The Trap (review)

In this taut survival story, alternate chapters follow four days in the lives of Albert Least-Weasel (who has, in a single moment's negligence over a lifetime of hunting, gotten his foot caught in a trap just a few yards away from his survival gear), and his grandson Johnny Least-Weasel, whose faith in and respect for his grandfather's abilities conflict with his growing concern for the old man, who is late in returning from checking his traplines. While Johnny's uncle tries to assuage the teen's anxieties and urges him to put off a needless search in the brutal subzero Alaskan weather, Albert uses every trick he knows to mine the tree to which he's chained for food, warmth, and protection from the wolves that grow ever bolder as he inevitably weakens. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from a Native American legend—Johnny's entries revolve around a young hero who is underestimated by his community, and Albert's around an old man who surprises his neighbors with his strength. These hero tales accurately mirror the men's characters, but in the end they do not predict the outcome of the struggle. Johnny reaches and frees his grandfather just in time to be with him at death, and Albert's previous musings about how this final episode in his life will be talked about in the community now challenge the reader to assess whether Albert was a foolish old man who should have retired years ago or a paragon of will to survive; whether Johnny was a loyal grandson who did his best for his grandfather or a weak teen who allowed himself to be influenced to delay action against his better judgment. This has all the dramatic tension of wilderness adventure stories, with a touch (though less cynical) of Jack London's "To Build a Fire," and fans of Gary Paulsen and Will Hobbs should find this a satisfying challenge.