The River (Hardcover)

by Gary Paulsen (Author) "Brian opened the door and stood back..." (more)
Key Phrases: Brannock's Trading Post, Katie One, Katie Two

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Nearly two years after being marooned in the wilderness--the experience recounted in Hatchet --Brian agrees to go back, accompanied by Derek, a psychologist who wants to study the strategies and especially the mental toughness that brought Brian through. At first he chafes at the relative comforts, the lack of true challenge, this second time around. All that changes when Derek is struck by lightning and falls into a coma--Brian must raft Derek to the nearest outpost, 100 miles downriver. In attempting this sequel Paulsen has set himself a difficult task, which he meets superbly. The new adventure is as riveting as its predecessor and yet, because of significant differences in the nature of its dramatic tension, is not merely a clone. The experiences of Hatchet , distilled by time, inform Brian's character throughout, so that the psychological terrain of the sequel is fresh and distinct. The older Brian is more reflective and accepting, and these qualities add new dimensions to his interactions with nature. And returning to the north effects a subtle but startling change: instantly, almost unconsciously, Brian finds himself absorbing every detail of the scene around him--taking the scent of the wind, reading the shape of each cloud--and in the process turning inward, finding words superfluous in the face of the wild. There is no dearth of action and physical suspense here, rendered in terse, heart-stopping prose. Paulsen, as always, pulls no punches: a scene in which Brian fantasizes about cutting Derek loose from the raft is as powerful as they come. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A sequel to the most popular of Paulsen's three Newbery Honor books (Hatchet, 1987), based on an unlikely premise-- government researchers want Brian to reenact his northwoods survival so that his strategies can be observed and taught to others. Derek, a young psychologist, and Brian are dropped off at another Canadian lake, near the first one, equipped only with knives and a radio that Derek has promised not to use except in a dire emergency. Everything goes all too smoothly until their camp is struck by lightning, zapping the radio and leaving Derek in a coma. Brian manages to float Derek 100 miles down a river to a trading post, thus saving his life. The lyrically described details of Brian's adventure-- building a fire, making a raft--are of most interest here; for all its graphically evoked perils (rapids, the craft's unwieldiness, exhaustion), the journey's successful outcome seems less in doubt than did the outcome of the compelling autobiographical wilderness experiences described in Woodsong (1990). In Hatchet, Brian discovered his own strength, adding depth, complexity, and tension to the story; here, that strength is a given--as he himself points out. Perfunctory in design but vividly written, a book that will, as intended, please the readers who hoped that Paulsen, like Brian, would ``do it again.'' (Fiction. 11-14) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1St Edition edition (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385303882
• ISBN-13: 978-0385303880
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (198 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #415,438 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is freakin sweet!!!, December 13, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The River (A Yearling book) (Paperback)

This book is pretty kewl. It is filled with action and leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time you are reading it. In the last book "The Hatchet" his plane crashed and he was forced to survive in the wilderness alone! In this book a government official named Derek comes to his house to ask him to do it all over again... just without the crashing part! So he agrees and they go out there and the guy is struck by lightning and is in a coma, and Brian knows the only way to save him is to build a raft to go down river to the trading post so he can get medical attention. The rest you will have to find out by yourself!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Okay But Not the Best, January 28, 2008

By	Ralf K. Kiehl - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River (A Yearling book) (Paperback)

Having read other books by Gary Paulsen like Tracker, Woodsong, Dogsong, The Monument, The Island, Night John,and the Hatchet series,ect, I realized that The River is not one of Paulsen's best work. The River seemed a little unrealistic and it had a very basic polt, Brian has to go back to the Woods, something goes wrong, he takes a trip down a river to a trading station and gets rescued. Its all very predictable. The part that seems un realistic is the part where Derek gets struck by lightning and Brian happens not to have been hit, and the radio happens to break. Also building a raft can be harder than Paulson makes it sound.

But to all Gary Paulsen fans, don't stop reading Gary Paulsen books just because this book has lowish ratings. Hatchet is the most wellknown book by Gary Paulsen and many who have read Hatchet haven't read many of the other great books by Gary Paulsen. I remeber a few years ago when I was in fourth grade, The River was the second Gary Paulsen book I read, But I still decided to keep reading books by him. I read Night John when I was in fifth grade adn it still is my favorite book by Gary Paulson now. You may have noticed that I'm not Ralf Kiehl, I'm his daughter, a 13 year old kid, but I still really like to read Gary Paulson.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The River- by Gary Paulsen, May 15, 2005

By	Leslie D. Palmer "cleaver" (Fullerton, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River (A Yearling book) (Paperback)

This book continues the saga of Brian and his survival adventures. When you think that Brian can't be challenged by anything more than he was the first time in Hatchet, he finds himself stuck the wilderness again but responsible for another person, not just himself. This arouses new feelings of responsibility, fear, and resentment. But of course, Brian overcomes these obstacles and saves the day once again. It is quite short in comparison to its predecessor, but it is still very exciting. The pace is as fast as the river they have to flow down, but then he keeps hitting obstacles that makes the reader "tense" and worry that they won't make it. It is not as satisfying as Hatchet, but still good and Brian's character is consistent with how the reader thought he would be, if they got another chance to check in on his development. It is a good book for Boys and girls. Good suspense!