A moving memoir and story of a 1991 bear attack and the authors battle with cancer.
This is beautiful writing, lyrical and insightful. The history of the bears of Algonquin Park is fascinating and since I grew up in Toronto, I absolutely connected with this novel. It can be difficult to read as it documents bear attacks and the brutal killing of 2 campers but it's not done in a sensationalized way, it's necessary to ensure we get the whole picture.
The audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Claire Cameron herself. That the author tells her own story really brings emotion to the reading. i enjoyed it so much!
My rating is 4.5 rounded for GR
Thank you to #NetGalley and #KnopfCanada for the audiobook ARC in return for my honest review.

I did not expect to like this as much as I did.

I love reading books that are so close to home. This one takes place at Algonquin Park.

I found this to be so incredibly informative. There was so much I didn’t know about bears in general.

Not only does this cover the deadly bear attack in 1991, but Claire talks about so much more. At times it was a bit heavy but it was so well done.

I honestly can’t recommend this book enough.


Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for an advanced audiobook. How to Survive a Bear Attack is available March 25.

I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, which I felt really lent itself to the subject matter.

“The most unknowable things are the ones that hold the attention over a lifetime. A mountain, ghosts, stars or bears. Mystery drives an endless curiosity.”

As soon as I saw what this book was about I knew I had to read it. Living near Algonquin (or at least in SW Ontario), I had heard about and also had a minor obsession with this bear attack (although not to the extent of the author; I kept my obsession to reading articles and watching videos and movies about it).

Claire’s description of a video of a black bear stalking a man is nightmare fodder. I’ve had nightmares of a bear hunting me before (inside my house) and now my brain has new content to fret over.

Claire’s story about the unlikely event of a predatory black bear attack seems like an allegory for her cancer diagnosis. It’s ironic and in a way tragic that she spent so much of her life focused on bears when the real danger eventually came from within her.

Her story about her diagnosis and the clarity with which she describes the human condition and inevitably of death brought me to tears.

“There can be a false sense of security in being human. My blue chair sat in a house made of brick.
When the winds blew, I didn’t feel them. Soon it would snow, and we’d stay warm inside the walls. The sun lowered and I summoned the light by flicking a switch. I could turn on a tap and watch clean water run. Our built environments feel so convincing, don’t they? But every now and then, something happens. A reminder. The mask of control slips to the side and there is a glimpse of what lies behind. We are subject to natural forces. We are delicate, vulnerable creatures no matter how much time we spend telling ourselves otherwise. Our teeth are blunt, our skin is thin, and our hearts flutter close to the surface. We are subject to the pull of the moon. We can be shifted by the tides and pushed by the wind. We burn under the sun. Time, people, love; they are fleeting. We are born, grow, and move across the land until we pass by.”

Her concern over a misused word in her novel The Bear (paddle vs. oar) and the proclivity to be concerned that it impacts the rest of the story, the snowball affect her thoughts take on, and the worry that there may be other things you were uninformed about felt so relatable to me. “I wondered if I knew anything at all.”

I also found extremely relatable (and probably to anyone who has lost a parent at a young age) the constant countdown to the moment where you are the age that they died. I haven’t made it there yet, but it’s always on my mind. I can only imagine the anxiety that comes with surpassing that age. “Every hour became urgent. By that time, I had lived three years longer than my dad. This felt like borrowed time.”

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

As Cameron reconstructs a tragic bear attack in Algonquin National Park she also pieces together her own story of life under the threat of cancer. With a beautiful mix of raw emotion and stark fact, a picture of the unpredictability of life and the importance of each moment becomes clear in her vulnerable voice but matter of fact telling.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Claire Cameron's How to Survive a Bear Attack is a riveting blend of memoir, true crime, and nature writing that captures the reader from the very first page. Cameron expertly intertwines her personal journey of healing and discovery with the harrowing story of a rare bear attack, crafting a narrative that is both heart-wrenching and profoundly uplifting.

I dove into “How to Survive a Bear Attack” by Claire Cameron, like most books for me... not knowing much about story, with the exception of one or two minor details.

I noticed that this book had a large focus about a bear killing two people in Algonquin Park in 1991. This struck a personal note for me, I have memories of being in the park and it would have been close to that same year.

The story weaved a memoir and an investigation together. Trekking through the authors emotions, while diving into the details of bears and the outdoors. It felt like the perfect balance for those that love to learn about peoples lives and also learn new facts (obviously bears for this book) ;)

However, I would say that it leaned more towards a true crime investigation surrounding the bear attack, but I was ok with that. It was super interesting and made me ponder bears, parks, government, and so much more.

🎧 My brain consumed this book via my ears… so audiobook!

The book was narrated by the author, which is always so wonderful when it’s a memoir, the emotions really come through.

The pacing was good, maybe a bit on the slower side, but with the ability to speed up (or slow down) the audio, it’s never a real issue for me.

Personally I always listen on a faster speed. This book was played at x2 for the majority of the time (with the start being slower as I became accustomed to the authors voice).

Note:
Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

Claire Cameron's "How to Survive a Bear Attack" is a truly unique reading experience, blending memoir, true crime, and natural history into a compelling narrative that kept me turning the pages. It's not your typical "survival guide," but rather a thoughtful examination of the complex relationship between humans and bears, and, more profoundly, a meditation on survival itself.

Cameron's personal journey, interwoven with the harrowing stories of real-life bear encounters, provides a fascinating lens through which to understand these powerful animals. I particularly appreciated her nuanced approach to the subject, avoiding the common pitfall of demonizing the bear. Instead, she presents a balanced view, exploring the factors that contribute to conflict and highlighting the bear's inherent wildness.

What elevates this book beyond a simple exploration of bear encounters is Cameron's deeply personal connection to the subject. The bear attack she meticulously researches becomes a powerful metaphor for her own battle with cancer. Through the lens of the victims' struggles, she grapples with her own fear, vulnerability, and the primal instinct to survive. This introspective layer adds a profound emotional depth to the narrative, making it more than just a factual account; it's a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. The insights into bear behavior and ecology were illuminating, and I found myself pondering the delicate balance between human encroachment and wildlife preservation long after finishing the book.

I DNFed this book. Not because it was bad, but just that it was misrepresented and a bit all over the place.

This book is labelled as a memoir, which I guess it is, but the main story (and title of the book!) was about a bear attack that didn't happen to the author. It read more like a true crime novel that the author connected with based on her own story and experiences. And while there were memoir-esque parts of the book, it was more about the bear attack and treating that like a crime story.

I give it 2 stars and may come back to it one day, but it was not what I expected going into it.

As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I wanted to read this book. I connected deeply with it as I too was obsessed with the bear attack in 1991 and I too was a counsellor in Algonquin Park in the early 90s. Additionally I also lost a parent to melanoma.

This book is so many things, it is the authors memoir as she grapples with the death of her dad when she was a very young child and her own cancer diagnosis. It is a true crime investigation into the attack on Lake Opeongo in Oct of 1991. It is also highly informative read educating us on bears in Canada. And lastly it is speculative fiction as we are sometimes in the head of the bear as he goes about his life in Algonquin Park and what could have led him to murdering the unsuspecting couple.

That sounds like a very hard list of different types of stories. Trust me they all connect, and they connect very well. Cameron's ability to switch between the various narratives is really impressive. And this was not hard to follow at all in the audio.

The common thread between all the different voices is bears, the bear as a metaphor for the effect cancer has had on her life, the actual bear and the informative information about bears.

The audio was excellent - I really liked the narration. It was easy to listen to.

While I feel that this book is a bit niche I have recommended it to all my camp friends and would also recommend it to anyone who feels connected to Algonquin Park and other wild lands of Canada.

This autobiography offers a fascinating blend of survival—both in the wild and through illness—alongside a deep love for bears and nature. I especially appreciated the wealth of knowledge about bears, including what may trigger them to attack. I learned a lot, and that aspect of the book was truly insightful.

However, while the author’s narration was decent, it didn’t fully draw me in. The emotional depth came through when she spoke about her father and family, but for the rest of the book, the delivery felt more like a straightforward reading rather than an engaging performance.

Additionally, I found the book’s flow somewhat disconnected. It didn’t have that gripping quality that made me eager to keep turning the pages. While the subject matter is compelling, the structure and pacing didn’t fully hold my attention.

Overall, this book offers valuable information and heartfelt moments, but it could have been more engaging in its storytelling.

Thank you to Claire Cameron, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 FULL stars!

This book immediately had my full attention. The writing and narration was incredible and 1000% brought this book to life better than any book i've read recently. As a Canadian who lives only a few hours from Algonquin park it was easy enough to put myself in the authors shoes and understand exactly what she was describing.

highly recommend as a great Canadian author read.

I listen to this book while I was walking my dog and also while I was cooking.
The book is really good and I like the narrator. The speed of the story was just perfect.

I do recommend

Admittedly, yes. It was the title that drew me in and made me want to read Claire Cameron's How To Survive A Bear Attack.

Part memoir, part survival guide and part true crime (if nature is the criminal), this was a book I tore through. Breaking it down further, this is part Canadiana, part history, part heroism, and part acceptance. It is always, without a doubt, full fight.

I appreciated the comparison Cameron made between her own cancer struggles and those from individuals encountering bear attacks. The level of research put in comes across, as as does the love Cameron has for Algonquin Park and nature itself.

This audiobook is narrated by Cameron with notes read by Rachel Cairns; Cameron's narration had heart, depth, and emotion as she recounted both her own battles, and those of others, and I appreciated the sources sited within the notes.

I have purposefully not read many memoirs this part year, but this was one I couldn't pass up!

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks and Knopf Canada for the complimentary audio copy to read and review.

4.5 stars

I remember distinctly October 1991 when the tragic incident with the bear happened in Algonquin Park. I remember it because it was the same weekend my family was going on a canoe trip and their destination was somewhere within that park, but at the last minute they changed their mind. So reading this book brought back memories of family adventures in the great outdoors.

