read: little bee
Author Chris Cleave is a well-meaning observer of the human condition but he has a tin ear: His characters speak in clunky, confessional tones—and they don't so much converse as give each other lectures. Meanwhile, the narrative jumps around chronologically in what feels like a contrived attempt at intrigue but results chiefly in the story foundering between Nick Hornby-esque Brit-com and jarring Flannery O'Connor-ish reversals—with melodramatic results.