The Good Bear

This is such a lovely book. I genuinely loved every page. I read it pretty quickly and found it hard to put down. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone.

Thea goes to Norway to spend Christmas with her father and his new family. She hopes that she will be able to bond with him over her love of writing but nothing quite goes to plan and one day, when running away from the family home, Thea meets the bear.

This is a really lovely story. There are some brilliant characters and a really nice story with some good messages about things not always being quite as they seem and trying to see the best in people.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what the author does next.

This book warmed my heart. It’s a lovely story, unique, and with appealing characters and setting. The book cover is absolutely eye-catching. 5/5 stars. I very much enjoyed being immersed in it :)

The Good Bear is a warming winter tale that explores our need to connect with loved ones and the wild world around us. It would make a magical read in the run up to the holiday season with its scandi Christmas coziness.
Twelve-year-old Thea dreams of being a writer and is convinced that, if only she had a typewriter, she would be able to write her way into her father’s heart and find that relationship she deeply craves. But the story she has plotted out for herself has unexpected twists and turns of its own.
When Thea arrives in Norway to spend Christmas with her father, Henry, and his new family, she finds him difficult to get to know. Henry prefers the solitude of the woods and the wilds, not unlike the bear Thea encounters one day, a bear that is as hurt and out of place as Thea is herself.
The heartwarming friendship that develops between child and bear takes us on a wondrous adventure where Thea’s bravery and determination shake up long held beliefs about Christmas, family and...bears!

This was a lovely heartwarming winter Christmas tale. A story within a story, the plot sees Thea going from the UK to Norway to spend Christmas with her estranged dad and his "new family". She needs to adjust to her father's new partner's children, a different language and Christmas customs that are different to hers....all while befriending and protecting a bear who has run away from a circus or his captors - he was used in both militia and entertainment capacities.

Definitely a book I will pick up for my niblings when they are bit older to appreciate the story. I hope that the finished product has more illustrations, but the ones included in the arc were lovely.

Now I'm going to sit and daydream of an open fire, drinking hot chocolate and being cozy.

The Good Bear is a wonderfully wintry, heartwarming tale to enjoy in the lead up to Christmas. It is Hygge all wrapped up in a book!

Rich descriptions of snowy Scandinavian landscapes decorated by pine trees, rustic log cabins, chunky knitwear and roaring fires evoke the most wonderfully festive feelings as we follow twelve year old Thea to Norway in a very special Christmas adventure.

After her parents divorced when she was four, Thea an aspiring writer dreams of re-kindling the bond with her estranged father. In her mind she writes the story of the relationship she wants to have with him. She fantasises about the typewriter he'll buy her, the interest he'll show in her and her writing and imagines the father and daughter time they'll spend together.

However, once in Norway Thea's happy ending quickly comes unravelled as she realises that Henry, 'the man who used to be her dad' has drifted far away from her. Surrounded by his new Norwegian family, Thea feels further from Henry than she ever had back home in England.

Then comes the wonderful story within the story...

Alone and despondent in the woods Thea meets a bear. He seems as out of place there as she is and until now, he knew humans only through pain. But Thea gains the animal's trust and a touching and tender relationship develops between Thea and her bear. She is determined to protect him at all costs and this strength of character will prove crucial as to whether or not she is able to re-write the story of any future relationship she might have with her father.

Through her writing and her love for her Bear, Thea realises Christmas isn't about typewriters, tinsel, turkeys or trees it's about the coming together with loved-ones. The story re-affirms to us all the true meaning and magic of the holiday season which can so easily be lost for children growing up in such a commercial age. The Scandinavian traditions of making, rather than buying simple gifts for one another as the characters did in the story show the beauty of a heartfelt hand-made gift.

The Good Bear is the perfect pre-Christmas read, to enjoy alongside holiday preparations. Although a lovely book for the classroom, as a parent I feel it would be best enjoyed snuggled up on the sofa by the light of the Christmas tree - just as the grown-up Thea Wittington shares the story with her daughter every year on Christmas Eve...

With thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's UK for providing me with a digital copy of the book to review in advance of publication.

It's hard to review such a lovely book because there's nothing to say apart from, "It was fantastic." Sarah Lean is clearly a top-notch storyteller, and she does such a good job of giving us the perspective of a twelve-year-old. The complex world of tweens, the things that make or break them, their courage, and their big hearts--you'll find all this and more.

I know lots of little people who will be getting this book on their next birthday.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

The Good Bear is a powerful story of trust, unusual friendships and understanding.

Twelve-year-old Thea travels to Norway to spend Christmas with her father and his family. Leaving her mother and everything familiar behind, Thea must learn that Christmas is not about the traditions, what you do or what you eat, but about being together and accepting each other despite differences. Thea feels like an outsider in her father’s new life and longs to spend time with him – for him to understand her. When this doesn’t happen, she runs off into the woods. It is here that Thea meets the most unlikely friend – a bear who is on the run from years of captivity and torture. Thea’s relationship with the bear teaches her about what is important in life. The magic and wonder of the bear is natural and so beautiful. Through their connection, Thea learns that what we wish for might not always be what we need.

