Rating: 
Summary: Good on many levels
Review: From start to finish this book presents you with memorable characters and experiences that will sadden you, warm your heart, amuse you, and leave you a different person than when you started your read. With memorable descriptions, Sue Monk Kidd brings her book to life and keeps the reader interested and involved throughout. I don't want to include any spoilers but this book is up there with Barbara Kingsolver, Harper Lee, and other powerful female fiction. It is very worth the read!
Rating:
Summary: A southern gothic treasure!
Review: There is Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Lori Jean in ROSEFLOWER CREEK, Ellen in ELLEN FOSTER, and now Lily in THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. These are books that grab your heart and won't let go. Don't miss any of their journeys!
Rating: 
Summary: Getting drowned in far too much love and honey
Review: I almost felt that I had been dripped and bathed in honey after finishing this book. The syrupiness, sweetness and triteness is just piled on in all its glory in this story of fourteen year old Lily, and her journey of self-discovery. This novel, bathed in fake sentiment, is just so totally cloying in attitude and tone, and it is probably one of the worst books I've read this year. What I find really insulting is that this kind of material is so popular and gets so much coverage when there is so much better quality literary fiction around - some of which I review - that you can really sink your literary chops into. Most of the characters are terribly staid stereotypes - the nasty, ill educated, violent and intolerant white folks, who feel threatened by integration and the blowsy, colorful, religiously inclined African American women who are full of unconditional love and understanding in the face of adversity. When Rosaleen is brutally beaten at the police station, I found it absolutely unbelievable that not one individual came forward and spoke out at the injustice of this - they may not intervened, but they certainly would not have benignly stood by and let this happen without saying something. I also found it inconceivable that Lily's father was so unbelievably bad, without sufficient explanation. Yes, a part of him blamed Lily for her mother's death, but there was also no capacity for redemption built into his character at all. Monk Kidd writes colourfully and obviously with great passion, but her thematic landscape is in a severe and stark black and white. In all fairness though, The Secret Life of Bees does have some redeeming factors. I thought Monk Kidd did a good job of setting the action against the racial unrest and bourgeoning civil rights era of nineteen sixty four. We really get a sense of the period - the signing of the civil rights act, a young Walter Cronkite on television, and the robotic exploration of the moon, in preparation for the planned moon landing. There's also a nice lyrical quality to Monk Kidd's writing with some expressive and poetic descriptions of South Carolinian countryside, along with T. Ray's peach fields, the pink house and, of course, the bee hives - the whirling clouds of bees, the scent of honey and the bee hum. There are still, however, not enough qualities in this book to recommend it - it's pretty much a contrived, hackneyed, and cliched story which reeks of weakness and mediocrity. Michael
Rating:
Summary: The Secret Life of Bees
Review: This is a wonderful story full of meaning and life lessons. I immediately fell into each character and lived through them. I have recommended this book to many and so far everyone has thought is charming, thought provoking, and a take stock of your life story
Rating: 
Summary: girls only?
Review: This is very well written and I enjoyed it. I was surprised to find out that this is the first book by the author, Sue Monk Kidd. It feels very mature and I look forward to more in the future. I think the book would be even more popular to women and girls. It is that kind of book. I enjoyed it (I already said that) but I think a womanw ould enjoy it even more!
Rating:
Summary: A good read, but...
Review: For the most part, this was a completely engrossing novel. While there were sections that I felt as though I were wading through, I could not WAIT to get to the end of the book to unlock the secret of Lily's mother and Tiberon. On a completely superficial level, this is a great book. But don't think too hard. If you suspend your voluntary suspension of disbelief even for a moment, this story of a white girl shacking up with a family of black women in Klan country in 1964 completely falls apart. So, this is a terrific light read; however, it will neither change your life nor fall into the category of the best book you've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: An instant favorite!
Review: I could not put this book down and the moment I finished I wanted to flip back to the first page and start all over again! This is a truly beautiful novel.
Rating:
Summary: Easy breezy...
Review: I had to read this book for a College English class. The teacher seemed to really love the book when she read it over the summer so she assigned it to all of the students. Usually when I am assigned a book to read I don't like it as much as when I read books for pleasure. But I did not dislike this book. It was a very pleasent read and I think I would consider reading Kidd's next novel when she releases it.
Once I started the book I found it hard to put it down, and before I knew it I had finished reading the book. It was very easy to read, the pages flew by.
The biggest theme is this novel is mother-daughter love. Although the main character, Lily, does not know her mother in the way that most people would expect, she has a very special connection with her mother.
The novel takes place during the civil rights movement in the 60's. Because of this there is a lot of racism throughout the book. It is a background theme in this novel; not the main theme. But I think it's important to address this in a review about the book. There have been times when I have had to deal with racism. Sometimes people are racist and they don't even realize it. A lot has changed since the 60's, but racism is still a huge problem in America.
There was indeed a lot of silly moments in the book, but I enjoyed the silly moments. The story was very interesting and I found it hard to put down once i'd started it. It took only one night to read. So if you want a pleasant quick read, this is for you. If you want a thought provoking challenging novel, look elsewhere. But every once in a while a book like this is nice, even if you are an English Major who is used to more challenging books. I actually reccomend the Paperback edition for this book. That is something I usually don't do because I love hardcovers, but the Paperback edition comes with an interview with Sue Monk Kidd in the back. If you are reading this book in a Book Club it will give you some interesting discussion questions as well. Now I will rate the book from A-B like I do in all my book reviews: Character Devolpment: B
Plot: A
Thought Provoking C
Suspense: A With an overall grade of a B, this book is not a book that I would take with me to the moon, but it is one that I might consider reading again on a rainy day.
Rating:
Summary: Another female-bonding story
Review: I should have known better. I am almost always disappointed when I read a book on the best-seller list. I usually use the list as my guide for what not to read. I have yet to read a book with female bonding as the theme that I enjoyed. Female-bonding stories just depress me. A bunch of women who can't function on their own become codependent. At the beginning, Lily was a feisty white fourteen-year-old who springs her black nanny from jail. The two set out on a quest to find a trace of Lily's mother's past. When they reach their destination, the female bonding starts, and the book gets boring. The beekeeping background and the religious rites involving a black Mary don't help. Foolishly, I'm now going to try "Life of Pi," another best-seller with animals. I probably won't like it either.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Grace
Review: This is a sensitive tale of a little girl who tries to gussy up some gumption to do what needs to be done... in her mind. She is not yet old enough to understand the complax world around her and therefore her actions may seem astonishing childlike to some readers. Rightly so, she is a child. The story explores a group of women with an alternate belief in the Virgin Mary. The Mary they invision guides them in a unique way and the girl struggles to touch the reality in which these others seem to live. If you do not like metaphysical tales or you prefer books with lots of action... this may not be the book for you. However, if you like a tale that makes you think and lingers in your mind like a pleasant aftertaste... this book is for you.
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