Bear by Julia Phillips is a novel love, loss, and nature. Sisters, Elena and Sam, live with their mom in their family home on San Juan Island. Elena is a waitress at the local golf club and Sam operates the concession stand on the ferry. Their mother, who worked as a nail stylist, is dying from numerous breathing issues created by the daily exposure to chemicals at the nail salon. The sisters are surprised to find a large black bear on their porch one morning. The story unfolds from there with mom's health, the mounting expenses and bills, and the sisters contact with the bear. The Bear does not involve the bestiality in Marian Engle's 1976 novel Bear, but it does explore the relationships between humans and wild animals. As a humorous aside, there is are two sentences in the book where Phillips plays on the word bear: the girls, living with their mom and her boyfriend, found the situation unbearable; another when Sam expresses her feelings about Elena, Sam feels "unbearably" good.
Highly recommended for discussion groups, especially if paired with the older Engle's novel

The description of Bear as a ‘mesmerizing’ story of two sisters in the Pacific Northwest who encounter a bear that changes the course of the relationship and ultimately of their lives, plus a blurb from Angie Kim who wrote my favorite novel of 2023 (Happiness Falls) was more than enough to pique my interest. While the San Juan Island setting was excellently drawn, the rest of the story unfortunately just completely missed the mark for me.

This story is written from the perspective of 28-year-old Sam, who lives with her older sister Elena and their mom in a small house on San Juan Island. Sam describes a close bond with her sister their entire lives, and they’re currently just scraping by in jobs they have more or less out of necessity while caring for their sick mother. One fateful day, a bear wanders onto their property and the sisters react completely differently to it, with Elena becoming completely enamored by the creature in an almost mystical way, while Sam fears the animal and the destruction it’s capable of. The rest of the story progresses slowly from there to an unsettling ending.

For such a character-driven story, the characters themselves are what I struggled with the most throughout the pages. One of the things I enjoy most about character-driven novels is really diving into understanding who the characters are at their cores in terms of their morals and internal thoughts, and getting a sense of what drives them to do what they do. But Sam and Elena constantly felt at arm’s length to me, and I had a hard time following the rationale behind their actions when we never got enough background about either of them to really understand their motivations for why they acted the way they did, particularly in their responses to the bear. I especially had a hard time with Sam - I honestly loathed her, couldn’t get past her rudeness, condescension, immaturity and selfishness, and was disappointed that I didn’t see more development in her character. Like a few other readers before me have mentioned in reviews, I think alternating perspectives between Sam and Elena would have been a game-changer in being able to connect with them on any level.

While I really enjoyed the atmospheric nature-writing and sense of place, the prose in general felt a little overly and unnecessarily dramatic for my personal taste. Some reviews describe Bear as a modern-day fable, and it’s quite possible that there was some element of retelling/allegory within the pages that just went over my head and took away from my overall appreciation. However, I typically think of fables as ending in some sort of lesson or “moral to the story”, which I failed to find in this case. All in all, while I’d certainly give this author another try to experience her nature-writing again, this one unfortunately just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Julie Phillips’ Bear is a character study of the grit and dedication of sisters. Depending on your mood or book preferences, this story may fall flat or completely win you over. The plot doesn’t blast forward but the characters are well developed and real.

Pick up Bear if you’re into rich, beautiful characters and smooth writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of Bear in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4.5 rounded up. When I finished the arc and looked up the title on Goodreads, I was surprised by the mixed reviews (seems people love it or hate it). Reading the less enthusiastic reviews, it seems like those who didn't like the novel didn't connect with the character-driven narrative. Which is valid - if you're looking for a plot where a lot happens, this isn't the book for you. At least until the very end, anyway. Or if you're looking for a protagonist who always makes sympathetic decisions. Or if you are adverse to "depressing" situations. More literary than plot-driven.

