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Black Bear Lake
FINALIST for the 2023 Somerset Awards! Results to be announced in late April 2024.
"Great for fans of André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name, John Green’s Looking for Alaska."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Adam Craig still has nightmares about the last summer he spent on the shores of northern Wisconsin's Black Bear Lake.
The Chicago stock trader thinks he has it under control - until fallout from an explosive August in 1983 threatens his marriage. So Adam returns to remember that month-long family reunion, where he was busy wrestling with developing adolescence, a parent's failing health, and watching his cousin Dannie's desperate cries for help. At 14, Adam's fear and anger were constantly threatening to pull him under while the current running through his family flowed, inevitably, toward tragedy.
It was too much to bear back then. But will reliving those painful memories hurt or help Adam as his adult life teeters on the edge of collapse?
"Great for fans of André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name, John Green’s Looking for Alaska."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Adam Craig still has nightmares about the last summer he spent on the shores of northern Wisconsin's Black Bear Lake.
The Chicago stock trader thinks he has it under control - until fallout from an explosive August in 1983 threatens his marriage. So Adam returns to remember that month-long family reunion, where he was busy wrestling with developing adolescence, a parent's failing health, and watching his cousin Dannie's desperate cries for help. At 14, Adam's fear and anger were constantly threatening to pull him under while the current running through his family flowed, inevitably, toward tragedy.
It was too much to bear back then. But will reliving those painful memories hurt or help Adam as his adult life teeters on the edge of collapse?
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2022
24 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Liautaud
6 books36 followersLeslie Liautaud is an American playwright and novelist. Her award winning immersive play, SOUTHERN GOTHIC (2018), premiered at Windy City Playhouse in Chicago, IL. Her plays MIDNIGHT WALTZES (2006), HE IS US (2008), THE WRECK (2009), THE MANSION (2012) and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: THE MILLENNIAL EDITION (2012) have been produced throughout the United States. She is also the author of the novels, BLACK BEAR LAKE (2022) and BUTTERFLY PINNED (2025).
Leslie is originally from Kansas City, MO and has worked in the performing arts for over 30 years. Currently, she divides her time between Nashville, TN and Key Largo, FL with her husband, Jimmy John Liautaud, their three children, and two rambunctious dogs.
Leslie is originally from Kansas City, MO and has worked in the performing arts for over 30 years. Currently, she divides her time between Nashville, TN and Key Largo, FL with her husband, Jimmy John Liautaud, their three children, and two rambunctious dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 1, 2022
Another hit ARC by Netgalley!!
This book follows Adam in his journey to dismantle his life-long trauma, and weave his life back together.
The whole flashback of his last summer in the lakehouse got me so invested. I just couldn't help but care about his massive tangle of a family. Each carrying their own suffering, yet bounded so close together by the safety net of a family.
In a way this is also a coming of age story. We dive deep into Adam's inner conflict, how scary the crumbling world looks like from the perspective of a teenage boy.
I'm a huge fan of the organic mesh of relationship in this family. Especially of Adam and Dannie. The way we could tell how strong of a bond they have just through the one summer vacation. It's quite magical to witness teenagers leaning onto each other for support through their toughest times.
This book left me wondering whether all of us adults are so messed up as a result of the trauma we carry growing up. Imagine a horrible pain that keeps lingering, bleeding into our lives even decades after. Thats a whole lot of baggage waiting to be unraveled in therapy🤷🏻♀️.
This book follows Adam in his journey to dismantle his life-long trauma, and weave his life back together.
The whole flashback of his last summer in the lakehouse got me so invested. I just couldn't help but care about his massive tangle of a family. Each carrying their own suffering, yet bounded so close together by the safety net of a family.
In a way this is also a coming of age story. We dive deep into Adam's inner conflict, how scary the crumbling world looks like from the perspective of a teenage boy.
