Secret Life of Bees

The first time I read this book was 2 years ago I remember looking at the title and thinking this sounds different. Once I started it I absolutely loved and realized quickly why it was required in our class. Well it happened yet again and the book grew on me even more. This time I really took in the meaning of the text and found so many phrases that I love.

It's funny but reading it again I was able to notice Lily's determination, which I think is one of the main themes throughout the book, throughout the whole book. Of course you feel bad that a young girl has to experience so much pain but it's not as though she dwells on it. Yes, T. Ray is mean and she goes on about the bad he does but it's not that she is constantly putting him down. More or less she just wants to get away from him and find out about her mother. For being young she definitely has a good head on her. It's great that she doesn't want to settle with how her life would be if she stayed on the farm with her father. As I just wrote father it reminded me that when Lily would say T. Ray it always felt to me like Lily was his is possession not his daughter, who he felt he could control. The thought of not calling him dad was a big clue of their lacking of a relationship. It broke my heart when Lily asked T. Ray what her favorite color was and he could not even answer. Because in that moment you feel her hope that he might know this answer and when he never answered her heart shattered truly realizing he never loved her. Here she had tried through the years hoping that maybe he just wasn't one to show it but he truly only cared about himself. After she wrote the "letter" to him it was a sense of relieft that she was able to finally let you feelings out and see just what a horrible person and father T. Ray really was. "He's not the Daddy type, He yells all the time....At everything in the world." (238)

Being a female I found that this book was inspirational and shows the unique bond between women. Lily missd out on having a mother who would nurture and love her but once she found the Sisters she felt feelings she had never felt before. I love the message that your true family does not have to be the only people that can love you. In some instances we need to open our hearts up to others and this is what Lily did. Although she never imagined she would find such home with love in a sense she stumbled onto it. This reminded me of Lovely Bones in the sense that it was as if it had all been planned out without even realizing. The fact that August was Deborah's caregiver, and Lily kept pictures of her mother and black Mary and this is what kept both mother and daughter thriving in life is chilling-in a good way! August was their savor and showed them the affection they were lacking and was simply the shoulder to cry on when they needed it most. These 3 women will forever be tied together which is a pretty unique relationship to have.

Lines from the text...

it seemed all of a sudden like my mother was there, up against my body, like she was bits and pieces of insulation modled against my skin, helping me absorb all his meanness (24)

I reached for the limb of a small cedar and held tight, as though everything I had was about to slip from my hands. (195)

Up until then I'd thought that white people and colored people getting along was the big aim, but after that I decided everybody being colorless together was a better plan. (209)


If I was a Negro girl- We can't think of changing our skin, change the world-that's how we gotta think. (216)

I guess I have forgiven us both, although sometimes in the night my dreams will take me back to the sadness, and I hve to wak up and forgive us again. (301)

My heart never stops talking (301)

And there they were. All these mothers. I have more mothers than any eight girls off the street. They are the moons shining over me. ( 302)

Lovely Bones

I find it hard to respond to this book not because it was bad but it was so wonderfully written. The first chapter made me gasp and cry imagining this innocent, naive girl being sought after by a disturbed man. The writting is done sot hat it allows you to understand thow each person is thinking during the events at the time. I think this is what I liked best, how thought provoking the book is to the reader. On page 14 when Susie describes simply leaving her body and whil fighting and stryggling she can hear her mother calling her name for dinner, I mean how horrible is this yet so powerful. This innocent young girl is so close to home yet so far away in the Earth being taken away. It reminds you of the similiarities of your own life and that this is capiable of happenitng to any one of us. I could sense the sweetness in her mom's voice wanting for her daughter to come home and join the family.

Once in heaven it is fascinating to see life go on for her family along with her own in Heaven. It brings comfort that she is able to see her fmaily however Susie experiences the pain of the family breaking apart while the killer is still free. IT was fascinating how the author had Susie talking aboutt he places she wen with Harvey at the time of her death and how she felt and even what she saw through her dead body.

The text makes you rethink about the death and Heaven. I questioned would I want to see my loved ones struggle with my loss and then move on with their life. To witness what I could have would seem to be devasting. Susie even mentioned living through Lindsey even though she should be the one in college. It really puts into presepctive how fragile life is and what those that die young miss out on in life.
I also found it to be truly amazing to think that those we've lost can still be with us and watching over us. It gives you the feeling that you never have to be apart from those we love. In a way the stroy allows you to become okay with the idea of death and heaven.
Although the story has to many sections to discuss all of them I thought the very beginning and last few chapters to be extradinary. When Susie had the chance to be with Ray it was like fulfiling part of her young adulthood that would make being dead a little more easier being able to have a chance to see good-bye to a boy who was special to her. You could sense the pain, happiness, and love. I wished they could stay like this forever.In that moment is was as if it was saying it is time to let and move on.
This book allows the reader to do personal reflection of their own life. Initially I got so angry with the mom for just leaving but soon realized who am I to say how you should act when your child is murdered and flips the dynamic of you life. My heart aches for any family and child that would ever endure such events. I think this book signifies that although it can be a difficult experience and seem like life will never get better there is a chance for a happy life once you get passed the dark period.
It was a bittersweet ending for Lindsey to now have her baby and leave Susie in her memories not constantly on her mind. She again I think the story is showing that once gone we come back in various ways to be around those that we love. Then when the couple found Susie's bracelet it makes you think that there are always clues around us that might signify answers to someone else.

Jemima J

I absolutely enjoyed this book without a question. I found it hard to put down. The more I read the more I wanted to know who JJ would end up with. It was exciting to experience her suddent change in life. As I read it I felt motivated myself to want to excercise more, maybe not as much as she did, but it is possibly to make yourself better. Right from the beginning of the book when she talks about dieting I loved the honesty. The dialogue is exactly how we all feel about diets. The phrase, " And diets don't work, how can they? It's a multi-million dollar industry, and if any of the diets actually worked the whole caboodle would go down the toilet." (p. 3) Again when she talks herself into eating the cookies she found in the drawer even though she had started her diet she thought she better just eat them at once instead of throughout the week. (p.13) We've all experienced this and it's just how our society works. The latest diet on the news, we all have to try even if it doesn't work or is dangerous. When you read you laugh inside realizing just how crazy we really are in this world!

The book has so many themes; love, appearance/looks, discovery of one self, and denial. I think one of the most important themes of the book is that everything happens for a reason. JJ was overweight for a reason. She was able to experience life as a person carrying extra weight and feeling a sense of lonliness because of her looks. When she began going online it allowed her to be someone she really isn't and for a moment in time she felt happy. Which isn't that what we all want? Although to her having a hot body, a boyfriend, and lots of friends is what she thought would make her happy. Once she saw the picture Geraldine had done of her it was all the motivation she needed to truly change herself. I loved that she did it for herself and was able to allow others to show all that she had to offer. I think this book could really help people of all sizes understand what one experiences simply because of their weight, big or small. Which is why I thought having JJ fall in love with Brad which turned out to be a bad thing was a great way to signify that life is more than just looks and sometimes things are too good to be true. Whether you wear a size 0 or size 10 you can still get hurt but by those you love or think you love.

It was great how Jane Green intertwined Bed's life with JJ's. At the end where they kept seeing each other but not really seeing each was fun to read. I found myself saying come on all ready just see each other face to face! This is why the book was so wonderful because it brings out feelings that most of us have felt at one time. You want to laugh, cheer and cry all at the same time. Most of all it was wonderful watching JJ come full circle with herself-weight, love and all!