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Sins of the Bees
Sins of the Bees blends natural majesty, mystery, and compelling characterizations to present the lives of two very different women and their tumultuous interactions with a dangerous doomsday cult.
Other than her bonsai trees, twenty-year-old arborist Silvania August Moonbeam Merigal is alone in the world. After first her mother dies and then her grandfather—the man who raised her and the last of her family—Silva suffers a sexual assault and becomes pregnant. Then, ready to end her own life, she discovers evidence of a long-lost artist grandmother, Isabelle.
Desperate to remake a family for herself, Silva leaves her island home on the Puget Sound and traces her grandmother’s path to first a hippie beekeeper named Nick Larkins with secrets of his own, and then to a religious, anti-government, Y2K cult embedded deep in the wilds of Hells Canyon. Len Dietz is the charismatic leader of the Almost Paradise compound, a place full of violence and drama: impregnated child brides called the Twelve Maidens, an armed occupation of a visitor’s center, shot-up mountain sheep washing up along with a half-drowned dog, and men transporting weapons in the middle of the night.
As tensions erupt into violence, Silva, Isabelle, Nick, and the members of Almost Paradise find themselves disastrously entangled, and Silva is forced to face both her own history of loss, and the history of loss she’s stepped into: ruinous stories of family that threaten to destroy them all.
Other than her bonsai trees, twenty-year-old arborist Silvania August Moonbeam Merigal is alone in the world. After first her mother dies and then her grandfather—the man who raised her and the last of her family—Silva suffers a sexual assault and becomes pregnant. Then, ready to end her own life, she discovers evidence of a long-lost artist grandmother, Isabelle.
Desperate to remake a family for herself, Silva leaves her island home on the Puget Sound and traces her grandmother’s path to first a hippie beekeeper named Nick Larkins with secrets of his own, and then to a religious, anti-government, Y2K cult embedded deep in the wilds of Hells Canyon. Len Dietz is the charismatic leader of the Almost Paradise compound, a place full of violence and drama: impregnated child brides called the Twelve Maidens, an armed occupation of a visitor’s center, shot-up mountain sheep washing up along with a half-drowned dog, and men transporting weapons in the middle of the night.
As tensions erupt into violence, Silva, Isabelle, Nick, and the members of Almost Paradise find themselves disastrously entangled, and Silva is forced to face both her own history of loss, and the history of loss she’s stepped into: ruinous stories of family that threaten to destroy them all.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
59 people are currently reading
1065 people want to read
About the author
Annie Lampman
2 books28 followersAnnie Lampman was born to an 1800s log farmhouse on the Fraser Prairie in north-central Idaho, ancestral home of the Nez Perce Tribe. Living a “back to the earth” lifestyle, her family had no running water other than what was collected from the roof to the cistern, and the “bathroom” was an outhouse a hundred yards out back along with a salvaged claw-foot bathtub in the kitchen next to the wood cook-stove where they heated water to bucket fill the tub. Later the family moved to Headquarters, Idaho—a remote early-1900s logging company town in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by millions of acres of trees and mountains stretching to Canada and back—where they stayed for forty years.
Homeschooling herself through high school, Lampman picked seed pinecones by the bushel to pay for her school supplies, and taught herself dendrology, ecology, and naturalist studies with her uncle’s old 1960’s college textbooks and the art of bonsai with her grandmother’s old 1940s bonsai books. She studied trees, made firewood, rode her horse (that she saddle-broke herself, although not very well), swam and camped on the wild North Fork of the Clearwater River, and backpacked with llamas into secluded high-country lakes and the depths of Hells Canyon. As an undergrad, she studied Nez Perce oral traditions and language in addition to creative writing. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Idaho where she worked with memoirist/novelist Kim Barnes.
Lampman is the author of the novel SINS OF THE BEES (Pegasus/Simon & Schuster) and the limited-edition letterpress poetry chapbook BURNING TIME (Limberlost Press). Her short stories, poetry, and narrative essays have been published in sixty-some literary journals and anthologies such as The Normal School, Orion Magazine, The Massachusetts Review, and Women Writing the West. She has been awarded the Dogwood Literary Award in Fiction, the Everybody Writes Award in Poetry, a Best American Essays “Notable,” a Pushcart Prize special mention, a Literature Fellowship special mention by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, and a wilderness artist’s residency in the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness through the Bureau of Land Management. She is an Associate Professor of Honors Creative Writing at the Washington State University Honors College. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a bevy of pets (including a tabby named Bonsai and a husky named Tundra) in Moscow, Idaho on the rolling hills of the Palouse Prairie in another 1800s farmhouse. She has a pollinator garden full of native flowers, herbs, berries, song birds, squirrels, butterflies, bumble bees, solitary bees, and honeybees.
Homeschooling herself through high school, Lampman picked seed pinecones by the bushel to pay for her school supplies, and taught herself dendrology, ecology, and naturalist studies with her uncle’s old 1960’s college textbooks and the art of bonsai with her grandmother’s old 1940s bonsai books. She studied trees, made firewood, rode her horse (that she saddle-broke herself, although not very well), swam and camped on the wild North Fork of the Clearwater River, and backpacked with llamas into secluded high-country lakes and the depths of Hells Canyon. As an undergrad, she studied Nez Perce oral traditions and language in addition to creative writing. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Idaho where she worked with memoirist/novelist Kim Barnes.
Lampman is the author of the novel SINS OF THE BEES (Pegasus/Simon & Schuster) and the limited-edition letterpress poetry chapbook BURNING TIME (Limberlost Press). Her short stories, poetry, and narrative essays have been published in sixty-some literary journals and anthologies such as The Normal School, Orion Magazine, The Massachusetts Review, and Women Writing the West. She has been awarded the Dogwood Literary Award in Fiction, the Everybody Writes Award in Poetry, a Best American Essays “Notable,” a Pushcart Prize special mention, a Literature Fellowship special mention by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, and a wilderness artist’s residency in the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness through the Bureau of Land Management. She is an Associate Professor of Honors Creative Writing at the Washington State University Honors College. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a bevy of pets (including a tabby named Bonsai and a husky named Tundra) in Moscow, Idaho on the rolling hills of the Palouse Prairie in another 1800s farmhouse. She has a pollinator garden full of native flowers, herbs, berries, song birds, squirrels, butterflies, bumble bees, solitary bees, and honeybees.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 23, 2020
4.5 Stars
“Nobody had ever warned her that in grieving the ones you’ve lost, you’re really grieving for yourself the most. Your whole world, the story of your life, shaped and defined by your loved ones’ experience of it. That without them, you can’t ever see or understand yourself fully again.” - Sins of the Bees.
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
REVIEW: This book follows Silva who has lost both her mother and recently the grandfather who raised her. After she suffers a sexual assault that results with her becoming pregnant, she is ready to take her own life until she discovers evidence of her long-lost artist grandmother, Isabelle. This discovery leads her to the wilds of Hells Canyon in Idaho where she seeks to remake a family for herself. Along her journey, she meets beekeeper and outfitter, Nick, along with some members of a nearby Y2K religious cult called Almost Paradise that is deep in the Hells Canyon wilderness. As tensions rise all over the canyon, Silva finds herself entangled with Nick, Isabelle, and the members of Almost Paradise and she is forced to face both her own history and loss and the history of the loss she has stepped into.
Hands down I loved this book! The story and the writing were absolutely beautiful, lyrical, and captivating. In addition, this book has some of my favorite things such as developed and realistic characters, emotional introspection, and of course cults. The setting was also extremely appealing to me. The character Silva grows up on an island in the Washington sound and then travels to the wilderness of Idaho. This really struck me because these are all places I have been multiple times throughout my own life: living in Seattle and exploring the surrounding areas, Hells Canyon, the Snake River, and Moscow, Idaho. So this was extremely vivid to me, which made the story that much more amazing. Overall, Silva was such a interesting and introspective character to follow. I really felt for her emotionally and was so invested in her story. So much so, that some parts of the book were really heart-wrenching to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves an emotional read with great settings or those who love books that are more on the literary fiction side. I cannot wait for whatever Annie Lampman puts out next!
SYNOPSIS: Other than her bonsai trees, twenty-year-old arborist Silvania August Moonbeam Merigal is alone in the world. After first her mother dies and then her grandfather—the man who raised her and the last of her family—Silva suffers a sexual assault and becomes pregnant. Then, ready to end her own life, she discovers evidence of a long-lost artist grandmother, Isabelle.
Desperate to remake a family for herself, Silva leaves her island home on the Puget Sound and traces her grandmother’s path to first a hippie beekeeper named Nick Larkins with secrets of his own, and then to a religious, anti-government, Y2K cult embedded deep in the wilds of Hells Canyon. Len Dietz is the charismatic leader of the Almost Paradise compound, a place full of violence and drama: impregnated child brides called the Twelve Maidens, an armed occupation of a visitor’s center, shot-up mountain sheep washing up along with a half-drowned dog, and men transporting weapons in the middle of the night.
As tensions erupt into violence, Silva, Isabelle, Nick, and the members of Almost Paradise find themselves disastrously entangled, and Silva is forced to face both her own history of loss, and the history of loss she’s stepped into: ruinous stories of family that threaten to destroy them all.
“Nobody had ever warned her that in grieving the ones you’ve lost, you’re really grieving for yourself the most. Your whole world, the story of your life, shaped and defined by your loved ones’ experience of it. That without them, you can’t ever see or understand yourself fully again.” - Sins of the Bees.
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
REVIEW: This book follows Silva who has lost both her mother and recently the grandfather who raised her. After she suffers a sexual assault that results with her becoming pregnant, she is ready to take her own life until she discovers evidence of her long-lost artist grandmother, Isabelle. This discovery leads her to the wilds of Hells Canyon in Idaho where she seeks to remake a family for herself. Along her journey, she meets beekeeper and outfitter, Nick, along with some members of a nearby Y2K religious cult called Almost Paradise that is deep in the Hells Canyon wilderness. As tensions rise all over the canyon, Silva finds herself entangled with Nick, Isabelle, and the members of Almost Paradise and she is forced to face both her own history and loss and the history of the loss she has stepped into.
Hands down I loved this book! The story and the writing were absolutely beautiful, lyrical, and captivating. In addition, this book has some of my favorite things such as developed and realistic characters, emotional introspection, and of course cults. The setting was also extremely appealing to me. The character Silva grows up on an island in the Washington sound and then travels to the wilderness of Idaho. This really struck me because these are all places I have been multiple times throughout my own life: living in Seattle and exploring the surrounding areas, Hells Canyon, the Snake River, and Moscow, Idaho. So this was extremely vivid to me, which made the story that much more amazing. Overall, Silva was such a interesting and introspective character to follow. I really felt for her emotionally and was so invested in her story. So much so, that some parts of the book were really heart-wrenching to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves an emotional read with great settings or those who love books that are more on the literary fiction side. I cannot wait for whatever Annie Lampman puts out next!
SYNOPSIS: Other than her bonsai trees, twenty-year-old arborist Silvania August Moonbeam Merigal is alone in the world. After first her mother dies and then her grandfather—the man who raised her and the last of her family—Silva suffers a sexual assault and becomes pregnant. Then, ready to end her own life, she discovers evidence of a long-lost artist grandmother, Isabelle.
Desperate to remake a family for herself, Silva leaves her island home on the Puget Sound and traces her grandmother’s path to first a hippie beekeeper named Nick Larkins with secrets of his own, and then to a religious, anti-government, Y2K cult embedded deep in the wilds of Hells Canyon. Len Dietz is the charismatic leader of the Almost Paradise compound, a place full of violence and drama: impregnated child brides called the Twelve Maidens, an armed occupation of a visitor’s center, shot-up mountain sheep washing up along with a half-drowned dog, and men transporting weapons in the middle of the night.
As tensions erupt into violence, Silva, Isabelle, Nick, and the members of Almost Paradise find themselves disastrously entangled, and Silva is forced to face both her own history of loss, and the history of loss she’s stepped into: ruinous stories of family that threaten to destroy them all.
September 11, 2020
I may be biased but this novel, written by one of my closest friends, checks all the boxes: riveting characters; lush setting; beautiful language; and a meditation on loss, blind faith, and the environment. If you’re looking for a book that’ll both inform and entertain, this is it.
September 4, 2020
Beautiful
I loved this book. The language was so lyrical and lovely. It kept me engaged and waiting for what would happen next. I enjoy books that teach me something about subjects with which I am not wholly familiar. Annie Lampman is a true poet and wonderful story teller.
I loved this book. The language was so lyrical and lovely. It kept me engaged and waiting for what would happen next. I enjoy books that teach me something about subjects with which I am not wholly familiar. Annie Lampman is a true poet and wonderful story teller.
April 26, 2021
Made it to the halfway point and am giving up! This is more about bonsai trees than bees. Pages and pages describing every tree on earth. The plot is a rehash of David Koresh or the Mormons. The writing is stilted and boring, I can guess the outcome so I just skipped to the epilogue- I was right. DNF
December 16, 2020
"Sins of the Bees" by Annie Lampman follows Silva, a young woman who leaves everything behind to track down her long-lost grandmother, Isabelle. Silva finds evidence that her grandmother became part of a Y2K cult before everyone losing all trace of her, so she moves near the cult and tries to learn more about it and its members in the hopes of finding her grandmother and rebuilding a family with her.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book very much. Part of my disappointment lays with its marketing. Since it was categorized as a mystery/thriller, and it was included in various selections for awards in the thriller genre, I expected ....well, a more suspenseful and thrilling book. I am fascinated with the topic of cults and cult leaders, and going into this book I had different, darker expectations. Some of those expectations were briefly met in the passages focused on Len Dietz, the Almost Paradise compound, and the different initiation rites, but those were very short and too far between to keep my interest. The majority of the book was focused on Silva, her past and her rebuilding of her life. There were a lot of descriptions and a lot of feelings, which doesn't make this a bad story or book, but it didn't make it very enjoyable for me.
The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did a good job with the narration. However, I feel that the book itself would make a better physical read than an audio experience, as it was too easy for me to space out through the wordy descriptions as not much was happening plot wise. Overall, if planning to check this book out, I recommend going into it expecting a character drama with a bit of suspense, rather than a thriller. Perhaps if I would have gone into the story expecting that I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Pegasus Crime for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book very much. Part of my disappointment lays with its marketing. Since it was categorized as a mystery/thriller, and it was included in various selections for awards in the thriller genre, I expected ....well, a more suspenseful and thrilling book. I am fascinated with the topic of cults and cult leaders, and going into this book I had different, darker expectations. Some of those expectations were briefly met in the passages focused on Len Dietz, the Almost Paradise compound, and the different initiation rites, but those were very short and too far between to keep my interest. The majority of the book was focused on Silva, her past and her rebuilding of her life. There were a lot of descriptions and a lot of feelings, which doesn't make this a bad story or book, but it didn't make it very enjoyable for me.
The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did a good job with the narration. However, I feel that the book itself would make a better physical read than an audio experience, as it was too easy for me to space out through the wordy descriptions as not much was happening plot wise. Overall, if planning to check this book out, I recommend going into it expecting a character drama with a bit of suspense, rather than a thriller. Perhaps if I would have gone into the story expecting that I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Pegasus Crime for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 9, 2021
Wow. Just... wow.
This book was no an easy read by any means--the subject matter is incredibly dark and deeply disturbing, and the prologue led me to believe something that made the rest of the book a 350-page exercise in nauseating dread. That being said, the way this book is written is absolutely, undeniably beautiful. The language Lampman uses to describe every detail, every thought is artistic and impeccable, and Silva's story is raw, emotional, devastating, and yet somehow hopeful. This is a book that can only be described as "bittersweet", but even that feels too shallow to fully delve into what makes it wholly unique and unbelievably memorable. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but I hope that the right people--people who will truly appreciate its sweeping, grief-stricken beauty--will somehow find their way to its pages.
This book was no an easy read by any means--the subject matter is incredibly dark and deeply disturbing, and the prologue led me to believe something that made the rest of the book a 350-page exercise in nauseating dread. That being said, the way this book is written is absolutely, undeniably beautiful. The language Lampman uses to describe every detail, every thought is artistic and impeccable, and Silva's story is raw, emotional, devastating, and yet somehow hopeful. This is a book that can only be described as "bittersweet", but even that feels too shallow to fully delve into what makes it wholly unique and unbelievably memorable. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but I hope that the right people--people who will truly appreciate its sweeping, grief-stricken beauty--will somehow find their way to its pages.
January 6, 2021
3/5 stars
🐝 Thanks to Netgalley for providing an audiobook e-arc!
✨Now...this was awkward timing. We follow characters intertwined in different ways to a white supremacist doomsday Y2K cult. It was a good book that fascinated me, especially with Silva and Nick with their own interests. One tiny detailed adore is how meta pur protagonist is. Silva in itself means forest. At thw same time, her occupation is to study and take care of trees, bonsais to be specific. Unfortunately the ending felt a bit meh and predictable. Predictable to the point that I sort of knew it from the beginning. Not to belittle the author's ability but this was perhaps intentional and if so, props to them!
🐝 Thanks to Netgalley for providing an audiobook e-arc!
✨Now...this was awkward timing. We follow characters intertwined in different ways to a white supremacist doomsday Y2K cult. It was a good book that fascinated me, especially with Silva and Nick with their own interests. One tiny detailed adore is how meta pur protagonist is. Silva in itself means forest. At thw same time, her occupation is to study and take care of trees, bonsais to be specific. Unfortunately the ending felt a bit meh and predictable. Predictable to the point that I sort of knew it from the beginning. Not to belittle the author's ability but this was perhaps intentional and if so, props to them!
January 28, 2021
Maybe it was the title that intrigued me? I do like bees, and in my experience, books with bees in the title are worth reading. I did make it through this book, because the story was interesting; it even ended well. But to do so, I had to triage its many sections. There were italicized bits that baffled and annoyed me: stream of consciousness of a depraved person? Luckily, as far as I could tell, these had nothing to do with the development of the story. What did interest me: the author's knowledge of trees, bees, life on the Snake River and on an island in the Salish Sea. Not a book for everybody.
April 3, 2022
SINS OF THE BEES is a fascinating, lyrical look at a small Idaho town that has made headlines for the dangerous religious cult that has taken hold in the area. The story navigates through the Idaho terrain as well as it does through the lives of our two main protagonists. There are so many poignant, insightful lines that it'd be impossible to write them all down; ultimately, this book is thoughtful and really well-crafted.
November 22, 2021
Beautiful.
March 30, 2022
SINS OF THE BEES is a fascinating, lyrical look at a small Idaho town that has made headlines for the dangerous religious cult that has taken hold in the area. The story navigates through the Idaho terrain as well as it does through the lives of our two main protagonists. There are so many poignant, insightful lines that it'd be impossible to write them all down; ultimately, this book is thoughtful and really well-crafted.
Review by Hannah, Promotion, Communication, and Graphic Design Specialist. SINS OF THE BEES is available for checkout through the Hannon Library: https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibri...
Review by Hannah, Promotion, Communication, and Graphic Design Specialist. SINS OF THE BEES is available for checkout through the Hannon Library: https://alliance-primo.hosted.exlibri...
March 10, 2021
Our book club's choice for the month, and nothing that I'd have ever picked for myself, this turned out to be a fun read. Parts of it were surreal, and certain things were left unresolved, but I cried through the epilogue.
January 15, 2021
(Quick note to anyone reading reviews before reading the book: there are fairly graphic depictions of miscarriage, depressive feelings with suicidal ideation (and mentions of sexual abuse/grooming, but those things don't happen to the main character.)
This book was... okay.
It felt very disjointed, a ton of attempted motifs thrown in with little meaning/no lasting meaning. Also, the book was divided into parts for... no reason. I really can't tell what organization the author was going for, but hey, another bee picture!
The Bonsai motif had me going for a while there... until the author seems to forgot all about them when wrapping up the novel. Maybe "normal" readers don't get attached to trees like that, but after it was clear how much they meant to the main character and being mentioned in every section... I just figured we'd get to know what happened to them by the end, a tie in to what the book itself is supposed to be telling us readers.
Im honestly still not sure what sin the bees did or even why bees were so aggressively pushed as the Central Motif when they appear in a handful of pages and end up meaning absolutely nothing? Like, the book art and title lead one to believe that they'll play more than a passing role (and also do not get "wrapped up" but the end, really). I'm pretty sure you could take out practically every mention of bees and the book would still be the same...
Was Isabelle and her paintings (and those weird preacher-like chapters) intended to be a motif??
Especially those random preaching chapters... what were those even about? Why were they there? They were completely separated from the story and annoying (im not sure interrupting the narrative for an incomprehensible babble about sin and the body is... great.)
Why were the paintings even mentioned throughout? To stun and horrify the reader with what Len was doing and to prove that Isabelle regretted abandoning Eamon (but honestly, in my opinion, we aren't really given enough of either character to care about Isabelle remorse).?
In the end, it honestly felt like the cult was there for shock value-- read about these horrible things this man did to some children!
All of the events could really easily have occurred by incident or a crazy/regular vindictive neighbor. There really didn't seem to be a greater meaning to reading about indoctrination and rape of young (like... 13) teens for impregnation in the name of a cult. It just... doesn't really tie in with the rest of the narrative (although, I guess it worked: reading the summary involving a cult was the reason I picked it up...).
The end just really fell flat to me. I mean, we know what happens to the main character i guess. But, while the epilogue wraps everything up, the jarring transition to that ending leaves me with a feeling of either "oh no I need to finish the book" or "i dont know how to write a cohesive-feeling ending and connect these ideas, so here". Either way, the epilogue feels and reads like a summary of what might have happened had the author actually finished writing the book. Its difficult to explain without spoilers, but I think I've conveyed the idea here.
This is, in my opinion, another one of those books that tries so hard to be poetic and elegant and whatever else that the message and emotion of the story is lost. Im... not sure what readers are necessarily supposed to get from this book beyond a few hours' entertainment, but the book is written with the importance (and honestly, just the feeling) like its supposed to have actual meaning. (If that makes any sense.)
This book was... okay.
It felt very disjointed, a ton of attempted motifs thrown in with little meaning/no lasting meaning. Also, the book was divided into parts for... no reason. I really can't tell what organization the author was going for, but hey, another bee picture!
The Bonsai motif had me going for a while there... until the author seems to forgot all about them when wrapping up the novel. Maybe "normal" readers don't get attached to trees like that, but after it was clear how much they meant to the main character and being mentioned in every section... I just figured we'd get to know what happened to them by the end, a tie in to what the book itself is supposed to be telling us readers.
Im honestly still not sure what sin the bees did or even why bees were so aggressively pushed as the Central Motif when they appear in a handful of pages and end up meaning absolutely nothing? Like, the book art and title lead one to believe that they'll play more than a passing role (and also do not get "wrapped up" but the end, really). I'm pretty sure you could take out practically every mention of bees and the book would still be the same...
Was Isabelle and her paintings (and those weird preacher-like chapters) intended to be a motif??
Especially those random preaching chapters... what were those even about? Why were they there? They were completely separated from the story and annoying (im not sure interrupting the narrative for an incomprehensible babble about sin and the body is... great.)
Why were the paintings even mentioned throughout? To stun and horrify the reader with what Len was doing and to prove that Isabelle regretted abandoning Eamon (but honestly, in my opinion, we aren't really given enough of either character to care about Isabelle remorse).?
In the end, it honestly felt like the cult was there for shock value-- read about these horrible things this man did to some children!
All of the events could really easily have occurred by incident or a crazy/regular vindictive neighbor. There really didn't seem to be a greater meaning to reading about indoctrination and rape of young (like... 13) teens for impregnation in the name of a cult. It just... doesn't really tie in with the rest of the narrative (although, I guess it worked: reading the summary involving a cult was the reason I picked it up...).
The end just really fell flat to me. I mean, we know what happens to the main character i guess. But, while the epilogue wraps everything up, the jarring transition to that ending leaves me with a feeling of either "oh no I need to finish the book" or "i dont know how to write a cohesive-feeling ending and connect these ideas, so here". Either way, the epilogue feels and reads like a summary of what might have happened had the author actually finished writing the book. Its difficult to explain without spoilers, but I think I've conveyed the idea here.
This is, in my opinion, another one of those books that tries so hard to be poetic and elegant and whatever else that the message and emotion of the story is lost. Im... not sure what readers are necessarily supposed to get from this book beyond a few hours' entertainment, but the book is written with the importance (and honestly, just the feeling) like its supposed to have actual meaning. (If that makes any sense.)
February 11, 2021
I’d say just ok. Reading back over the description I am not sure what drew me to it. I like the idea of leaving society behind and living off the land, and she does have lovely descriptions of what a great piece of land it was. I don’t think I’ll ever understand a cult and what draws people in. I’m still not super clear on Isabelles timeline with Eamon, Eli and and the cult. I was getting stressed at the end that she wasn’t going to wrap up a very major loose end. I’ll leave that there to avoid spoilers.
February 2, 2021
Painful
Two stars because I at least finished it. I don’t have the energy to explain all the reasons I disliked this book. Too exhausted from paging through page upon page of extraneous descriptions! In the end no explanation of what actually brought this story to a conclusion. Ugh!
Two stars because I at least finished it. I don’t have the energy to explain all the reasons I disliked this book. Too exhausted from paging through page upon page of extraneous descriptions! In the end no explanation of what actually brought this story to a conclusion. Ugh!
September 7, 2022
Really just a very pretentious writing style that makes this book difficult to read. I wanted the story to be more about the cult as the summary of the book indicates it would be, but this feels like a lot of false advertising. I did enjoy the epilogue, however, getting through the rest of the book on the way there is certainly not worth it.
January 3, 2021
This was my favorite read from 2020. I don't even know how to formulate a review that would do it justice. So, I'll just leave it 5 stars! Thank you for this beautifully written story. Please bless us with another, soon?
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November 4, 2020I tried so hard but this book is not for me.
November 9, 2020
Hey, do you wanna feel bad with a bunch of characters you don't really care about? WELL, YOU'RE IN LUCK.
December 21, 2020
4/5 ✰ {-1 star for not having enough bees)
When I began this book earlier this week, I felt like I was a on a merry go round as a bunch of children get it going at an insane speed that make you feel sick, but you can't get off because you're going so fast, and also you need to hold on desperately because the centripetal force does not care if you go flying off.
Having put it down and then come back to it later, I find it somewhat humorous to have had that feeling, and I'm sure I wouldn't have if I had been reading the physical book as opposed to listening to the audiobook. Because in my listening I missed the point of view change from Isabelle to Silva. Instead of my brain separating them out into different people, it was trying to put the pieces together to combine Isabelle and Silva into one continuous story.
But in coming back to finish this book I found myself entranced in the story about the 12 maidens and also Silva healing from her trauma and grief. It felt genuine, and made her a much more intriguing character, especially as she is faced with more troubles.
I think the story was incredibly interesting, I'm not sure I'd consider it a Thriller... Like the growth we see throughout the book makes me feel like it is a coming of age story, but that doesn't feel appropriate as Silva is in her 20s. But also with how Lampman dishes out the ending both in the Epilogue and Before. Doesn't give the same resonance. No matter the Genre this is an interesting read,
*I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own*
When I began this book earlier this week, I felt like I was a on a merry go round as a bunch of children get it going at an insane speed that make you feel sick, but you can't get off because you're going so fast, and also you need to hold on desperately because the centripetal force does not care if you go flying off.
Having put it down and then come back to it later, I find it somewhat humorous to have had that feeling, and I'm sure I wouldn't have if I had been reading the physical book as opposed to listening to the audiobook. Because in my listening I missed the point of view change from Isabelle to Silva. Instead of my brain separating them out into different people, it was trying to put the pieces together to combine Isabelle and Silva into one continuous story.
But in coming back to finish this book I found myself entranced in the story about the 12 maidens and also Silva healing from her trauma and grief. It felt genuine, and made her a much more intriguing character, especially as she is faced with more troubles.
I think the story was incredibly interesting, I'm not sure I'd consider it a Thriller... Like the growth we see throughout the book makes me feel like it is a coming of age story, but that doesn't feel appropriate as Silva is in her 20s. But also with how Lampman dishes out the ending both in the Epilogue and Before. Doesn't give the same resonance. No matter the Genre this is an interesting read,
*I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own*
December 21, 2020
“Nobody had ever warned her that in grieving the ones you’ve lost, you’re really grieving for yourself the most. Your whole world, the story of your life, shaped and defined by your loved ones’ experience of it. That without them, you can’t ever see or understand yourself fully again.” -Annie Lampman, Sins of the Bees
I listened to this on audiobook from Netgalley! For a debut, this was a pleasant surprise! I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but I really enjoyed this one! The writing style was quite poetic and I liked the dual perspectives of Isabel and Silva!
Even though this book has multiple mentions of a religious cult, that isn’t really the main focus of the story, in my opinion.
To me, it’s about the underlying meaning of fractured relationships and broken families as well as the true meaning of what it means to discover what really matters in life.
Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher (#DreamscapeMedia) for allowing me to listen!
Recommend for anyone who like thrillers!
I listened to this on audiobook from Netgalley! For a debut, this was a pleasant surprise! I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but I really enjoyed this one! The writing style was quite poetic and I liked the dual perspectives of Isabel and Silva!
Even though this book has multiple mentions of a religious cult, that isn’t really the main focus of the story, in my opinion.
To me, it’s about the underlying meaning of fractured relationships and broken families as well as the true meaning of what it means to discover what really matters in life.
Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher (#DreamscapeMedia) for allowing me to listen!
Recommend for anyone who like thrillers!
August 28, 2021
This book was beautifully written in a very lyrical style and for that I give it three stars. The story itself would get two stars as it seemed a bit predictable and some of the characters were quite stereotypical - the charismatic cult leader for instance. The story’s premise of the main character Silva finding out her grandmother had been in a cult was intriguing but convoluted. There's lots of lovely detail about bees and even more about bonsai! Some stream of consciousness prose was interesting too but felt a bit rambling. Overall an unusual read but not my favourite this year.
January 2, 2023
This book had so much promise but once the author started talking about bees I held my breath hoping she wouldn't ruin the book. The last 1/4th of the book had me rolling my eyes because the author took creative liberty with the biology of bees and the science of fire in order to force her ending. Also, I could have done without the sticky love scene during honey extraction...reminded me of the popcorn love scene in Troll 2. But the first half of the book was enjoyable with it's lyrical weaving of a story of great promise.
December 20, 2020
Full Disclosure: I received an audiobook copy of Sins of the Bees by Annie Lampman (narrated by Cassandra Campbell) from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in exchange for possibly writing a review.
Let me start by saying that this would probably be a five star review had I read the book instead of listening to it. There were parts I really wanted to savor but couldn't because of the format. There were also parts that made me really, really sad, and I couldn't skip over them because of the format. Maybe that's a good thing for me to confront, but it was also sort of excruciating. If you like audiobooks, don't let my issues deter you. Check this out!
What I really loved about this book was all the bee stuff. There are very few fiction books that really delve into bees with the kind of detail you find here. If you love bees like I do, you will want to give this a read. But it is not just bees, there's a cult! If you need more than bees and a cult, this book is beautifully written, and the author clearly has a strong connection to nature.
Bonus points for so much love for animals. I have a soft spot for characters who love animals nearly as much as I do.
Let me start by saying that this would probably be a five star review had I read the book instead of listening to it. There were parts I really wanted to savor but couldn't because of the format. There were also parts that made me really, really sad, and I couldn't skip over them because of the format. Maybe that's a good thing for me to confront, but it was also sort of excruciating. If you like audiobooks, don't let my issues deter you. Check this out!
What I really loved about this book was all the bee stuff. There are very few fiction books that really delve into bees with the kind of detail you find here. If you love bees like I do, you will want to give this a read. But it is not just bees, there's a cult! If you need more than bees and a cult, this book is beautifully written, and the author clearly has a strong connection to nature.
Bonus points for so much love for animals. I have a soft spot for characters who love animals nearly as much as I do.
February 18, 2021
In the tradition of Alice Hoffman
A beautifully crafted story, full of love, moving histories of family legacies, with a plot pulled from churning current events and deepened by the addition of the author's clever queries into the motives and drives of the heroes and antiheroes. I couldn't put it down! Anyone who has left home looking for something they didn't know they already had will relate to this book!
A beautifully crafted story, full of love, moving histories of family legacies, with a plot pulled from churning current events and deepened by the addition of the author's clever queries into the motives and drives of the heroes and antiheroes. I couldn't put it down! Anyone who has left home looking for something they didn't know they already had will relate to this book!
March 9, 2021
Not my normal genre but I genuinely enjoyed this. I found her style of writing lyrical and could completely visualize the places she described. Being a West Coaster Island gal definitely helped in that area but never having experience the dry heat, I could still picture it.
My only complaint was I felt that the ending was rushed. I wanted to know HOW Juniper was found and how Nick and Juniper made it to Silva. But that is what imagination is for.
My only complaint was I felt that the ending was rushed. I wanted to know HOW Juniper was found and how Nick and Juniper made it to Silva. But that is what imagination is for.
September 29, 2020
I haven't read any other reviews, so maybe I'm by myself in this thought- but my word was this a boring book. If you're into quiet reflection, lots of descriptions, and like 5 too many metaphors per paragraph...then do I have a book for you! I gave it 3 stars instead of 2 because she didn't bum me out by having Silva kill herself in the water.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for an advance read copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Please, please, please work with your best editor. This copy is much too wordy. Annie Lampman would be a beautiful poet, if you could contain things to a couple pages. But 12 hours is just too much.
Rounding up from 2.5. 2 stars because I actually finished.
Please, please, please work with your best editor. This copy is much too wordy. Annie Lampman would be a beautiful poet, if you could contain things to a couple pages. But 12 hours is just too much.
Rounding up from 2.5. 2 stars because I actually finished.
October 2, 2020
More like a 3.5/3.75. I never really connected with the characters, who were interesting people, or their connections to each other. Some of the language to describe things was quite rich, and the natural world is clearly well known to the author. I guess I just hoped for more by the end.
October 25, 2020
Had the ending, the epilogue, not skipped ahead in time, forcing me to fill in the obvious blanks in which I have no idea if I’m on target, I would gave given it five stars. There are left to many unanswered questions. That being said, a marvelous work. I truly enjoyed. 👏🏽 Bravo.
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