{Whatcha Reading?} The Death of Bees

I'm not sure I can explain The Death of Bees. It was face out on the library's Grab & Go shelves, and the title and cover image caught my eye. Because if people are standing in a garden next to a shovel, there's got to be something interesting going on, right?



From the cover --

Marnie and her little sister Nelly are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents, Izzy and Gene, and they aren’t telling. While life in Glasgow’s Hazlehurst housing estate isn’t grand, they do have each other. Besides, it’s only one year until Marnie will be considered an adult and can legally take care of them both.

As the new year comes and goes, Lennie, the old man next door, realizes that his young neighbors are alone and need his help. Or does he need theirs? But he’s not the only one who suspects something isn’t right. Soon, the sisters’ friends, their other neighbors, the authorities, and even Gene’s nosy drug dealer begin to ask questions. As one lie leads to another, dark secrets about the girls’ family surface, creating complications that threaten to tear them apart.

The girls are trying to hold things together until they're old enough to legally take care of themselves and it really does feel like there's nowhere for them to turn for help. And their situation wasn't any better when their parents were alive. It's a dark, entertaining read, definitely not a "feel good" sort of book...  Like I said at the beginning of the post, I'm not sure I can explain it.

This post is linked to Whatcha Reading? at Patchwork Times.