This was not at all what I was expecting, and I felt a bit let down by the overall execution of this second novel by Phillips. The eerie and atmospheric setting in the San Juan Islands of Washington state seemed like the perfect spot for a Bear encounter. And while it changes the lives of the two sisters, Sam and Elena, their relationship was extremely frustrating. I felt sad for Sam - clearly struggling with emotional trauma that no one recognized - but also found her detachment and condescension equally annoying. Elena wasn't much better.

The secrets, the struggle to care for their dying mother, and Elena's obsession with the bear that appears one morning at their home, was a frustrating read for me. I finished it and there were definitely parts I liked - the setting, the descriptive writing, and the bear itself. The tragic ending was a bit too heavy handed for me and no one escapes unscathed.

I've read other reviews that offer a more positive outlook on the novel. I also learned that this is loosely based on the fairy tale of Snow White and her sister Rose Red, one I'd never heard of. In the fable, the sisters also encounter a mysterious bear and begin to care for it. But that seems to be where the similarities end.

Very unique story about two girls suffering a long life on an island with a mother who is dying who once put them in a precarious situation with an abusive boyfriend. One of the sisters turns to a bear for comfort and guidance - Very interesting - not a book I would normally read but the writing was excellent.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC for Bear to read and review.

The concept of this book was fascinating and enticing. Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit for me.

Between the words "Once upon a time..." and "...they all lived happily ever after" lives a vast chasm of fairy tale dreams and optimistic, rose-colored hopes. So proclaim the Brothers Grimm in their allegorical tales of yore. Though far more sanitized offerings in this genre have been offered up more recently, in this novel, the author offers neither characters nor reader any such pass.

In Julia Phillips' newest work entitled "Bear," we find a modern tale of two "lost in the woods" sisters. Having lived a less than fairy tale perfect life on San Juan Island off the coast of Washington since birth, the now adult siblings must deal with the aftermath of more than their share of life's inequities. In uniquely different ways, each chooses to believe their own sort of "fairy tale dream" of someday replacing their painful circumstances with a happier and far more carefree life.

As we all know, fairy tales are at their core cautionary tales. "Bear" is most certainly a beautifully and poignantly written example of a modern take on this genre. However, please note that it is adults (and most certainly not children) who are its intended audience. From beginning to end, this story is quite grim. (Please note my purposeful use of the lowercase g here.) Phillips liberally layers much that is bitter among the less plentiful layers of sweetnesses that comprise the lives of those who dare to dream themselves a better life.

There are some novels that stay with a reader. "Bear" will be one of those books for me. There is much to reflect upon here, not the least of which is the book's contemplation of how much do our dreams really shape our lives. And if they indeed do so, does that necessarily mean one will be happier in that life?? "Happily ever after" within that framework really is a very complicated proposition!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank author, publisher, and NetGalley for sending this galley copy my way! Once I began the tale...I could not stop until the tale was full and thoroughly told! Few books of late have compelled me to pause my "real" and far less than "fairy tale perfect life" in order to see a book through in such a sooner than later fashion!

This novel enjoys a publication date of June 25, 2024.

#Bear
#JuliaPhillips
#NetGalley

Okay- This book is very weird, which I usually really enjoy. It's not that I didn't enjoy this, but I wanted to like it more. I do think that some of it went over my head and there were some aspects that I was overthinking about. I'm going to be thinking about it long after reading, but it wasn't my favorite experience while reading.

What an unexpected, vibrating, lyrical fable about sisters, the Pacific Northwest, and a bear.

Elena and Sam, barely a year apart in age, have moved through life as one. Their mother, young when she’d had her girls, has become gravely ill, and as the two care for her, wait for her imminent death, they formulate a plan.

They will leave as soon as they can, leave the burden of an island that offers no charm, no future, only sadness and the most difficult of memories. Working class girls tending to the wealthy feel like a felled tree the chasm between what they have and what they don’t, can’t, won’t have. They must escape.

But then the bear shows up.

First, Sam sees it swimming through the narrow channels, then it appears at their home, sitting outside one morning, where Elena awakens to find it. She’s enthralled, seemingly possessed by the bear.

And as Sam begins to see the danger Elena is choosing - perhaps in an effort to feel something other than the great burden her young life has become - she also finds that her truth and Elena’s diverged years ago. Sam doesn’t know anything about the girl who has become a woman, the person who was like an appendage of her own body but is now in a fairy tale of her own making opposite an enormous grizzly.

And the aftermath of the truth has no choice but to be devastating.

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC. This one comes out June 25, 2024.

.
I was drawn to this arc because of this description: “A mesmerizing tale of two sisters living on a Pacific Northwest Island whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor - a tale of family, obsession and a mysterious creature in the woods.”
Sisters Sam and Elena are caring for their sick mother, and are generally having a really hard time coping with all that life is throwing at them. A bear mysteriously appears in their yard and Elena is fascinated and somewhat obsessed with his presence. Sam is struggling to understand her interest and as their mother’s health deteriorates so does their relationship.
This was such an odd and sad story. There are stunning scenes that describe the love between these two sisters and their deep bond. The setting on San Juan Islands was excellently described and the way in which Phillips suggests that we long for “home” is very well done. This was a short read that I felt at times was slow, repetitive and all a bit beyond me. I did read a review that said this novel was a mythical retelling of Snow White and Rose Red.) Am I just finding out now that Rose Red was the sister of Snow White? Yes I am. This novel would have worked better for me having both sister’s perspectives instead of just having Sam as narrator. Still mulling the ending! 🧐
Not a big fan of this… but have seen many reviews that are very favorable. Just my honest thoughts here friends!

*many thanks to @randomhouse for the eARC of Bear, to be published June 25,2024, in exchange for an honest review.*

I really liked this one! I’ve been meaning to read Disappearing Earth for years and was excited to get the chance to read Bear by the author.

Looking at other reviews I’m seeing this is a sort of Grimm’s Fairytale retelling, which makes sense now that I’ve finished. But not having read the inspiration material, I enjoyed this at face value nonetheless.

The appearance of a bear upends the lives of two sisters struggling to make ends meet and care for their dying mother. The sisters react in very different ways to the bear and as the story unfolds you learn neither sister is who you thought at first. I really enjoyed the slow unfolding of the personalities of these sisters.

The ending absolutely took me by surprise and I honestly really appreciated the direction it went.

That ending will be living rent-free in my head for a good few days. I haven’t been shocked like this by a book in a while. Fuck.

I devoured the first half of this book. I loved reading about the sisters lives and it read very much like a family drama/saga to me which I love. I didn't love the almost magical realism turn this story took and the ending was not for me. I wouldn't say I ended up disliking this book but it definitely wasn't my favourite. That being said I think some people will really love it and recommend people check it out for themselves. I also enjoyed that the setting was kind of close to home, I've never been to the San Juan islands but have been to the town just across on the mainland, Anacortes a few times.

Bear is the story of two sisters who live in a rundown house on the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. Elena works at a fancy golf club as a waitress and Sam works concessions on the ferry. They live with their mother who is slowly dying from a terminal (and expensive) lung issue after years of working as a hairdresser. Sam is waiting for her life to begin — after her mother dies, she will leave the island with the money the sisters make from the land that their home sits on. Until then, no real relationships.

And then a bear shows up outside of their house. It is beautiful, frightening and rare. One part made me tear up and I am not a crier.

Bear really snuck up on me in the best way possible. It was one of those books that when I finished, I looked back and knew it was a 5-star book. The crisp storytelling, the creativity and the sense of place as a character — it is an art that few can do like Julia Philips has demonstrated.

Now, this book is not going to be a crowd pleaser, but there was something about it that makes it incredibly special. I feel lucky to have read an early version.

And, Bear is a BOTM add on for July. I have to say, BOTM is KILLING it with the picks lately.

Thank you to Hogarth and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Elena and Sam are living a drudge life in SanJuan Washington State. They are struggling to make ends meet as they take care of their mother who is suffering from a chronic and terminal pulmonary ailment. Sam has always survived on the hope that one day these bad times will end, their mother will pass, they will sell the ancestral house and escape the Island for a better life. But what if there is no such possibility? How will that affect the relationship between the siblings and their whole life? In the midst of this, a bear is found trolling the area. Elena and Sam are both obsessed with the bear but while Elena loves the bear, Sam hates it. Loosely based on the characters of the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red, this is literary fiction to the core. It is a story of complex sibling relationships. It is a also a meditation on the disastrous consequences resulting from despair. When all hope is lost and there is no light to be seen at the end of the tunnel. This is more a character study than plot-based. The language is easy and atmospheric. My one big grouse was that that I could not bring myself to really like any of the characters. Except the bear maybe..
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group Hogarth Books and Julia Phillips for the ARC

A modern, visceral, fairytale, Phillips weaves a mesmerizing story of two sisters that's both profound and relatable. Elena and Sam’s strong bond begins to unravel when a mysterious bear shows up at their house, revealing themes of sisterhood, sacrifice, and the stories we tell ourselves. The writing is beautifully straightforward yet deeply emotional, exploring themes of loss, hopelessness, and shifting realities. The plot moves swiftly, which kept me absorbed until the (surprising, complicated) end and Phillips skillfully draws readers into the atmospheric world. I was thoroughly mesmerized. For fans of Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang and Shark Heart by Emily Habeck.

I liked the sisters and their relationship . The middle of the story was slow paced for me but I am glad I stuck with it. THe ending was surprising

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

When I was a kid I would read out of a big book of fairy tales and one of my favorite stories was Snow White and Rose Red. I was interested in how this would be an adaptation of that story and it did not disapoint! I loved the writing and characters. I saw that people didn't like the character of Sam but I thought she was interesting and frustrated with her life. Putting the fairy tale in the context of a poor working class family and the interpersonal relationships within it was so smart. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes literary fiction and people interested in books focused on family dynamics.

This story will not end the way you expect it to. This is an enigmatic story about the struggles of two sisters and the different ways in which they deal with it. The characters are well formed and interesting. The plot is tight and detailed which allows the reader to keep track of what is taking place. It is a unique story.

This was a good read for me. I felt the writing itself was well done and compelling. Both the characters and the settings were well fleshed-out and vivid. I really enjoy reading about family, particularly the complexities of sisterhood, and this book did not disappoint. It was perhaps slow and stilted at times, but not overly so. I can appreciate slower paced books that are really crafting a detailed and vast picture for the reader. I also didn't mind that the characters weren't perfectly likable at all times, who is? My main note is I wish the sisters were a little more clear in their view points and actions. I wanted to know exactly why they believed what they did and acted the way they acted. It would have made the story even more compelling and easier to be invested in. overall, recommend!

Thank you for this ARC! I loved this book. The characters were so engaging and the setting was absolutely magical. I think I will go back and read Phillip's other books. I highly recommend this story, especially if you are a fan of magical realism and adventure novels.

This book gutted me. I wasn't sure what I was getting into exactly. I figured there would be a bear and maybe some human-nature interaction, but this book was so much more. Two sisters who have given up their latter teens and 20s to take care of their mom who is slowing dying from complications of sarcoidosis are doing typical sisterly things... supporting each other, bickering, and hiding their deepest darkest desires. The relationship between the sisters and their mom is the core of the story, but then nature offers up a gift of sorts via a bear. Set against the backdrop of the San Juan Islands (if you've never been, it is one of the most gorgeous parts of the US), Bear shows is what beauty and ugliness can happen when humans keep secrets and make not the best choices.

4.5 stars, The only reason it wasn't a 5 for is that I couldn't understand why the mom wasn't on disability and Medicaid. This is the exact reason why these safety nets are in place. As a Pulmonary clinical pharmacist, I just wanted to get her a lung transplant evaluation ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Hogarth for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I received a copy from NetGalley. There really is a bear, but it also stands for a like of things on other levels if you take the time to think about it. A story of two sisters and their life taking care of their ill mother in a small town. I like someone else's comment that it may have worked better as a long short story instead of a short novel, as it often seemed to drag with no forward movement. Then again, that is what the younger sister felt her life was like.