river gary paulsen