How does she get so much emotion into so few words? Sarah Crossan is a miracle worker. I'm a huge fan of her YA books but this proves she can move into an adult sphere too. Utterly original, meaningful, and accomplished.

3 Stars:

Here is the Beehive is a novel written in prose about Ana, a married woman mourning the loss of her married lover, Connor. They had been having an affair for a few years, and after his sudden death she is left with the burden of their secret.

I was worried the novel would romanticise cheating, but Crossan explores the nature of their affair with such careful nuance, delving into the toxicity of their relationship and the ways it destroyed not just their families, but the two participants themselves. To my surprise, Crossan actually made me sympathise with Ana, even if her actions were extremely morally dubious at times. Crossan's latest novel deals with themes like depression and anxiety, and I appreciate the honesty with which she writes.

Unfortunately, however, I personally couldn't adapt to her writing style. The line breaks often distracted me, pulling me away from the story. I'd definitely say this book is for people who are huge fans of poets like Nikita Gil, or Rupi Kaur, as they have quite similar styles of writing. However, I don't think Crossan's style of verse was entirely for me.

Still, it was a very addicting novel and I read it in entirely one sitting. Thank you to Sarah Crossan, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of Here is the Beehive.

Interesting...but not a book.

The format of this story is very strange, much more like a poem than a story. Stilettos is obviously intentional and undeniably creative, I feel as though the story could have been fleshed out more. This reads more like a (very good) first draft, with all the salient facts in place but no real detail added. The characters have very little depth, there is no description of the setting it circumstances , just the thin thread of the narrative joining the very short scenes together. Whilst the premise of the story is very good and intriguing, I feel like the format let's it down. I am glad I read it, but wouldn't intentionally try something of this style again.

I am honestly not sure how I feel about this book! It is a story of grief (I think) , told from a single person viewpoint. It begins with a serious of questions and musings and the characters thoughts. It was written in clipped verse which I found difficult at first but soon came accustomed to. I found the main character quite dislikable to be honest though.
It usually takes me a few weeks to read a book but I started this on a Friday and finished it by Wednesday just reading at bedtime. I'm not sure if it that was because it is short or because I was enjoying it! It's different to anything I have read before and I would probably read something else from this author so I think I liked it!

I loved this. As with 'One', the clipped verse narrative took me a while to settle into - some lines are so lyrical that the more prose-like lines can seem jarring by comparison - but once I found my reading rhythm I was completely won over. A masterful exploration of grief and extra-marital obsession, beautifully told.

I read this book in one sitting - I could not put it down but I also could not decide whether or not I enjoyed it. It is the story of two individuals - Connor and Ana - and their love affair over a 3 year period. You learn of their background story gradually through the book and of their obsessive relationship and it’s implications for their other families. Connor dies suddenly and both women have to come to terms with their individual losses and learn to move on.

A hard story to read - very emotional and raw.

I quite enjoyed this book and I really like the author’s writing style. I liked the way important details were gradually revealed as the plot progressed but I didn’t find the main character likeable and the more we found out about her the less sympathetic I felt towards her. Sarah’s books for children and young adults are very popular in my school but this book is definitely for adults (and marketed as such) so I won’t be stocking it. Still fairly enjoyable quick read.

I have never read this style of book before but i really enjoyed it. There were times when i was a little confused about who Ana was talking about but once i got into it, i got the hang of the style of writing and would recommend it.

* spoiler alert ** A short book,that never the less packs a punch.
Ana had my sympathies at the beginning,grieving for a man she's been having an affair with for three years,but not able to show it.
As the book goes on,and we get to know her situation more,it lessened.
Her behaviour becomes quite alarming and I just started to dislike her.
I very much enjoyed the writing style. Short punchy sentences,they draw you in for just a few more every time.
Definitely a one sitting read.

I was drawn to this book for its beautiful cover & title. But I'm afraid, although I finished the book I'm not sure I enjoyed it. I struggled with the style of writing - the short, clipped sentences. The flitting from time to time and person to person. It felt like a very short book and in my opinion had a very quick, sudden ending.

Written in Crossan’s signature style, this book will feel like a return to the intriguing format that this author is renowned for. Whilst her young adult novels tackle difficult topics, this one has a different feel however. It is colder. Harder to like the protagonist. More distant. I struggled to connect with it in the same way as a result, but am also conscious that this will have been a conscious decision to make for a book aimed at a more sophisticated reader. For me, it lost a little of the usual sparkle - the thing that will keep me reading in one sitting, and crying when it ends. But I’m still glad I read it because the interesting narrative styling is always something I will gravitate towards when Crossan releases a new book.

I really thought I was going to struggle with this book. I’m not sure why. I think the style was putting me off. However I’m really glad that I picked it up ahead of schedule and read it within a day…it was THAT good!

So let’s talk about that style. It’s something else. It’s a book of prose…but it’s also not. I switched to reading the verses in normal paragraphs for a bit and my brain adapted well…it still worked… However at the same time, it worked better in verse. Do not let this style put you off reading the book, because it’s beautiful and it flows just as well as anything else would.

it happened,
again and again
and
again and again and again.

Together
apart.
In love
in aching.

Tangled
unravelling.

This is Sarah Crossan’s first adventure into Adult writing – rather than her usual Young Adult. I’d never read any of her books before so can’t compare her genres – however I will definitely look to read more of her work.

When I saw that John Boyne and Jane Casey, amongst a host of others, had heaped praise on this novel from Irish author Sarah Crossan, I had to read it. Told in poetic prose, this story is told from the viewpoint of Ana who has found out that the man she has been having an affair with for 3 years is dead. She was his solicitor. The prose flows beautifully. So much is expressed in such a succinct, original and powerful way. I devoured it in a couple of hours. One of the best books I have read this year.

The style of this book is unusually written, at times I didn’t think it flowed well and seemed a bit disjointed.
Ana is having an affair with her client when he suddenly dies. His wife Rebecca contacts Ana to discuss his will (Ana) is a lawyer. Ana subsequently grows closer to Rebecca and all of the time juggling a lie, her family and her job.
Although it’s different to anything I’ve read before, I found it easy to read.

Here Is The Beehive is utterly stunning, deeply affecting. I ploughed through it in a couple of sittings. So emotionally astute.

I have enjoyed Sarah Crossan's YA books - she is an innovative author who uses verse to tell her often powerful stories.

Here is the Beehive is a successful transition to adult fiction - powerful, emotive and truthful story telling at its best

Whilst the story was good, I found the style of writing to be massively confusing and limited clarity as to who as being spoken to, when and why. Not what I was expecting and not something I would repeat.

Taken from the blurb: ‘ How can we lose someone the world never knew was ours? How do we grieve for something no one else can ever find out?‘

I loved the premise of this book. The writing is uncomfortable, real, raw, unflinching - beautiful in places and ugly in others. I raced through this and I imagine it will linger.

I love Sarah Crossan’s YA - she is such an exceptionally talented author - and was so looking forward to this. It wasn’t what I expected and is very different in scope to her YA novels - but I couldn’t look away from this and would definitely read more writing for adults from her.

Having read and loved just about everything that Sarah Crossan had written, I was super keen to get my hands on Here is the Beehive.

The story opens with Ana finding out about the death of Connor, the man she has been having an affair with, from his wife Rebecca when she calls Ana as lawyer and executor of his will. She wonders if it is a joke, that the wife has found out, but truth is that Connor was killed in an accident. What follows is Ana’s grief told through the years of memories and the difficulties of the present. How can she grieve for the man she loved when their relationship was an affair. In response Ana becomes involved in Rebecca’s life.

This is a difficult subject to read about. We should not feel at all sorry for Ana, and yet she’s a grieving person trying to cope in a situation where there is not and cannot be any support. This novel also tells the story of a difficult life, the affair is destructive and toxic, and their secrets infiltrate and corrode every part of their lives. The saddest part is the children’s reactions to the damaged marriages.

I found this hard to read. The novel is beautifully written, evocative and powerful, and yet the story is uncomfortable. Very clever writing from an expert story teller.

I was engrossed in this for a day. It is delicious, uncomfortable and raw. Oh so good!
This details the thoughts and actions of Ana as she navigates the depths of her grief for a man that was never hers, but also the stolen moments they shared and the unknown parts of him she feels compelled to understand.
There were so many layers to Ana's life and so many dysfunctional relationships, it was toxic but compelling reading. The portrayal of how lost she is, how closely she seems to risk it all was written so well and yet there was always a part of me that felt compassion for her and wanted her to find some peace.
I can see this book as a film or drama.