amlagunas's review against another edition
3.0
Liked the story and most characters, but felt like the writing lacked subtlety and events were predictable, but if not predictable then not apparently relevant.
alisontrax's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
hasselblad's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fastasashark's review against another edition
3.0
More of a 3.5 rating than a true 3 star rating.
I really enjoyed this book, but something about the ending didn't feel "concrete" enough for me. Hence the 3/5 star rating instead of 4/5. Basically, the book follows 3 characters, Tao, George and William. The characters are also from 3 different times and places, Tao from Sichuan, China in 2098, George from Ohio, US in 2007, and William from Hertfordshire, England in 1851. Lunde uses the characters to show us a "history of bees" from the beginnings of modern day, industrial beekeeping in the 1800s, to the 2007 CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) crisis that woke many people up to declining bee populations, to a near dystopian, post-apocalyptic future where bees have disappeared and governments have had to find other ways to pollinate plants to feed human populations. The 2098 setting is also one where technological innovation has long been stagnant. Tao's story line hints to a past (around the 2030s-2040s) called The Collapse, and it seems that because bee populations have disappeared causing food and resource shortages, technological progress has also come to a halt and even reversed. So people in 2098 don't have access even to the types of technology we do today.
Throughout her book, Lunde has captured the complexity of the situation and causes of CCD. She does point out, especially through Tao's journey, the role that pesticides and monoculture play in weakening bees to disease and parasites. I think the conclusion to Tao's story line demonstrates that. But somehow I thought that ending could have been stronger. But even though the environmental aspects of the conclusion weren't as strong as I'd have liked, I do think the the way the entire story and all three story lines finally tied together was very clever and well done. What I will say, though, is that this book definitely taught me something. Even though I was aware of CCD and the crisis of bees and pollinators in today's world, quite a few references made me want to research more for myself. So in that way it's a pretty engaging book that does drive you to learn more.
I found I connected most with George and Tao's characters, whereas William I found childish and irritating (). I think Lunde did a good job as well on the emotional sides of Tao and George's story lines. Especially Tao's experiences as she approaches the end of her journey. I also thought George's relationship with his son was very realistic and well-written when you look at the way that many rural areas and small farming communities are slowly disappearing as young people move to urban areas, or farmers are forced to make compromises they wouldn't otherwise choose. I also liked the way the relationship between he and his wife was depicted over time.
Overall, I'd recommend it for anyone who has enjoyed some more subtle, slower paced and environmentally focused dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novels like Memory of Water.
I really enjoyed this book, but something about the ending didn't feel "concrete" enough for me. Hence the 3/5 star rating instead of 4/5. Basically, the book follows 3 characters, Tao, George and William. The characters are also from 3 different times and places, Tao from Sichuan, China in 2098, George from Ohio, US in 2007, and William from Hertfordshire, England in 1851. Lunde uses the characters to show us a "history of bees" from the beginnings of modern day, industrial beekeeping in the 1800s, to the 2007 CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) crisis that woke many people up to declining bee populations, to a near dystopian, post-apocalyptic future where bees have disappeared and governments have had to find other ways to pollinate plants to feed human populations. The 2098 setting is also one where technological innovation has long been stagnant. Tao's story line hints to a past (around the 2030s-2040s) called The Collapse, and it seems that because bee populations have disappeared causing food and resource shortages, technological progress has also come to a halt and even reversed. So people in 2098 don't have access even to the types of technology we do today.
Spoiler
I think one of the eeriest moments in the book is when Tao arrives and travels through Beijing and you see how a once so populated city is nearly abandoned into this post-apocalyptic landscapeThroughout her book, Lunde has captured the complexity of the situation and causes of CCD. She does point out, especially through Tao's journey, the role that pesticides and monoculture play in weakening bees to disease and parasites. I think the conclusion to Tao's story line demonstrates that. But somehow I thought that ending could have been stronger. But even though the environmental aspects of the conclusion weren't as strong as I'd have liked, I do think the the way the entire story and all three story lines finally tied together was very clever and well done. What I will say, though, is that this book definitely taught me something. Even though I was aware of CCD and the crisis of bees and pollinators in today's world, quite a few references made me want to research more for myself. So in that way it's a pretty engaging book that does drive you to learn more.
