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Hatchet

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Hatchet

Written by: Gary Paulsen
Narrated by: Peter Coyote
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About this listen

Newbery Award-winner Gary Paulsen's best-known book comes to audio in this breathless, heart-gripping drama about a boy pitted against the wilderness with only a hatchet and a will to live.

On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.

More than a survival story, Hatchet is a tale of tough decisions. When all is stripped down to the barest essentials, Brian discovers some stark and simple truths. Self-pity doesn't work. Despair doesn't work. And if Brian is to survive physically as well as mentally, he must discover courage.

©1992 Gary Paulsen (P)1992 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group
Action & Adventure Fiction Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Literature & Fiction Young Adult Heartfelt Wilderness Wilderness Survival Stories
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What the critics say

"Brian Robeson, the sole passenger in a single-engine plane, is on his way to visit his father in the Canadian oil fields when his pilot suffers a heart attack. Alone and desperate, Brian guides the plane to a landing on an isolated lake. In a straightforward but compelling narration, Coyote captures Brian's terror, anguish and exultation as he learns to survive alone in the wilderness.... Musical effects underscore an air of suspense, mystery and dread." (AudioFile magazine)

"A dramatic, heart-stopping story." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Hatchet

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A great read and an even better listen!

I work away from home and listened to this timeless classic while my 8 year old daughter enjoyed the written version. We enjoyed discussing the book each day as we progressed through this exciting story of adventure and mishaps. A great book for the young and old. The narrator does an excellent job on this story, you won’t be disappointed #Audible1

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great

read this back in school and wanted to relive my childhood still a great book

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A story of survival and hope

Peter Coyote has a pleasant calmness to his voice which made this a joy to listen to. The story is captivating from beginning to end. I plan to try and remember some of the survival tactics Brian used. All of which were realistic, nothing far fetched. Due to some mature themes, I would recommend that children younger than 12 wait to read this book until they are older. I enjoyed this even more as an adult than I did as a kid! An excellent "read"!

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Gripping survival story.

Appealed to our whole family including adults, teens and younger kids. The narration was excellent and added to the experience. Highly recommended as an audible.

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read as a kid in school

only book I ever liked from school brought back memories. great book thank you

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Great listen

Awesome book. First time listening to it in many years. I recommend it to anyone

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Still gripping for tweens and teens

I read this more than two decades ago and was delighted to see that my kids, 15 and 11 years old, were hooked by the Audible version -- the suspenseful story made a long car trip easy (and pleasant by comparison to Brian's ordeal, ha). Very glad to note it was unabridged and having just completed a number of Laurence Gonzales' non-fiction survival texts, it's clear to me that Gary Paulsen did a lot of research into the techniques successful disaster survivors use in reality before writing the novel. Peter Coyote's reading is excellent, clear and well paced, but I didn't love the occasional addition of "ominous" background music -- the story is quite ominous enough on its own. Just a reminder for parents who may skip the synopsis, having read the book before, as I did: you may have forgotten what a large part of the story Brian's parent's divorce and his mother's infidelity are! If you're a separated parent, these sections may be sad or uncomfortable for your children to listen to. On the other hand, Brian's story is about resilience and has many tips for kids dealing with challenges and strong emotions.

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great story, but didn't like the repetitiveness

was suspenseful and had you on edge, the only downfall imo was the author's repetitiveness in Brian's thoughts. will definitely get the rest in the series though!

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Hatchet

This book was well written, and the life lessons that were taught are amazing. If you like adventure and the outdoors this book is for you. Our family listened to it and captivated all of our attention. Our children’s ages are 8,10 and 12. We as parents also enjoyed the book.

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a great listen

a gripping tale and not super long. recommended for older children. a good car trip book.

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