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sssnoo's review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Bear is a book many will enjoy and some will loathe. I'm in the former group, but I understand why some readers are giving it a hard pass.
The dominant story in the novel is the Bear. Elena, the older sister, becomes infatuated with a bear that swum over to San Juan from the mainland. What could go wrong with a young woman's bear infatuation? The story forewarns of a tragedy, and one occurs—no surprise. But the atmospheric, descriptive writing propels the suspense through to the end.
The parallel story arc is the sisters caring for their dying mother. Some reviewers hated Sam, who is the primary narrator of the story. I agree she is hard to love, but that is what chronic, pervasive childhood trauma can do. I think the author did a superb job showing the reader how chronic poverty, experience with domestic abuse, and reversal of caretaking roles can halt a person's development.
Each young woman demonstrates sequelae of chronic trauma. Elena becomes hyper-functional, so she appears very mature on the one hand. But, on the other hand, she is emotionally stunted and at risk for infatuation - even with a bear. Sam is self-centered, immature, and out of touch with reality in many ways. Both are functioning years below their chronological age - they are both as emotionally stuck as they are trapped in poverty. Traumatized children are often not outwardly likable - they adopt behaviors to prevent people from liking them - to save themselves from more trauma and loss. I appreciated the author's realistic approach to the characterization of the sisters.
The sense of place in this book is immersive. The rhythm of the ferries, the isolation of island life, and the contrast between tourists and the working poor who serve them all resonated.
Overall, this book is suspenseful, foreboding, and sad. It's also a deep exploration of childhood wounds that rarely heal and how that can lead to dysfunctional adulthood. If you need to like your characters, this may not be your book. If you can have compassion for unlikable, complicated characters, then this is a story you will appreciate. But you won't be grinning at the end.
This novel offers a lot of book club fodder to explore, and your club will likely have a range of lovers and dissenters.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.
The dominant story in the novel is the Bear. Elena, the older sister, becomes infatuated with a bear that swum over to San Juan from the mainland. What could go wrong with a young woman's bear infatuation? The story forewarns of a tragedy, and one occurs—no surprise. But the atmospheric, descriptive writing propels the suspense through to the end.
The parallel story arc is the sisters caring for their dying mother. Some reviewers hated Sam, who is the primary narrator of the story. I agree she is hard to love, but that is what chronic, pervasive childhood trauma can do. I think the author did a superb job showing the reader how chronic poverty, experience with domestic abuse, and reversal of caretaking roles can halt a person's development.
Each young woman demonstrates sequelae of chronic trauma. Elena becomes hyper-functional, so she appears very mature on the one hand. But, on the other hand, she is emotionally stunted and at risk for infatuation - even with a bear. Sam is self-centered, immature, and out of touch with reality in many ways. Both are functioning years below their chronological age - they are both as emotionally stuck as they are trapped in poverty. Traumatized children are often not outwardly likable - they adopt behaviors to prevent people from liking them - to save themselves from more trauma and loss. I appreciated the author's realistic approach to the characterization of the sisters.
The sense of place in this book is immersive. The rhythm of the ferries, the isolation of island life, and the contrast between tourists and the working poor who serve them all resonated.
Overall, this book is suspenseful, foreboding, and sad. It's also a deep exploration of childhood wounds that rarely heal and how that can lead to dysfunctional adulthood. If you need to like your characters, this may not be your book. If you can have compassion for unlikable, complicated characters, then this is a story you will appreciate. But you won't be grinning at the end.
This novel offers a lot of book club fodder to explore, and your club will likely have a range of lovers and dissenters.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.
tiffanielle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
ivi_reads_books's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
What a beautifully sad book! It deals with personal hardships, sisterhood, obligations and what it takes to create a life worth living.
Julia Phillips has an incredible writing style. I'll be sure to read whatever she writes next.
Thanks to Hogarth for the advance reader copy
Julia Phillips has an incredible writing style. I'll be sure to read whatever she writes next.
