Book thoughts: The good bear by Sarah Lean

Blurb: A wintry animal story for readers aged 9+ that will warm your heart and take you on an adventure you will never forget. From the bestselling author of A DOG CALLED HOMELESS. This is the perfect Christmas gift for fans of Michael Morpurgo, Lauren St John and Sara Pennypacker's PAX . 
  
It’s the Christmas holidays and Thea is looking forward to spending them with her father. She can tell him all about her plans to become a writer, and maybe he’ll buy her the typewriter she’s been dreaming of. 

But when Thea arrives in Norway, everything feels . . . wrong. Her father is as distant as ever and now she has to share him with his new family: his girlfriend Inge and her children.Then Thea makes a surprising discovery. Deep in the snowy woods by the house, is a bear. He’s scared and hungry and he desperately needs Thea’s help. 

When the town hears about a bear living in the woods, Bear’s life is in even greater danger. Thea needs to show everyone that he’s not dangerous – he’s a good bear – if she’s to save him. 

Beautifully illustrated by award-winning illustrator Fiona Woodcock, the artist behind Abi Elphinstone's The Snow Dragon. 

My thoughts: 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. 

As always please forgive any errors, I have Crohn’s disease and it can give me pretty bad brain fog which can cause me to misspell words, muddle words and names and make all kinds of other mistakes.

Love and hugs

Joss xx