1.42k reviews for:

Bear

Julia Phillips

3.39 AVERAGE

maria_t90's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

gardensoup's review against another edition

1.0

slow-paced

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It rly is pretty boring, a whole lot of nothing to explain the sister’s lives and family but also doesn’t add to any plot or development.

I listened to the audiobook so only half paying attention but like 

lowkey Elena giving bear lover in the bad way  — wdym “this bear is different”, “he’s not dangerous like the others”, “he’s the best thing that happened to me” like huh??

None of the characters are really likable and there is no growth or message. I also don’t think I really get or like the fact that a bear was used as the catalyst for change in the sisters’ lives. 

Like it fr is just a bear that Elena seems to put so much meaning into. It’s weird and insane, that a bear lead Elena to achieve eudaimonia.

Elena has no traits except being the bear-lover and being idolized by Sam

Sam is bitter, entitled, arrogant and impulsive.

Like I’m trying to finish it to see if it’ll get any better or I am missing something that needs the ending to connect the dots but really this novel is just odd, boring, and frustrating 

bmanatee_reads's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kenkrule's review against another edition

2.0

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

arodericks's review against another edition

2.75

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Likes: setting of San Juan islands, story of sisters, mysterious actions of the bear
Dislikes: very slow, MC was unlikeable, but maybe just too immature?, lacking character development. 

inky_7993's review against another edition

3.25

emotional tense fast-paced

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

actually_anne's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

radagast_the_brown's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I picked this up because it speaks to the wildness of the San Juan Islands after having spent some time on Orcas (I didn’t go to the main cabin on the ferry but I can get an idea). It was ultimately a shallower and less emotionally-intense version of Eowyn Ivey’s recent book Black Woods Blue Sky for me. Sorry :/ 

marinhollingsworth's review against another edition

2.0

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Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sister book, but I just felt so bored through much of this. Then, there wasn’t even a nice wrap up for the sisters before a terrible ending. Disappointed, for sure.

danistormborn's review against another edition

3.75

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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I liked the book a lot at first. The sisters' struggles and dreams were relatable, the bear seemed both exciting and dangerous. But as the story went on and the sisters' relationship grew more fraught, their mother's health deteriorated, and the dangers mounted (the bear, their debt, the law, other people, etc.), things become more uncomfortable--for them and for me-and I'm ultimately not sure how I felt about it all.