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rosieloudonson's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
emberise's review against another edition
challenging
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
polygonia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ecandrews0's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
bookyberrybridge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
hnj1512's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
An interesting book that follows story of a beehive. I didn’t expect it to be as interesting as it wasn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and the character development of each of the bees
0live_tr33's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Police brutality, and Animal death
lisamchuk's review against another edition
3.0
This novel follows the life of Flora 717, a worker bee born into the Sanitation caste of the Orchard Hive. But Flora is different right from the start, and through a series of events, manages to work her way up from Sanitation crew, to Nurse, to Forager. Besides her size and appearance and job swapping abilities, Flora has another secret, one which no one can learn because it's a direct violation of the Queen's laws. Throw in some cult mentality, misogynistic drones, villainous wasps, and prophetic spiders and you've got a solid story.
One critic described this novel as "A rich, strange book, utterly convincing." (Tracy Chevalier). I'd agree. It's strange - I'd describe it as fascinatingly weird. Everything is a bit different, the way the bees communicate, work, and live. Paull assumably did her research and a lot of the story appeals to the naturalist in many of us. In this way, it's an interesting look inside a hive, and probably I won't look at bees the same way again. On top of this quasi-science, Paull creates a cult like religion and the somewhat unbelievable story of Flora to carry us through the lifespan of a bee. Like I said, kind of weird.
So while the natural story is a compelling one, the plot is a bit contrived. The one thing that kept annoying me was how Flora managed to work her way up the caste system through a series of convenient coincidences and unique traits. Though, it strikes me that in a book full of anthropomorphized insects, I can probably let Flora's unbelievable rise to fame slide and I enjoyed reading this book in spite of that. I found myself wanting to know more about the hive and enjoyed following the story arc enough to keep reading. In the end, all the questions are answered and loose ties tied. Circle of life and all that.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Watership Down, or those who find bees interesting and want to learn a bit more about them. It might not be worth a reread but The Bees is definitely worth picking up - especially for all the gardeners out there!
One critic described this novel as "A rich, strange book, utterly convincing." (Tracy Chevalier). I'd agree. It's strange - I'd describe it as fascinatingly weird. Everything is a bit different, the way the bees communicate, work, and live. Paull assumably did her research and a lot of the story appeals to the naturalist in many of us. In this way, it's an interesting look inside a hive, and probably I won't look at bees the same way again. On top of this quasi-science, Paull creates a cult like religion and the somewhat unbelievable story of Flora to carry us through the lifespan of a bee. Like I said, kind of weird.
So while the natural story is a compelling one, the plot is a bit contrived. The one thing that kept annoying me was how Flora managed to work her way up the caste system through a series of convenient coincidences and unique traits. Though, it strikes me that in a book full of anthropomorphized insects, I can probably let Flora's unbelievable rise to fame slide and I enjoyed reading this book in spite of that. I found myself wanting to know more about the hive and enjoyed following the story arc enough to keep reading. In the end, all the questions are answered and loose ties tied. Circle of life and all that.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Watership Down, or those who find bees interesting and want to learn a bit more about them. It might not be worth a reread but The Bees is definitely worth picking up - especially for all the gardeners out there!
marieeve1978's review against another edition
4.0
I give it a strong 3,5. The story is interesting as well as special because you are put in an environment for which you are unaccustomed. (Bee hive)