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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I liked the format of the three intersecting stories from different eras and locations, but I felt that the connections were a bit forced. There was the obvious connection of the struggle for parents to connect with their children and the struggle to tame the bees, but the connections made in the final pages of the book felt artificial and contrived. If one of the three stories were focused on and expanded, the novel probably could have been much better, but the division of focus meant that the reader had to make large leaps at times to connect one storyline's progress from one point to another. The novel itself focuses on an important issue, the strange disappearance of bees and their importance to life on earth, but the book relies on this issue to drive the plot forward. It's a fine read, but nothing extraordinary.
While there's no debating the immediate importance of the topic in this novel, the author chose to focus on the more personal and human drama, rather than the scientific and global impact concerning the disappearance of bees. This was a mistake, in my opinion.
The three stories herein are not bad in themselves, and I'm invested in their outcome, but in the end I don't think the author took them far enough, and the fact that there is a thread that connects them didn't have any wow impact, but was more of a curiosity.
There are other and better novels out there dealing with what the world might look like in the future if we continue to handle the world as we do (The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi, for instance), but I suppose I know of none other that concerns bees in this way, so it might fill a unique spot on the shelf of fiction.
2.5 stars rounded up
The three stories herein are not bad in themselves, and I'm invested in their outcome, but in the end I don't think the author took them far enough, and the fact that there is a thread that connects them didn't have any wow impact, but was more of a curiosity.
There are other and better novels out there dealing with what the world might look like in the future if we continue to handle the world as we do (The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi, for instance), but I suppose I know of none other that concerns bees in this way, so it might fill a unique spot on the shelf of fiction.
2.5 stars rounded up
“Without knowledge we are nothing. Without knowledge we are animals. After that I became more focused. I did not want to learn solely for the sake of learning, I wanted to learn to understand.”
Again, I feel this was over-hyped.
I get why creating environmental awareness is necessary. I get that many people read this and was made aware, but as for the story itself… it went nowhere slowly.
I didn’t connect to any of the characters, in fact I found William an annoying spoiled brat. George a big bully only seeing things in his own perspective and Tao was a pussy mother wanting her son to achieve what she never could.
Nothing in this book compelled me want to continue the series. So, I’m unhauling it.
Again, I feel this was over-hyped.
I get why creating environmental awareness is necessary. I get that many people read this and was made aware, but as for the story itself… it went nowhere slowly.
I didn’t connect to any of the characters, in fact I found William an annoying spoiled brat. George a big bully only seeing things in his own perspective and Tao was a pussy mother wanting her son to achieve what she never could.
Nothing in this book compelled me want to continue the series. So, I’m unhauling it.
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked how the stories tied together but it felt rushed at the end. My favourite part was that George’s legacy came from Tom’s writing. I did not like Williams storyline, in particular the parts about his childhood which were too out of place. The beginning chapters around his bed ridden state, I felt it did not capture his depression. I enjoyed Tao’s storyline and wished there was more of her and less of William.
I enjoyed the intersection of the three stories, particularly as it got close to the end and the relationship became more clear. At times the book was a bit slow and dragged but overall it was a good read.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story connects the uses of bees in agriculture over two centuries and is a warning of our future plight if we do not make changes in our ways. I enjoyed the relationships between parents and children in each of the times and how the relationships were mirrored in each time. The story shows how family situations are really the same across times and cultures. The story has great strong female characters and shows the ambitions of men in a poor but maybe accurate light overall. The importance of learning from our history is so clear in this story. I wish we were currently listening to this history and taking action. It seems clear from Lunde's story that she feels that the Women and Mothers of the world are going to have to demand these changes.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes