Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
This is the story of two sisters Sam and Elena trapped in minimum wage world, trying to keep a roof over their heads, while caring for their mother who is in the bedroom dying from lung disease. Though the San Juan islands of the Pacific Northwest are beautiful, it is lost on them as they go about the drudgery while falling further and further in debt and a house falling down around them.
Elena as the oldest has bore the largest share of responsibility, while Elena, despite being 28 was only vaguely aware of their situation. The one thing of value they own is their home on 6 acres of pristine wilderness, but they are unable to sell it as their mother wants to die there. Everything is on hold until their mother’s imminent death.
Their live are suddenly upended when suddenly a huge Bear shows up on their porch. At first both sisters are terrified. After he moves on Elena spots him again and spins it into a magical fairy tale and actively begins seeking the bear out. Sam tells her she is delusional , which sets up the major conflict in the book. These two sisters have relied on each other for everything, and now this bear is tearing them apart.
The story explores the themes of birth order, poverty, the US medical system, wildlife incursion.
I really enjoyed this book- though a simple story at the surface, there are many layers to it. I had a hard time with liking either character - the story is told from Sam’s POV and she is so angry and mean that she is hard to like. She has good reason- she is trapped in a life she hates, and she has no patience for anyone but her sister. She is down right ugly to the two male characters, both of which give her way more of a pass that would be expected. Elena is a more elusive, she is only seen from Sam’s eyes, so we don’t get to know what she thinks. On the surface she is saintly but she has secrets even from Sam. Lots to unpack. This would be a great book club read to discuss. Recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a character driven story that didn’t super from any superfluous ancillary characters. I really felt like I got to know Sam and her struggles. I don’t know that I would recommend this to everyone but definitely to fans of literary fiction. It’s a little odd but in an enjoyable way. Thank you to NetGalley, Julia Phillips, and Hogarth for the ARC.

Julia Phillips introduces her new novel, Bear, with a prefatory snippet from the Brothers Grimm. A wild bear, wandering in from the dark forest (a Grimm set piece), takes up residence with a human family. The beast meets with welcoming attention and makes itself at home, although the children, predictably boisterous, eventually take to tormenting it playfully. It growls a bit, and they laugh. Fade out.

When events in Phillips’ narrative start to mirror this preamble, what reader wouldn’t anticipate the clamorous arrival of allegory, that fairy godmother of literature, to set things in order? But this is not to be — at least not yet — for Phillips has another mode of narrative spellcasting to put in play, and we soon find ourselves in a gritty, character-driven family drama centering on two twentysomething sisters.
The locale is the San Juan Islands of northwest Washington, a beautiful estuarine realm edged by forested wildlands. Sam Arthur runs the concession stand on a ferry that transports passengers, mainly tourists, from island to island. Elena, her elder sister, waits tables at the country club on the island where they live. They make do with dead-end jobs and paltry wages to support their ailing, bedridden mother, whose medical debts are growing by the day. Both siblings — as Sam, the novel’s narrator, sees it — work at jobs defined by stark class distinctions. On the ferry, Sam, to her petulant annoyance, is the foil of prosperous mainland tourists; at the club, Elena has to kowtow to the more privileged residents of the island.

Of the two, Sam is the dreamer, fixated on the far future when (sadly) their mother would pass on and (happily) the sisters would inherit her house and property, releasing a monetary windfall that would allow them to fly away together:

“One day, they would leave San Juan. Their world would expand, grow richer and more stable. The happinesses would come constantly…”

Sam’s day-to-day reality is more earthbound than her bright fantasies of tomorrow. She has drifted into a matter-of-fact relationship with a dull ferry crewman, with whom she hooks up in out-of-the-way shipboard spaces, including closets and locker rooms, and there only. Her sole connections of any emotional resonance are with her sister and mother. She admires Elena for her budgetary rectitude and her dogged stamina in holding off their creditors. She never considers her sister’s inner life, assuming it tracks with her own escapist daydreams.

The bear enters Phillips’ tale as a curiosity. Sam, idling at the ferry rail, glimpses it swimming parallel to the boat. No seal or orca, but an actual bear in the water, crossing the bay toward Sam’s home island. Later, it visits the family there, terrifying the sisters as it rubs up against their front door:

“There, not ten feet away, was the animal’s massive body. As big as three men. Wider, stronger, and far deadlier. Its tail, its back, its thighs. It twitched and its muscles rippled. A dark stripe of fur lay over its spine…The bear, with a blow, could smash through one of their windows, barge into the kitchen. Demolish their lives.”

