Reviews

Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov

ya_chitayu's review against another edition

reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This book was slow but appropriately so, it did a good job of conveying the boring, fearful tension of daily life in the grey zone, and then again at the mercy of an authoritarian regime. I do think it could’ve pushed the boundaries a bit further with the tatar family but the narrative seemed true to our main character who is not so much a man of action as a peaceful narrator who does try to do the right thing. 

drron's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

g_occasionally_reads's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

chrismologos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

3.5

The author's note sets this book as a way of understanding Ukraine, through understanding its people, geography, history. I think it did do a good job of introducing this, and really setting a scene of the coutry.

For me, though, bits of the plot seemed quite disparate, and various threads didn't tie up, or just fizzled out, for my liking.

newobhannah's review against another edition

emotional informative slow-paced

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

3.5

andrew61's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

wiltschap's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

curlywiggles's review against another edition

3.0

The first 150 pages are a bit of a slog. Really colourless, slow and repetitive. Which I guess is what it's likeiving in a war zone. After that I definitely warmed to the book and there was a lot of  interesting stuff to learn. But I didn't enjoy the dream sequences, it could have benefitted from having quite a few of those cut. 

cissiceciliaa's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

4.0

janetthetrigger's review against another edition

hopeful informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0