The Bear

The Bear by Claire Cameron
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

NOTE - this book is written from the perspective of a 5 year old, but it is not that believable because Cameron doesn't fully grasp the thought processes or language styles of a 5 year old.

Prior to writing this review I looked up what other people thought about this book. I don't really know why I did that but I was shocked to find that many people were giving it 4 stars and upwards. They were also comparing it to Emma Donoghue's The Room, which I think is and insult to Donoghue. I am giving the book a 2 star rating but in actuality it deserves a 1.75. It baffles my mind how this book got so much hype when it really wasn't that good.

This book was about a 5 year old girls' survival skills to keep herself and her brother alive and safe until someone comes to their rescue or they come to the demise of the villain of the story known as the BEAR. I found the story very disjointed. There was a lot of flashbacks in time to various stages of their life in Toronto, playing with the neighbour's dog, playing with Barbies, etc. The only thing that I will give Cameron complete credit for is that she did a fantastic job describing the loneliness of the situation and the desolation of the environment. Algonquin Park did not seem like the ideal camping spot that most people seem to portray as,especially after reading this book. Even Cameron's flash forwards into the future were disjointed and not flowing. After reading how she came about writing about the subject matter and what was her inspiration and drive I kind of felt like saying, "Really? And that's the best you could come up with?" Now I will fully admit that I am not an accomplished writer and I do not have the Globe and Mail shouting praise for my latest work but I know it would be better than The Bear.... and that's all I have to say about that.

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