A review by oaxleaf
The Hive and the Honey by Paul Yoon

mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.25

One of my first times taking a stab at a short story collection, and I did quite enjoy it. I do wish a lot of the stories were expanded upon or got a clearer conclusion, but perhaps that’s just the nature of the format. Some of them are stronger than others - I particularly enjoyed the titular The Hive and the Honey and Person of Korea, whilst I found Cromer and Valley of the Moon to be somewhat weaker. Overall I did like the exploration of the korean diaspora in different parts of the world, but I wish there were stronger themes to the individual stories.