Hour of the Bees
Author: Lindsay Eagar
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Magical Realism.
Published: March 8 2016
Pages: 360 pages (Paperback) (ARC)
Read: June 20 - June 24 2016
Rating: 3 Stars
June 2016 TBR Jar Pick!
Things are only impossible if you stop to think about them. . . .
While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina — Carol — is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she’s never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids prickly Grandpa Serge. But as the summer wears on and the heat bears down, Carol finds herself drawn to him, fascinated by the crazy stories he tells her about a healing tree, a green-glass lake, and the bees that will bring back the rain and end a hundred years of drought. As the thin line between magic and reality starts to blur, Carol must decide for herself what is possible — and what it means to be true to her roots. Readers who dream that there’s something more out there will be enchanted by this captivating novel of family, renewal, and discovering the wonder of the world.
Book 20/65 - 2016 Goodreads Reading ChallengeWhile her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina — Carol — is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she’s never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids prickly Grandpa Serge. But as the summer wears on and the heat bears down, Carol finds herself drawn to him, fascinated by the crazy stories he tells her about a healing tree, a green-glass lake, and the bees that will bring back the rain and end a hundred years of drought. As the thin line between magic and reality starts to blur, Carol must decide for herself what is possible — and what it means to be true to her roots. Readers who dream that there’s something more out there will be enchanted by this captivating novel of family, renewal, and discovering the wonder of the world.
Hour of the Bees was a book I received in a goody bag back in October 2015 and I was excited by the premise f this book and continuously said that I should be this open solely for the reason that this is a magical realism book. Magical Realism is a new, exciting genre that I have gotten myself into and loved each book I've read from that genre which is mainly just The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender and The Accident Season. So I was expecting to go into a marvelous, whimsical, confusing, yet beautiful story, but I was highly disappointed.
As I started the beginning of this book I realised I couldn't connect with out 12 year old protagonist, Carol. Must of the times I usually have this problem when reading from a younger protagonists point of view so I let this slide and continued on with the story.
But even as I reached that halfway point, I was considering giving up on this book. I, honestly, highly contemplated DNFing this book because I just couldn't get into it. It bored me. Instead of finding a beautiful whimsical writing style and story I found that the writing in this book was for a younger audience. It just didn't click with me in the way writing styles should. One thing about the book that I found to be quite awkward especially at the beginning was the way that Serge's story was told. I felt like it could have been told in such a more unique and better way than it was presented in this book but alas that might be just my nitty picky feelings.
So even though I was highly considering DNFing this book I soldiered on and I found a story that really made me feel. It was towards the end of the book where things really turned around. Where events started happening, where characters developed, where there was this feeling that just kept me going. I nearly cried so many times while reading the end of this book and the characters really did change for me.
Serge would have had to be my favourite character in this book and of course his little dog Ines. He had just so much character and I really cared about him. Carol was ok, I did start to like her more as the story progressed, The other characters in the book were just annoying and I honestly didn't like them even if they did turn around in the end, There was the big sister who did some horrible things and just turned around saying 'I'm a teenager, what do you expect?' Eh no, and then the father. he did some awful, horrible things to Serge. I don't care if you hate the guy, there is literally a moral line you do not cross and he crossed it and I was shocked.
But in the end, I really enjoyed the latter quarter - half of this book. I really liked the way that the two stories that were being told entwined with each other at the end. And this book does leave you to think about life and death in a whole new light and I will still be lingering with those questions in my mind for a long time to come.
As I started the beginning of this book I realised I couldn't connect with out 12 year old protagonist, Carol. Must of the times I usually have this problem when reading from a younger protagonists point of view so I let this slide and continued on with the story.
But even as I reached that halfway point, I was considering giving up on this book. I, honestly, highly contemplated DNFing this book because I just couldn't get into it. It bored me. Instead of finding a beautiful whimsical writing style and story I found that the writing in this book was for a younger audience. It just didn't click with me in the way writing styles should. One thing about the book that I found to be quite awkward especially at the beginning was the way that Serge's story was told. I felt like it could have been told in such a more unique and better way than it was presented in this book but alas that might be just my nitty picky feelings.
So even though I was highly considering DNFing this book I soldiered on and I found a story that really made me feel. It was towards the end of the book where things really turned around. Where events started happening, where characters developed, where there was this feeling that just kept me going. I nearly cried so many times while reading the end of this book and the characters really did change for me.
Serge would have had to be my favourite character in this book and of course his little dog Ines. He had just so much character and I really cared about him. Carol was ok, I did start to like her more as the story progressed, The other characters in the book were just annoying and I honestly didn't like them even if they did turn around in the end, There was the big sister who did some horrible things and just turned around saying 'I'm a teenager, what do you expect?' Eh no, and then the father. he did some awful, horrible things to Serge. I don't care if you hate the guy, there is literally a moral line you do not cross and he crossed it and I was shocked.
But in the end, I really enjoyed the latter quarter - half of this book. I really liked the way that the two stories that were being told entwined with each other at the end. And this book does leave you to think about life and death in a whole new light and I will still be lingering with those questions in my mind for a long time to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment