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charan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
2.0
chazzarooni's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
georgilvsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I’m slowly making my way through Sarah’s work as I love her writing style.
This was an ok read. Quite sad and heartbreaking.
If you love poetry/free verse this is an author to check out.
This was an ok read. Quite sad and heartbreaking.
If you love poetry/free verse this is an author to check out.
hundredacreofbooks1990's review against another edition
4.0
There was something about the title and the cover that immediately had me eager to read upon opening this book. I soon realised although something may appear beautiful and put together from the outside doesn’t mean it isn’t flawed and fractured on the inside.
Read my full review here
https://hundredacreofbooks.com/index.php/2020/10/12/here-is-the-beehive/
Read my full review here
https://hundredacreofbooks.com/index.php/2020/10/12/here-is-the-beehive/
leah_huolohan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
2.75
bookwormreflections's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
desterman's review against another edition
3.0
I heard about this on a podcast, and as a fan of verse novels, the premise of Irish poet Sarah Crossan’s story really grabbed me. Ana is in her late thirties and a lawyer. She takes a call one morning from a woman who needs to declare her husband’s death and access his will, as he has just died in a car accident. This all seems fairly routine, until we discover that the dead man in question has been having an affair with Ana for the past three years. After yet another heated argument about him leaving his wife for her, she had not heard from him for a few days and just assumed he was angry with her.
The novel uses flashbacks scattered throughout to explain how the affair began and how it has progressed over such a long period of time. One of the major complications for Ana is that her grief must remain private and she is expected to carry on as normal, despite losing someone so close. This leads to some serious complications in her relationships with others, including the widow of her secret beau.
I enjoyed the free verse style of this novel, it’s bright and vibrant and moves the story along at a good pace. The elements of fragmented, disjointed prose helps to capture the tumultuous life Ana is experiencing – trying to hold it together on the outside as her inner life is destroyed. It is full of tension and addresses themes related to moral and sexual ambiguity, as well as infidelity. It also deals with the obsessiveness of desire. Ana is often frustrated with coming second to a woman she doesn’t know: “I wanted you to tear/ the world to shreds/ to get/ to me/ I wanted to be chosen.” I came to wonder whether it was this thrill that drove Ana in the first place, rather than any deep love and affection.
The main aspect I struggled with was Ana herself. She’s a very unlikeable character, and not just because of her unfaithfulness. Her long suffering husband is reasonable, yet frustrated, though she treats him with utter disdain. Her children also seem to be almost invisible, simply a barrier in her relentless pursuit of this other relationship. She’s not an endearing friend, and it is also heard to see what her lover sees in her. These factors made it difficult to empathise with her and I found myself getting irritated by her by the end of the story.
A more likeable, complex protagonist could have made this really sing, but as it is, it didn’t totally work for me.
The novel uses flashbacks scattered throughout to explain how the affair began and how it has progressed over such a long period of time. One of the major complications for Ana is that her grief must remain private and she is expected to carry on as normal, despite losing someone so close. This leads to some serious complications in her relationships with others, including the widow of her secret beau.
I enjoyed the free verse style of this novel, it’s bright and vibrant and moves the story along at a good pace. The elements of fragmented, disjointed prose helps to capture the tumultuous life Ana is experiencing – trying to hold it together on the outside as her inner life is destroyed. It is full of tension and addresses themes related to moral and sexual ambiguity, as well as infidelity. It also deals with the obsessiveness of desire. Ana is often frustrated with coming second to a woman she doesn’t know: “I wanted you to tear/ the world to shreds/ to get/ to me/ I wanted to be chosen.” I came to wonder whether it was this thrill that drove Ana in the first place, rather than any deep love and affection.
The main aspect I struggled with was Ana herself. She’s a very unlikeable character, and not just because of her unfaithfulness. Her long suffering husband is reasonable, yet frustrated, though she treats him with utter disdain. Her children also seem to be almost invisible, simply a barrier in her relentless pursuit of this other relationship. She’s not an endearing friend, and it is also heard to see what her lover sees in her. These factors made it difficult to empathise with her and I found myself getting irritated by her by the end of the story.
A more likeable, complex protagonist could have made this really sing, but as it is, it didn’t totally work for me.
booksandladders's review against another edition
4.0
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
Content Warning: Cheating, Grief & loss depiction, Death of a partner
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up but I really enjoyed it! The cheating and the characters were not portrayed in a positive light, which is what I always fear when I read books about infidelity. It showcased how truly horrible and destructive cheating and infidelity are for people and the way that it knocks down everyone around you.
A short novel in verse, I flew through this one. I recommend it if you can handle reading about grief and infidelity.
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Content Warning: Cheating, Grief & loss depiction, Death of a partner
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up but I really enjoyed it! The cheating and the characters were not portrayed in a positive light, which is what I always fear when I read books about infidelity. It showcased how truly horrible and destructive cheating and infidelity are for people and the way that it knocks down everyone around you.
A short novel in verse, I flew through this one. I recommend it if you can handle reading about grief and infidelity.
Like my reviews? Buy me a Ko-Fi!
stacevox's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this short novel by Sarah Crossan so much I finished it in one sitting. The novel is a glimpse into the life of the other woman, and also a look at life after the death of a loved one. There are so many layers to this novel, and reading it as I am just after a bereavement, it really touched me. I think it's beautifully written, the little details of the description of different feelings and emotions are stunning, they frequently brought a lump to my throat. The characters are unlikeable but so real that you can't help feeling for them, it's one of the things that make this book so brilliant, it's unapologetically messy and human.