The Bee Sting

This seems like a book you'd either love or give up on.

The Bee Sting has some of the best character development I've ever read - each section gives you surprising insight into the family members and shows how the their individual context, personality, and voice impact their interpretation of events.

At the same time, it's a slow read, even factoring in that it's a long book. The toughest part to read (but still genuinely interesting) is a section told in stream of consciousness with no punctuation. Even as the tension rises, events unfold painfully slowly. And the ending....oof.

But if you're willing to take your time and can accept the book's flaws, the good aspects of the book are so strong that I still feel like this warrants 4.75 stars.