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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
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:
No
Fun mix of anthropomorphic fantasy and bee biology. Great companion to beekeeping.
Once in a while you come across a book that can perhaps only be described as strange and this dystopian story is one of those that left my mind positively buzzing.
The synopsis of this book states it as “The Handmaid’s Tale meets Hunger Games” an apt description.
Flora 717, never chose to be born as a lowly sanitation worker bee but she decides that’s not how she is going to die.
“Accept, Obey and Serve” is the motto of the hive and worshipping the Queen and her fertility the only religion but Flora 717 wants more and does not submit to the status quo, stinging the hive where it hurts the most.
Born with abilities beyond that of her class that would otherwise have resulted in her death she somehow eludes the eyes of the authorities due to the low pollen yield situation of the hive, even flying higher up the hierarchy ladder until one day she commits an unforgivable sting against the Queen Bee.
Misogyny, classism, conformity, and loyalty are just some of the themes of the narrative.
The author has very skillfully presented aspects of real bee behavior and combined it with human traits to present a stern, cultish and authoritarian society all the while keeping it very dramatic.
P.S. I never thought reading a fictional account of the insect world could feel obscene but mind you, Flora 717 has a very pollinated mind and a bee-havior to match.
P.P.S. I read this book a few months back so some of my feelings about this book may have mellowed down.
The synopsis of this book states it as “The Handmaid’s Tale meets Hunger Games” an apt description.
Flora 717, never chose to be born as a lowly sanitation worker bee but she decides that’s not how she is going to die.
“Accept, Obey and Serve” is the motto of the hive and worshipping the Queen and her fertility the only religion but Flora 717 wants more and does not submit to the status quo, stinging the hive where it hurts the most.
Born with abilities beyond that of her class that would otherwise have resulted in her death she somehow eludes the eyes of the authorities due to the low pollen yield situation of the hive, even flying higher up the hierarchy ladder until one day she commits an unforgivable sting against the Queen Bee.
Misogyny, classism, conformity, and loyalty are just some of the themes of the narrative.
The author has very skillfully presented aspects of real bee behavior and combined it with human traits to present a stern, cultish and authoritarian society all the while keeping it very dramatic.
P.S. I never thought reading a fictional account of the insect world could feel obscene but mind you, Flora 717 has a very pollinated mind and a bee-havior to match.
P.P.S. I read this book a few months back so some of my feelings about this book may have mellowed down.
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Paull brings her bees to life with a rich banquet of politics, religion, feminism and environmentalism - all finely balanced by the undercurrent of a bee’s everyday behaviour and instincts. At times, however, this unfamiliar combination can lead to a lack of clarity in the narrative and/or imagery.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was SO GOOD and especially interesting for me to read as an entomology student! Strangely human for a story about bees, this is at its core about the love between a mother and her daughter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Violence
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated