Review of The Bear in the Irish Examiner

The Bear 

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Review: Roddy Brooks

Claire CameronHarvill Secker, £9.99;ebook, £4.68When Anna and her younger brother, Alex, get caught up in a bear attack on their family’s campsite in the Canadian wilderness, only Anna’s childish approach to the world helps them get through the experience.Told through Anna’s eyes, The Bear is a gripping narrative of how to deal with grief, and with being lost in a hostile environment.Claire Cameron, a Canadian novelist and journalist, has taken a big risk, but has succeeded in telling a thrilling story in the language and nuances of a small child.Surviving the ordeal is not guaranteed, yet Cameron has delivered an exciting tale of how to cope with a deadly event.The siblings somehow deal with everything they encounter, but whether they come through the ordeal and its consequences unscathed is not revealed until a fitting climax.The child-like narrative might put some readers off, but once you are used to how Anna tells her story, it actually becomes a vital part of making The Bear a compelling read.© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved