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Northwind
A high-stakes middle grade from the survival story master Gary Paulsen, about a young boy on the razor's edge between life and death where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness. This stunning historical adventure, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the sea what Hatchet did for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person's battle to stay alive against the odds. When a deadly plague decimates his fishing village, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next. The deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to the heartbeat of the ocean, the pulse of the landscape. With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.
227 pages, Library Binding
First published January 11, 2022
278 people are currently reading
6741 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
418 books4,077 followersGary 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 622 reviews
December 28, 2021
This new survival story from Gary Paulsen includes an Author's Note. It felt like he was speaking to me from the grave. I must confess that knowing this is the last GP book ever biased me to look more favorable upon it. And then after reading the note at the end -- easy 5 stars for me. Our protagonist finds himself alone off the coast of Norway. Cholera is in the air and he was told to head north by the dying Old Carl. As he sails north in his dugout canoe he learns to forage for berries, kill salmon getting the most of every bit, and keep his food safe from thieving birds. Along the way he observes the habits of whales, birds, and bears and grows in his survival skills each day. There are delightful descriptions of whale and bird encounters. Sometimes things get pretty gritty. Survival is not pretty, but it does bring joy and hope for better days. Paulsen has combined stories from his grandmother and his own experiences off the US west coast to put together this tale. Want to start your year with some thrills and chills (the iceberg kind)? Pick up this new release from Gary Paulsen -- may he rest in peace.
Thank you to Farrar Straus & Giroux and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Farrar Straus & Giroux and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Did not finish
February 24, 2022This is a Middle Grade. I knew this book was not for me the second I picked it up, but I did try to read it. The writing in this book is like one really long poem. This story also is storyline/plot driven with vivid descriptions of events/what happen. I like a book that is more character driven, and I love to really get to know the characters in book. This book does not have that going on. This book is not for the light hearted person because there is very detailed parts about killing animals and other stuff like that. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
September 2, 2021
To be honest, I really don't know what to make of this book.
On the one hand -- did I enjoy reading it? Yes, very much. It's got the survival feel of Hatchet combined with a truly magical love of being on the water that shines through. It's also extraordinarily meditative and keeps that core acknowledgement of oneness with nature that is distinct to Paulsens's writing. It's a great book.
On the other hand -- what is even happening here? I can't orient in space and time. It is so clearly and completely set on the Pacific Northwest coast -- from the cedar canoe, to the Orcas, to the small islands in channels and fjords further north, to the distinct black and grizzly bears and the ravens and salmon and the blackberries. Yet the character experiencing all of this is a former thrall on Viking ship, steeped in Nordic mythology. The timeframe wanders between early Viking/ Exploration of the Americas to some kind of whaling venture that comes across as 19th century. And I have to say, I just can't make it make sense.
Is the Norwegian coast/climate/fauna so similar to the Pacific Northwest? Is there any evidence of Vikings on the West Coast? Were there thralls in the time of large wooden ships? Ships that were big enough to carry smaller ships? Were there early Whaling vessels in the Viking era? Did they do a lot of Arctic exploration in the Bering Sea?
And even more troubling, where are the people? If this is a historical novel set in the Pacific Northwest, then the entire thriving Indigenous population that should have been up and down the coast is nowhere to be found. If this is set in Norway, why are there no settlements at all? The Vikings went a-Viking because their population exceeded their space. Aside from the fish camp and the ships, there is no mention of humans or their structures.
It says something about me that I just can't sit back and enjoy the book when the history is so unclear, but there it is. And truly, I know very little about Norway, so perhaps this does have a Norwegian setting. I'm extremely interested to hear what other people think about this.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
On the one hand -- did I enjoy reading it? Yes, very much. It's got the survival feel of Hatchet combined with a truly magical love of being on the water that shines through. It's also extraordinarily meditative and keeps that core acknowledgement of oneness with nature that is distinct to Paulsens's writing. It's a great book.
On the other hand -- what is even happening here? I can't orient in space and time. It is so clearly and completely set on the Pacific Northwest coast -- from the cedar canoe, to the Orcas, to the small islands in channels and fjords further north, to the distinct black and grizzly bears and the ravens and salmon and the blackberries. Yet the character experiencing all of this is a former thrall on Viking ship, steeped in Nordic mythology. The timeframe wanders between early Viking/ Exploration of the Americas to some kind of whaling venture that comes across as 19th century. And I have to say, I just can't make it make sense.
Is the Norwegian coast/climate/fauna so similar to the Pacific Northwest? Is there any evidence of Vikings on the West Coast? Were there thralls in the time of large wooden ships? Ships that were big enough to carry smaller ships? Were there early Whaling vessels in the Viking era? Did they do a lot of Arctic exploration in the Bering Sea?
And even more troubling, where are the people? If this is a historical novel set in the Pacific Northwest, then the entire thriving Indigenous population that should have been up and down the coast is nowhere to be found. If this is set in Norway, why are there no settlements at all? The Vikings went a-Viking because their population exceeded their space. Aside from the fish camp and the ships, there is no mention of humans or their structures.
It says something about me that I just can't sit back and enjoy the book when the history is so unclear, but there it is. And truly, I know very little about Norway, so perhaps this does have a Norwegian setting. I'm extremely interested to hear what other people think about this.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
December 27, 2021
Gary Paulsen was one of those rare writers whose work appeals to young people and adults, but for the life of me, I’m not sure who the target audience is for this book. The publisher’s info says ages 10-14 but I doubt very much whether an average Middle Schooler would sit through the first few confusing chapters of this journey. It is also described as Hatchet but on water, but as I recall, Hatchet was much more down-to-earth with details a reader could imagine. Northwind was much more mystical and the descriptions of coves and islands became so repetitive, I began to skim the sections between the few vivid action scenes.
Adding to the confusion was the uncertainty of the locale of this adventure. I doubt many American youth has knowledge of Norway, either the geography or cultural traditions, so the reader is left floundering. I am wondering if the author’s narrative at the end could be reworked as an introduction to help American readers to enter his world with more knowledge.
In general I found this narrative disappointing and the abrupt ending left little direction for what was to come. Somehow a life paddling through the fjords of Norway does not do it for me.
Adding to the confusion was the uncertainty of the locale of this adventure. I doubt many American youth has knowledge of Norway, either the geography or cultural traditions, so the reader is left floundering. I am wondering if the author’s narrative at the end could be reworked as an introduction to help American readers to enter his world with more knowledge.
In general I found this narrative disappointing and the abrupt ending left little direction for what was to come. Somehow a life paddling through the fjords of Norway does not do it for me.
October 26, 2021
Drawing on his own experiences sailing, Gary Paulsen creates a sea world that can almost be felt. Orphaned as a baby, Paulsen’s main character has been raised by sea-faring men who have sold Leif from ship to ship. But fortunes turn and when cholera leaves him alone, Leif takes to the sea in a small canoe with a bundle of pitiful supplies. His journey teaches him to love the freedom that the sea brings and will leave readers certain that their skin is salt water wet and that whales and icebergs are within reach. Paulsen’s gift of writing outdoor adventures for readers in grades 4-8 will be greatly missed. Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley.
January 27, 2022
Younger me would have been obsessed with this book. Hatchet was my favorite book growing up and this is Hatchet but in a Nordic setting with whales and Norse mythology thrown in. It could not be more in my wheelhouse and I loved it. I'm sad Gary Paulsen isn't alive to write more.
June 25, 2024
DNF, it was giving Norse Moby Dick but I wasn’t here for it.
Read
January 19, 2022This new survival story from Gary Paulsen includes an Author's Note. It felt like he was speaking to me from the grave. I must confess that knowing this is the last GP book ever biased me to look more favorable upon it. And then after reading the note at the end -- easy 5 stars for me. Our protagonist finds himself alone off the coast of Norway. Cholera is in the air and he was told to head north by the dying Old Carl. As he sails north in his dugout canoe he learns to forage for berries, kill salmon getting the most of every bit, and keep his food safe from thieving birds. Along the way he observes the habits of whales, birds, and bears and grows in his survival skills each day. There are delightful descriptions of whale and bird encounters. Sometimes things get pretty gritty. Survival is not pretty, but it does bring joy and hope for better days. Paulsen has combined stories from his grandmother and his own experiences off the US west coast to put together this tale. Want to start your year with some thrills and chills (the iceberg kind)? Pick up this new release from Gary Paulsen -- may he rest in peace. *Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge*
January 18, 2022
Sadly, I found much of this book to be quite repetitive and boring to the point where I almost gave up on finishing it. But I kept reading in the hopes it’d pick up pace or something more would happen. Not really. A boy in a canoe eating berries and salmon and going north…that’s pretty much it.
December 11, 2022
This book was finished just before the author died. It's about a boy Leif, about 12 years old who finds himself alone and must survive with just his canoe, a blanket and a few tools. It is Norway in an earlier time and he is going north into the inlets and fjords. It is about survival and learning about the world on his own. Gary Paulsen uses all his senses in the descriptions to such a degree that you can smell, taste, feel, touch and hear what he describes. The authors note itself at the end of the book is a look at his younger life. 4.5 stars.
March 14, 2022
The prose is classic Paulsen: lyrical descriptions of Nature fill the book. The story is Hatchet reset in a different era in the Pacific northwest. In some ways, I was disappointed by the book, but at the same time I felt grateful to be able to read one of the last books by one of YAL's grandmasters.
February 12, 2022
Richie’s Picks: NORTHWIND by Gary Paulsen, Farrar Straus Giroux, January 2022, 256p., ISBN: 978-0-374-31420-0
“Well, you hope the road you follow
Will lead you to the sea
And you hope that time allows you
To start livin’ free
But when the world is busy
And the way is hard to see
When tomorrow comes
Will you remember?”
– Jorma Kaukonen, “Corners Without Exits” (1974)
“But there was more to it than just a game. They seemed to have such a definite purpose that when he watched more closely he could see they were using the rocks in some way. Perhaps to clean their sides and belly. They were carefully moving their bodies, rolling from side to side, rubbing at the inlet’s bottom with their faces, back down to their tails, flukes, and even these they carefully dragged across the stones.
And when the adults were done, they worked at teaching the young ones, who had been watching but not trying, to go to the end of the inlet and start passing and rolling across. Initially they simply didn’t understand and would go the wrong way, or head out of the inlet, or forget to roll, or just do one side, or pick up one of the stones and head-flip it skittering across the surface and try to hit it with their tail. They were, Leif thought, like a pack of young dogs and and he laughed out loud until he noticed that one of the whales, the big male–perhaps hearing the sound of his laugh–moved slowly away from the juveniles and stopped, lying right next to the canoe, almost touching, so that his body was between the canoe and the rest of the pod who were still trying to get the youngsters–Leif actually thought of them as pups–to start using the rocks correctly.
And there he stayed.
Not being aggressive, not even threatening.
Just there.
Protecting.”
In the distant past, in a fictional north land reminiscent of Scandinavia, a cholera epidemic decimates the populace. As conditions rapidly deteriorate, an orphan named Leif, a boy who has been raised among the wharves, boats, and fishing nets, and has generally been treated like an indentured servant, is given a wooden canoe and told to head north, away from the dead and dying.
NORTHWIND is a beautifully crafted survival tale by the late great Gary Paulsen. It features the boy all alone in the world except for the other creatures with whom he shares his journey. The story is filled with cinematic descriptions of the boy and the canoe moving northward, as Leif first recuperates from his own near-fatal bout with the sickness, and then begins to make a real go of the journey. The tale brings Leif and the readers into contact with bears, raptors, and the creatures of the sea. We can taste the “rich thickness” of that big male whale’s exhaled breath, salty and fishy, as he rolls past the boy. We visualize the dorsal fin sticking up that Leif is just dying to reach out and touch.
As the most recent wave of death from COVID finally begins to subside, tweens and teens will be moved by this poetic and gripping story set amidst a long-ago pandemic.
Some younger kids may be less entranced about the subtlety of the action here–more “man learns to live in harmony with the immensity and majesty of nature” instead of your typical “man conquers nature” yarn. But many young readers will be drawn to the dreamlike quality of Leif’s adventure and the literary writing, which is stunning and memorable. Many will readily imagine themselves in that canoe, trying to figure out how the dolphins navigate the tricky ocean currents and whirlpools, so they can safely paddle through the frequently dangerous conditions.
It’s tough saying bye to Gary Paulsen, who passed away a few months ago. Paulsen's work will be long remembered, undoubtedly to be shared, loved, and passed down for generations to come.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“Well, you hope the road you follow
Will lead you to the sea
And you hope that time allows you
To start livin’ free
But when the world is busy
And the way is hard to see
When tomorrow comes
Will you remember?”
– Jorma Kaukonen, “Corners Without Exits” (1974)
“But there was more to it than just a game. They seemed to have such a definite purpose that when he watched more closely he could see they were using the rocks in some way. Perhaps to clean their sides and belly. They were carefully moving their bodies, rolling from side to side, rubbing at the inlet’s bottom with their faces, back down to their tails, flukes, and even these they carefully dragged across the stones.
And when the adults were done, they worked at teaching the young ones, who had been watching but not trying, to go to the end of the inlet and start passing and rolling across. Initially they simply didn’t understand and would go the wrong way, or head out of the inlet, or forget to roll, or just do one side, or pick up one of the stones and head-flip it skittering across the surface and try to hit it with their tail. They were, Leif thought, like a pack of young dogs and and he laughed out loud until he noticed that one of the whales, the big male–perhaps hearing the sound of his laugh–moved slowly away from the juveniles and stopped, lying right next to the canoe, almost touching, so that his body was between the canoe and the rest of the pod who were still trying to get the youngsters–Leif actually thought of them as pups–to start using the rocks correctly.
And there he stayed.
Not being aggressive, not even threatening.
Just there.
Protecting.”
