Honeybee
Silvey, CraigDesperation brings fourteen-year-old Sam Watson to the wrong side of a safety rail of a motorway overpass, an act witnessed by Vic, an elderly widower dealing with his own despair. The unlikely bond that forms, and the friendship that develops allows both Vic and Sam to face up to their lives, especially Sam who has many challenges.
Compelling and thought-provoking, this Western Australian story exposes its vivid characters to petty crime, violence and drug taking through to gender conformity and mental health issues, all the while creating a poignant yet ultimately hopeful and satisfying coming-of-age story.
Pages
424
424
Year
2020
2020
Reviews
29-04-2024
Lots of lively debate on issues that the book covered. A few items that were a little unbelievable but some great characters.
29-04-2024
Well-written. Challenging themes about a transgender youth. Unrealistic conclusion. Good story with strong characters. Educational and created lively discussion.
19-01-2024
We all enjoyed the book, although some found it confronting. It was well-written and certainly stimulated good discussion.
10-01-2024
Excellent discussion generated. Consensus was that 'Honeybee' is a well crafted, well-written introduction to 'transgender' issues.
23-11-2023
A great story about a teenage boy coming to terms with being transgender, and the friendship with an elderly, lonely man. They save each other. Really well-written. Craig Silvey shows good insight.
30-10-2023
Without exception, we all thoroughly enjoyed this book.
02-10-2023
Loved it. Easy reading, interesting and enlightening.
07-08-2023
A really great book.
10-07-2023
Mixed reviews! Some loved it, some found the plot too unlikely. Some group members had never read a book featuring transgender characters or drag queens before, and found 'Honeybee' to be a good introduction. Others got caught up in the "debate" over trans rights.
28-06-2023
Book generated great discussion. We all felt the transgender topic was handled well and sympathetically. We also felt the poverty issue was handled well. We did wonder if the outcome, while very positive, was a bit unrealistic. A worthwhile read.
26-06-2023
We al enjoyed this book immensely and had a great discussion about it. All thought it was well-written, topical and an important aspect of life to be open about in this day and age. Thank you!
02-06-2023
The group's reactions to this book were quite varied. One of us meets the life challenges of the main character in her work so didn't want to read about it as well. Those of us who finished the book read it for the enhanced understanding of the experiences transgender people face.
17-05-2023
100% positive response to this book. Strong interest in the topic and the characters, and thoughtful discussion about people we know who are handling these topics.
02-05-2023
All members of the group thought the book was well-written with good characterisation and thoughtfully described settings. There was a lively discussion on transgender issues, and experiences. The book was enjoyed by all.
20-03-2023
An animated discussion with differing viewpoints on the subject of how Craig Silvey dealt with the sensitive issue of transgender. We all learned facts about the journey that a young person has to travel through during this difficult transition.
28-02-2023
Most of the group thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were well drawn, and it was felt the book really described the difficulties for trans children. 3 or 4 of our group thought it wasn't particularly well-written and that the main character and storyline weren't particularly credible.
25-01-2023
Great discussion on people's experiences of people who struggled with their gender. Book well thought of and cleverly constructed. Great characterisation with contrasts in nature. Book notes well done but questions could have probed further.
21-11-2022
Compelling and confronting. Written with empathy and very well developed characters. Sad but hopeful. The content was outside the lifestyle of our group in general so it gave a real insight and understanding of transgender issues.
09-10-2022
One of the most thought provoking books weve read this year. We enjoyed the character portrayals and so many themes to discuss. Heartwarming and heartbreaking.
01-08-2022
We all loved this book!
18-07-2022
All who read this awesome book really enjoyed it and learnt new things. A real eyeopener and very well-written. Highly recommend.
29-06-2022
Everyone loved it. We have a member with a trans child - apparently this book is well regarded in the trans community.
08-06-2022
We all enjoyed this book. It gave insight into the challenges around gender.
17-11-2021
Those who read the book enjoyed it. It provoked quite a discussion on the difficulties those with gender issues experience. We found it a little difficult to get into, but once into the body of the story it was quite an emotional experience, confronting in places and sad. Recommended.
17-09-2021
Great thought-provoking read. Raw, honest and gritty. Prompted good discussion.
02-08-2021
"Gripping, insightful, thought provoking, heart maiming and heartbreaking". Extremely likeable main characters. We could see it as an amazing miniseries. Some unexpectedly delightful moments. Some thought some plot lines were slightly contrived.