The Hive
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-01 22:30:59
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Melissa Scholes Young
- ISBN：B08SJ5SD31
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Summary
A story of survival， sisters， and secrets。
The Fehler sisters wanted to be more than bug girls but growing up in a fourth- generation family pest control business in rural Missouri， their path was fixed。 The family talked about Fehler Family Exterminating at every meal， even when their mom said to separate the business from the family， an impossible task。 They tried to escape work with trips to their trailer camp on the Mississippi River， but the sisters did more fighting than fishing。 If only there was a son to lead rural Missouri insect control and guide the way through a crumbling patriarchy。
After Robbie Fehler’s sudden death， the surprising details of succession in his will are revealed。 He’s left the company to a distant cousin， assuming the women of the family aren’t capable。 As the mother’s long-term affair surfaces and her apocalypse prepper training intensifies， she wants to trade responsibility for romance。
Facing an economic recession amidst the backdrop of growing Midwestern fear and resentment， the Fehler sisters unite in their struggle to save the company’s finances and the family’s future。 To survive， they must overcome a political chasm that threatens a new civil war as the values that once united them now divide the very foundation they’ve built。 Through alternating point-of-views， grief and regret gracefully give way to the enduring strength of the hive。
The Fehler sisters wanted to be more than bug girls but growing up in a fourth- generation family pest control business in rural Missouri， their path was fixed。 The family talked about Fehler Family Exterminating at every meal， even when their mom said to separate the business from the family， an impossible task。 They tried to escape work with trips to their trailer camp on the Mississippi River， but the sisters did more fighting than fishing。 If only there was a son to lead rural Missouri insect control and guide the way through a crumbling patriarchy。
After Robbie Fehler’s sudden death， the surprising details of succession in his will are revealed。 He’s left the company to a distant cousin， assuming the women of the family aren’t capable。 As the mother’s long-term affair surfaces and her apocalypse prepper training intensifies， she wants to trade responsibility for romance。
Facing an economic recession amidst the backdrop of growing Midwestern fear and resentment， the Fehler sisters unite in their struggle to save the company’s finances and the family’s future。 To survive， they must overcome a political chasm that threatens a new civil war as the values that once united them now divide the very foundation they’ve built。 Through alternating point-of-views， grief and regret gracefully give way to the enduring strength of the hive。
Reviews
Faith
，
This book wasn’t for me， there was nothing in the book that grabbed me。 I couldn’t relate to the prepper story and the focus jumped among too many uninteresting characters （4 sisters and their mother）。 I was expecting the family to relate like the bees in a hive。 The author just says they’re a hive， but I didn’t get any of that from the book。 Honestly， I am sure that all of the 5 star reviews are from friends of the author。 The narrator of the audiobook was adequate。 I received a free copy of th This book wasn’t for me， there was nothing in the book that grabbed me。 I couldn’t relate to the prepper story and the focus jumped among too many uninteresting characters （4 sisters and their mother）。 I was expecting the family to relate like the bees in a hive。 The author just says they’re a hive， but I didn’t get any of that from the book。 Honestly， I am sure that all of the 5 star reviews are from friends of the author。 The narrator of the audiobook was adequate。 I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Engaging riff on Little Women features four sisters and their distracted mother， forced to deal with the family pest control business in Cape Girardeau， Missouri， after their father's sudden death。 Four sisters may feel like a lot to keep track of， but they are so vividly and winningly drawn， I found myself captivated by their struggles。 A fun read that also taught me a lot about， of all things， the prepper community。 Engaging riff on Little Women features four sisters and their distracted mother， forced to deal with the family pest control business in Cape Girardeau， Missouri， after their father's sudden death。 Four sisters may feel like a lot to keep track of， but they are so vividly and winningly drawn， I found myself captivated by their struggles。 A fun read that also taught me a lot about， of all things， the prepper community。 。。。more
Omo
，
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Gloria
，
This is the story of four sisters reforging their relationships after the death of their father， while dealing with the family bug extermination business。 It’s set in the South， in the type of community that has a survival prepping club rather than automatically labeling preppers completely nuts。 I was immediately turned off by the awkwardness of the prologue， and thought the dialogue was an especially poor indication of how the rest of the book would go。 The dialogue is stiff and unnatural。 Peo This is the story of four sisters reforging their relationships after the death of their father， while dealing with the family bug extermination business。 It’s set in the South， in the type of community that has a survival prepping club rather than automatically labeling preppers completely nuts。 I was immediately turned off by the awkwardness of the prologue， and thought the dialogue was an especially poor indication of how the rest of the book would go。 The dialogue is stiff and unnatural。 People make hairpin turns mid-conversation that make them seem absolutely unhinged， even disregarding the conservative “prepper” content。 I also felt that “the hive” of the title promised a lovely， literary metaphorical tie between the extermination business， the family， and the community。 The book showed little sign of delivering on that promise。 Rather than getting into the business and showing readers the interconnected lives of the characters， The author merely tells us repeatedly that they have a family business。 The problem extends beyond the big business， too。 I lost count of how many times we are apparently newly introduced to the fact that Grace comes from a family business as well—her parents were butchers！ I worried I had short term memory loss。 Ultimately， DNF at 24%。 I would be fine reading about preppers and even earnestly sexist， business owning fathers， if the story delivered。 But I see no sign of the characters being given greater depths， and currently they all read like caricatures。 Grace （the mother） is the best developed。 I am grateful to both the publisher and NetGalley for providing an Audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Maria
，
I loved the women in this story， who are learning to stand on their own after the loss of their husband/father。 Each one is so different and sees life and love so uniquely that you get five very distinct glimpses into their thoughts and dreams。 I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Amanda Nelson （The Midtown Reader）
，
TW: Cutting and self harm， racial profiling and racism， radical republican depictions。What a unique and charming story of the Fehler sisters and their family's fourth generation pest control company！The matriarch of the family， Grace is a dooms day prepper who is determined to keep her daughters safe from the pending doom of a presidential election and recession。 Her husband， Robbie is a right winged republican Obama hater who is stuck in the old ways of life。 Women belong in the kitchen， not ru TW: Cutting and self harm， racial profiling and racism， radical republican depictions。What a unique and charming story of the Fehler sisters and their family's fourth generation pest control company！The matriarch of the family， Grace is a dooms day prepper who is determined to keep her daughters safe from the pending doom of a presidential election and recession。 Her husband， Robbie is a right winged republican Obama hater who is stuck in the old ways of life。 Women belong in the kitchen， not running a business。 His daughters are all in their own stages of growth and change as one heads to college， another dreams of running the family business， one who is figuring out her sexuality， and the last who has discovered her life is about to change drastically。 These little women are the backbone of the story and I found myself greatly enjoying my time with the sisters。 The characters are quirky but somehow manage to stay relatable。 I felt like I knew someone like every single one of the characters and for that， I am happy that I took the time to listen to this novel in audio。 Thank you to Netgalley and and Dreamscape Media for an advanced reader copy of this book for my honest review。 。。。more
Bethany
，
The story follows the Fehler family and their pest control business which they have owned for years。 The four daughters are known as the bug girls。 Robbie， the father， dies unexpectedly and the Fehler sisters are forced to figure out their lives and the bug business as they deal with the loss of their father。 Grace， their mother， is a doomsday prepper and everything she does and thinks about always has a reason behind it for her family’s future survival。 The Fehler family is repeatedly referred The story follows the Fehler family and their pest control business which they have owned for years。 The four daughters are known as the bug girls。 Robbie， the father， dies unexpectedly and the Fehler sisters are forced to figure out their lives and the bug business as they deal with the loss of their father。 Grace， their mother， is a doomsday prepper and everything she does and thinks about always has a reason behind it for her family’s future survival。 The Fehler family is repeatedly referred to as “the hive” by Grace。 As a family， they also tend to bees in their back yard – the hive。 At times， I felt that “the hive” was mentioned too much throughout the story。 With that said， it is a beautiful story about survival， struggle family， and sisterhood。 It was beautifully written and the characters were well developed。 This is a perfect summer read that should be added to your #tbr！ 。。。more
Amy
，
Melissa Scholes Young’s novel The Hive is a story that will enchant you from the first page。 Growing up in Missouri， the Fehler sisters and their parents run a generations-old pest control business。 Even though the business has been passed down， the girls don’t want to accept the out-dated ideas about women and business that their father Robbie isn’t ready to let go of。 Their mother Grace has different priorities – saving the family if all hell breaks loose and finally needing to use those end-o Melissa Scholes Young’s novel The Hive is a story that will enchant you from the first page。 Growing up in Missouri， the Fehler sisters and their parents run a generations-old pest control business。 Even though the business has been passed down， the girls don’t want to accept the out-dated ideas about women and business that their father Robbie isn’t ready to let go of。 Their mother Grace has different priorities – saving the family if all hell breaks loose and finally needing to use those end-of-the-world supplies she keeps on recounting and reorganizing。Young’s story is beautifully complex and would make great fodder for a book club read。 。。。more
Rhiannon Johnson
，
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。I was drawn to this novel because it's not often I see the phrase "crumbling patriarchy" in a summary。 I was also intrigued with the story's location: rural Missouri， near Hannibal， which is the halfway point between where my mother and my father live。 I'm familiar with this geographic area and I'm familiar with the way of life that author Melissa Scholes Young depicts in this story。 The Fehler parents， Robbie and I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。I was drawn to this novel because it's not often I see the phrase "crumbling patriarchy" in a summary。 I was also intrigued with the story's location: rural Missouri， near Hannibal， which is the halfway point between where my mother and my father live。 I'm familiar with this geographic area and I'm familiar with the way of life that author Melissa Scholes Young depicts in this story。 The Fehler parents， Robbie and Grace， are Catholic Republicans running a business in a small town and raising four daughters。 Maggie loves the pest control business and wants to bring their services up to date so the business can survive into the future。 Jules wants nothing to do with the business or her family's political ideals。 Kate is the people pleaser who doesn't want to cause any disruption， most notably not wanting her family to know about her sexuality。 Tammy's teen pregnancy broke my heart。 While it was supposed to show strength， it just gutted me because I know firsthand how hard that is and I saw so many other young women experience it in my rural communities。 The chapters of this novel rotate through the female characters but Robbie's imprint is heavy。 The women are facing financial ruin after his death and they won't be able to hang onto the business much longer。 In their grief they each must decide on their own paths and figure out how to move forward as a family。 If you like feminist fiction and/or character driven novels about families， I highly recommend this book。 Come chat with me about books here， too: Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest 。。。more
Kimberly
，
In the beginning I was really enjoying this story of a family of four daughters and their parents whom they referred to as the hive。 The family has a pest control service so there interesting facts about bugs interspersed throughout。 More facts about bedbugs， however， instead of bees which I thought odd given the title。 The book is told in five voices which is a lot given that the book is only about three hundred pages。 It works but ultimately a little too idealistically and neatly。 Where the au In the beginning I was really enjoying this story of a family of four daughters and their parents whom they referred to as the hive。 The family has a pest control service so there interesting facts about bugs interspersed throughout。 More facts about bedbugs， however， instead of bees which I thought odd given the title。 The book is told in five voices which is a lot given that the book is only about three hundred pages。 It works but ultimately a little too idealistically and neatly。 Where the author lost me was in what felt like an attempt to include every social and political issue relevant to today。 Racism， sexual identity， the patriarchy， mental illness， gun control， etc。 Everything is commented on but nothing explored。 Unfortunately， I have read several books in the past year or two with this issue。 It is like the authors feel they have to touch on every issue in order to make the book relevant and sellable instead of just focusing on the story。 。。。more
Jayna
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This book was far too political for my liking。 I'd have never read it had I known。 It mostly takes place in 2008 and within a very conservative family。 A lot of derogatory remarks about Obama and liberals。 Since everything seems to be made political these days， reading is one place where I like to escape that。 Unfortunately， this book did not allow me to do so。I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 The audio was OK- it annoyed me at first， but I eventually got used This book was far too political for my liking。 I'd have never read it had I known。 It mostly takes place in 2008 and within a very conservative family。 A lot of derogatory remarks about Obama and liberals。 Since everything seems to be made political these days， reading is one place where I like to escape that。 Unfortunately， this book did not allow me to do so。I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 The audio was OK- it annoyed me at first， but I eventually got used to the narrator。 It was clear- it was more her voice。 。。。more
Barbara Powell
，
The Fehler family has been in the pest control business for decades with their dad Robbie， as the head of the team and their mom， Grace， running things at home and doing all she can to prep her family for doomsday。 Their 4 daughters are all expected to take over the family business since they’ve been working in it all their lives， even though all but 1 don’t want anything to do with it。 Then Robbie dies and leave the family reeling with his loss， and then all his secrets come to light as well as The Fehler family has been in the pest control business for decades with their dad Robbie， as the head of the team and their mom， Grace， running things at home and doing all she can to prep her family for doomsday。 Their 4 daughters are all expected to take over the family business since they’ve been working in it all their lives， even though all but 1 don’t want anything to do with it。 Then Robbie dies and leave the family reeling with his loss， and then all his secrets come to light as well as the secrets that all the sisters and their mom have been keeping。 Thankfully， they rally together and use the mom’s prepper ways to rebuild the “hive “ even stronger。 Given the past year’s pandemic situation， her prepper ideas aren’t too bad！I enjoyed this， however there were times when I fast forwarded some when it started to drag。 The narrator was really good though。 Clearly distinguished the different characters and brought them to life。 She made the story better for me。 Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Rachel Holmberg
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Family 👨👩👧👧 Bugs 🐝 Secrets 🤐It has been a few weeks since I read this gem of a book。 I wrote a review on my Instagram and had enjoyed the story even as someone who doesn't read contemporary fiction。 Post review and this book really sticks with you。 I'll have thoughts about how I want my future children to be supported and how I would make sure my death wouldn't be such a financial burden。 What do we leave our families with？I'm an only child so I always love reading about larger families who h Family 👨👩👧👧 Bugs 🐝 Secrets 🤐It has been a few weeks since I read this gem of a book。 I wrote a review on my Instagram and had enjoyed the story even as someone who doesn't read contemporary fiction。 Post review and this book really sticks with you。 I'll have thoughts about how I want my future children to be supported and how I would make sure my death wouldn't be such a financial burden。 What do we leave our families with？I'm an only child so I always love reading about larger families who have the "family above all else" mentality。So much to relate with here。 It really explores the political rifts that can drive families apart。Coming of age and grief together makes for a sweet but heartbreaking read。 。。。more
Keigh-Cee
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Melissa Scholes Young writes the Midwest with such gritty realism I can’t help but instantly feel at home in the scenery and with the characters。 The story is real， raw and incredibly compelling。 The Fehler sisters struggle to save the family bug business， their mother’s obsession with prepping， the push and pull of traditional values vs。 the changing world—all told through the perspectives of the characters themselves—made me feel like I was a part of the family in the best and worst ways。 Scho Melissa Scholes Young writes the Midwest with such gritty realism I can’t help but instantly feel at home in the scenery and with the characters。 The story is real， raw and incredibly compelling。 The Fehler sisters struggle to save the family bug business， their mother’s obsession with prepping， the push and pull of traditional values vs。 the changing world—all told through the perspectives of the characters themselves—made me feel like I was a part of the family in the best and worst ways。 Scholes Young has a way with words that will leave you captivated and hungry for more the entire time。 。。。more
Jennifer
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3。5 ⭐️This was a hot mess but it was their hot mess。 A misguided mother who seemed completely crazy will have to raise 4 daughters alone。 All of them had struggles， mistakes。 And it was a front row seat to their family。 This novel was about starting over。 An audiobook for me and the narrator Hallie Ricardo was new to me。 She did a fair job and I recommend listening to this。 Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley。
Natalie
，
I was given an opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook through NetGalley。 Thank you to Melissa Scholes Young and Dreamscape Media！I inhaled this book！ There is something very comforting about a story that feels like it's about a very "real life" family。 The Fehler women’s （mom Grace and daughters Maggie， Jules， Tammy， and Kate） lives are turned upside down when the death of the family patriarch unearths secrets that could destroy the family and their livelihood。 The Fehler wom I was given an opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook through NetGalley。 Thank you to Melissa Scholes Young and Dreamscape Media！I inhaled this book！ There is something very comforting about a story that feels like it's about a very "real life" family。 The Fehler women’s （mom Grace and daughters Maggie， Jules， Tammy， and Kate） lives are turned upside down when the death of the family patriarch unearths secrets that could destroy the family and their livelihood。 The Fehler women describe themselves as "Bug Girls" because the family business is Fehler Family Exterminating。 Each plays an interesting role in the family business as the book goes on and I think each of the women finds a way to bring her own skills and ingenuity to the narrative about the business and their role in the family。 I had a hard time keeping everyone and their roles in the story straight at the beginning but I enjoyed learning about them all as the story went on and how they fit into the complete narrative。 The best way to describe this book would be to call it an Obama-era Little Women。 It captures life in a small town during this time and shows us how each family member navigated their life and the culture at large。 Overall， I enjoyed this book but I think it could have benefited from more background on each woman at the beginning of the story to help the reader sare more about them off the jump。 I would definitely read more by this author in the future。 。。。more
Missie Jacobson
，
The narrator for the audio on this book was fantastic！ I really liked the Hive。 Living in a rural area myself I could really see how a family would stick together for a business。 I was also really mad that the father wanted a male heir to help run the business。 But sadly that probably happens alot！！this book gave me alot of memoir vibes。 Just felt real and honest。 You felt like you were listening to Fehler sisters like they were your close friends。
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
，
If you watched January 6th and thought to yourself， “I’d like some backstory on these people。” Or “I wonder what all of these guys were doing in the late 00s。” then this is the book for you！ Doomsday preppers， people who halfway threaten to fire their employees if they vote for Obama， and people who get mad that their daughter lets her black boyfriend come to her father’s funeral all meet for wacky times when one of them kicks the bucket but can’t imagine letting a woman run the pest control bus If you watched January 6th and thought to yourself， “I’d like some backstory on these people。” Or “I wonder what all of these guys were doing in the late 00s。” then this is the book for you！ Doomsday preppers， people who halfway threaten to fire their employees if they vote for Obama， and people who get mad that their daughter lets her black boyfriend come to her father’s funeral all meet for wacky times when one of them kicks the bucket but can’t imagine letting a woman run the pest control business。 Just not quirky enough to be amusing or touching。*Edited for typo。 。。。more
Rubie Clark
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I absolutely loved The Hives by Melissa！ This was such an amazing book。 The Fehler girls are trying to find themselves and make their mark in this world。 While struggling to keep their family business afloat "Fehler Pest Control"My favorite thing about the book was how the author touches on topics that ring true today。 The book was beautifully written and well crafted。 I was hooked from the very beginning。 And the audio version。。。。wow that narration was done so well。 ♡ I can't recommend this boo I absolutely loved The Hives by Melissa！ This was such an amazing book。 The Fehler girls are trying to find themselves and make their mark in this world。 While struggling to keep their family business afloat "Fehler Pest Control"My favorite thing about the book was how the author touches on topics that ring true today。 The book was beautifully written and well crafted。 I was hooked from the very beginning。 And the audio version。。。。wow that narration was done so well。 ♡ I can't recommend this book enough The Hives is going to be a hit June 8th 2021。Thank You NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for this advanced audio version。 。。。more
Ashley
，
I can already tell this is gonna be a book that everyone is gonna go crazy for。 And rightfully so。 This is the perfect summer read。 I fell in love with the Fehler family in these pages and enjoyed every second I was immersed in their lives。 Melissa Scholes Young did an excellent job writing dimensional characters with good and bad qualities。 I laughed and cried along with each of them。 The Hive is， in my opinion， a beautiful story about the power of women; whether they know it or not， family， an I can already tell this is gonna be a book that everyone is gonna go crazy for。 And rightfully so。 This is the perfect summer read。 I fell in love with the Fehler family in these pages and enjoyed every second I was immersed in their lives。 Melissa Scholes Young did an excellent job writing dimensional characters with good and bad qualities。 I laughed and cried along with each of them。 The Hive is， in my opinion， a beautiful story about the power of women; whether they know it or not， family， and it reminds us that people are dimensional。 You’ll want to grab a copy of this on June 8th！ 。。。more
Jennifer Klepper
，
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I'm still thinking about the Fehler sisters。 Melissa Scholes Young takes the reader to 2007， when the economic recession is throwing families and businesses into financial distress， the foundations for the Tea Party are being laid （lain？ 🙃）， and four sisters and their mother are at a family pivot point。 Young does an expert job of giving each of these women a distinct voice—no mean feat。 We're drawn into the story by meticulously detailed characters I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I'm still thinking about the Fehler sisters。 Melissa Scholes Young takes the reader to 2007， when the economic recession is throwing families and businesses into financial distress， the foundations for the Tea Party are being laid （lain？ 🙃）， and four sisters and their mother are at a family pivot point。 Young does an expert job of giving each of these women a distinct voice—no mean feat。 We're drawn into the story by meticulously detailed characters and the grassroots setting of small town Missouri。 Spanning the political spectrum， the Fehler women face individual challenges based on money， gender， politics， and the birds and the bees， but when the family patriarch dies， they have to focus on common values。 "The Hive" is a luscious and richly drawn story of a family doing what family does: protect the hive。Thank you Turner Publishing for providing an advanced copy of the book！ 。。。more
Lynn Kanter
，
In a small， conservative， Missouri town in 2008， four sisters must scramble to save their family pest control business and figure out a future for themselves in the wake of their father’s death。 They learn that he has plunged the company into debt， and left it in equal shares to them and a distant male cousin， certain that no woman can manage a business， although the oldest sister had been doing so for years。 Their mother， a “prepper” who’s convinced the end is imminent， especially if Obama is e In a small， conservative， Missouri town in 2008， four sisters must scramble to save their family pest control business and figure out a future for themselves in the wake of their father’s death。 They learn that he has plunged the company into debt， and left it in equal shares to them and a distant male cousin， certain that no woman can manage a business， although the oldest sister had been doing so for years。 Their mother， a “prepper” who’s convinced the end is imminent， especially if Obama is elected， is exploring her own freedom and is little help with the business。 I appreciated the close and textured view of a working-class family struggling for survival， redefinition， and a reason to hope。 While I felt no love for the selfish and prejudiced patriarch whose death launches the plot， the author convinced me that his family did， and that’s exactly what you hope for from a novel。 This is the rare book that recognizes racism， sexism， and the shifts of history are as much family concerns as grief and debt。 And although the novel deals with serious themes， it’s shot through with warmth， quirkiness and wit， like the Fehler family itself。 I don’t want to live in the world The Hive created， but I was grieved to leave it behind。 I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the novel; The Hive will be published in June， 2021， and has already been optioned for a movie or TV show。 But don’t wait to watch it; read this vibrant novel now。 。。。more
Anthony Castellano
，
*I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of the novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased review*With The Hive， Melissa Scholes Young has crafted a beautiful， character-driven dive into the close-knit， titular hive of the Fehler family: parents Robbie & Grace， and sisters Maggie， Jules， Tammy， & Kate。 From doomsday-prepper/survivalist mom Grace， to teenage beauty queen Tammy & littlest bug-girl Kate， the characters spring off the page with such exquisite detail and intimacy that I couldn’t help *I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of the novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased review*With The Hive， Melissa Scholes Young has crafted a beautiful， character-driven dive into the close-knit， titular hive of the Fehler family: parents Robbie & Grace， and sisters Maggie， Jules， Tammy， & Kate。 From doomsday-prepper/survivalist mom Grace， to teenage beauty queen Tammy & littlest bug-girl Kate， the characters spring off the page with such exquisite detail and intimacy that I couldn’t help but find each captivating and sympathetic， even in the moments where they may not have been particularly endearing。 Especially in the current political climate， I found it immensely refreshing to read a character with beliefs diametrically opposed to my own who was still written with compassion and understanding in every sentence。From beekeeping & the family pest control business， to survivalist training & Bug Out Bags （for “bugging out” at a moment’s notice）， the reader is given just enough time to meet the family and grow accustomed to their world as they know it in the first part of the novel， so that when the rug is pulled out from under the characters， the reader feels it too。 After tragedy strikes， the real meat of the book comes in the ways the Fehlers put themselves back together again， both individually and as a family unit—which， as the title would suggest， is something of core importance to the novel。The Hive feels fundamentally concerned with the strength of a collective whole， the titular hive。 Within the first few pages， we learn that the protection & survival of the hive is more important than anything else， and that sentiment continues throughout the novel like a refrain—in dialogue， in narration and interior thought， at the ends of letters and in the bodies of excerpted essays: the hive must survive， at all costs。 The Hive is a novel about many things—love and loss， fear and hope， bed bugs—but， in the end， nothing is more important than family。All-in-all， a gorgeous novel which ought to be on everyone’s summer reading list this year。 。。。more
Teresa Murphy
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Little Women on the Mississippi: A Modern Take on Alcott’s Classic NovelMelissa Scholes Young’s novel， “The Hive，” transports readers to a time before MAGA hats were donned and members of the Squad took their seats in the United States House of Representatives。 The chasm between red and blue America had not reached its current depth， but fissures were forming。 Scholes Young’s novel， set in the heart of flyover country， invites readers into the lives of a working-class family coping with a deep e Little Women on the Mississippi: A Modern Take on Alcott’s Classic NovelMelissa Scholes Young’s novel， “The Hive，” transports readers to a time before MAGA hats were donned and members of the Squad took their seats in the United States House of Representatives。 The chasm between red and blue America had not reached its current depth， but fissures were forming。 Scholes Young’s novel， set in the heart of flyover country， invites readers into the lives of a working-class family coping with a deep economic recession and the election of Barack Obama。 In Cape Girardeau， Missouri， the Fehler family is blue-collar royalty。 They have owned and operated a pest control business since 1938。 On the night Maggie Fehler is awarded the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Emerging Business Woman Award， her father， Robbie， has a fatal heart attack， upending the patriarchal order that has held sway for three generations。 Since Robbie and his wife have failed to produce a male heir， everyone in town expects Maggie， their oldest daughter， to take charge of Fehler Family Exterminating。 Fresh out of community college， Maggie has big plans for improving the business。 Those plans are jeopardized when Robbie’s will is read and the family learns that he has left a substantial share of the business to a male cousin and none to his wife， Grace。 They also discover that Robbie has incurred so much debt that they are in danger of losing the family business。 Told in alternating points of view， “The Hive，” is the story of how the Fehler women manage loss and renewal。 In both style and substance， “The Hive” pays homage to Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott。 Scholes Young， an Associate Professor in the Department of Literature at American University， was born and raised in Twain’s hometown of Hannibal， Missouri。 Twain’s influence is evident in Scholes Young’s rich descriptions of the landscape as well as in her adroit portrayal of the psychosocial aspects of contemporary American life。 Much like Alcott’s “Little Women，” “The Hive” captures the vibrations of family life， chronicling the tribulations and triumphs of a long-suffering mother and her four daughters。 Grace， a pistol-packing， God-fearing Catholic， listens to Rush Limbaugh and watches Fox News。 She sees herself as a “survivalist，” not only preparing her family to survive the end of the world， but also surviving her own life as an ambivalent wife and mother。 Raised to be self-sufficient， Grace views life as “a war she [knows] how to win。” Each daughter， in turn， learns to assemble her own survival kit。 Maggie， a “bug girl” since the age of nine， unlocks the shackles of her father’s sexism and takes charge of Fehler Family Exterminating。 Jules， a first-generation college student， combats racism and classism when she falls in love with Niko， a Black student from an upper middle class family。 Tammy， a Kim Kardashian loving teenage beauty， contends with her family’s pro-life stance and the sexism of her Catholic school after she becomes pregnant。 Kate， “her parents’ fourth and final try” for a son， is a skateboard-riding middle schooler who relinquishes her role as the family appeaser by confronting their homophobia。In less capable hands， “The Hive” easily could have turned into a didactic diatribe。 Scholes Young’s antidote is to plumb the depths of her characters’ vulnerabilities， saving them from being caricatured for political expediency。 She skillfully captures the complexity of young people who are forging new paths for themselves， all the while maintaining loyalty to and love for their family。 The narrative is particularly stirring when it comes to the characterization of Jules， the family “risk-taker，” whose outward defiance masks the anxiety she feels。 Having wrested from her father the right to attend the University of Missouri rather than the local community college， Jules finds herself in an unsettling place。 Life at the university both excites and exasperates Jules as she faces challenges that students who have been groomed for university life take in stride。 Navigating the space between her academic aspirations and working-class roots， Jules is uniquely positioned to understand her family’s fear of change and their view that “Obama [is] the monster to blame it all on。” Her family and people like them are “ripening for a savior， someone who would reverse the order and bring back the good ole days that had been good only for them。”While “The Hive” exposes the fault line along which America’s ideological differences lie， many commonly held problems， including rising health-care costs and soaring college tuition fees， are also explored。 The commonality most likely to resonant with readers， however， is the age-old challenge of how members of a new generation decide to order their lives。 From its poetic opening lines to its poignant close， “The Hive” allows readers to walk a mile or two in each of the Fehler women’s shoes， take a deep breath of the sultry river air， and come to understand that the survival of the whole matters more than any division。 。。。more
Angela Randall
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I really enjoyed reading
KELLY SILVEIRA
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First， thanks to Turner Publishing for this book ， which I won in a Goodreads giveaway。I would highly recommend this book。 It is a character driven family drama about four daughters as they try to navigate life after the loss of their father。 All four young women are believably imperfect， but that only made me root for them more。 This book feels like an inside look into rural middle America with all of its faults and hopes。 I won't forget the Fehler women。 First， thanks to Turner Publishing for this book ， which I won in a Goodreads giveaway。I would highly recommend this book。 It is a character driven family drama about four daughters as they try to navigate life after the loss of their father。 All four young women are believably imperfect， but that only made me root for them more。 This book feels like an inside look into rural middle America with all of its faults and hopes。 I won't forget the Fehler women。 。。。more
Margo Littell
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The Fehler family’s pest control business has long been the center of their world。 Robbie steers the ship， with his wife， Grace， following reluctantly behind。 The four Fehler daughters are varying degrees of helpful。 Maggie， the oldest， believes she might take over the business one day。 Jules can’t wait to escape to college， where her liberal views won’t make her a pariah。 Local beauty Tammy is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy。 And Kate， the youngest， watches her sisters as she tries to figur The Fehler family’s pest control business has long been the center of their world。 Robbie steers the ship， with his wife， Grace， following reluctantly behind。 The four Fehler daughters are varying degrees of helpful。 Maggie， the oldest， believes she might take over the business one day。 Jules can’t wait to escape to college， where her liberal views won’t make her a pariah。 Local beauty Tammy is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy。 And Kate， the youngest， watches her sisters as she tries to figure out her own path。 When Robbie unexpectedly dies， the Fehler women are blindsided by his surprising directive to leave the business to a male cousin。 But Grace--a devoted prepper--sees this as a chance to finally take control of her family and her fate。 She and her daughters uncover new layers of capability， and， through their grief， they find a way to carry on。Told in multiple points of view， The Hive is a portrait of a complicated family whose differences are always outweighed by their commitment to one another。 Grace’s prepping is particularly timely in light of the pandemic and political unrest， and Young does an excellent job of showing the difference between protecting a family and pushing for civil war。 Readers won’t easily forget the voices of the Fehler women。***Review originally written for the City Book Review。 I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。*** 。。。more
Amy Freeman
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WOW。 What a satisfying ending。 No spoilers; I'll just say oh， the list， the list。。。。。Through exquisite details and a slew of credible narrators， The Hive dropped me right into the Fehler's midwestern family's teetering family business。 Scholes Youngs chronicles the family's individual struggles about who they are， what's expected of them， and what they really want with compassion and without judgment。 I was particularly moved by Grace， the matriarch and doomsday prepper driven by a certainty tha WOW。 What a satisfying ending。 No spoilers; I'll just say oh， the list， the list。。。。。Through exquisite details and a slew of credible narrators， The Hive dropped me right into the Fehler's midwestern family's teetering family business。 Scholes Youngs chronicles the family's individual struggles about who they are， what's expected of them， and what they really want with compassion and without judgment。 I was particularly moved by Grace， the matriarch and doomsday prepper driven by a certainty that her meticulous planning will ensure her family's survival when worse comes to worst。 She gave me a window into a world about which much of what I assumed was flat-out wrong。This book is so beautifully crafted that I know I'll reread it， to pluck out the threads the author seamlessly weaves throughout the chapters。 。。。more
Laura Scalzo
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A literary version of American Roots Rock。 Long live the Fehler women with their scrap and grit and indefatigable ways。 And long live Grace Fehler's merciful words， "You can always come home。" A literary version of American Roots Rock。 Long live the Fehler women with their scrap and grit and indefatigable ways。 And long live Grace Fehler's merciful words， "You can always come home。" 。。。more
Shelby Harper
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I finished this beautiful novel with （happy） tears in my eyes。 THE HIVE is told through the viewpoints of the strong women of the Fehler family。 Each voice was different from the others， and compelling enough to have carried the entire story， though I’m glad readers get to intimately know each of the women in the family。 The story and plot kept me turning pages， but the beautiful writing and the message of family， race， and class touched my heart。 This is a lovely novel I high recommend to all。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Hive
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Hive&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Hive&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0