Today is Christmas Eve.
Today is my birthday.
Today I am fifteen.
Today I buried my parents in the backyard.
Neither of them were beloved.
– from THE DEATH OF BEES by Lisa O’Donnell
This critically acclaimed winner of the Commonwealth Book Prize for Fiction is a riveting and brilliantly voiced debut novel that follows two young sisters who attempt to hold the world at bay after the mysterious death of their parents.
If your book club is looking for a good meaty book to chew on, I give this one 5 out of 5 ribeyes! (my new rating system)
Booklist gave this a starred review, calling it a ‘beautifully written page-turner.’
Library Journal wrote:
"Quirky characters with distinct voices enliven this sometimes grim and often funny coming-of-age story in the vein of Karen Russell's best seller Swamplandia! O'Donnell's debut is sure to be a winner."
And The Herald says:
“THE DEATH OF BEES is compelling stuff, engaging the emotions from the first page and quickly becoming almost impossible to put down.”
If you’ve already read THE DEATH OF BEES, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
If you haven’t yet read it, let us know. We’d love to send a paperback your way.
First 20 people to write in to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com win!
-Virginia