Book Review: My Side of the Mountain

Overview

My Side of the Mountain was written by Jean Craighead George. It revolves around a middle school age boy named Sam, and his life after he runs away from the city to live in the Catskill Mountains in the state of New York. He lives in the wilderness all alone, surviving in the wilderness with only the animals to keep him company.

What I Liked

• All the illustrations (and there are a lot of them) are done by the author herself. I especially like the scenes with Frightful, who is Sam's falcon.
• The specific details regarding how he hunted, fished, and cooked.
• That he had to learn his wilderness survival skills by reading books at the library.
• The author depicted a nutrient deficiency, which is likely when you no longer have access to diverse foods.

What I Didn't Like

• The characters that betrayed Sam. 
• The ending.

Conclusion

All in all, it's really good book. The struggle is primarily person versus nature, but you also see some person versus self, and person versus person conflict, too. It easily held my attention because of narrative that switched from a story tone to a journal entries, good illustrations, and an intriguing plot.

Audience

All ages.

Content Warning

None.

Rating

★★★★