HUNTER'S CHOICE

Can Hunter live up to his name?

Hunter Higgins is 12, and it feels like his whole life has been leading to this weekend: his first deer hunt. His family is a hunting family, and their land in the Idaho wilderness has been its emotional center for decades. Hunter’s taken all the classes, has perfected his shooting, earned his license—but still he wonders whether he can actually take a life. He keeps this worry bottled up as his family gathers at their lodge: his father, his grandfather, his uncle, and his cousin, Yumi, who’s also 12—and, unexpectedly, Yumi’s friend Annette, their classmate and Hunter’s secret crush. Now Hunter has to navigate his family’s expectations and Annette. Reedy introduces a powerful subplot in Yumi’s difficult relationship with her father, a veteran whose experiences in Afghanistan have left hidden scars. Reedy’s familiarity with the terrain, the culture of the outdoors, and combat breathe authenticity into the narrative; as Hunter reflects, “A non-shooter would probably never be able to understand what this felt like.” Hunter’s rural Idaho world is populated by folks like the Higginses; the ethics of hunting are not called into question. It is also mostly White, with Yumi and her mom’s presumed Japanese heritage hinted at in their names. Readers from outside Hunter’s culture may find such details as the lodge’s all-camo decor cartoonish, but those from within it should feel at home.

For kids who, like Hunter, can’t get enough of Hatchet.