Bear Witness by Melissa Clark explores the story of a girl who watched her best friend be snatched from her bedroom when they were just 12 years old.

Paige is a typical 12-year-old girl in every respect but the most important one — she has witnessed the abduction of her best friend by a stranger in the middle of the night.

Three years later, Paige is still dealing with the consequences of what happened to her that night, although in a lot of ways she’s expected to have moved on already. But when a small town is rocked by a crime such as this, nobody truly forgets, least of all Paige.

This novel explores Paige’s reaction to the incident, and her thoughts and feelings following the absence of her best friend. It shares with us her most intimate moments, including ones she wishes she could forget and others that she knows she never will.

‘Bear Witness’ book review

Bear Witness by Melissa Clark is a tiny look into the life of a young girl named Paige whose world was changed one evening when a man broke into a home and stole her best friend Robin. This novel does not depict a girl who has moved on after her friend’s disappearance. Instead, it shows the reader what it’s like to be inside the head of someone who knows loss at an age where all she should know if care-free innocence.

The true glory in Bear Witness is the way in which the book is set up. It begins in the present day, with Paige still struggling with Robin’s death. Then, in each section, it moves back a year. We see Paige right after the trial, then during the trial, then on that fateful night, and even prior to the incident. It’s a unique look back in time, written in a way to connect you not only to Paige, but also to Robin.

Clark’s book explores just a pinpoint of time in this one girl’s life. It offers sadness and hope in equal measure, and although we know Paige will be forever changed by what she witnessed, we also know that she will continue on, holding Robin’s story close to her heart even when everyone else has turned it into catchy headlines.

Bear Witness by Melissa Clark is available for purchase now. You can order it on Amazon or IndieBound, or add it to your Goodreads list.