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lostgwennel's review
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Death
davbat's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.75
Gripping and an emotional read- but also quite odd and not very satisfying. Glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment
All the characters are bees and there's bee racism.lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is really really cool. I loved the audiobook, very engaging. The whole story is really ominous and interesting and dark and gorgeous. I really love how sensory experiences are described--the author clearly worked hard and is very skilled at describing scents, sounds, visuals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Death, Body horror, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Violence, and Xenophobia
dellydoos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Think Handmaids Tale combined with Animal Farm, except not that dark because this book is literally about bees… The Bees was totally batshit bonkers. And I was here for it.
Witty and ironic, Laline Paul wrote with a confident and straight-forward style that hooked me from the first page. She weaves her storytelling with a unique blend of humour and sharp observation. This precision extends to the scientific aspects of the story, where the author’s attention to accuracy adds depth and credibility to the narrative. But also a lot of enjoyment. For instance, you might have already been aware that male bees, known as drones, perish after mating with the queen. However, within Laline Paull's hive, the queen proudly sports the drone’s detached organ as a keepsake from an unforgettable encounter. Hilarious stuff.
Laline Paul’s willingness to embrace the unconventional is refreshing. She fearlessly plunges into the realm of bees, giving them voices and personalities that resonate with the human experience. And what makes The Bees truly exceptional is its ability to tackle profound themes while maintaining a gripping and accessible narrative. Just like The Handmaid’s Tale and Animal Farm, it delves into the complexities of power, hierarchy, religion and community. The allegorical elements are cleverly intertwined with the bee society, making for a thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating read.
However, I felt the book’s strength sliding a little when it came to the character development. This was mostly a plot driven novel, and whilst I resonated with Flora 717, I yearned for a deeper exploration of her character. There was more to discover beneath the surface of the characters within this book.
Flora 717, the brave and resilient protagonist, is undoubtedly the heart of the story. Her journey from a lowly sanitation worker to a figure of great significance within the hive is a testament to the author's ability to craft a compelling lead character. However, there were moments when I longed for a more profound glimpse into Flora's inner thoughts, emotions, and motivations. While her actions spoke volumes, a deeper exploration of her psyche would have added a layer of complexity that could have made her even more interesting.
Even so, this book was exactly what I needed after a couple of dry reading months. I devoured it within a single sitting, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who just needs a good time with a great book. 4.5/5 stars.
Witty and ironic, Laline Paul wrote with a confident and straight-forward style that hooked me from the first page. She weaves her storytelling with a unique blend of humour and sharp observation. This precision extends to the scientific aspects of the story, where the author’s attention to accuracy adds depth and credibility to the narrative. But also a lot of enjoyment. For instance, you might have already been aware that male bees, known as drones, perish after mating with the queen. However, within Laline Paull's hive, the queen proudly sports the drone’s detached organ as a keepsake from an unforgettable encounter. Hilarious stuff.
Laline Paul’s willingness to embrace the unconventional is refreshing. She fearlessly plunges into the realm of bees, giving them voices and personalities that resonate with the human experience. And what makes The Bees truly exceptional is its ability to tackle profound themes while maintaining a gripping and accessible narrative. Just like The Handmaid’s Tale and Animal Farm, it delves into the complexities of power, hierarchy, religion and community. The allegorical elements are cleverly intertwined with the bee society, making for a thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating read.
However, I felt the book’s strength sliding a little when it came to the character development. This was mostly a plot driven novel, and whilst I resonated with Flora 717, I yearned for a deeper exploration of her character. There was more to discover beneath the surface of the characters within this book.
Flora 717, the brave and resilient protagonist, is undoubtedly the heart of the story. Her journey from a lowly sanitation worker to a figure of great significance within the hive is a testament to the author's ability to craft a compelling lead character. However, there were moments when I longed for a more profound glimpse into Flora's inner thoughts, emotions, and motivations. While her actions spoke volumes, a deeper exploration of her psyche would have added a layer of complexity that could have made her even more interesting.
Even so, this book was exactly what I needed after a couple of dry reading months. I devoured it within a single sitting, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who just needs a good time with a great book. 4.5/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
labeanorita's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Gore, Child death, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Child death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Ableism, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Classism, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
adannaisiodu's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was... weird. I originally read it for school, as part of a dystopian book assignment, but I actually enjoyed it. The whole story's told from a bee's perspective, but it's actually interesting to read from that POV. Props to Laline Paul!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Animal death
sam_h's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
adventuryn's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
The book is described as a mix of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale, but with bees and while I've not read either, from what I have heard and seen that would be accurate. The story itself was engaging and very well written. However, while it is well written and engaging, describing insect society in a manner that you would a human society gets rather grim, incredibly fast.
The depictions of violence and death are, from what I am aware, accurate to bee activity and societal structure. There is a queen, who lays eggs. There are drones (male bees), that are only really in the hive for mating purposes. Wasps kill and eat bees when they are able to get access to them. Bees are beautiful, complex creatures with highly detailed lives and roles. They can also be terrifying when viewed through the eyes of a fellow bee.
If you go into it expecting there to be graphic depictions of death from the perspective of the creatures going through it, you will likely be better prepared for the plot than I was. There is also a repeated theme of psychological manipulation that I wasn't expecting, but is in line with what I know of how bees operate with certain scent markers.
Overall, it was well written to evoke a visceral response from the reader. However, you also have to be in a very particular headspace in order to read this and not have a negative response.
The depictions of violence and death are, from what I am aware, accurate to bee activity and societal structure. There is a queen, who lays eggs. There are drones (male bees), that are only really in the hive for mating purposes. Wasps kill and eat bees when they are able to get access to them. Bees are beautiful, complex creatures with highly detailed lives and roles. They can also be terrifying when viewed through the eyes of a fellow bee.
If you go into it expecting there to be graphic depictions of death from the perspective of the creatures going through it, you will likely be better prepared for the plot than I was. There is also a repeated theme of psychological manipulation that I wasn't expecting, but is in line with what I know of how bees operate with certain scent markers.
Overall, it was well written to evoke a visceral response from the reader. However, you also have to be in a very particular headspace in order to read this and not have a negative response.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Grief
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
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