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Never Say Die
When the motto of your village is "never say die," you have a lot to live up to. . . . At home in Canada's Arctic, Nick Thrasher is an accomplished Inuit hunter at fifteen. About to bring home a caribou for his ailing grandfather, Nick loses the meat to a fearsome creature never before seen in the wild. It's half grizzly, half polar bear. Experts will soon be calling it a "grolar bear." Returning to his village, Nick receives a letter from the half brother he's never met. A former Grand Canyon river guide, Ryan Powers is now a famous wildlife photographer. He'll soon be coming to Nick's part of the world to raft the remote Firth River in search of huge herds of migrating caribou. Ryan also wants to learn what Inuit hunters are saying about climate change in the Arctic. He invites Nick to come along and help him find the caribou. Barely down the river, disaster strikes. Nick and Ryan are both thrown into the freezing river and find themselves under a ceiling of solid ice. With nothing but the clothes on his back and the knife on his hip, Nick is up against it in a world of wolves, caribou, and grizzlies. All the while, the monstrous grolar bear stalks the land.
224 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2013
55 people are currently reading
652 people want to read
About the author
Will Hobbs
29 books170 followersWILL HOBBS is the author of seventeen novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels, Bearstone, Downriver, The Big Wander, Beardance, Far North, The Maze, and Jason's Gold, were named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. ALA also named Far North and Downriver to their list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of the Twentieth Centrury. Ghost Canoe received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1998 for Best Young Adult Mystery.
In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since 1990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.
Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.
In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since 1990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.
Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
January 20, 2019
Nick is 15 and excited to meet his half-brother Ryan who works as a wildlife photographer. As a half-Inuit living in Canada, Nick has a different view of hunting and trapping than Ryan does, so Nick is a bit unsure when his brother invites him to go on a 3-week trip into the wilderness with him. Ryan is going to document changes in the caribou herd for a National Geographic special on climate change. Nick finally agrees to go on the trip, which turns out to be quite the adventure!
This is a great survival adventure story. Not only do Nick and Ryan have to learn to work together to survive, but they also build a relationship of mutual respect with each other. They have some pretty in-depth discussions on environmental responsibility, climate change, hunting and wildlife preservation. I loved the fact that the story balanced the environmentalist side of the issue with the Inuit way of life in terms of hunting, putting GPS tracking collars on wildlife, and killing bears.
I listened to the audio book version of this story (Recorded Books). Narrated by Nick Cordero, the audio is just short of 4.5 hours long. Cordero has a nice voice and read at an even pace. I have partial hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book.
Will Hobbs has written several other nature adventure stories like this one. I enjoyed Never Say Die, so I will definitely be reading/listening to his other books!
This is a great survival adventure story. Not only do Nick and Ryan have to learn to work together to survive, but they also build a relationship of mutual respect with each other. They have some pretty in-depth discussions on environmental responsibility, climate change, hunting and wildlife preservation. I loved the fact that the story balanced the environmentalist side of the issue with the Inuit way of life in terms of hunting, putting GPS tracking collars on wildlife, and killing bears.
I listened to the audio book version of this story (Recorded Books). Narrated by Nick Cordero, the audio is just short of 4.5 hours long. Cordero has a nice voice and read at an even pace. I have partial hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book.
Will Hobbs has written several other nature adventure stories like this one. I enjoyed Never Say Die, so I will definitely be reading/listening to his other books!
July 22, 2016
This was an enjoyable little survival read--this kind of thing is not really my cup of tea, but so many of my male students enjoy this genre, so it's good to read one every once in awhile. I like that this one has some conservation elements present (climate change, animal protection, pipeline intrusion) but also has the viewpoint of Ryan and his indigenous people. It was a nice look at living in the wild from multiple perspectives. There are also some great family elements (Ryan's grandfather is dying and he has never met his half-brother before).
November 3, 2013
From my review at the Sacramento/San Francisco Book Review:
Nick Thrasher, a fifteen-year-old Inuit, hunts for a caribou to feed his family, especially for the organ meat for his grandfather Jonah, who is dying from cancer. After Nick butchers his kill, he is attacked by a strange bear that looks like a cross between a grizzly and a polar bear. He is able to escape, but the strange bear, he knows, is a serious problem. Soon after, Nick is invited by his half-brother Ryan, a photographer, to raft through the wilds of northern Canada. Ryan insists Nick not bring his rifle. Nick isn’t happy about it, but agrees. Their first day on the Firth River, they hit an ice shelf on the river, are thrown into the icy water, and lose their raft. Worse, they are stranded on opposite sides of the river, but at least they are both alive. This is the beginning of a journey that will test them both to their very cores with danger at every turn.
