Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Random House/Hogarth for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Bear is the story about two sisters, Elena and Sam, who dream of a better life and face many battles, ranging from debt to family illness, that stand in the way of these dreams. Then, following a chance sighting, a wild bear shows up in the water near their home and then even closer— sparking two very different reactions from the sisters and setting of a life changing series of events.

The first thing I have to say about this book is just WOW. Wow doesn’t even cover it and I know I’ll be thinking for a while about how to eloquently put my thoughts together on this one. But Julia Phillips really does an unbelievable job in this story and it is just absolutely stunning. In reading the synopsis of the story, I could never have guessed what she would be able to accomplish here, in a mere few hundred pages but, it is just stunning. The introduction of this bear into the story pulls out long standing dreams, frustrations, worries, resentments, and forgotten feelings of joy from the two sisters— for a whole host of reasons. The writing in this story is beautiful, yet not overly complicated, and brought me right into the moment with these characters; relatable emotions written about here, related to loss and hopelessness and frustration, really touched me so deeply and I empathized with the characters greatly. The author made it easy to understand how circumstances in life could cause these characters to shift their motivations, their plans, and to both sharpen/lose sight of reality.

The plot of this story moved along so swiftly and kept me entranced the whole way through— I finished this book in a sitting because I just had to know how it would finish. I could have never guessed the ending and it left me feeling so conflicted and with such a wide range of emotions. I cannot wait until more people have the chance to read this and I look forward to hearing what people think. The author did an excellent job at showcasing many perspectives in this story, leaving you wondering on where you should align (whether that alignment was even reasonable or not), and I am intrigued to hear what other people will think.

I know this book will be a huge hit and I absolutely recommend it to others. This is a fantastic book club pick and I think that literary fiction fans will just love it. I hope to reread this myself at some point in the future!!

Immersive, engaging, and atmospheric. A recommended purchase for collections where litfic is popular.

This novel about two sisters, their dying mother, and the unexpected bear that appears on San Juan Islands is a quick and probing read. It's hard to write a review without giving anything away. Elena, the older sister, loves living on the island and "befriends" the bear. Sam, her younger sister, is afraid of the bear and longs to leave the island. Both young adult sisters work endless shifts trying to care for their mother.. When Sam discovers that Elena is involved with a neighbor, a person who she grew up with next door, and that she has no intentions to sell their mother's house and leave the island, Sam takes out her anger on the bear. It's a novel about sibling and wild life, dreams and loss.