Here is the Beehive

I have read and loved all of Sarah Crossan's other books. This was no exception. The storytelling is innovative, honest and raw.
Here is the beehive is a look at grief, guilt and adultery shown through the prism of Sarah's powerful free verse format.

I have previously read and adored all of Sarah Crossan’s books for young adults and this first novel for adults does not disappoint.

Beautifully written in verse, like all of her other books it reads as smoothly as a ‘traditional’ novel.

Here is the Beehive details Ana’s grief when she discovers her lover has died suddenly. As ever, Sarah Crossan details the raw emotions of her characters and leaves you feeling every emotion with them. Fantastic.

This is the first of this authors work that I have read but it definitely wont be the last.

The style of writing is not one I am used to but I quickly fell into the flow and became engrossed. I think the short, snappiness of this style makes what is actually being written more powerful as its all there, laid bare, you don't have to sift through all the descriptions and build up.

A very powerful and moving story but may not be for everyone due to the subject matter

A story of love, loss and betrayal, beautifully told in verse, which allows the author to say so much in so few words, making it a powerful story. But it was frustrating too - I wish I could have shaken Ana and told her to forget Conner and remember how lucky she is to have Paul. I liked Rebecca as well and couldn't help feeling a deep sense of sadness over these two. Excellent.

My absolute favourite thing about this book is how it’s written. It’s different from anything I’ve ever read before. It really pulls you in. Written as a constant stream of consciousness; it’s like poetry interwoven with gripping dialogue.

It’s a truly addictive story, flicking between life during and after an affair. You say to yourself “I’ll just read one more page before making lunch” and then you’re still glued to the book 20 pages later. I have a feeling this book will start a trend!

Ana is a (married) solicitor who has an affair with one of her (married) clients, when he dies suddenly and unexpectedly Ana must find a way to deal with her grief, and keep their secret at the same time.

The way the narrative jumps between passion for her lover and complete coldness to her husband is so immersive and impressively done, especially within such short lines of dialogue. The story unfolds at a gripping pace and yet doesn’t feel rushed either, I honestly can’t find a fault (and I try really hard to find faults.)

Favourite quote:
When I think of the things
I almost said,
the flotsam
in my head,
a hand tightens around my throat.
I wish I could speak simply
or simply speak,
whisper the wrecking yard junk
hidden in my pokiest corners.

Here is the Beehive is out 20th of August and I will be recommending it to every reading circle I know! A new favourite.

I have heard of Crossman for her YA stories so I wanted to try her first foray into Adult fiction. Wow she has such a skill for creating the most relatable and likeable characters I think I have ever read. The story follows Ana a solicitor having an affair, when Connor dies Ana is left to deal with her invisible grief. This story stayed with me and I still feel such an emotional attachment to it. Well done Crossman. Beautiful.

I absolutely adore Sarah Crossans YA books and knew I had to read this one.
As much as I love her books this one spoke to me in a way I can’t explain. It was beautiful, moving and I felt the characters emotions as if they were my own. The love, fear, pain, jealousy, and the flutter were almost tangible. I will be purchasing this as soon as it’s available. A must read!

I have just finished the last page and feel entirely breathless and discombobulated.

Starting the novel, I didn’t expect much. The verse - a surprise to me - meant that I expected something trite and difficult fo get into. Instead, I found something beautiful and impossible to put down. I found something real.

A quick read, but such a believable one. Perfectly portrayed, flawed characters and beautiful prose.

Can not recommend more highly.

SARAH CROSSAN– HERE IS THE BEEHIVE

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Two confessions. Firstly, before reading this novel I had never heard of Ms Crossan. Secondly, I loathe poetry, as I simply don’t have the patience to understand it – my loss, I know.

“Here is the Beehive” is a novel written in poetry form. Not prose. Sometimes sentences are two words long, aligned to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes some words of a paragraph indented within it for (to me) no particular reason.

The opening:


The only way
out
now
is to stay busy,
so I have borrowed
Anna Karenina
from my mother and will not
allow myself to cry
until I have read it.

Twice.


Third confession.
I nearly
gave up.
Then I realised that as there were so few words
on each page,
I was storming through it.
And
that I was
enjoying it.

Sarah Crossan is a brilliant writer. She must be, to engage someone like myself. Some of the images she creates with so few words are excellent. So though it took me some while to get into it, and work out who the characters were, I can only offer five stars. To give fewer would be churlish.

I've loved all of Sarah's YA free verse novels, so was beyond excited about her adult debut. I was not disappointed at all. It's the story of an affair told after it's ending, when Ana is now alone with her secrets and her guilt. The extraordinary thing about this story is it should be a familiar one, the tale of the other woman is a long use trope. However Sarah tells it in a way that feels new and previously untold, the story of a woman who build a world with a man she loved and is now trapped under the rubble of it's collapse. How we feel about Ana changes throughout reading, as we are intermittently drip-feed information that constantly reshapes what we thought we knew or felt. I've not read an account of grief quite like this one, so powerful and haunting in its quiet rage. Phenomenal.

The writing is sublime, and poetic. I had my doubts about the novel when I saw the words "grief" and "adultery" but this themes are so elegantly handled... What a beautiful cover and a matching content, a book that is stunning inside out.

wow! This is definitely going to be in my top ten books of the year. This is a superb read and one that I will be highly recommending. I have been absolutely unable to put this one down.

Full review to follow on publication day.

Captivating and compelling story very cleverly written in poetry form. Crossan’s first step into adult fiction is well worth the wait.

Beautiful, tender, honest and raw.
A story of how our decisions in love can have rippling effects on those around us.
How we try to keep that person we love so much close to us, even when they are no longer there, and how our emotions can drive to become the most deranged person that we can no longer understand.

A stunning novel, I read it in a day. Sarah Crossan has a unique style, a stream of consciousness poetic prose. It is so effective in this story of grief, obsession and deception. Ana and Connor have been having an affair for 3 years, with a devastating effect on both their marriages. When Connor dies suddenly Ana has no one to help her with her grief, so secret was the relationship. As she faces her future she seeks out Connor’s wife, a plan that can’t end well.

Oh this is beautiful! Exquisite. It's so well written. I stayed on certain pages for ages, marvelling at the craft behind it. Really good.

I never expected a book on such a damaging topic to be so beautiful, but that is exactly what Sarah does with her writing. Yet again Sarah took a hard hitting topic that no one really likes to discuss and wove it into this stunning web of verse. From the start this book captivates you and shows you the detrimental impact an affair can have on all parties involved, including those on the peripheries.
This book is raw, honest and incredibly sharp, slicing into all the horrid aspects of the human psyche that we sometimes don't want to admit are there.

Absolutely loved this book!!! Would wholeheartedly recommend to all of my friends, and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Ana and Connor have been having an affair for three years. In hotel rooms and coffee shops, swiftly deleted texts and briefly snatched weekends, they have built a world with none but the two of them in it. But then the unimaginable happens, and Ana finds herself alone, trapped inside her secret. How can we lose someone the world never knew was ours? How do we grieve for something no one else can ever find out? In her desperate bid for answers, Ana seeks out the shadowy figure who has always stood just beyond her reach – Connor's wife Rebecca.

I simply adore Crossan's work and was excited to get stuck into this adult offering and I was not at all disappointed. Crossan sticks to what she does best and that is write in beautiful verse that really involves the reader and ensures they are captivated from start to finish. It never takes me long to read a book by Crossan, partly because they are so good and partly because the writing style creates an effortless flow that means you keep reading and never want to put it down.

I was a bit hesitant about the plot, it is a tricky subject and how can you possibly feel sympathy for all involved and yet Crossan manages it. I found myself liking Ana and Rebecca and felt for both of them. Crossan captures their angst and emotions perfectly, no word is wasted and every word leads to an emotion or feeling. I found myself very involved in the read and feeling sympathy for all involved. Well apart from Connor, but the less said about that the better. Crossan has a real skill with words and this book makes it shine.

If you have never read a book by Crossan, ensure you read this one. 'Here Is The Beehive' is beautiful, simplistic reading, you will find yourself hooked and devour this in no time at all as I did. I have nothing else to add but then why would you need to when you can sum it up in one word; stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Circus for an advance copy.

This is the first Sarah Crossan book that I have read, it is a beautifully written and moving story.

Ana who is married to Paul and has two children, has been having an affair with Connor for three years, secretly meeting in hotel rooms.

When Connor dies the hurt she feels is very real, but he was never truly hers and Ana finds herself trapped with her grief unable to share her thoughts or memories with anyone else.

This definitely got me thinking as you normally dislike the other woman in this scenario, but you opened my eyes to how the mistress would feel, to love someone but not be able to openly grieve for the man and possible future you lost!! I felt empathy for Ana who knew she could not give up Connor but also knew it would probably end in heartbreak!!

Beautifully, thought provoking. I was transfixed with this book and could not put it down. The ending has left me wondering what will Ana’s next chapter in life be like.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Wow. 5 stars. I have to say I read this twice skim read it first, Then read it again slower the characters are amazing, the depth and background. This for me makes it a five-star book Fantastic writing by Sarah Crossan and thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review it.

Incredible book, beautifully written. Initially I was put off by the blurb as it suggested that it was going to condone, or even encourage cheating, but I was entirely wrong. I tore through the book in one sitting. The way that the story unfolded had me hooked from the start. The characterisation was fantastic, despite occasionally despising Ana and wanting to shout at her for some of her poor decisions I was entirely invested in her story. I also loved the use of verse, which I anticipated disliking as I had in previous books, but really added to the fast pace of the story. Overall, a fantastic read and one that I will be suggesting for my book club as there is so much to unpack and discuss!

As with Sarah Crossan’s YA verse novels, once I had started reading this it was difficult to stop. Ana’s three year affair with a married man ends suddenly with his death and we find out more about her and her obsessions with both her lover, and his wife and family, as the story develops. An intense, thought-provoking read about love, relationships and grief.

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Crossan for many years, Every single one of her YA books, whether it was about the death penalty (Moonrise), conjoined twins (One), or parent/child/sibling issues (Apple and Rain), brought me to tears. Therefore, I was desperate to read her first book for adults.
The story of Ana, and her affair with one of her clients, was raw, devastating, and just beautifully written. As in typical Crossan style, the story is told through poems, and is a testament to the author that the characters are so full without passages of descriptive detail. As well as the writing style used, the plot also differs from other stories of adultery, but I'll avoid giving spoilers! Each time I thought I knew and understood the situation, Crossan would throw something else into the mix. I began to know and care about Ana quickly, despite her not always being an easy person to care about, and reading this book was like watching a friend struggle with a situation and you have no choice but to watch them unravel. I swore at her, cringed for her, questioned and doubted her, and by the end, was absolutely heartbroken for her.
This book wasn't what I was expecting but it also was... Sarah Crossan's unique style and her way with language was so familiar that it made me feel warm, but with a raw energy and subject matter that burst from the page and unsettled me (in a good way!). I loved it and can't wait to see where her next book for adults takes us.

I've never read a book quite like this one before, and I loved it. Beautifully written; there isn't a word out of place while laying bare the life and loves of Ana who is reacting to the unexpected death of her married lover.
Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for an advance copy of this book

Written in the way that only Sarah Crossan can, I adored this book and the journey it took me on.

Fast paced, emotional and without a single word out of place.

Immersive and captivating.

This is an incredible novel. I am no fan of poerty but I absolutely devoured it.

This is a heatbreaking look at love and loss through prose.

I would reccomend this to everyone

Evocative, poetic prose within a beautiful cover.

Ana Kelly is a solicitor who has an affair with Connor Mooney, one of her clients as a result of circumstantial encounters. Ana herself is professional, detached and understated or at least that is how she presents herself. Underneath that cool exterior, she is insecure and so needing of that love, it becomes for her a destructive force. During the affair, Connor's wife Rebecca was never far from her thoughts. Now Connor is gone however, she reaches out to those who knew him best – one of his friends and also his wife Rebecca. She seems to be looking for peace in her heart because she knows why Connor died which gets revealed little by little until we too, know.

The snapshots of memories and occurrences though brief are revealing of Ana's boxed up grief. It is like she is scared to believe in the love Connor did have for her which is why I found her so compelling as a person.

In summary, it is about love in non ideal circumstances and a reminder of the power of love.

Wow. I mean wow.

I really didn't know what to. expect as this was my first Sarah Dessen book but Its been a long while since I devoured a book in one day but I just couldn't stop reading. Without giving spoilers, this book had a trope that I usually really hate, and I didnt like the protaganist at all, but I can still love a book while this is the case. I thought the book was complex and I went through a range of emotions during it. Cant wait to read more from the author!

Here is a story that tells us how it might feel to be ‘the other woman’. This must be every mistresses nightmare - losing the man you love and not being able to show publicly, how you feel. All that time spent together and suddenly it’s over and you have to pick up the pieces....alone. This is what happened to Ana.
I really enjoyed the way this book was written. It told an age old story but it was done with feeling. I could truly sense how unbelieving she was that this had happened to her and how she experienced over and over the age old, if only.
If you’ve been here, this book is for you.

Wow, this book is incredible, it draws you in and is impulsive, you literally cannot stop turning the pages! Very cleverly written, indeed.

The story reads as though it's the internal monologue from the main character and it has two different times - before her lover dies and after. The way the two time slips are woven together are fantastic, we end up really getting under the skin of the character and wondering what will happen. When the two time points come together, it's so effective that they blend together seamlessly.

Ana has been having an affair with a married man for three years, when she finds out that he's been killed in an accident and he was the last person to speak to him... Shocked with grief and with no-one to talk to about how she is feeling, Ana begins to implode. She struggles to communicate with her family, begins to fall apart at work and obsessively tries to keep her lover in her life by contacting his wife, his best friend, driving past his house.

Through a special kind of story-telling, we are given an insight into what Ana is going through, her grief is full of depression wishing for sedatives and drugs to take the edge off her pain, anger as she wishes he had left his wife for her, guilt for not having picked up the phone again after they spoke... we go through the whole host of emotions with Ana.

It is an incredible story, I couldn't put the book down and wanted to keep on reading - I did in the end, read it in just two sittings. Highly, highly recommend. My only criticism? I didn't want it to end!

We are big fans of Sarah Crossans books in this house. She really knows how to get to your core and make you feel deeply the stories she tells. I was thrilled to hear she was writing her first adult book, I was even happier to find out it was written in verse, I just find that style beautiful. The story flows across the pages the words trickling through your soul. Sarah really knows how to make you feel all of the feels.
Here Is The Beehive tells the story of an affair suddenly cut short with no room for closure. It’s really quite sad on all accounts. At first I felt really awful for Ana but as I learned more about her and her life I became almost angry with her, frustrated! But as things progressed I just felt sad, it was a hopeless situation and I deeply wanted to gather them all into my arms and make everyone feel better. I loved it though, it was so real, human.. that sense of being trapped in your own thoughts with no one to talk to.
I feel like this book will touch a lot of people, it’s just heartbreakingly beautiful in its rawness. I don’t have much more to say only I will definitely be buying a physical copy to add to my collection as it’s one I will read again.

Sarah Crossan is a wonderful writer with such a unique, fluid, engrossing writing style. This book was upsetting and evoked powerful emotions in me. Ana was messed up, destructive, towards others and herself but lacked the self control to right her situation. She was caught within an explosive time bomb that was slowly ticking along. Sarah Crossan showed with astute accuracy the hurt that can stem from betrayal. How could she do this was all I could ask myself continually. This really was an excellent read, short but so powerful. I highly recommend it.

Here is the Beehive, a take of sorrow and desperation after Ana incidentally learns that the man she has been having an extra-marital affair with has been killed in a car accident. What follows is her story of life before and after Connor’s death, and Ana’s desperate struggle to grieve for a man that no one in her fold was even aware of.

Sarah Crossan writes like no other. Her beautiful, poetry like prose is so engaging that the book almost read itself and I could not put it down until I’d finished the entire thing.

Aside from the exquisite writing style is the execution of the story. I felt every bit of Ana’s pain and desperation. Sarah writes with such pure emotion that it’s difficult not to be engulfed (I failed miserably) by it all. This really is a must have book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Books UK for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I was blown away by this book. It presented itself in almost poetic form. The words flowed through me and I was living Ana, and Connor’s lives. I don’t believe I have ever read a more lustrous and real story of an affair and it was fantastic to Feel the emotions, see the Actions and glimpses of ‘not quite truthfulness’ amidst all the dishonesty. A really amazing deep and haunting read. Well done to Sarah Crossan.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks so much to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Here is the Beehive is a shocking but incredible novel. It unashamedly demonstrates the power of addictive, painful and forbidden love. We see in Ana the way that two lives can be wrecked by a love that cannot publicly exist. Every word is perfectly crafted, and this book will stay with me for a long time.

This is the first of Crossan's books that I've read, but I will be looking out for more now.

I read this book over two nights and was transported to a whole new world and a whole new meaning of novel writing. Sarah Crossan has such a unique style that draws you right in. The story is written in verse and is beautifully done. So much so, that you forget you are reading verse. Whether you are a poetry fan or not, this story is brilliant and should be read.

The story revolves around Ana and dips in and out between past and present in short scenes that say so much in so few words. The emotional impact of the writing is stunning and I felt every bit of Ana's grief and I watched her world tumble and fall apart around her as she struggled to make sense of something she could never share.

This is a powerful story of love, loss, betrayal, and grief. The book is so well written and the style is addictive. I found myself saying just one more scene, one more page until my eyes closed and refused to allow me to continue. The pace of the story is perfect and I have no doubt that Sarah Crossan's first entry into adult literary fiction is going to be raved about and hit all the bestseller lists.

I absolutely adored and related to this gorgeous story of grief, secrets, love and betrayal. Written as a stream of consciousness, it was poetic and heart-breaking and beautiful.

Ana and Connor are both married. They are having an intense affair.

Until the day Ana receives a phone call that will devastate her beyond all imagining.

As she reflects on their time together, we feel the pain of loving someone who is not free to love you back as you wish them to. Her deep and consuming insecurity makes it extremely painful to not be the one that's chosen. As they push and pull toward and away from one another, over and over again, I was truly moved by the authentic and brutally honest account of the reality of what it feels like to love someone that's forbidden.

Alone in her grief, she cannot eat or feel joy in anything. She longs for a connection to Connor, and finds herself seeking out his widow. Was Connor's marriage really as bad as he said? Did he ever truly love her? Would she have ever believed him anyway when she is so scarred by her past?

The most heartbreaking moment for me is discovering that the last words Connor and Ana shared were angry ones. Knowing that she hung up the phone to him and ignored his attempts to call her back. Moments before tragedy struck.

This book will make you cry, it will make you feel, it will make you think. And it's not an easy read. But I adored the very last sentences that give just a glimmer of hope, a small chink of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

I wouldn't usually pick up a book in verse but I was completely won over by the beautiful cover and further intrigued by the title and blurb.

This tells the story of Ana, whose married lover of 3 years dies suddenly. Ana is married with kids and doesn't have anywhere to turn to share her loss.

Crossan's writing style is so captivating that I found myself completely invested in the story as it ebbed and flowed to it's inevitable end. Ana's character felt so real and although some of her actions and behaviours were questionable, it was hard not to empathise with her throughout.

The story was easily devoured in one reading. Having never read any of Sarah Crossan's YA fiction, I will definitely look it up.

I had to return to this review several weeks after reading the book to upgrade it from 4 to 5 stars (!). There is so much to this story that I have remembered long after many books may be forgotten. It has already made it's way to my re-read pile and I will be recommending it to friends as soon as it is released.

Thanks to #netgalley and bloomsburypublishing for an ARC.

I love and adore everything Sarah writes, and this is no exception. I was swept away in Ana's story, at times rooting for a certain love interest, at others screaming at the top of my lungs for her to walk away.

I am a huge fan of Sarah Crossan’s YA books and was therefore a little worried about her first adult offering and whether the rawness of her writing would transfer. I received this book three hours ago and have just devoured it! Telling the story of Ana, a probate solicitor who learns of the death of her married lover, she is a character you normally would despise. However, Crossan’s trademark, beautifully written prose allows the reader to see Ana’s thoughts, fears, shame and instability unravel and I found myself both empathising and being incredibly irritated with her as she looks back over the affair and integrates herself in his family’s life. Desperate to be loved, noticed and acknowledged, Ana’s emotions are clearly felt - even in such few words. Powerful, compelling and exposed - I loved it.

I was so excited to read this book having thoroughly enjoyed her YA novels. This is her first adult novel.
There is so much more to Sarah’s books than just the story. The book is written in prose and the layout of it on the page is so interesting.
I read this novel in one afternoon. It’s an easy book to read and I became totally invested in the story. It’s a powerful book that has stayed with me and left me with lots to think about (Ana’s character and some of her decisions).
A good read that I definitely recommended.

Sarah Crossan’s spin on structure through her choice of writing in verse in unparalleled – nothing like I have ever read before. It is beautifully written in a stylistic form and encapsulated me to no end. I can imagine, however, that this may not appeal to everyone as it is incredibly specific to personal preference. I believe Crossan crosses traditional storytelling boundaries and provides a compelling read.

The style of writing is frantic, yet suspenseful, particularly at the beginning as I felt my own heart pounding along with Ana’s. I was so eager to know more and find out what happened next. With love and loss being at the centre of this novel, Crossan orchestrates an arguably cliched story of an affair and its repercussions as a powerful and utterly enthralling read. As a reader, I felt every single emotion which is exceptional considering Crossan presents this is so few words – poetic and original.

I would recommend this to every adventurous reader I know.

I absolutely adore Sarah Crossan’s debut adult novel, Here is the Beehive. The story is the most exquisite piece of literature that I have read since Arunduhati Roy's The God of Small Things. It is quite simply art.

In some ways Here is the Beehive reminds me of Roy’s manipulation of story structure. Crossan’s story uses a mish-mash of linear and non-linear narrative. For much of the time the present narrative is linear; whereas, much of the past narrative is non-linear. However, some of the past narrative blends into the present narrative. Crossan reproduces traumatic events for the protagonist, Ana, by embedding the non-linear, bi-temporal structure into the story’s skeleton. We, the reader, experience Ana’s trauma through the structure. Her memories continuously interrupt her present, and therefore, interrupt the readers reading experience, which means that we share Ana’s distress.

Right from the beginning, the prose reminded me of Raymond Carver, which was interesting as Carver is mentioned in the story. Though I could have believed this was synchronicity, I don’t think it was. I think Crossan may be influenced by Carver’s minimalist style of writing. The prose emits superfluous detail, but a great deal is hidden below the surface in the subtext. Crossan, like Carver, is fully aware of what silence does for the reader. She invites interpretation, but not ambiguity, it is clear that our sympathies as readers lie with Ana, rather than Connor’s wife Rebecca.

Crossan’s use of psychic distance is interesting. Subtext brings the reader up close, but simultaneously I felt distant from Ana; however, this distance seems to be a technique that mirrors post-traumatic amnesia. There are many repeated words and phrases which hint at something terrible; although, we aren’t presented with the catastrophic trauma memory until close to the end, and gosh, it hurt my heart.

Though the prose is clean and clear, the story is sprinkled with beautiful imagery, which is demonstrated in the following extract: ‘In the raw dark garden the moonbeams light me up like I am on a stage. But I am not singing or dancing.’ For me, prose such as this is reminiscent of Anton Chekhov, which is interesting given his influence on Carver, who may have influenced Crosson. Like Chekhov and Carver, Crossan’s work reminds me of an impressionist painting - a beautiful Monet.

There is an unspeakable beauty in this story and there are so many more thoughts that I could add, such as the title; or how Crossan’s disregard for sentence structure is reminiscent of Beckett, Joyce or Proust; or how there is an affinity with Max Porter’s story Grief is a Thing With Feathers. I’ll leave those thoughts for now though.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love Sarah Crossan’s writing. Her first verse novel for adults was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it didn’t disappoint. The concept is brilliant; Ana, the main character, has been having an affair with Connor for three years, but he dies quite suddenly. Nobody knew about the affair, so Ana is left alone, trapped in a secret. How do you cope with loss when nobody around you even knows he was yours to lose? Ana’s friends, family and colleagues notice a change in her mood and behaviour but have no explanation for it. And then she befriends Connor’s wife, who is also grieving for him. There are no likeable characters in this book and yet you feel deeply for them all. It’s beautifully written, looking into the complexities of affairs and how wide-reaching and destructive their impact can be.

I wasn't certain I would enjoy this when I started reading it, but I was so wrong. Its beautifully and emotionally written and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend this book.

I’m not sure there are words to describe how I felt about Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan. Never before have I read the last page of a novel and genuinely felt compelled to immediately turn back to page 1 and read it all over again. Nor have I ever before devoured a book in a day and then desperately wished I had read it much slower, savoured each page, sentence, word even. This book is incredible.

Written in free verse, it is an intimate portrayal of marriage, family and infidelity. In the opening pages we learn that Connor, the man with whom Ana has been having a secret extra-marital affair, is dead. Through vignettes of varying lengths, which switch between the present day and the past, we learn how the two met, how the affair began and how their feelings towards each other and their spouses progressed over time. In the present, Ana battles with the fact she is forced to internalise her grief, dealing with it in an often questionable way. The inner workings of her probably doomed marriage are also examined, leaving me wondering how different their lives might have been if Ana had managed to remain faithful.

This is a tense and emotional read, with a rawness that demands the reader’s full and undivided attention. I can’t say that I particularly warmed to any of the characters or their actions but their grief, flaws, desperation and fragility make them feel strangely relatable, their stories utterly compelling.

Sarah Crossan’s writing is new to me but I will definitely be going back to read some of her YA novels. I am utterly in awe of her ability to use the fewest words to portray the hugest events and emotions; every word seems deliberately placed, none superfluous.

I was kindly gifted an eARC of this book by Bloomsbury for review but I’m going to go out and buy the hardback when it releases this Thursday. I want to read it again, slowly this time, in order to pick up more of the symbolism that I’m certain I missed first time round. But I also suspect the page layout in the print version will add even more to the reading experience.

This was so different to the kind of books I usually enjoy but I absolutely 100% adored it. it will be in my top 5 novels of the year for sure. Go out and buy it!

I love Sarah Crossan's other books so was really excited about this one. It surpassed my expectations, it was wonderful, heartbreakingly beautiful. I could not put it down.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year. Even if a situation feels like it has been done and written about before, Sarah Crossan's beautiful writing will always bring something nuanced and unique. Every word and each verse is chosen and constructed so carefully and deliberately. I love the experience of reading her verse novels, even when they delve into painful, difficult and 'ugly' places. I recommend her young adult books to people of all ages too - they are unforgettable, emotional and thought-provoking experiences, with equally wonderful writing.

I read this book very quickly, I found I couldn’t put it down as has happened with all the Sarah Crossan titles I have read.
As a school librarian I have been aware of Sarah Crossan’s incredible way with words and the unique way they are laid out on the page for the reader, and also of her popularity amongst young people as a writer. The topics that she writes about are always current and fresh and described in a gripping way.
This first novel aimed at adult readers does not disappoint. Ana discovers that her lover has died in a heartbreaking way and the novel unfolds into the gritty reality of the last three years they have spent together.
The characters seem very real and their thoughts and feelings are conveyed beautifully to the reader in Sarah Crossan’s unique poetic way of writing.
This is a real treat for adult readers and I hope there is more to come for this new age bracket that Sarah Crossan is writing for, but would also heartily recommend that any new readers of Sarah Crossan look to her back catalogue of young adult work - they certainly will not be disappointed.

I just loved this book.

Written at times like a piece of poetry.

We follow one woman, the other woman, a woman scorned if you will.

After finding out that her lover has passed away in a tragic accident, we become immersed in their relationship. Finding out how they met, the passion between their love and their hate because being the other woman comes with its own grievances.

This book is clever because really there isn't an awful lot going on - simple in its layout - but somehow it remains gripping and edgy.

A speedy read.

Finished within a couple of hours, I found myself falling deeper into the tale wondering just where the lies would lead.

I was shocked part way through when I realised that the protagonist herself was also married.

Here is the Beehive shows just how tangled our lives can be, secrets that are kept right under our noses, makes you question those around you.

Sarah Crossan has done a fantastic job at creating something quite raw and real. I think all the more compelling as it could (and possibly has) happen in real life, this story could well be someone's reality.

Sarah Crossan's first novel for adults sparkles with originality and style.
Modern marriage and adultery told in a lucid and exacting style. The messy outpourings of love, jealousy and grief, all drawn with a rare confidence. The delicate cruelties of life are all perfectly observed.
Sparse and heartbreaking. As tender as it is brutal.

This is a fantastic story of grief and what it's like to grieve someone who was never really yours. Sarah Crossan writes beautiful lyrical verse and I was hooked into Ana's life and couldn't put this down.

This is my first book by Sarah but I absolutely loved it!

I loved Ana's story but felt so many emotions towards her love interests throughout...

Such a good read, a beautiful story! I can't recommend enough x

I had never heard of this author before and didn’t realise the novel was written in verse, which I thought would put me off. However, I was proved completely wrong. I absolutely LOVED this book. The method of writing flowed beautifully, and made it seem like I was following the narrator’s stream of consciousness.

I think the narrator could be hit and miss for people, the topic of an affair can be a turn off for people, but I thought the author presented the situation in a raw and honest way. There’s nothing beautiful about the topic, but the way in which the main character’s thoughts and feelings were presented in the book made me feel like I was in her head, feeling those feelings too.

I would highly recommend this book for someone who wants a quick read and is willing to try something a little different!