I found I connected most with George and Tao's characters, whereas William I found childish and irritating (
Spoiler
though I'm glad he eventually recognised how big a role Charlotte had to play in "his" discoveries...which were really hers in many waysOverall, I'd recommend it for anyone who has enjoyed some more subtle, slower paced and environmentally focused dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novels like Memory of Water.
katerivas's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
timefliesaway's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Who would've thought that DreamWorks' Bee Movie would hit that hard. When will they start showing it like a documentary in schools?
On one hand, this book just made me afraid of the future. Afraid of a future like this. If the 3rd world war won't happen, pretty sure this dystopia is inevitable.
People care more about making unethical AIs, which do not help the planet in any way, even if it were ethical. What are you gonna do with a robot, who can draw, in 10 years? Sell generated images, while everyone is desperately looking for food?
And, because of this stupidity humans are currently living in, I say we totally deserve that karma. Bring it on, bees, time for you to disappear completely and for humans to slowly die out.
~
Now, for the actual review of the story.
William:
My least favorite story. Incredibly sexist and just very stereotypical characters with little to no personality.
Edmund is one of my most hated characters – not just this book, but generally, from all the books I've read – and all I wanted was to get an eraser and just erase him from existence. It was agony reading his name and whenever he was just slightly mentioned.
Thalia too, actually. I wanted to like her, but she was such a flat character – basically written as the perfect mother, who always sides with her kids, while the father does nothing but punishing them. While, yes, William wasn't much of a father, Thalia was pathetic. She should've kicked Edmund out of the house long ago.
At least Edmund got the ending he deserved, but the people around him, who suffered because of him, deserved way better.
Charlotte, my favorite character, also at least got what she deserved, although not enough. She deserved more.
Apart from that, it was interesting to see William following his passion with the bees and how it served as a base for the storylines in the future. These were only short bits though and the slice of life with his family problems were not in my interest, and just seemed unnecessary. A book about bees, but 70% is about misogyny.
Rating: 2 stars.
George:
Didn't like it much either, but it was better than William's. A little less sexist, but still stereotypical gender roles. Emma (George's wife) pretty much didn't have any other role, except for cooking and crying and wanting to move to Florida and being a good mother, while George was the bad father. Well, he wasn't bad per se, but he never showed emotions, except when he was angry and needed to show that he's the man in the house, and he only knew his son objectively, yet still felt like he knows the best for him, although he doesn't know him at all.
Tom, his son, was a nice character. I liked how he called his father out. He's pretty much the only non-stereotypical character in this book.
Story-wise, it wasn't that engrossing to read. Maybe because it plays in our time, more or less. It only really got interesting when it was revealed how they are connected to William, but even that was short and close to the end.
Rating: 3 stars.
Tao:
The most gripping storyline and what kept me going. Maybe it's because she's from the future, an unknown place, something more exciting to explore and dive into. Maybe it was the way her chapters were written – like a thriller. I love reading stories, where I can make lots of theories and Tao's chapters were exactly that. Although I figured out what happened to her son pretty quickly (well, at least it was one of my theories) and it was pretty obvious anyway, it was still compelling to read, and trying to get answers to her questions, together with her.
It didn't start to be a thriller until the 100th page or so, and was rather boring in the beginning. Unnecessary family life, it felt as if I was reading a hetero rom-com, without the comedy part. And even without the romance part, as there was no romance, really.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
~
As you can see, all stories were more about family problems and sexism, rather than bees, which was very annoying, but I guess I get it. While the title may say "the story of the bees", it's not supposed to be a documentary or a Wikipedia article of bees. It's supposed to show how humans and bees are connected, how much our lives are intertwined, how much of an effect they have on our lifestyles. And every lifestyle includes family problems.
If that's what Maja Lunde wanted to show, good job. If not, well, I don't know then.
I'll still rate it 4 stars because it's an important matter, but story-wise and based on my enjoyment it would rather be 3 stars.
I do love, though, how the three protagonists are connected – apart from the bees, of course.
~
Page 456 was a bit difficult to read. As an artist, at least.
Just as worthless as this paragraph for this review.
On one hand, this book just made me afraid of the future. Afraid of a future like this. If the 3rd world war won't happen, pretty sure this dystopia is inevitable.
People care more about making unethical AIs, which do not help the planet in any way, even if it were ethical. What are you gonna do with a robot, who can draw, in 10 years? Sell generated images, while everyone is desperately looking for food?
And, because of this stupidity humans are currently living in, I say we totally deserve that karma. Bring it on, bees, time for you to disappear completely and for humans to slowly die out.
~
Now, for the actual review of the story.
William:
My least favorite story. Incredibly sexist and just very stereotypical characters with little to no personality.
Edmund is one of my most hated characters – not just this book, but generally, from all the books I've read – and all I wanted was to get an eraser and just erase him from existence. It was agony reading his name and whenever he was just slightly mentioned.
Thalia too, actually. I wanted to like her, but she was such a flat character – basically written as the perfect mother, who always sides with her kids, while the father does nothing but punishing them. While, yes, William wasn't much of a father, Thalia was pathetic. She should've kicked Edmund out of the house long ago.
At least Edmund got the ending he deserved, but the people around him, who suffered because of him, deserved way better.
Charlotte, my favorite character, also at least got what she deserved, although not enough. She deserved more.
Apart from that, it was interesting to see William following his passion with the bees and how it served as a base for the storylines in the future. These were only short bits though and the slice of life with his family problems were not in my interest, and just seemed unnecessary. A book about bees, but 70% is about misogyny.
Rating: 2 stars.
George:
Didn't like it much either, but it was better than William's. A little less sexist, but still stereotypical gender roles. Emma (George's wife) pretty much didn't have any other role, except for cooking and crying and wanting to move to Florida and being a good mother, while George was the bad father. Well, he wasn't bad per se, but he never showed emotions, except when he was angry and needed to show that he's the man in the house, and he only knew his son objectively, yet still felt like he knows the best for him, although he doesn't know him at all.
Tom, his son, was a nice character. I liked how he called his father out. He's pretty much the only non-stereotypical character in this book.
Story-wise, it wasn't that engrossing to read. Maybe because it plays in our time, more or less. It only really got interesting when it was revealed how they are connected to William, but even that was short and close to the end.
Rating: 3 stars.
Tao:
The most gripping storyline and what kept me going. Maybe it's because she's from the future, an unknown place, something more exciting to explore and dive into. Maybe it was the way her chapters were written – like a thriller. I love reading stories, where I can make lots of theories and Tao's chapters were exactly that. Although I figured out what happened to her son pretty quickly (well, at least it was one of my theories) and it was pretty obvious anyway, it was still compelling to read, and trying to get answers to her questions, together with her.
It didn't start to be a thriller until the 100th page or so, and was rather boring in the beginning. Unnecessary family life, it felt as if I was reading a hetero rom-com, without the comedy part. And even without the romance part, as there was no romance, really.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
~
As you can see, all stories were more about family problems and sexism, rather than bees, which was very annoying, but I guess I get it. While the title may say "the story of the bees", it's not supposed to be a documentary or a Wikipedia article of bees. It's supposed to show how humans and bees are connected, how much our lives are intertwined, how much of an effect they have on our lifestyles. And every lifestyle includes family problems.
If that's what Maja Lunde wanted to show, good job. If not, well, I don't know then.
I'll still rate it 4 stars because it's an important matter, but story-wise and based on my enjoyment it would rather be 3 stars.
I do love, though, how the three protagonists are connected – apart from the bees, of course.
~
Page 456 was a bit difficult to read. As an artist, at least.
Spoiler
I can't even destroy my old drawings, as cringe as some are. Imagine destroying ones that are over a century old and no one else knows about them. A family heirloom, a historical piece. Even if they're technically worthless.Just as worthless as this paragraph for this review.
izzy_feen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0