Bear by Julia Phillips

Into the Woods We Go

You know that feeling when you’re walking alone in the forest and the hairs on the back of your neck suddenly stand up? That primal, electric sensation that you’re being watched by something ancient and unknowable hiding just beyond the treeline? Julia Phillips’ sophomore novel “Bear” captures that feeling and stretches it out over 300 spellbinding pages, weaving a haunting tale of two sisters whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor on their remote Pacific Northwest island.

Part psychological thriller, part mythic fable, part meditation on the bonds of sisterhood, “Bear” defies easy categorization as it pulls readers into its dreamy, menacing atmosphere. Phillips, whose debut “Disappearing Earth” was a National Book Award finalist, proves herself a master of slowly ratcheting tension and lyrical prose that gets under your skin. This is the kind of book that will have you jumping at shadows and seeing bears around every corner long after you turn the final page.

Plot Summary: A Wild Thing This Way Comes

An Island Apart

Sisters Sam and Elena have spent their entire lives on a small island off the coast of Washington state, eking out a meager existence alongside their ailing mother. Sam works long shifts on the ferry that shuttles wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes, while Elena bartends at the local golf club. But even with their combined income, they can barely keep their heads above water financially.

The sisters share a longtime dream of escaping the island for greener pastures on the mainland. Or at least, Sam thought they shared that dream. Lately Elena has seemed less enthusiastic about leaving, more content with their simple island life. Still, Sam clings to the hope that one day soon they’ll sell their family’s run-down house and start fresh somewhere with more opportunities.

An Unexpected Visitor

Then one night, as Sam is working her ferry shift, she spots something unbelievable in the dark waters of the channel: a massive bear, swimming between islands. Where did it come from? Where is it going? And most pressingly – what will happen if it reaches their shores?

Sam’s worst fears are realized when the bear turns up near their home a few days later. She’s terrified, more convinced than ever that they need to leave the island immediately. But to her shock, Elena seems enchanted rather than frightened by the bear’s presence. As Elena begins seeking out encounters with the creature, the sisters find themselves increasingly at odds.

A Sisterhood Tested

Is the bear a threat to be feared or a magical being to be embraced? As Sam and Elena’s perspectives diverge, long-simmering tensions in their relationship rise to the surface. Elena accuses Sam of being close-minded and failing to appreciate the wildness and beauty of their island home. Sam worries that Elena is being reckless, putting them both in danger with her bear obsession.

As the rift between them grows, Sam becomes desperate to save her sister from what she sees as a deadly infatuation. But her efforts to intervene will have devastating, irreversible consequences that neither sister could have foreseen.

Themes: The Wild Within and Without

The Call of the Wild

At its core, “Bear” by Julia Phillips is a story about wildness—both the literal wilderness of the Pacific Northwest setting and the metaphorical wildness that lives within all of us. The bear represents pure, unrestrained nature—beautiful and awe-inspiring, but also potentially deadly if approached carelessly.

Elena’s fascination with the bear speaks to a primal human longing to reconnect with the natural world, to break free from the confines of civilization. Sam, meanwhile, represents the opposite impulse—the desire for safety, stability, and control over one’s environment.

Phillips deftly explores how these competing drives can exist within a single family, or even a single person. Are we meant to tame the wilderness, or let it tame us? Is there a middle ground to be found?

The Bonds of Sisterhood

Sisterhood is another central theme, with Phillips painting a nuanced portrait of Sam and Elena’s complex relationship. There’s deep love between them, but also resentment, jealousy, and a lifetime of unspoken grievances.

The sisters’ diverging reactions to the bear serve as a catalyst that brings long-buried tensions to light. We see how shared trauma (their mother’s illness, their impoverished upbringing) can both strengthen sisterly bonds and drive wedges between siblings.

Ultimately, “Bear” by Julia Phillips asks: How well can we ever truly know even those closest to us? And when someone we love seems to be heading down a dangerous path, what’s the right way to intervene—if there even is one?

Escaping vs. Embracing Your Roots

The push and pull between escaping one’s origins and embracing them is another key theme. Sam has internalized the idea that success means getting off the island and assimilating into mainstream society. Elena, however, finds herself drawn to a deeper connection with their ancestral home.

Phillips thoughtfully explores the immigrant experience through this lens—the pressure to “make it” in a new place weighed against the desire to maintain cultural roots. She also touches on class tensions between the working-class islanders and wealthy mainlanders, adding another layer of nuance to the sisters’ opposing worldviews.

Writing Style: Lyrical, Mythic, and Mesmerizing

Julia Phillips’ prose in “Bear” is nothing short of enchanting. Her descriptions of the lush island landscape are so vivid you can practically smell the salt air and pine needles. The pacing is measured and deliberate, mirroring the slow rhythms of island life while building an undercurrent of creeping dread.

There’s a dreamlike, almost mythic quality to the writing that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. Are the bear encounters real, or a shared delusion born of isolation and desperation? Phillips keeps us guessing, maintaining an ambiguous tone that adds to the story’s unsettling power.

Chapters alternate between Sam and Elena’s perspectives, allowing us to inhabit both sisters’ mindsets. Phillips has a keen ear for natural dialogue and internal monologue. The sisters’ voices feel distinct and authentic—you can really hear the years of shared history and inside jokes in their banter.

Strengths: A Uniquely Captivating Read

Atmosphere for Days

The moody, immersive atmosphere is hands-down one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Phillips transports you so completely to this misty Pacific Northwest island that you’ll find yourself checking over your shoulder for bears lurking in the shadows of your living room.

The slow-burn pacing allows that foreboding mood to really seep into your bones. This isn’t a thriller with cheap jump scares—it’s more like a gradually tightening vise of dread and unease.

Complex Characters

Sam and Elena are wonderfully complex, flawed characters that defy easy categorization as heroines or villains. Their motivations feel deeply human and relatable, even when they make frustrating choices.

The secondary characters are also richly drawn, from the sisters’ long-suffering mother to Elena’s kind-hearted boyfriend Danny. Even the bear itself becomes a fully-realized character in its own right.

Thought-Provoking Themes

“Bear” by Julia Phillips isn’t just an engrossing story – it’s also a meditation on some weighty philosophical questions. How much wildness can we accept in ourselves and others? What do we owe to family versus what we owe ourselves? Where’s the line between healthy caution and paralyzing fear?

The book doesn’t offer easy answers, instead inviting readers to sit with these thorny issues and draw their own conclusions. It’s the kind of story that will have book clubs debating for hours.

Potential Weaknesses: Not for Everyone

Slow Pacing

Readers looking for a fast-paced thriller may find “Bear” a bit too slow and cerebral for their tastes. The measured pacing is a deliberate stylistic choice that won’t work for everyone.

Ambiguous Ending

Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that the ending leaves quite a bit open to interpretation. Some readers may find this unsatisfying and wish for more concrete resolution.

Heavy Themes

While I personally found the book’s weighty themes compelling, they do make for a rather intense, heavy read at times. This isn’t a breezy beach book – it requires some emotional investment from the reader.

Comparisons: In Good Company

Fans of Karen Russell’s Florida-gothic magical realism or Carmen Maria Machado’s genre-bending literary horror will find a lot to love in Julia Phillips’ “Bear.” The Pacific Northwest setting and themes of wildness vs. civilization also bring to mind David Vann’s dark family dramas.

Phillips’ debut “Disappearing Earth” garnered comparisons to Alice Munro for its linked-story structure and nuanced depiction of women’s interior lives. While “Bear” has a more traditional novel format, that same sensitivity to female perspectives and relationships shines through.

Final Verdict: A Unforgettable Journey into the Heart of Darkness

“Bear” by Julia Phillips is a rare breed of novel that manages to be both a gripping page-turner and a profound meditation on the human condition. Julia Phillips has crafted a sophomore effort that’s every bit as impressive as her acclaimed debut, cementing her status as one of the most exciting young voices in literary fiction.

This isn’t an easy, comfortable read—but it’s one that will stay with you long after you finish the final page. If you’re in the mood for something atmospheric, thought-provoking, and utterly unique, I can’t recommend “Bear” highly enough. Just maybe don’t read it alone in a cabin in the woods. You know, just in case.