What do you think?
Rate this book
Wild Man Island
Andy is in a
world of trouble.On the last day of a sea kayaking trip in southeast Alaska, fourteen-year-old Andy Galloway paddles away from his group to visit the nearby site where his archaeologist father died trying to solve the mystery of the first Americans. A sudden, violent storm blows Andy's kayak off course and washes him ashore on Admiralty Island, an immense wilderness known as the Fortress of the Bears. Struggling to survive, Andy encounters a dog running with wolves and then a man toting a stone-tipped spear. The wild man vanishes into the forest, but the dog reappears and leads Andy to a cave filled with Stone Age tools and weapons. Running for his life, Andy retreats deep into the cave, where danger, suspense, and discovery await.
world of trouble.On the last day of a sea kayaking trip in southeast Alaska, fourteen-year-old Andy Galloway paddles away from his group to visit the nearby site where his archaeologist father died trying to solve the mystery of the first Americans. A sudden, violent storm blows Andy's kayak off course and washes him ashore on Admiralty Island, an immense wilderness known as the Fortress of the Bears. Struggling to survive, Andy encounters a dog running with wolves and then a man toting a stone-tipped spear. The wild man vanishes into the forest, but the dog reappears and leads Andy to a cave filled with Stone Age tools and weapons. Running for his life, Andy retreats deep into the cave, where danger, suspense, and discovery await.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
41 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Will Hobbs
29 books170 followersWILL HOBBS is the author of seventeen novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels, Bearstone, Downriver, The Big Wander, Beardance, Far North, The Maze, and Jason's Gold, were named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. ALA also named Far North and Downriver to their list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of the Twentieth Centrury. Ghost Canoe received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1998 for Best Young Adult Mystery.
In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since 1990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.
Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.
In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since 1990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.
Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 3, 2019
A 14 year old kid works his way into taking a week long sea kayaking trip with a group & then does something incredibly gutsy & stupid. He winds up surviving in the wilderness on an Alaskan island while making some really interesting observations about the land, wildlife, & archaeology. His father was an archaeologist & he wants to become one, so it really made sense & was educational even if much was fiction. In the afterword, the author tells of his own travels there & sorts out the actual facts.
The only real issue I had with this was his total lack of any basic survival equipment. What 14 year old goes camping without a pen knife? Seriously, I got my first pocket knife when I was 5 or 6 & have had one in my pocket ever since. How does anyone not have one? He's a boy who lives on a farm in Colorado, too. It made the story more exciting in some ways, but seemed a terrible stretch to me.
Well narrated & highly recommended for all ages.
The only real issue I had with this was his total lack of any basic survival equipment. What 14 year old goes camping without a pen knife? Seriously, I got my first pocket knife when I was 5 or 6 & have had one in my pocket ever since. How does anyone not have one? He's a boy who lives on a farm in Colorado, too. It made the story more exciting in some ways, but seemed a terrible stretch to me.
Well narrated & highly recommended for all ages.
December 13, 2012
Wild Man Island
Wild Man Island is a realistic fiction novel written by Will Hobbs that tells the story of Andy Galloway, age fourteen, who becomes lost on Admiralty Island. Andy sets off on a sea kayaking trip in southeastern Alaska, in search of his father’s final resting place. His father was an archeologist, investigating human beginnings in the Americas. Perched on a cliff overlooking a waterfall, he slipped and tumbled down the side. One night, Andy breaks away from the group on Baranof Island to place a memorial at the spot where his father last stood. As he paddles back to the group though, he is hit by a powerful gale and loses his way. The storm pushes him all the way around the tip of Admiralty, one of the three main islands, also named the Fortress of Bears.
Here, Andy must remember the survival skills that he learned with the trip leader and actually apply them, all with the threat of aggressive bears looming over him. Andy is struggling to obtain food and begins to weakly stagger inland, despite the warning that it is best to remain in one place when lost. He stumbles upon a small cannery where he expects to find people, but his hopes are soon crushed when Andy realizes that it was abandoned long ago. As he exits the manager’s quarters, he spots a bearded man wearing supposedly deer hide clothes, walking on bark sandals, and clutching several thick books. Before Andy can get a better look at this strange man, he disappears. Andy then believes he is going insane, until he discovers an arrowhead spear and a small knife carved from stone, proof that the wild man had been there. These tools lead Andy to catch game to feed himself, create shelter, and to build footwear that mimic the wild man’s sandals. A mysterious black dog appears to him, and when Andy follows the Newfoundland, he is lead to an abundant salmon run. As the dog moves on, Andy puts his trust in it and embarks on a journey across high mountains, relying entirely on the dog to find his way. When he is led to the wild man’s cave, though, Andy discovers a clue to the secret his father died chasing. Andy struggles to find a way off of the island with the mystery of the wild man’s connection to his father’s research obsessing his thoughts.
Wild Man Island is a fascinating novel about survival that illustrates the wonders and challenges of Alaska very clearly. Although this is a fiction book, it is filled with factual information that I did not know, such as the stories of the Clovis people crossing the land bridge to North America. This book is fast-paced and it never bored me. There was a portion of the book where not everything quite made sense, but all of this material was resolved in the end. However, the author puts this information in a format that makes it seem like a mystery novel, which was quite interesting. I thought this book was a very fun, quick read for about ten to twenty year old audiences.
Wild Man Island is a realistic fiction novel written by Will Hobbs that tells the story of Andy Galloway, age fourteen, who becomes lost on Admiralty Island. Andy sets off on a sea kayaking trip in southeastern Alaska, in search of his father’s final resting place. His father was an archeologist, investigating human beginnings in the Americas. Perched on a cliff overlooking a waterfall, he slipped and tumbled down the side. One night, Andy breaks away from the group on Baranof Island to place a memorial at the spot where his father last stood. As he paddles back to the group though, he is hit by a powerful gale and loses his way. The storm pushes him all the way around the tip of Admiralty, one of the three main islands, also named the Fortress of Bears.
Here, Andy must remember the survival skills that he learned with the trip leader and actually apply them, all with the threat of aggressive bears looming over him. Andy is struggling to obtain food and begins to weakly stagger inland, despite the warning that it is best to remain in one place when lost. He stumbles upon a small cannery where he expects to find people, but his hopes are soon crushed when Andy realizes that it was abandoned long ago. As he exits the manager’s quarters, he spots a bearded man wearing supposedly deer hide clothes, walking on bark sandals, and clutching several thick books. Before Andy can get a better look at this strange man, he disappears. Andy then believes he is going insane, until he discovers an arrowhead spear and a small knife carved from stone, proof that the wild man had been there. These tools lead Andy to catch game to feed himself, create shelter, and to build footwear that mimic the wild man’s sandals. A mysterious black dog appears to him, and when Andy follows the Newfoundland, he is lead to an abundant salmon run. As the dog moves on, Andy puts his trust in it and embarks on a journey across high mountains, relying entirely on the dog to find his way. When he is led to the wild man’s cave, though, Andy discovers a clue to the secret his father died chasing. Andy struggles to find a way off of the island with the mystery of the wild man’s connection to his father’s research obsessing his thoughts.
Wild Man Island is a fascinating novel about survival that illustrates the wonders and challenges of Alaska very clearly. Although this is a fiction book, it is filled with factual information that I did not know, such as the stories of the Clovis people crossing the land bridge to North America. This book is fast-paced and it never bored me. There was a portion of the book where not everything quite made sense, but all of this material was resolved in the end. However, the author puts this information in a format that makes it seem like a mystery novel, which was quite interesting. I thought this book was a very fun, quick read for about ten to twenty year old audiences.