I'm a huge fan of the organic mesh of relationship in this family. Especially of Adam and Dannie. The way we could tell how strong of a bond they have just through the one summer vacation. It's quite magical to witness teenagers leaning onto each other for support through their toughest times.
This book left me wondering whether all of us adults are so messed up as a result of the trauma we carry growing up. Imagine a horrible pain that keeps lingering, bleeding into our lives even decades after. Thats a whole lot of baggage waiting to be unraveled in therapy🤷🏻♀️.
April 10, 2022
Black Bear Lake is a tension-filled coming-of-age story that captures the angst and anticipation of teenagers as they meet once a year for an unforgettable summer with family and friends. From page one, Leslie Liautaud draws the reader in with vivid scenes. Even if you've never been to a summer camp on a lake in Northern Wisconsin, you'll feel like you've been Up North after reading Black Bear Lake. Her cast of characters highlights a range of personality types with layers of secrets and struggles that come through clearly in their authentic dialogue and descriptive interactions. If you want to get lost in a world that's filled with sunshine, suspense, sorrow, and satisfying redemption, this is a book that hits all these beats expertly.
April 18, 2022
Wow. This one packs an emotional wallop. Our protagonist, Adam, is struggling in his marriage, emotionally burdened by events from his past. He ends up making a trip back to Black Bear Lake, the site of a momentous family reunion decades earlier, whose tragic ramifications have haunted him ever since. The bulk of the novel is a flashback to that summer of 1983, a beautifully written story whose characters come alive on the page in ways elusive to most authors. There’s a warmth and honesty to young Adam that draws you into his journey, his extended family, and makes you care about them. On the surface, it seems like a simple task, getting the reader to fully invest in your characters, something every book seeks to accomplish but, as a voracious reader who averages about 100 books a year, I find that few fully succeed. Black Bear Lake is a rare exception. One of 2022’s best.
April 29, 2022
While being a short read this book manages to really take you to black bear lake and make you care for this family. Haunted by the tragedy of 1983 our main character has gone through his life fearing someone getting to close, fearing letting have so a strong hold over his life that losing them would break them. after speaking with his therapist and desperately hoping to reconcile with his wife out character go back to the lake and allows himself to remember and accept what had happened. The rest of the book we experience love, strong family ties, heartbreak and loss as we follow his summer with his entire extended family. I will honestly say this book is addictive right up until the end and will have you in tears.
March 11, 2022
This was a sweet book, a good read on a cozy afternoon. A stockbroker, Adam Craig, is having anxiety attacks and dreams that are threatening to disrupt his marriage. Traumatized as a young teen, and now in therapy, he forces himself to return to where everything happened that one, fateful summer that he’s tried to forget yet is unconsciously controlling his life, He came from a large, close knit family, with cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws and outlaws, all gathered together at a camp compound built by his grandfather. Each family had a cabin, and would swim, fish, play games all day, gather for large home-cooked meals in the main hall, then the parents would gather around a bonfire with lawn chairs and drinks at night while the younger ones played in the water or in the woods. It had a bit of “The Wonder Years” vibe, the sweetness and innocence, that was shattered as was their world that summer as they knew it. I don’t want to give any of the story away, and I read this in one sitting. I just couldn’t wait to see what had happened that was so traumatic. The characters were clearly written, the story concise. The conclusion seemed a little rushed, but was satisfying. If you like coming of age stories, young love and emotions, and the unconditional love and closeness of family, you would enjoy this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, author Liautaud, and Blue Handle publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley, author Liautaud, and Blue Handle publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 30, 2022
This was a light, sweet read. Adam is sat with his doctor, getting help for the troubles in his marriage he can’t seem to take the next step. Something is holding him back from the past. Throughout the book we adventure with Adam on his memories at black bear lake the last time he spent with his big family. Grandparents to aunt ,uncles , cousins, parents and siblings. This was a down to earth book with real life family humour ,hardships and drama that many readers can relate. If not luckily enough. Experience through this book. The story is focused on Adam and his cousin dani mostly who share a unique bond which is truly sweet he would move mountains for her. They both learn of each other’s personal family troubles that summer and everything changed.
August 30, 2016
Black Bear Lake by Leslie Liautaud is almost a 1980s period piece, full off cassettes and feathered hair, told in an extended flashback to a family vacation when he was growing up. Adult Adam is looking back on the summer that changed everything, the issues he won’t talk with his wife about, the reason he’s in therapy exploring his past, so even as he describes an idyllic summer on the family lakeside, I couldn’t help worrying that each new page would be the event was the Very Bad Thing.
Full review (mild spoilers)
Full review (mild spoilers)
May 11, 2014
When you can't get over things in you past, life will consume you and make you miserable but if you let it go and move on does that mean you are forgetting? Sometimes holding onto things only makes life worse. Will Adam ever be able to put his past behind him and live for today with the woman he loves or will his past consume him?
This was a great story of love and loss. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read.
This was a great story of love and loss. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read.
October 30, 2015
Goodreads win. Will read and review once received.
When I first saw the title I immediately imagined a place I went camping as a child. Close to the same name. Anyways this was a good read. It pulled me in and kept my attention for most of the book. A definite read during anytime of the year.
When I first saw the title I immediately imagined a place I went camping as a child. Close to the same name. Anyways this was a good read. It pulled me in and kept my attention for most of the book. A definite read during anytime of the year.
October 10, 2022
1.5⭐️
Maybe this book just wasn’t for me but I wasn’t a fan. Didn’t like the writing and all the characters just seemed so wrong. Weather they where jerks or weirdly written it just rubbed me the wrong way. Also despite this being very short I was very bored a lot of the time. All the plot seemed to happen in the last 15 pages and it was very rushed. Plus the ending was just weird.
Maybe this book just wasn’t for me but I wasn’t a fan. Didn’t like the writing and all the characters just seemed so wrong. Weather they where jerks or weirdly written it just rubbed me the wrong way. Also despite this being very short I was very bored a lot of the time. All the plot seemed to happen in the last 15 pages and it was very rushed. Plus the ending was just weird.
January 3, 2023
Great short read. Love the family interactions. Might have shed a few tears… Would definitely recommend.
May 25, 2014
Adam can't commit to having a baby with his wife Julie. With his marriage on the line, his therapist Dr Marchand thinks it's time he confronts his past. So Adam travels back to Brown Bear Lake where a life-changing incident occurred twenty-five years earlier in 1983, when he was fifteen.
We are taken back to a month-long vacation with his extended Polish-Italian family, including Adam's distant cousin Dannie. We are treated to an idyllic summer filled with family, good food, drinking, clever pranks, singing around the bonfire, volleyball tournaments, fishing, and sexual discovery. All the while, we feel the darker undercurrents of a failed marriage, a dying family member, extra-marital affairs, family arguments, a wild bear, and a final tragedy that will make this Adam's last summer at Black Bear Lake.
The story starts off in 2008, but flashes back to when Adam meets Julie. We are then treated to an extended flashback to 1983. There are even flashbacks within this flashback. While mostly well-told, I found Gramps' 1939 war-time flashback to be particularly stiff and unemotional, especially given the subject matter. There are numerous editing errors including capitalization, punctuation, word repetition, incorrect word placement, and missing words. There are also so many relatives to keep track of that the author herself uses the incorrect name a couple of times.
While reading the book, I felt the story contained too much about the family vacation. There were too many events, the pranks were fun but irrelevant, and there were too many names to remember. I kept expecting something to happen, but nothing did. Until it did. All is forgiven. I can now see how the story fits together. Everything is relevant. And on top of that, the writing is beautiful. Stick with it and you will be rewarded.
Warnings: underage drinking, sex, swearing, violence.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
We are taken back to a month-long vacation with his extended Polish-Italian family, including Adam's distant cousin Dannie. We are treated to an idyllic summer filled with family, good food, drinking, clever pranks, singing around the bonfire, volleyball tournaments, fishing, and sexual discovery. All the while, we feel the darker undercurrents of a failed marriage, a dying family member, extra-marital affairs, family arguments, a wild bear, and a final tragedy that will make this Adam's last summer at Black Bear Lake.
The story starts off in 2008, but flashes back to when Adam meets Julie. We are then treated to an extended flashback to 1983. There are even flashbacks within this flashback. While mostly well-told, I found Gramps' 1939 war-time flashback to be particularly stiff and unemotional, especially given the subject matter. There are numerous editing errors including capitalization, punctuation, word repetition, incorrect word placement, and missing words. There are also so many relatives to keep track of that the author herself uses the incorrect name a couple of times.
While reading the book, I felt the story contained too much about the family vacation. There were too many events, the pranks were fun but irrelevant, and there were too many names to remember. I kept expecting something to happen, but nothing did. Until it did. All is forgiven. I can now see how the story fits together. Everything is relevant. And on top of that, the writing is beautiful. Stick with it and you will be rewarded.
Warnings: underage drinking, sex, swearing, violence.
I received this book in return for an honest review.
December 11, 2023
Plot- a little wandering and slow. Some good with that as it captures the lazy days of youthful summers pre-internet. Some downsides in terms of feeling a little restless and then feeling like the plot doesn't push forwards until closer to the end. I also am fine with the location bringing back some memories for the author and making them reflect on the present...but I just wish that he had brought Julie there and shared this with her rather than having this whole things happening for him in the present alone without the growth of sharing it with her.
Style:
I was really excited about the writing as I read the first few pages as I so enjoyed certain descriptions like "a suffocating panic punched me in the sternum and my heart pounded, a barrel drum reverberating in my ears and my rib cage threatening to crack open with each pump" and "the sharp March air slapped my face". Unfortunately what I didn't like was that the rest of the book is just packed with way too many of these metaphors in a way that starts to feel sophomoric or like the author just didn't a very good editor. It felt like, at a certain point, that the metaphors were slapping me in the face.
Characters
I enjoyed the relationship between the main character and Dannie. I wish we had seen more of the time after this traumatic summer rather than spending so much time in it.
Issues:
It's really not okay that this family just allowed a 16-year old to experience statutory rape and then had her find her way back somewhere. And while I think we live in a different time now with the reporting of abuse, one of the characters in this book directly tells Ron that what he did was illegal. I could see the main character making her a villian given his own maturity levels but it just seems really screwed up that none of the adults actually get her help and treat her as an adult who made this decision rather than a vulnerable kid who was taken advantage of by a sexually impulsive gross old man.
Style:
I was really excited about the writing as I read the first few pages as I so enjoyed certain descriptions like "a suffocating panic punched me in the sternum and my heart pounded, a barrel drum reverberating in my ears and my rib cage threatening to crack open with each pump" and "the sharp March air slapped my face". Unfortunately what I didn't like was that the rest of the book is just packed with way too many of these metaphors in a way that starts to feel sophomoric or like the author just didn't a very good editor. It felt like, at a certain point, that the metaphors were slapping me in the face.
Characters
I enjoyed the relationship between the main character and Dannie. I wish we had seen more of the time after this traumatic summer rather than spending so much time in it.
Issues:
It's really not okay that this family just allowed a 16-year old to experience statutory rape and then had her find her way back somewhere. And while I think we live in a different time now with the reporting of abuse, one of the characters in this book directly tells Ron that what he did was illegal. I could see the main character making her a villian given his own maturity levels but it just seems really screwed up that none of the adults actually get her help and treat her as an adult who made this decision rather than a vulnerable kid who was taken advantage of by a sexually impulsive gross old man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2022
Thank you to #Netgalley and Blue Handle Publishing for letting me read this book for an honest review. Published 13th Sep 2022.
