#Diverseathon2021: Brian’s Return by Gary Paulsen (Brian’s Saga #4)

Brian’s Return
Series: Brian’s Saga #4
Author: Gary Paulsen

Narrator: Peter Coyote
Published: September 11, 1992
Audiobook

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: May 16-18, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars

Book Description:

As millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, and Brian’s Winter know, Brian Robeson survived alone in the wilderness by finding solutions to extraordinary challenges. But now that he’s back in civilization, he can’t find a way to make sense of high school life. He feels disconnected, more isolated than he did alone in the North. The only answer is to return-to “go back in”-for only in the wilderness can Brian discover his true path in life, and where he belongs.

Jessica’s Review: 

As a part of May’s prompt for #Diverseathon2021 I am continuing the Brian’s Saga series by Gary Paulsen.  In Brian’s Return, Brian realizes he cannot live the way he used to.  Provoked by another student over a girl, Brian severely beats another boy, but in Brian’s mind he was being attacked and he was defending himself.  After talking with a counselor, Brian decides to return to the Canadian wilderness, though more prepared (a tent and some more items) than when he crash landed. Brian is more at home in the wilderness and yes he faces the perils of outdoor living again.  But at the end he is at home and peace in the wilderness. 

I don’t know what it was about Brian’s Return, but it just wasn’t really for me once he got back into the wild,  Maybe it was a ‘been there, done that’ scenario since I listened to the other three novels back to back.  Brian’s Return was meant to be the final book in the series and you can tell by the ending of the book as there is a conclusion.  But there was so much reader feedback that Paulsen wrote one more book: Brian’s Hunt.   

At times while listening to the audiobook I was confused because Paulsen kept referencing Brian surviving in the winter, but that book was a ‘what if’ scenario and not what actually happened to Brian as he was rescued before winter came in Hatchet. 

Peter Coyote was back as the narrator for the audiobook version;  I was happy about that as he definitely has that story telling voice.

***
For full details on this year long readathon, please click here.
And don’t forget about the awesome GRAND PRIZE at the end of the year. Click the link here for that information.

Beccie over at Bookies is having a giveaway for the month of May: She is giving away a copy of Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (it is set in Canada). You can also enter this giveaway by entering through the Grand Prize link above.
***

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK