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tania_1975's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book
There was something so special and magical about this story. I went into this without knowing much about it but as soon as I started reading I was totally absorbed in the characters and the places.
The story starts in the 1960's and follows Gloria Ricci from the time she spends in Belmont Institute where she meets Sheff and what follows when she is released.
Its a story about love and friendship with a touch of magical realism. Sometimes heart breaking but also so uplifting.
Michele's writing is so beautiful and I totally got lost in the struggles of Gloria's world. This story and Gloria will stay with me a long time and one I will read again.
There was something so special and magical about this story. I went into this without knowing much about it but as soon as I started reading I was totally absorbed in the characters and the places.
The story starts in the 1960's and follows Gloria Ricci from the time she spends in Belmont Institute where she meets Sheff and what follows when she is released.
Its a story about love and friendship with a touch of magical realism. Sometimes heart breaking but also so uplifting.
Michele's writing is so beautiful and I totally got lost in the struggles of Gloria's world. This story and Gloria will stay with me a long time and one I will read again.
snoopin's review
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Outing, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship
karinalechatton's review
5.0
Wow. This was such a beautifully written book. I was completely immersed in the story from beginning to end, and felt every single emotion alongside Gloria. I am so delighted that I stumbled across this novel and I will certainly be reading it again!
emjay2021's review
4.0
Well written, with a likeable narrator that I rooted for the whole time. It's a tough read because she goes out of the frying pan into the fire, and each situation is more awful than the last. But I did think it was good and I'm not sorry I read it. However, this is the third heavy book in a row for me and I hope the next book is at least a bit lighter.
tobyyy's review
3.0
I read this book over the span of several weeks; not out of lack of interest, per se, but I did get bogged down in it for awhile. I know it has an overall good rating and that the top three reviews are all 5 star, but for me it was lacking. I’m not sure what, exactly. The bees were a neat touch but I felt like that jolt of magical realism (the jolt that actually makes me feel something and causes goosebumps) was absent. Maybe books by Sarah Addison Allen have spoiled my enjoyment of magical realism from other authors, I’m not sure.
This was far from a “bad book,” though, to be clear. It just wasn’t my cup of tea or perhaps more accurately, it wasn’t my cup of tea at the time I read it. I could very well see myself picking this book up in a completely different mood and giving it a 4 or 4.5 star rating.
This was far from a “bad book,” though, to be clear. It just wasn’t my cup of tea or perhaps more accurately, it wasn’t my cup of tea at the time I read it. I could very well see myself picking this book up in a completely different mood and giving it a 4 or 4.5 star rating.
bookapotamus's review
4.0
I went into reading this book not knowing too much - I read all genres so I like to be surprised by stories. The cover and the title both spoke to me - I grew up on a farm and we had beehives and "raised" bees for our own honey and wax. I adore everything about bees and have always thought they were magical creatures.
Lost in the Beehive just made me love them even more. It's a wonderful thought to think that bees understand you, and are by your side during traumatic events, trying to steer you in the right direction. Gloria Ricci definitely needed some direction growing up, from anyone - or anything.
It is Vietnam era 1960's when we first find Gloria being sent to a mental asylum, to be "cured" of an "illness". We follow her through this experience, and quite a few other major life events throughout, and there always seem to be some bees hovering nearby, as if guiding her, protecting her.
Michele Young-Stones writing is exquisite. The witty banter between Gloria and her dearest friend Sheff had me laughing out loud, and the story flows so smoothly it's easy to find yourself lost in it all. The characters are so colorful, and you can feel the bees magical energy so much throughout the story, that it's just enough to make a sad story about finding yourself, feel like a mystical fairytale.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Lost in the Beehive.
Lost in the Beehive just made me love them even more. It's a wonderful thought to think that bees understand you, and are by your side during traumatic events, trying to steer you in the right direction. Gloria Ricci definitely needed some direction growing up, from anyone - or anything.
It is Vietnam era 1960's when we first find Gloria being sent to a mental asylum, to be "cured" of an "illness". We follow her through this experience, and quite a few other major life events throughout, and there always seem to be some bees hovering nearby, as if guiding her, protecting her.
Michele Young-Stones writing is exquisite. The witty banter between Gloria and her dearest friend Sheff had me laughing out loud, and the story flows so smoothly it's easy to find yourself lost in it all. The characters are so colorful, and you can feel the bees magical energy so much throughout the story, that it's just enough to make a sad story about finding yourself, feel like a mystical fairytale.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review Lost in the Beehive.
clara2aj4's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jerseygrrrl's review
3.0
I love, love, love Michele Young-Stone's writing. Yet this book didn't pack the same punch as "Above Us Only Sky."