But I really connected to this portrait of a sisterhood and human connection, very loosely on the fable of Snow White and Rose Red (I did not make that connection while reading but several reviewers noted it). Although a very slow burn to start, by the end my heart was so invested. The writing was beautiful.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Hogarth. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: General Fiction, Women's Fiction
Spice Level: Sex on page (mechanical and crude)
Language: Smattering of swearing

BEAR by Julia Phillips is hard for me to explain in a review. It highlights the tragedy of poverty, the loss of dreams, and disconnectedness. The sisters have always relied on each other, but the bear is a catalyst for change.

This book could be seen as literary because of the themes.

Somehow, I wanted to feel a little bit more "magic" in this. It's rather bleak.

So, this wasn't my personal favorite of the year, but it's well written, and I think many readers are going to love it.

Best reading to you!

This was kind of a let down mostly just because I had high expectations. I think others might enjoy it. It just missed the mark for me.

Another slow burning, character-driven story of human connection from Julia Philips, who is fast becoming my new favorite writer. Disappearing Earth is one of my top ten titles, and Bear does not disappoint. I will be interested in seeing how this one is received, as Philips moves from a large and varied cast of characters in DE to focus in on the lives of two working poor sisters whose understanding of each other and their close relationship is challenged in Bear. While this is a clever and thoroughly modern take on the Grimm fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red, don't expect any magical realism. It is heartbreakingly real, right up to and including the tragic ending. Incredibly well executed on both the sentence and story level. Massive thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy. Do not miss it!

I am honestly unsure how to review this book. I truly enjoyed it - but when describing it, there was not a ton that happened. It was very much about the bond of sisters, during good times and bad. Two adult sisters live with their ailing mother in Washington. Between their sick mother, old crumbling house and low paying jobs, the sisters are struggling financially. One of the sisters sees a bear swimming during her job on the ferry and is in awe. When the bear begins showing up at their house and in their neighborhood, they become obsessed. The story follows the sisters and their relationships - their hardships, celebrations and growth. I found it an interesting and quick read!

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Totally original! Some of the scenarios felt so natural to me, such as the mundane jobs and communication issues between the sisters. I truly felt the infatuation with the bear in their otherwise predictable lives.

Set on the San Juan Islands, “Bear”, by Julia Phillips is the story of two sisters living with and taking care of their terminally ill mother and struggling to make ends meet. In the midst of all this, a surprise visitor arrives, a giant Bear, that shows up unexpectedly on the island.

I was immediately drawn to this cover and am always pulled to the San Juan islands as a setting for a book despite the fact that they are still on my bucket list to visit. This book delivered on the moodiness and sense of place of Friday Harbor. However, this book struggled to deliver what I was hoping to find as far as plot and characters. In my opinion this book had multiple themes with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, none of them were flushed out for me to really understand the main thread. I had to keep guessing at the “point” that the author was trying to make, and because of that, I might have missed what the author was trying to achieve. And despite the multiple themes, there wasn’t a lot going on as far as action. The book was somewhat repetitive and read more literary, but without the character growth that I was anticipating. In fact, the ending was Incredibly disappointing because I did not see the growth of the characters. All of this said, I finished the book in two days and struggled to put it down while I was reading. The themes that I was building up in my mind, and the growth that I was expecting created a good book.... it just didn’t deliver in the end.

This book is a good choice for someone that doesn’t require a happily-ever-after and looks for hidden meanings in what they read. The story is centered around Sam, a selfish character that lives in a world of her own thoughts and desires and is oblivious to the real world happening around her. She takes no responsibility for her actions nor does she make any effort to better her situation.

I struggled with how to rate this book. I loved the setting on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But overall, I thought the book was depressingly sad and didn’t care for the storyline or the characters or the ending. It just wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I expected there to be a hint of paranormal in this unusual book. Seems like there was room for that but the author stuck with the mostly realistic. I found the story bland, depressing and was glad to be finished.

I really tried to like this book. It started off great but throughout the story I lost interest. The writing style was great and I continued reading because I was interested enough to want to know how it ended. This book was not for me, and I’ll explain below, but it might be the book for you, so please read other high star reviews!

