Reviews

The Bear by Claire Cameron

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Oh, now that I look at it properly, I should really have figured out from just the cover that this would slay me, but the siblings in this were always going to pose a problem. Such emotional destruction.

kandicez's review

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1.0

I have gone back to this over and over between other things I am reading and simply cannot make myself read to the end. I got 74% finished according to my Nook and I feel that is more than enough of a chance.

I may read a page or two at a time when I am feeling generous just to find the resolution, but don't feel the book deserves more than that from me.

fernweh85's review

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5.0

I received this book via Netgalley I'm exchange for an honest review.

I have always been intrigued by books telling a serious story from the point of view of a young child who doesn't quite understand - for example Room and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. I feel that the childish language and asides casually tossed in which mean something to us, the adult reader, but went way over the heads of the narrators themselves, can be far more evocative than explicitly relaying the gory details.

Claire Cameron hit the nail completely on the head. It is difficult to say I enjoyed a book with such horrific subject matter, but it is well crafted. Anna is believable as a young narrator and there is just the right balance between understanding what is going on as a reader, even if she doesn't, and confused details a child would not have the vocabulary to explain.

I also liked the contrast when catching up with the narrator when she is older and has a different perspective.

Thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to more from this author.

bookerage's review

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The storytelling from the viewpoint of a little girl is very well done and makes this story very intense. The story is mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time.

wombat_88's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-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? No

3.0

sjj169's review

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3.0

More like 3.5 stars

At the beginning of this book the author tells you that this book has happened. It just didn't involve the children. That puts in the back of your mind what can happen with bears.
The story is from the point of view of 5 year old Anna. Her parents are attacked by a bear on the family camping trip. Her father puts her and her 2 year old brother "Stick" into Coleman (the family's cooler) when the bear attacks and it saves their lives.
The author does a wonderful job of putting you into the head and thoughts of a five year old. She perfectly "gets" the fact that sometimes your little brother just gets on your nerves and you don't like him. Anna just won my heart in just about every way possible. The only reason this book didn't score higher for me was the last part of the book just didn't stay as attention getting and riveting as the first part. I wish I knew more about the aftermath with both children.

afro8921's review

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4.0

Anna is a 5 year old girl on a camping trip with Mom and Dad and younger brother. Anna's father puts her and her younger brother in the coleman cooler when a bear attacks the family. Anna isn't really aware of what's going on and struggles to understand her mother's instructions. Now it's up to Anna to take care of her 3 year old brother while they wait for help. This story is both gripping and endearing at the same time. The author really does a great job of speaking through the voice of a 5 year old child. Definitely an adult read. Sometimes the brutality of the situation comes swiftly without warning in the little girls descriptions.

rachielove9's review

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2.0

I wanted to love this book. I was SO excited to read it, so glad that I was approved for an ARC from NetGalley (and thank you, Net Galley, for supplying me with it!), but I just couldn't love it.

The story itself is terrifying and emotional and original. And the writing, in terms of form, is fine. My issue is with the narration and that I couldn't believe it.

As a children's librarian, I'm around a lot of kids, all ages, 0-18. The kids I'm around the most are between the ages of 2 and 6, the ages of Stick and Anna. While I liked the idea of telling the story from Anna's perspective in first person present tense, I didn't find her thought processes convincing. Some of the words used didn't strike me as words a 5-year-old would think, and it happened so often that it would jerk me out of my "reading zone" to think to myself "well that doesn't seem right". I also struggled with believing that Anna remembered so many things. For the most part, when you talk to kids, they can hardly tell you what they did that day. Anna remembered too many things, was able to think about too much at once.

I don't know, I seem to be the only one with this opinion, so I absolutely think people should read it and form their own. The story itself is (cliche, I know) haunting and terrifying. I absolutely believe that Anna would be able to take care of her little brother, and I find the story entirely credible. I just have a hard time believing in Anna's narrative.