Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
The Hill Paperback – August 15, 2016
Purchase options and add-ons
Seeking cell phone reception after a remote plane crash, city kid Jared and local Kyle scale a hill that Kyle’s Cree grandmother has forbidden him to climb. Coming down the next day, the boys find that the plane has disappeared, the forest has changed, and something is hunting them. A modern imagining of the Cree Wîhtiko legend.
Jared’s plane has crashed in the Alberta wilderness, and Kyle is first on the scene. When Jared insists on hiking up the highest hill in search of cell phone reception, Kyle hesitates; his Cree grandmother has always forbidden him to go near it. There’s no stopping Jared, though, so Kyle reluctantly follows.
After a night spent on the hilltop―with no cell service―the teens discover something odd: the plane has disappeared. Nothing in the forest surrounding them seems right. In fact, things seem very wrong.
And worst of all, something is hunting them.
Karen Bass, the multi-award-winning author of Graffiti Knight and Uncertain Soldier, brings her signature action packed style to a chilling new subject: the Cree Wîhtiko legend. Inspired by the real story of a remote plane crash and by the legends of her Cree friends and neighbours, Karen brings eerie life―or perhaps something other than life―to the northern Alberta landscape in The Hill.
- Reading age12 - 18 years
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level7 - 12
- Lexile measureHL590L
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.63 x 8 inches
- PublisherPajama Press
- Publication dateAugust 15, 2016
- ISBN-101772780022
- ISBN-13978-1772780024
Customers who bought this item also bought
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2017it was perfect
- Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016Wow! I wanted to read The Hill because of all the hype, but it managed to still exceed my expectations.
Karen Bass has delivered a well-researched and masterfully-crafted story of a rich city boy named Jared who survives a plane crash in the middle of nowhere. He wakes up to find a Cree boy named Kyle who is trying to help make sure he and the pilot are alive after the crash. In a fit of panic and desperation, Jared thinks leaving the crash site to climb a nearby hill to find cell phone reception is the best course of action. Jared fails to heed Kyle's warnings about the hill, and since Kyle doesn't want to feel responsible for Jared's death, he follows him up against his better instinct. Not only does the hill not provide Jared with any reception, it leads them to a monster and a world neither of them are prepared to deal with alone. Only by working as a team and trusting each other do Jared and Kyle stand a chance at saving themselves, and even protecting their loved ones.
I have too many great things to say about this book. I loved the characters; I loved the humour and laughed out loud numerous times, in public places; I enjoyed the plot; I was gripped by the suspense; I was intrigued by Bass' use of language and several of her metaphors and analogies; and I felt satisfied by the ending: it wasn't rushed, and it tied together any loose ends. Most importantly, it makes me so happy to see more Canadian literature being published about Indigenity. I haven't read a ton of Indigenous lit. but I feel as thought Bass was very respectful of her treatment of the trickster figure, Wesakechak, and of Wîhtiko. Not once did The Hill jarr me from my understanding of the Native oral tradition, creation stories, or trickster stories. I am completely open to discussion on this point, however, as I have no Native heritage myself and therefore have lots to learn.
There is quite literally only one piece of criticism I have for this story, and that is that I noticed a particular phrase used twice. However, many people might not even notice that if they weren't reading this book as fast as I was, because there were several chapters between each use.
I think The Hill would make a great book for elementary- and secondary-school students learning about Canada's history or Indigenous cultures. One of the things I loved most was the narrative voice and Bass' use of language. I didn't feel as though the plot, the jokes, or any references to Cree tradition or language were being spoon-fed to the reader. There was plenty of nuance and subtlety that made this--although quick and relatively easy read--a thoughtful and important read. This very well be a YA novel, but even those who don't tend to read it would enjoy The Hill.
Two thumbs up. Five stars. Highly Recommended... all that jazz!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2017Pajama Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Hill. This is my honest opinion of the book.
Jared wakes up to find that he has been in a plane crash on his Dad's company jet. Rescued by Kyle, a local teenager with a chip on his shoulder, the boys end up in the spirit world without a clear exit back to their actual lives. Chased by a creature that has existed in many legends in many different cultures, Jared and Kyle need to learn how to rely on each other and how to use their surroundings to their advantage. As a member of the Cree tribe, Kyle has a lot that he can teach Jared about life in the bush, as well as the real world.
The Hill is a story about survival for two teenagers from very different worlds. Jared's privileged lifestyle is no match for the harshness of the bush, not to mention his jaunt through the spirit world. I was not expecting a novel with references to lore and legend, as I thought that this was a book about survival. The addition of the unexpected made the book more interesting and kept the plot moving. Well paced with completely developed characters, The Hill is a book that I would recommend to readers who like YA adventure with a twist of horror and paranormal elements.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2017When the plane crashed, fifteen year old Jared finds that the pilot is injured and can't help to get them rescued. Kyle Badger, a fifteen year old Cree Indian helps Kyle get out of the plane. Jared can't get cellphone reception at the crash. He decides to climb a hill but Kyle tells him no, it isn't safe. Since Kyle can't keep Jared from climbing the hill, he goes with him. They have several experiences with the Wihtiko and Wesakechak.
The author writes an excellent survival story mixed with Cree legends. Wihtiko is a man-eating spirit being and Wesakechak is a trickster figure. It is very realistic. There is tension between Jared and Kyle due to the differences in their cultures and beliefs. It was interesting for me to see how the boys matured as they rise to the challenges that they are given climbing the hill. This is a novel anyone can enjoyed.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Net-galley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2016Jared, a spoiled rich kid, plane crashes in the wilderness. When he insists on hiking up a hill to try and get a cell signal, that Kyle, a Cree, has told him his grandmother has forbidden him to go near. Jared goes anyways believing it is just Cree superstition, and Kyle reluctantly follows. Soon both boys find themselves in a forest that just isn't right and now they are being hunted.
This is a out of this world book for anyone who enjoys lore and legends especially Native American lore. This is my first book by Karen Bass but I loved it and will be looking for more. This book is full of action, suspense, and has you on the edge of your seat the whole time holding your breath. I really enjoyed this book and wish Jared and Kyle would take me with them to see Crazy Horse as it is on my wish list also if they get to go.
I received a advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest reveiw
- Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021Perhaps her other work is better, I don't know. This one had flat characters with no insight into their motivations, and the main premise seems to be: "will the spoiled rich kid make friends with the Native American kid?" I skipped most of the middle of the book, read a few pages at the end. Underwhelmed. Not keeping it on my shelves.

