Wow, this character is a mess. ( )

Een boek in het Engels lezen is in sommige gevallen toch best moeilijk en dat is hier ook het geval omdat het zo'n onsamenhangende tekst is. Maar het verhaal is in grote lijnen wel te volgen en het is een intrigerend verhaal over een verboden liefde, over ontrouw en vriendschap geschreven in een dagboek formule. Tenminste zo zie ik dat. Losse opmerkingen zonder te weten over wie of wat het gaat. Dat is in het Nederlands al een uitdaging, maar in het Engels voor mij zeker. Het einde heeft me echt overvallen. Heel goed gedaan. ( )

A novel in verse.
If I had seen this book on the shelves and considered reading it, I would have been immediately put off by the verse format. Strangely, however, it came to me in audiobook format and I had absolutely no idea that it was written as poetry until I investigated other reviews once I'd finished. It made me rethink my reaction to the book, although my rating remained the same.

Ana is a married woman, Connor is a married man and their relationship seems to be stuck going nowhere. One or other of them puts a stop to it, only to find themselves together again.
Ana is his solicitor and they met when she was drawing up his will, so when he dies, it is his wife, Rebecca who approaches Ana.
An interesting scenario, a toxic relationship, a short book, written in verse.

The author chose to narrate the audiobook herself. Probably a good idea as only she could really interpret the verse correctly. She did a good job, although it was somewhat monotone in delivery.

The main reason for my 3 star rating, however, was the disjointed nature of the narrative. It seemed to skip about in time and between characters, so that I had to keep readjusting my brain to the changes. This was a shame, because I might otherwise have found myself enjoying my first ever book written in verse. ( )

Oh, geez. Once I got into the rhythm of the almost free-verse writing and quieted my inner voice telling Ana to stop this all-consuming affair with a married man and get back to caring for her own family and marriage, I enjoyed this different approach to this story told in first person. When Ana, a lawyer, finds out from the wife of the man with whom she had an affair, that he is dead life changes and not for the better. Of all things, she tried to befriend his widow. Going back and forth in time, Ana delves into what the obsessive affair meant to her and what it is doing to her now that its ended. This is an honest, almost dispassionate look at how difficult relationships can be. ( )

As Here is the Beehive is told in verse I thought I would attempt a review in verse. I am in no way trying to imitate the quality of Sarah Crossan's writing. I just wanted to try something different.

Here is the Beehive,
an innovative story told in verse,
by turns heartbreaking and infuriating.

Ana Kelly, probate lawyer, mother, wife, lover, mistress,
failing at all since the loss of Connor.
Unable to publicly grieve, holding sorrow in, ready to explode.

Ana, you're unlikeable, your behaviour is out of control
and obsessive
and yet…..and yet…..
I sort of understood.

Through my fingers, my eyes traced your spiral of destruction,
heading towards the inevitable mess
you were creating
and
I felt moved.

A story hard to put down, I had to know
the outcome.
I hoped.

Sarah Crossan is a beautiful and lyrical writer
with depth and raw emotion
shining through every word.
Tough subject matter, real life
is not faultless.

But Here is the Beehive almost is. ( )