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rei_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Car accident, and Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit, Pedophilia, and Excrement
squintyfarmer's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Car accident, Murder, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, and Death
Minor: Pedophilia and Vomit
carlytenille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Car accident, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Grief
misscaitie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Infidelity, Cursing, Stalking, Death, and Dementia
Minor: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Addiction, and Biphobia
gvstyris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So many of the bad things that happen in the world come from people pretending to be something they’re not.
The consideration of these four perspectives is where much of The Bee Sting's genius lies. Cass and PJ's two-dimensional perception of their parents' beliefs and ambitions, for example, is challenged as soon as we reach Imelda's first chapter. I was surprised by how convincingly Murray writes each character, portraying both women and younger voices with sensitivity and understanding. Each perspective adds something to the overall narrative, and I particularly enjoyed delving into Dickie's psyche.
Murray's prose also plays an important role in this novel's success. Imelda's chapters are written without punctuation, offering the reader a stream-of-consciousness that seems to mirror her anxiety and disorientation with her life's trajectory. That being said, I did listen to the audiobook and would recommend it for a more seamless reading experience -- a couple of Murray's stylistic choices would likely have bugged me without it. I also loved how each section decreases in length as the novel progresses, slowly building the tension as it becomes clearer and clearer that the Barnes' family is irreparably damaged. Similarly, the symbolism here is beautiful: the squirrels, Imelda's fairytales, the bee sting itself.
Given that this book is a 650 page marathon, it delves into too many other themes to summarise here. The discussion around climate anxiety and human destruction also stuck with me, as well as the religious guilt that underpins much of Dickie's (and Imelda's, I suppose) struggle. I will be thinking about the ending for a long time, but am definitely a believer that
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Grief, and Rape
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
pixie_d's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Sexual assault, Death, Stalking, Car accident, and Rape
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Drug use
torihope98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Homophobia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Antisemitism, Animal death, Infidelity, Dementia, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Pedophilia
risemini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Dementia, Alcoholism, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Death, Infidelity, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Physical abuse
kelreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Child abuse and Alcoholism
Minor: Car accident
signeskov's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Bullying, Grief, Sexism, Rape, Gaslighting, Car accident, and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal death