Reviews

Bear, Otter, and the Kid by TJ Klune

ceruleanpages's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced

4.0

i can so clearly see why TJ Klune is my favorite author, his debut novel really shows his way with words, his humor and his ability to write emotional, gripping stories that make you laugh even while crying

the only downside with this one: the misogynistic and ableist language. i was able to understand the homophobic language in terms of the setting, but the other things i just can’t ignore when they come up a few times. i sincerely hope i made the mistake of reading an old version. and i mean, i know his future works are more respectful. 

arielml's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kerawil02's review

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3.0

i think i blacked out for like half of this book

lyssa99's review against another edition

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emotional

3.5

giuls_blurose's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

jessicajessica101's review

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5.0

4.5

" I love you, Otter.” He presses his forehead to mine. “I love you too, Bear,” he says, and then his lips are on mine, and we are on fire, and we burn the world.

T.J Klune a définitivement un don pour écrire une histoire, des personnages et une histoire d'amour totalement prenante et entraînante.

Au début du livre, j'étais un peu septique, je voyais les ressemblances avec le film "Shelter" et ça m'empêchait de totalement entré dans l'histoire.
Mais peu à peu, l'histoire est devenue plus complexe, plus profonde, et plus émouvante encore que celle du film, et je suis totalement tombée dedans.
La chute a été longue, la chute a été merveilleuse.

“You were the only thing that made me feel safe when the earthquakes threatened to break me. I needed you here because when you're not here, I don't have a home.”

J'ai adoré ma lecture tout simplement, j'ai adoré Bear,qui est un personne très complet, oui il se prend la tête pour rien, mais il a tellement de responsabilités à un si jeune âge que je ne m'attendais pas à autre chose de lui, j'ai aimé sa détermination à protéger Ty, j'ai aimé sa façon d'être tout simplement, c'est véritablement un personne terriblement attachant et j'ai hâte de lire plus de lui dans les prochains tome.

 "I’m sorry about a lot of things. I don’t know what it is we’re doing right now, and I don’t know if it will even last, but I don’t want to go anywhere again unless you’re with me. I didn’t think I still felt like that. But you want to know the moment I realized it all over again? When I looked at you and felt like the fight for you was all I’ve ever known?"

Otter.. mon dieu, je pense que les personnages masculin de l'auteur sont en train de devenir mes personnages masculin préférés. Entre Joe et Otter, mon coeur n'en peut plus. Otter est juste un ange vivant, il est adorable, tellement aimant, tellement doux, il est toujours prêt à se sacrifier pour ceux qu'il aime, mais aussi à se battre pour eux, durant tout le livre, on l'a découvert encore et encore et je n'ai qu'une envie, le découvrir de nouveau dans les prochains tome parce que sérieusement, ce duo de personne m'a totalement entraîné dans cette histoire.

“You want to know what it feels like to be castrated? Try having your nine-year-old brother protect you from your ex-girlfriend after you've told her you're in love with a man.”

Et Ty.. mon dieu, j'ai adoré ce personnage. C'est assez rare qu'un livre donne autant d'importance et de dialogue à un enfant de 9 ans, et j'ai juste adoré que l'auteur ait accordé une tellement importance à Tyson.
Pour résumé : Ty est un petit génie, hyper intelligent et intuitif, écologiste, activiste et "vegetarian". En anglais, il me semble que les deux notions de végétarien et de végétalien sont confondues plus ou moins. J'ai vu cependant des rewiew qui se plaignaient que l'auteur ne savait pas de quoi il parlait et que Ty était "vegan". Premièrement, c'est un enfant de 9 ans, je ne pense pas qu'il se donne de label précis, deuxièmement, le livre a été écrit en 2012 donc avant que le veganisme soit aussi connu, et enfin Ty ne se définit jamais, c'est toujours Bear qui en parle, et comme il ne comprend pas trop pourquoi son frère fait ça, ça ne me surprend pas qu'il n'utilise pas les bons termes (J'ai annoncé à ma mère il y a quelque chose que je voulais aller vers une alimentation plus végétale, donc sans viande ou produit animalier, elle m'a tout de suite parler de végétalisme donc...)
Enfin bref, tout ça pour dire que je ne tiens pas rigueur à l'auteur de la précision de ses terme, et que j'ai adoré la place accordée à Ty et j'ai hâte d'en lire plus et de voir Ty grandir.

Pour finir, encore une fois dans ce livre, l'auteur a accordé une énorme place aux personnages secondaires, et j'ai encore une fois adoré ça. L'auteur ne nous présente pas seulement deux personnages centraux avant de se concentrer sur eux, il nous présente une histoire, il nous décrit un petit univers à part où plusieurs personnages évoluent, et il accorde de l'importance à chacun d'entre eux. Comme dans Wolfsong, on rencontre une famille, qui prend soin des uns des autres, et terriblement addictive.

maxfelixwp's review

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Wanted desperately to love it - and made it about halfway through! - but couldn't make it work. I love the author, and I was drawn to the set-up: small Pacific Northwest seaside town, a young man dealing with an impossible situation with his younger brother, a powerful found family story, an unlikely romance... 

At first, I really enjoyed it, and I was really struck by the writing from Bear's perspective. His journey, pain, love, and relationships felt completely believable to me. 

But then we switch to Otter's perspective, and the whole tenor changed for me. It's one thing for Bear to have a teenage crush on an older boy - that's very normal. And they didn't have their first connection until Bear was well past 18, already graduated and responsible for Ty - again, very normal and okay. And they don't reconnect more seriously until Bear is 21 - fine. But in Otter's flashbacks, Otter makes it explicit that he was attracted to Bear when Bear was 16 and Otter was 24!!!! Of course he didn't act on it, and they don't reconnect until Otter is in his late 20s to Bear's 21 - but the core of their relationship being a 24-year-old's attraction to a 16-year-old really sours it for me. I saw the whole thing differently at that point and couldn't get back into it. 

I do appreciate that a young guy and an older man is very common in MM romance (and in the lives of real-life gay men) - as a gay trans masc myself, I understand that. But a flat-out attraction to a 16-year-old, which the older man hides from other people in his life as well, just doesn't sit well with me. 

the_gare_bear's review

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4.0

I really do think that I have a bit of a addiction to Mr. Klune's books. I purchased all 4 books in this series so I wouldn't have to wait to keep reading as I finish one book.

Once again a great story that is firmly based in reality and the way people act/behave. Especially in a small town. Reading the story of Bear, Otter, and the Kid was such a journey. So far so good, the series really explores what it is like to have responsibilities thrust upon you at an early age due to circumstances beyond your control.

I look forward to continuing the series and seeing where this journey will go.

laurenfloyd333's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

wintergirl94's review

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5.0

As usual I love everything and anything TJ Kline produces. No one writes romance like him it’s so precious and beautiful. Otter and Bear were soulmates, no one makes me believe in them more than this writer.