A wonderful, intelligent novel. I absolutely loved the relationship between Sam and.Elena. You could feel the closeness, the tension, the resentment, but most of all the love is, the sisters had for each other. Factor in the relationship, the girls had with their mother. This book was quite simply fabulous when it came to family dynamics. The characters were well developed, and I truly cared about each and everyone of them.Then there was the bear. Who represent everything good and bad about their lives together. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful new novel by Julia Phillips. I will continue to follow her work closely and recommend spoke to friends and family..

Sam works concessions on a ferry in the Pacific Northwest and dreams of getting away with her sister, Elena, who works at a golf course bar. Both are struggling to pay bills while supporting their terminally ill mother. When an off-course bear turns up in their yard, each sister reacts very differently, causing a riff in their relationship and their shared future. This contemporary novel explores family dynamics and communication in a small-town setting.

3.5/5, rounded up

I wasn't sure what this book would be like but I can tell you: pretty bleak. I read that this book was an homage to Snow White/Rose Red but honestly, it just felt like two sisters who were in desperate need of help and therapy. I found the conceit of the bear kind of annoying, though I see what the author was trying to do. I like Julia Phillips' writing and I found that the story had some potential, but overall this book just didn't hit for me.

#Bear #NetGalley

A sad tale of two sisters, struggling to get by and keep dreams for the future alive. Their paths diverge…the reliable sister finding wonder, where the guarded one sees a threat. Anyone who has grown up in a small town can relate to chafing against the forced sameness of home and desiring more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC. After reading the synopsis I thought this would be a book about 2 sisters and a mystical bear. Yes, the story is about 2 sisters and a bear but there is nothing mystical about the bear. The bear is a really dangerous animal.
This book is well-written but a little too grim for my taste. The sisters are dealing with a dying Mother major money problems and their own sisterly issues. I did think the book was a good read just not my taste. I will say the description of the San Juan Islands was great. I have been many times and love this area.

⭐ 5 / 5

A HUGE thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse @hogarthbooks and @juliaphillipswrites for allowing me to read this eARC. The unbiased opinions presented in this review are my own.
—---
Dear Julia Phillips,

You owe me a strong cup of Pacific Northwest coffee.

I have, once again, willingly traded much-needed sleep for your writing - staying up far later than is advisable according to the doctrines of adult responsibility. After experiencing the moving beauty of Disappearing Earth, I should have known to save Bear for a weekend binge-reading session. Instead, in gluttonous desperation, I started Bear on a Sunday night, knowing I had to get up and act like a (mostly) coherent professional all week.

To my vexation, my workplace will not accept, my entirely reasonable explanation for a sick day - “I am far too exhausted to work because I stayed up disgustingly late finishing a book, and even after I finished, the ending kept me awake, staring at the ceiling for hours pondering allegories, the heartbreakingly ineffable beauty of the Puget Sound, the fragility of life, the complex feeling of serene melancholy, and themes evoking the Japanese world view of Wabi Sabi.”

I have learned my lesson. I will make sure to set aside vacation time for all future publications.

-Ruby

#bear #netgalley #juliaphillips #disappearingearth #randomhousepublishing #randomhouse #hogarthbooks #bookreview #literaryfiction #favoriteauthors

Two sisters are taking care of their dying mother, in the Pacific northwest. One becomes obsessed with a bear she saw in the water. It is sad in some places, interesting story.

This is a story about sisters. And a bear.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I didn’t realize that the majority of the book was going to be about the characters fussing and fretting over the presence of an actual bear. I expected something quite different, I suppose.

Even though this wasn’t necessarily the story I had hoped for, it was definitely a solid character study. It dove into relationships between the sisters and their ailing mother. I do not gravitate to stories that are character driven, but if that’s the type of story you prefer, this could certainly serve you quite well!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this ebook!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published June 25, 2024.

This is my first book by this author. I was drawn to it by the Pacific Northwest setting, and the idea of a bear showing up on an island.

Two sisters are caring for their dying mother on a wealthy island in the San Juan’s. However, they are barely scraping by and Sam dreams of her future inheritance and moving off the island. Elena, the other sister, is quite obsessed with the bear and tries to befriend it.

This is a slow moving book. I was bored a lot of the time but it did pick up significantly near the end when something happens that will test the sister’s relationship.

Elena and Sam, two sisters in their late twenties, struggling financially to survive on San Juan island off the coast of Washington state.
The sisters are close and depend on each other to bring home a wage to pay bills and take care of their dying mother. They live in an old run down house once owned by their grandmother.
Elena works at a golf club and Sam works for Anacartes Ferry company selling snacks to wealthy tourists and mainlanders.
One evening , at the end of Sam’s shift she spots a huge bear swimming in the channel .
Elena seems reluctant to believe the story about the bear until it shows up at their house a few days later.
As the weeks pass, the bear continues to show itself, wandering nearby.
Elena is in awe of such a majestic beast but Sam thinks she is being foolish and tries to stop her from “ making friends” with the bear.
I had to ask myself, why does the bear keep showing up on their property? Will the bear cause the sisters to argue and become distant from each other?
Julia Phillips has based this story on Brothers Grimm, Snow White and Rose Red. As in the fairytale is the bear magical for Elena and Sam or a harbinger of doom?
Bear is a fantastic tale of family, obsession and future dreams. It is a definite must read. Elena and Sam will remain in your heart long after you read the last page.
I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC!

I finished this book a few days ago, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It was a quick read, but the action developed slowly.

What a beautiful book. This modern retelling of Snow White and Rose Red hits all the spots if you're looking for exquisite writing, a book big on character development work those characters flawed and flailing, moody coastal/NW Pacific Island vibes that becomes a character in itself. Oh, and a bear. A bear that may or may not be a harbinger of magic and miracles, or mayhem and madness. Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read the eArc of this wonderful book.

Bear by Julia Phillips was difficult for me to read. In my opinion it is a depressing story, and as one of the characters is a sick mother on the brink of death being cared for by her two daughters who feel the weight of the responsibility along with the financial burdon it hit too close to home for me. I could sense the awe that was felt by the sister who wanted to befriend the bear, as well as the very sensible fear that the younger sister was feeling as her sister started acting infatuated with it. But other than that most of the story was a depressing diatribe on their miserable lives and what they've had to live through. I don't want to read about someone's depressing life situation without an uplifting ending.. Which this book didn't have. It wasn't what I was expecting, and just wasn't for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Random house for the ARC.

Did you ever feel like you had a unique connection or encounter with a wild animal? This forms the basis of 'The Bear', a story about 2 sisters that live with their mother, struggling to make ends meet in the Pacific Northwest. The sisters are struggling financially and mentally as they try to take care of their terminally ill mother. One day Sam spots a bear that is swimming towards their island, and the next day it shows up at their doorstep. Sam is afraid of the bear, but Elena becomes obsessed with it, to the point that she takes drastic actions that will affect them all. It's a tale of magical realism that pits two sisters against each other. Is this just an ordinary bear, or does it symbolize something so much bigger? It reads like a mash of fairy tale myths, sibling rivalry, and 'Beauty and the Beast'. A unique tale that draws you in.

I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for feedback on this book. I had not read the author's other book. I do like fiction. I didn't know what to expect from this book.

It took me longer to read this book than usual. I had a hard time getting into it. About half way into the book, I got more interested in the story. I started to really like the characters.

What initially, I thought, was a silly book, became a deeper meaningful book. I found myself, wanting to learn more about the characters. The characters developed meaningfully throughout the book. I could see the characters strengths and flaws.

The book is about family and love. The book is about identity and how we see ourselves compared to others. What I initially thought was a silly light story wàs really about something deeper and meaningful.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I look forward to reading more from the author.

This magical tale entwines the lives of two sisters struggling to survive with an otherworldly encounter with an all too-real fairy tale beast. At once entrancing and threatening, the grizzly embodies and reflects the dangers and passions the sisters face and the choices they make. Gripping and compelling, spell-binding and lyric, tragic and sublime.

Not what I was expecting, but pleasantly surprised! A book dealing with the family dynamics between two sisters in their late 20s taking care of their dying mother on the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Phillips did a phenomenal job describing the oddity of living in a small tourist town in the PNW that you just cannot seem to leave.

As soon as I opened this book and saw a map with my town on it I knew I was going to love this book.

Thank you Random House Publishing for a digital arc of this book. Reviews have been published on Goodreads and Storygraph (04/08/2024) and a review will be shared on Amazon on release day.

This was an unusual novel whose premise was difficult for me to embrace. My daughter lived in a rural area and the bears were a menace, we avoided them at all costs. It was not possible for me to accept the bear in this book having the curiosity to approach humans so readily and without malice. The details of the family’s life were heartbreaking. Our healthcare system is so flawed and the suffering as a result reflects badly on our government. I empathized with the sisters. However, ultimately, for me the novel failed to engage me. The horrific ending was unseen and surprising. I could not accept the mysterious allure of the bear. The author writes well but I question her choice of topic.

Sam and Elena are sisters, living on San Juan Island. Where the wealthy have vacation homes. Sam works the ferry while Elena works bartending at the golf club.

They live in the house of their Grandmother, who has died, and their mother who is terminally ill. The house is falling down around them and their mother’s medical bills are keeping them in debt. For years they have been planning their escape from the island. They’ll sell the house and move.

One day Sam spots a bear swimming to the island. The next day it is at their door! They are both terrified but one of them will become obsessed with the bear and that will change everything!

A beautiful and haunting story.


NetGalley/ Random House Hogarth/ June 25,2024

We have beautiful writing, a cool rustic island setting ive never even heard of. We have an element of danger (BEAR), with feeling trapped by the life we are living. We have past trauma. We have a strong sisterly connection. There is a cute, but stupid, dog. Loss and sorrow but also hope. I think when all these things are written out, this book sounds pretty special.

But there is a missing element, like the author didn't fully commit to any of these themes so while I really was impressed with the writing, the story fell short. I was never really scared of the bear. I know I should have been but wasn't. I guess I'm Elena in this situation but I also didn't really understand Elena even though I'm the first daughter, responsible one looking after their silly and annoying younger sibling but I just kept thinking...Elena stop being stupid and Sam just get out of there.

I am firmly TEAM SAM, even though she made poor decisions and her attention span was zero. And there are no teams. No one wins because this is codependency at its finest and I think Sam's better off which is maybe not the intention. I wanted more Madeline. I wanted some more action. Even after it all ends, I felt sadly disconnected and unaffected by it all. If anything, the story finally kicks off and then it's over. I don't know, I guess I'm dead inside.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.