Adam is tortured by a traumatic event that happened to him during his teenage years at Black Bear Lake in Wisconsin where him and his large family used to vacate for the holidays. His grandfather owned a plot of land and then built several cabins for the family to stay in. And one summer tragedy hits, leaving debris of devastation and outrage, and so the cabins are left collecting dust, harbouring awful memories.
Adam hasn’t been back there since he was 15 years old but his therapist has encouraged him to revisit it, to allow him to confront his memories and process the trauma that happened there. The ghost of those events are taking over his life, stopping him from truly living.
This book is a short one but it is really quite complex and requires critical reading. It has quite a few layers. And made for a really dynamic reading experience. It deals heavily in grief and loss, and these two themes are the main overarching elements to the story, so at times the reading experience can be really suffocating. But I see this as a testament to the authors writing style because it really worked, and captured the essence and overbearing nature of grief.
The element of this story that has the least page time to it, actually has the biggest impact, and creates a fantastic symbolism of the building nature of a catalyst event. How small damage over time can create the most horrific consequences. I can’t tell you without spoiling the story but I thought it was a stroke of genius.
However, there were some moments that I think could have been expanded as it wasn’t always clear who was doing what and who was who to who, so it was quite confusing at times. For this reason, I rate this one 4 stars.
Overall, a clever, brilliant piece.
Adam is tortured by a traumatic event that happened to him during his teenage years at Black Bear Lake in Wisconsin where him and his large family used to vacate for the holidays. His grandfather owned a plot of land and then built several cabins for the family to stay in. And one summer tragedy hits, leaving debris of devastation and outrage, and so the cabins are left collecting dust, harbouring awful memories.
Adam hasn’t been back there since he was 15 years old but his therapist has encouraged him to revisit it, to allow him to confront his memories and process the trauma that happened there. The ghost of those events are taking over his life, stopping him from truly living.
This book is a short one but it is really quite complex and requires critical reading. It has quite a few layers. And made for a really dynamic reading experience. It deals heavily in grief and loss, and these two themes are the main overarching elements to the story, so at times the reading experience can be really suffocating. But I see this as a testament to the authors writing style because it really worked, and captured the essence and overbearing nature of grief.
The element of this story that has the least page time to it, actually has the biggest impact, and creates a fantastic symbolism of the building nature of a catalyst event. How small damage over time can create the most horrific consequences. I can’t tell you without spoiling the story but I thought it was a stroke of genius.
However, there were some moments that I think could have been expanded as it wasn’t always clear who was doing what and who was who to who, so it was quite confusing at times. For this reason, I rate this one 4 stars.
Overall, a clever, brilliant piece.
June 13, 2022
You don’t want a synopsis from me on Leslie Liautaud’s novel; that’s what the book’s dust cover is for. You want to know whether or not you should invest your time and read her book. I say with a resounding yes, read Black Bear Lake.
Leslie has a way of writing that is easy and comfortable to read but multi-dimensional. She unfolds her story before your eyes as it needs to be revealed, and her writing holds your interest. She keeps you invested in her story. That is a gift, and that is good writing.
With Leslie’s words, I can see Black Bear Lake’s beauty, I can hear Grandpa’s wisdom, I can understand Adam’s struggles, and I can dismiss Amy’s allure. There is more going on here than just a coming-of-age story. There are characters to be dealt with.
Black Bear Lake is well written. It is an easy read but that does not mean a light read. It is imaginative as it brought out my imagination, my imagery, and my understanding of people. Leslie got me immersed in her story, and in her characters, and their goodness and their struggles.
Well done, Leslie. Your book is worth reading, and I’m telling all of my family and friends.
August 13, 2022
Black Bear Lake written by Leslie Liautaud is mostly set in the 1980's as Adam takes the journey back in time, to show us why he is like he is today. I fell in love with most of his large extended family, although there were a few bad actors in the bunch. This book packs and emotional wallop, you will laugh at times and cry other times. This was a new author for me and overall, I enjoyed my first book from this author. I would recommend it to others.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for free in exchange for my fair and honest review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for free in exchange for my fair and honest review.
November 2, 2015
Good Read author, Leslie Liautaud, has written a wonderful book called, "Black Bear Lake". It is the story of a man, Adam, whose life is changed forever by events that happened when he was 15. The events affected him so deeply that he now finds his marriage in trouble. Until he is able to move past 1983, he is destined to live a lonely life. The majority of this book takes place in August 1983. It is beautifully written. I give it 5 stars!
March 24, 2022
I rarely write reviews, but I really enjoyed this book! It is a coming of age story about a young man at his family's summer lake camp up in the wilds of Northern Wisconsin. The way the author tells the story will make you feel like you are there with the family - and makes you long for simpler times when families got together in the summer at the lake (mine did too and we had misadventures same as Adam's family did). This book is well worth the read!
April 3, 2022
The whole time I was reading "Black Bear Lake" I yearned for more. The details in Leslie's writing allows the reader to place themselves into the book so effortlessly that I could feel the emotions of the characters With ease. The way she describes the Bonds and connections between cousins had me highlighting quotes throughout her book. Feeling I have that I have not been able to find the words for, Leslie was able to capture perfectly. I look forward to reading more literature from Leslie.
May 3, 2022
Black Bear Lake is a fantastic book about some serious topics like grief, loss, being cheated on and trouble in family. Nevertheless is it an absolutely lovely story that touches your heart. The writing is stunning and flows beautifully like a river. Sometimes I couldn`t believe how perfect Leslie Liautaud captured your feelings with words. They were chosen perfectly.
And I literally saw not the big Bang at the end coming. Thank you very much for the amazing reading experience!
And I literally saw not the big Bang at the end coming. Thank you very much for the amazing reading experience!
May 8, 2022
A real journey back to the innocence of teenage years, rich with dysfunctional family, first love and first pain. Black Bear Lake will spark a joy of innocence and a deep reckoning of how events in our life become a part of us - no matter our age. Leslie Liautaud captures deftly the spirit of one soft, sweet, bitter summer.
April 7, 2022
Liautaud’s book is a coming of age story with a touch of suspense. The book is a quick, fun read with a lesson about family and love.
There are some editing errors and a lot of characters to keep straight, but overall it is a worthy read.
There are some editing errors and a lot of characters to keep straight, but overall it is a worthy read.
May 5, 2022
Gorgeous book on love and loss and healing. A few twists and a great end. I really enjoyed this book!!! Goes into childhood growth, family dynamic and getting better.
May 31, 2022
www.thenextgoodbook.com
What’s it about?
This coming of age story takes a look at how childhood trauma can later affect your adult life. Adam Craig finds himself stalled in his thirties and decides to take a look back at the summer of 1983 and try to figure out how he ended up at this place. Set in the northern Wisconsin woods in an age before Internet, social media, or cell phones this story has a unique setting and a dramatic plot line.
What did it make me think about?
Family.
Should I read it?
I must say that Leslie Liautaud is a dear friend of mine and I have so enjoyed reading her stories over the years. So, I may not be completely unbiased- but I really enjoyed this book! I can alway spot Leslie’s background in theater because she has a strong sense of drama and her dialogue is spot on. This story has strong characters and such a sense of place. I would say that the Northern Wisconsin camp was a character in itself. Our book club read an early rendition of this novel and found so much to talk about. So if you like drama, coming of age stories, and descriptive writing do not miss this book!
*I am hoping a new book will be coming soon?
Quote-
“A symphony of crying toddlers, barking dogs, suitcase zippers, and children calling in search of misplaced swimsuits floated out from the various cabins I passed while running to the top of the blue stone pathway. I did not stop to greet my extended family. I would have time later to answer questions about my schoolwork, my growth spurt, and whether I’d found a girlfriend.”
What’s it about?
This coming of age story takes a look at how childhood trauma can later affect your adult life. Adam Craig finds himself stalled in his thirties and decides to take a look back at the summer of 1983 and try to figure out how he ended up at this place. Set in the northern Wisconsin woods in an age before Internet, social media, or cell phones this story has a unique setting and a dramatic plot line.
What did it make me think about?
Family.
Should I read it?
I must say that Leslie Liautaud is a dear friend of mine and I have so enjoyed reading her stories over the years. So, I may not be completely unbiased- but I really enjoyed this book! I can alway spot Leslie’s background in theater because she has a strong sense of drama and her dialogue is spot on. This story has strong characters and such a sense of place. I would say that the Northern Wisconsin camp was a character in itself. Our book club read an early rendition of this novel and found so much to talk about. So if you like drama, coming of age stories, and descriptive writing do not miss this book!
*I am hoping a new book will be coming soon?
Quote-
“A symphony of crying toddlers, barking dogs, suitcase zippers, and children calling in search of misplaced swimsuits floated out from the various cabins I passed while running to the top of the blue stone pathway. I did not stop to greet my extended family. I would have time later to answer questions about my schoolwork, my growth spurt, and whether I’d found a girlfriend.”
September 29, 2022
This was a nice, short story that tugged at my heartstrings. The plot really packs a punch and it’s hard not to feel for the main character.
We follow Adam, who is struggling to keep his marriage together because he was constantly tortured by what happened in Black Bear Lake in the past. He ended up making a trip back to face his ghosts and was reminded of the family reunion in Black Bear Lake decades earlier. The tragic events that happened during that reunion haunted him and made him rethink his decisions, the what ifs, the if only…While coming to terms with all that had happened, Adam learnt to find peace within himself and let go of the burden that is holding back from living his life.
I love the vivid scenes of Black Bear Lake. It’s really a perfect setting for a family trip but it shows that ominous things can happen amidst peaceful times. Most of the chapters were focused on flashbacks of Adam’s last family trip and it is heart-breaking to see the events unfold on this family. Each member carries their own regrets, sufferings but yet they are bounded together by love and comfort.
I also love the inner conflicts in Adam’s thoughts and how much he understands and sees in the perspective as a teenager. In a way, what happened in Black Bear Lake shaped who he became as an adult. It really made me wonder how much baggage we carry with us throughout our lives and how it affects us.
Thank you Netgalley and Blue Handle Publishing for the arc.
We follow Adam, who is struggling to keep his marriage together because he was constantly tortured by what happened in Black Bear Lake in the past. He ended up making a trip back to face his ghosts and was reminded of the family reunion in Black Bear Lake decades earlier. The tragic events that happened during that reunion haunted him and made him rethink his decisions, the what ifs, the if only…While coming to terms with all that had happened, Adam learnt to find peace within himself and let go of the burden that is holding back from living his life.
I love the vivid scenes of Black Bear Lake. It’s really a perfect setting for a family trip but it shows that ominous things can happen amidst peaceful times. Most of the chapters were focused on flashbacks of Adam’s last family trip and it is heart-breaking to see the events unfold on this family. Each member carries their own regrets, sufferings but yet they are bounded together by love and comfort.
I also love the inner conflicts in Adam’s thoughts and how much he understands and sees in the perspective as a teenager. In a way, what happened in Black Bear Lake shaped who he became as an adult. It really made me wonder how much baggage we carry with us throughout our lives and how it affects us.
Thank you Netgalley and Blue Handle Publishing for the arc.
December 20, 2022
Adam loves his wife, but their marriage is falling apart. He has recurring nightmares about his last summer at the annual family reunion at Black Bear Lake. He then begins recalling, in a wonderful & entrancing description, all the interactions & events of the month long reunion. The his love his family, nuclear & extended, is deeply felt. His hormones, at the age of 14, have a significant effect on his emotions & actions, as does the fact that his mother is dying of cancer. This is a deeply absorbing & well written book which I recommend to anyone looking for a really great read.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author Leslie Liautraud & the publisher Blue Handle Publishing for allowing me great pleasure of reading this wonderful book. I look forward to reading more of this author in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author Leslie Liautraud & the publisher Blue Handle Publishing for allowing me great pleasure of reading this wonderful book. I look forward to reading more of this author in the future.
