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Title: A disappointing follow up to Bees
Review: I loved The Secret Life of Bees. I had high hopes for this novel as a result, but it was a disappointment.The characters were uncompelling. The only ones I found remotely interesting were a couple of the monks, and they were used peripherally and in bizarre ways to move the plot along.Although I had to force myself to plough through the story, the plot marched along at such a quick pace that events were happening in a way that seemed forced and unreal.The author doesn't seem to know if she wanted to write a story about female friendship, forbidden love, guilt and madness, or mid-aged crisis/renewal. The fact that she attempts all at once just makes for a really weak, unsatisfying story.Finally, the imagery in the novel seemed too obvious and not nearly as lyrical and beautiful as in her previous story.
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