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Bear, Otter, and the Kid (Bear, Otter, and the Kid, #1)

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Bear, Otter, and the Kid (Bear, Otter, and the Kid #1)

by T.J. Klune (Goodreads Author)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 2,703 ratings · 480 reviews

Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes...more

Paperback, 1st Edition, 350 pages

Published August 12th 2011 by Dreamspinner Press (first published August 11th 2011)

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Between Sinners and Saints by Marie Sexton

Best M/M Romance Published in 2011

2nd out of 399 books — 860 voters

The Best of Gay Romance

24th out of 1,456 books — 1,416 voters

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Feb 28, 2012 W.F. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying the author has excellent writing skills, and that the book was well written. However, I can't view it as an original novel, since it is a complete rip-off of the gay themed movie "Shelter" (2007 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0942384/).

I saw the movie a couple of years ago and this book has the same characters, same story development, same guy-gives-up-scholarship-to-take-care-of-small-child plot. Both the movie and this book even start with the same scene -- he's driving...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Lauraadriana added it

WOOO HOOOO!!! I loved this book, I actually did a Happy Dance at the end...I thought of doing the 4.5 stars thingy, but then said SCREW IT! Any debut novel that has me laughing my ass off, and crying my eyes out at the same time, gets FIVE WHOLE STARS.

Well this is Bear, Otter and the Kid's story. Bear McKenna, at seventeen years old and just weeks away from finally going away to college, finds a letter from his mother letting him know she's taken off and left him to take care of his five year ol...more WOOO HOOOO!!! I loved this book, I actually did a Happy Dance at the end...I thought of doing the 4.5 stars thingy, but then said SCREW IT! Any debut novel that has me laughing my ass off, and crying my eyes out at the same time, gets FIVE WHOLE STARS.

Well this is Bear, Otter and the Kid's story. Bear McKenna, at seventeen years old and just weeks away from finally going away to college, finds a letter from his mother letting him know she's taken off and left him to take care of his five year old brother. So there he is, no mother, no school, and a little kid to raise...But he has friends, and he lets them help him as much as his pride allows, and he pulls through.

He raises this boy, this amazing brilliant boy, and he lives. Along they way he makes mistakes. His neurosis is a thing to behold. The man goes into diatribes in his head that can go on and on...But hey, if you had the abandonment issues Bear had, you'd probably doubt yourself a lot too. Then there is Otter, Bear's best friend's brother. Bear loves Otter, Otter loves Bear. Otter is gay, Bear does not think he is gay, yet his whole life he has known that there is no one he wants more, no one he needs more than Otter. And there is drama...oh yes, LOTS. Cause Bear can do the emo 80s movie angst like A CHAMP...But we see him through it, we want to, because this story is epic, and lovely, and sad, and funny, and triumphant, and we want to see them get their happy ending.

This may be one of my favorite family books, I can't say these people were secondary characters, they were not. As they said throughout the book, it was about ALL of them. Creed the best friend was hilarious and a fiercely faithful friend, Anna the ex-girlfriend was loyal and strong, the next door neighbor was great too. And the Kid...BRILLIANT.

This is a story about love, in all kinds of ways, I truly truly enjoyed it...I'll have these boys in my head for a while.

Borrowing from the Kid, I'd say I loved this book, the story was STRONG...And like Mad Cow Disease it will stay with me, for a time that is long... :O)

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Apr 30, 2013 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: how-ebook, what-glbtq, what-male-protagonist, what-cover-me-up, what-m-m-read, where-borrowed

I am one of the only people I know who didn't just love this book. (Don't get me started on the creepy kid on the cover. His mouth... ***shiver***)

I had a lot of major problems with this book and only the writing (which was very good) and the sweetness kept me reading until the end.

Things I really liked:

The writing is really good for the most part: the imagery and word choices are excellent.

The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest. It's a fake town called Seafare, closely resembling Seaside...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Deeze rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, would-read-again, tissues-needed, laugh-out-loud

Just got through reading this one. OMG what a ride. From tears of sorrow to tears of joy, back through tears of anguish to tears of laughter. This was a remarkable book by a first time author. From start to finish I was hooked. Kid is a fantastic character, and totally believable. The things he says are awesome lol. Bear and Otter are so damn human its hard to believe they are just fictional characters.

The bath tub scenes were heartbreaking,but Oh the dinner on the beach scene? one of the funnie...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Jay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-romance, all-time-favorites

WOW... Just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by its cover (or title).

