Reddit reviews Hatchet

Had this read to me in 4th grade, and I absolutely loved it.

But then, in 5th grade I read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. It's the same premise, but... much darker (for a kid's book). If you liked My Side of the Mountain, then I recommend Hatchet. It's the gritty re-boot.

I dunno guys. It could be summer, and there might be a boy who escaped from that crash with nothing but his trusty hatchet.

And that's how Hatchet started.

Hatchet

>Have any of you gone through a big crisis like this and if so what helped you get through it?

The realization that (regardless of family, friends) I was, like everyone else will ultimately be at some time or another, really "alone" and "on my own" in this world -- but that THAT can be a good and wonderful thing rather than a depressing one -- that I needed to make my OWN way in life, and learn to endure through the various "shitstorms" to experience the periods of PURE JOY that will also be found at points in time in my life... but of course to do that, I had to still be alive, and be open to SEEING those things, which one can't do when you're curled up in a ball in some corner having a self-pity-party.

--
You want some concrete recommendation?
--
OK, ggo fetch a book or two about some man (or more likely boy) who has -- somehow or another -- become a "castaway" lost somewhere & unlikely to be rescued, bereft of comforts, bereft of supplies and even of any "friend" to help them. Such a person invariably (and truly) does through a major and deep stage of depression, where suicidal thoughts and even multiple attempts are NOT uncommon... but nevertheless in learning how to survive, one learns the REAL reason and purpose of life... which is the LIVING of it.

There are quite a few such stories -- whether it is the classic "Robinson Crusoe" or the true life story of the man that character was based on, Alexander Selkirk -- and most of those are in the public domain, available for free (in a variety of formats) at Project Gutenberg & other online resources; but of course many of those are written in a language and style that make for rather difficult reading to us, and the world that they came from (prior to being castaway) well it isn't exactly related to the modern world WE live in.

--
Which is why I would recommend instead a much more RECENT book (actually series of books) written in modern English, about a modern character, from our present (or recent past) world -- the "Brian's Saga" series by Gary Paulsen, about a boy who becomes "lost" and "castaway" in the middle of the Canadian backwoods -- and particularly relevant to you and your state of mind, will be the first book in that series, entitled simply:

"Hatchet"
--

I mean seriously, it's a relatively CHEAP book -- even if you're nearly broke you can probably afford to buy the Kindle copy (and if you don't have a Kindle you can use the Kindle reader on any computer, and you obviously HAVE some kind of a computer else you couldn't post here, right?). Plus, most likely your local public library will have a copy you could borrow for free -- I dare you; no I double-dog-dare you (or anyone really) to read that book and not be better off for it.

And besides, before you "off yourself" well, isn't reading ONE little fiction story worth a try?
--
Helluva lot less expensive, painful or awkward than going through "counseling" or getting prescriptions for a bunch of mind & mood altering drugs (not to mention the side effects).

My favs:

• The Hatchet
  
• Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
  
• Bridge to Terabithia
  
• The Giving Tree
  
• To Kill a Mockingbird
  
• The Little Prince
  

Hmmm... fiction? Non-fiction? First-person meaning told through a first-person narrative style, or just generally following a single person fighting for survival?

Fiction-wise, I'm a fan of To The White Sea by James Dickey. I've also always heard universally good things about the young adult novel Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, but have yet to read it myself.

In the realm of non-fiction, Touching The Void is a pretty incredible story, and was made into a stellar documentary film. Also, anything about the Shackleton expedition to Antarctica is worth checking out, so there you've got Endurance by Alfred Lansing, as well as Shackleton's own account, South: The Endurance Expedition.

Thrilled to see a copy of Hatchet in there - I loved that book as a pre-teen/teen and still re-read it every now & again. Amazing YA book.

> Sketchy childhood with too many financial close calls? One too many readings of My Side of the Mountain in fourth grade? I've been this way ever since I was a little kid. Always had a Plan B, always interested in security and self-sufficiency.

Add Hatchet and Far North to that list and you've got me exactly.

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

A couple fiction books by Gary Paulsen that might interest you. The Hatchet was a particularly memorable read from my childhood.

https://www.amazon.com/Hatchet-Gary-Paulsen/dp/1416936475

https://www.amazon.com/Transall-Saga-Gary-Paulsen/dp/0375873236

/u/beloitpiper's link.

A) Money. $20-$100 would be very useful and would get you out of more jams than anything else. Flat tire, out of gas, buying more food or water, paying someone to give you a lift, etc. Most survival situations aren't Hatchet.

B) A few Datrex Water Packs. I usually think these are kind of...a luxury...but if you stick with your idea then having some clean, fresh water could be a life saver. I know you have water purification tablets but there are plenty of climates where water is hard to find at all, and that could be huge for keeping you hydrated enough to eventually find water.

It might be a bit of a stretch since it focuses on survival rather than the plane itself, but Hatchet devotes a significant amount of setup to the plane crash that precipitates the events and the plane remains a key point throughout the story (teen stranded in wilderness). It's a quick read regardless.

The Iceberg Hermit

the Hatchet series

Notes From The underground

Walden

I'm looking forward to my better paying, stable job in 2015!! Fewer by-the-hour projects, and I'm picking up an actual salary. My god. Salary.

Can I request two smaller items? My son's birthday is coming up in two weeks and I'd like to get him My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet which totals at $12 with Prime shipping.

There is nothing like reading White Fang or Call of the Wild while in the Alaska backcountry. You start reading, and with no evidence of civilization suddenly it's 1890. Also read the short story, to build a fire.

Get a copy of a book or Robert Service poetry. You have to read the Cremation of Sam McGee at least once around a campfire (our most famous poem), it's even better if you cam manage to recite it from memory.

Here's a YouTube vid of Johnny Cache reciting it.

Here's one I read years ago where the sea breaks it's back it's the story of how captain Vitas Bearing and scientist George Stellar discovered Alaska. A truly harrowing tale.

this book is the memoirs or Dick Proenneke. He lived by himself in a cabin by a lake in remote Alaska for decades. The documentary based off of it (alone in the wilderness) is excellent but I haven't actually read the memoirs myself.

Since you're in the mountains read desperate passage this is an exceptionally well researched and written account of the Donner Party, it's chilling, I read while snow camping in the Chugach, powerful stuff.

Anther great thing to read in the wild, journals of famous adventurers. The Lewis and Clark diaries, for example.

A translation of the Poetic Edda (pretend your living in Viking times)

True Grit always an enjoyable slogging through untamed wilderness read.

Hatchet by Paulson, this book is aimed at a younger audience, but it's a good book for reading when out in the woods.

I'll second song of fire and ice, Alaska is the perfect place to read it and imagine themselves the king in the north, or wandering out beyond The Wall.

Also blood meridian is another good suggestion. Adventure in the wild lands with a big element of the unknown and sleeping under the stars. By that same token I'd recommend Dead Mans Walk by McMurtry, the fist prequel to Lonesome Dove, lots of slogging through the wilderness and mountains.

Those are all I can think of at the moment.

Also a note on into the wild, I've never read it but it a lot of people up here do not like it because it's caused a lot of people to come up and emulate the guy, some of them have died or almost died. So don't tell anything to the effect of that book being your inspiration for coming to alaska.

Still is.

Adventure books are some of my favorites. Here are a few good ones. That should be appropriate to read for a grandma and grandson to enjoy.

1. Hatchet by Gary Pausen An interesting Adventure/ Survival book
   
   
2. Journey to the Center of the Earth I actually read this with my grandparents when I was younger and loved it.
   
   3.Eragon This is an adventure but also fantasy. One of my high school favorites.
   
   4.The Staff of Moses This is an Indie treasure hunting novel. Fun and interesting. Definitely reccomend
   
   5.Origin of Legends and the Secrets of the North Another Indie book. This one just came out and is an adventure around mountainous regions of Canada. Has some Norse mythology aspects as well. Has some sci-fi aspects, and humor.
   
   6.Monsters of Elsewhere Last one I'll leave here, also an indie book strange, humorous. A solid adventure book to be sure.
   
   Also the other comments here all have great books listed as well.