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griess's review against another edition
4.0
Great book, i live in alaska and i love the place it put you in.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
1.0
I am fine with depressing books, but this book is not only depressing but tedious and boring. The characters were dull and uninteresting and the constantly falling temperatures just wasn't enough to make this book suspenseful and gripping.
joshhansonhorror's review against another edition
5.0
Yes, Johnny feels more like a sketch than a character, but that may be a strength rather than a weakness here. He's the young reader's avatar and entry into a story they would surely not even attempt otherwise. Lyrical, beautiful, and subtle, it was so much more than I had ever hoped to expect.
itske's review
3.0
3 stars. Was funny at first then it started to become long and overdramatic and just boring
library_brandy's review
3.0
Johnny is worried about his grandfather, who should have back from checking his trap lines. One of the traps has snared something big: Johnny's grandfather. The story alternates between the two--the grandfather struggling to stay warm and fight off predators in the dark Alaskan cold; his grandson worried about him but listening to elders telling him that his grandfather will be back very soon.
The story was engrossing and I kept turning pages to find out what would happen, but I never got the palpable sense of cold I wanted from this. Facts about Indian life this far north are dropped in smoothly enough--they're well-integrated in the narrative--but they still stand out as the author showing that he did his homework and knows the area.
I'd definitely pass this along to boys looking for more outdoor survival stories, though.
The story was engrossing and I kept turning pages to find out what would happen, but I never got the palpable sense of cold I wanted from this. Facts about Indian life this far north are dropped in smoothly enough--they're well-integrated in the narrative--but they still stand out as the author showing that he did his homework and knows the area.
I'd definitely pass this along to boys looking for more outdoor survival stories, though.
wuxian's review
4.0
Short, wonderfully haunting and descriptive book that really conveys the stark and barren subject matter of the Alaskan north well. While the book itself is short, it's not light reading in the least (IMO), but is a fantastically written book that will really stick with you. I'm glad I picked this up.
thisgrrlreads's review
4.0
Beautifully written, heartbreaking. I love reading books set in Alaska. This is a stellar example of a sparse book that still gets its point across. The author is a poet and it shows.
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