A review by andintothetrees
The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell

3.0

The Death Of Bees is a strange book which left me feeling very ambivalent – which I suppose is sort of a compliment, as at least it made me think (although mostly I’m just wondering whether I liked it or not). I ploughed through it in barely more than a day, which is definitely a compliment – this is a hugely readable novel with extremely short chapters (only a page or so long) that beg you to keep going onto the next. It is told from three perspectives – that of 15-year-old Marnie, her 12-year-old sister Nelly and their neighbour Lennie. Here’s my first major criticism however: I didn’t feel that their “voices” were disparate enough, particularly as the novel wore on. Additionally Lennie “spoke” to his deceased partner, whilst Marnie and Nelly more obviously addressed “the reader” which felt rather inconsistent.

Read my full review here, on my book blog.