Book Title – The Last Bear
Author – Hannan Gold
Publisher – Harper Collins
Recommended Age Group – 9 + years
The Last Bear, beautifully penned down by Hannah Gold, an enthusiastic and talented author, describes the life of a lonely bear on a deserted island of the Artic. The genre of the book is Realistic Fiction and is based on a realistic turn of events. There are two protagonists in this book. Firstly, a young girl named April who lost her mother and is trying to find a friend. She is curious and inquisitive which is how she stumbled upon Bear, the second protagonist. He suffered of loneliness and hunger because of a plastic chain on his paw, preventing him to hunt for himself. The central idea of the book is Global Warming as the icecaps are melting, leaving polar bears stranded on rocks.
Slowly and steadily the polar bear and April’s unlikely bond grows. She makes it her mission to take the bear home.
I think this is a wonderful book as it shows us the true meaning of friendship and has a lovely plot and catchy detail. Through this book, the author is trying to tell us about the sacrifices we have to make to honour our relationships and make them last. For example, in the book, Bear allowed April to ride on his back even when he was hurting because he wanted to see her happy – something only a true friend would do. This book also taught me how to embrace personalities diverse to mine and helped me understand animals better.
I think a little more detail would have been better in the beginning of the story but the middle and ending of the story were captivating and catchy.
“The Last Bear”, a classic read is perfect for animal lovers and adventure seekers as it is jumpy and thrilling and brings excitement into the readers eyes. This classic has touched many hearts with its friendship, relationship, adventure and mystery. I am certain that it will touch yours too.
Reviewed By: Ameirah Varughese, 10 years old
Cover image source credit: https://suepurkiss.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-last-bear-by-hannah-gold.html