Brian's Hunt (Brian's Saga Series #5)

From Barnes & Noble

Brian's back! Gary Paulsen's nature-loving hero -- a hit with readers in bestsellers like Hatchet and Brian's River -- becomes a hunter with a mission in this suspenseful, adventurous novel that will keep you alert until the very end. With storytelling prowess that shoots as straight as an arrow, Paulsen takes his character back to the Canadian woods, where Brian lives off the land in the hope of connecting with nature. Brian keeps busy taking in his surroundings and hunting northern pike, but when a stray, battered dog suddenly appears, the curious boy patches up its wounds and decides to learn where it comes from. At first -- with the aid of senses sharpened by the wilderness -- Brian finds it easy enough to uncover the dog's past, but after he makes a gruesome discovery, the boy quickly becomes the hunter in a matter of life and death. Paulsen's newest Brian book hits the mark dead-on with powerful themes, pitting the hero against nature while exploring the bond between humans and dogs. The author thoughtfully includes an afterword, and with plenty of action and descriptive hunting scenes in this quick-moving novel, Paulsen's fans will surely be thirsty for more.

The Washington Post

As always, Paulsen spins a fast-paced tale, characterized by a refusal either to soften the often gruesome details of life in the bush (here, partially eaten bodies, wounds riddled with fly eggs and worms) or to romanticize wildlife (in this case, bears). — Elizabeth Ward

Publishers Weekly

In Gary Paulsen's latest, Brian's Hunt, Brian has traveled back to his beloved Canadian wilderness. Although Brian's Return (2001) was to be the last in the series, here the acclaimed hero hunts for a bear that has attacked his friends. With an ever-reverent view toward the power of nature, the author delivers another suspenseful adventure. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

VOYA

Paulsen must feel about Brian Robeson the way Arthur Conan Doyle did about Sherlock Holmes: Fans just will not let him go. The fifth book in the series finds Brian again in his canoe, headed into the Canadian wilderness. Brian's solitude is interrupted by the appearance of a badly wounded dog, plainly the victim of a bear. Succumbing to the charm of this canine companion, Brian deduces that she might belong to a Cree family, which had previously befriended him and which spends summers in the area. Hastening to the family's camp, he makes a grisly discovery. The evidence of a savage bear attack propels him into the deadliest hunt of his life. More an extended short story than a novel, this tale reflects Paulsen's love for the wilderness and for dogs as well as his easy familiarity with survival techniques. The story rings true because the author plainly knows whereof he speaks, and this authenticity is a big part of its appeal. Like Hemingway's Nick Adams stories, the Brian books reveal nature and humankind's place in it with spare prose that seems ideally suited to the setting and plot. Reluctant readers will find this book manageable, would-be outdoors types will enjoy the details of hunting and fishing, and educators will appreciate the plug for self-directed learning. Paulsen does not sanitize wilderness life: It is dirty and dangerous. But his lyrical descriptions of the woods and lakes will make frazzled city dwellers long to jump in a canoe and head north along with Brian. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9).2003, Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 112p., and PLB Ages 11 to 15.
—Kathleen Beck

KLIATT

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, January 2004: Brian, hero of Hatchet, The River, Brian's Winter and Brian's Return, is now 16, and he has once again abandoned civilization for the solitude and beauty of the northern Canadian wilderness. It's late summer, and Brian is camping at a lake when he hears a dog whimpering. When he comes to its aid, he finds that it is badly gashed, and he starts to be concerned about his Cree friends who live in the area. With a sense of foreboding, Brian heads north with his faithful new companion and finds death and devastation on his arrival at their camp. A rogue bear has attacked, and Brian sets out to hunt it down--only to discover that the bear is hunting him. Once again, Paulsen delivers a gripping, gory tale about survival in the north woods, based on a real bear attack, as he explains in an afterword. The dog is a wonderful addition--Paulsen has always written lovingly and knowledgably about dogs and their relationships with humans. Another new note is the hint of romance in Brian's daydreams about a Cree girl; he comes to her rescue, and perhaps this relationship will continue in future volumes. Details of life in the wilderness are, as always, convincingly described, from hunting with a bow and arrow to making camp and tracking the bear. While Paulsen had said in the last book that he wouldn't write about Brian again, readers insisted, and Brian's many fans will be delighted with this new addition to the series. A great choice for reluctant readers, due to its brevity, Paulsen's spare yet dramatic prose, and the exciting hunt for the vicious bear. KLIATT Codes: J*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior high schoolstudents. 2004, Random House, Laurel Leaf, 103p., Ages 12 to 15.
—Paula Rohrlick

Children's Literature

Brian is back, even though Gary Paulsen acknowledges that he had said there would be no more Brian books. Brian is back in the wilderness because he just could not fit into civilization, even though he has a new appreciation for learning and even for schooling. Now he is homeschooling himself in the wilderness, with books but also with the natural world around him. The story is rich with detail and demands the same patience of the reader that the natural world demands of Brian as he goes from "looking at a northern pike under a lily pad to actually eating one." Brian finds an injured dog and gives himself some on-the-job training in stitching up the dog's wounds. The story becomes very grisly and quite graphic when Brian learns what caused the wounds. As always, Gary Paulsen gives his young readers a full plate of suspense, life in the wild, and thoughtful introspection. The story will keep Brian fans reading into the wee hours and eager for more. 2003, Wendy Lamb Books, Ages 10 to 15.
— Karen Leggett

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-In an author's note, Paulsen explains why he decided to reopen the story first begun in Hatchet (Bradbury, 1987). In this short installment, Brian, now 16, is back in the wilderness and encounters a savagely wounded dog. He makes his way to the lake island home of the Cree man he met in Brian's Return (Delacorte, 1999), where he discovers the tragedy that led to the dog's liberation. David and his wife have been partially eaten by a bear, which necessitates the hunt mentioned in the title and described in the final chapter. Throughout, the protagonist frequently remembers events from his original stranding, alludes to the problems he had faced trying to return to "civilization," and ultimately explains the special arrangement by which he has returned to the "bush" instead of high school. Although the story does stand alone, these many references will make the audience want to read (or reread) the earlier books. This story is not as well developed as the other episodes but it is a must-read for the hordes of existing Hatchet fans out there, and it may also serve to draw some new readers into the fold. An afterword discusses bear behavior and Paulsen's experiences with these animals.-Sean George, Memphis-Shelby County Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, TN Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Brian Robeson has returned to the Canadian wilderness, where his plane crashed two years before. Now 18, he feels he's in his element, a perfect place now that he's more seasoned. Soon, though, Brian finds a badly injured dog and two horribly mangled human bodies, and Brian the hunter becomes Brian the hunted, prey of a devilish rogue bear. The narrative is brisk, and Paulsen adds depth to Brian's characterization through a discussion of how learning to survive in the woods led to voracious reading and a thirst to know and understand things in civilization. In an afterword, Paulsen drives home his point that bears in the wilderness are not Teddy Bears or Winnie the Pooh, that humans are part of nature and sometimes prey; it may be "lessening" or humbling, but it's arrogant to think otherwise. Based on real incidents, this well-written sequel to Hatchet and its successors will be gobbled up by the author's legions of fans. (Fiction. 10+)