Book 601: My Boyfriend Is a Bear – Pamela Ribon and Cat Farris

I have no clue what blog I saw this on, but I feel like it’s been making the rounds ever since it came out last year.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It was an enjoyable read and beautifully drawn, but I spent so much of the time wondering if this was supposed to the bear/their relationship was supposed to be a metaphor for some under represented population or non-traditional couple. This didn’t necessarily take away from the story or the book, but it meant that I didn’t give it my full attention.

This may also be a product of the book’s intended audience and I’m still not sure who that is. Is it teen girls? Is it cartoon/illustration fanatics? I’m assuming it’s not for individuals who practice bestiality, but I could be wrong. (That’s a joke – I think.) There don’t seem to be any other inter-species relationships (thus my confusion about bestiality), this doesn’t seem to be in a fantasy world (the bear cannot speak and there is no magic), and, yet the bear even though he has instincts (there’s a really awkward menstruation scene) he doesn’t seem to want to maul those who scare him, so who knows.

Maybe what’s wrong is that I’m a jaded adult who can’t (or doesn’t want to) suspend reality to just enjoy a beautifully drawn story?

Recommendation: Overall, it is an interesting story and there are life lessons about dating, friendship, and loss. It seems to be a coming of age as an adult story that incorporates aspects that really do provide defining points of life as an adult (dating, friendship, loss, love). It’s worth the read, but try to get out of your head or you’ll end up like me, a little frustrated with it when it doesn’t really seem to deserve that frustration.