Readers of M/M fiction know all to well that the books in this genre are widely hit and miss, with many nothing better than fan fiction you can find on the internet. I had heard about this novel, and that it was the first book for Mr. Klune. Then I saw some of the reviews on here and Goodreads and saw they were excellent so I decided to give it a try.

Believe the hype.

TJ Klune creates an astonishing debut, something that has turned into not only the best book I’ve read this year, but probably the best book I’ve read in many years. Bear, Otter, and the Kid is extraordinary in the sense that it reads like a much more accomplished author; the writing style is fantastic, the lead voice is wonderfully unique, the characters are three dimensional and each contributing something to the story. All to often tertiary characters can fall flat, but not so here. I was particularly overjoyed at the way Anna (Bear’s off and on girlfriend) was portrayed, as readers in M/M fiction can attest that women usually come off as shrill harpies with ulterior motives.

The love story between Bear and Otter is fantastic… but the Kid… well, lets just say the Kid is the most amazing part of this whole thing. The words that come out of his mouth will leave you breathless.

You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all, you will understand that family is what we make it. Bravo to TJ Klune for one of my greatest reads.