In the distant past, in a fictional north land reminiscent of Scandinavia, a cholera epidemic decimates the populace. As conditions rapidly deteriorate, an orphan named Leif, a boy who has been raised among the wharves, boats, and fishing nets, and has generally been treated like an indentured servant, is given a wooden canoe and told to head north, away from the dead and dying.
NORTHWIND is a beautifully crafted survival tale by the late great Gary Paulsen. It features the boy all alone in the world except for the other creatures with whom he shares his journey. The story is filled with cinematic descriptions of the boy and the canoe moving northward, as Leif first recuperates from his own near-fatal bout with the sickness, and then begins to make a real go of the journey. The tale brings Leif and the readers into contact with bears, raptors, and the creatures of the sea. We can taste the “rich thickness” of that big male whale’s exhaled breath, salty and fishy, as he rolls past the boy. We visualize the dorsal fin sticking up that Leif is just dying to reach out and touch.
As the most recent wave of death from COVID finally begins to subside, tweens and teens will be moved by this poetic and gripping story set amidst a long-ago pandemic.
Some younger kids may be less entranced about the subtlety of the action here–more “man learns to live in harmony with the immensity and majesty of nature” instead of your typical “man conquers nature” yarn. But many young readers will be drawn to the dreamlike quality of Leif’s adventure and the literary writing, which is stunning and memorable. Many will readily imagine themselves in that canoe, trying to figure out how the dolphins navigate the tricky ocean currents and whirlpools, so they can safely paddle through the frequently dangerous conditions.
It’s tough saying bye to Gary Paulsen, who passed away a few months ago. Paulsen's work will be long remembered, undoubtedly to be shared, loved, and passed down for generations to come.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
May 11, 2022
I've been a lifelong fan of Gary Paulsen, but this was a bit drawn out and depressing for me! Though, if you read the author's note in the back of the book, he does acknowledge that he's been making notes and adding to this throughout his entire life, so I'm glad that he finally got to publish it (right before his death).
September 24, 2022
This is a perfectly solid survival book by Paulsen, mostly about the joys and healing power of nature.
I read about 20-30 pages. Paulsen's posthumous book is wild and weird. I am genuinely curious to see where he is going with it. I loved the frankness that caused him to use the phrase "anal gore" in a children's book. I have long suspected that Paulsen, who shares the -sen suffix with my name, is of Danish extraction, and I am excited to see him tapping into that.
Cool book, would love to finish.
I read about 20-30 pages. Paulsen's posthumous book is wild and weird. I am genuinely curious to see where he is going with it. I loved the frankness that caused him to use the phrase "anal gore" in a children's book. I have long suspected that Paulsen, who shares the -sen suffix with my name, is of Danish extraction, and I am excited to see him tapping into that.
Cool book, would love to finish.
November 2, 2022
4.5 stars.
This was my first time reading Gary Paulsen. 'Hatchet' has always been very popular with younger teen readers at school, so when I saw he had a new book out I knew it was time to give this author a read. And I am so glad I did. This book exceeded any expectations I may have had. The descriptions of the natural world and the main character's interactions with wildlife - in particular whales, were breathtaking and unforgettable. It is a survival novel, though I would not describe it as action packed or fast paced, but rather quite meditative. I think this book will stay with me. It is also quite moving - though I would caution that some of the events at the beginning of this novel are quite disturbing and I found them traumatic to read about. Some sensitive children may find if a bit too full on. However, I am glad I pushed through to the end. Highly recommend, especially if you love beautiful descriptions of nature and animals in their natural environment.
This was my first time reading Gary Paulsen. 'Hatchet' has always been very popular with younger teen readers at school, so when I saw he had a new book out I knew it was time to give this author a read. And I am so glad I did. This book exceeded any expectations I may have had. The descriptions of the natural world and the main character's interactions with wildlife - in particular whales, were breathtaking and unforgettable. It is a survival novel, though I would not describe it as action packed or fast paced, but rather quite meditative. I think this book will stay with me. It is also quite moving - though I would caution that some of the events at the beginning of this novel are quite disturbing and I found them traumatic to read about. Some sensitive children may find if a bit too full on. However, I am glad I pushed through to the end. Highly recommend, especially if you love beautiful descriptions of nature and animals in their natural environment.
June 18, 2025
Hatchet this is not and it’s hard not to compare the two considering the success of the first. Less of a tale of survival and more of a spiritual journey. Too short to be a two star but it was never very exciting. No real conflict or issues for a child stranded alone in the wilderness. The ending feels like a set up for sequels that will never come.
January 11, 2024
I love Paulsen's adventure stories. Even more so now that I've read his memoir and know that he lived what he wrote.
January 18, 2022
So survivalist fiction was a staple of mine growing up. Or rather survivalist movies were. Some days I felt like my mom wanted to abandon everything and go live in the woods. However, after one or two terrifying to a ten year old incidents involving literature set in the wild......let's just say they are not what I gravitate towards.
