Nick is 15 and excited to meet his half-brother Ryan who works as a wildlife photographer. As a half-Inuit living in Canada, Nick has a different view of hunting and trapping than Ryan does, so Nick is a bit unsure when his brother invites him to go on a 3-week trip into the wilderness with him. Ryan is going to document changes in the caribou herd for a National Geographic special on climate change. Nick finally agrees to go on the trip, which turns out to be quite the adventure!

This is a great survival adventure story. Not only do Nick and Ryan have to learn to work together to survive, but they also build a relationship of mutual respect with each other. They have some pretty in-depth discussions on environmental responsibility, climate change, hunting and wildlife preservation. I loved the fact that the story balanced the environmentalist side of the issue with the Inuit way of life in terms of hunting, putting GPS tracking collars on wildlife, and killing bears.

I listened to the audio book version of this story (Recorded Books). Narrated by Nick Cordero, the audio is just short of 4.5 hours long. Cordero has a nice voice and read at an even pace. I have partial hearing loss, but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book.

Will Hobbs has written several other nature adventure stories like this one. I enjoyed Never Say Die, so I will definitely be reading/listening to his other books! ( )

This was an exciting, fast-paced read. It could be used during a unit on climate change or as part of a unit highlighting the Inuit culture.

This story instantly draws you in, and keeps you engaged trough the entire story.
This is a book I would use in my library young reader assignment. ( )

Fifteen-year-old half-Inuit Nick and his white brother, Ryan, meet and share an adventure on the Firth River in the Canadian Arctic, facing white water, wild animals, and fierce weather as Ryan documents the effects of climate change on caribou for National Geographic magazine. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-12 (nothing inappropriate for the younger grades but the older grades will have an easier time with the deeper issues in the story)

Plot Summary: Nick is an Inuit hunter. Everything Nick does reminds him of Jonah, from his knowledge of the land to hunting advice to how to avoid bears. On one hunting trip his caribou meat is stolen by the most vicious bear Nick has ever seen. Thankful to be alive, Nick shares the story of the grolar bear, park grizzly, part polar bear with his grandfather, who is entertained and alarmed by the story. Jonah is putting off death so he can hear more stories from Nick. Nick wants to be there with/for Jonah. But when an unexpected invitation comes from his half-brother to travel down the Firth River in search of the caribou his grandfather had once seen, Nick decides to take the opportunity, after receiving encouragement from Jonah that he will wait until he hears stories of their trip before passing. Nick is alarmed, worried about the brother he has never met, worried that Jonah will not be able to hold on four more weeks, worried about the grolar bear still in the wild. But anxious to see if all those caribou his grandfather had seen really do exist, Nick goes. Within two miles of rafting down the river, they hit ice and go under the water. Somehow both brothers survive, but they are hypothermic, and on opposite sides of the river. They each use their wildness skills to warm up then head down the riverbanks keeping dibs on each other. Will they be able to survive the Canadian arctic wilderness without their bear protection and food? Will they make it to their destination?

Setting: arctic circle in Canada close to Alaska

Characters:
Nick Thrasher - 15 y/o, summer after sophomore year
Jonah - Nick's grandfather, battling with stomach cancer for 4 years, like a father to Nick
Ryan Powers - 28 y/o, Nick's half-brother, same father, different mother, had experience with white water rafting in the grand canyon, wildlife photographer for National Geographic, doesn't believe in having a gun and shooting a bear
Gramma Mary - Jonah's wife
Billy - 11 y/o, Nick's cousin, Nick lived with him while his mom was out of town taking nursing classes
Conrad Powers - Nick's dad, white adventurist who died climbing a mountain when Nick was one month old
Red Wiley - southern cowboy still wearing his southern gear and talking with a southern accent but living near the arctic circle as a pilot

Recurring Themes: survival, arctic circle, caribou, Native Americans, Inuit, climate change, global warming, hunting, animals

Controversial Issues: Grolar bear is violent and is seen holding a human arm in its mouth

Personal Thoughts: I definitely get wrapped up in action adventure books and this one was no different. It was a very quick read and I enjoyed the characters, moral dilemmas (hunting: for protection, depleating numbers of caribou, oil rigs in Alaska, etc) add depth to the story. I do think the small portions of explanation about the previous issues fit into the story, but they slow the story down a little. I found myself going through it fast to get back to the story. Another great Will Hobbs action/adventure book.

Genre: Action/Adventure, Realistic fiction

Pacing: very fast, lots of action but some explanation into global warming too
Characters: decently well developed (but could be more), not too many
Frame: climate change, Native American customs, and geographical regions are explained in the text with a decent amount of fluidity
Storyline:

Activity: ( )