A review by droar
Northwind by Gary Paulsen

3.0

Lovely but remarkably slow for a Paulsen. It's got a strong old soul vibe (which I enjoyed) but had so little tension, despite it's technically thrilling plot points, I found it hard to pay attention. certainly don't agree that it does for the sea what Hatchet did for the woods as the flap description claims. Northwind is certainly about survival but it doesn't feel like a survival story, more a communing and connecting with nature kind of deal.

Spoiler

This might be because Leif has no interest in returning to 'civilization' and is so entirely Zen about everything that happens. It's not a bad mindset to have in real life, just a weird one to base a teen survival story around *shrug*

In all: worth a try if you like ocean-y wilderness stories, but if it's not for you in the first 50 or so pages be willing to set it down.