Description:

The powerful, humorous yet sensitive story of Jasper, a talented young artist, who learns to face his anger.

2025 Young Adult Book Award, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults
2024 Storylines Tessa Duder YA Award

'A darkly funny, haunting tale of finding a way through darkness to hope. A fresh andpowerful take on an all-too-common teenage experience, this deftly executed story is bothconfronting and validating.'
NZCYA judges

'Tender and wickedly humorous - such an important story.' KAREN FOXLEE bestselling author of Lenny's Book of Everything

'Very funny, very well written and an accurate look into a teenager's changing world. Get it for your reading teen.' Linda Thompson,NZ Herald**

'A must-read for teenagers. Dark, funny, and deeply unsettling,Bear is a book that crawls under your skin and stays there.' Imogen Gadd, Kete

' Wonderfully fresh and engaging.' Tessa Duder

Jasper Robinson-Woods is not okay — his name is too long, his mum has an annoying boyfriend, he never sees his dad, and he can't sleep because of a terrifying nightmare. Oh, and to top it off, his goldfish is dying.

Jasper is overwhelmed with bad thoughts. Are they a sign of disaster to come? The only place he feels safe is in the tree in his front yard.

But then the unimaginable his nightmare comes to life and everything spirals out of control. Jasper decides it's finally time to face his nightmare.

Bear is a moving, often laugh-out-loud funny story showing that even when you hit rock bottom, you never know what, or who, is around the corner.