Thanks to Hogarth for the advance reader copy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abortion and Injury/Injury detail
kellkie's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I missed out on Disappearing Earth, but after reading Bear I will definitely make a point to read Phillips' first book. The premise of Bear captivated me, so I was thrilled when I received an eARC from NetGalley.
Phillips expertly navigates this narrative with a blend of folklore and contemporary realism, breathing new life into traditional fairy tale tropes. When the bear first arrives on the page, it comes filled with symbolism and expectation, something that carries through the remainder of the story. And although a wild bear traipsing about the neighborhood would certainly be enough to give anyone reason to worry, it's actually the people in the story, not the wandering bear, driving the conflict.
Sam and Elena are sisters who live together with their ailing mother, struggling to make ends meet on a Pacific Northwest island. As the tale unfolds, things that first seemed solid begin to unravel, and relationships are pushed to the limits due to mismatched expectations, long-hidden secrets. I read Bear in one day, unable to turn away from Phillips' exploration of sisterhood, family, and loss.
Overall, Bear delivered so many great things: authentic dialogue, a swift narrative, and complex character interactions. However, the male characters felt a bit flat, and I sometimes struggled to get behind the state biologist's motivations. That said, Bear is a novel that will sit with me for a long time to come, asking me to look deeper into my own beliefs about life and loss.
Phillips expertly navigates this narrative with a blend of folklore and contemporary realism, breathing new life into traditional fairy tale tropes. When the bear first arrives on the page, it comes filled with symbolism and expectation, something that carries through the remainder of the story. And although a wild bear traipsing about the neighborhood would certainly be enough to give anyone reason to worry, it's actually the people in the story, not the wandering bear, driving the conflict.
Sam and Elena are sisters who live together with their ailing mother, struggling to make ends meet on a Pacific Northwest island. As the tale unfolds, things that first seemed solid begin to unravel, and relationships are pushed to the limits due to mismatched expectations, long-hidden secrets. I read Bear in one day, unable to turn away from Phillips' exploration of sisterhood, family, and loss.
Overall, Bear delivered so many great things: authentic dialogue, a swift narrative, and complex character interactions. However, the male characters felt a bit flat, and I sometimes struggled to get behind the state biologist's motivations. That said, Bear is a novel that will sit with me for a long time to come, asking me to look deeper into my own beliefs about life and loss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
bookishwithbug's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
📚Book review📚 :: Bear by Julia Phillips
Story premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a wild (literally) ride Bear by Julia Phillips is -- full of intense dread, excitement and whimsy.
Sam and and her big sister Elena are eachothers' whole world, or so Sam thinks. They live with their ailing mother on an island off the coast of Washington state and life isn't easy. In debt and isolated following the pandemic, Sam and Elena's lives are hard. Sam dreams of leaving it all behind and starting over in a new place with Elena. But when a big ol' grizzly Bear arrives on the island and takes a liking to one of the girls, it changes the course of both their lives by revealing who they truly are to each other.
This book reads like a modern day fairy tale without ever being over the top or unbelievable. Phillips bends the typical fairy tale tropes into something so true to modern storytelling. I believed Sam's motivation to leave and Elena's to stay. I believed the bear! I believed the ending. Oh the ending.
I absolutely love how Phillips writes the sisters' tale, with an underlying sense of dread and foreboding on every page. I had a bit of a knot in my stomach from the first moment the Bear appears and the author leaves it there for me to contend with. I felt the entire time like I was being stalked by a giant grizzly in my mind.
For me, the power of this book lies with the ambiguity of "the villain" (for every good fairy tale has one!). While the bear is certainly ominous and ultimately the major obstacle, it never truly becomes the antagonist. It's looming over the story but the antagonism comes from the humans (as it often does in real life) and the choices they make. The sisters take turns, in their own way, playing the role of the "evil" sister (or at least which one is ultimately responsible for their downfall). I found this truly fascinating to watch how the sisters' interpreted the other's actions. These interpretations then played on their own motivations and caused quite a bit of fairy tale catastrophe!
I can't wait to read more from Julia Philipps!
Story premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a wild (literally) ride Bear by Julia Phillips is -- full of intense dread, excitement and whimsy.
Sam and and her big sister Elena are eachothers' whole world, or so Sam thinks. They live with their ailing mother on an island off the coast of Washington state and life isn't easy. In debt and isolated following the pandemic, Sam and Elena's lives are hard. Sam dreams of leaving it all behind and starting over in a new place with Elena. But when a big ol' grizzly Bear arrives on the island and takes a liking to one of the girls, it changes the course of both their lives by revealing who they truly are to each other.
This book reads like a modern day fairy tale without ever being over the top or unbelievable. Phillips bends the typical fairy tale tropes into something so true to modern storytelling. I believed Sam's motivation to leave and Elena's to stay. I believed the bear! I believed the ending. Oh the ending.
I absolutely love how Phillips writes the sisters' tale, with an underlying sense of dread and foreboding on every page. I had a bit of a knot in my stomach from the first moment the Bear appears and the author leaves it there for me to contend with. I felt the entire time like I was being stalked by a giant grizzly in my mind.
For me, the power of this book lies with the ambiguity of "the villain" (for every good fairy tale has one!). While the bear is certainly ominous and ultimately the major obstacle, it never truly becomes the antagonist. It's looming over the story but the antagonism comes from the humans (as it often does in real life) and the choices they make. The sisters take turns, in their own way, playing the role of the "evil" sister (or at least which one is ultimately responsible for their downfall). I found this truly fascinating to watch how the sisters' interpreted the other's actions. These interpretations then played on their own motivations and caused quite a bit of fairy tale catastrophe!
I can't wait to read more from Julia Philipps!
me_alley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Well this book was super weird.
First of all; it’s borderline creepy how Julia Phillips managed to write this book and have it published at the same time the world started having a discourse called “Would you rather meet a bear or a man in the woods?” Are you a psychic, Ms Phillips?
Loved the setting. PAC NW island. Population 9000. Two sisters are just scraping by while taking care of their ailing mother in her last days. A bear swims to their island and starts having adventures around the town. The sisters very much love each other, but love is complicated.
Pros; dialogue, character development ,themes. Highly symbolic in the way that you know that the Bear symbolizes something, you just don’t know what. A story you see coming, yet don’t see coming all at once. I would love to read in a book club, because I just KNOW someone else is going to catch something I missed.
Cons; not for those who like happy endings. The last few paragraphs in particular are disturbing. The male characters are boring and one dimensional.
I can’t wait until it’s published so I can have a conversation with you about it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for the ARC.
First of all; it’s borderline creepy how Julia Phillips managed to write this book and have it published at the same time the world started having a discourse called “Would you rather meet a bear or a man in the woods?” Are you a psychic, Ms Phillips?
Loved the setting. PAC NW island. Population 9000. Two sisters are just scraping by while taking care of their ailing mother in her last days. A bear swims to their island and starts having adventures around the town. The sisters very much love each other, but love is complicated.
Pros; dialogue, character development ,themes. Highly symbolic in the way that you know that the Bear symbolizes something, you just don’t know what. A story you see coming, yet don’t see coming all at once. I would love to read in a book club, because I just KNOW someone else is going to catch something I missed.
Cons; not for those who like happy endings. The last few paragraphs in particular are disturbing. The male characters are boring and one dimensional.
I can’t wait until it’s published so I can have a conversation with you about it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for the ARC.
mrlzbth's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jenniemcgarvey's review
3.75
I was drawn in right away to Sam and Elena’s story and found myself immersed in their existence.
Right away you realize the struggle for this little family to survive. Their mother is literally dying and the girls are her caretakers. Sam is dreaming of leaving the island and the life she and Elena will have once they do.
Then, a bear swims to their island and literally knocks everything in their lives of course. Sam begins to see what she’d been avoiding, their mother’s health declines and their lives are altered beyond recognition.
Advance reader copy provided by NetGalley and Hogarth. All opinions are my own.
aimeelag's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
marisatn's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Nothing happens and then everything happens. In between, Julia Phillips does an amazing job rooting you in a specific place.