Hatchet: The Call

by Gary Paulsen

Companion Book To Hatchet

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Classics, Childrens, Survival

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1999

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Randy]

Brian Robeson, a thirteen-year-old from New York City, boards a plan headed from Hampton, New York to the Canadian north woods to visit his father. His parents' recent divorce weighs heavily on him, as does "The Secret" that his mother is having an affair. The pilot gives him a very brief flying lesson in which Brian has control of the plane for a few minutes. The pilot seems to be experiencing increasing pain in his shoulder, arm, and stomach. At first Brian does not think it is very serious, but as the pilot begins jerking in his seat it becomes clear that he is having a heart attack. The attack stops and the pilot is dead; Brian is forced to take over the controls. After a harrowing descent, the plane crashes into a lake in the Canadian woods, where Brian is stranded. Brian has little to eat and is injured from the crash, but believes he will soon be rescued. He finds some strange berries to eat, which make him extremely sick. He then finds a raspberry patch, where he spots a bear. Brian constructs a shelter and in the middle of the night he hears a noise. A porcupine has entered his shelter and Brian throws the hatchet in its direction. It shoots its quills into Brian's leg, causing him severe pain. Brian attempts to build a fire with no matches and eventually succeeds when he learns how to strike his hatchet against a stone to ignite sparks. He finds turtle eggs and eagerly eats them. One day a plane flies overhead but does not see him and continues on its way, leaving Brian devastated and hopeless. He attempts to commit suicide by cutting himself with his hatchet, but survives the attempt and emerges from the experience determined to embrace life and to take an active role in his own fate. Brian soon catches his first fish and enjoys a big feast. That night, however, a skunk enters the shelter and when Brian yells at the skunk, it sprays him, temporarily blinding him and covering him with a horrible stench. Brian perfects his tools and catches a foolbird, his first meat. While he is cleaning the bird in the water, a moose attacks Brian, injuring his ribs and his shoulder. Another unfortunate incident soon follows when a tornado sweeps over the woods and destroys Brian's shelter. The day after the tornado, Brian discovers that the chaotic storm has riled up the water in the lake, and the tail of the plane had emerged from the lake, reminding Brian of the dead pilot and compelling him to say a few words for him. Lying in bed one night, it occurs to Brian that he could seek out the survival pack in the body of the plane, and he determines to build a raft to do so. After many incidents of trial-and-error, Brian retrieves the survival pack from the plane. At one point he drops the hatchet to the lake's bottom, but retrieves it with a long dive. On his way back up to the surface, Brian sees the dead pilot's head underwater, partially eaten by fish. Brian gets sick in the water but manages to make it back to his shelter to get some sleep. The next morning Brian opens the survival pack, which contains countless useful items, some of which Brian rejects in favor of the self-sufficient methods he has developed during his time in the woods. However, there is freeze-dried food that he decides to cook immediately. He also finds something labeled "Emergency Transmitter." He fiddles with it but it appears not to function. As Brian is preparing his much-anticipated meal, a plane lands on the lake to rescue a dumbfounded Brian sitting down to eat his freeze-dried meal.

[Gail]

I can't remember if I mentioned I ended up checking out the entire five-book "Hatchet" series written for adolescent boys. :) I felt sheepish and wasn't sure I was going to admit it. But I am LOVING them (on the third in the series). Con said he read them all. I don't think I ever did. At Brooke's tapas dinner, Jake and his dad said they had both loved them. I really, really love "reading" (listening) to Brian's love for and descriptions of the forest. They're so evocative and everyone knows I love the woods and mountains. I love how Brian learns to be aware of his surroundings in the woods and how he learns how to be self-reliant. Some of it might be a little cliche, but I also love how when he gets rescued the first time and goes back home he can't relate to other adolescent boys--their conversation, obsession with video games, TV, etc. So he finally goes back into the woods by himself and thats where I am now.

Conner if you're reading this, there was that great scene where he pummeled the football player who punched him because he became again the Brian of the woods--instinctively defending himself to the death. :) A killing machine.

[Luis Moreno]

I read this novel because its part of the Sega of Brian (the main protagonist). This novel is the last of the Sega, and i rated this as a 3 because it isn't as interesting as the first, i haven't read the second and third novels, but i plan too. Anyways I rated this low because in this book, he goes back to where he got lost in the first book, which is nice and all, but it isn't as interesting because he already knows how to survive. In the first novel, he is learning how to survive and is having trouble, but this time when he goes back, he takes tools to survive in stead of crafting them. He also knows where to go, like he knows already a good spot is to live basically, he also isn't lost. The first novel he is lost, and is struggling. Also the plot to me isn't that good, because in the first novel he gets in a plane crash on accident traveling to his dads. In this novel, he just doesn't like being in society, so he runs away back to the forest. I do like this book, just not that much, so i don't recommend this novel.

[Daisy]

A boy gets stranded in the wilderness after his plane made a crash landing with nothing but a hatchet and his clothes. He has to struggle to find all of his food and shelter. Bria was going to visit his Dad in Canada for a few days. He doesn't know much about the wild. He finds fish and other animals to eat and eventually learns how to make a fire to cook his food. He also starts to build a shelter. Bt one terrible night a really bad tornado came and destroyed everything he had worked on but it also turns the plane over so the tail was sticking out of the water. brian makes a hole in the plane and is able to get some of the food and supplies from the plane. Once brian starts to get all of his new equipment he hears something above him. Brian is relieved to see that a plane had come oy rescue him.

[Kaila]

Hatchet is one of the most educated books I have ever read. The author Gary, wrote this book as a sign for people to never give up on the toughest times, even if they think it is impossible. Brian tries to survive after a plane crash and the loss of the pilot leaving him by himself in the middle of nowhere. I have read this book about two times and wouldn't hesitate to read it again, even after living in a pandemic trying to survive as Brian.

[Jackson Schlicker]

The golden quote I chose for this book was "And the last thought he had that morning as he closed his eyes was: I hope the tornado hit the moose." This shows the hardships Brian had to go to during his time in the wild and gives insight on how defeated he felt at this time.

[Claire Dwyer]

Many years after reading Hatchet as a kid, this hits perfectly the nostalgia side of things. The writing really draws you into the love of the wild and its interesting the details Paulsen gives to various encounters to make them feel real.

[Nick]

i think that this book was a good book. i think so because i would like to read it again. i was interesting and suspensful. i recomend this book to all people who like adventure books.

[Raja]

awesome book

[Tahlia]

cool

[James Weir]

amazing makes you feel like your in the wilderness

[Bella K]

great book about survival and life during the war.

[Rachel]

2016: Short. And surprisingly little plot, I mean half the book was an extended flashback.
2021: Yep. It's even shorter and even less actually happened than I remembered.

[Holstein]

No complication or conflict, just a reflective epilogue on the Hatchet series.

[Joseph]

It's a cool story about a kid adapting to new environments and learning how to survive in the envioment

[Jenny]

Good book for my students, especially the guys.

[Lee Hall]

Read it again and again

[Bennett Hannah]

Has a great story and a really fun book

[Julie]

I loved this book! It is for a book discussion with my great-nieces and I look forward to discussion it.