Review: My Boyfriend is a Bear – Pamela Ribbon and Cat Ferris
My Boyfriend is a Bearby Cat Farris, Pamela Ribon
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Genres: Graphic Novel
Pages: 176
Source: NetGalley
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My rating:
Bear meets girl.
Nora has bad luck with men. When she meets an (actual) bear on a hike in the Los Angeles hills, he turns out to be the best romantic partner she's ever had! He's considerate, he's sweet, he takes care of her. But he's a bear, and winning over her friends and family is difficult. Not to mention he has to hibernate all winter. Can true love conquer all?
This book is ridiculous, quirky, and, yes, it stars an actual bear, and OH BOY I loved it. I haven’t read many rom-com graphic novels, but I definitely need to look for more if this is the kind of story to expect!
Nora lives in LA, has a demoralizing job at a scammy call center, and has had a long string of lame boyfriends. When her latest boyfriend makes fun of her for reading women’s magazines while camping, she storms off, only to encounter a very surprised bear. Suffice it to say that both the camping trip and that relationship is over! Some time later, she goes to take out the trash and finds the bear standing by her trashcans with her magazines. And, thus, the start of a beautiful relationship. It turns out that, despite that fact he can’t speak English, he’s a pretty decent boyfriend. He cuddles, he fixes things around the house, and apparently they have a pretty good sex life.
So, yeah, Nora and Bear end up in a relationship, and they are honestly a cute couple. Nora’s family and friends have a mixed reaction, understandably. People stare and point when they’re out in public (if they don’t run away screaming). One of her friends is completely against the relationship (“You guys don’t share the same backgrounds! What do you even talk about?”) while the other is so pro-Bear that she becomes more of his friend than Nora’s. So, beneath the cute story about a bear and a girl, there’s a lot of themes: navigating toxic and over-supportive friends, interracial and intercultural relationships, parents who don’t think any partner will be good enough for you, and all the things that go into making a relationship work – including navigating a long distance relationship when he goes into hibernation.
The art is perfect for the story, cute and colorful, with a mix of manga-style character art, a more realistic style, and even watercolor-like art for when Bear’s in hibernation.
Overall, it’s a cute mix of sweetness and sadness, and I’m definitely looking forward to whatever Ribbon and Ferris come up with next! Recommended for anyone who loves quirky love stories!