I have have had this book on my TBR list for quite awhile and for some reason couldn't make the decision to purchase and read it. That is until some good friends told me it was a great story. It pulled on all my emotions: Happy (laughed out loud at times), Sad (tears were running down my face), Anger (just wanted to scream), Frustration (OMG, just figure it out Bear). If a book can do that to me it's a 5 star read....more

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Feb 25, 2012 Brie C. rated it 1 of 5 stars

ETA: I have changed the final grading to 1, I enjoyed the book immensely but it turns out the plot was “borrowed” from the movie Shelter. Plagiarism is a terrible thing, perhaps said borrowing of a plot and changing a couple of things here and there including names is not illegal, but to me is unethical and just plain wrong. Writing is all about originality, stealing someone else’s idea makes you a thief not a writer, it may not be this way for everyone, including this Dreamspinner Press editor,...more

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Aug 20, 2011 ~♥I_Luv_2_Read♥~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-favorites, gay-for-you

I just finished this book and don't know if I have the words to do it justice.
From the very beginning Bear, Otter and the Kid had my emotions involved. It started with the prologue really making me angry about the note left to Bear by his mother.

This book is told in Bears POV and from the first few paragraphs I was hooked. It felt like sitting down with Bear and listening to him tell me his scary, wonderful, painful and beautiful story. His voice was distinctive in my head and still all the ot...more I just finished this book and don't know if I have the words to do it justice.
From the very beginning Bear, Otter and the Kid had my emotions involved. It started with the prologue really making me angry about the note left to Bear by his mother.

This book is told in Bears POV and from the first few paragraphs I was hooked. It felt like sitting down with Bear and listening to him tell me his scary, wonderful, painful and beautiful story. His voice was distinctive in my head and still all the other characters were equally well voiced and developed.

I really fell in love with this "family" that was made up of believable characters. I felt Bears pain and loss, his anger and betrayal and his confusion in the aftermath of his mom leaving him. He is a 17 year old kid, with a 6 year old brother to try to raise. His plans for college are ruined and he feels like his life is over.
Seeing how his friends gather around to support him and Tyson (the Kid) is awe inspiring. Creed is his best friend and "blood brother" and even though he is off to college soon after Bears mom leaves, he is still a huge part of helping Bear. Anna, is Bears girlfriend since he was 8 years old and she never stops in her support of Bear. Mrs. Paquinn the neighbor is a laugh riot and is always around to babysit and help out.

...And then there's Otter.
Otter is Creeds older brother, 8 years older. Otter is 16 when Bear first has a sleepover with Creed and they meet for the first time. Bear thinks he is scary and intimidating. Even so, Otter is always around as Bear grows up and soon Bear comes to rely on his friendship as much as he does Creed and Anna's.
Hearing about how the relationship dynamic changes with these characters is poignant. I cried and laughed and raged right along with them.

I really liked the Kid and even though sometimes the way he spoke and acted didn't seem very realistic for a 9 year old, I still loved his and Bears relationship, as both brothers and as a father/son role. (Spending time in the bathtub when the "earthquakes" hit had me sobbing)

Bear does have a tendency to ramble and his voices in his head can be extraneous, but he does get to the point eventually and the turmoil that swirls constantly around him just makes me feel more and more involved in what is happening.

I loved this story and am looking forward to more from this first time author. The book is very well written and the characters come alive on the page! I couldn't put this book down until it was done!

5+ Stars!

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Apr 13, 2012 Vio rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome, funny, highly-recommended, heartbreaking, favourites, sweet, cute, romantic, loved-it, touching, beautiful

A re-read for me and I loved it just as much the second time around its a pretty special story and will continue to be one for a long time to come.

Wow I loved everything about this wonderful story it was clever, witty and the dialogue between the Kid and Bear was oh so funny who could forget his little words of wisdom they cracked me up. The poems and the dinner date on the beach was hilarious I could not stop laughing. I loved Bear and Otter but the Kid he tugged at my heart he was adorable and...more

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Aug 13, 2011 MandyM rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance

4.5 stars. I loved this epic romance between two young men who are just so meant for each other. It's a huge book, almost like one of those online free fiction reads that go forever, but it's perfectly edited and packaged by Dreamspinner.

Bear's mother walks out on him and his 6 year old brother just before he turns 18. This throws his whole life into chaos and he anticipates his future in ruins. His friends rally round to help although Bear's actions drive away the one person he depends on the m...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Nikyta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dreamspinner-press, a-sweet-cute-read, angst, artists, broken-to-bits, bubbles-safe, closet-cases, comedy, contemporary, deception-betrayal-lies-omissions, gfy-ofy, friends-or-enemies-to-lovers, little-or-no-smexing, kids-or-dependent-family, separated-for-a-bit, m-m, stayed-up-all-night-to-read, net-galley-reviewed, challenge-member-choice-awards-2011, published-on-amazon

4.5 stars

I really, really loved this book. It was funny, had characters I loved and read so easily I didn't even realize how fast I was reading until I'd glance down and notice I just covered boat loads of kindle locations in under an hour. I very much enjoyed it.

First and foremost, this book is a bit angsty. However, it's offset by the comedic characters throughout the pages. I was either laughing or smiling throughout the book and when I wasn't doing that, I was aching for what these character...more 4.5 stars

I really, really loved this book. It was funny, had characters I loved and read so easily I didn't even realize how fast I was reading until I'd glance down and notice I just covered boat loads of kindle locations in under an hour. I very much enjoyed it.

First and foremost, this book is a bit angsty. However, it's offset by the comedic characters throughout the pages. I was either laughing or smiling throughout the book and when I wasn't doing that, I was aching for what these characters go through. Tyson, or the Kid, is a big part of why this story was hilarious. He's a nine year old that acts more like a forty year old. He's a freaking genius, funny, a vegetarian (so cute!) and an eco-terrorist which I found hysterical. He'd say these things and start babbling about it and get all heated over a discussion then whichever adult he was talking to would turn to another adult and whisper, "So and so wasn't a president?" it was extremely funny because the Kid was smarter than everyone else. He is one of the highlights of this story. Bear is the Kid's brother. The beginning of this story is so heartbreakingly sad and for a bit I was afraid it'd be really angsty but I was (thankfully) proven wrong. It's a complicated situation but after Bear and Ty's mom leaves, all they have is their little family made up of Bear's friends - Anna, Creed, Mrs. Paquinn and Otter. I seriously loved all these characters but Otter has to be my favorite. He's just so gentle and knows what he wants but tries to do what he thinks is best for Bear at the cost of his own happiness.

It's obvious the love Otter and Bear have for each other (and for the Kid) but Bear has a hard time coming to terms with what, and who, he is. Like I said, it's a complicated story that can't really be described without giving away spoilers. Either way, I loved this story a lot. It kept me interested throughout the whole book. The plot covers multiple scenarios ranging from becoming an unwanted parent to realizing you love someone you've known almost your whole life, who's a man. One thing I really liked about this story though was Bear's friends easy acceptance and willingness to help Bear when he got saddled with a kid. I thought it was very sweet and showed just how close they all were.

While I loved the story, I had a few problems with it. Bear's inner monologue was just a bit too wordy at times and his constant denial about what he is, or isn't, was a tad annoying towards the end. Even after he accepted loving Otter he still had bursts of denial and panics that just made me want to smack him. (view spoiler). Now, this isn't really something I had a problem with but (view spoiler)

Overall, I really loved and enjoyed this book. It was a very easy read for me even with it being a contemporary (my least favorite genre) and long. Definitely recommend it and looking forward to Klune's next book :)

Two things I loved most from the book: (view spoiler)(less)

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Nov 23, 2011 T.A. Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"This is the way my world ends."

With this opening sentence, we meet Derrick (Bear, to those who know him), and discover that, one day short of his 18th birthday, three days shy of his high school graduation, and three months away from his leaving to start college, his mother has left. Left him alone and in charge of his five your old brother Tyson (Kid). With the help of his girlfriend Anna, his best friend Creed and Creed's brother Oliver (Otter), Bear picks himself up and gets on with the bus...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Zuyuan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(view spoiler)...more (view spoiler)

Edit: just adding my two cents: Wow, now there's a plagiarism issue. I never see Shelter so can't exactly say this one really "borrow it" or not. I only likely to add a few thoughts of mine here about fanfic and "borrowed story".

Fanfic also has many sub-genre. But the only one that can be re-writing to original novel is AU-genre since, to be frankly, the AU is also the original in itself. Yes, in AU the characters was borrowed, sometimes it also placed in the same time/era of original. But what happened in AU is completely another story. Adding/changing/improving some scenes, plots, characters or etc. to/in original story isn't AU. So not every fanfic with names/places changed can be call original work.

With W.F.'s review, I think this novel now standing at the verge of being an borrowed story, the bad one in my op (I gave one star since the first time I write this review). I love to see the movie in someday though. (less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Tangled0 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't even think I have the words to describe how amazing this book is. I could not put this book down for a second. It drew me in and didn't let me go until I was finished. I normally hate first person perspective. I never read a book with it but the voice was absolutely perfect and I am now convinced that it would not have been the same had it not been written that way. This was one of the most heartfelt, touching, honest, amazing written, beautiful stories I have ever read. I cried, I despa...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Mickie Ashling rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it! This novel was an unexpected surprise wrapped up in fresh dialogue and unique characters. It surpassed all my expectations. I particularly loved The Kid who was a reincarnation of Obi-wan Kenobi. The pain and angst leaps off the page, as does the love and shared moments of pure unadulterated joy. 5+ stars and highly recommended. Bravo, Mr. Klune…you have a new fan.

Rating on Audio book version-5+ stars. I enjoyed this even more than the e-book.

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 29, 2012 Lasha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: allegations, authors-acting-badly

Thanks to a friend on GR, I was able to borrow Bear, Otter and the Kid through Kindle's lending program. I wanted to see for myself before making a judgment about the current allegations of plagiarism.

For the record, I have seen Shelter (2007) starring Brad Rowe and Trevor Wright. I own the movie and have seen it more than 20 times in the last couple of years. It is one of my favorite movies of all time. So I am a little biased on that point.

However, in my estimation, there are similarities bet...more

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May 03, 2012 ♥Laddie♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, mm-older-man-younger-man, mm-with-kiddies

This was good. It wasn't great but it wasn't horrible. It was good enough that it's the first book I've finished in quite a while.

It's been pointed out in a few other reviews that Bear's inner dialogue was extremely long winded. I agree...strongly. In the beginning it wasn't so bad that he rambled on and on in his head. By the time I was about thirty percent into the book I wanted to shake him and I wanted to shake him hard.

The author did something in this book that's done in a lot of books. He...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Wade rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to think about the rating.

I did like it. Very sad, and good, I was laughing and crying. I think it was a very unusual first person account. I liked the style, and other times I was frustrated by it. While I liked the story, I found I could "predict" things and I am not so fond of that. I don't want to know what happens next which is why I never read the end or skip while reading it. I like surprise. So when I can predict it, I get annoyed.

I was very moved by the Earthquake stuff. The KID...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, mm-read, z-2011

There is nothing worse than when friends recommend a book to you and rave about it and you end up being disappointed when you finally read it. This book definitely does not fall into that category! It is, in fact, one of those books that you want to kick yourself for not reading earlier.
I loved Bear despite his flaws, his pride and his inability to express his feelings. Although, I admit there were several moments when I wanted to bang his head against a hard surface! I loved Otter for being Ott...more

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Aug 30, 2011 ElaineY rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-folder, contemporary-romance, mm, 1st-person, present-tense

I would have loved this as much as everyone did and given it 5 stars but I didn't, can't...and am relieved it's over.

I did start out liking it very much, finding just a little quirky and didn't mind at all that it settled down into a warm, fuzzy friends-to-romance story, even if The Kid was a tad overdone. That Klune was able to get me to keep reading past the first page is a feat indeed because it's written in Present Tense and I Hate. Hate. Hate. Present Tense. Not only did I not notice it was...more I would have loved this as much as everyone did and given it 5 stars but I didn't, can't...and am relieved it's over.

I did start out liking it very much, finding just a little quirky and didn't mind at all that it settled down into a warm, fuzzy friends-to-romance story, even if The Kid was a tad overdone. That Klune was able to get me to keep reading past the first page is a feat indeed because it's written in Present Tense and I Hate. Hate. Hate. Present Tense. Not only did I not notice it was Present Tense, I didn't realize it until I was a couple of chapters in! That's how good the book was...at the start.

So what happened? The dreaded spirit of the Flashback. That's what. It entered the story, took full possession of it and there was, unfortunately, no exorcist available to deliver the story and return it to sanity. There was so much back and forth, every night when I picked up the story, I had to reread the last couple of pages to recall whether I was back 3 years ago, two weeks ago, two night ago, yesterday, one year ago or back in the present. This ruined a fair bit of my reading pleasure.

Then there were the interminable monologues in Bear's head. Just way too much. I ended up skipping passages and passages because they get longer and longer towards the latter half of the book and by then, I was thinking the story had already gone on too long for its good. I just wanted Bear and Otter to resolve their issues and I wanted them all to be one big happy family so that I could take off and go read something else.

BO&tK is one of those books I kept looking at the page number wondering how many pages more before I could be done yet was still interested enough to stick through to the last page (even if I did skim all the boring Bear internal monologues the second half).

What I still don't know is why Bear's mother came back. Bear kept asking her and she never answered him. Not that I remember. Everything gets wrapped up with a neat little bow at the end as if the author ran out of steam or had enough of Bear & Co and couldn't wait to go write something else...in Past Tense, I hope, and no flashbacks and no internal verbal diarrehea! Because I did like the characters and the romance and there were enough special moments that, if all those negative things I listed weren't there, BO&tK would have been one of my top reads for this year.

Yeah, Present Tense and all!(less)

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Apr 05, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am late to the party, everyone in the world read this before me but I will admit to liking my characters, if apart, in the same exact place mentally and emotionally, or just wishing that they were together. So Bear with his highs and lows that didn't mirror Otter's feelings, I was worried would be too much for me. Boy was I wrong. Everyone has said how much they love The Kid. I did too but my love pales beside my adoration of Bear. He's a rock and not, he's a little frayed around the edges. Bu...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Steffi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: contemporary-romance, m-m, favourites, friends-to-lovers, laughed-my-head-off, emotional-rollercoaster

Original review:Swept Away By Romance

5+ stars

I can't remember when I've last been so invested in a book. I came across Bear, Otter, and the Kid by coincidence, browsing online book stores for something to read. The only other m-m romance I had read was a short story that was actually part of a series and I read it more to complete the series than out of interest. Anyway, the reviews for Bear, Otter, and the Kid were all really great and recommended the book. My moments of spontaneity are qu...more Original review:Swept Away By Romance

5+ stars

I can't remember when I've last been so invested in a book. I came across Bear, Otter, and the Kid by coincidence, browsing online book stores for something to read. The only other m-m romance I had read was a short story that was actually part of a series and I read it more to complete the series than out of interest. Anyway, the reviews for Bear, Otter, and the Kid were all really great and recommended the book. My moments of spontaneity are quite rare but one of those rare moments came along at just the right time and I purchased the book. I realize I'm disgressing quite a lot here but what I really want to say is: I'm a very fussy reader and even though I'm really trying, I'm not always happy to read anything out of my usual range of books. I'm so glad I took the plunge with Bear, Otter, and the Kid because I wouldn't want to have missed this. Immediately after finishing this book, I knew that it would become one of my all-time favorites and there will definitely be many many re-reads.

Basically the title already tells you what the book is about. Bear takes care of his little brother since having been abandoned by their mother. Otter is one of Bear's best friends but just when he needed him most, Otter left Bear and moved to San Diego. But now after several years, Otter is back and he isn't inclined to leave again. The whole story behind this is explained by Bear in the first-person POV. This was really fitting here and I think necessary to understand all the developments in Bear's life. You will accompany Bear on his quest to get to know himself and his desires. Bear doesn't understand his growing feelings for Otter, especially since he has a girlfriend that he loves.

T.J. Klune has the amazing ability to play with words and different writing styles and merges them together so beautifully that everything feels incredibly natural. Written by another author the writing style would have made this book hard to read and the storyline difficult to follow. That is not the case here. Everything flows together beautifully and I enjoyed being challenged by this new different way of story telling.

Every character of this book is very close to my heart but what I loved most is the way T.J. Klune approaches the topic of Love. This book is not about coming out or admitting to yourself that you're homosexual. Bear is searching for his soul mate and in the book he realizes that he has already found the one for him, only does that person not fit into Bear's plan and his idea of how his life should be like. (At least that's the way I understood it:)

I cannot say often enough how beautiful this book is. I recommend this to anyone who likes love stories without stereotypes and cliches. I take my hat off to T.J. Klune. This book is an experience and it made me stay up until late in the night to finish it. A gem of a book that will always be very close to my heart!!
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Feb 09, 2013 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-out, gay-family, gay-teenage, young-love, favorites, commitment, contemporary, recommended, to-re-read, true-love

I Loved this book! I laughed and cried and cursed and said WTF so many times. I was totally in the seaside town in Oregon.
Loved the kid--ecoterrorist in training--and liking Anderson Cooper? Oh well. Put a kid in a gay story and I'm interested, make it realistic and a great story and I'm hooked. Loved Otter, wanted his arms around me too!
Bear was also loveable but at the same time I wanted to hit him upside his head--like some the characters do in the book. Loved the girlfriend, the best bud an...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Lavinia Lewis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay first let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this book, I did. When I started reading it, I stayed up until 4.am(something I don't do that often any more) because I thought it was that good. I liked Bear and Otter a great deal and all of the secondary characters were well written and well developed too.