Bear was a story about two sisters and their experience with an actual bear that is roaming their hometown. I didn’t appreciate the fear mongering and normalization of approaching wildlife in this story. I could usually look past these things for the integrity of the book, but this book honestly wasn’t good enough for me to feel captivated into believing the rhetoric. I didn’t love the dependence and obsession that one sister had with the other. The ending was terrible.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of Bear by Julia Phillips in exchange for my true thoughts.

Bear, by Julia Phillps, is a mesmerizing tale of two sisters, Sam and Elena, struggling to survive as their mother’s health slips away. Living in a crumbling house on a remote island off the coast of Washington, the two sisters work as waitresses on the ferry from the mainland and in the local golf club, while they dream of escaping to find new lives. Sam feels like “Cinderella picking lentils from the ashes,” and her fleeting relationship with a fellow ferry worker does little to provide her any spiritual comfort, but when she spots a bear swimming in the waters off the island and tells her sister about it, everything in their lives begins to change. Elena is entranced by the bear, a grizzly that marks the side of their house with his secretions and returns to devour the food left out for him, but Sam is frightened by the bear and contacts authorities and biologists in the hopes of removing him from their property.

Readers of fairy tales will recognize the patterns of The Brothers Grimm “Snow White and Rose Red” beneath Julia Phillips’ stark and stunning prose, but although Bear features two sisters (one light and conforming and one dark and rebellious), a devoted mother, a bear that enters the women’s domestic space, and even a bearded dwarf constellation, the novel is anything but a fairy tale. Phillips sets her novel solidly in contemporary, post-pandemic times, and her plot replaces storybook enchantment with an appreciation for the harsh and unforgiving natural world, with Elena explaining that the bear is magical and the best thing that ever happened to the sisters. Woven with flashbacks to their childhood, the novel presents Sam and Elena, now both close to thirty, attempting to reconcile their different approaches to life in the wake of their mother’s illness and the bear’s appearance.

I loved the authentic exploration of the sister’s tense but endearing bond in the novel. Together, they have faced an isolating childhood in a small community, and they have survived their mother’s abusive boyfriend, though his shadowy presence haunts the relationships both sisters enter into in their adulthood. As Sam and Elena’s life goals and responsibilities start to diverge, they must ask themselves where their devotion to each other ends and their individual desires begin. Phillips’ harrowing novel rings with the dark truths of life itself, and although it is heavily informed by fairy tales, the only happily-ever-after is found in the stories the sisters tell to comfort their heartbreak and loneliness. This book is a must-read for those who enjoy realistic, contemporary fairy tale retellings and nuanced explorations of family relationships. I will be thinking about Bear for a long time to come!

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

ulia Phillips' "Bear" is a mesmerizing tale that delves into the complexities of sisterhood, the allure of the unknown, and the profound impact of unexpected encounters. Set on a remote island off the Washington coast, the story follows Sam and Elena, two sisters yearning for a life beyond the limitations of their surroundings.

Phillips' writing is both lyrical and evocative, capturing the rugged beauty of the island and the emotional depth of the sisters' bond. The arrival of the bear, a mysterious and enigmatic creature, serves as a catalyst for change, forcing Sam and Elena to confront their deepest desires and fears.

The novel's exploration of sisterhood is particularly poignant, highlighting the love, resentment, and unwavering loyalty that bind Sam and Elena together. Their contrasting reactions to the bear add a layer of complexity to their relationship, revealing their differing perspectives on life, escape, and the power of connection.

While the bear is undoubtedly a central figure in the story, it also serves as a symbol of the wildness and unpredictability of nature. Phillips masterfully weaves together the themes of family, obsession, and the natural world, creating a narrative that is both captivating and thought-provoking.

However, the novel's pacing can be uneven at times, with the middle section feeling somewhat drawn out. Additionally, some readers may find the ending ambiguous and open to interpretation.

Overall, "Bear" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that explores the power of nature to transform lives and challenge our perceptions of the world around us. While it may not be for everyone, those who enjoy lyrical prose and stories that delve into the mysteries of the human heart will find this novel a rewarding read.

I was into this while reading it but its the type of book where i feel like shes building up to mak "a point" and idk if she stuck the landing. I left confused like there was both too easy of closure but actually none at all.

An achingly beautiful story; I barely set it down. The bone-deep love between Sam and Elena made me think of my own sister. The depictions of life on San Juan island brought to mind that Noah Kahan song, “The View Between Villages, and the sense of loving a place but being crushed by it.

As for that ending, while I wanted something different, I can’t deny it abides by what the epigraph told us all along: this is a fairytale, and as anyone who’s read Grimm knows, fairytales have teeth.

I was a huge fan of Phillips's debut novel, Disappearing Earth, especially for the way it created the highly immersive atmosphere of Kamchatka's wild and forbidding landscape. She accomplishes a similar feat in her second novel, set on San Juan Island, a slightly gentler, foggier landscape set in the straits between the Washington state mainland and Vancouver Island, reachable only by ferry.

Rather than a loosely-connected series of short stories, this is a tightly-focused family narrative, with a subtle (until it turns heavy-handed halfway through) overlay of dark Grimm fairy tales (which are alluded to, a little on-the-nose, in the novel's epigraph).

Elena and Sam are two working-class sisters in their early twenties who are nursing their terminally ill mother, who is dying of exposure to toxic chemicals she inhaled while working at a nail salon. Now her daughters are holding down low-wage jobs in the food service industry while submerged under mountains of medical debt. Sam is especially cynical and full of class-based resentment of the tourists she serves on long shifts at snack bar on the ferry, and clinging to the hope of selling the threadbare family home for a fortune and starting a new life elsewhere with Elena.

Elena is the responsible, level-headed, well-adjusted sister, but we only see her through the eyes of Sam, who is a highly unreliable observer, living under a series of adolescent delusions and self-delusions. In the novel's final third, Phillips skillfully detonates a series of narrative landmines that reveal just how maladaptive her fantasies and projections actually were.

When a male grizzly bear swims to the island during summer mating season, and starts threatening their house, the sisters have extremely opposed reactions to this enormous and powerful intruder, who is entering their lives just as their mother is leaving them prematurely. Sam perceives the bear as a threat to the family, and badgers the state wildlife authorities to remove it. Elena becomes enchanted by her (to her, magical) encounters with the bear in the woods as she starts feeding it on her way to and from work (gentle reader: do not try this at home, or on your next camping trip).

Phillips ratchets up the tension between the sisters, and between them and the authorities, and between them and a wild predator, as the situation escalates to a terrifying climax. This was a satisfying and disturbing reading experience, and much recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hogarth for providing me with an ARC of this novel, in exchange for an unbiased review.

While this book has an interesting premise it honestly just wasn’t for me. The plot is slow and unstructured in a way I didn’t love. It’s focused on two sisters who are dealing with their mother’s sickness and keep seeing a bear. The sisters react very differently to the bear (which maybe represents change?) which drives most of the novel.

While some people might find this book thought provoking I really struggled with it. Again I’m sure someone will love it but it just wasn’t my thing!

This story is about two sisters, Sam and Elena, however it follows in Sam’s POV. They’ve struggled throughout their childhood and adulthood, due to trauma, not having a lot of money, and their mom getting sick. Things got way worse for them during the pandemic, and a lot of pressure rode on Elena’s back during this time.

The two sisters are very different in their approach to life. They end up having very different experiences when a bear comes into their town. Sam is very fearful of the bear whereas Elena befriends the bear.

The story is very heartbreaking but beautifully written. I found myself feeling emotional throughout their mom’s sickness, plus the other stressors in their life and how it took a toll it took on them.

The ending wasn’t what I was expecting and I don’t feel satisfied with how it ended, but I think that was the point. This is a book that will definitely stay on my mind for quite a while. It makes for a very good book club book since there is so much to discuss.