The River - read in 2004

The River by Gary Paulsen (Random House - Yearling)
I can't even begin to tell you how much I adore Hatchet, much less its updated cover. Or perhaps I can: I haven't read it in years, but as a kid I was absolutely fascinated by the tale of survival, particularly because I knew that the area around where I grew up was treacherous and lacking in edible resources. Brian's story of surviving a summer on wit and a few plane crash items still sticks in my memory. The River is Hatchet, redux, but The River, which I read in under an hour, just isn't quite as satisfying. Brian's Winter and Brian's Return, by the same author, might be better alternative reads for alternate endings for Hatchet, detailing a scenario in which Brian deliberately visits the wilderness and in which Brian is not rescued in the summer, respectively.