BEAR, OTTER & THE KID by TJ Klune

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Date published: August 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61372-087-5
Contemporary GBLT
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by self-purch


Bear McKenna never anticipated the way his life would change until the day he got left with a “Dear Bear…” letter from his mother saying she needed to leave with her new boyfriend and by the way, she was leaving his six-year old brother with him. From that moment on, life as Bear knew it was changed in a blink of an eye. Now after three years, things are happening that leave Bear in utter confusion as Otter walks back into his life and Bear finally finds the strength to admit to himself that there is more to life than just existing. The question is can Bear find a way to let himself grab that brass ring to have everything he always wanted…including keeping the brother he has raised as a son?

TJ Klune debuts a story that had me laughing, crying and then laughing again all within a space of a few chapters. With the broad stroke of the pen, this author delivers a highly emotional story that left me reeling at times and it was a book I could not put down, even to eat dinner. The story grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go even after the last page is read. BEAR, OTTER & THE KID is full of wonderful characters, a moving storyline and conflict-personal and emotional-that left me rooting for Bear and the Kid. You laugh, cry, snicker and yell but the theme of the book comes loud and clear to the reader-that family is what you make of it, not something you are born with.

The characters are quite enjoyable and very relatable. I was shaking my head in disbelief as Tyson or ‘the Kid” as he is called, made me laugh with his one liners but you could tell the obvious love he had for the people he considered his family. The love story between Otter and Bear is quite realistic and made me root for them both even as they both worked through many issues they had. Bear made me want to give him a hug and tell him it was going to be all right even as he did something to made me want to smack him silly. The fact that I could literally picture the characters in my head made this story much more believable to me. I absolutely loved Tyson because each time he did something or opened his mouth; I was stunned by his perceptions of the world around him.

BEAR, OTTER & THE KID is one of those heartwarming stories that leave you with a happy feeling afterwards. This is like a show you can’t resist watching as you watch scene after heartfelt scene pass by, as tears roll down your face and laughter teases your lips. This is a story that is so much more than a traditional happily ever after; it’s like a journey you take to find the person you are meant to be. TJ Klune delivers a story that will knock you on your ass and then shake you up even more. If you are looking for a story that reels you in, turns you inside out and then spits you out completely drained and energized at the same time, then BEAR, OTTER & THE KID is the perfect read for you. Now all I can ask is…more please?

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.