For me, however, there were a few things that kept this book from being a five star read. For a start, there was far too much internal dialogue, and I found myself skipping whole parag...more Okay first let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this book, I did. When I started reading it, I stayed up until 4.am(something I don't do that often any more) because I thought it was that good. I liked Bear and Otter a great deal and all of the secondary characters were well written and well developed too.

For me, however, there were a few things that kept this book from being a five star read. For a start, there was far too much internal dialogue, and I found myself skipping whole paragraphs of it because it was the same thoughts, over and over again, even if presented in different ways. I feel the book could have been cut down by 100 pages, losing most of these thoughts and it wouldn't have made any difference to the story, in fact, it would have made it better.

However my biggest bone of contention was The Kid, who wasn't really a kid at all, he was a sixty year old college professor masquerading as a nine year old. At times in the story I liked him a lot, at other times I was rolling my eyes at some of his profound statements or questions.

Case in point: "We're only given so many people in our lives, so many people who will love us unconditionally. Why do you think that is?" I don't know, why don't you tell us? He does, in a not so kid-like way.

Generally I don't like to nitpick but I found the very un-childlike 'kid' frustrating. Yes I know there are children that are far older than their years but the kid in this book was mentally older than most forty year olds I know, and I found his character too unbelievable.

The last thing that prevented me from giving this book five stars was the plot holes. Why did Bear's mother come back? Where had she been? And how the hell did she know about Bear and Otter's relationship, and that Otter had been living in San Diego? Why didn't she make good on her threat? These issues were never addressed and I felt a little bit cheated by that. The book was already 350 pages long, another twenty pages to answer these questions wouldn't have hurt, would they? And lastly there was no actual resolution to the story. We never did find out if Bear got to legally adopt the kid after everything he went through to look after him and keep him. Why not? I wonder if the author has a sequel planned that would answer these questions, if not then I think they should have been noticed during the editing stage.

It might sound as if I didn't enjoy this book, but I did, I enjoyed it a lot, and maybe that's why I'm being so vocal about it. I just wish some of my questions had been answered.

All in all it was a very good read, and despite the above issues, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.(less)

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Aug 24, 2011 Shell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start off by saying I loved this book. I did, it was a delightful read. The protagonists were charming and the banter between all of the characters had me in hysterics.

Bear is a young man left as the sole guardian of his young brother after being abandoned by their mother right before his high school graduation. At 17 he goes from having a future full of possibilities to one full of responsibilities. Adding to that were the new confusing feelings he was having for his best friend's brothe...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Candice rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said in reviews except this is a MUST read. There is so much going on that makes you laugh, cry and hold your breath. You go through the whole range of emotions with this one and I loved every minute of it. I loved all of these characters, especially the kid, he is just too funny with some of the things that come out of his mouth.

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Aug 14, 2011 Shawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall liked it, a little too much of Bear's internal monologue and angst. I got very frustrated with him at times during the story, and wanted to smack him! Guess that means I really got into the story.

Characters were very appealing - I loved Otter and the Kid. I look forward to future books by this author.

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Dec 29, 2012 SheReadsALot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to SheReadsALot by: Andrea

Shelves: m-m-romance, contemporary, friends-to-lovers, age-difference, angst, hard-knock-life, loved-you-for-years, funny, tear-jerker, damaged-hero, part-of-a-series, possessive-obsessive, steamy, suspense, sweet, new-adult

Pity Party?!

Pity Party?!

Table for one?

Under the reservation, Bear McKenna, please?

"Bear, Otter and the Kid" has DRAMA hands down! There's drama for you, your family, your friends, their friends, their friends' friends...Holy Cheesus, it can make it's own universe.

description

TJ Klune's story is well written, you can argue all the faults you may or may not have but the writing style is superb. (Yes, I'm aware of the "Shelter" movie controversy - *shrug* I see it more as a homage to a great film) You will fee...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Nile Princess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: age-difference, formerly-straight, friends-to-lovers, kids-family, m-m-romance, paws, couldn-t-finish, reviewed, it-must-be-me

I really, really hate when I'm in such a vast minority with a book that has gotten so many rave reviews. First, there are parts of the book that I did like and that made me smile...laugh out loud even, but it was bogged down with so much unnecessary rambling that I was getting a headache. Once you get past the silly names (Bear, Otter, The Kid...really?), the first third of the book is likeable. Bear is funny, The Kid is witty and all the friends come together as a family to support Bear and Ty...more I really, really hate when I'm in such a vast minority with a book that has gotten so many rave reviews. First, there are parts of the book that I did like and that made me smile...laugh out loud even, but it was bogged down with so much unnecessary rambling that I was getting a headache. Once you get past the silly names (Bear, Otter, The Kid...really?), the first third of the book is likeable. Bear is funny, The Kid is witty and all the friends come together as a family to support Bear and Ty when their mom leaves. The writing is so well done that I didn't even notice that the book is written in present tense, something that usually throws me off immediately.

At around 38%, the author falters. We get a flashback of Otter's departure, from Otter's point of view, as told by Bear. HUH, you say? Uh, yes.

"It's three years ago, and we're standing in my apartment, and OTTER FEELS my lips press against him....then reality sets in as I pull away and a voice rings out in HIS HEAD, "What are you doing to him?? He's just a kid and he's drunk!"

Are your eyes crossing yet??? From this we're supposed to deduce that, unless Bear is a mind reader, Otter is telling the story to Bear and Bear is cutely relaying it to us. WHY??? Why not just let them have a conversation or do the flashback from Otter's point of view?? There are numerous flashbacks, different points of view of the same event. An editor's guiding hand was needed here.

As for Bear, there is entirely too much internal dialogue on his part, and it's distracting because he would be in the middle of a sentence angsting about what he should say next, and then there's a PARAGRAPH of internal hemming and hawwing and neurotic whining, and then he finishes his sentence. Honestly, I found it hard to believe he was 21. His thought process was that of a 14 yr old girl. For Pete's sake, stop throwing yourself into Otter's arms and then angsting about the fact that you're not gay. It's like he was bipolar. I love gay-for-you novels but Bear was just entirely too melodramatic and I found him unlikeable.

I loved the Kid and Otter, but sadly, because of the writing style and Bear, I threw in the towel at 50%. I really couldn't take it anymore. At that point, I was already skimming just to get to what happened next, and then I realized I wasn't really interested enough to find out.(less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Shirley Frances rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Shirley by: Kyreadinggirl

Shelves: mm-read, mm-series, 2012

- February 13, 2012.

I loved it!!! I loved the Kid (everyone should have a brother like him!), loved Otter and I adored Bear. Of course, the whole cast of characters were amazing and the story full of emotions and twists and... just amazing! I laughed, cried, yelled and even at times just stopped reading. I was that pissed!

- October 17, 2012 (re-read)

This is the story of Bear and Otter and the Kid. It's filled with humor, drama, inner ramblings, heartache, bonding, family, friends and everythin...more - February 13, 2012.

I loved it!!! I loved the Kid (everyone should have a brother like him!), loved Otter and I adored Bear. Of course, the whole cast of characters were amazing and the story full of emotions and twists and... just amazing! I laughed, cried, yelled and even at times just stopped reading. I was that pissed!

- October 17, 2012 (re-read)

This is the story of Bear and Otter and the Kid. It's filled with humor, drama, inner ramblings, heartache, bonding, family, friends and everything in between. I cried, I laughed, I was angry and in the end I was grinning from ear to ear. AGAIN!!!

My heart went out to each of these characters and I loved them as if they were a part of my family. Bear, so young yet with so much weight on his shoulders. How can you not feel for him when at 17-years old he finds himself caring for his brother? Not because of any tragic accident or horrible turn of events. No, simply because his mother ran off, leaving behind a badly written note, a power of attorney and a couple of hundred dollars. My heart broke for him. Being a single mother of three I cannot imagine how scared he must have been and I admire the courage he found within himself to make it work and raise such a wonderful little boy as the Kid.

Of course, Otter was adorable and amazing too. His strength and his devotion to Bear even when they weren't together said a lot about his character and I think that is why I liked him from the get go. What he goes through to finally get together with Bear and the events afterwards, just about killed me. And the Kid, well, let's just say that I wouldn't mind a little boy like him. Smart and outspoken in his views, but so vulnerable and and fragile too. He has seen to much and been through too much for me not to want to hold him close and shelter him.

All the secondary characters were amazing too. I don't even want to consider them secondary because they really added to the story. Anna, Bear's girlfriend, was a very understanding young woman who understood what Bear needed and when. Creed, Otter's younger brother and Bear's best friend, was everything you would expect from a brother. And well Mrs. Paquinn, she was the grandma you always wanted. She would come up with the funniest things at times as well as be very supportive and understanding at others.

The writing was very good. I got a bit confused there at the start but then caught on the author's, TJ Klune, writing style and didn't mind at all. Like I mentioned before, this book is filled with a wide array of emotions that had me reading it all in one sitting. I enjoyed Bear's voice. It felt real and helped me connect to him even more. The Kid's dialog was outrageous and funny as hell. And Otter? Well, his words were so tender and emotional that I melted every time.

This was and continues to be an awesome read. I can't wait to read the next book, Who We Are, which is the reason behind this re-read. I wanted to reacquaint myself with the characters and the writing style so that it doesn't take me by surprise again.(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-favorites, i-ugly-cried, book-boyfriends

Ok - some spoilers here.

I don't think I have ever read a book quite like Bear, Otter and the Kid.

The story begins with a letter that no child should ever have to read from their mother. The fates that handed Bear and Ty such miserable excuses for parents in turn gave them a family that one could only hope for, and for Bear the truest of loves in Otter.

The author's refreshing way of writing first person POV makes you feel like you are right there, experiencing the story with Bear. The writing i...more Ok - some spoilers here.

I don't think I have ever read a book quite like Bear, Otter and the Kid.

The story begins with a letter that no child should ever have to read from their mother. The fates that handed Bear and Ty such miserable excuses for parents in turn gave them a family that one could only hope for, and for Bear the truest of loves in Otter.

The author's refreshing way of writing first person POV makes you feel like you are right there, experiencing the story with Bear. The writing is so accessible and real, and Bear's internal monologues and pesky yet wise internal "voice" were pitch perfect. Bear had a million thoughts whirring in his head, but was unable to voice nearly all of them. It was difficult, as a reader, to not become frustrated with Bear. But I then had to remember that Bear had been abandoned at first by his father and then by his mother (years before she actually left). By acting on these very confusing feelings for Otter, in his mind he jeopardized his relationships with two constants in his life - Anna and Creed. And Bear had learned at a very young age he could depend on no one but himself for his and Ty's welfare - for him, trusting someone is a huge step.

And I adored Ty. I worried that reading about a nine year old ecoterrorist in training would be annoying, but Ty was so much fun. Both an old soul and very much a scared young child, his insight into Bear was jaw dropping - Ty telling Otter "I hope you know, " he tells him, "that just because he can't say it, doesn't mean that he doesn't feel it." And the poems! Also, this story has the best "I love you" ever. EVER.

The writer's method of weaving in flashbacks along the way were used to great effect. I loved Otter's smile at the dinner table when Bear was eight when he mistakenly called him "Otter." Also, learning more details about Bear's neglectful childhood was so sad (his forgotten fifth birthday, the beer cans) and helped me understand his motivations better. The little details and descriptions in this book are nothing short of amazing.

"Otter stands up straight, and I can feel him looking down at the two of us huddled in front of him, two lost children." That line stood out to me when I read this story - Otter is so much the protector and safe haven for Bear and Ty. When Otter is there, there is no need to sit in the bathtub to ride out the earthquakes - Otter envelopes them both in his protective embrace.

It was especially poignant to read about Bear, as child, writing letters to Otter he would never send asking if he could move in with him when Otter got out of college. "I'm hoping she'll leave me alone so I can imagine what it would be like to be all grown up and for Otter and me to have our own house, and we could do whatever we wanted and there would be no one to tell us no." And in the end, although he couldn't truly comprehend what had taken root in his heart towards Otter at the young age of eleven, Bear got his childhood wish as an adult. A home, a life with Otter - giving Ty the childhood he never had. Perfect. One of my absolute favorite books.
(less)

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About T.J. Klune

When TJ Klune was eight, he picked up a pen and paper and began to write his first story (which turned out to be his own sweeping epic version of the video game Super Metroid—he didn't think the game ended very well and wanted to offer his own take on it. He never heard back from the video game company, much to his chagrin). Now, two decades later, the cast of characters in his head have only gott...more

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Quotes from Bear, Otter, and the Kid

“You want to know what it feels like to be castrated? Try having your nine-year-old brother protect you from your ex-girlfriend after you've told her you're in love with a man.” — 60 people liked it

“There's nothing like being admonished by a nine-year-old ecoterrorist in training.” — 44 people liked it

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