There’s been a lot of buzz (pun totally intended) going around about Laline Paull’s debut novel The Bees, and yesterday we finally celebrated its Book Birthday.
The Bees is literally about bees, set in an ancient society where only the Queen may breed and any deformity means death. When a devout young worker bee finds herself in the possession of a deadly secret, she becomes a hunted criminal whose decisions will mean life and death for her entire hive.
The Bees was chosen by librarians as one of May’s Top 10 LibraryReads picks, and Library Journal named it Debut of the Month, saying in a starred review “Paull’s debut presents the intricate world of the honeybee hive, where devotion and service are sacred, and caste, politics, and power are as present as in any human royal court. A powerful story reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, in which one original and independent thinker can change the course of a whole society.” Shelf Awareness shared an interview with Laline about the background and inspiration for the novel, BookPage published an excellent review, and make sure you check out our own video with Laline (I just love the poem about libraries she quotes at the end).
Get in on this buzz and join the hive by picking up a copy today!
-Amanda