However, Gary Paulsen has written another book that I think will be enjoyed by fans of the adventure genre. Instead of the mountains, we are instead along the sea. I pictured the Pacific Northwest and Alaska as I read these pages. Leif's encounters with bears, whales, whirlpools....his fishing with a man made spear and gathering berries to survive.....many will enjoy this story. Indeed, it is a love story to the wild.
For me, it is not my favorite genre to read. I also struggled that Leif was the lone character and there was not a bit of dialogue to be found. Indeed, Northwind read like a David Attenborough voiced documentary with Leif's occasional inner dialogue read by Morgan Freeman. LOL So if you want a book with an actual plot (as opposed to just embracing nature and continuing to flee sickness and Man), this isn't it. But will I recommend it to readers looking for adventure tales? Survival tales? You bet!
However, Gary Paulsen has written another book that I think will be enjoyed by fans of the adventure genre. Instead of the mountains, we are instead along the sea. I pictured the Pacific Northwest and Alaska as I read these pages. Leif's encounters with bears, whales, whirlpools....his fishing with a man made spear and gathering berries to survive.....many will enjoy this story. Indeed, it is a love story to the wild.
For me, it is not my favorite genre to read. I also struggled that Leif was the lone character and there was not a bit of dialogue to be found. Indeed, Northwind read like a David Attenborough voiced documentary with Leif's occasional inner dialogue read by Morgan Freeman. LOL So if you want a book with an actual plot (as opposed to just embracing nature and continuing to flee sickness and Man), this isn't it. But will I recommend it to readers looking for adventure tales? Survival tales? You bet!
November 14, 2021
Paulsen is a master of description. Truthfully, sometimes I wish he wasn’t so great, as he chooses to describe terrifying situations to a T. However, rarely can I get his books out of my head, and as an educator his books are my go to when I want to read a book as an example of description. Plus, my kids that love the outdoors always love picturing themselves in these harrowing tales. I rarely find a person, adult or child, that has read books like Hatchet and not been affected by them. So, this is EASILY a true five star book for me. I highly recommend it to kids and adults!
April 12, 2022
The fact that this is his last book makes it much more meaningful. There is a strong connection to Hatchet for sure, but I love the idea of journeys that end in one way yet still continue to go on. Grateful for Gary Paulsen's body of work!
Did not finish
January 1, 2023DNFd at 8% because I was bored
July 25, 2024
In the Author's Note, Gary Paulsen says Northwind is a novel he spent his whole life preparing for, and I understand why. Taking pieces of mythology and culture from his own Norwegian heritage, as well as the unique family structure Gary Paulsen had as a child, the author weds these components with the gritty survival writing that formed his reputation as a creative artist ever since Hatchet in 1987. He does this through the odyssey of preteen Leif, a boy abandoned by his parents and shuttled around the world on a grimy sailing ship among men with no idea how to raise a youngster. Along the way Leif met Old Carl—who treated him with more kindness than most adults did—and Little Carl, a foundling who functioned as Leif's little brother. Life seemed okay...until the crisis that wiped away everything good.
"When oxen dance in the barnyard, mice hide in their holes."
—Northwind, P. 187
Stranded in a remote area with no one coming back for them, Old Carl, Leif, and Little Carl were getting used to village life. Then the ship arrives: a dirty, miasmic presence that doesn't stay long before setting sail again. Within days the people of the village are ill with violent diarrhea and vomiting, dying in agony. When Old Carl shows the first symptoms, he packs Leif and Little Carl in a canoe and pushes them into the water, ordering Leif to go north and never return to this plague land. The boys aren't free from the disease's effects; Leif and Little Carl take ill and are soon wasting away as they cross the open seas. Little Carl dies in the muck of his own sickness, and Leif, barely hanging on in a near-coma, assumes this will be his fate too. He's disoriented and weak when his canoe washes up on an island, but he's finally lucid enough to take stock of the situation. What is there left to him in this lifetime?
"He had been ready for death, had set himself to be prepared for death.
But not for living.
And now it was time."
—Northwind, PP. 48-49
Leif must bury Little Carl, though it saps his slowly returning strength to row to a tiny island where the boy's resting place won't be disturbed by carnivores. Leif is distraught that his one companion left in the world is gone, but there's nothing to do but learn to survive on these islands. He discovers how to catch fish and a place to pick blackberries to keep himself healthy, provided he steers clear of bears. Leif could remain among these small islands, but Old Carl charged him to go north and keep on going, so he gathers provisions and pushes off in his canoe into the expansive sea.
"Some things he could do—some not. There was some comfort in knowing what he could do, what he couldn't. But a danger as well—If he thought he knew too much, knew everything—he could get in trouble."
