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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Reminded me a lot of Orwell's Animal Farm. I saw the intention of trying to give this bee colony a lot of personality and deeper meaning than them just being bees but I couldn't get into this one like I would have liked to.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved the idea of this book but wasn't always satisfied with its execution. Paull makes the world of bees in a hive fascinating and I loved her descriptions of items in the human world as seen through the eyes of a bee. I have less love for her description of life in the bee hive. When she described physical elements of the hive or activities the bees engaged in, I had a very hard time visualizing what she described. Re-reading passages didn't help and I became easily distracted and frustrated during these parts.
The social commentary Paull was making was interesting (the bees living in a society strictly divided by class and bee Flora challenging that system) but honestly I was more intrigued to learn about the actual lives of bees and hive behavior.
The social commentary Paull was making was interesting (the bees living in a society strictly divided by class and bee Flora challenging that system) but honestly I was more intrigued to learn about the actual lives of bees and hive behavior.
This was a great read. I thought it might take a different turn eventually, but it's ending was still not expected. I'd love to ask the author how much she researched the life and hive structure of bees. She took some necessary creative liberties for the sake of character development, but the world she created was extremely captivating.
A few years ago I read, renowned entomolgist, Edward o Wilson's "Anthill". It was a work of fiction focusing on the life and struggle to survive of an ant colony. being his field of study, it was naturally well researched, and a joy to read.
Ms. Paull's novel may relied more on creative license over scientific research, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I think e.o. Wilson would enjoy it too.
A few years ago I read, renowned entomolgist, Edward o Wilson's "Anthill". It was a work of fiction focusing on the life and struggle to survive of an ant colony. being his field of study, it was naturally well researched, and a joy to read.
Ms. Paull's novel may relied more on creative license over scientific research, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I think e.o. Wilson would enjoy it too.
this book is WILD, y'all.
https://bookshouting210423985.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/cold-air-cold-heart-stay-inside-1-31-19/
https://bookshouting210423985.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/cold-air-cold-heart-stay-inside-1-31-19/
I should have stopped when I read "worship to His Maleness" on page 8. I did stop when I read "..it made his dronewood hard as the twig we stood on." Page 52.
ALL worker bees' first job is cleaning, then as they age they do different jobs (raising brood, making honey, foraging) it's not a class system
ALL worker bees' first job is cleaning, then as they age they do different jobs (raising brood, making honey, foraging) it's not a class system
Excellent and engrossing. The life of a worker bee -- but one who is somehow different -- inside the hive. The story was rich with conflict, religion, spirituality, and friendship. Almost impossible to put it down.
What a creative concept for a book! And Laline Paull can really write! I wouldn't recommend reading this as a social-commentary literature per the publisher's sale pitch. This is a really fun and creative speculative sci-fi. I had a blast reading immersing myself in the fascinating and wonderful world of honey bees and unknowingly learned a ton about bee's biology.
4.5 stars.
4.5 stars.
Well that was certainly different.
This is a strange, odd, utterly unique book about life inside the hive of honey bees as told through the eyes, or should I say, attenae of a sanitation bee named Flora. You learn all about the life of bees, the caste system, the work, bee behaviors throughout their lifespans.
I wasn't sure how I felt in the first part, it was difficult to get used to strangeness of the world within. But once the story started to take more of a direction, I found myself completely absorbed in the story. The author does a wonderful job of world building and weaving actual bee behavior within the storyline of Flora and her journey. By creating Katness of the bee world with a little game of thrones shenanigans thrown in the mix, makes for exciting reading,
This is a slow cooker, you must have patience letting it build in intensity, but once it does, believe me it's unputdownable. This is not a book for everyone. You need to completely allow yourself to fall into the insect world and becomes a part of it. One thing I know is that I will never quite look at bees again without thinking of wonderful little Flora and her world within the hive.
Off,to watch more you tube bee videos :D
This is a strange, odd, utterly unique book about life inside the hive of honey bees as told through the eyes, or should I say, attenae of a sanitation bee named Flora. You learn all about the life of bees, the caste system, the work, bee behaviors throughout their lifespans.
I wasn't sure how I felt in the first part, it was difficult to get used to strangeness of the world within. But once the story started to take more of a direction, I found myself completely absorbed in the story. The author does a wonderful job of world building and weaving actual bee behavior within the storyline of Flora and her journey. By creating Katness of the bee world with a little game of thrones shenanigans thrown in the mix, makes for exciting reading,
This is a slow cooker, you must have patience letting it build in intensity, but once it does, believe me it's unputdownable. This is not a book for everyone. You need to completely allow yourself to fall into the insect world and becomes a part of it. One thing I know is that I will never quite look at bees again without thinking of wonderful little Flora and her world within the hive.
Off,to watch more you tube bee videos :D
It’s been three months since I read The Bees by Laline Paull and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s been awhile since I’ve fallen hard for a novel. After staying up late into the wee hours binge reading it, I couldn’t even fall asleep. The Bees is a dystopian novel toted by the publisher as “The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games.” I’m not a big fan of describing a novel with another novel (or in this case, two), but now looking back, I think the description is apt.
Who knew that a novel entirely about the caste system of a beehive would draw me so completely? Flora is a sanitation worker, the lowest caste of her beehive. She and her sisters are deemed as dirty because they do jobs no other bees want. Even though Flora was born into her job, she is not like other bees. She is curious about everything, including the jobs her other sisters have. Her love and worship of the queen, who spreads her love daily through a release of pheromones, keeps her loyal to the hives.
However, she struggles between following the rules and following her heart to do more, be more, and mean more than just a sanitation worker. Her desire to become more than her caste can destroy her hive and life as she knows it.
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.fromlefttowrite.com/review-bees-laline-paull/
Who knew that a novel entirely about the caste system of a beehive would draw me so completely? Flora is a sanitation worker, the lowest caste of her beehive. She and her sisters are deemed as dirty because they do jobs no other bees want. Even though Flora was born into her job, she is not like other bees. She is curious about everything, including the jobs her other sisters have. Her love and worship of the queen, who spreads her love daily through a release of pheromones, keeps her loyal to the hives.
However, she struggles between following the rules and following her heart to do more, be more, and mean more than just a sanitation worker. Her desire to become more than her caste can destroy her hive and life as she knows it.
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.fromlefttowrite.com/review-bees-laline-paull/