How Do People Get People to Read Books Like This?

Have been intrigued by the title of the book The Secret Life of Bees. Notice it has been made into a movie. Started it once, bored by the first page. Something about bees coming into the house through the cracks in the walls. Gave the book away.

Then I saw it in the apartment library box. Tried again. Lots of cursing of God in the first few pages by the abusive father. The narrator's mother died when she was 4.The black surrogate mother/maid finds her body in the field. Then there's a domestic violence scene with a gun.

So I have to read the rest of the book to find out if the dad killed the mom and dumped her body in the field? I don't understand how people get people to read books like this. Somebody please enlighten me.