—Northwind, P. 203
Nothing could prepare Leif for the tests to come as the canoe glides into colder climates. Whales often breach around him in the water, creatures somewhere between friends and fellow travelers. Whirlpools between islands and aggressive currents rushing out of fjords threaten to rip the canoe to pieces if Leif isn't cautious. Ravens, eagles, and other birds follow the canoe on its drifting route, seeking remnants of cooked fish to steal, but at least their presence means Leif isn't alone. Will the remainder of his life be a trek north, a perpetual gamble against unknown dangers to complete Old Carl's mission? Leif can't predict his situation in an hour, let alone a year or ten. All he can do is travel with the northwind, defining for himself the voyage of life.
"That simple.
You lived or you died.
And in between the two, if you kept your mind open and aware and listened and smelled and watched...
In between you learned."
—Northwind, P. 196
Northwind is a lot like Gary Paulsen's most famous work, Hatchet. Much of the narrative concentrates on specific, detailed actions Leif takes to survive in the wilderness. We never really got to know Little Carl, so his death doesn't hit as hard as it might have, but the overall story is good enough that I'll rate it two and a half stars. Sometimes in life a tragedy shakes up everything we know, leading us to question if surviving is worth the struggle. But if we endure, we find avenues to fulfillment we never dreamed of. Survival requires luck, determination, accumulated skill, and a twinkle of something more, but no matter how terrible our past, it's possible to fashion the future into something beautiful. That was the message of Gary Paulsen's life and written works, so it's appropriate that Northwind, published in early 2022 just months after his death, centered on this theme. Rest well, Gary Paulsen. We are so lucky we had you.
"It might get better...or it might get worse. We never know what is coming. All we know is that (things) will change—and what if it's something good that you miss because you gave up? Remember, it's only the water around your boat that counts. Everything else is just spit."
—Old Carl, PP. 182-183
"When oxen dance in the barnyard, mice hide in their holes."
—Northwind, P. 187
Stranded in a remote area with no one coming back for them, Old Carl, Leif, and Little Carl were getting used to village life. Then the ship arrives: a dirty, miasmic presence that doesn't stay long before setting sail again. Within days the people of the village are ill with violent diarrhea and vomiting, dying in agony. When Old Carl shows the first symptoms, he packs Leif and Little Carl in a canoe and pushes them into the water, ordering Leif to go north and never return to this plague land. The boys aren't free from the disease's effects; Leif and Little Carl take ill and are soon wasting away as they cross the open seas. Little Carl dies in the muck of his own sickness, and Leif, barely hanging on in a near-coma, assumes this will be his fate too. He's disoriented and weak when his canoe washes up on an island, but he's finally lucid enough to take stock of the situation. What is there left to him in this lifetime?
"He had been ready for death, had set himself to be prepared for death.
But not for living.
And now it was time."
—Northwind, PP. 48-49
Leif must bury Little Carl, though it saps his slowly returning strength to row to a tiny island where the boy's resting place won't be disturbed by carnivores. Leif is distraught that his one companion left in the world is gone, but there's nothing to do but learn to survive on these islands. He discovers how to catch fish and a place to pick blackberries to keep himself healthy, provided he steers clear of bears. Leif could remain among these small islands, but Old Carl charged him to go north and keep on going, so he gathers provisions and pushes off in his canoe into the expansive sea.
"Some things he could do—some not. There was some comfort in knowing what he could do, what he couldn't. But a danger as well—If he thought he knew too much, knew everything—he could get in trouble."
—Northwind, P. 203
Nothing could prepare Leif for the tests to come as the canoe glides into colder climates. Whales often breach around him in the water, creatures somewhere between friends and fellow travelers. Whirlpools between islands and aggressive currents rushing out of fjords threaten to rip the canoe to pieces if Leif isn't cautious. Ravens, eagles, and other birds follow the canoe on its drifting route, seeking remnants of cooked fish to steal, but at least their presence means Leif isn't alone. Will the remainder of his life be a trek north, a perpetual gamble against unknown dangers to complete Old Carl's mission? Leif can't predict his situation in an hour, let alone a year or ten. All he can do is travel with the northwind, defining for himself the voyage of life.
"That simple.
You lived or you died.
And in between the two, if you kept your mind open and aware and listened and smelled and watched...
In between you learned."
—Northwind, P. 196
Northwind is a lot like Gary Paulsen's most famous work, Hatchet. Much of the narrative concentrates on specific, detailed actions Leif takes to survive in the wilderness. We never really got to know Little Carl, so his death doesn't hit as hard as it might have, but the overall story is good enough that I'll rate it two and a half stars. Sometimes in life a tragedy shakes up everything we know, leading us to question if surviving is worth the struggle. But if we endure, we find avenues to fulfillment we never dreamed of. Survival requires luck, determination, accumulated skill, and a twinkle of something more, but no matter how terrible our past, it's possible to fashion the future into something beautiful. That was the message of Gary Paulsen's life and written works, so it's appropriate that Northwind, published in early 2022 just months after his death, centered on this theme. Rest well, Gary Paulsen. We are so lucky we had you.
"It might get better...or it might get worse. We never know what is coming. All we know is that (things) will change—and what if it's something good that you miss because you gave up? Remember, it's only the water around your boat that counts. Everything else is just spit."
—Old Carl, PP. 182-183
February 23, 2022
The cover of this book is outstanding and this is my first novel by Gary Paulsen. I picked this up on word that my friend's kids were reading this in school and I wanted to see what it was all about. I will later read his major work, Hatchet. I recall from my school days my group read, Call of the Wild instead.
The beginning of this story is bit of a shocker. I liked how our main character, Leif continued to survive taking the reader along with him. I know this book is for middle grade readers, but it read on the younger side of the middle grade scale. There was a lot of repetition, but if we were in the same canoe we would also do those same repetitions over and over to become routine/survival. The ending seemed to be cut short for me, but I think I can understand it. The time frame of the novel seemed like it was a few days to maybe a week. The ending did leave me with questions.
The beginning of this story is bit of a shocker. I liked how our main character, Leif continued to survive taking the reader along with him. I know this book is for middle grade readers, but it read on the younger side of the middle grade scale. There was a lot of repetition, but if we were in the same canoe we would also do those same repetitions over and over to become routine/survival. The ending seemed to be cut short for me, but I think I can understand it. The time frame of the novel seemed like it was a few days to maybe a week. The ending did leave me with questions.
March 29, 2024
-read for middle grade March
A boy, Leif, survives on his own in the Middle Ages (?), Scandinavia. The prose was beautiful, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
A boy, Leif, survives on his own in the Middle Ages (?), Scandinavia. The prose was beautiful, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
February 18, 2026
Meh…was mildly interesting.
November 12, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In an undetermined time somewhere along the Norwegian coast, there is a cholera epidemic on a fishing ship that kills most of the men aboard. Thanks to Old Carl, Little Carl and young Leif are put on a boat and told to go North to escape the disease. They don't get far before Little Carl dies in a very gruesome way, but Leif survives. It's not easy to survive in the wilderness with very few supplies, but he manages. He manages to make tools to catch and dry salmon, builds simple shelters, lights fires to dry out his boat, and deals with bears, eagles, crows, and orcas who don't have his best interests at heart. After years of being sold from ship to ship and being beaten and forced to work at unsavory, difficult jobs however, Leif enjoys the solitude and ability to just BE.
Strengths: This hits most of the survival book tropes that we are used to seeing from Paulsen, and also has a bit of a Julie of the Wolves vibe to it. The encounters in the wilderness with various wildlife, and the survival skills that Leif must employ are all solid, and his journey to inner peace through the wilderness experience will resonate with some readers. Leif's backstory of hard work and abuse echoes Paulsen's own experiences that we saw in Gone to the Wild. A touching afterword indicates that this book was inspired by tales Paulsen's grandmother told him when he lived with her at the cook camp as a small child, and that he has been working on this book most of his life.
Weaknesses: The beginning is a bit confusing, and very gory. It also seemed odd that Leif didn't run into any people. If he's going along the coast, wouldn't there be a lot of fishing villages?
What I really think: This might well be the last Gary Paulsen book, but I may have to pass on this one.
A little concerned that everyone is just going to buy this without reading it. It's written in an odd style, sort of James Joyce meets Ernest Hemmingway, and is very, very descriptive about the effects of a plague on some sailors and two young boys. This is from the e ARC, about 26 pages in.
"Jammed in paralyzed rigor into the bow was the deceased body of the small boy—Little Carl—covered in released stomach and anal gore. While farther back, pushed equally hard into the stern, Leif huddled and, though he was panting shallowly, breathing with great effort in short, soft gasps—he was lying on his face, unconscious, and appeared to be equally dead. As in the bow, the stern’s horror-mess around Leif was made up of what had been in his stomach, faint streaks of blood, bile, and bits of smoked fish."
Read and decide for yourself.
In an undetermined time somewhere along the Norwegian coast, there is a cholera epidemic on a fishing ship that kills most of the men aboard. Thanks to Old Carl, Little Carl and young Leif are put on a boat and told to go North to escape the disease. They don't get far before Little Carl dies in a very gruesome way, but Leif survives. It's not easy to survive in the wilderness with very few supplies, but he manages. He manages to make tools to catch and dry salmon, builds simple shelters, lights fires to dry out his boat, and deals with bears, eagles, crows, and orcas who don't have his best interests at heart. After years of being sold from ship to ship and being beaten and forced to work at unsavory, difficult jobs however, Leif enjoys the solitude and ability to just BE.
Strengths: This hits most of the survival book tropes that we are used to seeing from Paulsen, and also has a bit of a Julie of the Wolves vibe to it. The encounters in the wilderness with various wildlife, and the survival skills that Leif must employ are all solid, and his journey to inner peace through the wilderness experience will resonate with some readers. Leif's backstory of hard work and abuse echoes Paulsen's own experiences that we saw in Gone to the Wild. A touching afterword indicates that this book was inspired by tales Paulsen's grandmother told him when he lived with her at the cook camp as a small child, and that he has been working on this book most of his life.
Weaknesses: The beginning is a bit confusing, and very gory. It also seemed odd that Leif didn't run into any people. If he's going along the coast, wouldn't there be a lot of fishing villages?
What I really think: This might well be the last Gary Paulsen book, but I may have to pass on this one.
A little concerned that everyone is just going to buy this without reading it. It's written in an odd style, sort of James Joyce meets Ernest Hemmingway, and is very, very descriptive about the effects of a plague on some sailors and two young boys. This is from the e ARC, about 26 pages in.
"Jammed in paralyzed rigor into the bow was the deceased body of the small boy—Little Carl—covered in released stomach and anal gore. While farther back, pushed equally hard into the stern, Leif huddled and, though he was panting shallowly, breathing with great effort in short, soft gasps—he was lying on his face, unconscious, and appeared to be equally dead. As in the bow, the stern’s horror-mess around Leif was made up of what had been in his stomach, faint streaks of blood, bile, and bits of smoked fish."
Read and decide for yourself.
January 17, 2022
Northwind is Gary Paulsen’s newest novel. The story follows a boy on his journey up a river after a deadly event in his village. Leif kept paddling north following a river out to the sea. The book contains the backstory of Leif in places, which explains why he is where he is. The book also contains some Nordic legends and viewpoints.
While well written and obviously accurate in the facts about the ocean and traveling, the book did not seem to end in a way that I understood. I love how Leif is able to learn and he found comfort in his learning with the whales and other animals in the sea. I was less clear about when and where the book's setting was. The book’s descriptions were so well drawn I felt like I could see and hear them.
Northwind does have the adventure and surprises of Hatchet, but it is more meditative and quiet in its discoveries. I felt like the book just ran out of material as the boy ran further north. I am unsure how I feel about this novel, quite frankly. However I must say, I wanted to read the novel and I was mesmerized by the various interactions between Leif and the animals. Northwind is the type of book where kids either love it or find it okay.
While well written and obviously accurate in the facts about the ocean and traveling, the book did not seem to end in a way that I understood. I love how Leif is able to learn and he found comfort in his learning with the whales and other animals in the sea. I was less clear about when and where the book's setting was. The book’s descriptions were so well drawn I felt like I could see and hear them.
Northwind does have the adventure and surprises of Hatchet, but it is more meditative and quiet in its discoveries. I felt like the book just ran out of material as the boy ran further north. I am unsure how I feel about this novel, quite frankly. However I must say, I wanted to read the novel and I was mesmerized by the various interactions between Leif and the animals. Northwind is the type of book where kids either love it or find it okay.
November 23, 2023
This one was just...fine. I picked it up because it's Gary Paulsen's final book, and there's a certain poignancy to that. It felt very similar in flavor to his other survival stories, full of descriptions of the landscapes and the animals. The main character didn't really have any attributes to make him stand out. The trickiest part of this book for me was figuring out the time period. It's the Pacific Northwest, heading up along Canada....but the boy seems to have a Nordic/Viking background. Is Paulsen positing that the Vikings perhaps sailed through the northwest passage and around Alaska into the Pacific ocean? I don't get it.
But...it's a fine book for middle readers. Other reviews mention an author's note, which my audiobook didn't include. I'll have to find it elsewhere. Speaking of the audiobook, I don't know that I recommend it. The narrator is fine, but he's got one of those deep velvet voices that made me zone out several times. Needs more lively inflections to keep me awake.
But...it's a fine book for middle readers. Other reviews mention an author's note, which my audiobook didn't include. I'll have to find it elsewhere. Speaking of the audiobook, I don't know that I recommend it. The narrator is fine, but he's got one of those deep velvet voices that made me zone out several times. Needs more lively inflections to keep me awake.
August 18, 2023
A lone boy against the wilderness, having a sort of spiritual awakening and bildungsroman. Typical Paulsen. But this one is better, imo, than the others that I have read. Author's note relays how life influenced art.
April 2, 2022
Ten-year-old me would have obsessed over Leif’s adventure, and even now I was so happy to be sucked into a survival story.
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