''The Bumblebee Flies Anyway'' is a

young adult novel Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

Robert Cormier Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925 – November 2, 2000) was an American writer and journalist, known for his deeply pessimistic novels, many of which were written for young adults. Recurring themes include abuse, mental illness, violence, ...

. It was published in

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

Plot synopsis

The novel's main character is Barney Snow. Snow is an American resident of "the Complex", an experimental facility where drugs are tested on children and teens with terminal illnesses. He questions why he is there and what is being done to him, but also uncovers a terrible secret about himself. Later, he starts to devise a plan that will take him and the people around him on one last glorious ride.

Awards and nominations

* 1985 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (Nominee)

Film adaptation

In 1999, a film adaptation of the novel was released. The film starred

Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. Wood made his film debut with a minor part in ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989) at the age of eight and achieved recognition in the early 1990s as a child acto ...

and was directed by Martin Duffy.

References

1983 American novels Novels by Robert Cormier American young adult novels Pantheon Books books American novels adapted into films {{1980s-ya-novel-stub