Bear, Otter, and the Kid (Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles Book 1)

Book 1. Bear, Otter, and the Kid. by T.J. Klune. · Ratings · Reviews ·. published · 18 editions. Three years ago, Bear McKenna's mother.
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Paquinn were terrific secondary characters too. My favorite though was Tyson. Known as Kid to all that loved him. Wise beyond his years. He had my heart from the first chapter. At tim Oh my heart. It broke my heart. But it also brought so much happiness too. His journey through a storm. Such a wonderful story about family, undefined love and unconditional friendships.

Good thing I'm able to read on to book 2. Which by the way is up next for me. Aug 29, Brie rated it did not like it. 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. Dreamspinner Press has issued a response, which you can read here. In addition, they are offering a free download of the book for a limited time, so that readers can form their own opinions.

After watching the movie I can say that the book borrows heavily from it and that all this mess could have been avoided if the author had at least acknowledged where he got his inspiration. If you don't want to read the book or watch the movie, you can always read this post that lists all the similarities. Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner Everything about this book appealed to me. The cover, the blurb, the genre, when I saw it I just had to read it, I felt like the cat that found the golden catnip.

I love contemporary romances with clever children, guys struggling to raise them and friends-to-lovers stories, and this book had all of that and more. Three years latter Bear is raising his precocious brother, working at a grocery store and living a very regular and stale life. He has a girlfriend and a best friend who have been with him since he was a kid and who have helped him with the Kid, and he also has Otter.

But everything is about to change because Otter is back in town. There are many things going on in this book but the main one is a love story. Bear is a complex character. He was the most realistic of all the characters because even though he loved his brother he sometimes resented him. I loved reading about him and getting to know him, he was such a great person but he was flawed and even exasperating. At times he seemed wiser beyond his age, but more often than not he really seemed his age. Otter was just dreamy. I fell in love with him almost at first sight, he was the perfect combination of strong and vulnerable and I was desperate for him to get his happily ever after.

He was nine years older than Bear and it showed. As they said in the book, Otter wears his hear on his sleeve and that was obvious for the characters as well as the readers. The Kid was the character that bothered me the most. Maybe I have never met a kid that intelligent, but it was hard for me to believe that a kid would behave that way, especially during the last part of the book.

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Some of the final conversations were just ridiculous and unbelievable. Of the two of them the less developed character and the most stereotypical one, was Creed, but he was very likeable and I was happy to see how things worked out for him. I see the resolution of their story more like something in the mend and I know that eventually they will be able to regain their friendship but it will take some time.

It had drama, comedy, angst, hot sex, a sweet romance and an incredible portrayal of friendship. If you like contemporary romance then this should be part of your TBR list. ARC provided by NetGalley for review purposes. View all 13 comments. I am feeling that bittersweet feeling coming on as I reread one of my all-time favorite series, in preparation for the long-awaited last book.

I read Bear, Otter and the Kid , for the first time, two years ago, and I got to discover what the fuss was all about. And I suspect quite strongly that I will be cursing TJ by the time this journey comes to an end. I can feel it coming. I've heard about this I am feeling that bittersweet feeling coming on as I reread one of my all-time favorite series, in preparation for the long-awaited last book. I've heard about this book for ages, but didn't pick it up, until a few weeks ago, at which point I was told I must read it now!

And my friend Eleftheria hadn't read it, either, so we decided to do a buddy read. It was so much fun getting to talk about this book along the way. I'm sitting here, trying to get my thoughts together for a review and so much is bubbling up. The characters were so well written, and the narrative was engaging and funny. There was one part where I really wished the POV had switched to Otter, because it was his story, but we were hearing it from Bear.

That part was a touch awkward, but other than that one piece, we're golden. The story is told completely from Bear's POV. When the book starts, Bear McKenna is one day shy of turning 18 and his worthless excuse for a human being, much less a parent, mother has up and left with her boyfriend of the month and left Bear to raise his five year old brother. And never mind plans for college. Oh, she left a note, reminding him to pay the rent, so that should be ok. Yeah, no mother of the year award for her.

You might get the impression I don't like her. Yeah, you'd be right. So, Bear is left with his little brother Tyson and not a clue as to how he was going to be able to take care of the Kid. And both of them end up with some serious abandonment issues because of it.

Bear, Otter, and the Kid Series

He's got some awesome friends, though and they pulled together to help him through everything. His girlfriend Anna, his best friend, Creed and Creed's older brother Oliver Otter banded together to make sure that he know he wasn't alone in this. And his neighbor, Mrs. She was brilliantly written. I want to be her when I get old except for the being alone for 30 years part - that would suck.

Now, Bear isn't the most introspective guy around. He's not stupid, he just doesn't think things through. He has idolized Otter, pretty much forever, but he never picked up on why. Until one night something happens between them and Bear panics and sends Otter away. And Otter stayed away for three years. He had to grow up so fast and never got the chance to go explore the world or himself. That's kind of sad. But Otter returns and suddenly, Bear has to figure out why his emotions are so all over the place when Otter is around.

It really took Anna and Ty to clue him in on his own feelings. Tyson is a brilliant and scary observant little guy. At nine years old, he is already way ahead of the rest of the world. And he tells it like it is. But Bear still resisted. And when he stopped resisting, he was still really wound tight over anyone knowing before he figured things out.

He has a tendency to overthink things. It is through Bear that we get to know the other characters and I think he did a great job of it. I loved Otter and Ty. It was not difficult to see them as a family at all. And Bear tries so hard to not let anyone down that he inevitably lets everyone down, until he remembers that he isn't alone ok, he had to be smacked over the head with it and lets other people help him. The result of it all was a story that I absolutely loved and characters I loved Except the mom.

I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series and I highly recommend what I've read, so far. View all 45 comments. I didn't expect it to be this good. I had for a very long time but kept putting it off.

Bear, Otter, and the Kid Series by T.J. Klune

I think it was the title and cover But I'm so glad I finally read it. Just two day from turing eighteen, his mother has left and doesn't seem to be coming back. The Kid, that he is now responsible for. He was hurt, and scared. He drinks himself sick and drunk dials his best friend's older brother Otter, a. Otter shows up to comfort him and to try to help. What ends up happening is one kiss. Bear wakes up the next day and finds Otter has left for California. He feels angry, sad, and confused about what happened between them.

Three years later, Otter comes back making Bear even more confused and angry. But for some reason, he is also happy he is back. The whole book is in his POV, except for the epilogue. It was very interesting being in his head. He is a thinker, he thinks and thinks the crap out of things. He has to over analyze everything. I enjoyed his inner mononlogues. He was sarcastic and had a funny sense of humour. I loved the unconditional way he loved and cared for Ty.

He had to grow up and become a father to Ty. I think he did a great job, even though he was still growing up himself. I was happy for all the support he had in his friends and even his elderly neighbour. So many times I just wanted to hug Bear, and hoped things would be better for him. I understood where he was coming from in terms of his sexuality. He has had one girlfriend, Anna, on and off since he was fourteen. Then he suddenly starts to feel things for his best friend Creed's older brother, Otter.

I was frustrated with how much of a coward he was when it came to admit his feelings, but again, I got why he was that way. I still loved him, though. He has been the older brother that Bear never had. But somewhere along the way, he started to fall for Bear. And after they shared that one kiss, he felt like he was influencing him in some way that caused him to kiss him. So, he leaves to California to try to get over Bear.

After three years, he knows he never will. So, he returns and hopes to have Bear any way he can in his life. Even if it's just as friends. He cares and loves both Bear and The Kid and he doesn't want to leave them again. It must have been hard to be in his position, just like it was to be in Bears'. He loved Bear so much, he demonstrated it many times. He didn't want to ruin Bear's life by 'turning' him gay. But they can't deny what their hearts feel. I felt for Otter. He wanted to show everyone his love for Bear, but he couldn't because Bear was deeply buried in the closet.

The chemistry between these two was wonderful to read. I couldn't get enough. Their silly banter and private jokes had me laughing. They were such a sweet and perfect couple. They really did complete each other. Ever since he learned that his mother left, following with Otter leaving as well, he has suffered with abandonment issues. He needs to constantly know where Bear is at all times. He is scared that Bear will be next to leave him. Slowly, Ty tries to move on with his life so that his brother can do the same. He is really smart, and all he wants to do is to take care of Bear.

But he knows he can't do it by himself, so he relys on Otter, Creed, and Anna to help him. Ty freaking stole my heart!! This kid is absolutely brilliant. He is only nine years old, but is the most intelligent and wise kid I have ever read about.


  • Bear, Otter and the (Kid Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles #1).
  • Wenn du alt bist, kannst du schöner träumen (German Edition).
  • Bear, Otter and the Kid Chronicles!

He was absolutely endearing. The way he looks up to his brother was so heart warming. And this kid was also always there for Bear when he needed it. He would give awesome advice to Bear, which was ironic since he is just a kid, after all. But the love between Bear and Ty was beautiful.

You can really feel that connection between them as you read it. I loved this kid to pieces. He was so adorable with how he would preach about how you shouldn't eat meat because of how they were killed. Instead of watching cartoons, he watches Anderson Cooper.

He was quirky but very cute. Here's a funny and adorable quote of The Kid and Creed talking: Why would you eat baby anything? There were many moments that hurt my heart and made me teary eyed. But there were also many romantic and funny moments that had me smiling while I read. I loved the writing style, which was different to what I'm use to, but I liked it nonetheless. I loved the ending, I think it was super sweet.

I truly enjoyed it and I definitely recommend you give this a try. Don't let the title or the cover deter you from reading this. View all 27 comments. May 24, Elsa Bravante rated it liked it Shelves: El autor utiliza fundamentalmente el presente a la hora de narrar, no soy muy fan de ello, pero no ha supuesto un problema.

Ha habido partes en las que he dicho: Pasamos de algo bello y en algunos momentos intimistas al telefilm del domingo, noooooooooooooo. Me vais a perdonar, eso no lo considero gracioso, ni tierno, lo que hace es que en ese momento mi mente salga del libro. View all 25 comments. Jan 06, Sammy Goode rated it it was amazing. Never before in my life have I been at a place where I was unsure how to begin Never before have I had a book shake me to the very core of my being Never before have I not known how to summarize a book--put it into a neat little package so that you, dear reader, could get the gist of the story, hear my thoughts and walk away to decide for yourself whether or not you w Never before in my life have I been at a place where I was unsure how to begin Never before have I not known how to summarize a book--put it into a neat little package so that you, dear reader, could get the gist of the story, hear my thoughts and walk away to decide for yourself whether or not you would read the book.

Never before have I actually ended a book, turned to page one and begun it again--right then, right away, without a moments hesitation. But this review should not be about me Klune gave the reading world when he wrote the book, Bear, Otter, and the Kid. I have never been so in love with a family of characters in all my reading life. Bear Derrick is brother, father, mother, best friend, to the Kid Tyson after their mother, no better than a drunken whore, leaves them alone to fend for themselves.

Bear's friend Creed and his on again, off again, girlfriend Anna, quickly move in to help the almost 18 year old Bear. But it is Creed's older brother Otter Oliver that Bear finds himself drawn to time and time again. A drunken kiss, and a fearful split sees Otter living far away for 3 years where he desperately tries to forget his love for Bear. When he returns, Bear fights him and his love tooth and nail until finally succumbing to the fact that not only is he gay but he is deeply in love with Otter.

They hide their love I have never before apologized for a summary but this time I find myself asking for just that--forgiveness. For you see, no summary can begin to capture the magic of this story--the bliss of reading it, the incredible journey of self-discovery, love found, lost and found again and the incredibly tender relationship between these two brothers, their friends and these two men, Bear and Otter.

I will end this review as I began it I do not know what else to say so I will simply say this This has been one of the loveliest experiences of my life View all 7 comments. Aug 10, Portia rated it it was amazing. There is no way that this is a debut novel. Somewhere there must be books under another pen name that I have yet to discover. This book is absolutely perfect. Well, first of all, I hate books written in first person.

Bear, Otter, and the Kid

No particular reason, just my preference. But, this book made me feel like Bear and I were sitting on his back porch and he was telling me his story. Even the flash back scenes, another liter There is no way that this is a debut novel. Bear is so sweet. You can almost taste his fear when he is thrust into this very adult role…the day before his 18th birthday.

His girlfriend and his best friend are there to lend support, but he instinctively turns to Otter. Otter that is willing to give up a dream job in California to stay and help Bear raise the Kid. Jury is still out on whether Otter is a saint or a fool. But, the real star of this book is Tyson… the Kid. This story really is about how these three souls come together to form a family. And there are plenty of obstacles.

The biggest being Bear, who spends way too much time waiting for the next shoe to drop. I only have one question for Tj Klune…how did that woman know about San Diego? I would love to see this book made into a Lifetime movie. It definitely reads like a movie. Kudos to Tj Klune on a fabulous debut novel. Apr 05, Mary rated it it was amazing.


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    7. 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.

    Meet the Animals 39: Sea Otter

    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 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. But I was in love with all the inner monologues.

    His thought process is so on target for coming out and coming to grips with who he is. I loved this book; you just read and sink in. And now the sequel is right around the corner! One of my top 3 all-time favorites. The sequel is really good, too. And I really can't wait for a third installment. You'll cry your eyes out, laugh your head off and be sad it's over when you reach the last page. I like books with children. I thought I would like this book.

    But unfortunately, I did not like the book much. I liked some parts of the books, like the bad poetry absolutely endearing and silly and funny , some lines like "The fight for you was all I've ever known", or some emotional moments between Bear and Otter, or Bear and the Kid. But I struggled to finish this book because I did not warm up to the characters and the plot did not pull me.