The creature lingers in nearby woods, occasionally taking deer or livestock but raising no great alarm among the townspeople. But Elena harbors a growing fascination (might we say infatuation?) with the bear and dares, in the ensuing weeks, to approach it ever more closely. Sam is horrified by the animal, by the reckless chances Elena takes in getting close to it, and by Elena’s uncharacteristic and demi-spiritual transport when she speaks of this massive, potentially deadly presence in her life. At the same time, their mother’s precarious health is markedly deteriorating.

Author Phillips skillfully depicts a dismal, socially stratified environment and slips her laissez-faire grizzly into the narrative stream so adroitly that it seems earned — until the nimbus of magical realism begins to flicker. Some readers may find their engagement wearing thin about halfway in, giving way to a dawning sense of predictability that puts suspended disbelief to the test.

But make no mistake: This is an artful novel, a virtuosa depiction of two sisters struggling for stability in the face of looming peril. But the mixed tone as the book nears its climactic moments — its dismal neo-naturalism versus its figurative claims on reader credulity — may present a challenge for some. It’s fair to say Bear is not, strictly speaking, an “uplifting” novel. Even so, Phillips has crafted a beguiling world peopled by characters who stir the heart with their longing for something better than what they have.

Bear is the first book I have read by Julia Phililps. It is a dark story centered around a Bear that haunts a community in Washington State. One sister becomes obsessed with the creature and actually seems to develop a relationship with it in chance and planned meetings. Her sister plots to find out what is happening and is horrified by what she finds. It is dark and dangerous and signifies something truely missing in the lives of both. This story was mesmerizing. It is a well told tale of a creature that is not meant for human interaction and another hungry for a relationship. Enjoyed the book, but it was not what I was expecting. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opprotunity to read and review this intriguing novel

Julia Philips' novel "Bear" has moments of sheer brilliance, though I have to admit, there were times when one of the main characters got under my skin. Despite that, I couldn’t help but appreciate the cleverness of the story. Using the framework of a rogue bear visiting an island in Washington state, Philips weaves a tale of two sisters as they navigate the complexities of growing older and facing the often harsh realities of life. The dynamic between the sisters feels incredibly authentic, with their relationship evolving at an alarming rate amidst the chaos of their changing lives.

"Bear" reads like a modern-day fairy tale, but if you're in it for a tidy, happy ending, you might want to look elsewhere. This was my first experience with Julia Philips' work, and I've got to say she knows how to craft strong, vivid characters. Her story is as unique as it is compelling, leaving me eager to explore more of her writing.

Overall, "Bear" is both fascinating and heart-wrenching, but that ending… whoa. It’s a book I won’t soon forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

A haunting story of two sisters living in the Pacific Northwest and caring for their terminally ill mother. Their hopes of someday leaving are upended when a large grizzly bear appears and becomes a magical but dangerous obsession. With a nod to Grimm’s Red Rose and Snow White, a wonderful tale with beautiful writing.
Loved it!
Thanks to Net Galley and Hogarth for an early read.

Bear is a work of literary fiction that follows a brief time period in the lives of Sam and her older sister Elena. They live with their ailing mother on a Pacific Northwest island. Both girls work hard to take care of the financial responsibilities their mom’s condition has left them with as well as all of the physical care she needs day in and day out. Their young adult lives have been difficult and monotonous, but they have always had each other to lean on, believing in the same goal to one day sell their mother’s property and find out what the world is like outside of their small island.

One day, a bear is spotted swimming across the isle and unexpectedly visits Sam & Elena’s house. From the moment both girls see the bear, the story begins to reveal a rift between the sisters. The story of the bear includes fascination, fear, disagreement, loss, and obsession.

I can see the creative storytelling in the words of this novel. I remember reading with wonder about where the story was going to go with each page. I also found myself skimming words at times because the story felt slow or as if it had unnecessary details. The book left an impact on me, and yet I do feel a bit disappointed or as if I wanted more from these characters.

I appreciate the chance to read this advanced copy!

A sweet and sad tale about sisters, class and freedom. Set in the lovely San Juan islands, which are an escape for the wealthy and a trap for the girls in our story.

Well written, although a bit dull at times it built to a climatic ending that will stay with me. I appreciate how the book explores grief and fear.

This novel is set on an island off the coast of Washington state. Main character Sam and her older sister Elena grew up there without much money living with their single mom, and always dreamed of escaping, but since their mom got sick they were stuck there working menial jobs and trying to take care of her, and are now both in their late 20s. And then a bear arrives on the island and starts coming around their house, and Sam is terrified but Elena is excited and entranced.

Sadly this one was a bit of a miss for me. I thought the writing was good but that was about all I liked. I didn’t like either Sam or Elena, who were both just annoying characters and who seemed way more immature than their age. I didn’t get the significance or meaning of the bear - if it was a metaphor it’s one that went over my head. And I REALLY didn’t like the ending. That being said, I’ve seen a lot of reviews that loved this one including from trusted reader friends. Luckily the friend I buddy read with agreed with me though!

Sadly this didn't work for me. Overall I just found it to be very lackluster: nothing about it stood our in any particular way. The writing was fine, the plot was fine, the characters were fine. There wasn't much that made me want to keep reading this, unfortunately.

This book was very slow and anti climactic. Over halfway into the book still all that had happened was two sisters see a bear. I think this all could have come together much quicker. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was very thought provoking and stuck with me for a long time after reading. I was slightly disappointed as I loved Julia Phillips debut so much, but this was definitely not bad. I will be recommending this to readers!

The Bear is for readers who like super sad and depressing reads. I had a hard time getting into the book but by the end, I was reading it a bit quicker. The author's writing is a 5/5 and want to read other things she has out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The setting on Bear is what won the day for me. I loved getting to know these sisters but I truly most loved getting to visit the San Juan Islands again!

This book was simple in its story and so amazingly complex in its interpretation. What a feat of remarkable storytelling!

Captivating, complex and poignant. I teared up a few times. The ending felt unnecessary and did take away some of my appreciation for the book, because I really enjoyed it all until then.

Bear by Julia Phillips is a literary fiction read about two sisters living in the Pacific Northwest, who encounter an unexpected visitor in their yard. I think this book is overall well written and the audiobook narrator did an excellent job, however I simply could not get into the story. I did not feel connected to either of the sisters and didn't seem to really pick up on the deeper points/conversations I think the author was trying to make. Overall, this read was boring to me, but it could still be a good fit for readers who like a slow burn literary fiction that makes one think.

***The author of Disappearing Earth offers a story of bleak prospects, poverty and illness, a sister bond with fault lines ready to crack open, and a slow build to a destructive end.***

Along with their ill, bedridden mother, young-adult sisters Sam and Elena struggle to get by on an island off the coast of Washington.

Frustrated by the challenge of supporting themselves on Sam's pay from driving the tourist ferry and Elena's job bartending, the sisters dream of escaping to somewhere new.

But when Sam spots a grizzly bear swimming alongside the ferry--a bear that then shows up near their home--she is terrified. Elena chooses to see the bear as a sign of something positive, and she begins drawing the bear in with food and believing she is safe in its presence.

A wildlife expert offers assistance but threatens to drive a wedge between the sisters, and Sam is torn between wanting to protect her sister from this terrifying, deadly creature (and, jealously, wanting to destroy the bond Elena is feeling with it) and wanting to trust Elena's instincts and allow her to feel wonder like she has never experienced.

Their mother is failing, the bear is beginning to destroy their home, Elena is increasingly convinced of her connection with the beast, and Sam is shocked to her core when Elena seems to be abandoning the long-held plan of eventually leaving the San Juan islands with Sam.

The bear is a lumbering, drooling, stinking metaphor for the brutal truths set to implode Sam and Elena's lives. Sam has always believed she and Elena were a lifelong team, about to spring to freedom, whereas Elena never realized the half-truths and comfort she murmured to Sam when they were young have been taken as truth, against all evident clues to their grim financial status and how stuck Elena feels. Sam has always kept herself emotionally distant from anyone outside the household, believing this to be loyalty, but comes to understand that Elena has secretly been building bonds all along. Everything Sam has stubbornly understood to be true and real is suddenly coming unfurled and undone.

I took a really long time--unusual for me--to read this book, all the while dreading what feels like inevitable destruction barreling toward the sisters. The bear does ultimately shift everything for their family, and the story is brutal in its climax, yet glimmers of hope do emerge.

I mentioned Julia Phillips's fascinating novel Disappearing Earth in the Greedy Reading List Six Chilly Books to Read in the Heat of Summer.

I received a prepublication edition of this title, which was published earlier this summer, courtesy of NetGalley and Random House.

I think this book takes itself too serious. The narrator is obnoxiously immature and I was way too bogged down in unnecessary details and description. A bear showed up in Washington...shocker? I think a short story covers this better than a 300+ page novel.