This is a wonderful story for middle grade readers longing to escape into adventure and the strength of nature. Inside these pages, there is a chance to find friendship and an understanding that we don’t need to face new situations alone. Someone is always there.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s UK for this powerful story!

Thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the advance review copy of The Good Bear.

What a lovely book for the Winter Season. The Good Bear is sure to give you the warm and fuzzies.

12 year old Thea's parents divorced when she was young, and as such, she doesn't see a lot of her estranged Father. One Christmas, she is encouraged by her Mother to go and spend Christmas with him and his new family in Norway. An aspiring writer, Thea hopes that her love of writing can help rekindle their relationship as Father and Daughter and asks him for a type writer for Christmas, just like the one her Mother has.

Nervous about meeting his new family, she arrives to find that everything is so different. The children are distant and cold. there is no tree, no decorations, and everyone seems to busy and preocuppied, even her Father Henry. When she opens what she thinks is her typewriter to see a pair of blue boots inside, her heart breaks a little. Her Dad clearly doesn't know her at all.

She storms off to explore on her own and throws off.a boot in a fit of emotional rage. When retrieving it, she discovers something truly amazing - a big brown bear that has escaped from his captors, but rather than being scared, she finds him fascinating. They develop a strong friendship and she starts to visit him every day. When hunters threaten to capture the bear, it's up to Thea to try and save him, but can she do it alone?

A heart warming story of friendship, bravery and determination set in a Scandi world, The Good Bear is a great reminder that not everything is how it seems on the surface, and that when we work together, we really can achieve anything.

A perfect read for those cosy December nights.

This is a truly beautiful book. It tells the story of Thea who travels to Norway to spend Christmas with her estranged father
There, she comes across bear and so begins a wonderful story of friendship, love and opening up your heart.

This is a beautiful book from start to finish and the wintry hues of the cover are perfect. This is heart-warming, life- affirming tale which takes us on Thea's Christmas holiday journey to Norway where she hopes to try and connect with her father and to get his approval for her dream of being a writer. Things don't go at all as she had imagined and there she meets a bear who needs her and whose life she ends up holding in her hands. Thea learns so much on her adventure not only about herself but also about family and what it really means to be connected.
This enchanting winter tale is a must for younger readers and also for anyone who enjoys snuggling up with a hot chocolate and a cosy read.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley

When I sported this book on Netgalley, I was instantly intrigued, not only did it have a swet cover but it had a connection to Norway, as does my family, so I had to make a request for it and thankyflly my request was accepted in return of course for an honest review.

So the story starts with a mother cuddling up with her daughter, to retell a story that they've share together every year as part of their Christmas celebrations.

So in escense Thea (the main character) is retelling her own story from 30 years before, to her daughter, of a trip she took to visit her somewhat estranged father Henry in Norway. It's a little bit sad really as Thea sets off with all this misconceptions about just what the holiday will be like, how her father will recieve her, and what a lovely time they will have, but more of all, she hopes that when she arrives she will find that he has perchased for her, as a belated birthday present, her dream gift, which is a typewriter.

Sadly, non of this is to be, instead she finds her father rather distant, and his new family fairly indifferent to her and she feels pushed aside and unwanted.

I was a little angry at her mother for this, I felt like she should have given her daughter a heads up, but then as you get to know Thea it quickly becomes apparent that she is a bit of a dreamer, and that even had her mum done so, it was likely Thea would have believed her. So perhaps her mother felt she needed a bit of a reality check.

Thea isn't an easy character to like, she's quite snooty and bossy and very rude to her fathers new family. Especailly Lar's who constantly trys to be friends with her and even takes the blame for something that was in part, Thea's fault too.

But although Thea isn't easy to like, her feeling and emotions are easy to understand, you could see how she might be feeling the way that she does, and how she might respond to those feelings, being that she is young, and not really wise to the ways of the world yet.

And then, Thea, meet a bear. But this is no ordinary bear, it's not a wild bear but an escaped bear, who for years has been used to entertain tourists by being forced to dance. A bear that is incredibly wary of people, because in the past, humans have been incredibly crawl to him, but who also is very hungry, and has of course learned, that as well as bringing cruelty, humans also bring food.

Thea's loneliness and the bears despreation and hunger, sparks an unlikely friendship, but that friendship comes under threat, when Thea learns that there are other people looking for her bear and Lar's has discovered her secret.

I love this book, it’s such a heart warming story and reminds us of what’s really important about Christmas.
It’s also a book that would be lovely to share with kids and I highly recommend that you read it.

It will make you laugh and cry, and also get you in the mood for Christmas.

I can see this book becoming a real Christmas classic, that will be passed down through the generations. A favorite for many families.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishes for allowing me to read this for free in exchange for an honest review and to the author Sarah Lean for this enchanting read.

This was such a lovely story, one that shows the spirit of Christmas doesn't always mean a lot of decorations and buying gifts. It also was a tale of how a family can come in various shapes and sizes and that sometimes effort is needed to make those families, well, families.

I loved how raw and emotional our MC Thea is, not to mention she was in a situation that a lot of children are in with parents being separated and I really appreciated Lean writing a story for children like that.

It was also so whimsical not just in its wintry setting but the story of Thea and the bear as well. Fantastically told and set up to be a perfect winter's tale, whether one celebrates Christmas or not, it's about family and adventure and the unexpected things that bring us together.

Thank you so much to the Publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Good Bear is a heart-warming and magical tale.

Thea is desperate for a new typewriter so she can become the great writer she longs to be. Even more than she wants to become a writer Thea long to reconnect with her dad.

Henry lives in Norway with his new family and his attention has been sporadic at best. This year Thea is going to spend Christmas with Henry and his new family and she can’t wait to spend time with her dad.

From the beginning things don’t exactly go to plan and Thea ends up feeling more lost and isolated than ever. Then deep in the woods Thea comes across a bear and begins to bond with him.

This sweet Christmas tale is one to treasure and an absolute delight to read. I can’t wait to buy it for my son and my nieces and nephews. What a magical little tale.

The Good Bear is definitely a wintry weather book, one to curl up with and read in one sitting.

This book is about finding a place to belong and becoming comfortable in your own skin.

The Good Bear highlights the very real dangers that humans can pose to bears and the reasons why bears are sometimes aggressive to humans.

The main thing this book does is make you feel warm and fuzzy all over.

What a wonderful wintery story!
This book follows young Thea who dreams of becoming a writer someday and wants nothing more than a typewriter, which is very expensive.
When she is asked by her father to spend the winter holidays with him and his (new) family abroad, she agrees reluctantly, believing him to be giving him a typewriter as Christmas present.
As she goes to Norway, however, nothing is like she thinks it's going to be. Her father Henry is always preoccupied with himself and his woodwork, his wife doesn't seem too nice and the kids are also not the friendliest.
Then Thea meets a bear in the woods who not only seems to be friendly but seems to understand her. He quickly becomes Thea's best friend and when people start hunting for the bear, it's Thea's task to keep him safe.
I absolutely adored this story - I loved the development of Thea's relationship with Henry and his extended family and I loved how Thea slowly began thawing toward them and becoming friends with them. The shop owner V was also such a vibrant lady and of course my favorite character was the Bear whom Thea feeds throughout the story and becomes friends with.
Though the ending was a bit sad it also felt authentic to the story and its progression and I liked how the last chapter kind of tied everything about Thea and her desire to become a writer together. The last sentence, especially, made me rethink the book on multiple levels and will make people think about fate having all the power over us humans.

A wonderful tale to share with your loved ones around the winter time!

A beautiful Christmassy tale that will pull at your heartstrings and make you feel warm inside this winter.

Aspiring writer Thea is sad when she finds out she must spend Christmas with her father and his new family in Norway. Her hopes are brightened though at the thought of building a relationship with her dad and hopefully coming home with the typewriter she's been heavily hinting at in her letters to him. Arriving in the strange and foreign country, Thea feels replaced by Henry's new family and finds it impossible to connect with her father. Feeling abandoned, unwelcome, and out of place, Thea stomps off to the forest and kicks her boot off, right onto a snowdrift covering a cave. Inside the cave is a bear, escaped from a place in Russia where humans abused him and used him as entertainment. Both feeling unloved, Thea and the bear find solace in each other. And they will do anything to protect the other from humans that want to hurt them.

This magical wintry story was the perfect piece of escapism. I loved the characters and their arcs, particularly Thea as she transitioned from stubborn and ungrateful to thankful and accepting of other traditions. Her journey of self-discovery was brilliantly crafted. Her friendship with the bear was captivating; there was such a raw sense of realism that proved animals and humans could develop a connection despite the animal's perceived brutality. I loved that each needed and ultimately saved the other. I also appreciated the author not personifying the bear and giving it a human voice. I felt this added to the authenticity and made the reader think that this story could in fact be based in truths.

The writing style flowed from page to page, casting vivid descriptions, exploring new traditions, and diving deeper into each character. Although the book was for ages 9+, I fully enjoyed immersing myself in the story as an adult and believe there is still plenty of food for thought, regardless of age. It would be such a lovely story to read as a parent with a child and I will be saving it in my library for when that day comes.

The Good Bear by Sarah Lean is a simply charming novel for ages nine years and over. It is perfect to read in the run up to Christmas or indeed for any time of year to swell your heart with love and care.
The novel is magical as you try to work out, could this tale be true? Told on flashbacks to 1978 when the mother telling the tale was twelve years old, the reader becomes completely absorbed in the story.
We all want to be loved and to belong. Animals are no exception. An ill-treated bear and a young girl bond together in search of love. It is beautiful to watch the love develop.
The tale is set in a Norwegian forest just before Christmas. With snow on the ground, it is all very atmospheric as Sarah Lean paints the scene with her words.
I absolutely loved The Good Bear. It is a perfect story for any age and will leave you smiling.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.