An original take on the illness narrative genre. The book is at its best when the Cameron directly addresses the relationship between her own illness/mortality and her interest in the attack. In that way it reminded me of Emma Copely Eisenberg's The Third Rainbow Girl, in that it blends a kind of true crime account with personal narrative. However, some of the sections just on the bear/bears in general dragged a bit for me, and these made up most of the book.

Wow this was unexpected told from three distinct POVs all surrounding bear attacks but also drawing parallels to her personal life, Cameron has written a really exciting, emotional and insightful memoir.

The level of research is evident in Cameron’s knowledge surrounding bears and when she flips the point of view to that of a bear that attacked a couple in the Canadian wilderness it is effective and brilliant really offering alot of introspection.

When memoirs collide with nature it is like catnip this was a great time.

I recently had the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Listener's Copy of How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron, a memoir that seamlessly blends true crime, non-fiction, and speculative fiction. At its heart is the real-life 1991 Bates Island bear attack, in which a couple camping in Algonquin Park tragically lost their lives. Woven throughout is Cameron’s own battle with cancer, drawing a striking parallel between the wilderness within us and the wilderness surrounding us.

Told with meticulous research, insight, and compassion, Cameron presents multiple perspectives—including that of the bear, which was incredibly effective. This quintessentially Canadian story held me captive from start to finish. Not a professional narrator, the author's voice enhances the listening experience, lending an intimate, chatting across-the-kitchen-table feel. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: March 25, 2025

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜoʀ, ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇʀ
ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴘʏ. ᴍʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴡᴀs ᴠᴏʟᴜɴᴛᴀʀʏ.

ɪ ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ sᴜʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴇᴍᴏɪʀ ʙʟᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏᴍᴇ sᴘᴇᴄᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ ғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴡʀɪᴛᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴀ ᴄᴀɴᴀᴅɪᴀɴ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs sᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ.

ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ɪs ᴛᴏʟᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴀʟʟᴇʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟɪɴᴇs:
1- ғʀᴏᴍ ᴄʟᴀɪʀᴇ , ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇs, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏғ ʜᴇʀ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, ʜᴇʀ ʟɪғᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʙᴇᴀʀs
2- ᴀ ʀᴀʀᴇ ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴘɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴀʟɢᴏɴϙᴜɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴋ ɪɴ 1991
3- ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟɪɴᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ʙᴇᴀʀ's ʟɪғᴇ ᴍᴀʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ, sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍ's ᴘᴏᴠ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀʀ's.

ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ғᴏʀᴍ ᴏғ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ. ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ʟᴏsᴛ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴍᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀʟɢᴏɴϙᴜɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ɪ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄʟᴀɪʀᴇ's sᴛᴏʀʏ.

ᴛʜɪs ɪs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏɪʀ ᴏʀ ᴀ ʙᴇᴀʀ sᴛᴏʀʏ.
ᴄʟᴀɪʀᴇ's ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪs ᴀ ᴘᴏɪɢɴᴀɴᴛ, ʜᴇᴀʀᴛғᴇʟᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴᴀᴅɪᴀɴ ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss. ᴀ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ sʜᴇ sʜᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ɢʀɪᴇғ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴɴᴇʀ 'ʙᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ'.

ɪ ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴋ. ʜᴇʀ ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪs ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴘᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴍ sᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴀsᴛɴᴇss ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴜᴛᴅᴏᴏʀs ᴡɪʟʟ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴛʜɪs ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴇᴍᴏɪʀ.

ɪ ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴘɪᴄᴋɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 25,2025

The reason I grabbed this book is kind of a funny story. We were driving to the mountains for a few days to celebrate my GF’s birthday and and received an email that this was a read now, we’ll listen now and I thought what a funny book to read for when we are heading to the mountains.
I’m so glad I did, I’m going to go ahead and say this is one of the best books I have read in a while and for sure this year. It’s not at all what I was expecting. We are told the story from kind of 3 different POV’s, our main character Claire and her story of why she is so interested in bears and he going through her dad passing as a teenager from cancer and her own cancer journey, to the POV of the black bear that killed a couple who was camping to Claire’s idea of what happened to the couple when the attack happened. It was such an interesting way of telling the story, and honestly my favourite was from the bears Claire must have out in hours and hours of research. It was so interesting because I don’t think I’ve read an animal POV before but one that was told as a memoir and a real life crime happening. But I also learned a lot about bears and bear attacks and what to do and not do. Claire is an amazing story teller and I loved listening to her voice and the emotion she felt telling her story.
I can’t decide between a 4.5 or 5 star so I’ll just leave it at 5. I would recommend this read to everyone.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada Audiobooks for giving me the chance to listen to this masterpiece.

I wouldn't call this a memoir. Part memoir, part documentary, part fiction. While the author does talk about her life, diagnosis and the death of her father, much of the book is about the bear attack. It has a semi fictional POV of the bear during the attack and his adult life, but also brings that back to the bear being her diagnosis.

The diagnosis is treated respectfully, not overly cute with the comparisons to the bear but also talks about the losses you don't see. Like spending time outdoors when you are a hiker/camper and your life changing in an instant.

The author reads this one herself and while a decent narrator, you can tell that it is not a professional narrator situation. I found it best at 1.5x speed. Still almost conversation speed but a bit too pitchy if you listen at a faster speed.

I love a read that blends the human condition and grief with nature writing! It can feel disjointed, but when it's done right, it's memorable and touching. Fortunately, Cameron does it well! I'm a city dweller to my bone, so there is an element of escapism for me and I can't exactly comment on the camping and so forth, though I trust she knows what she's talking about, but I love bears. They're one of my favourite, if not my favourite, animals. At one point, a bear attack survivor that Cameron interviewed mentioned being in awe of the bear that was attacking her...while being attacked. Very much my energy. That said, I loved and appreciated how the author balanced the stereotypes and realities of bears, as well as the real danger, but low likelihood of attacks. She also literally gives voice to the bear behind the 1991 attack that has long plagued her imagination, which I thought was effective. The mix of the bear's narrative, research, Cameron's own life and cancer battle (and that of her father's) just really worked for me. It's the kind of read that reminds you both how big and amazing life is and how small you are in the grand scheme of things. The audiobook wasn't anything revolutionary, but I do always love when an author reads their work, particularly when it's a memoir. Cameron's own narration made the parts about her family all the more moving. 4.5 stars!

This memoir caught my attention because it was set in Canada, specifically Ontario! The beginning of this book caught my attention and the recounting of the bear attack on Bates island was reminiscent of a true crime/cold case format.
This story really hit home for me and while parts of it were really touching and reflective, I found other parts to be very repetitive. The repetitive nature of this memoir made it difficult to fully immerse myself in this audiobook and at times I was checking to see if I had accidentally skipped backwards.
Overall a good read, just repetitive!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

First I must start off by saying thank you for being allowed to listen to this book! I’m getting more into audiobooks and am so happy to be able to support Canadian literature.

I listened to this book steadily for the last five days. This book is unlike any book or memoir (?) I have read before. What first drew my attention was that a large part of it discussed Algonquin park which I know well enough, having grown up camping around Ontario. There’s a unique sense of enjoyment that comes from listening to a story from your own backyard, even if the story was hard at times.

I’m not an avid fan of bears but I feel like I gladly learned a lot about them while listening to this book. I felt like I got a good sense of the authors sense of adventure growing up, enjoying the outdoors, and I know too well the fondness one has when truly being in nature. I was born shortly before the bear attack in question, but I can understand how this story would be a gripping puzzle for people who spend the majority of their spare time surrounded by animals and wilderness.

The author does a great job of weaving her personal narrative, her battle with cancer and her struggle to find what her role is in this fight, within the greater story of what happened to the couple in Algonquin in the 90s. For anyone who enjoys the outdoors, relates to people who are passionate about nature, or who wants to know about a species we think is common but can be quite fascinating, this is for you. I went into it blind but quite enjoyed this unique plot line and moving story.

This was not so much a memoir as it was true crime reporting on a black bear attack and death of two campers in Algonquin Park in 1991 and some black bear facts, with only a sprinkling in of Claire’s life and her rare genetic mutation leading to the same skin cancer her father died of.

Some chapters in the book are from the point of view from the possible bear involved in the deadly bear attack, tracing its path through seasons and through Algonquin Park till it came upon the campers. Weirdly these chapters were my favourite parts. Claire’s nature writing is top notch, it’s just too bad the book as a whole fell short of my expectations. This book might have be better served by leaving the memoir part out being it is such a minor part anyway.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Audio for and early audio copy of this book.

This is such a unique book. Categorized as a memoir because it covers Cameron’s diagnosis with a rare genetic mutation that gave her cancer and put a stop to her outdoor adventurer lifestyle, the same mutation that took her father’s life when she was only nine, but written as part reimagining part fact sharing of an equally rare bear attack that killed a couple in Algonquin park in the early 90s. Even though the parallels between these two things didn’t always track for me, Cameron eventually brings them together in a very thought-provoking way. She is a lover of camping and nature exploration and bear attacks became an area of fascination for her because of their rarity and seeming randomness, much like her mutation. She found a really fascinating way to cope with her loss and diagnosis through trying to understand the bear who killed the campers and his subsequent killing. Her writing is fantastic and even though I am not a nature lover, I was engaged the entire time. I also love when authors narrate their own memoirs because it makes their story that much more intimate.

Did I grow up in bear country? Yes. I’ve had countless experiences with bears as a kid and learned to be bear safe.
Have I ever experienced a bear as an adult? Nope. Nada. Never. My bear sprays continually expire and need to be replaced unused.
Am I confident with my skills if I came across one? The fear is palpable.

“Being alive is one big risk, and it will end in death. But the bridge between those two things is love. After this investigation, my recommendation is to spend your time falling in love with the people and the world around you. Don’t let a fear of death eclipse your life. Run toward love. Fight for it, and die for it.”

