Warning: Spoilers for Hatchet ahead
Even better than the first book (Hatchet), Brian's Winter shows what would have happened if Brian had not been rescued and had had to survive in winter. This is, in my opinion, the only sequel to Hatchet worth reading. 95/100

Awesome alternative to Hatchet's ending, Loved it.

These first two books are the best in the series. Realistic, descriptive and introspective. Great solo adventure.

This what-if novel was certainly entertaining, if a bit disturbing. Heads up if you don't like hunting or animal violence- there's a lot of it in the third installment of the Hatchet series. The repetitive writing style disappeared that was evident in the first book (thank goodness) and we were left with a good old-fashioned winter survival story. Brian makes snowshoes, bows, arrows, boots, and winter clothing, among other things, and survives attacks from multiple animals. Aside from the animals, Brian doesn't seem to be in too much mortal danger, certainly not like the first novel. I understand that he's learned a lot since he first crashed into the L-shaped lake, but winter is an entirely different beast to master from summer. I would have liked to see him struggle a bit more than he did, rather than get almost everything right the first time. Other than that, this was a good addition to the series, and I'm curious to see what the next one brings.

Brian’s Winter is a sequel to Hatchet. It follows Brian, a 13-year-old boy who crash-landed in the Canadian forest. He learns how to survive in the wild with nothing but his trusty hatchet. This novel explains what would have happened if he wasn’t saved at the end of Hatchet. Brian has to learn to survive through winter and must learn to adapt to the surroundings. The novel allows the viewer to experience an entirely new adventure and builds upon its predecessor. Brian’s character grows and he is consistent. Gary Paulsen’s writing gives a clear description of Brian’s surroundings and his situation. Lastly, it shows his hardships and his triumphs in great detail and is a great read for anyone over the quarantine :). If you are a fan of Hatchet or other survival books I highly recommend that you pick up this book. Overall, I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
@le_saxophone of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board

In Brian’s winter it show what would happen if brain didn’t get rescued in the hatchet. it shows how he survived in nature without any modern day supplies but a hatchet. I would definitely recommend it and it was one of my favourite books.

Uh... Brian got rescued. What-if-he-didn't isn't that necessary.

In Hatchet, Brian is rescued at the end of the book, before autumn sets in, and well before the beginning of winter. Apparently, author Gary Paulsen received a lot of mail from readers, claiming he had Brian rescued before things really got tough. Paulsen remedies that situation by giving us this "what-if", positing that Brian didn't set off the beacon that drew rescuers to him.
As Brian realizes, surviving in winter is a whole different thing than surviving in summer. On the plus side, he doesn't have to hunt or fish every day, since it's so cold he can stack meat outside and it'll freeze. On the minus side, it's really cold, and he's dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I like that Paulsen, a self-described winter survivalist, thought of all the little details that Brian would have to deal with in the winter.
I'm a little doubtful that a young city teen like Brian would be able to pick up so many survival techniques so quickly; yes, he's read a lot and watched a lot of tv, but that doesn't mean he'd be able to put that knowledge into practice. Still, for young readers, especially those who like the great outdoors, this would be an entertaining read.

Highly suggest reading this directly after Hatchet, before The River.

very adventurous by michael