Reviews

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

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leasa's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

4.25

skenebean's review against another edition

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3.0

As a quick summary, the book followes 14-year-old Lily Owens who has grown believing that she accidentally killed her mother when she was four-years-old, and has spent the intervening ten years living with the guilt and her not-so-loving father, T-Ray. The Secret Life of Bees is a bout a number of journeys: fugitives running from the law; the physical journey made to the Pepto-Bismol pink house and Lily’s self discovery as she attempts to find out what really happened to her mother, learning a lot about herself in the process! As well as this, the novel explores elements of the Civil Rights Movement and the contrasting, race-based, attitudes towards the various characters. While the injustices faced are mentioned, in particular Rosaleen’s attempts to vote and Zach’s desire to become a ‘kick-ass lawyer’, the novel definitely focuses more on Lily’s journey, as she grows up and finds the holiness inside her…
The novel also touches on mental health issues by exploring the struggles of sensitive May, although I felt that this was slightly pushed aside in the focus on Lily. Nonetheless, the three sisters (May, June and August) are interesting characters, full of life and personality and, most importantly, their own stories.
Set amid a hazy, glowy, honey-filled summer that made me notice how cold it has been recently, the novel builds towards Lily’s discovery of what really happened at her mother’s death (a question that is asked from the start of the novel), as well as a final face off with T-Ray. These are sometimes a little ignored while Lily herself is in denial, and I was a little distracted by wondering what was going on with T-Ray, and if he’d find Lily and what he’d say to her! This face off finally happened at the end of the novel, and gave a new purpose to what I had already read, as it showed how Lily had become her own person, discovering her inner strength (I really cannot say any more than that as SPOILERS).