I binged this so fast. This book is told from 3 parallel timelines and keeps you so engaged. There’s the memoir of the author- her battle with cancer and her life experiences with bears. There’s the timeline of a couple who were both attacked and killed by a black bear. And there’s the timeline of what the black bears life experiences leading up the attack may have looked like.

I highly recommend this book and was enthralled from cover to cover.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Here I go again, taking on a book while barely skimming the synopsis. I went into this with almost no expectation other than the title and cover seemed interesting and I love discovering more Canadian authors.

This was so cleverly written. It's listed as a memoir but it's somewhat fiction as she goes through great lengths to research and explore a rare bear attack while offering the readers the victim's pov as well as the bear's. The author also takes us through her rare hereditary cancer diagnosis that no longer allows her to safely experience the things that have always brought her the most joy...being outside in nature.
I really enjoyed this story and hearing it narrated by the author was a huge plus for me. Though in hindsight, I may have preferred a physical copy so I could take note of all the extensive information that may actually save me from a possible bear attack! I may never look at hiking or camping the same way again. 😬

How To Survive a Bear Attack

I received an ARC of the Audio Book, and this is why I'm rating the work

My first thoughts when finishing the book is, this is not really a memoir. Yes, there are parts of the work that deal with the main character and their journey through a troubling time. But that takes up less than half the book. I believe it is only 1/3 of the book that deals directly with the main character. The rest deals with information on black bears and their habits, a point of view from the bear, and a fictionalized retelling of an encounter between two campers and a bear.

The interjection of the bear incident turns the work basically into a fiction, while the information on black bears makes the work a research based story. Ony the insertions of the writer's story makes it a memoir.

I always tell authors to never read the audio for the audio book. They are not trained for the vocals and tend to not add the right inflections. The pacing of the reading will also suffer.

While the book was entertaining, I knocked down the score due to the aforementioned points. Also took off a little due to the cover, for it seems lacking to me as a reader. If could have been so much better.

The good news is the editing of the work was well done, and from an audio book review, I did not find any issues. The work did read well, and it supplied entertainment and information I did not have concerning bears. For someone who spends a lot of time in the Near North of Ontario (usually another 4 hours drive north of Algonquin), I appreciate the research. As a reader, I'm a little disappointed with the memoir genre this went into, and suggest rethinking that step.

The book, though, is something that can be considered a must read for those who hike and camp in Algonquin Park, for it will help them in how to deal with their camp site, and dealing with an unintentional encounter with the wild.

I don’t typically pick out Memoir type books as I just never seem to enjoy them as much as I would like to but I have to say this is one I thoroughly enjoyed especially due to the writing and knowing it wasn’t just a memoir but some non-fiction and also fiction written in. I was hooked from the very first paragraph. I actually listened to this on NetGalley Shelf App. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for this audiobook.

"Life is one big risk, and it will end in death, but the bridge between those things is love."

Claire Cameron’s father was a Professor of Old English and had died at the age of 42 from Melanoma. Claire feared this beast but took to the lakes of Algonquin Park in Northern Ontario, Canada to help her through the grief of losing her dad.

In 1991, a couple from Toronto set out for an October weekend on Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park never to be seen alive again. Sadly, they had both been attacked by a bear. Throughout this story it is written to include not only Claire’s POV but also the rescuers, and the bear who attacked and yes, this one makes it really interesting. Claire has obviously done an extreme amount of research on this attack and black bears of Northern Ontario. It certainly shows in the writing.

While researching and learning about these animals Claire notices a black spot on her shoulder. She goes to the Dr only to find out she has the same cancer as her father and Claire is only 45. After surgery, she is told she should no longer spend time outside in the UV rays like she was used to but how is this possible when Claire is an avid outdoors person?

If you get the chance to read this book, do so. It is well written and such a great and easy read.

"Life is one big risk, and it will end in death, but the bridge between those things is love."

I picked this up expecting a pulpy true crime approach to a historical natural mystery, and while in some ways I got what I expected, I got so much more. How to Survive A Bear Attack is a beautifully written love letter to the Canadian wilderness, a memoir of having your own body turn against you and the hardship and healing that brings, and a carefully researched investigation into a little-known sphere of the natural realm. In each of these realms, Claire Cameron has reached above and beyond, delivering an experience that is simultaneously searingly frank and comfortingly lyrical.

I found Cameron's story so down-to-earth and relatable, and the way she presents her personal anecdotes makes it feel like chatting with an old friend. As she details her fears regarding her genetic risk of cancer and the process of her diagnosis, I felt a sort of kinship with her - perhaps because I am also a woman who's own body has turned against her, but likely because Cameron doesn't hold any details back - she discusses her real fear, her deterioration, the pain and frustration that these kinds of experience can cause.

In regards to her investigation of the Bates Island attack, the amount of legwork that she must have done shows in the final result. We are given a detailed, fact-based presentation of the attack - Cameron has spoken to so many experts and given as much care to this story as she does to her own. I really enjoyed the passages that are narrated from the perspective of the bear - it was a bit like listening to a nature documentary but with a distinct human tilt to it all. I'm astonished that she managed to pull off that effect without romanticizing the bear!

Overall, this was a beautiful read, and listening to it narrated by the author herself was a real treat.