October 3, 2014
In the book Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs, Andy is on a kayak trip in Alaska searching for whales. On the last day of his trip he went to visit the island were his dad died. While on that island Andy realized that he misses his dad a lot. While on that island a massive storm came and blew him on a island called the fortress of the bears. When he is there he saw dogs and shortly after that he saw a weird man. Shortly after he sees him he vanishes into the forest. Leaving just him and the dogs. The dogs lead him to a cave where he finds stone age weapons. When he leaves the cave he meats a ferocious bear that leads him right bake into the cave. With no were to go the wild man appears and saves him. Next the kayak group that Andy was with finally finds him and they take him and the wild man back. While they were kayaking back Andy found out that the wild man was a scientist who faked his death so the University would pay closer attention to his theory. After that they kayaked bake to Alaska. My favorite quote of the story happened on page 192, "This island will always be known to me as wild mans island." I chose this quote because it shows the wild man had a big part in Andy's trip.
April 23, 2008
Another fine tale (in the adolescent literature genre) from Will Hobbs. The setting is Admiralty Island off the coast of Alaska. Although an unfortunate title for the book, there is plenty of substance. A young man, wrestling with the lost of his father some years ago, explores the past and present on his journey. The book has the right mix of current archeology and believable adventure to captivate the reader. This is a good classroom read or a fun independent adult quick-read if you enjoy the genre. Do not overlook the Author's Notes for some excellent website and research references (my students explored these on their own. (I rate books as per genre.)
October 26, 2018
Personal Response
I have to say I really enjoyed this book. In the beginning of the book, I had found the book boring. The more I read the book, the more I wanted to read it. As the story progressed, Andy had to learn how to survive on the island. Andy went on many struggles to survive.
Plot
In the beginning of the book, Andy was on a trip to Alaska. Andy and his group were there because they were searching for whales. Andy went on the trip, but was their for another reason. Andy separates from the group and he ended up on an island. At the island, Andy had to go through many struggles, but he did everything to his power to survive.
Characterization
Andy throughout the book got better at survival. At the beginning, he doesn't know what to do at all. He is focused on finding a way to get home. He struggled at getting food and shelter since he wanted to get home. Later on, he understood that he needs to live in order to get home. Andy found food and he also found a shelter. Throughout the book there was a wild man who, appeared. In the beginning, the wild man had no trust for Andy. As the book went on, the trust increased.
Setting
The book was in Alaska and off an island. Andy is on a trip which was mostly on a canoe in the Ocean. Andy was also on this island which he got there by wiping out in the ocean. On that island, it seemed like there was civilization at one point because there was an old build there. It was said by the wild man, that on the other side was a small village.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book basically to middle school and higher. The book is more set to people that are into adventure.The book seems to be set in our timeline since they give hints off having phone available. At the beginning, it started out boring then like a couple chapter later it gets more interesting. As a person who doesn’t find reading interesting, I actually enjoyed reading this book. Both males and female would enjoy this book even if the main character was a male. I gave this book four stars.
I have to say I really enjoyed this book. In the beginning of the book, I had found the book boring. The more I read the book, the more I wanted to read it. As the story progressed, Andy had to learn how to survive on the island. Andy went on many struggles to survive.
Plot
In the beginning of the book, Andy was on a trip to Alaska. Andy and his group were there because they were searching for whales. Andy went on the trip, but was their for another reason. Andy separates from the group and he ended up on an island. At the island, Andy had to go through many struggles, but he did everything to his power to survive.
Characterization
Andy throughout the book got better at survival. At the beginning, he doesn't know what to do at all. He is focused on finding a way to get home. He struggled at getting food and shelter since he wanted to get home. Later on, he understood that he needs to live in order to get home. Andy found food and he also found a shelter. Throughout the book there was a wild man who, appeared. In the beginning, the wild man had no trust for Andy. As the book went on, the trust increased.
Setting
The book was in Alaska and off an island. Andy is on a trip which was mostly on a canoe in the Ocean. Andy was also on this island which he got there by wiping out in the ocean. On that island, it seemed like there was civilization at one point because there was an old build there. It was said by the wild man, that on the other side was a small village.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book basically to middle school and higher. The book is more set to people that are into adventure.The book seems to be set in our timeline since they give hints off having phone available. At the beginning, it started out boring then like a couple chapter later it gets more interesting. As a person who doesn’t find reading interesting, I actually enjoyed reading this book. Both males and female would enjoy this book even if the main character was a male. I gave this book four stars.
November 2, 2017
The book Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs is a great book for those who love a good survival tale. The book is filled with pages of suspenseful moments. In the beginning we start off our main character, Andy, who is separated from his fellow kayakers by a sudden gale and washes up on ashore, freezing, soaking, and with no supplies except a credit card.
I liked how in the book the tension was kept going and their was only a few dull moments. After Andy is temporarily paralyzed after desperately eating raw shellfish, he is greeted by a friendly dog. The dog takes him to meet with David, a huge, shy recluse who faked his own death about ten years ago to live off the land. After distrusting David's intentions at first, Andy runs into a cave system he finds a burial site. Andy faces challenges with admirable courage, and his descriptions of the wildlife, nature, and the spectacular cave formations he discovers hold a ring of authenticity that makes his adventures and hardships as any of Hobbs' novels. I liked the ending of how David willingly sacrifices his solitude to help Andy back to civilization and acquires a new role as caretaker of the archaeological site. This helps him return to the island without losing his touch to the outside world. This is definitely a satisfying but rugged ending to this survival tale.
I liked how in the book the tension was kept going and their was only a few dull moments. After Andy is temporarily paralyzed after desperately eating raw shellfish, he is greeted by a friendly dog. The dog takes him to meet with David, a huge, shy recluse who faked his own death about ten years ago to live off the land. After distrusting David's intentions at first, Andy runs into a cave system he finds a burial site. Andy faces challenges with admirable courage, and his descriptions of the wildlife, nature, and the spectacular cave formations he discovers hold a ring of authenticity that makes his adventures and hardships as any of Hobbs' novels. I liked the ending of how David willingly sacrifices his solitude to help Andy back to civilization and acquires a new role as caretaker of the archaeological site. This helps him return to the island without losing his touch to the outside world. This is definitely a satisfying but rugged ending to this survival tale.
July 22, 2025
Wonderful adventure! Just 10 days being lost and so much to discover and learn. Will Hobbs knows how to keep you reading. You don't learn the truth about the Wild Man until near the end, but don't skip ahead.
January 3, 2011
This was a great read by Will Hobbs. Set in southeast Alaska at the ABC islands (Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof, due south of Juneau), 14 year old Andy is off on a sea-kayaking trip when he gets caught in a storm and marooned on Baranof. The pacing of the story was terrific and it kept my interest, to see how he fared in this strange, cold wilderness. The author's piece at the end explains what is fact and what is fiction, and is a welcome addition to the story. I highly recommend it for all young boy readers, and many girls will enjoy the adventure as well.
July 27, 2014
My son was reading this for school and I've always been a sucker for survival stories so I grabbed this after he was done. It was much more than I expected, which was good and bad.
The survival aspect failed entirely (which bummed me out because that was why I was reading the book) but that was by design as Hobbs morphed the story into one of hope and discovery.
I'd say this was your standard middle grades book that most any kid would enjoy. It doesn't translate over to adults as well but I enjoyed it enough (although I did find myself skimming a page here and there).
The survival aspect failed entirely (which bummed me out because that was why I was reading the book) but that was by design as Hobbs morphed the story into one of hope and discovery.
I'd say this was your standard middle grades book that most any kid would enjoy. It doesn't translate over to adults as well but I enjoyed it enough (although I did find myself skimming a page here and there).
June 8, 2017
Andy just wants to feel close to his dad, and have a great adventure when something goes wrong and he has to put all of his survival skills into play. This book was very good to me. It was full of adventure and mystery, and it kept you on your toes. The way the author described things made me picture them in my head and t was like a mini movie. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure books. I would also recommend this to any younger kids because I think it would be a great read for them.
December 11, 2024
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be stranded on an island, all alone?
If you have, you might want to take a good look at the book “Wild Man Island” by Will Hobbs. In this story there's a kid named Andy who saved up his money for a kayaking trip up in the area where his father died. At the campsite, he wakes up early to sail near to where his father died. However, the current takes a rapid turn,throwing him off course. He manages to get to an island where he is forced to survive. As Andy is struggling to find food and shelter he sees something in the distance. As he approaches it all his hopes slowly fade away. He realizes it is an abandoned factory. He explores it anyway and here's footsteps. Andy yells in anticipation of a response. Whatever it was it ran away fast leaving behind a spear and a knife. Desperate for food he pops open a mussel and gulps it down. He knew the consequences and he had to face them. As he's laying down a dog comes to the scent of the spear and leads him up to a cave where the real adventure begins.
I love that this story did an amazing job at using imagery in the writing. The story did not only have amazing imagery but the story line was planned out so well it was almost hard to drop the book. Next the Characters in this book fit perfectly in their roles. For example Andy who is just a kid who is clueless on how to survive on his own. Lastly, the thing that I love the most about this book is that when I was reading it I could picture what was happening for almost every part of the book, almost like a movie. As a kid who does not consider reading as a fun activity I would rate this book a 4/5 stars.
If you have, you might want to take a good look at the book “Wild Man Island” by Will Hobbs. In this story there's a kid named Andy who saved up his money for a kayaking trip up in the area where his father died. At the campsite, he wakes up early to sail near to where his father died. However, the current takes a rapid turn,throwing him off course. He manages to get to an island where he is forced to survive. As Andy is struggling to find food and shelter he sees something in the distance. As he approaches it all his hopes slowly fade away. He realizes it is an abandoned factory. He explores it anyway and here's footsteps. Andy yells in anticipation of a response. Whatever it was it ran away fast leaving behind a spear and a knife. Desperate for food he pops open a mussel and gulps it down. He knew the consequences and he had to face them. As he's laying down a dog comes to the scent of the spear and leads him up to a cave where the real adventure begins.
I love that this story did an amazing job at using imagery in the writing. The story did not only have amazing imagery but the story line was planned out so well it was almost hard to drop the book. Next the Characters in this book fit perfectly in their roles. For example Andy who is just a kid who is clueless on how to survive on his own. Lastly, the thing that I love the most about this book is that when I was reading it I could picture what was happening for almost every part of the book, almost like a movie. As a kid who does not consider reading as a fun activity I would rate this book a 4/5 stars.
November 7, 2018
The book Wild Man Island is a book about a 14-year-old boy named Andy Galloway that paddles away from his group to visit a site where his dad died and to solve the mystery of the first Americans, but on his journey, a storm hits the area and he struggles to survive. In my opinion, this is an interesting book. It is action packed, with a lot of ups and downs, and it also keeps you entertained throughout. You can feel the danger and suspense throughout the book, this really helped me to stay engaged. I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries, and adventure style books. They would really enjoy this book because it fulfilled with both of those genres.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2024
So so good! Kept my interest all the way. I’ve always liked young adult “survivalist fiction.” I loved “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” “The Cay,” “Hatchet, and “Touching Spirit Bear.” This one also had the theme of breathtaking archaeological discovery possibilities. Again it is only fiction, but a fairly believable story that makes me wish there was a Part 2 to this. And of course there’s a dog - Newfoundland! Action, Adventure, Hope, Love of Nature and Animals and the Indomitable Human Spirit makes this one an awesome read. I read Hobbs’s “Jackie’s Wild Seattle years ago when I was a media specialist and I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work.
September 13, 2022
Wild Man Island is by Will Hobbs it is a realistic fiction book. Andy Galloway goes to flow down a river and a storm comes and makes him go to another island and meets a wild man and runs from him and some one finally comes to save him. This book is a good for anyone who likes adventurous books. I think this book is a good book. I rated this book a 4 because the book was not very interesting at first but I kept reading it and it became interesting. I recommend this book for someone who loves an adventurous book.
December 30, 2018
Fourteen-year-old Andy is on a guided kayaking trip when he decides to sneak off on his own to pay tribute to his deceased father. Not surprisingly, things do not go well and Andy is left struggling to survive alone in the Alaskan wilderness. This is a pretty good story which moves along quickly. While there are implausible moments, they aren't so eye-rolling as to impede enjoyment of the story.
August 28, 2018
this book started off pretty slow but once you get to chapter 6 then the book really picks up and gets pretty interesting and you just want to keep reading and reading. I reconmend the book if you are wanting a good book to read and get it read in a very short time because i only read for 20 every 2 days and im already in chapter 7.I hope you get this book and read it for your self
July 27, 2020
A 14-year-old boy becomes lost on a kayaking trip and is washed onto Admiralty Island, a wilderness off the Alaskan coast. As he struggles to survive, he encounters a "wild man" who is living a Stone Age existence. That's when the story gets interesting.
February 1, 2023
This is quite an on-the-edge-of-your-seat adventure story. The main character was extremely smart and resourceful, but I knew he was in trouble the minute he decided to do something against the training and instruction he was given.
December 16, 2017
I loved the book alot especially with the boy reuniting with his mom at the end and keeping the dog
February 25, 2019
Had to read for battle of the books but definitely recommend it
Read
April 5, 2022it was nice
April 10, 2023
Not as good as Gary Paulsen's Brian series. It was okay.
April 7, 2025
3.25 stars
Pretty exciting, and I enjoyed the last half especially.
Pretty exciting, and I enjoyed the last half especially.
July 29, 2025
Listened to this on a road trip with the kids. Interesting. More exciting for them than for me. :)
October 17, 2025
great book!!
June 5, 2017
Wild Man Island Review
I liked wild Man island because it kept me interested in the plot and the characters through the whole book. It's a young adult book focusing on a Andy who is on a sea kayaking trip in southeast Alaska when he paddles away to go to a site where his archaeologist father had died when a violent storm blows in knocking him miles off course and leaving him stranded n a island with a mysterious wild man. I liked the main character Andy Galloway because he was motivated through the whole story for example he was motivated to go see where his father had slipped and fell to his death he wanted to see this spot because he wanted to know where, and what it looked like. And after the storm hit and he got stranded on the island with the wild man he was motivated to find out who he was and why he was their. He also was motivated to get off the island and back to his mom and grandparents because he couldn't imagine his mom losing him in the same area that they lost his dad. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes survival stories or even just the outdoors.
I liked wild Man island because it kept me interested in the plot and the characters through the whole book. It's a young adult book focusing on a Andy who is on a sea kayaking trip in southeast Alaska when he paddles away to go to a site where his archaeologist father had died when a violent storm blows in knocking him miles off course and leaving him stranded n a island with a mysterious wild man. I liked the main character Andy Galloway because he was motivated through the whole story for example he was motivated to go see where his father had slipped and fell to his death he wanted to see this spot because he wanted to know where, and what it looked like. And after the storm hit and he got stranded on the island with the wild man he was motivated to find out who he was and why he was their. He also was motivated to get off the island and back to his mom and grandparents because he couldn't imagine his mom losing him in the same area that they lost his dad. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes survival stories or even just the outdoors.
March 8, 2017
Great adventure story; one of my favorites by Will Hobbs. There is tension, adventure, drama. A great read for preteens, teens and adult who want a well-written thriller that is G-rated.
February 6, 2014
The theme of Wild Man Island is that if you want the respect of others, show why you should have it. This book takes place in southwestern Alaska on an island called admiralty. Despite it being 40 miles wide and 100 miles long, there is only one village, a small indian village named Angoon. It is mostly a dense forest with a few meadows and beeches. There are many ravens and wolves on the island. There are also many bears which is why the people of Angoon call the island"The fortress of bears".But most interestingly there in one Newfenland dog. This dog is not native to Alaska or Canada.The story is told by Andy, a fourteen year old that is in Alaska because of a canoe trip. There is also a mysterious wild woodsman who lives on the island.He has long hair and a long scraggly beard. Andy, while on a canoe trip with a group, leaves the group who are staying on Baronof Island to go put a small stone carved boat at his fathers death place. His father died on a nearby island while doing so archeological work. On his return back to the group, he gets blown of course to Admiralty. Here he survives and befriends the dog. The dog shows him food sources so he follows the dog. The dog takes him on a 3 day journey through the woods to a cliff cave. Inside the cave he finds beautiful murals and old artifacts. There are foods and weapons and elaborately carved chairs and tables. Who ever lives in the cave must own the dog. He was lead t someones hideout. While looking at one of the murals, he hears a noise and turns around. He is now face to face with the wild man who has a spear in hand. He runs to the back of the wild man's hideout and finds himself running for his life through a cave.
Personally, I really enjoyed this book mainly due to the setting of the wild man's hideout. It is a prehistoric cave with underwater rivers filled with salmon, emerald pools, bones and carvings of the earliest Americans, and deep chasms. I also enjoyed it because of the relationship Andy has with the bears "When the bear was finished eating he turned around and planted himself at the foot of the log right next to me." He is respected by the bears because of his Clovis spear,a deadly native american spear. This book reminds me of Cabin on Trouble Creek because a boy, Daniel,is left to fend for himself. He becomes a great survivor and hunter, and is thus respected by the bears just like Andy. But both Andy and Daniel were not always respected. They earned their place in nature's society by showing their power. Andy fought a wolf and scared him off and Daniel killed a bear that was attacking him. This shows that respect is earned, not given. A strength of this book was its cave description. It sounded like a dream place to explore. I cant really find a weakness in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes kayaking, survival stories, or just adventure.
Personally, I really enjoyed this book mainly due to the setting of the wild man's hideout. It is a prehistoric cave with underwater rivers filled with salmon, emerald pools, bones and carvings of the earliest Americans, and deep chasms. I also enjoyed it because of the relationship Andy has with the bears "When the bear was finished eating he turned around and planted himself at the foot of the log right next to me." He is respected by the bears because of his Clovis spear,a deadly native american spear. This book reminds me of Cabin on Trouble Creek because a boy, Daniel,is left to fend for himself. He becomes a great survivor and hunter, and is thus respected by the bears just like Andy. But both Andy and Daniel were not always respected. They earned their place in nature's society by showing their power. Andy fought a wolf and scared him off and Daniel killed a bear that was attacking him. This shows that respect is earned, not given. A strength of this book was its cave description. It sounded like a dream place to explore. I cant really find a weakness in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes kayaking, survival stories, or just adventure.
Read
November 2, 2014In the survival story Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs, Andy Galloway fights for his life in the Alaskan wilderness, finding many interesting discoveries along the way. Andy is on a vacation with his mother in Alaska. Andy's dad was an archeologist who died when he was on a find in Alaska. In the beginning, Andy travels out early one morning to find where his father may have died and got stuck in a river current and winds up on a deserted island. Andy tries to get back home and along the way he finds a dog and a spear. The dog leads Andy to an old hut where he meets an old man. Andy also explores a cave connected to the hut where he finds ancient bones and a special type of rock that his father had been looking for before he died. The old man asks Andy to help him find his dog who ran away while Andy asks the old man how to get home. Andy learns that the old man is also an archeologist who has been lost on the island for many years. After further adventures, the old man, Andy and the dog eventually escape in an old boat.
Since this is a survival story, there are not a lot of characters, but I found that the wild man was my favorite character in the book. Will Hobbs made the wild man initially seem like a mean hermit-like person. We don’t really know what he looks like nor do we know how he got on the island which makes him a very mysterious character. As the story moves along, we learn that the wild man really has two sides to him. Although the wild man was angry with Andy at first for being in his hut, it turns out that he is a very caring man who wants to help Andy. Andy gets to know more about the old man and his past during his time on the island. Because Andy's dad was an archeologist, he and the old man have a lot in common. In turned out that the old man actually had heard of Andy's father. By the end of their time on the island, the old man continued to teach Andy about the land around him and some of its history. It turns out that the old man, David Atkins, is an intelligent and caring man.
Overall, I thought this was a very good book. I would recommended this book to others because I like this type of genre. Therefore, I would suggest this book to other people who like survival and adventure stories and stories of nature. However, some parts of the book I was not happy about because maybe it wasn't realistic. For example, when Andy was almost rescued by a helicopter, he did not beg to go home and instead stuck around with some biologists. Although this may have seemed like a bad decision by Andy at the time, it turns out that by staying on the island, Andy got to know the old man better and gained a life-long friend. Overall, this was a great book, well-written, but has a few points that were not realistic. However this does not ruin the book at all.
Since this is a survival story, there are not a lot of characters, but I found that the wild man was my favorite character in the book. Will Hobbs made the wild man initially seem like a mean hermit-like person. We don’t really know what he looks like nor do we know how he got on the island which makes him a very mysterious character. As the story moves along, we learn that the wild man really has two sides to him. Although the wild man was angry with Andy at first for being in his hut, it turns out that he is a very caring man who wants to help Andy. Andy gets to know more about the old man and his past during his time on the island. Because Andy's dad was an archeologist, he and the old man have a lot in common. In turned out that the old man actually had heard of Andy's father. By the end of their time on the island, the old man continued to teach Andy about the land around him and some of its history. It turns out that the old man, David Atkins, is an intelligent and caring man.
Overall, I thought this was a very good book. I would recommended this book to others because I like this type of genre. Therefore, I would suggest this book to other people who like survival and adventure stories and stories of nature. However, some parts of the book I was not happy about because maybe it wasn't realistic. For example, when Andy was almost rescued by a helicopter, he did not beg to go home and instead stuck around with some biologists. Although this may have seemed like a bad decision by Andy at the time, it turns out that by staying on the island, Andy got to know the old man better and gained a life-long friend. Overall, this was a great book, well-written, but has a few points that were not realistic. However this does not ruin the book at all.
February 27, 2014
Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs tell the exciting adventure of fourteen-year-old Andy Galloway. Exploring the vast state of Alaska, Andy ventures off by himself to try and find out more about the place where his father died years ago. When he suddenly gets caught in a storm, he finds himself washed up on an island thick with wilderness, wolves, and bears. Andy has to fend for himself and try to stay alive until help comes for him. While on the island, Andy encounters many obstacles he has to face, including bears, and even a wild man that appears to have been living on the island. Andy discovers some of the secrets Alaska has been hiding from the very beginning of mankind; secrets his father died trying to find out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action or mystery. This novel is filled with exciting tales of adventure and always kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though the book was fiction, it was also filled was facts about the first Americans and stories of how people crossed the land bridge from Russia to Alaska. It was fast-paced, and throughout reading the novel it never bored me. Overall I enjoyed this Novel and would definitely recommend it to a friend.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action or mystery. This novel is filled with exciting tales of adventure and always kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though the book was fiction, it was also filled was facts about the first Americans and stories of how people crossed the land bridge from Russia to Alaska. It was fast-paced, and throughout reading the novel it never bored me. Overall I enjoyed this Novel and would definitely recommend it to a friend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews