As recession strikes Ireland, the Barnes family finds themselves in increasingly dire situations. Dickie's once-lucrative car business is going under, his wife Imelda is forced to sell off her expensive jewelry on eBay, their teenage daughter Cass goes on drinking binges before her final exams, and 12-year-old PJ plans to run away from home. Where did it all go wrong?

BEE STING is a family saga that follows four members of the Barnes household, covering the parents' youth and school/teenage dramas of the children. The novel takes readers on a journey through the minds and lives of the characters and dances between whimsical and quirkiness, occasionally stumbling into moments of grief and loss.

Murray's writing prowess shines in building four distinctive voices that capture Cass' entitled teenage angst, PJ's overthinking tendencies, Imelda's stream of consciousness, and Dickie's self-loathing. Experimenting with various styles and voices, I understand why BEE STING is longlisted and can definitely see this book on the shortlist.

Personally, I love Dickie's POVs the most and was a tad annoyed with Cass' chapters. In the earlier chapters, she comes off as a typical high schooler, and her narrative initially gives BEE STING a YA vibe. On the other hand, Dickie's viewpoint, although introduced relatively late in the book, is a compelling exploration of unprocessed grief & trauma, adding depth and poignancy to the overall storyline. The juxtaposition between father and daughter that happens toward the end of BEE STING is a main stand out. Murray brilliantly examines how much we repeat our parents' history and how we might break free from generational trauma.

Imelda's chapters take an intriguing turn, adopting a stream-of-consciousness style that eschews traditional punctuation. While innovative and reflective of the character's mindset, this stylistic choice can be polarizing. It breathes life into the narrative but can also feel jarring, requiring some readers to recalibrate their reading experience. It'll be interesting to see how readers respond to Imelda's chapters.

Murray weaves thought-provoking insights into the narrative, showcasing the fragility of life and the sense of disconnect that can permeate one's existence. Lines like "Maybe this is a country where for centuries if you cared about anything someone would come and take it away" resonate deeply, offering a window into the characters' emotional landscapes and incorporating Ireland's history beautifully into the narrative.

The ending of BEE STING is mercurial and invites the readers to make their own interpretations, reminiscent of THERE THERE (Tommy Orange). There will likely be contentious discussions about whether the 600+ page build-up is worth it