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syncup's review against another edition
4.0
R/Fantasy 2024 April Fools Hard mode: Pollen-nesian: “hey this book didn’t mention it’s from the pacific” but it’s written by an new zeland author who’s books all take place in the pacific and the main characters dialect is clearly Austrialian. She didn’t even know her home address, of course she didn’t mention the country she’s in (and it’s dystopian, who’s to say the countries are the same)
I say it counts.
I say it counts.
alimatt's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-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
5.0
ruth_rb's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Not just one of the best pieces of middle grade literature I have ever read, but one of the best pieces of speculative fiction too. The prose is simple but poignant, the characters are vivid and fantastically developed, and the world has immense depth. If you want to buy it for a 10 to 12 year old who wants something very clever, go for it, but snag a copy for yourself while you're at it.
mandirabahi's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wildwoila's review
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An endearingly incorrigible girl fights for love & life in a post bee-pocalyptic dystopia. Heart-warming but a bit brutal for a kids book.
goldenbooksgirl's review
3.0
I had heard amazing things about this, but overall it didn`t live up to my expectations. It`s about a dystopic future in which bees no longer exist, and specifically a girl called Peony, who desperately wants to become part of the group of children who now carry out the work of bees but is forced into moving to the City and then has to find her way home. While the idea sounded amazing, I found this hard to get into as it was so slow paced, and the writing style was also a factor in this. I found the slang that Peony uses jarring, and it took me a while to work out what everything meant. Additionally, I liked some of the ending, but found another part very confusing. However, I loved the friendship between Peony and Ez, as they brought out the very best in each other and had such a lovely relationship. 3.5/5
littlerah's review
4.0
[This review will include spoilers].
Oh man.
Let's start by highlighting that this is a children's chapter book. It uses the voice of nine-year-old Peony and is incredibly fast-paced and dizzying. Writing from the perspective of a child is one of the hardest things you will ever do. But reading it, I can almost sense the youth with a level of ingenuity. But regardless, I am not the demographic for this book, and I would love to see young readers and their thoughts on it. How they liked it, and what they took out of it.
Nonetheless.
How to Bee is the story of Peony who lives on a farm and does the work of bees. Pollinating plants and ensuring the survival of crops. To be a 'bee' in this story is a point of privilege for Peony. However living on the farm is a place of desperation. When her mother, Rosie, returns from the city she endlessly drags to bring Peony with her, insisting that she will be better off and they will lead a rich life with her abusive partner, Danny, due to Peony's determination and skill.
In the city things are no better. Acting as a servant in the Pasquale house, the conditions are awful. Peony even notes the house the family live in is rather large for one of three, honing in on that socioeconomic conditions of the story. Peony goes on to befriend the daughter, Esmeralda, who fears going outside. She encourages her to become brave and take risks, which bring the Pasquale family together again.
Reading it with the education and upbringing I have, and in a world of discourses. It's really hard to sit nicely with this book. For a children's piece it brings into play a severe amount of trauma and ideologies that unfortunately underpin our society today. Capitalism and its effect on the poor, the terrifying decay of our ecosystem and environment, the toxicity and blackmail of families and emotionally abusive relationships. This novel is dark to the adult reader in a way that left me shaking.
I felt uncomfortable in a few sections. Such as the one where the Pasquale's provide Peony with $10 for helping Esmeralda go outside, or when they provide her money when they reach her on the farm after she escapes home. It was unsettling to see the prescribed upper-class of the book treating Peony, rewarding her behaviour and I did not want to see any value in them as their position ensures that they are part of the problem. Likewise, the deaths of many women in the book, the inability to reach a solution (which albeit is probably a result of our own conditions wherein we do not have a solution for extreme poverty and environmental destruction because the corporations who contribute to a significant portion are unlikely to do anything), left me unsettled. Where do we go next? How do we bee, especially in our current climate?
Whilst I felt jostled by the language and voice of Peony, presumably a result of an adult author, this novel reminds readers that they are in charge and need to do something. Be brave and take a step towards saving our world. If only more rich white men would give something like this a go and listen to the children, the future. Then maybe Honey will be salvation.
Oh man.
Let's start by highlighting that this is a children's chapter book. It uses the voice of nine-year-old Peony and is incredibly fast-paced and dizzying. Writing from the perspective of a child is one of the hardest things you will ever do. But reading it, I can almost sense the youth with a level of ingenuity. But regardless, I am not the demographic for this book, and I would love to see young readers and their thoughts on it. How they liked it, and what they took out of it.
Nonetheless.
How to Bee is the story of Peony who lives on a farm and does the work of bees. Pollinating plants and ensuring the survival of crops. To be a 'bee' in this story is a point of privilege for Peony. However living on the farm is a place of desperation. When her mother, Rosie, returns from the city she endlessly drags to bring Peony with her, insisting that she will be better off and they will lead a rich life with her abusive partner, Danny, due to Peony's determination and skill.
In the city things are no better. Acting as a servant in the Pasquale house, the conditions are awful. Peony even notes the house the family live in is rather large for one of three, honing in on that socioeconomic conditions of the story. Peony goes on to befriend the daughter, Esmeralda, who fears going outside. She encourages her to become brave and take risks, which bring the Pasquale family together again.
Reading it with the education and upbringing I have, and in a world of discourses. It's really hard to sit nicely with this book. For a children's piece it brings into play a severe amount of trauma and ideologies that unfortunately underpin our society today. Capitalism and its effect on the poor, the terrifying decay of our ecosystem and environment, the toxicity and blackmail of families and emotionally abusive relationships. This novel is dark to the adult reader in a way that left me shaking.
I felt uncomfortable in a few sections. Such as the one where the Pasquale's provide Peony with $10 for helping Esmeralda go outside, or when they provide her money when they reach her on the farm after she escapes home. It was unsettling to see the prescribed upper-class of the book treating Peony, rewarding her behaviour and I did not want to see any value in them as their position ensures that they are part of the problem. Likewise, the deaths of many women in the book, the inability to reach a solution (which albeit is probably a result of our own conditions wherein we do not have a solution for extreme poverty and environmental destruction because the corporations who contribute to a significant portion are unlikely to do anything), left me unsettled. Where do we go next? How do we bee, especially in our current climate?
Whilst I felt jostled by the language and voice of Peony, presumably a result of an adult author, this novel reminds readers that they are in charge and need to do something. Be brave and take a step towards saving our world. If only more rich white men would give something like this a go and listen to the children, the future. Then maybe Honey will be salvation.
cochineal's review
4.0
An exceptional example of the use of sophisticated language for the 8-12 age group. How to Bee is a compelling and immersive read with engaging characters. Set in a recognisable, plausible future world that is neither as unlikely nor terror-filled as one might expect from the cli-fi genre. I read it incredibly slowly to savour the poetry of the scene-setting and dialogue, my 13 year old powered through it at speed to find out what would happen to Peony and her aspirations of bee-hood. Very highly recommended.