Brian's Hunt (Mass Market Paperback)

by Gary Paulsen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The multitudes of Gary Paulsen fans (or more accurately, Brian fans) will be thrilled to find that the author has penned yet another story about Brian Robeson. Although Paulsen once claimed that he would "write no more about Brian," he seems to have been softened by the "staggering amounts of mail from readers" begging for more about the teen who is more at home alone in the wilderness than in the hustle and bustle of city life. In Brian’s Hunt, the 16-year-old returns to the remote woods and lakes of Canada, where he encounters a mysteriously injured dog. His experiences two years earlier, after surviving a plane crash and months alone with only a hatchet to protect and provide for himself (Hatchet, Brian’s Winter, etc.), have prepared him well to survive now. But can anything prime him for the horror that awaits him on an island campsite where he intends to meet his Cree friends?

This short episode is rife with the kind of gritty--even gruesome--details readers have come to expect from the Newbery Honor author. In an afterword, Paulsen reminds readers that he bases his stories on personal experiences and his extensive knowledge of the wild side of nature.

Confidential to avid fans: an intimation of romance amid all the rugged drama hints that this will not be the last Brian book, either. (Ages 10 to 13) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-In an author's note, Paulsen explains why he decided to reopen the story first begun in Hatchet (Bradbury, 1987). In this short installment, Brian, now 16, is back in the wilderness and encounters a savagely wounded dog. He makes his way to the lake island home of the Cree man he met in Brian's Return (Delacorte, 1999), where he discovers the tragedy that led to the dog's liberation. David and his wife have been partially eaten by a bear, which necessitates the hunt mentioned in the title and described in the final chapter. Throughout, the protagonist frequently remembers events from his original stranding, alludes to the problems he had faced trying to return to "civilization," and ultimately explains the special arrangement by which he has returned to the "bush" instead of high school. Although the story does stand alone, these many references will make the audience want to read (or reread) the earlier books. This story is not as well developed as the other episodes but it is a must-read for the hordes of existing Hatchet fans out there, and it may also serve to draw some new readers into the fold. An afterword discusses bear behavior and Paulsen's experiences with these animals.
Sean George, Memphis-Shelby County Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, TN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553494155
• ISBN-13: 978-0553494150
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,908 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars difference, February 12, 2004

By	Devin Hamilton (Garden City, KS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brian's Hunt (Hardcover)

This a good read. Though it is shorter than most of Paulsen's work, it is good. I didn't like the changes though. Like he brought more books than what The List in Brian's Return said, freeze dried food, the three pairs of moccasins, the monoculars, and the barbed fish tips for his arrows. Plus it didn't mention Caleb, after all he wouldn't be there without him. And it didn't mention his medicine or Billy. It was written in a different in a different way than the other Brian books. If you have read the other Brian books you will see a different writing style. It might be because Brian is finally in a hurry to get somewhere, but The River isn't written in this way. Overall I liked it and will continue reading Paulsen's work.I have been reading for more than seven years and liking his work. I have never and probably never find a Paulsen book I don't like.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brain's hunt review, June 8, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Brian's Hunt (Hardcover)

Brian's Hunt by Gary Paulson
Review by "Prince of Persia"

It's the middle of the night and Brian is in the middle of the lake in his canoe. Something wakes Brian up. Though hears nothing, he senses that there is something on the shore of the lake. Something.... but what?
Brian is a boy who has survived the wilderness in the past, and he bravely decides to venture north again. Along the way he mysteriously finds a dog that is lonely, hungry, and hurt. However, when he reaches the Cree camp, he sees no smoke and the dog is nervously shaking.
One of the things that amazes readers is the descriptive language. For example, the author creates a mind picture, which helps you "see" the story. Without the descriptive language it would be difficult to understand the setting. I believe that this book has an enjoyable amount of action. For instance, there is a bear attack scene in the book that is dripping with excitement.
Finally, this is an interesting book because of its suspense. The author writes in such a way that makes you want to read on. The story leads to a scary, surprise ending that will not disappoint the reader!
To sum up, this book a great read because it has action, descriptive language, and suspense. It would be a good idea to read the prequels to better understand the story.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brian's Camping Trip Returns , October 29, 2004

By	a student (Versailles, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brian's Hunt (Hardcover)

You will like this book because it is very adventurous. This is a good book because once you get started you can't put it down. I' m a lover of Gary Paulsen's Brian series. Every time a new book comes out I'm always the first person to get it in the library. To understand this book you might have to read the two books before this one to figure out about why he is where he is in this book. This book is about Brian and he is camping and he sees a dog. The dog is wounded and he is having trouble getting up. Brian goes over to see what is wrong and he sees that the dog is hurt. Now Brain is going to hunt for the person or thing that has hurt this dog. The dog also comes with him as his new partner to hunt. Some things that I like about this book is that it is very adventurous. It has a lot of things about what to doing the wilderness when you are camping and something goes wrong. Overall I think that you will love this book about Brian's Hunt.