Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen

Harper Collins, 2001, 241 pp., $5.99
ISBN 0-060-73400-0

Cole Matthews is a kid with an excessive amount of anger who frequently takes his anger out on others. He can’t help but to blame his parents (who are always drunk) for his frustrations. This is because his father has beaten him and his mom doesn’t seem to care. Cole gets away with most of the dreadful things he does, until he goes out of control. He was sent to an isolated island because he let his anger get the best of him and he beats up Peter (his classmate) just for snitching on him. Peter told a few people that Cole had robed a hardware store. Once he got to the island many tragic things happen to him. There were several challenges Cole had to face, such as starving and loneliness. As he spends time on the island he keeps seeing the shadow of a bear. Eventually he has an extremely dangerous encounter with it, that involves pain and discomfort.

In my opinion Ben Mickaelson tries to hard to catch your attention with sickening things. Touching Spirit Bear had me at the edge of my seat…not because the book was a thrill, but because I was ready to throw up while reading it. Mickaelson foreshadows throughout the story. But some were good and some could use some work. The mood of this book is very dark and poignant. Cole is never really happy and while reading it I wasn’t either. So majority of the time this book was a bore.

Ben Mickaelson does a good job of painting a picture in your head by explaining some of the bruises and cuts Cole gets. I really felt as if I was right there with Cole. He teaches a good lesson about getting rid of your frustration. It’s a little hard to comprehend. But I couldn’t relate to the way Cole gets his anger. That’s because everyone is different and has there own way of doing of getting it out.

If stories with depressing characters, violence, isolation and consequences along with horrid images flowing through your head are your thing, this is the perfect book for you. If you have a passionate love for animals and a weak stomach, however I’m sure you would find this book to be very unpleasant!

~ reviewed by Taylor M.