A review by snarhooked
The Last Bear by Hannah Gold

3.0

3.5 stars for this book, although I acknowledge that the target audience of young children would likely rate it higher.

Spoiler

I think I found it too difficult to suspend my disbelief in the situation April and her father find themselves in. April is a neglected child yet no one seems to have picked up on this in the seven years since her Mum has died. Despite the mentions to her smelling of fox poo and cutting her own hair with garden scissors which make it clear there were visible signs of the neglect. Then her Dad is picked to monitor temperature readings in the Arctic for six months and is allowed to bring April too, with no one else on the island. There isn't even a handover with the last set of scientists, let alone any training for the pair. The neglectful parent is a neccessary plot device but in this book I felt it was too extreme and my concern for April distracted me from the main story.

The whole situation with Bear is pure fantasy and I can definitely see the appeal to a child reading this. April is able to care for and provide for her new friend in the way she wishes her Dad would do for her.

The illustrations by Levi Pinfold are gorgeous, although sometimes the way they obscure the text makes it difficult to read.

A good book for animal lovers.