Rating: 
Summary: Not the Sue Monk Kidd I remember...
Review: I remember Sue Monk Kidd from her many writings in Guideposts magazine and looked forward to reading this book. For those of you looking for that woman, BEWARE! This is not the same Sue Monk Kidd. Although the book tells a story that keeps you engaged, and the writing is descriptive, it is not a book I would recommend. The use of four letter words turned me off and the budding interracial relationship between Lily and Zach stereotypical. Also, I'm not sure what religion Sue was trying to teach us (god is: woman, mother earth, ourselves) but as a christian, that certainly goes against everything I believe. I had a difficult time believing Rosaleen would spit snuff on a white man's shoe, or Jackson would throw a bottle at a white man's head - unprovoked; but I have never lived in the south and am not knowledgeable about race relations at that time. It was interesting reading about bee behavior and I think SMK did a good job of bringing the characters to life. I just wish I had known BEFORE I read the book that SMK is not the writer I remember.
Rating: 
Summary: Prose and Conviction United
Review: Written with the Art of Prose displayed by Yann Martel in his stunning tale of hope "Life of Pi" and the Art of Conflict spun by Rikki Lee Travolta in his struggle for redemption "My Fractured Life," Sue Monk Kidd creates a realism in fiction that bridges the worlds of hope and anguish. Fourteen year old Lily is on the run. She is on the run from her abusive father. She is on the run from the whites who are out to get her black caretaker. She is on the run from the past trauma of her role in her own mother's death. This is a story of redemption and hope that is inspirational and marvelous.
Rating:
Summary: Quick, easy read that offers depth
Review: The book is short. I read it in a weekend. Kidd wrote in simple-to-understand language. The story takes place during the civil rights movement and takes place in the south. Despite the brevity and simplicity of the story, the author developed deep and believable characters. There is so much depth to each and every character that is introduced, from the abusive father from whom Lily yearns for a shred of evidence of love to the solid and independent August. It's a lovely story.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Told
Review: Secret Life Of bees is a poignant deatil oriented book that lends Southern Grace and Charm into the words of this book. Sue Monk Kidd does an excellent job at weaving this story into something that your imagination can see and feel.
I also recommend: Nightmares Echo/Katlyn Stewart,Running With Scissors/A. Burroughs,Beauty For Ashes/Joyce Meyer
Diama Frost
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story, Interesting Characters
Review: I could not put "Secret Life of Bees' down. Its one of the best books I have read lately. I was completely involved in the characters and their situations. Most importanly young Lily who deep down is searching for knowledge about her dead mother. She ends up staying with bee keepers. The fact that the book is set in the 1960s in South Carolina, makes it even more interesting. Yes, the book is sentimental, but that is what really held my interest.
Rating: 
Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: I had heard some wonderful things about this book. It did not live up to my expectations.
Rating: 
Summary: An idea for consideration
Review: What accounts for the overwhellming response to and acceptance of a book that seems so hard to believe? Other than its rather sappy portrayal of death and its idealized African American characters, there might be another reason,. I suggest that the subtext of this book (since it doesn't seem to come from the author's experiences or acquaintances as reported in her interview published in the back of the book) is an unconscious wish of a white woman (the author disguised as Lily) to be forgiven for her sins against African Americans (symbolically represented as Lily's killing of her mother before she was old enough to be held legally responsible) which is fulfilled through unconditional love and acceptance. Thus the complexity and anxiety of race relations is happily denied to the comfort and relief of what I imagine is a mostly white, female readership.
Rating:
Summary: Ba-boom!
Review: This was perhaps one of the worst books that I have ever read. This book was lined with such racist plot points, I was thoroughly disgusted. My boyfriend read it too, and he felt that the book had a simplistic plot. I think that any book would be better than this. It was typical of a high school freshman's work. I beleive that the main character has the intellegence of a five year old. May was the only character who I liked, and she was killed off. Thanks a lot for ruining the only good parts of the book. I only wish that the characters had been killed off sooner so that the book would not drag on for such a long time.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I've Ever Read
Review: This beautifully written novel captivated me. This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Huh, I guess I missed something
Review: I love reading and love a good story. I didn't find that here. I was hoping for something more cohesive. The plot lines didn't meld together as I would have liked.
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