This was an audio read for me with the author being the reader, she did a great job and kept me captivated with her stories. It was a blend of her life, information about bears, their wanderings and the park.

Relatively a fast listen I had a hard time putting it down, a lot of the area was familiar to me. In fact on my first canoe trip we were visited in the wee hours of the night by a bear. This was an educational, personal and enlightening glimpse into her life, her motivation into why she investigated this tragedy.

I highly recommend the audiobook.

My thanks to Penguin Random House for the audio in exchange for a honest review.

How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron is both about her cancer diagnosis and a fatal bear attack in Algonquin Park in 1991.

Cameron’s previous book The Bear won the 2014 Northern Lit Award. The Bear was based on the same story as her current memoir. Perhaps because she had written a fictional story inspired by these events, it would make sense that the author would have given much thought to the motivations of the bear in this particular (and rare) attack. However, given that this selection is a nonfiction account of the events, I felt that the author extrapolated and took considerable liberty when writing the bear’s perspective. She could not know the level of detail she has attributed to the bear.

I think I would have really enjoyed her fiction book more as I have high standards when a writer takes on an investigative approach. I also struggled with the many sidebars/tangents that the author went on that, while interesting, were not necessarily directly related to the account (e.g. Canada’s feelings about broken treaties and Thanksgiving).

I digested this memoir on audio, a format I am hoping to include more of in my reading year. The book is narrated by the author which can work well in some cases. I found this audio to be a bit choppy.

While this book wasn’t my favourite, it might he a great piece for people who love nature, camping, and animal behaviour.

Thank you to @netgalley and @knopfca for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. How to Survive a Bear Attack publishes March 25, 2025.

Note: I know many believe we shouldn’t rate memoirs but I hope you have noticed I am not rating the author’s experience only the form of sharing it.

I absolutely loved this book and having the author read it was actually quite nice as she really knew her subject. I have been to Algonquin park many times but virtually just driving through as the highway goes right through it. Claire has done an amazing amount of research for this book and it comes through to the reader wonderfully. Having actually spent time in the park on various occasions gave her insights most people wouldn't have. I like how she compares her life to the life of forestry and bears. I did she'd some tears and also some chuckles, I would definitely read or listen to more books by this author.

his is my favorite kind of non fiction book: an author teaches us about something I don’t particularly care about (bear attacks, in this case); tells about their subject in relation to their own life; writes well; cares deeply about the subject.

I learned a lot about bears and bear safety, Algonquin Park, and melanoma. The story she told was compelling, and her writing is beautiful.

The author narrates the audiobook, and the narration was fine. (“Fine” is my preference for narration - I don’t want to notice it.) One note about the production - I kept thinking the book had shut off, because the pauses between chapters were really long. This was distracting, and will likely get resolved before the book’s release date (3/24/2025)

Thanks to NetGalley / Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for an advanced reader copy of the audiobook, which was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7364495345
https://bsky.app/profile/christine-farmer.bsky.social/post/3ljucauzrjs2h

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will start off by saying I read the audiobook version which was read by the author. Unfortunately in this instance I feel like that was not the best choice as it was quite choppy and the cadence was off. This book would have greatly benefitted from a professional reader.

Aside from that my favourite part I think was the POV of the bear. This was of course fictional, but it really did add something to the story. I was really interested in this bear attack given that Algonquin Park is not terribly far from me. I love camping myself, but have not done any back country camping and do not have any experience with bears, making the instructions in the book of what to do and not to do both interesting and informative. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

Residing in Northwestern Ontario, I am no stranger to backwoods camping, bear visits and have a strange love/hate relationship with the outdoors. When I was younger, I seemed less fearful of camping in what I like to tell my husband is "the middle of no where" but as I am older, nope, not happening. I am in my "glamping" era now lol. We have encountered a bear at our tent before and my husband has stories of bears at his campsites when he was younger as well.

I was drawn in by the title and synopsis of this memoir and found myself fully immersed in the vivid scenery and storytelling. When my husband asked about the book, I jokingly described it as 'CSI: Bear Attack' where the author is uncovering clues and recreating a crime scene of a fatal bear attack.

The author's use of multiple perspectives and timelines was engaging and easy to follow. For those unfamiliar with black bears, the book offers a fascinating look at their behavior and statistics. While encounters with humans are rare, they can be deadly.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and was captivated by her story. The memoir served as a friendly reminder to check my bear spray's expiration date before my next outdoor adventure!

This was definitely a mix of memoir and the author's obsession with the Algonquin Park bear attack. The book alternates from sections told from the bear's perspective, to critical analyses of the attacks, to moments where the author shares about her melanoma diagnosis and the way that it's genetic and her fears that she could have passed it on to her children. While it was okay, I think I would have liked more personal reflections in the book. Recommended for fans of books like Beyond the pale by Emily Urquhart and Cameron's fictional account about the attack, The bear. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: cancer diagnosis, death of a parent from cancer