Probably my favorite book of the year.

Jodi Picoult has always been a favorite of mine, and an auto-buy. Her earlier stuff has always been my favorite, but I’ve still loved the new ones as well. This one brought me back to the old Jodi style, and I obviously adored it. She is back to the thought-provoking, crazy twists, and stick with you for days stories I have always loved her for.
Mad Honey tackles a lot of big issues-parenting, teenage love, domestic violence, and even the importance of bees! Without giving away too much, one of the major twists halfway through the book had my jaw absolutely dropping. After that, the main focus of the book shifts a bit, but I thought the way it was handled was beautiful, and it really made me examine the topic in a way I had never considered.
The story is really one of love-a parent’s love for their child, romantic love, love for our lives and importantly, self-love. I can’t emphasize enough how outstanding this book is. The author’s notes were amazing as well, and I highly recommend reading them to get a full picture of how amazing this book really is. Go get a copy immediately, and then tell me what you thought!

OH. MY. WORD!! Please go read this book! I went in blind and recommend it!

Connection to characters- YES! I felt very connected to these characters and their stories and didn’t ever want to put this book down.
Setting- very strongly built and visualized
Plot- I LOVE a courtroom drama! And the backward storytelling.

Please read this book. It is very eye opening and carefully, beautifully written.

I'm on the fence about how to rate this book. On one hand, it was an entertaining read, but on the other hand, it was predictible, and there was far too much information that didn't relate to the story stuffed into it. Thankfully, that information was interesting, but I didn't jump into this book expecting a huge lesson on beekeeping, honey, and various other topics. Some of this information went on and on for pages, and it really takes away from the story. The twist at around the 50% mark did suprise me, but other than that, everything else I guessed.

Picoult has always explored controversial topics, examining school shooting in the spectacular Nineteen Minutes and end-of-life decisions in Lone Wolf (just to name a few). Her books often inspire deep genuflection that your entire way of thinking, your entire belief system has evolved by the time you finish the book. If you do not examine the way you treat others after reading Small Great Things (my favorite Picoult novel), I am not sure you even have a pulse. (How has that book not been made into a movie?) So, I went into this book with high expectations. I was not disappointed. The two main characters, Olivia and Lily are developed so well that I thought I literally knew them. The book could easily be characterized as a story about domestic violence, or depression, or even murder. However, at its core it is much more than that - it is really about freedom. To paraphrase a quote from the book, Mad Honey, just like the books mentioned earlier, messes with your head, and your heart, and before you realize it it's too late.

This is by far the best book I’ve read in years! I will be singing praise for Mad Honey for several reasons. Rarely do characters in a book feel like actual family members, but they did. They were so beautifully & painfully written, at times I felt very real emotions. The plot was told from different perspectives, which I love. The ending was absolutely perfect! Lastly, and most importantly, the authors weren’t afraid to address very real, hot topic issues- physical domestic abuse, gender identities, & even racism. I was educated, challenged, and am now a better person because of this book. Everyone needs to read Mad Honey! It deserves to be talked about for a very long time & I’m confident will be on all of the best seller’s lists!!

This was SO good. I loved all the information on the bees, the story line , the ENDING. All the twists and turns along the way kept my attention throughout. This was great- thank you so much for the opportunity to read it :)

An interesting story with many threads and an unexpected twist that I didn't see coming. The book felt a little too long and overstuffed at times, and then ended quite abruptly, but kept interest throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC to review!

Not sure I have ever read a book by @jodipicoult that I didn’t like. I couldn’t put this one down and needed to know what truly happened to Lily. I enjoyed the little bits of bee knowledge mixed with the high emotions that go along with a mothers love for her son. ⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
This book had similar feels as This Is How It Always Is. ⁣Another book that I highly recommend everyone read!!

I loved Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. This story follows Asher and girlfriend Lilly. You get to see how their relationship develops, right until a tragic event unfolds. Both Asher and Lilly have secrets from their past that they are not willing to share yet. Both raised by single moms, these dynamic characters come to life and will stick with you long after you finish reading the book. Asher is charged with the murder of his girlfriend and lots of past secrets come to life. Not sure who you can trust you will keep flipping pages until you get the the final twist at the end.

I really loved the dual point of views, and the beekeeping part of the story was wonderfully woven into the story. The twists came at just the right time to keep you reading and guess where the story would go next. I absolutely loved it.

I’ve loved Jodi Picoult’s writing since I read Nineteen Minutes, and so of course I requested Mad Honey as soon as I saw it. As usual, Picoult didn’t disappoint, and I loved the additional voice of Jennifer Finney Boylan. The plot has Picoult’s signature ending twist, and the way the story is presented is wonderful. Asher, Olivia, and Lily are beautifully flawed characters, each in their own way, and this story of acceptance, love, and teenage turmoil is tragically beautiful. Highly recommend.

NetGalley ARC | With a DNF for The Book of Two Ways and not loving the twist in Wish You Were Here, Mad Honey proved to be a redemptive book for our relationship with Picoult's hit-or-miss novels.

Although the length had us worried, we flew through this one - admittedly with a few skimmable sections - and appreciated learning more about life, love, and trauma with the bee connection.

TWs for domestic violence and more

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Read our complete summary and review on The Uncorked Librarian website (under October releases) here: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/upcoming-new-book-releases-2022/

This book is one of my top 2022 pics of the year. I love the controversial topics of spousal abuse and transgender written about in this book, as they are difficult ones but written with such grace. I also enjoyed the story aspect around a honey business, such a beautiful part of it.

4.5 🌟 As always Jodi Picoult opens the gates to topics that make more educated and broadening your views. Mad Honey explores the relationships of a transgender teen, murder, and different dynamics of families and community. The story of many characters and timelines comes full circle in this beautiful novel of love, acceptance, heartbreak, courage and truth! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Olivia McAfee is starting over in her childhood home, reeling from her divorce and fleeing her abusive ex-husband. Olivia is finally getting on her feet. Her beekeeping business is finally turning a profit, and her teenage son is thriving. However, her world crumples when her son, Asher, is accused of murdering his girlfriend.

This book covered a lot of topics that are often hard to talk about and I feel like they were done well.

I enjoyed the mystery in this as well as the character development and I really think this would be an excellent pick for a book club read! My only complaint was that the ending was very abrupt.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #madhoney

I adored this book even if it shattered my heart.
I legitimately couldn't tell it was written by two authors. I really liked the alternating perspectives of Olivia and Lily, and the fact that Olivia's POV was moving forward while Lily's went backwards. That interplay worked out beautifully.

There are so many little details throughout this story that I liked, you can tell that all the details have been thoroughly researched from music to beekeeping. Lily had such a diverse range of facts that she shared, I absolutely loved her character.

What a great book! WOW. It was emotional, gripping, and educational. I know Jodi Picoult is a master storyteller and the addition of Jennifer elevated the story to provide an own voice authorship. I will continue to recommend this book, as I do believe it is a must read for so many reasons.

Absolutely loved this book and learned so much about transgender surgeries and transitions. I would recommend this book to any parent of a teenager.

Mad Honey was a great story given to me from Net Galley for an honest review. I really enjoyed the book. It went through abusive relationships, with parents and their children. Braden was a very abusive husband and father. Braden's wife Olivia, and their son Asher. were in an unhealthy relationship. It got so bad that she had to divorce him to protect herself and her son. Olivia also came from an abusive family, where her and her brother Jordan were abused. Asher grew up through his formative years with respect for women with his Mom. Asher was an excellent student and an athlete. When he entered high school he met and fell in love with Lily. Instead of giving everything away, I will tell you, the ending is surprising and unexpected!

Mad Honey is the joint endeavor of bestselling author Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. My thanks go to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the invitation to read and review. This book is for sale now, and I recommend it to you.

The hallmarks of Picoult’s work are immediately evident. She frames her story around a particular area of interest, and so when one of our main characters, Olivia, is a bee keeper, I figure I am in for an education with regard to bees and honey; I am not wrong. Of late, Picoult has also used some of her fiction to promote social justice causes, and that’s here, too; I did a quick search on Boylan, her co-author, and learned that Boylan is one of the first transgendered Americans to write a bestseller, and this is the other focal part of Mad Honey, which features a trans character.

We have Olivia, then, the bee keeper, and her son, Asher, who is the light of her life. She took Asher and fled an abusive marriage, and enjoys her new life. She is close to Asher, and they talk openly and often; yet, there are things that Asher isn’t telling his mother, and she doesn’t see that.

Then there’s a new girl in town, Lily Campanello, a cellist, and Asher falls for her. Later, Lily is found dead, and suspicion falls on Asher. Olivia stands behind her son, and yet a corner of her mind has doubts. What if, when push comes to shove, Asher is his father’s son after all?

It’s tricky to write fiction that focuses on a controversial topic, and the critical ingredient is characterization. If the characters feel real to us, the story flows and the message becomes an integral part of their lives. We can’t reject the theme without rejecting the character. But it would take a true Grinch to step away from Olivia, Asher, and Lily. I want what’s best for the characters, and so I’m not focused on the authors and what they have chosen to discuss within this framework, but on the story. The writing flows like melted butter, smooth and inviting, and later, the suspense ratchets up almost unbearably, and I have to know what becomes of Olivia and Asher.

Because I am a bit behind, I check out the audio version of this novel at Seattle Bibliocommons. There are multiple narrators, but the one that resonates most for me is the reader voicing Lily. I say this, despite the fact that she butchers the pronunciation of place names in the Pacific Northwest. Eugene, Oregon is not hard to say. Siuslaw and Willamette are trickier, but there’s only one pronunciation for each, and the reader should have done due diligence.

And now that I’ve said this, I can urge you to get this book and read it. For those unfamiliar with trans people, there’s some good information, and the story is a compelling one. There’s a twist at the end, and I would probably have left that out, as it doesn’t add much, although I can also see the reason it is included. Nevertheless, this is a story worth your time and money, whether as an audiobook or in print.

WHOA! This immediately skyrocketed to very close to the top of the list of Jodi Picoult favorites. This book was filled with twists that I didn't see coming. I loved bringing characters from her previous novels close to the spotlight and enjoyed this story from start to finish. I would love to see her do more co-written books. This was so well done.