Rating: 
Summary: I had to keep reading
Review: Once I began this rich and thoughtful story I had to keep reading. Kidd's character developement was wonderful. I felt like I knew each person in her story. The thread of bees woven throughout the story added depth and meaning. I cared about the characters and didn't want the story to end.
Rating: 
Summary: Only if your bored...
Review: ... and want some mindless reading. Not what I had hoped or expected based on all the talk. Not a BAD book, per se, just nothing much to it. I don't know what I was expecting, but whatever it was, it wasn't there.
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Summary: It's no secret! This book is terrific!
Review: The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter), is an incredible transportation vehicle. It transports you to another era, location, climate, and state of mind that is completely mesmerizing. I found the strength of the women characters to be inspiring, particularly that of 14 year old Lily, the book's main heroine. There are subtle lessons in the book about compassion and life priorities, applicable today as they were in 1964, the year the book is set in. Perhaps the strongest example on that front comes in the explanation as to why a house was painted bright pink. Another subtlety is the boundary crossed throughout the book regarding race relations then and now. It's amazing just how much we can learn if only we allow ourselves the opportunity to be "colorblind". If you don't have the time or money to take a trip this year, then let The Secret Life of Bees take you away.
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Summary: Sue Monk Kidd's masterpiece
Review: This is a magnificent novel by Sue Monk Kidd. The story takes place during the time of the Civil Rights Act in the mid 1960's. The heroine is a teenage white girl named Lily who has previously lost her mother under somewhat mysterious circumstances and then, after years of abuse, runs away from an exceptionally cruel father. The bulk of the story takes place after Lily has been taken in and cared for by 3 black sisters, one of which is a beekeeper: it is at this point her "education" begins. Each chapter in the book is prefaced by a short statement about the life in a beehive (thus the name of the novel): then the following chapter will, in some way, parallel Lily's story with that previous statement about the bees. A unique concept but one that works very well in this setting. The book is extremely well written, captivating and is a roller coaster ride of emotions as Lily's situation changes with her development. The author has exceptional abilities to present to the reader what Lily is actually thinking that is, to me at least, so realistic, so " right on the mark" , that you could not help be enamored by the heroine and her slow, soul searching maturation and awareness. A must read! Highly recommended. It's just hard to imagine that this masterpiece didn't win some literary award.
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Summary: Great summer read!!!
Review: I thought this was a great read.If you are looking for something easy and short to read for summer then this book is for you.The characters are great and you feel like you "know them."I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Kidd Rock rules!
Review: Who would have thought that he could write a book like this. The last non-fiction book I read was Godzilla, which was a long time ago, so perhaps I'm not the best to judge, but a book about the secret life of bees is long overdue in my opinion. The cover looks very cool, although I probably would have put a killer bee or the queen bee (like in Aliens) with a nest full of baby killer bees on the cover. Also, I don't get why there is a vase with a dead flower on the cover. I guess it's a book about sad bees, who knows.
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Summary: A book all women should read.
Review: I just finished this book all in about 5 hours. I love this book it is the best book I have read in a long time. I wanted to read more and more though I hope Sue Monk Kidd writes a part II. I wonder if Lily and Zach ever had a relationship. I love the sisters and after I finished this book I was so sad I missed everyone in the pink house so much. I want to go there to visit. I felt like a little girl again falling in love, experiencing hate, and missing people who had passed on. I love the book Sue Monk Kidd, you sure know what you are doing!
Rating: 
Summary: Another lightweight
Review: There are too many books that offer the reader the challenge of complex characters and good development. Don't waste your time with this one if you're up to the challenge of what good literature is all about. This book was an insult to the intelligence and imagination of the thoughtful reader. The author too often explains the character's reactions without allowing the reader to come to personal conclusions. What ever happened to thought-provoking! Not much for discussion here.
Rating:
Summary: Rare moments of brilliance
Review: I found the novel easy to read; simple writing with a rare moment of insight and brilliant description. What bothered me most with the novel, as with many novels that try to make a single point, is the extremes portrayed in characters. Why do men have to be portrayed as absolute jerks (with rare, weak exceptions) and women the strong, loving, insightful characters? In my world both types of people are represented in both sexes.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely and powerful
Review: A beautifully written first novel with an amazing story and extraordinary characters that are already missed.
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