Jodi Picoult always artfully brings to light some topics that we all need to be looking at and discussing. She is one of my favorite authors! I was so honored to be able to review an advanced reader copy of this book. Stunning story, great twists, a compelling trial, and a heck of an ending. 4.5 stars

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just WOW!!! Another amazing book by Jodi Picoult! I'm not even sure how to talk about how good this book is or I'll give spoilers away. Just say half way through I literally gasped and at the end I did again!

As with all of Jodi Picoult's books, I was hooked and kept wanting more. Picoult has a way of writing that makes you feel as though you're an important part of the story. This book makes you think about what stories / secrets you have to share, and whether or not things can be kept private.

I think there were a bit too many details, especially in the sexual parts of the story line. I also thought the book spent a lot of time on beekeeping. While I appreciated the detail, it didn't feel like it added much. Lastly, similar to how I felt with All Adults Here, it felt like the book was trying to hit on a variety of culturally "hot" topics. While I think some were handled well, others felt brushed over and unnecessary to the story line.

I loved this book! Picoult and Boylan did an amazing job developing the voices of the characters, plus I learned so much about bees and what it takes to produce the honey that I love. The way the story unfolded was masterful, and at one point I jumped up from my chair to tell my husband a stunning revelation. Wow, and here I thought I knew what was going to happen.

You should just expect that when you read a Jodi Picoult book you will tackle a multi- layered and usually controversial topic. Mad Honey does not disappoint.
At the risk of major spoiler alerts, you will find yourself immersed in a teenage love story, a murder trial, a transgender story, a spousal abuse story and throughout it all, a bee story.
My two overriding thoughts as I reflect on this book are that i learned a lot about the transgender community, and I learned too much about bees.
I like bees, and i liked the facts presented. It's just that there were a lot of facts. At times they just droned on. Haha.
The thoughtful and informative way the book revealed Lily's transgender story however, was very well done.
Many of the side characters were predictable, sometimes shallow and rather dull. Their stories made the book drag when it could have marched on more efficiently to the climax.
In short, read this if like Jodi. Read this if you want to understand our transgender community. Read this if you desire a career in beekeeping.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random house publishing and the athirs for this ARC of Mad Honey.

Stunning, thought provoking & insightful but most of all an exquisitely well written novel. What did I Iike about it… everything. There was love, loss, heartbreak, self awareness & best of all hope & acceptance. What I disliked was…nothing! From chapter one I was hooked! I loved the complexity of the characters with all their imperfections. The telling of the bees was an added bonus. The storyline told in alternating perspectives was a constant build up to several twists & turns with many OMG moments.
Equally enjoyable was the epilogue & the story of how the collaboration between Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan came to be. Bravo to a job beyond well done with Mad Honey!!!
Highly recommended to anyone out there that wants an A++ read!
Thank you #MadHoney, #NetGalley, Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC. Now available.
My review is strictly voluntary.

Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult join forces to create a well-written roller coaster ride, reminiscent of Picoult’s early novels. Mad Honey is a story centered on young love and tragedy. It explores difficult themes, including bullying, abuse, and suicide. I was completely blindsided by the twist in this novel, and it added a layer of complexity to the action. Fans of Picoult’s work will also be delighted to welcome Jordan McAfee back to their pages. Overall, this was a compelling and well-researched read that I highly recommend. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for my advance reader’s copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The new girl at school meets a boy and friendship grows in to young love. Wow, the twists and turns in this book had me flying through the pages and my jaw was on the ground. The flow between the two writers was seamless. A must read that leaves you thinking.

I really enjoyed Jodi Picoult's last book and was super excited to be approved for this one! Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting into this one and haven't been able to finish it despite a few tries. It was a bit slow for me and I couldn't quite connect to any of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC!

I was definitely not expecting either of the twists in this book. Not what I was expecting at all. It was a definite page turner!

I was worried going into this book as I had heard it contained a transgender character. Being trans myself, I always worry that a cisgender author won't get it right. But I've long been a fan of Jodi's work so I decided to still give it a try. I really enjoyed this book! It was wonderfully handled and just as emotional as Jodi's other works. I think in this case that having an additional author working on the book, one with experience of the feelings and thoughts that come with being trans, definitely helped this book become a really great tale.

What testament to having all you hold dear suspect, by your own heart. . A life upended . A new start. These are all I play . New love , first love misdirected and not returned. Olivia and her son are starting over in a place Olivia never thought she would see again. Lily and her mom are starting again and Lily is drawn to Asher , Olivia’s son. Asher does not return the affection. A call a parent never hopes to receive; a young life ended. Evidence points to Asher. What would you do as a mom? Would you admit out loud the flashes of anger you have seen in private?

Interesting read. I really enjoyed learning about honey and the process. I enjoyed also learning about the Lily and her the explanation of her secret.

Have you ever been so into a book... then it just overwhelmed you? This managed to do that. The first half was excellent. After the 'twist' the second half was just too much for me. It dragged on and I felt like I was being lectured at points.

Not my cup of tea, but I feel like this was trying to be this generation's "To Kill A Mockingbird" touching on some very important social issues.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book. While I loved The Book of Life and Wish You Were Here, they were departures for her. Mad Honey felt like classic Picoult. It invoked the same feelings and memories of reading 19 Minutes, The Pact, etc etc.

Wow!! I loved this book. I was sucked in from the very first page. I mean, I dont know why I liked it so much, because I love and read all of Jodi Picoult's books. However, I didn't know what to expect from this one. I had nothing to fear. This book is the story of a boy and his girlfriend and a terrible situation. You are led along the story from the girlfriend, Lily and Asher's Mom. I love how Jodi continues to deliver hard hitting tough situations that manage to pull you and your feelings in both directions and feel total conflict in yourself. Jodi really has a knack for stories like this and makes you realize that there are really two sides to every story and how that could really make you look at real life situations more objectively.

DNF at 45%. I was intrigued by this story and the POV I knew it would bring, but unforunately it's just not the style for me. I don't love slow burn mystery or court room procedurals. I tried picking this up 8x, but both of those things in combination just makes for a story that's too slow-moving for me.

Jodi Picoult does it again. She is one of my absolute favorites. She makes you think about very controversial topics. And she does her research. On literally everything. I did not know a thing about bees before reading this. And now I’m a pro. This twist in this book made my mouth drop. One of her best yet.

Fantastic book. Go into this one blind—the blurb doesn’t give anything away but some reviews might. There’s a big twist in the middle that I didn’t see coming. Also: don’t skip the Author’s note.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. I was looking forward to this one as I’ve enjoyed Jodi Picoult’s books before. She’s like a Law and Order episode as an author. Many of her books are ripped from the headlines. Sadly, this book was co-written & it didn’t do it for me. Olivia left her husband and moves home to New Hampshire with her son, Asher. They live on a farm where Olivia is a beekeeper. The beekeeper storyline was fascinating. Asher has a girlfriend named Lily, then Lily dies. Legal issues follow. I feel the authors took on too many hot button topics. Murder, abuse, gender identity and suicide are all covered. As usual, Picoult’s characters were great. Their stories drew me in, but too many issues muddled the story. I don’t recommend.