I was SO excited for this novel - I adored Phillips' previous novel Disappearing Earth immensely, recommended it to everyone that would listen. She has such a talent for environmental descriptions and setting the scene, so I was very much looking forward to Bear set in the PNW.

It started off slower than I'd hoped with a much, much smaller cast of characters than Disappearing Earth: an insular family of one mother, two daughters. The adult daughters are understandably miserable, trapped in their small town working demanding minimum wage jobs and caring for their terminally ill mother. Until a bear is sighted in town, seemingly following the women's path.

I had high hopes but feel the pace and content was just not "it". It felt so simple compared to Disappearing Earth - plot, characters, story arc, etc. The scene writing was still beautiful, but the rest left something to be desired.

2.5 stars, rounded up. I appreciated this book, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. Phillips's writing is beautiful, but this story of sisters who are barely eking out a living while supporting their dying mother was a tough one for me, and left me feeling pretty depressed. I was very frustrated with Sam, the main character, and I didn't enjoy spending the entire story in her head. I loved the setting in the San Juan Islands, and the appearance of a migrating bear in the lives of the sisters was interesting - but that ending! Oof! No spoilers, but it was brutal. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hogarth for a digital review copy.

This novel is truly wonderful. I was completely entranced by the characters, the vividly depicted setting, and nods to fairy tales. Julia Phillips is an exceptional writer who skillfully draws readers into her richly imagined world. The story does get intense at times, adding to its emotional depth and complexity. Despite these intense moments, the book remains captivating and thought-provoking. I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel to anyone looking for outstanding and engaging literary fiction. Phillips' storytelling talent makes this a must-read.

Bear, by Julia Philips, is a compelling but dark novel about two sisters, close in age, and their mother, who is terminally ill from the toxic chemicals in her former work in a hair and nail salon. The story is told by Sam, the younger sister (by 15 months), and the more vulnerable of the two sisters. Sam has a tedious job on a ferry working at the concession stand, and Elena, her older sister works as a server at the local country club. Throughout much of the book, Elena appears to be a loving, supportive, and helpful sister toward Sam. However, much of her life is recondite, and we really only understand her motivations and emotional instability as the book progresses.

One evening while she is working on the ferry, Sam is surprised as she observes a bear swimming alongside the ferry. She is more surprised when the bear seems to develop an affinity for the family house, physically chewing on it and rubbing against it. Then Sam realizes that Elena is the primary reason why the bear approaches the house. Elena has developed an almost gothic affection for the bear, and as this obsession increases, she sees herself as the bear's friend and almost a kind of confidant. Sam realizes that Elena has a frightening and unsettling predilection for the bear which worries Sam. She contacts a wildlife biologist who meets with Sam, and who discusses the danger associated with Elena's affection for the bear.

Sam and Elena and their mother live in a gloomy house that needs a lot of improvements that they are unable to pay for. They are on the San Juan islands and their house is surrounded by many trees and lots of greenery. Elena tells Sam that once their mother is gone, they will be able to sell this house and leave this island, a declaration that turns out to be untrue.

There are two men Sam is somewhat interested in, but it turns out that one of them is in love with Elena. Sam has a physical relationship with the other young man, and he does mature as the book proceeds.

The violent end of the book is rather predictable, but at the same time it is shocking. It also reveals the truth about Elena and opens the truth of the relationship of Elena and Sam.

Bear is a captivating book with a distinctive story line.

Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

4 stars

Phillips's _Disappearing Earth_ is in the top five of books I recommend most often, and as an English professor, I get asked for A LOT of book recommendations. I could not wait to read this newest effort, which is entirely distinct from its predecessor in all but their similarly fabulous stylistic notes. It is also an absolute gem.

Sam and Elena are sisters bound not only by blood but also by a challenging past and present. While there's intense intimacy in their shared experiences, there is also a remarkable distance that - especially with a post-pandemic world as their setting - is extraordinarily depicted and even highlighted by Phillips. In some ways, both are literal and figural outcasts, and this separation from the norms of society sets them up to really revel in a seemingly remarkable event: the appearance of the titular bear on their property and in their community at large.

It's full disclosure time. I've taught folk and fairy tales in several distinct college literature courses for over 20 years, so I could not separate this text from my incoming knowledge of certain tales that tie in exceptionally well to the plot, themes, and characterization here. I'm not sure what it's like to read this novel as a standalone (i.e., without that incoming knowledge), but having that background really made me appreciate another layer here.

This is an understated, but gripping, read, and it made me appreciate Phillips even more (which is saying a lot). I am looking forward to all future writing from this author.

I found Julia Phillips' Bear an odd and compelling read. The novel builds on the story of Snow White and Rose Red, but also charts its own direction. Like the original story, readers meet two sisters, their mother, and a bear. They (meaning the sisters and mother) live in a crumbling house on one of the islands off the Pacific Northwest coast. Money worries are ever-present.

Elena, the older sister, who tends bar at the local golf club, has been handling the family's finances, unable to prevent their falling further into debt as their mother needs continuing medical care.

Sam had hoped to get a state job on one of the ferries circling among the islands and the mainland. A state job would mean insurance, possibly a pension. Instead, Sam winds up working in the food and drink stands on the ferries—but food and drinks are provided by an outside contractor, which means Sam doesn't get the benefits she's hoped for.

Their mother, who spent her life working as a manicurist, is dying as a result of lung damage she incurred from the solvents and other chemicals she was exposed to daily.

One night, Sam spots a bear swimming alongside the ferry. The next morning, the bear has planted itself on the walkway to the family's home. The sisters respond to the bear in diametrically opposed ways. Sam is terrified and wants park services or wildlife control—or whatever the right government division is—to move the bear off the island. Or kill it. Elena is entranced by the bear: she approaches it with increasing closeness and begins feeding it as well. As far as she's concerned, the bear is no threat and is the most exciting thing she's experienced living on the island.

There are other characters: a male neighbor who has begun to help the family with home repairs; a man working on the ferry with whom Sam is having a not-quite-friends-but-definitely-with-benefits relationship; a mainland doctor who is becoming increasingly aggressive about past-due bills; and that someone Sam was hoping for—a woman who works in the state department of wildlife. But none of these characters appears to be a real ally.

The novel is told from from Sam's perspective, so readers best understand her frustrations, dreams, and responses to the bear's presence. Sam has spent her life counting on her sister Elena, who she believes will always be beside her. She knows that once their mother is gone, they will sell their home and the land it stands upon and will move to the mainland to live a life of relative ease.

Gradually Sam begins to suspect that she doesn't know Elena as well as she thought she did and that their hopes for their lives are not as closely aligned as she'd always thought they were. Like Sam, we readers are unsure about who Elena is and what motivates her. The world we're experiencing is definitely Sam's world.

The novel Bear walks balances the fine line between realism and magic and leads readers to guess (in a good way) about what the final outcome will be in the relationship between Sam and Elena and between both sisters and the bear. If you're looking for an interesting and compelling read, Bear can provide exactly that.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Bear.. was something.
It is a very atmospheric novel about two sisters, Sam and Elena, who live on the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington. They live in a dilapidated house that their grandmother bought, who passed when the girls were very young. Now, their mother is in that same bedroom withering away from a terminal illness. Sam and Elena are the sole caregivers.
The medical bills are piling up along with a multitude of others, even with working double shifts and almost no days off their heads are barely above water. However, they have a plan: once their mother passes on they can sell the house and take the money from the sale to get off this godforsaken island. That was the plan anyway; until a bear appeared at their front step.

I have some things to praise and some things to gripe about. I'll start with the praise.
You don't notice it until after you've finished the ~300-page read, but there is A LOT packed into Bear. Flashbacks, inner monologues, and self-reflection accompany the normal dialogue and present-day plot. Phillips also does a wonderful job of making you feel the sister's struggles. While their dire situation brings you down, the friendship between Sam and Elena lifts you back up still making it an enjoyable reading experience.

Now, the gripes.
There are no chapters in this book. It makes it hard to soldier on when you see multiple hours "left in this chapter". There are breaks in the book that slightly mimic chapters so at least there are stopping spots, you just don't know how long it will take you to get there.
I loathe Elena. I was pretty neutral on both sisters, given their circumstances, but in the back quarter of the novel I couldn't handle Elena anymore. Sam had her immature moments and throughout the whole book, Phillips feeds you the narrative of "big sister" and "little sister" when in reality there are only fifteen months between them. Sam is 28 and Elena is 29, almost 30. They are both adults. Some of Elena's choices did not sit right with me, I'm #teamsam.

Books like Bear push me out of my comfort zone, which is something I think every reader should do from time to time. You never know when you will find a new genre or book you love if you keep yourself in a box. Unfortunately, not all of them will be winners and Bear was not one for me.

P.S.
Don't feed bears.

I appreciated the atmosphere of this book but I found it to be a bit of a slough, I wish it could have ended in a less depressing way.

I expected to be as compelled by this as I had been by Disappearing Earth, alas I wasn’t. In some ways, a retelling of Rose Red and Snow White, two sisters navigate the low end of the financial spectrum on one of the beautiful islands off Seattle, while dealing with the impending death of their mother and more. Atmospheric, certainly, and the characters, especially the younger sister, Sam, is thorny, the mystery and horrible fairy tale aspect of the bear, but there were things I found impossible to buy into - that in a tiny house where mother and daughters live, the sisters, who are presented to us, through Sam’s POV as incredibly close, would not actually talk about things, the foundation upon which Sam has based her life these last several years, about the future she and Elena, will end up having. I also found it quite repetitive, the same things being presented but mostly in the same way. Lots of surprising reveals that come late, and though the backstory is well twined into the forward story, it still felt like a lot of backstory for quite a long time. I’m sad this was my reaction, and many will love it, but it just never fully engaged or compelled me.

Thanks to Hogarth and Netgalley for the arc.

The bond between sisters can both be strong and fragile. Sam is very close to her older sister Elena. El takes the responsibility of managing the home and finances as their mother slowly wastes away. The chance encounter of a bear strains their relationship. Misunderstandings and secrets start to emerge. Does the bear bring them together or tear them apart? All relationships are fragile.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it. My book club is all women and all have sisters.

Thank you NetGalley.

I was promised a modern fable, but instead I feel like I just slogged through a long, pointless shift selling coffee to tourists. "Bear" is beautifully written but the plot does not build toward something meaningful or even especially surprising. I was expecting a touch of magical realism at the bare minimum. Ugh.

I enjoyed "Disappearing Earth" by Julia Phillips, so I was excited to read her sophomore effort, "Bear." And while the writing is still good, the story in this one just didn't resonate with me: Two sisters are scrabbling out a working class living in the Pacific Northwest, taking care of their dying mother and dreaming of the day they can sell up and move somewhere--anywhere--else. And then a bear arrives and changes everything. A spirit of magical realism and fairy tale infuses this book, with obvious references to the sisters in "Snow White and Rose Red" and to "The Little Match Girl," who endures her miserable present by keeping alive the flame of hope for a brighter future. And, although this isn't a style I particularly like or gravitate to, I credit Phillips for trying something new. That said, the characters felt one dimensional (Sam's bitterness toward the wealthy ferry passengers she serves is her most dominant character trait) or like fairy tale tropes (the beautiful, ever-laboring Elena as Cinderella). And their mother's predicament should have been an emotional center of the book but I could never get very invested in her character, perhaps because of the inconsistency of her presentation as both a woman who has always been fiercely protective and devoted to her daughters AND as someone who brought a physically abusive boyfriend into their home for over a year. These contradictions may indeed reflect many people's reality, but in the absence of any more nuanced development of the character, they ended up distancing me from one of the central storylines in the novel. And the other storyline--Elena's relationship with a wild grizzly bear--was just frustrating and difficult to believe (even though I am, of course, aware of real-life instances of people asserting that they have tamed the wildlife around them--often with devastating consequences). Bottom line: This one was not for me, but if you enjoy magical realism/fairy tale homage, then you might have a completely different take on "Bear."

Thank you to NetGalley and to Hogarth/Random House for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

I found this book mesmerizing and hard to put down. The author perfectly captures the balance of grief and need for agency and autonomy in Sam. I loved the relationship between the sisters, the gorgeous writing, and the everyday moments described throughout the story. Definitely a top book I’ve read so far this year. I’ll recommend to friends.

Unique character-driven sister story set in the Pacific Northwest and centered around a bear that has been seen on their island.

I stayed interested because of the writing and fairytale-like qualities.

This is weird and sad and somewhat beautiful. I don’t think I will forget it.

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.

Two sisters, born less than two years apart, struggle to survive in the San Juan Islands and help their dying mother at the end of her days. The mother’s abusive boyfriend leaves scars on them all before being forced to leave their humble home. Along comes a huge grizzly who enchants the oldest sister, but scares the youngest. Secrets. Apparently the girls are not as close as one thinks. I could not put this one down or stop thinking about it afterwards.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

Phillips newest novel, Bear, is a contemporary retelling of the fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red. Sister Elena and Sam are sisters living with their terminally ill mother on the island of San Juan, Washington. Sam sees no future on the island and wants desperately to start a life on the mainland. Enter the bear, a wild grizzly that captures Elena's heart and drives a wedge between the sisters.

The writing is beautiful, as are the descriptions of the island. Phillips takes her time and development of the characters is very well done. The story itself is dark, much darker than I was expecting. While it didn't hit that right spot for me, I can understand where those giving it a five-star review are coming from. Publication date is June 25th.

Bear
Julia Phillips
ARC - Pub date June 24, 2024

I think Julia Phillips is a genius and I loved her last novel - Disappearing Earth. This book is just as mesmerizing as Disappearing Earth but in a totally different way. Bear combines elements of fairy tales with the harsh reality of life.

The Bear follows two sisters, Elena and Sam, as they struggle through life post-COVID on San Juan Island, Washington. Sam and Elena work very mundane jobs and struggle to make enough money to take care of their very ill mother. The bond between Elena and Sam is beautiful but also very devastating. Both sisters have dedicated their whole adult lives to not only caring for their mother but to each other. Sam and Elena’s entire world changes when a bear shows up (yes a real bear). Elena becomes almost obsessed with the bear and sees it as a good omen. Sam, on the other hand, is scared of the bear and wants it to leave the island as soon as possible. The bear forces both sisters to evaluate their lives, goals, and dreams. This is a modern-day fairy tale but the characters are forced to deal with very real issues (poverty, duty, love). The bear causes a very intense rift between the sisters that continues to grow throughout the novel.

I thought this book was beautiful but I was left with a ton of questions at the end. I wished there would have been more insight into the bear and the sisters' relationship with it. Also, I just could not connect with either Elena or Sam in this novel. The ending felt abrupt but in hindsight it did make a great deal of sense.

P.S. - The cover of this book is stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julia Phillips, and Random House for this ARC

Well I can appreciate the fairytale/fable tied up in a poor working class family, the main character Sam, was deplorable, her motivations lacked reason and as someone who is a sister and has grown up with a level of trauma she was incredibly narcissistic and my hatred for her grew and I lost almost all sympathy and empathy by the end.

"Bear" by Julia Phillips was such an unexpected surprise. This was such a touching book. I enjoyed the bond between the two sisters and everything they had to overcome while still maintaining their own identity separate from each other. I enjoyed the way the bear was both a literal and somewhat mythical creature that meant different to both te sisters but equally important. I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished reading it,