Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read
Review: "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd is beautifully written and, in my opinion, a must-read for anyone. My father was a beekeeper, and I found her informational inserts regarding bees and their behavior intriguing. Her characterization is grand, as well as the dialogue. I highly recommend this book - I can see why it remains on the bestseller list.
Rating:
Summary: Bee A Reader
Review: This book is thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing. One of my children is a beekeeper. I was curious about the title and bought the book for information about bees.Was I ever surprised and delighted by this unusual novel!! I couldn't put it down. The secret life of the amazing honey bee depicted within an original southern novel with twists and turns, words of wisdom, and amazing characters. The reviews are right on target - the book is a classic, for all ages. It may help to read The Magic School Bus, Inside A Beehive by Joanna Cole after reading this! The author created a masterpiece when she spun this beautiful story.It is satisfying. Bees are social insects - they live and work together and understanding them can teach us humans quite a bit. You won't get stung reading this sweet book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Gorgeously Written Novel
Review: I read this book this summer and from the first page, I was hooked. Kidd's writing style is gorgeous and melodic, drawing you in for more, and she cleverly begins each chapter with a bit about bees and their all too human behavior. The characters are all searching for something, for a home, for their queen- aren't we all doing the same? I will admit that I have recommended this novel to others and while they have all liked it, not all have been moved like I was. But that is the beauty of art- it says different things to different people. And to the writer who couldn't believe that Rosaleen could be treated as she was... I guess things are perfect in Los Angeles, but as a native southerner I'm ashamed to say that at one time, yes, ignorant people ruled the land. Maybe that's why this book was so appealing to me- I found part of my own story in its pages. A definite MUST.
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Summary: Do NOT hesitate!!!
Review: I don't care what race, age, sexual orientation, sex, or animal species you are, you will LOVE this book!
I especially liked this story because of the setting. In most instances I could feel the heat of the south in her writing. This book will keep you on edge and keep those pages turning until it is over!
What a ride Sue takes us on as we journey through the life of Lily. Please do not think twice for a minute... buy this book and you will not regret it!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: This is my first book review on Amazon. This is a wonderful book, easy reading...you feel like you are right there, in this small town...highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Say what you will about this book, I like it. It has its dry spells, but as it winds down, you can't help but love the book. It is a terrible legacy to know that you may or may not have had anything to do with someone dying. Especially someone whom you love deeply. It is quite another to konw that it is your own mother. This is the legacy that Lilly had to deal with. When her uncaring father and the ways of Sylvan S.C. gets a bit hard to bear coupled with a burning desire to know who and what your mother really is makes you leave, break out the only female figure to mean anything to you and skip town altogether, well,you can't help but admire Lilly's spunk. Now for her to lie initially to the Boatwright sisters is another entirely. If you come there to get answers, why start a pack of lies? But in the end, you can't help but smile. We need more of these ladies in our midst these days. Give me an August and May Boatwright anyday! We are reading this book down here and plan to have the author come down and speak as well next week.
Rating: 
Summary: Agree with 22snappy
Review: I haven't yet finished this book, but I thought I'd write my mid-way impression. The problems I have with it are as follows: 22snappy makes some good points about the cliched sort of tounge and cheek condescending views the author has for black people. Perhaps this was not her intention, but the whole "mystical negro" woman thing is really PC & cliched. Also, the use of the Virgin Mary as the Queen Bee is a bit heavy handed. Althouh I'm not religious, I felt the constant reference to it as being the closest thing to a "safe" anchor. In other words, since Kidd is writing about racism in the 1960's south, she needs to be very selectful at what she says & how it's said. For the mass audience, this will not offend because the majority of people who read this will be white. Black people, however, might feel diffrently, and rightfully so.
On the good hand, Kidd has some intresting descriptions of things and her lead character can make some insightful observations. The Zach character is written very well & is his own person, not some cliched "negro boy". The other women the lead character spends time with are somewhat well developed & the use of the bee metaphor for the lives of women (although it has been done before & is nothing new- see Plath)is also handled well for what it is. Although I can't be more specific (since I haven't finished the book yet) my only last criticism would be that Lily does not really talk like a 14 year old. I would have liked to see more slang coming from her- you know- more stuff that 14 year olds say. I have trouble buying her young age. And if some readers wonder why I "trash" most books I review- it's because frankly, there isn't that much good stuff being published. This book is better than most, but is still limited in its chances & risk taking. A day later- I have finished the book & was dissapointed in how Kidd chose to end it. The metaphors are over explained & in the end just turns out to be another sappy mother daughter bonding book. There were moments where I just wanted to cringe (you must find the mother inside of you, August says when explining how the colony of bees will die if the queen/mother is dead )- pulleeze! I was glad that T.Ray stayed the loser that he was & that it was not the happy ending where she ends up with Zach & T.Ray sees the error of his ways. On the other hand, why do books like these feel the need to constantly have this big underlying "secret"? Regardless of murder/rape/incest etc- it reminded me a bit of "Shipping News" where everyone has a melodramatic secret. This isn't reality because in real life people only wish they had great secrets behind them to make up for thier vapid existence. Overall, I think this story had some real potential & is even "likeable" but the problems I have with how some of Kidd's technique falls I still stand behind 100%
Rating:
Summary: Fast easy read
Review: This was a book that I could not put down. If you love to see the barriers of color breaking down in history this is a good book. I do have to say that I wish there was more to the book. It ended way to fast I think there was so much more to this story that could have been told. But all and all I think it was a good read. Not disappointed at all.
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this book!!!
Review: Just a quickie to balance the recent negative reviews: I'd about like to shout from the rooftops about this book! One of the best "feel good" books I've read. It is incredibly wise, highly intriguing and filled with the best kind of motherly love. Having been "taken in" (so to speak) by colorful black women while growing up, I didn't have a problem with the likelihood of Lily (especially alongside her black friend) being taken in by these black women. Besides, it's a book! where wonderful and beautiful things can happen - and that's kind of the point. This book is about acceptance, the awesome and powerful bond of women and of women's amazing wisdom and capacity to love and nurture. Period. Some of it's a bit quirky but just go for the ride, look out for a couple of potholes but don't let that stop you from enjoying the scenery! I don't think (the majority of) you will be at all disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip this one!
Review: Totally agree with 22snappy's review. The novel is contrived and, once you get past the (admittedly interesting) beginning, doesn't have an original thought. The religious and racial fetishism is overdone and unbelievable. Lily is ultimately a character it's hard to care about, and her black 'mothers' do not ring true at all. This book was read by our mother-daughter book club (girls are aged 11-14) and trounced on by all. Too bad it doesn't live up to its fabulous hype!
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