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What readers think of The Secret Life of Bees, plus links to write your own review.

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kidd
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (7):
  • Readers' Rating (71):
  • First Published:
  • Jan 1, 2002, 320 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jan 2003, 320 pages
  • Genres & Themes
  • Publication Information
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews

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There are currently 71 reader reviews for The Secret Life of Bees
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kayjay

Amazing!!
Amazing book! This novel is exceptional and Sue Monk Kidd does and amazing job of story telling. Highly recommend it
bees=love :)

Superb!!!
I read this book in my advanced English class and I absolutely LOVED it. This book simply tugs at your heart strings with unbending strength. The battle that this young girl has to go through with her father must be utterly unbearable, but the journey she goes through, not only in South Carolina but in her life is amazing. Not only do I recommend it to girls , but to guys as well because there is simply no denying that this story will leave you breathless. The book is just absolutely, positively, brilliant. This book will leave you begging for more.
zemo_punk_rocker_666@yahoo.com

The Secret Life of Bees
The main problem of this story is about 14 year old Lily Owens who all her life she has twisted the memory around in her head. She lives with her meaner than $%&^ father, who she calls T-Ray "because daddy never fit him."
When her black stand-in-mother, Rosaleen, insults three of the biggest racists around and is taken to jail. Lily panics when she finds out Rosaleen might be killed, she runs away and springs them both free.
This book is an eccentric read and you have to read it to find out what happens to Lily and Rosaleen.
bandangel0210

Amazing in every way!
This book was truly fantastic. It was great to follow this little girl's story and it is one that I've recommended to every girl, mother and daughter in the country. Truly an American story.
Suzana

The secret life of bees
I really loved this book. This is a beautiful story and a excellent book. I suggest it to friends.
Kristen Duke

Amazing! I wanted to rate this book 6 out of 5!!
Out of all the books I have read this is the best! I could not put it down "hold on let me finish this chapter then I'll eat". I had to chose a book to do a school report on and i picked this book hands down. I would reccomend this book to anyone. I am so happy that my English teacher reccomended The Secret Life of Bees to me. Lily is just sick and tired of eing piushed around by T. Ray her abusive father. Lily wants get away and find everything she can about her mother Deborah that was killed when Lily was four. Lily needs to find out whether or not she was the one who killed her mother. Rosaleen her "second-mother" gets arrested for "insulting" racists in Sylvan, South Carolina. Lily breaks her free and they run off. Lily and Rosaleen end up stay with the calander sisters, May, June, and August. They help Lily come to understand her mother and herself.
Heather Rowe

Secret Life of Bees
I new going into the reading that it is a New York Times Bestseller, but I didn’t really have any expectations for the book. At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to particularly like the book but it ends up that I enjoyed it more then anticipated. The author does an exceptional job of using words that actually create an intense image in the reader’s head. I could actually imagine the era, 1964 due to the descriptions that she uses. I think this book can be used for more then a historical racial issue but it could also be used to show children that not all families are perfect. No matter how hard a child tries he/she cannot change what type of family they are brought up in. The author does particularly well at foreshadowing events that take place throughout the book. This book is an easy read and I would recommend this book to others.
Honey

Some people.
this is one of my favorite books of all times, mostly because it has such strong female characters and the devasting issues going are horrible but easy to grasp. I love the symbolism with the bees.

On another note, people who rated it not very good and just said it was ok, well they probably don't read much anyway, This book lacked nothing, it was pure perfection another great book produced from a great author. I could've never written something that captivated the heart and soul of motherless child like that! Lily may have seem immature at time but so what, she is only 14, she isn't really 40 something like she says she felt the day she left home. It doesn't matter if it is realistic or not, that's why it is called fiction in the first place. If you don't like something is really a reason to post a review? And if you don't like and post a review try to be more creative then, this guy "This is one of the most over-hyped books that I've read in years. Lily, at times, seems to have the voice of a 10 year old, and not the mature 14 year old that she is supposed to be. Rosaleen is painted as child -with Lily making their important life decisions. The book tries to deliver an important message about the role of African American women in the South, but I think it fails miserably. With one-dimension characters and a contrived storyline, this book reads like a Hallmark card." Because that really proves nothing not matter how long it may be. Because the book is NOT about an african woman in the south. That's more like Their Eyes Were Watching God, this book was about a a teen girl trying to find her mother (plus if you had to do all that growing up by yourself I'd imagine you could have some childish moments) Also the person that said, "Simplistic, poorly edited, racist." Didn't get the book at all, something maybe simple and that is why you have to look deep within to find the true meaning. As for the racist bit, that had to do with the time period, it's history that is not the Authors fault. I don't really think editing is that important when it comes to a good book either. And lastly, the person that said, "It's alright for what it is but it aint all that." Really now, that's all you could come up with? Yes you are allowed to express your thoughts but there is a more professional way of doing so.

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