Saturday, April 9, 2011

Book Review: "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave


When Sarah, a savvy magazine editor from London, and Little Bee, a Nigerian girl on the run from men trying to kill her and her sister, first meet, their interaction has disastrous consequences that never fade for anyone involved. When they meet again two years later, it is another tumultuous time in both of their lives, but they try to build a friendship in which they help one another cope. But that is not as easy as it seems.

To give more plot description than that would spoil some of the story as it unfolds. This is a captivating story with flawed characters, and as the plot reveals itself, there are definitely some surprises. The book switches between Sarah's narration and Little Bee's, and sometimes it is difficult to keep track of what is happening. Chris Cleave juggles a number of major themes and tangents fairly well, and you are definitely motivated to keep reading in order to see if what you think is going to happen actually does.

I thought this was a good book. I felt that the last third of the book happened much too abruptly and the ending was ambiguous and slightly dissatisfying. But the characters are tremendously memorable, and they stick with you after the story is finished, so this is definitely worth reading. Thanks to Caroline Kuhlman for the recommendation!!

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