A sweet story of a girl, maybe the last. She is forced to make a long voyage home and here f in nds what is real and important. We never find out what happened to the people, which I liked. In the end, it is a story of not just survival but becoming.

A very unusual and well-written tale about the last two people on Earth. The story follows a young girl and her father, surviving long after civilization has apparently crumbled. He teaches her all of the necessary survival skills she will need when he passes on. They follow a path to the sea in order to get salt to help cure some meat, and things become much more difficult from that point on. Beautifully written and reminiscent of Native American lore, this book was a quick read but touching nonetheless. A wonderful story that will stay with me for a long time.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Survival is the theme of this book and the way it is written and simplified, it’s as if you are in this survival situation. There is a vagueness throughout the book of any backstory and the curiosities that wouldn’t exist in today’s world as we know it and that vagueness is poetic. There are moments where the book feels like a “how-to” of surviving in the woods alone, and a basic foundation of a life cycle at the same time. This book wasn’t a “couldn’t put it down” book, but more like following along someone’s life journey when time allowed and it was a different way to approach a book. Like an old friend you haven’t spoke to in awhile but then it feels like no time has passed when revisiting. The story line is predictable enough with no real climax and a soft end but it was poetically written. Would recommend.

What a beautifully written story. It’s a quick read, but I was near tears in multiple parts. Lovely, lyrical, and like a fairy tale. Highly recommend.

I struggled to connect with this story because of the lack of attachment to the characters and their story. A girl and her father are presumed to be the last two people on earth. They live in the woods and we see the struggles they go through to survive. It is a definite survival story but there were several times when I grew bored or lost with the point of it all and the flowery, descriptive way that Krivak writes.
I was given an AR copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley.

This was a beautiful little story about a girl, her father and a bear, well also of the connection we all used to have with nature. The book shows what life would be like without all of our conveniences. I wish it had been longer as it was a joy to read and I would loved to have had it continue.

The Bear
a novel by by Andrew Krivak
Bellevue Literary Press
This book really needs a subtitle: Two Characters (and a Bear) in Search of a Plot.. Andrew Krivak's novel is worth reading only to marvel at his beautiful, lyrical prose. Krivak tells the story of a man and his very young daughter who may be the only living people in the world. As the child grows up in the first half (literally) of the novel, he teaches her the skills she will need when he is no longer there. He also tells her some delightful fables of the woods (for me, this was the best part of the book).

In the second half of the book, the young woman (now alone) has adventures with a talking bear, a puma who rescues her from drowning and an eagle who feeds her when she is starving. Within a page turn, she is old and dying. End of story.

The book is a cross between the pseudo-spiritualism of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and the practical realities of Two Little Savages : The Adventures of Two Boys Who Lived as American Indians, a book I eagerly read as a child.

Andrew Krivak is a great writer. For me, this is not a great book, though i'm sure many people will have a differing opinion. I read this book courtesy of Bellevue Literary Press and NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book that really makes you think about the future and the choices that we as humans are making today and the causes they will have on our planet and what is in store for our future.

Set some time in the future after the collapse of civilization as we know it. This is a lovely story about a girl and her father that takes a slightly magical turn part-way through the book. The writing is beautiful and I found something very appealing about all of the little things the characters did to keep going and survive in this new world. Creating tools for hunting and fishing, traveling toward the ocean for salt, etc. While nothing is ever explained about the events that lead to the girl and her father being the last two humans presumably alive, it never felt lacking. Beautiful imagery and story.
I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for my honest review.

Civilization has collapsed and humankind is extinct save for two survivors, Father and Girl. They live in a house constructed of timber, stones and cement, a house with a glass window, "a precious hand me down". The dwelling is set halfway up the mountain slope along the old eastern range of "the mountain that stands alone".

Once they were a family of three. Girl was born on the day of the summer solstice. Yearly, on this day, Father and Girl climb to the top of "the mountain that stands alone" to visit mother's resting place,"in the shade of the ledge shaped like a bear".

Father teaches Girl about the land, bodies of water, how to "approximate" time, and how "to read" the stars and constellations. She learns to craft implements for hunting game and catching fish. Respect for the natural world comes in the form of fables about how a bear saved a village by keeping a promise and how the great hunter Thorn's respect for the animal world was reciprocated.

A long, challenging journey unfolds. Survival is a daily struggle. Life is a seesaw of emotions; love, hope, frustration, and endings. Acceptance of the companionship and wisdom of a bear buoys spirits and deepens understanding of the co-dependence between man, the landscape and the animal world. "The Bear" by Andrew Krivak, by way of a dystopian literary novel, is a subtle foray into the balance between love and loss, hope and despair, and respect for animals and the environment. I highly recommend Krivak's "cautionary tale".

Thank you Bellevue Literary Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Bear".

Emotional, mystical, heartfelt, unique.

Beautifully written novel based on the relationship of a father, daughter, and nature. It’s a coming of age story, about a girl that learns how to be independent. The endearing relationship with her father pulled me in right away, and I found myself unexpectedly drawing a tear. Her father prepares her for life, in the story beginning at age nine, he gives her gifts every year that will help her survive.

The Imaginative dialog encouraged me to take a walk in nature savoring every moment. This is a story about learning to let go when necessary for growth, written poetically interwoven with the cycles of nature in a unique way keeping me engrossed within the story, unable to stop reading. I utterly loved this book, and hope to get a signed copy when it becomes published. This story was unique in away that touched my soul and permanently left a mark.

Thank you Netgalley and Bellevue Literary Press for sharing this amazing ARC electronic copy with me.

Beautiful fable about a girl and her father living in a post-apocalyptic wilderness. When her father dies while they are far from home, the girl is guided by a bear and learns to hear and understand the natural world as she makes her way home. I loved the writing and the gentle respect for the natural world and its inhabitants.

I was really looking forward to reading this book because I was so intrigued by the synopsis. A fairy-tale like story about the two last humans on earth and a girl trying to get back home while surviving in the wilderness. It sounded like the kind of book I would love, and I tend to enjoy books that are more character focused however this book fell short for me. The first part of this book I found very enjoyable. I loved the gorgeous and atmospheric why Krivak was telling the story however, about 30% in I started to find the writing almost exhausting and even started skimming at points. Honestly not much happens in this book and while I am okay with less plot and more character driven stories, I did not feel like I got enough of either. I just found myself wanting more. I wanted more background information about what happened to the Earth before and I just did not connect with the story or the characters. However, with all the said I think others might enjoy this book, maybe even love it but its not the book for me.

I’m not going to lie. This book was a mess. I almost abandoned it multiple times, but it was a short enough read that I stuck with it. I mean, the characters didn’t even have names. Just, “the man” and “the girl” which makes it difficult to connect. If you put it in the perspective of “this is exclusively a story that should be told by a campfire,” it’s not terrible. I won’t be recommending this to anyone.

Beautiful lyrical read, every word is to be savored. I really enjoyed the story, the main characters, and the writer's style.

The Bear by author Andrew Krivak is a great novel about living in the wilderness! Very detailed with characters that will draw you instantly! I loved The Bear!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An exceptional story of a Father, his daughter (Girl) and nature, after the collapse of human civilization. When her father is gone, the girl and the animals (Bear, Puma, Eagle) “talk” to each other, representing our interconnection with nature and our role of reciprocity with it. The father teaches his daughter resilience, hope, and survival skills that she will then use for her long journey back home. The descriptions of the seasons are magnificent. It teaches us that at the end of our earthly experience we continue to exist united to nature. The style of writing in this work is unique, full of imagination, adventure, respect for nature and interconnections. I give it 4 stars of out of 5.

Stunning, beautiful and completely captivating. This book will draw you in and you won't be able to close the book until you have finished the last page.

A fable of grief, loss, and survival. Of letting what was remain in the past and what may come come as it may. Of letting nature take what is hers and deal you her own hand.

<i>The Bear</i>, like the intricately woven patterns of constellations above, is a tale of the two last people on Earth. The father teaches his unnamed daughter how to navigate the wilds and tells her stories about wise old bears and memories of her mother. And when tragedy strikes, it is her turn to brave the wilds.

Krivak's writing is very soft and lovely, like a dawning sunrise. It is picturesque and descriptive and simple, barely brushing the surface before moving on, and it does not go much in depth. In a way, it is a little magical, like the darling vintage books passed down many generations that end up gathering dust in the corner of an old shop, waiting to enchant posterity.

So I do not have much to say, as there is not much to remark on. It is short, and fast, and smooth--and a darling read, if you want something quick and fluid.

A short, sweet book that could have been longer to expand upon some plot points, but overall did work.