November 12, 2022
Some locations are unrealistic. No one would know that, if they didn't live in Northern Wisconsin.
Adam has trust issues. His wife Julie tells him to see a psychiatrist.
Even years of therapy don't help. Until he gets in the car, drives back to the family cabins & compound at Black Bear Lake.
As he is Re-living his memories, we see what happened within his family.
His mom. His best friend & cousin, Dannie. All the aunts & Uncle's & cousins.
How he feels he let Dannie down. He was there until the end.
Perhaps, now, as an adult, instead of a 15 year old, hormonal teen, he sees he did his very best by her. He could not have saved her, or perhaps, would have died with her.
Adam has trust issues. His wife Julie tells him to see a psychiatrist.
Even years of therapy don't help. Until he gets in the car, drives back to the family cabins & compound at Black Bear Lake.
As he is Re-living his memories, we see what happened within his family.
His mom. His best friend & cousin, Dannie. All the aunts & Uncle's & cousins.
How he feels he let Dannie down. He was there until the end.
Perhaps, now, as an adult, instead of a 15 year old, hormonal teen, he sees he did his very best by her. He could not have saved her, or perhaps, would have died with her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2022
Thank you Leslie Liautaud and Blue Handle Publishing for the ARC of Black Bear Lake.
It took me a few days after finishing this novel to sit down to write my review for this YA coming-of-age novel because it has been haunting my thoughts ever since I finished it.
First, the writing. Told in first-person, the novel follows a young man named Adam—first, as an adult, and later, as a teenager as he reflects on the last summer he spent at his family's summer vacation destination, Black Bear Lake.
There is so much to love about this heartbreaking and hauntingly beautiful novel. The prose breathes with descriptions of the lake without getting bogged down in being too flourishing. Leslie flexes her muscles most when delving into inter-family drama and the emotions that Adam and Dannie (his best friend and cousin) wade through.
When I finished this novel, I was on a plane to Charleston, SC. Apparently I was crying harder than I thought I was because the woman across the aisle asked if I was alright and if I was afraid of planes.
So, crying on an airplane is the highest praise I can offer. Black Bear Lake is a five-star read and belongs at the top of your TBR pile.
It took me a few days after finishing this novel to sit down to write my review for this YA coming-of-age novel because it has been haunting my thoughts ever since I finished it.
First, the writing. Told in first-person, the novel follows a young man named Adam—first, as an adult, and later, as a teenager as he reflects on the last summer he spent at his family's summer vacation destination, Black Bear Lake.
There is so much to love about this heartbreaking and hauntingly beautiful novel. The prose breathes with descriptions of the lake without getting bogged down in being too flourishing. Leslie flexes her muscles most when delving into inter-family drama and the emotions that Adam and Dannie (his best friend and cousin) wade through.
When I finished this novel, I was on a plane to Charleston, SC. Apparently I was crying harder than I thought I was because the woman across the aisle asked if I was alright and if I was afraid of planes.
So, crying on an airplane is the highest praise I can offer. Black Bear Lake is a five-star read and belongs at the top of your TBR pile.
March 27, 2023
This book filled me with nostalgia…set in 1983, as the main character is approaching 15, it’s all about family & love & what can happen when memories and trauma are buried and not dealt with. We relive Adam’s last summer at Black Bear Lake and learn what happened then that shaped the adult he is now. A lovely coming of age story, full of angst and emotions and overall the love of family.
April 23, 2023
I've never read anything from this author before, but I can tell you now that she knows how to tell a story. I won't go into the details of the story so as not to spoil it for the potential next reader. However, the story starts well and ends well. The characters are well-defined along with the role each plays in the story. I think most readers would enjoy this book. Give it a read.
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