Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2004 Two years and four books after his first experience in the Canadian wilderness, sixteen-year-old Brian is back there again, canoeing north through a sequence of interconnected lakes and dreaming about Kay-gwa-daush, "the daughter of the Cree trapping family he had found that first winter in the bush." Meanwhile, Brian has learned much from both books and trail experience, so he knows what to do when he finds a badly mauled dog; he patches up its injuries, and then follows his intuition toward the Cree Camp. There he discovers the bodies of Kay-gwa-daush’s father and mother, mangled by a huge bear, and tracks Kay-gwa-daush (also known as Susan) along the lakeshore where she has escaped the bear’s attack by fleeing in a canoe without paddles. After rescuing her, he turns to tracking the bear and—with the help of the dog—kills it with a shot from his bow-and-arrow, plus one arrow delivered by hand to its heart. Paulsen’s afterword relates the factual incident on which this story is based; he also assures us that he’s been persuaded by an overwhelming response from readers to keep writing books about Brian despite previously announcing the end of the series. On one hand, the new novel is totally predictable if not contrived, but on the other, that’s exactly what reluctant readers need: ninety-nine pages of nonstop, linear action with a minimal cast of characters, an undemanding vocabulary, and short sentences that keep the beat moving. This latest book is, in many ways, an extended short story, lacking depth of development but consistently sharp in focus. Paulsen fans, spurred on perhaps by the "National Marketing Campaign" outlined for consumers, will be lining up for a copy in school and public libraries, as well as trade stores. - Copyright 2004 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2003 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. - Copyright 2003 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2004 Brian's back. And why not? After all, the hero of Hatchet , The River , Brian's Winter, and Brian's Return has by now become such a veteran survivor that even Paulsen's declaration (in Brian's Return ) that he was done with his durable hero wasn't enough to keep the kid from an encore appearance. Brian, now 16, seems older than his years, a mighty hunter worthy of Hemingway. He turns his back on the so-called civilized world of his parents and retreats to the Canadian wilderness, at one with nature again. This time he rescues an injured dog and nurses it back to health. Lucky pooch. Less fortunate, Brian soon learns, are the Cree friends he met in earlier adventures. Their fate is the catalyst for the hunt of Brian's life. Less a novel than a very long short story, Paulsen's latest will satisfy his many fans, though it may be too slow to start and too obviously structured to win new friends for Brian. - Copyright 2004 Booklist.

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