Release Day Review: The Long and Winding Road

Author: T.J. Klune
Series: Bear, Otter and the Kid, #4
Released: August 11th, 2017
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Lenght: 346 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Dreamspinner Press
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Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are.

And here, at the end, Bear and Otter will be tested like they’ve never been before.

There’s a knock at the door from a little girl who has nowhere else to go.

There’s a phone ringing, bringing news they do not expect.

There’s a brother returning home after learning how to stand on his own.

As these moments converge, all of their lives will change forever.

Beginning in Bear, Otter, and the Kid, and continuing in Who We Are and The Art of Breathing, TJ Klune has told a saga of family and brotherhood, of love and sacrifice. In this final chapter, the events of the past pave the long and winding road toward a future no one could have imagined.

The long farewell to our beloved characters from Bear, Otter and the Kid is finally here. TJ Klune made the brave and wonderful choice to give his fans a chance to say goodbye to those they’ve loved and cried with for such a long time. After seeing these guys grow up, fall in love and build a life together through pain, loss, friendships, joy, drama and unexpected word vomits, our reluctance to let go is more than understandable. But let go we must, and I can’t imagine a better way to do it than with this final book.

In The Long and Winding Road, everyone is grown, everyone is mature, everyone behaves like a responsible adult at all times and everything goes exactly as planned… and if you believed a single word of that, you’ve obviously never met Bear or Creed, or even the Kid. Nothing, nothing goes as planned for this small family. Every single plan goes awry, everything turns into a dramatic and often ridiculous event and not a single conversation ends like you expect. Seeing Bear, Ty and everyone else change as the blows come along was once again a privilege and a marvel… and something I’ll revisit many times in years to come.

The boys (and girls) from the Green Monstrosity might have some loose ends to tie, but they are ready for the next chapter in their lives. Tj takes us back in time to see some previous events through different eyes and to witness major decisions being made. Bear, as always, is basically a grandma in a young man’s body, an adorable, careful worrywart, who develops ridiculous scenarios in his head only to panic about them. Otter, of course, is the calming influence, the stabilizing factor in this crazy and wonderful family. And Ty… Ty must learn that all actions have reactions and that the universe sometimes has a truly odd sense of humor.

Those of us who are familiar with TJ’s special brand of humor know not to read his books in public… or we should. I’ve had people distance themselves from me at the beach because I was laughing out loud like a loon. If you don’t wish to become the local crazy person, you should perhaps keep this one behind closed doors. Or you can take it to the town square and say to hell with everybody… we all deserve to laugh so hard daily.

If you haven’t met these guys, hold on to something and prepare for a very emotional ride. But if you, like me, already know and love them, you know exactly what to expect. I can only assure you that it’s even better than you could have imagined.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.