Reviews

The River by Gary Paulsen

hollylath24's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

fractaltexan's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous fast-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

3.5

An interesting book.

Picking up from Hatchet, The River followed Brian as he heads back into the wilderness to teach people how to survive. As expected, Brian must have the worst luck given he then has to find himself fighting to keep himself and another man alive.

Admittedly, the ending of The River seems to be rushed, similar to the "deus ex machina" ending of Hatchet. But it is a worthy successor that shows just how noble Brian is.

biggerstaffk's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

manic_bibliophile's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

However much I wanted a sequel that was meatier than the first, this was the exact opposite of my expectations. I would definitely categorize it as a short story rather than a novel. I didn't dislike it, I just found myself wondering why it was important for Gary Paulsen to put Brian through an unnecessary amount of trauma under the guise of 'teaching' readers about the survival experience if there was absolutely nothing new to learn that hadn't already been covered by the first book. There was opportunity for something new with Brian's survival drive extended to a second party, but then it was clotheslined by rendering the secondary character unconscious for the actual survival part and letting Brian struggle for a couple pages before getting rescued. I just didn't get it.

book_concierge's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This is book two in the popular Hatchet series.

It’s been nearly two years since Brian Robeson endured nearly two months on his own in the Canadian wilderness. The last thing he expects when he opens the door is some government types who bluntly propose, “We want you to do it again.” Of course this time, the men explain to his mother, Brian will have Derek, a government psychologist along, and they’ll be outfitted with survival gear, including a radio for emergencies. Of course, things don’t go exactly as planned and Brian must rely on his own intelligence, cool reasoning and reservoirs of strength and courage to get them safely back.

Frankly, I thought it was just too contrived. Brian’s reactions ring true – fear, anxiety, disdain, worry, joy, and excitement are all present at various times. But since he’s not alone, there is far less time for him to think about his situation or what he misses, and that makes him more distant from the reader for much of the book. It seemed much more action-driven than the first book, and I just didn’t enjoy that as much.

howatdk's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional 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

4.25

stacyrenee's review

Go to review page

adventurous tense fast-paced

4.0

MG
Realistic fiction 
Nature / Survival 


Brian is asked to return to the wilderness to prove how he survived. 

jaylaadams19's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

bhall237's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

"Just for emergencies," Derek had explained. "In
case we need them--we have everything we need."
And there it was, he thought. They had everything they needed and it ruined it all, made the whole trip worthless. It wouldn't be the same.”

My initial reaction coming out of this book was that I enjoyed it even more than I did Hatchet. Not that I loved hatchet all too much, I thought it was a really well done book, but I thought this dove much deeper into the psychology of Brian and the peril of his situation of having to care for Derek and himself just interested in me more personally. It was very short into the point, it was a very quick read and that it wraps up very quickly as well. Everything about this book just seems a little rushed, but that’s not necessarily a negative thing. I think there’s a lot of fat that was trimmed to a condensed version of Hatchet. While I knew Brian would make it out okay, the tension came from not knowing what would happen with Derek, and the psychology of Brian having to deal with the life of another human in the wilderness. I randomly decided to read all five books in the series, and with how good this one is, I’m excited to see how the rest fare.

feverdream_books's review

Go to review page

fast-paced

3.5