Amazing story about two women with an interesting connection. To me, this is a book that really made me think about what is important in life. It is sad so be prepared!

Wow, I don't quite know how to go about reviewing this book as the publishers don't want to give away any of the story. There isn't even a synopsis of the novel on the book cover or inside the book!! So...I suppose I'll say that I was completely pulled into the story by 'Little Bee', a sixteen-year-old 'orphan' from Nigeria. Little Bee is one of two narrators, the other being Sarah who lives in England and is helping Little Bee.

I found the voices of Little Bee and Sarah captivating and couldn't see my way clear to even put the novel down until it was done. Now, I wish I hadn't read so quickly as I want to go back now and hear their voices again.

This was a wonderful story that was inspirational yet heartbreaking. You will come to deeply appreciate what we have in this country after reading Little Bee. You'll no longer take for granted the choices and decisions that you get to make of your own free will each day. Or, just enjoying the simple pleasures of every day life.

Little Bee will open your eyes in ways you hadn't thought possible. Kudos to Mr. Cleave for his ingenious ability to pen a novel that digs deep into your psyche without you even realizing that it's happening. A book for everyone!

I received this book as a gift and must admit I was a little fooled by the description on the back. This book is essentially about a Nigerian refugee who finds herself in a detention center in London, gets "released" and then tells her story of how she ended up there. I'm surprised that the synopsis called this book uplifting as I found this to be a very heavy and depressing read.

Besides being fooled by the back cover, the only other qualm I have about this book is Sara's attraction and love affair with Lawrence, as I didn't see how this had any bearing on the story. I found Lawrence's character to be weak and even a bit annoying. I was constantly wondering how Sara could be attracted to someone like him, it made me think less of her character.

Little Bee is a very thought-provoking book. It helped to give me a better understanding of the lives of refugees and detention centers which I hadn't give much thought to before.

"Cleave's sophomore effort, Little Bee, has already been released in the U.K. to resounding acclaim, and showcases his true gift at creating complex, realistic characters who are, regrettably, far stronger than the storyline they inhabit. For, despite the plaudits, Little Bee also abundantly displays what is shaping up to be Cleave's Achilles heel in his stories; the weakness of his narrative framework."

Read the full review here: http://shelf-monkey.blogspot.com/2009/02/little-bee-by-chris-cleave-review.html