Sometimes evil looks like a fuzzy teddy bear.
Still grieving the untimely death of his dad, ten-year-old Josh Leary is reluctant to accept a well-worn stuffed teddy bear from his new stepfather. He soon learns he was right to be wary. Edgar is no ordinary toy...and he doesn’t like being rejected. When Josh banishes him to the closet, terrible things begin to happen.
Desperate to be rid of the bear, Josh engages the help of a friend. As the boys’ efforts rebound on them with horrifying results, Josh is forced to accept the truth—Edgar will always get even.
It's probably obvious why I would want to read The Bear Who Wouldn't Leave. An evil teddy bear? That won't leave? Yes, please.
As a child, I had an exorbitant amount of stuffed animals. I was convinced they were all alive. As soon as I'd leave my room, they'd come to life and play all day and make sure to return to their positions so I wouldn't find out their secret. There's a reason I was so nice to all those toys. It wasn't really the sugar and spice thing, it was the fact that I didn't want them to kill me in my sleep.
The Bear Who Wouldn't Leave speaks to that place inside me. It was fun read, but it was also very nostalgic for me. It brought this feeling over me much the same way coming of age books do. It reminded me of some of the magic I lost when I became an adult.
That being said, this damn bear actually would kill you in your sleep. It has a Chucky thing going on with it. You think you are getting rid of it, but you're not. No matter what you do, it's not going to leave.
The childhood fears in The Bear Who Wouldn't Leave go deeper than just the evil teddy bear. Josh's step-father is abusive beyond knowingly giving Josh a toy that would terrorize him. It's heartbreaking at times.
If you are looking for a quick horror read, The Bear Who Wouldn't Leave is good way to fill your evening.
7/10 Recommended Read
Review copy provided by publisher
I heard such good things about this one! I need to get to it soon!
ReplyDeleteI think they just released all four of the Childhood Fears novellas together in one book. I haven't read any of the others, but it's probably worth checking out.
DeleteThank you so much for the review, Jennifer! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance to post it on Goodreads and Amazon, I'd be forever grateful, but if you can't, no worries. Just thrilled you liked it.
It was my pleasure! My review should be up at Goodreads, too. :)
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