A review by daisythesprout
How to Bee by Bren MacDibble

5.0

"she has dreams and she can’t shake them, never mind that the world’s changed and we all have simpler dreams now.”

i was recommended this by a friend - she praised bren macdibble pretty highly! i was cautious on entering this new, unexplored territory but the blurb was fascinating enough for me to skip through my tbr to this. and i can't say i regret that descision!

macdibble's book is honest, unique, and powerful. it's rare to see such a passionate voice in juvenile fiction; i was pleasantly surprised by this little book.

in a sea of grey-toned protagonists, peony is bright yellow. she stands out without effort. how to describe her? well, she's genuine and bold. fierce and stubborn. kind and thoughtful. through the range of the pages in this book, we travel with our little bee-hopeful as she explores different perspectives, settings, and people. the transition from a child to something more: frankly put, this is a coming-of-age novel, in a way. it's a book that can touch everyone.

and what gorgeous world-building! i was incredibly intrigued by the dystopian, futuristic feel in this one - it's so well developed. the writing is also top-notch, the pacing perfect. everything is wonderful. macdibble's writing is fairly impressive.

this is what middle grade was made for. i loved this so much - it was both enlightening and engaging. highly recommended! no matter what your age, you need to read this.

» 4.5 stars