“A couple of minutes later a second bolt of lightning broke loose with a searing crack, like the sky was breaking open. The thunder that came with it was like an atomic explosion.”
Will Hobbs has created characters readers will immediately care about and a story that will create a flurry of turning pages, sneaking in some unobtrusive lessons in biology and ecology. Boys especially will love this book.
Nick Thrasher, a fifteen-year-old Inuit, hunts for a caribou to feed his family, especially for the organ meat for his grandfather Jonah, who is dying from cancer. After Nick butchers his kill, he is attacked by a strange bear that looks like a cross between a grizzly and a polar bear. He is able to escape, but the strange bear, he knows, is a serious problem. Soon after, Nick is invited by his half-brother Ryan, a photographer, to raft through the wilds of northern Canada. Ryan insists Nick not bring his rifle. Nick isn’t happy about it, but agrees. Their first day on the Firth River, they hit an ice shelf on the river, are thrown into the icy water, and lose their raft. Worse, they are stranded on opposite sides of the river, but at least they are both alive. This is the beginning of a journey that will test them both to their very cores with danger at every turn.
“A couple of minutes later a second bolt of lightning broke loose with a searing crack, like the sky was breaking open. The thunder that came with it was like an atomic explosion.”
Will Hobbs has created characters readers will immediately care about and a story that will create a flurry of turning pages, sneaking in some unobtrusive lessons in biology and ecology. Boys especially will love this book.
October 25, 2013
Not one of Will Hobbs' best stories. Pretty heavy-handed with hitting readers over the head with the message "global warming is bad". Yes, Nick's brother is a reporter for National Geographic, and yes, the plight of the caribou herds declining is an important problem for Nick's Inuit village which relies on their meat to survive. But page after page of dialogue between the brothers, mostly the reporter brother saying, "This is what scientists are saying about this problem" and Nick replying "The Inuit hunters already knew this". It really slowed up the tension of the white-knuckled action and adventure in between. Warning: The story is extremely graphic--the characters are traversing the wilderness, so a lot of Wild Kingdom carnage. Not for the squeamish.
March 19, 2014
Wow. I expected to tolerate this book and just wanted to mark it off my Caudill list, but I absolutely loved it. Survival, adventure, nail biting moments - I cannot wait to book talk this. *There are some vivid scenes (relatable to Where the Red Fern Grows) but appropriate for some fourth grade and most fifth graders and up.
Read
April 14, 2016How would you feel if you were stranded on a desert remote area high up in Canada were the only person your with is your long lost brother from Arizona ,and all your supplies were on a raft going upstream? Well in this book that is exactly what happens in this book full of action and suspense. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because the events that occur in this book can happen at anytime anywhere to anyone. Overall I really liked this book because it contained many interesting moments were the reader was left in the edge of their seat. The problem- solution was found with ease for the reader were the problem was getting stranded in the tundra and the solution was...... well just read this book report and you'll find out what Nick and Ryan did to escape this one.
