Wilderness Hacks

Hatchet meets Survivor in this high-action, humor-filled middle-grade adventure about two kids stranded in the wilderness, whose annoyance with each other rivals the roaring rapids and ferocious predators they must face. 

12-year-old Sadie Hahn didn’t plan to eat grubs on camera to win a contest. And she definitely didn’t plan to win first prize while making a guest appearance on a YouTube show hosted by America’s favorite 13-year-old survivalist, Radley Shaw. But she’ll do anything to cheer up her little brother Silas, who’s too young to qualify.  

Rad has millions of followers and exactly zero real-life friends, so the contest is a great chance for him to hang out with kids his own age. But it’s hate-at-first-sight when Silas throws a wrench in his plan, and Sadie decides Rad is just a clueless poser who doesn’t know the first thing about survival. Disaster strikes when their scripted rafting trip turns into a real fight for survival. Lost in the mountains, Rad and Sadie must find shelter, build a fire, forage for food, and try not to become food for a hungry predator. 

Wilderness Hacks’ chapters alternate between Rad’s and Sadie’s perspectives, highlighting one of the main themes: our assumptions about others are often wrong. The two kids immediately get off on the wrong foot because they assume the worst of each other, heightening the drama and suspense in a way that mirrors the social dynamics most middle schoolers know well. Even though Rad and Sadie dislike each other, both characters are unique and likable because of their insecurities and difficulty expressing their emotions. Readers will relate to their conflicts, recognize their conflicting emotions, and appreciate their different strengths. Notably, the dual perspectives also illuminate how each character carries burdens the other can’t immediately see. Sadie’s panic attacks, for instance, reveal a vulnerability that surprises Rad, and when he responds with genuine kindness by guiding her through breathing techniques, it marks a turning point in their reluctant friendship. 

This emotional depth extends to the book’s thoughtful portrayal of characters with invisible disabilities. Sadie’s brother Silas is autistic and has celiac disease, and Sadie’s constant worry about him — knowing that even a crumb of gluten can trigger serious side effects — is rooted in real grief: her father died because his own celiac disease went undiagnosed. These details are woven naturally into the story rather than feeling like add-ons, giving the adventure genuine emotional stakes alongside the physical ones. 

Wilderness Hacks is a fast-paced, action-packed story that readers won’t want to put down. The dual perspectives, high-stakes drama, and short chapters will engage readers while teaching important life lessons about survival, friendship, and not making assumptions about others. The back matter — including Sadie’s Secret-Spice Recipe, Rad’s Top Ten Survival Essentials, and a list of “Would You Rather” questions — extends the fun beyond the final page and makes the book especially well-suited for classroom use or book clubs. One of the characters mentions Bear Grylls, which may lead readers to explore other survival-themed books, including the Girls Survive Series, Bear Grylls Adventures, and Survival Tails. Overall, Wilderness Hacks is an entertaining survival story that requires both protagonists to use their individual skills, teamwork, and grit to survive. 

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• Rad finds a dead man in the river. “He’s lying half in, half out of the water, his upper body exposed and swollen, straining against a life jacket. He’s not wearing a helmet—just the life jacket and swim trunks—and his feet are bare.” Later that night, the kids hear animals eating the man. 

• A mountain lion attacks Rad. He looks back and “it’s that motion that has the mountain lion’s massive jaw and teeth scraping Rad’s helmet instead of his face when the big cat launches itself at Rad like a guided missile on a moving target.” 

• When the mountain lion pins Rad to the ground, he feels “searing agony as claws scrape my back. . . The thud of impact as it brings me to the ground and then scrambles to find a better angle on my throat.” Sadie screams, and “thrust[s a tree branch] again, and the cat backs up this time, still screaming.”  

• Sadie props Rad against a tree. Riding a bike, she leaves to get help. When she returns, “The mountain lion is crouched down, ready to pounce, and Rad has no idea. . . The cat leaps a split second before I reach them, and I wrench the handlebars toward the airborne animal. . . There’s a snap and a crack and then. . . Nothing.” The mountain lion attack is described over several chapters. Both kids are injured. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• After the mountain lion attack, Rad is given painkillers in the hospital. 

Language  

• In the narration, people are occasionally referred to as jerks. For example, Sadie thinks, “I sound like a jerk.” 

• As a joke, Sadie tells Rad, “I’m usually better at spotting you weirdos.” 

• Sadie tells Rad that he’s acting like an idiot. Later, in a fit of anger, she calls him an idiot. 

• Sadie thinks that Rad is “a balloon-headed meatball.” 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• When Silas asks Sadie to enter a contest, she prays “that this new obsession won’t have me eating anything that still has a face.” 

• When faced with a difficult situation, Sadie mumbles. Radley asks who she is, and she says, “God.”