Kissing the Bee

Written by Kathe Koja

Narrated by Sarah Gorman

About to graduate from high school, quivering on the edge of adulthood, Dana, Avra, and Emil are locked in an intricate dance of commitment, desire, and promises. Dana, investigating the enigmatic world of bees, is ready to pursue her education as a science writer. Avra is longing to bolt for freedom. And Emil… well, Emil is keeping his own counsel.

No one doubts that Avra is the queen of this tiny hive. But queens can be demanding, and when royalty oversteps its bounds, a revolution may occur. For when the lines of love and loyalty cross, they make a point as sharp as a sting.

Praised by Publisher’s Weekly for its “spare and haunting” prose (starred review) and lauded by Booklist for capturing “first love’s exquisite, earth-shattering joy” (starred review) Kissing the Bee mixes honey with venom in this grippingly romantic recording.

A Full Cast Audio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Full Cast Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781934180754

Kathe Koja

Kathe Koja is a writer and producer based in Detroit. Her work includes The Cipher, Skin, Under the Poppy, and Dark Factory.  

Reviews for Kissing the Bee

[lorettalj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Avra and Dana have been best friends forever. Emil is Avra's boyfriend and the three of them do everything together. Dana realizes that she is attracted to Emil and as time passes, Emil shares that he likes her too. What does she do? Betray her best friend or ignore her feelings for Emil?

[abrial2433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

VOYA Ratings: 4Q, 4PComing of age for a queen bee is a dangerous proposition as it is their first act after hatching to seek out and kill all other potential queens in the hive. For the worker bees, maturing into an adult is not much better of a proposition as they are virtually indistinguishable from all the others, eternally subservient, and toil endlessly until death.Though the experiences of bees are far removed from those of humans, Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja presents the case of Dana, a young woman in her senior year of high school as she stands on the cusp of the rest of her life. Bright and thoughtful, Dana has always been subservient to her best friend Avra. Avra is dynamic, tall, beautiful, and fierce in a demanding way that Dana would never consider being. Until now, Dana has been contented to play second fiddle to Avra, that is until a stirring desire between her and Avra's boyfriend Emil awakens a conflict between the two longtime friends. An ease read that is pleasant, smart, and seamless when crafting true to life and believable characters.

[lindap69 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Facts and folklore about bees, part of Dana's senior project, weave together in this story of Dana and her relationship to her supposedly best friend Avra. Koja's masterful use of language builds the tension as the hierarchy of the "hive" changes. I was glad it was short as I could not put it down.