When the main character Brian got on the plane to see his father, he expected a normal, boring noisy flight filled with awkward small talk from the pilot. But in a matter of seconds, he finds himself stranded in the middle of the woods forced to survive by himself. 

When I first stumbled upon this book  while browsing amazon I didn't expect the raging reviews to be as accurate as they were portrayed. They were right. I constantly found myself wanting to keep reading and thinking about the book and how the plot would continue to form even though I was not reading.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen starts how anyone would expect their trip to visiting a loved one would happen; saying goodbye to your mother, boarding the plane, and passing the time with silence. But it takes a turn for the worst when the pilot has a heart attack and dies, forcing Brian to take control of the plane and ultimately crash landing in the woods of an unknown area somewhere in Canada. Brian now has to fight for his life and overcome his fears.

From getting sick from berries, being attacked by a porcupine, struggling to find water, and struggling to create fire, Brian is put through endless trials and tribulations forcing him to come face to face with his identity and making him choose whether he is going to give up or persevere  and live on.
Gary Paulsen, the author of Hatchet, somehow manages to cram a deeply intriguing book into a just over three hour read. The book is jam packed with on edge moments to keep the reader hooked. For example, while Brian is gathering berries he encounters a bear also scavenging for food, making Brain fear for his life and unsure of his next move. At this moment of the book, I felt extremely on edge and wanted to continue reading.  I would also like to note that the book does a good job of mentioning some topics that are hard to talk about such as: divorce and death. I think it is important to put tough topics in books as it shows readers that it is ok to go through struggles. I love how the book captures Brian’s constant struggle within himself and his will to continue to try and survive. For example, in the beginning of the book when brian first crashes into the lake and is trapped underwater he considers letting himself die but overcomes the adversity and continues to fight for his life.

Hatchet is a non stop thriller, there were every few moments throughout the 195 pages where I was bored or felt the plot was being dragged on. I often found myself not wanting to set the book down after the bell had already rung at the end of study hall. Overall I love this book with its complex character development along with the many themes it holds.