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Trial by Wilderness
A girl survives a plane crash off the coast of British Columbia, and then faces survival in the wilderness, a feat which calls upon her courage, her endurance, and her skills.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 7, 2025
There’s Spoilers but if you are considering reading Trial By Wilderness, read this.
This was the most amazing and profound book I’ve ever read in my life. I believe everyone should- just kidding. I have no clue why I spent so much time on that, I kept thinking it would get better, but it was total nonsense.
Oh gosh it was so much trash. It was so incredibly vague in all of it’s descriptions. It’s like the author did a whole bunch of research on boat building and fire making then proceeded to assume everyone understands this but also give scraps of scientific data like a textbook. I am so stressed trying to understand what this book version of a fever dream or drug-induced hallucination was about.
There was so little character development yet at the very end she feels like she’s a completely changed person. Who was she before? Was this the authors attempt at feminism, whilst never having actually met a woman in his life? Many of the boat terms were new to me, yet I feel I have gained nothing in adding them to my vocabulary. Her knowledge of boat building and survival skills are admirable, to say the least. Yet, as a reader, have no clue how she acquired said knowledge. If this was some how from her father, she owed him much thanks and a whole lot less disdain.
Perhaps this is a very specific coming of age story, geared only towards spoiled, privileged geniuses.
This was the most amazing and profound book I’ve ever read in my life. I believe everyone should- just kidding. I have no clue why I spent so much time on that, I kept thinking it would get better, but it was total nonsense.
Oh gosh it was so much trash. It was so incredibly vague in all of it’s descriptions. It’s like the author did a whole bunch of research on boat building and fire making then proceeded to assume everyone understands this but also give scraps of scientific data like a textbook. I am so stressed trying to understand what this book version of a fever dream or drug-induced hallucination was about.
There was so little character development yet at the very end she feels like she’s a completely changed person. Who was she before? Was this the authors attempt at feminism, whilst never having actually met a woman in his life? Many of the boat terms were new to me, yet I feel I have gained nothing in adding them to my vocabulary. Her knowledge of boat building and survival skills are admirable, to say the least. Yet, as a reader, have no clue how she acquired said knowledge. If this was some how from her father, she owed him much thanks and a whole lot less disdain.
Perhaps this is a very specific coming of age story, geared only towards spoiled, privileged geniuses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trial by Wilderness by David Mathieson is a gripping and heartfelt survival story that kept me turning pages from start to finish. What begins as a tragic plane crash quickly becomes an inspiring journey of courage and resilience.
Mathieson does a wonderful job capturing the emotional and physical challenges the young heroine faces as she fights to survive in the wilderness of British Columbia. The setting feels vivid and real, and you can almost feel the isolation, fear, and determination alongside her.
What makes this story so powerful is not just the survival aspect, but the strength of character. It is a moving reminder of how much courage and inner strength a person can discover when pushed to the limit.
An inspiring and compelling read that I highly recommend.
Trial by Wilderness by David Mathieson is a gripping and heartfelt survival story that kept me turning pages from start to finish. What begins as a tragic plane crash quickly becomes an inspiring journey of courage and resilience.
Mathieson does a wonderful job capturing the emotional and physical challenges the young heroine faces as she fights to survive in the wilderness of British Columbia. The setting feels vivid and real, and you can almost feel the isolation, fear, and determination alongside her.
What makes this story so powerful is not just the survival aspect, but the strength of character. It is a moving reminder of how much courage and inner strength a person can discover when pushed to the limit.
An inspiring and compelling read that I highly recommend.
October 15, 2019
Thought this was a children's book but it read more like a textbook that I didn't really understand and was rather vague at times. Also didn't like the ending.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews