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daja57's review against another edition
5.0
Sam Gribley runs away from his overcrowded apartment in New York to live off the land in the Catskill Mountains.
There are distinct echoes of Robinson Crusoe.
This is the ultimate boy's own adventure (written by a woman). Sam survives by eating plants and trapping animals and digging for mussels and catching fish; he makes fire, his own clothes and a shelter. He befriends weasels and raccoons and trains a falcon. But the hardest challenge is, perhaps, to live on his own.
The joy of the book is the way the narrative is peppered with little notes, as if they are diary entries, many of which gives clear practical tips about how to stay alive in the wilderness, so that the reader is persuaded that it might be possible for a kid to run away and live off the land. It's a clever artifice, like footnotes giving verisimilitude.
This reminded me of Swallows and Amazons which feels like an adventure story but is grounded in a huge amount of technical detail about sailing.
I noted that the narrative starts at a moment of great drama, when Sam is snowed in at winter, and only after this prologue does the linear narrative begin.
A great story but I doubt I'll read the sequel(s). Because this story is unique.
There are distinct echoes of Robinson Crusoe.
This is the ultimate boy's own adventure (written by a woman). Sam survives by eating plants and trapping animals and digging for mussels and catching fish; he makes fire, his own clothes and a shelter. He befriends weasels and raccoons and trains a falcon. But the hardest challenge is, perhaps, to live on his own.
The joy of the book is the way the narrative is peppered with little notes, as if they are diary entries, many of which gives clear practical tips about how to stay alive in the wilderness, so that the reader is persuaded that it might be possible for a kid to run away and live off the land. It's a clever artifice, like footnotes giving verisimilitude.
This reminded me of Swallows and Amazons which feels like an adventure story but is grounded in a huge amount of technical detail about sailing.
I noted that the narrative starts at a moment of great drama, when Sam is snowed in at winter, and only after this prologue does the linear narrative begin.
A great story but I doubt I'll read the sequel(s). Because this story is unique.
oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
4.0
Every kid wants to be Sam, don't they. To strike out and live on their own, surrounded by their animal friends. That was my dream when I was 9 and it's still a dream now. It's a well-written adventure story, chronicling the mundane as well as the exciting times. I remember thinking the language was a bit dated, but then I was 10 when I first read it, and probably longing for more adventure than practical domestic anecdotes.
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
5.0
Finished reading this aloud to Emily just before we left the States. She really liked the depictions of nature and the idea of living in the woods...she admitted to me that she wouldn't like to live alone, though. Her review is 5 stars! I didn't realize this was the first in a series, so we may need to check out the other books. The first time I read this I was about Emily's age and identified with the boy...now that I'm a parent I identify with the mom wanting to bring him home to the city! (can't imagine letting your child live off alone at that age).
hannah_joy's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lucyluc1234's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
katrina_ingram's review against another edition
3.5
This was fun for children to learn about nature and what it’s like to live in the woods. I liked his relationship with the bird and bandow though in general I wasn’t keen on the way the adults reacted to him running away, it didn’t feel realistic at all.
im_just_that_good's review against another edition
4.0
It was surprisingly good! I can't decide if I want to finish the series though
hannahkeen22's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0