Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Bear Boy: The True Story of a Boy, Two Bears, and the Fight to Be Free by Justin Barker

1 review

lovelybookshelf's review

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challenging hopeful inspiring fast-paced

2.75

This reads on a middle grade level, but content-wise it is solidly YA. The aspects of this book that focused on the bears and Justin's fight to get them to humane conditions were excellent. However, there was a little too much privilege combined with an intense overzealousness (à la PETA) that detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. There was also a small scene that treated cutting and suicidal ideation so casually, so flippantly, that it practically glamorized it. That felt grossly irresponsible considering this title is marketed toward teens. I did appreciate that the narrative shows how complex people are; no one is all good or all bad. So yeah, lots of mixed feelings about this one. 
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