Craig Silvey

The highly anticipated new novel by the bestselling author of Jasper Jones.

Honeybee

isabella

I read it all at once. I liked the characters and that is why I did not stop reading it.

Tess Vale

Tess McMahon

I loved this book. It was so special and moving, with equal moments of sadness and joy. Sam just drew me in and I couldn’t put it down, I was really rooting for him. His relationship with Vic was so heartwarming, and I loved the description of the different things Sam cooked and wore. 

I do understand the ‘own voices’ criticism of this book, however as someone who knew very little about the experiences of transgender people, I’m grateful that an author with a platform chose one as his hero. Hopefully it encourages readers to seek out works by trans and gender-diverse authors. 

🐝🐝🐝

Tegan Bell

** spoiler alert **
           I’m cis, so please take the following with a grain of salt;

I loved this book. It was heartbreaking, yet heartwarming. It was exactly the kind of book I needed when I read it, and I know it’ll stick with me for years to come. Obviously, a cis man writing from the perspective of a trans woman has flaws. Nonetheless, I really loved this book.

Made me cry so many times, it's such an addicting book and whenever I can I recommend it to someone. Definitely worth your time and read, I recommend looking up trigger warnings first though

J Purdie

Eva Bailey

I don't think I will ever forget this book, it is so beautiful. I got to the end of the last chapter and was devastated to find that was it. What a story, this has become one of my favourite books ever.

isabella t mejias

'Find out who you are, and live that life.' Late in the night, fourteen-year-old Sam Watson steps onto a quiet overpass, climbs over the rail and looks down at the road far below. At the other end of the same bridge, an old man, Vic, smokes his last cigarette. The two see each other across the void. A fateful connection is made, and an unlikely friendship blooms. Slowly, we learn what led Sam and Vic to the bridge that night. Bonded by their suffering, each privately commits to the impossible task of saving the other. Honeybee is a heartbreaking, life-affirming novel that throws us headlong into a world of petty thefts, extortion plots, botched bank robberies, daring dog rescues and one spectacular drag show. At the heart of Honeybee is Sam: a solitary, resilient young person battling to navigate the world as their true self; ensnared by loyalty to a troubled mother, scarred by the volatility of a domineering stepfather, and confounded by the kindness of new alliances. Honeybee is a tender, profoundly moving novel, brimming with vivid characters and luminous words. It's about two lives forever changed by a chance encounter -- one offering hope, the other redemption. It's about when to persevere, and when to be merciful, as Sam learns when to let go, and when to hold on.

priya

i would redo this year just to avoid reading this book

Natalie Manuel

If I’d written this 1/2 way through I think I might have given 5 stars, however I really think the story became a little too simplistic as it went on. Something about it started to feel too after school special for me, which is a shame because there’s so much to like about it.

The good - It’s interesting right from the get-go. Sam is a great character, VIC is an amazing character, both well drawn and the story was immersive from the time they met.

It felt a lot like a not quite as good version of Boy Swallows Universe, and Sam is very similar to Eli Bell, in that both are sweet characters who experience a lot of trauma but remain good people at heart.

But at some point in the book, I think after Sam goes back to live with his mother, it just became too saccharine and it didn’t do justice to the complexity of his trauma. 

There were quite a few plot holes (how does this kid have internet on his ipad the whole time?!) and unbelievable parts (parents of someone he barely knows paying for his tuition).

I think the novel would have been better if it had spanned a shorter time period - maybe focus on Sam and VIC’s friendship over the course of a week and have them both decide to live. 

All in all though, it was an enjoyable book with beautiful, memorable characters. It just didn’t quite get to 5 stars for me. 3.5 stars.

Sarah Jackson

4.75
I devoured the story, it was gut wrenching, made me genuinely gasp and made me sob my eyes out. Craig Silvey did it again. Obviously I need to mention that I think I would have like to see this story come from an author of lived experience, although I have done some research into how/why Silvey wrote this story and I really appreciate how open he is being about the importance of own voices stories and the level of research and consulting he undertook to make this story as genuine as possible. Although, again I am not one who can/should comment on the accuracy and validity of the representation presented in this story. 

I think it lost the 0.25 of a star for me because as I have said I would've loved to see this book as an own voices story and because I think the ending was just a little too perfect for me, it stood out against the tone of the rest of the book.

Andrew Canion

An incredible coming-of-age story of a boy with all the odds stacked against him. Wonderful to read a book set in my home town, too.

Honeybee

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