The Death of Bees

by Lisa O'Donnell

What do you do to kill time while you're waiting for your wonderful friend to meet you for a daily dose of fro yo? Well, if you have a goal of reading 50 books this year, you will not waste any time and will literally run (NOT WALK) into the nearest bookshop. So that's what I did! And I picked up this little surprise. The Death of Bees intrigued me from the moment I saw the cover, and the premise of two young girls who have buried their parents in the backyard and are living alone was something I DEFINITELY haven't heard before. I will be honest, the first half of the book shocked me. And not because Marnie and Nelly (both younger than 16) did indeed bury their horrible parents in the yard after their deaths, but because they deal drugs, have sex with married men, and swear a lot.... Does this mean I'm strangely both sheltered and jaded? I honestly don't know. Let me just say that this story was very eye-opening about the poverty stricken population in Glasgow, where the story takes place.

The second half of the story became a page turner for me, as the relationships with the girls neighbor Lennie and their grandfather become more developed. Through these, the girls learn the nature of love, how to accept good love from others, and their own true value. As they build a new family with Lennie, they learn about sacrifice and find a home where they least expected it. And when things take (another) turn for the worse, the sisters lean on each other, despite their constant bickering and misunderstandings. The dynamic between Marnie & Nelly is the foundation of the story, their love for eachother propelling them forward. I also found the varied viewpoint storytelling interesting to read. Especially since Nelly appears to be a 90 year old crone trapped in a 12 year old's body. In her own words, Toodle-oo!