Here is the Beehive

This novel is superbly written. It is the first adult verse novel I've read and it definitely won't be the last. I've enjoyed Crossan's YA novels in the past and it was great to read a story with adult characters. 

Here is the Beehive is full of complicated characters, whose lives are messy and imperfect, but refreshingly real. There were so many moments where I wished I could speak to Ana - perhaps a result of the style it is written in, but also because she was so fleshed out. There's so much to talk about with her - she's a character you could study and write essays on. I could definitely write an essay on all my thoughts about her (the only reason I'm keeping this brief is because I was to avoid spoilers). I didn't agree with a lot of her actions, but I understood why she was making them and throughout the novel I desperately wanted her to heal and be happy.  She is a character I could discuss endlessly and I can't wait for more people to read this book so that I can. 

Crossan writes in first person but addresses Ana's partner, Connor, as 'you' throughout. This heightens the emotion within the verse and also assumes the reader already knows everything, which leads to some big surprises in the plot. I was never sure how or where Here is the Beehive was going to end. The final page brought me to tears. 

Crossan's attention to detail is brilliant. I loved the tiny character studies of figures in the background which brought the world vividly to life. Small moments have stuck with me long after I read the last page.

I was provided with an early copy of this novel to review on NetGalley