The setting of this book took mostly in place in the tundras of Canada by the firth river, Yukon Territory. The setting is a factor to the story because the tundra is a place with very little trees. Also this tundra was very remote from human life. Actually the only way to reach this tundra was via airplane. The only other people in this specific tundra was a couple of 2. So basically what happens in this book is that a young 15 your old half Eskimo/Alkavik hunter meets up with his long loss brother named Ryan who is a National Geographic wildlife photographer and Ryan invites him to go to the Firth river in Yukon Territories to take photos. Nick is having mixed emotions about this because he wants to adventure with his older brother but at the same time his grandfather Johah is dying and Nick wants to stay with him for his last days of his life before he passes away. Jonah encourages him to go with his brother because he says he will see unthinkable amounts of caribou which is hunters paradise. So Nick decides to go on the trip with his brother. Ryan is all excited and starts getting all the equipment ready for the trip.Once everything is packed up Nick says his goodbyes and then drives to an airstrip where a pilot named Whiley is waiting for them. Once they arrive to the river they waste no time in unpacking, Ryan schedules to be picked up in July 15. Once they get to the river they unfold the raft and or's and start heading down stream and take photos along the way. Then all of a sudden they crash into a rock and they're thrown into the ice cold water. Wow all of this is happening a bear mixed with a grizzly and a polar bear is stocking their every move. However this is not Nick's first in the counter with this unique bear he went against him in the beginning of the story when Nick was hunting for Caribou. They managed to survive but end up on opposite sides of the river. They Lost most of their it quit meant including the raft food satellite phone and bear protection. Eventually they cross the river to meet up on each other but things from then on just to get worse, A huge storm with Violet wins was heading towards them. They get very good pictures of Caribou but then leave as thunder was striking very near them. Once they set up the tent near water they stay their for most their trip. Nick decided to go to a cabin that he remembered seeing while his trip with Jonah. Once they reach the cabin because for rescue services and headed back home. Right after that they spotted to have grizzly have polo bear eating another bear and then stared right at them Nick grabbed a harpoon and shot it at the charging bear straight in the heart the bear try to take the harpoon out the failed and fell right in front of Nicks feet .When they get back home Nick tells everything to Jonah including the large amounts of Caribou he saw, sadly Jonah passed away two days after arrived to the house. The type of conflict is person versus nature because Nick and Ryan have to go against mother nature which includes bears the crazy steams and the violent water. The theme of the story is never say die. This is a theme of the story because throughout the entire story both men have to fight through a very difficult scenarios and came through without giving up. In the text it states that " My Brother congratulated me on how strong I was physically and mentally, and how I never gave up though matter what."
The first person point of view affects the story because it shows what Nicks see and only what he sees it may include some opinions of the perspective he has in the situation he was facing so everything in the story. might not be completely accurate. The author symbolizes the first person point of you by using words like "I" and "we". A major event that changes the story was when both brothers were tipped off the boat and had to rely on their natural instinct abilities to survive in the cold tundra. In the text it says "The heavily loaded wrath flipped over and sent us flying headlong into the freezing river. This event change the story because everything was going fine open so that moment when they were separated and created a different mood to the story. Rebuilt title relates to the story because throughout the story Nick is forced to his maximum capacity and never said die. Also never say die is the motto of his town which gives more significance to the story because it has more of a personal touch to it. The neighbor raider is reliable because from how the author describes his family they are very modest and honest which seems to be the case with Nick thrasher.
My favorite part of the story was at the end when Nick share on his experiences with his grandfather Jonah about all the Carabel he saw and dust storms he went through because at some point Jonah went through these moments too so they were in someway connecting to each other and their memories. My least favorite part actually accord in different parts of the story it was when Ryan would constantly be taking out his camera to take photos of amazing things but risking his life and nicks just to get one photo for National Geographic. I was sad when Jonah die because I do not want to see him leave even though his time had come, he had been in excellent role model for Nick who had followed exactly in his footsteps. The most shocking point in my opinion was the fact that they were actually able to survive through Wednesday were coming from the north and the south let alone all the crazy lightning.if I were the author I would have the two brothers come a little bit closer to death by being chased by the bed and then being saved by another bear which then starts a bear fight.
In conclusion I would give this book of four out of five stars because it contained many suspenseful moments where the reader was left with his/her jaw on the floor. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in wildlife and suspense. Overall I think this was a very good book and would read it any time again to relive all the suspense once again.
THE END!¿
Or is it.......
The setting of this book took mostly in place in the tundras of Canada by the firth river, Yukon Territory. The setting is a factor to the story because the tundra is a place with very little trees. Also this tundra was very remote from human life. Actually the only way to reach this tundra was via airplane. The only other people in this specific tundra was a couple of 2. So basically what happens in this book is that a young 15 your old half Eskimo/Alkavik hunter meets up with his long loss brother named Ryan who is a National Geographic wildlife photographer and Ryan invites him to go to the Firth river in Yukon Territories to take photos. Nick is having mixed emotions about this because he wants to adventure with his older brother but at the same time his grandfather Johah is dying and Nick wants to stay with him for his last days of his life before he passes away. Jonah encourages him to go with his brother because he says he will see unthinkable amounts of caribou which is hunters paradise. So Nick decides to go on the trip with his brother. Ryan is all excited and starts getting all the equipment ready for the trip.Once everything is packed up Nick says his goodbyes and then drives to an airstrip where a pilot named Whiley is waiting for them. Once they arrive to the river they waste no time in unpacking, Ryan schedules to be picked up in July 15. Once they get to the river they unfold the raft and or's and start heading down stream and take photos along the way. Then all of a sudden they crash into a rock and they're thrown into the ice cold water. Wow all of this is happening a bear mixed with a grizzly and a polar bear is stocking their every move. However this is not Nick's first in the counter with this unique bear he went against him in the beginning of the story when Nick was hunting for Caribou. They managed to survive but end up on opposite sides of the river. They Lost most of their it quit meant including the raft food satellite phone and bear protection. Eventually they cross the river to meet up on each other but things from then on just to get worse, A huge storm with Violet wins was heading towards them. They get very good pictures of Caribou but then leave as thunder was striking very near them. Once they set up the tent near water they stay their for most their trip. Nick decided to go to a cabin that he remembered seeing while his trip with Jonah. Once they reach the cabin because for rescue services and headed back home. Right after that they spotted to have grizzly have polo bear eating another bear and then stared right at them Nick grabbed a harpoon and shot it at the charging bear straight in the heart the bear try to take the harpoon out the failed and fell right in front of Nicks feet .When they get back home Nick tells everything to Jonah including the large amounts of Caribou he saw, sadly Jonah passed away two days after arrived to the house. The type of conflict is person versus nature because Nick and Ryan have to go against mother nature which includes bears the crazy steams and the violent water. The theme of the story is never say die. This is a theme of the story because throughout the entire story both men have to fight through a very difficult scenarios and came through without giving up. In the text it states that " My Brother congratulated me on how strong I was physically and mentally, and how I never gave up though matter what."
The first person point of view affects the story because it shows what Nicks see and only what he sees it may include some opinions of the perspective he has in the situation he was facing so everything in the story. might not be completely accurate. The author symbolizes the first person point of you by using words like "I" and "we". A major event that changes the story was when both brothers were tipped off the boat and had to rely on their natural instinct abilities to survive in the cold tundra. In the text it says "The heavily loaded wrath flipped over and sent us flying headlong into the freezing river. This event change the story because everything was going fine open so that moment when they were separated and created a different mood to the story. Rebuilt title relates to the story because throughout the story Nick is forced to his maximum capacity and never said die. Also never say die is the motto of his town which gives more significance to the story because it has more of a personal touch to it. The neighbor raider is reliable because from how the author describes his family they are very modest and honest which seems to be the case with Nick thrasher.
My favorite part of the story was at the end when Nick share on his experiences with his grandfather Jonah about all the Carabel he saw and dust storms he went through because at some point Jonah went through these moments too so they were in someway connecting to each other and their memories. My least favorite part actually accord in different parts of the story it was when Ryan would constantly be taking out his camera to take photos of amazing things but risking his life and nicks just to get one photo for National Geographic. I was sad when Jonah die because I do not want to see him leave even though his time had come, he had been in excellent role model for Nick who had followed exactly in his footsteps. The most shocking point in my opinion was the fact that they were actually able to survive through Wednesday were coming from the north and the south let alone all the crazy lightning.if I were the author I would have the two brothers come a little bit closer to death by being chased by the bed and then being saved by another bear which then starts a bear fight.
In conclusion I would give this book of four out of five stars because it contained many suspenseful moments where the reader was left with his/her jaw on the floor. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in wildlife and suspense. Overall I think this was a very good book and would read it any time again to relive all the suspense once again.
THE END!¿
Or is it.......
July 10, 2022
Excellent junior fiction with an action packed, nature, survival story. Read it to see if it was a good story for a 10 year old grandson.
July 7, 2019
A great book to listen to as a family if you're on a National Park road trip.
March 17, 2015
15 year old Nick Thrasher loves to hunt, especially for his dying grandfather, Jonah. On a normal Canadian winter day, Nick shoots a caribou to bring home to Jonah. On his way back to the boat, Nick runs into the scariest bear anyone has ever seen. With the body of a polar bear, and the head, neck, and limbs of a grizzly, the bear was easily nine hundred pounds. After a fight between them, Nick finally has a chance to escape. After a few days, almost everything had calmed down... Until Nicks brother, Ryan, sent him a letter saying that he was going on an 'Adventure' and he wanted Nick to come. Nick spent a long time thinking. He didn't want to leave Jonah, but he always wanted to go to the Firth River in Canada's Yukon Territory. Once he accepts and they fly out to the Firth, Ryan and Nick get separated. They eventually get back together, only to find that the 'Grolar Bear', the mix of the polar and grizzly bear, had been following them. 'Never Say Die' is about courage, family loyalty, and acceptance.
March 27, 2017
Nick Thrasher, an Inuit living in Canada, is contacted by his American half-brother, a wildlife photographer. Ryan Powers is fascinated by Nick ' s encounter with a grolar bear hybrid... a beast they encounter again when Nick joins Ryan on a whitewater rafting trip to photograph caribou migration.
I think there was a little too much going on here. Nick is interesting. Ryan is nice and earnest but is only 2.5 dimensional. They deal with raft flipping, bears, wolves, bad weather, attack by grolar bear, climate change. Some of the hunting and wildlife bits are a bit... squeamish isn't quite the right word, but the Ewwwww factor is up there.
As an adult, some of the discussions of climate change and its effects on animals and landscape and the people living in that area ... it was a bit clunky and heavy handed. That said, it is important for kids to learn about.
Guys who like Man vs. Wild and those types of survival stories should like this one.
I think there was a little too much going on here. Nick is interesting. Ryan is nice and earnest but is only 2.5 dimensional. They deal with raft flipping, bears, wolves, bad weather, attack by grolar bear, climate change. Some of the hunting and wildlife bits are a bit... squeamish isn't quite the right word, but the Ewwwww factor is up there.
As an adult, some of the discussions of climate change and its effects on animals and landscape and the people living in that area ... it was a bit clunky and heavy handed. That said, it is important for kids to learn about.
Guys who like Man vs. Wild and those types of survival stories should like this one.
July 17, 2014
Boys in particular will enjoy this story of 15 year old Nick Thrasher, a half-Inuit boy living in the wilds of Canada who accepts his unknown half-brother's invitation to accompany him on an expedition to follow and photograph one of the last of the great Caribou herds on the Arctic slopes of Canada. Disaster strikes quickly, and the book is pretty much non-stop action from there on out, including several encounters with bad tempered Grizzlies, and with a super-aggressive half-Grizzly, half-Polar Bear that seems to be almost stalking the brothers. Lots of discussion of the impact of climate change on people and wildlife. Sure to be a crowd pleaser for fans of Paulsen or other books by Hobbs. Suitable for 5th-9th grade readers.
October 13, 2022
4 Stars
“Never Say Die” by Will Hobbs was, in my opinion, an excellent book that told of an extremely grueling trek through the harsh Canadian arctic. The perfectly balanced story of action and adventure ties the whole plot together very nicely. The main character, Nick Thrasher, who is already an accomplished outdoorsman at only 15 years old, is forced to survive in the wilderness while trying to be reunited with his brother after they were separated. Many plot twists and scenes of action accompany the storyline with elements such as a mix of a grizzly and polar bear, deemed the “grolar bear.” After reading the book, I concluded that it was a little too short for my liking and unnecessarily brought up climate change every couple of pages. Therefore, all of the previous components I talked about tied together very nicely with only a few deductions, from my perspective, which is why I rated the book a 4.0 not 5.
Overall, the book was pretty much the riveting story of Nick Thrasher, a young, 15 year old, Inuit hunter, that is stranded in Canada’s Arctic with his half brother who he has never met before named Ryan Powers. Some of the themes that the author expanded on were friendship, struggle, and perseverance. Basically, the author was trying to convey that if life throws you problem after problem you have to get back up and just keep moving forward. This mindset, I believe, coincides with the title “Never Say Die” which really added to why I really enjoyed that aspect of the book since it is such a relatable theme for a lot of people including myself. These were some really great features that greatly enhanced the book, creating an original sense of storytelling.
Friendship was a huge feature in the story as well. For example, the family dynamic between Nick and his grandpa, Jonah, was a really heartwarming and wholesome side of the story that really enhanced the plot in an astonishingly good way. Therefore, I thought that all of these positive moments and themes in the book really came together in a significantly beneficial manner. The few things that I did not like about the book was that almost every chapter the author threw in some kind of mention about climate change and how it's affecting everything. This, in my opinion, was very unnecessary after talking about it once. Additionally, I thought that the use of short and then long dialogue seemed to mess up the flow of the book in various places. Other than those two small unfortunate details, the rest of the book was really good.
Other than this book, I have not read any of Will Hobbs books but after “Never Say Die” I might give some of his other works a try. The only thing that I disliked about the book was that in some places the dialogue was a bit choppy and there was too much mention of global warming. Other than that, however, I thought that this was an excellent novel that was full of twists, survival, perseverance, and action which made it, for me, a great book. Therefore, I would definitely recommend this book to you, especially if you enjoy books that are about adventure.
“Never Say Die” by Will Hobbs was, in my opinion, an excellent book that told of an extremely grueling trek through the harsh Canadian arctic. The perfectly balanced story of action and adventure ties the whole plot together very nicely. The main character, Nick Thrasher, who is already an accomplished outdoorsman at only 15 years old, is forced to survive in the wilderness while trying to be reunited with his brother after they were separated. Many plot twists and scenes of action accompany the storyline with elements such as a mix of a grizzly and polar bear, deemed the “grolar bear.” After reading the book, I concluded that it was a little too short for my liking and unnecessarily brought up climate change every couple of pages. Therefore, all of the previous components I talked about tied together very nicely with only a few deductions, from my perspective, which is why I rated the book a 4.0 not 5.
Overall, the book was pretty much the riveting story of Nick Thrasher, a young, 15 year old, Inuit hunter, that is stranded in Canada’s Arctic with his half brother who he has never met before named Ryan Powers. Some of the themes that the author expanded on were friendship, struggle, and perseverance. Basically, the author was trying to convey that if life throws you problem after problem you have to get back up and just keep moving forward. This mindset, I believe, coincides with the title “Never Say Die” which really added to why I really enjoyed that aspect of the book since it is such a relatable theme for a lot of people including myself. These were some really great features that greatly enhanced the book, creating an original sense of storytelling.
Friendship was a huge feature in the story as well. For example, the family dynamic between Nick and his grandpa, Jonah, was a really heartwarming and wholesome side of the story that really enhanced the plot in an astonishingly good way. Therefore, I thought that all of these positive moments and themes in the book really came together in a significantly beneficial manner. The few things that I did not like about the book was that almost every chapter the author threw in some kind of mention about climate change and how it's affecting everything. This, in my opinion, was very unnecessary after talking about it once. Additionally, I thought that the use of short and then long dialogue seemed to mess up the flow of the book in various places. Other than those two small unfortunate details, the rest of the book was really good.
Other than this book, I have not read any of Will Hobbs books but after “Never Say Die” I might give some of his other works a try. The only thing that I disliked about the book was that in some places the dialogue was a bit choppy and there was too much mention of global warming. Other than that, however, I thought that this was an excellent novel that was full of twists, survival, perseverance, and action which made it, for me, a great book. Therefore, I would definitely recommend this book to you, especially if you enjoy books that are about adventure.
November 8, 2017
Nick Thrasher as fifteen has to make a choice. To go to Alaska and raft the firth river with his photographer brother who he has never met before but would like to get to know him. So he decides to go but wants to bring his rifle for protection against all of the bears. Who can easily tear them open but Ryan his older brother doesn't have the guts to kill. So they get out on the water and thirty minutes later see a three foot tall sheet of ice all across the river and who knows how long it is will thy make it or will they hit the block of ice.
The theme to this book is that people should kill or be killed." Then the bear charged at full speed I grabbed the harpoon from Ryans hands." " With all its power and fury, roaring horribly The bear came down on the harpoon burring the barbed steel deep in its chest." "The bear wouldn't go down, now what? The bear staggered forward, on paw poised to slash me open. I jumped back and drew my hunting knife. But I didn't have to use it. That freak of nature fell dead at my feet."
This book its literally one of the best books that I ever read. It has tons of crazy action, but that is only one of the reasons that I liked this book. If you where in this book you would have to have to guts to survive or you would be eaten alive. I also liked this book because it moves very quickly in getting into all of the action. So I think that whoever has read this book also thinks tat is a book that most people would like, especially if they like to survive.
The theme to this book is that people should kill or be killed." Then the bear charged at full speed I grabbed the harpoon from Ryans hands." " With all its power and fury, roaring horribly The bear came down on the harpoon burring the barbed steel deep in its chest." "The bear wouldn't go down, now what? The bear staggered forward, on paw poised to slash me open. I jumped back and drew my hunting knife. But I didn't have to use it. That freak of nature fell dead at my feet."
This book its literally one of the best books that I ever read. It has tons of crazy action, but that is only one of the reasons that I liked this book. If you where in this book you would have to have to guts to survive or you would be eaten alive. I also liked this book because it moves very quickly in getting into all of the action. So I think that whoever has read this book also thinks tat is a book that most people would like, especially if they like to survive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2017
I don't know how to say it in a nice way, but this books sucks.
The author doesn't show any freaking emotions at all. It's like, Nicks grandfather is dying and it's kinda just like, "Oh well." Nick gets attacked by a freaking bear and it feels like he knows he's going to survive because he doesn't seem scared at all.
WE FREAKING GET IT GLOBAL WARMING IS BAD YOU CAN STOP TALKING ABOUT IT NOW. Will could have at least done it in a subtle way, but nope! More than 3/4 of the way through and guess what? No bear, just Ryan talking about how caribou are dying. He had such a good opportunity to show both sides of the hunting argument, he had Nick to argue about why his people need to hunt caribou are important. All he did was have a clearly biased argument about it! All Nick said was stuff like, "We need to hunt to survive." Which, of course, was completely ignored in the long run.
This book was the first book I read by Will Hobbs, and judging from the way this one was written, I don't think I'll read anymore.
This is just my opinion, so don't like this discourage you from reading it. I think some people could enjoy it, just definitely not me.
The author doesn't show any freaking emotions at all. It's like, Nicks grandfather is dying and it's kinda just like, "Oh well." Nick gets attacked by a freaking bear and it feels like he knows he's going to survive because he doesn't seem scared at all.
WE FREAKING GET IT GLOBAL WARMING IS BAD YOU CAN STOP TALKING ABOUT IT NOW. Will could have at least done it in a subtle way, but nope! More than 3/4 of the way through and guess what? No bear, just Ryan talking about how caribou are dying. He had such a good opportunity to show both sides of the hunting argument, he had Nick to argue about why his people need to hunt caribou are important. All he did was have a clearly biased argument about it! All Nick said was stuff like, "We need to hunt to survive." Which, of course, was completely ignored in the long run.
This book was the first book I read by Will Hobbs, and judging from the way this one was written, I don't think I'll read anymore.
This is just my opinion, so don't like this discourage you from reading it. I think some people could enjoy it, just definitely not me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2024
This book was a story well told; the author did his research and made a very convincing and exciting narrative from the perspective of a teenager ling in the Great North. The stories, the lore, it was rich with culture, tradition, and imagery.
Mix in modern times, global warming, white people ambition, and hybrid cross-breeding of bears, and you get one pretty crazy adventure!
The dangers are ample, the skills needed to survive and knowledge attained in order to conquest a journey such as the one our main characters embark on and endure is certainly suspenseful and exciting!
The dark and disturbing turns this book takes on in the end can stick with you, the looming dread and climactic reveal of horrors imagined and looming uncertainty which ultimately is left unresolved, chalked up to nature and the way things are, leaves the slightest dissatisfaction for me.
Many lessons are learned and many more left unspoken.
Mix in modern times, global warming, white people ambition, and hybrid cross-breeding of bears, and you get one pretty crazy adventure!
The dangers are ample, the skills needed to survive and knowledge attained in order to conquest a journey such as the one our main characters embark on and endure is certainly suspenseful and exciting!
The dark and disturbing turns this book takes on in the end can stick with you, the looming dread and climactic reveal of horrors imagined and looming uncertainty which ultimately is left unresolved, chalked up to nature and the way things are, leaves the slightest dissatisfaction for me.
Many lessons are learned and many more left unspoken.
January 19, 2023
This book is about Nick Thrasher a fifteen year old hunter. He was hunting one day when he came across a new creature called the grolar bear. Then Nick and his brother go looking for this creature to learn more about it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the outdoors. The author Will Hobbs did a really good job explaining the landscape. He described the creature very well as well as the trees. He was very descriptive about the river. Will Hobbs is good at making you feel like you are there. Now I will tell you about what he could get better with.
Will Hobbs could work on describing the characters. He talks about the age and who they are. Hobbs does not talk about their physical appearance. It is hard to know how tall they are. You do not know what type of hair they have or if it is long or short. He does not describe what they are wearing. You have to make your own description. When you have to make your own description you could be way off on what the author is wanting. That is what I think Will Hobbs could work on in his books.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the outdoors. The author Will Hobbs did a really good job explaining the landscape. He described the creature very well as well as the trees. He was very descriptive about the river. Will Hobbs is good at making you feel like you are there. Now I will tell you about what he could get better with.
Will Hobbs could work on describing the characters. He talks about the age and who they are. Hobbs does not talk about their physical appearance. It is hard to know how tall they are. You do not know what type of hair they have or if it is long or short. He does not describe what they are wearing. You have to make your own description. When you have to make your own description you could be way off on what the author is wanting. That is what I think Will Hobbs could work on in his books.
May 18, 2021
Are stories of survival and perseverance in nature something that you enjoy? If so then this book is one that you will enjoy reading. In this adventure book you will be able to join the main character and his half brother on a journey through the Canadian wilderness that goes terribly wrong. Also in the mix there is a monster bear that is roaming the area that is much larger and stronger than most bears they have encountered before. I would recommend this book to anyone that is middle school or higher for a fun and short read that will give you a taste of the wilderness and the struggles that the characters face to survive.
October 10, 2017
Never say die is a story about a 15 year old boy by the name of Nick Thrasher. Nick is adventuring with his bother Ryan and they find lots of dangerous and vicious animals. In the story, Nick comes up close, face to face with a bear that is half grizzly bear and half polar bear and that is just one of the animals in the story. The book goes really fast paced and I found that is was very riveting and left me on my seat wondering if he could escape or not. Overall the book was excellent because the author made it very suspenseful made me want to keep reading.
February 10, 2025
Another YA novel.
Great! Suspenseful! Nick, a young experienced Inuit hunter joins his newly acquainted half-brother Ryan on a camping trip with the intention to help him photograph the caribou run in the Yukon for the National Geographic. They contend with nature's fury: bad weather, as well as bears the whole trip. Along the way, they discover in real time the effects of climate change, especially when they meet up with the elusive half-grizzly half-polar bear hybrid.
Well-written story that anyone with an adventurous spirit would enjoy.
Great! Suspenseful! Nick, a young experienced Inuit hunter joins his newly acquainted half-brother Ryan on a camping trip with the intention to help him photograph the caribou run in the Yukon for the National Geographic. They contend with nature's fury: bad weather, as well as bears the whole trip. Along the way, they discover in real time the effects of climate change, especially when they meet up with the elusive half-grizzly half-polar bear hybrid.
Well-written story that anyone with an adventurous spirit would enjoy.
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March 8, 2017The boy found his bear but the bear was dangerous for him so he had to kill the bear for his own good.From the start he was looking over the pack of deer when a lion attacked the herd. His father was teaching him how to hunt in the wilderness and how to find the herd in the snow. He went to find his spirit animal (a bear) when he heard of the bear. Then at the end he found the bear from a few yards from him in the snow.
August 20, 2017
it was a good quick read but a lot of hype for a quick ending
September 22, 2017
I liked because I had some good thoughts
October 26, 2017
I thought this book was a great page-turner packed with adventure.
October 31, 2017
it was LIT
November 8, 2017
Really good book definitely one of my favorites and was a really fun read, good for YA and adventures people.
December 5, 2018
Hector T - Imhoff Core 1: It was good.
January 16, 2019
I liked the book a lot it was a great read. I recommend reading if your into survival. Great book of man vs. nature. very great details on leading up to the main events.
February 7, 2019
This was a great book about the wilderness and taught a lot of information.
February 21, 2019
Just one of those books that i couldn't get interested in. :/
June 8, 2019
Excellent YA adventure book, set in the far north of Canada.
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