Never Say Die by Will Hobbs

The Canadian Arctic can be a very dangerous place to be out alone.  The Inuits know and respect this but the unexpected can still happen.  Nick was hunting caribou and got a nice sized one.  As he was walking back to his boat, he ran into a bear.  That's not uncommon in the North.  The fact that it was a grolar wasn't common...

HarperCollins and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to download this ebook for review (thank you).  It will be published on January 29th, so watch for a copy at your local bookstore.

This story reminded me of a story I read long ago:  Gary Paulsen's Hatchet.  That survival story originated from a plane crash.  This story becomes a survival story after a raft encounter with an ice berg on the river...

Nick was familiar with bear danger but this grolar was insanely aggressive and would just as soon eat him as well the caribou meat.  His power boat gets him out of danger, but he doesn't forget the incident.

When his half-brother contacts him and suggests they go exploring in wilderness country to see how many caribou were left, he debates going.  He'd love to go, but his Grandfather is dying.  He doesn't want to be gone when that happens.  Once his Grandfather promises he'll be waiting for him upon his return, he goes.

They are barely underway when they hit ice and fall into the river and lose their raft.  That's not the end of their adventures.  This an authentic look at life in the Canadian Arctic and how life has to be negotiated with the elements and the animals.  It's very easy to die there. 

The words flow well, Mr. Hobbs puts you in the character's minds and let's you feel their fear.  Grolar's do exist.  This is a survival story that will stick with you after you've read the story.  I enjoyed and it scared me both. Why not see what you think of it?

Happy reading.