Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

107 reviews

kayladthomas's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Currently my all time favorite book. I go back and read it every couple of years. There is something about all that female energy that draws me in. I found comfort in the rhythm of their days and how they took care of each other.
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audacityspork's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Tl;dr
I will always love this book. It’s a beautiful coming of age story. The characters are viscerally real. The love in this book fills my whole heart up.

Pros
  • This is one of those books from my childhood; I read it when I was 14 (Lily’s age). It made a deep impression on me, especially at a time in my life that I didn’t have words or even a conscious understanding of my own family situation.
  • I like how complicated Lily’s relationships with each of her parents are – there are no perfect victims.
  • I love how this book celebrates love between women, and how a community of Black women comes together to collectively contain a gentle sort of power.
  • The narrative voice is so unique and beautiful and manages to describe parts of life that I can’t conceive of outside metaphors. There are SO MANY good quotes.
  • I was tearing up as I got to the last page, filled with gratitude that I had this book at a time in my childhood when I was deeply depressed and lonely and feeling unlovable. I had the sense that I was a broken person. This book broke through to me and gave me hope that I could escape to a better life and experience love in deep, good ways. This book was the friend I needed. I love August’s quote that people’s purpose in life is to love, and to make that love persist. I took that and ran with it.

Cons
  • No notes. I only wish I could reread this book as if it were my first time experiencing it.
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whoopsiepoopsie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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teigenbereadin's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was our book club's read for September. I would say that I liked it overall, but I found certain parts to not mesh well with my idea of the characters. The ending felt a bit rushed, some major moments felt like plot devices rather than real actions motivated by the character. I can't say anymore without spoiling it. I would recommend this book to someone who wants a woman-power inspiring book that is well known.
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plantainicus's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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carlytenille's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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redpandapages's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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melanielk's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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kisara's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Gorgeous coming-of-age story at the intersection of racial relations and the divine feminine. The emotional narrative is supremely well-grounded -- as someone who is healing from complex trauma, the description of the way certain events are experienced and remembered, the coping mechanisms that become part of the identity of the protagonist, and the way she struggles to name feelings and to value herself felt very authentic.
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bloomingpear's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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