    IMHO, Anna, Creed and Otter were simply uninteresting, while Bear was annoying and a bit repulsive with his self-pitying, self-centred attitude. The fact that he was a poor little seventeen year old who had to let go of his dreams of college to look after his little brother after their irresponsible drunkard mum abandoned them was not enough to make me like him. I felt for him, but I did not like him much. Fortunately, there was the Kid! I found him funny, interesting, but not endearing, probably because he was too much like an adult.

    I think without the kid I would have never been able to finish the book, especially since the plot didn't do it for me. The plot had lots of elements to make it rich, but I was not captivated for two reasons. The first one is I found all the reasons why Otter and Bear were not together quite unconvincing. And once they got together, I found the coming out issue why was it an issue? I still wonder unconvincing too. The second reason is that the unexplained return and demands of the mum did not make any sense to me.

    And was there a paranormal element there, the "I see Bear everywhere" stuff that Otter and the mum both experienced? And was it necessary to swiftly make Anna fall in love with Creed? At that point, I was waiting for the widow's husband to resurrect and make the end even sweeter! I wouldn't have been surprised.

    It is highly rated so there must be lots of good things there that work for lots of readers. I just wish I was one of them. Honestly, I have no excuse. And Bear especially, handles things the best he can, despite all his neuroses. What stands out the most here for me, is Otter. So much angst regarding the way he wanted to be what others wanted of him, that despite trying so hard there was no right or wrong way to live his life, and that he finally owned up to his feelings and executed decisions that would bring him peace and satisfaction.

    His love for Bear? His devotion and unwavering support? How Bear reciprocated in his own obstinate mind boggling want to slap strangle him repeatedly way? The absolute palpable intensity between these two? Seriously, wholly romantic and bonus points for being my favorite trope! Aug 17, Deeze rated it it was amazing Shelves: 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? I laughed so hard lol. I don't know how to put into words just how good this story was. So much happened from good to bad to worse to best. It was one continuous roller coaster, told from Bear's point of veiw but at the same time you still get to know everyone elses thoughts too. A unique way of telling the story, and a refreshing change from most of the stuff out there. OK I'm ready for book 2 now.

    View all 26 comments. 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 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.

    I loved Bear and Otter but the Kid he tugged at my heart he was adorable and such a delight. There is angst, drama, humor, love and friendship everything you could want in a great story. Just beautiful one of my favorite books this year. 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 4. 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! 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? 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.

    Memorable books are becoming rarer for me in this genre, so like you I really see the value of this one. Jenni, thank you for reminding me about Burn, I have been meaning to check it out for ages. Thank you for this compelling review of a book I might have overlooked. This book was fun. I enjoyed the sequel even more. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Bear, Otter and the Kid Chronicles. Thank you for such fab characters….

    We'd love to hear from you. Pretty Monsters Josh of the Damned 1. Risk Taker Release Day Spotlight. Recently Re-Published Books Authors: Spectred Isle Green Men 1. Kick at the Darkness. Until Otter comes home. Series Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles. I'm number to review What can I say Sometimes to much overthinking by Bear and because of that so much drama and chaos, but also a beautiful mind with such beautiful thoughts. Otter my God how can I explain a man capable off so much love. The writing style is incredibly and very entertaining.

    A few years earlier I would say highly recommended but I'm one of the last lost ones who read this awesome story Still for the few souls who didn't read this Mother Of The Year, right? The story begins three years later. Bear has done a valiant job raising the Kid, as Ty Is called.

    Bear and his on-again, off-again girlfriend Anna and his elderly neighbor Mrs. Paquinn manage the care of Kid, but it's nearly summer and Bear is looking forward to the return of his BFF, Creed from college. What he doesn't expect is the return of Oliver Otter , Creed's older brother, from his three year self-exile in San Diego.

    Otter is gay, and he and Bear shared a drunken kiss three years before, the very night Otter up and left for Cali. Bear has always wondered why, but so many people have left him, he doesn't expect any different. Otter is depressed and Creed wants Bear to find out why. Turns our Otter has silently loved Bear for a long, long time. He never did anything about it because Bear was straight, and a child, comparatively.

    There is an 8 year age difference. The writing is so beautiful; we are in Bear's head throughout and we see his slow changes, his gradual acceptance, his deep love for Kid, and Ann, and Creed Their summer of love is tender and tragic, by turns. It seems, this summer, all the chickens come home to roost. Some good, some vile. The absolute love that Bear has for Kid, the way his life is forfeit to caring for his wise, eccentric, ecoterrorist-in-training, 9-going-on year old brother is spectacular, and humbling.

    It is broken and tender and loving and lost and I am better for knowing Bear and Otter and the Kid's story. I want to hug each of them, and make their sorrows cease, but I don't have to because they can do that even better than I can. This a romance, but it is also a story, an epic poem of love lost and gained and squandered and regained.