Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

69 reviews

elisalasater's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Police brutality, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse

syd991's review against another edition

emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Suicide, Child abuse, and Racial slurs

saltnvinnies's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Bullying

tracy89's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Racism

cassandra_grace's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

the book was good and i really liked the character development you saw throughout the whole book. there is very heavy racism and multiple instances of the n-word being said, as well as a suicide that happens in the book and another that is mentioned, and also child abuse is a big thing as well, so if that’s not something you want to read definitely don’t pick this book up. i really liked the book overall, though! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Racism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Vomit

writingcaia's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Honey sweet, love poured viscous unto me while reading, but also the cruelty of Black reality in the 60’s.
This is a beautiful book, with amazing characters, harsh realities and truths, and a lot of love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Child abuse

Moderate: Violence and Death of parent

amandag's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m sure this is supposed to be a coming of age story where a girl explores her grief at the loss of her mother, but  I felt so much second hand embarrassment for her most of the first half of this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Minor: Mental illness

kotashomelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Racial slurs, Grief, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse

Minor: Hate crime

anilourengo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

El libro cuenta la historia de Lily en el verano de 1964. 
Refleja con mucho éxito el trato que se le daba a la gente de color en 1964 y cómo la sociedad estadounidense reaccionó cuando se les permitió votar y terminar con la segregación.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Suicide, Mental illness, Death of parent, Racism, and Police brutality

midnightmarauder's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

The Secret Life of Bees is one of those movies that helps remind you that it is possible to come from a life full of hardship and struggle and go into one full of love and support. I am not at all surprised that the book it's adapted from is exactly like that. 

The story follows Lily Owens, a fourteen-year-old girl living in South Carolina in 1964. She lives with her abusive father, T. Ray, who is a constant ticking time bomb, and Rosaleen, a black woman who works as a maid in the Owens household and has been a motherly figure to Lily for as long as she can remember. 

Lily's mother died when she was four, the specifics of which are hazy in her memory. She holds on to the few belongings that her mother left behind, and, after a difficult night with T. Ray, she flees her house, eventually ending up in the care of the Boatwright sisters. 

What I liked about this book was the fact that Lily got a happy ending. One of my favorite tropes is the found family trope, and both the book and movie fulfilled it. Lily knew she would never truly be happy if she stayed with T. Ray, so even though her running away could've ended badly, I'm glad she decided to leave. She always had a family waiting for her in the pink house and it just took her some time to find them. 

I watched the movie way before I read the book, so I have a softer spot for the film adaptation. The characters really come to life on screen, and each actress that played the Boatwright sisters (Queen Latifah as August, Alicia Keys as June, and Sophie Okonedo as May) did an amazing job in their roles. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Abandonment, Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Bullying