Polar Bear Summer by Olivia McCarthy: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Book

Eleven year old Annette George lost more than her mom to illness- she also lost her ability to speak. Annette’s meteorologist dad is so busy trying to escape his haunting grief that he forgets Annette has opinions too. Without asking her, Dr. George accepts a weather and climate research position on a remote island in the Hudson Bay followed by a permanent job in Churchill, Canada.

Forced to leave everything she's ever known, Annette is mostly ignored by the adults. She soon discovers the research island is home to a mother polar bear and twin cubs. When disaster strikes Annette intervenes, setting both bear and girl on a journey of self-discovery. Will Annette’s heart heal after losing her mom, or will the polar bears she’s come to love break it open anew?

How do you advocate when you can’t say a word?

The Author

Olivia Hope McCarthy writes contemporary romantic comedies for adults with Christian faith themes, no explicit scenes, and no swearing. Her overactive imagination used to cause her chronic anxiety, but then she decided to use the gift of imagination for good. Now she spends her free time dreaming up love stories with humor, heart, and faith. 

As someone who likes to stop and smell the roses, take pictures of interesting bugs, and look for beauty in nature, you'll find that each of Olivia's stories is heavily inspired by places you can actually visit, like Marquette, Michigan, and New River Gorge, National Park. 

Book Review

Okay, let's just be honest... at 38 years old, I am certainly not anywhere near the target (middle grade) audience... but as a mom to a 12-year-old, I'm always on the search for books that my daughter will enjoy and this one looked right up her alley. What a good story this was! I loved that it touched on some tougher topics (primarily grief) in a way that feels just right for its intended age group, not talking down to them, but meeting them where they are. There were some great lessons to be learned here- like the reminder that their voices matter... even when, like we see in Annette... that doesn't look the same as it does for most. She was a sweet character I couldn't help but root for. What really sets this story apart though was getting a look into the POV of a mama polar bear! If you have a kid like mine who loves animals, that's certainly going to make this one a must read. If you're looking for a book for your younger readers, this is definitely one to check out. 



You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4cAdqPo