Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a stirring novel about family, first love, and secrets. It's a book about a mother's love. The partnership between Picoult and Boylan is seamless.

Many thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

This was a good overview of the transgender controversy. I was very glad to see that the transgender character parts were written by an actual transgender person instead of someone just trying to interpret the part. The story was gripping and nuanced and an excellent read.

This felt like a return to the old Jodi Picoult. A family drama, medical mystery, courtroom challenge. But then it took one too many twists. I get wanting to hit all of the relevant issues of the day but do we really need to address ALL of them in one novel? It went to far to be politically correct and aware in my opinion.

Wow! Just wow! There are so many wonderful things about this book but unfortunately, I can’t discuss them all here. I never include spoilers in my reviews so some of my thoughts will have to stay with me (or discussed in person after you’ve read it). Just know that there are some sensitive topics addressed within the storyline and I believe the authors handled them all perfectly. What I can tell you is that it’s a mystery with a couple twists but it’s also full of love, strength, growth, acceptance, family….the list goes on. At times it will break your heart and other times it will make your heart melt (although I never shed a tear). And as a bonus, you’ll learn about bees and the benefits of honey. Like next time you’re hungover, eat a spoonful of honey to help you feel better.

Side note – make sure you read the authors notes at the end for a little extra insight into the book and what brought these two women together to write. And then enjoy the recipes at the very back (they sound yummy).

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for gifting me with an advanced copy to read and review. My apologies for reading it later than expected.

This was a beautifully written story about both internal and external struggle, finding your truth, and fighting for what’s yours. Without giving too much away, the story is told from two points of view: Olivia, a beekeeper whose son, Asher, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, and Lily, the girlfriend, now deceased. Lily’s story is told backward starting from the day she died to four months before her death. Told in flashbacks throughout her chapters, are glimpses even further into the past that tell her full story. About halfway through, a major twist revealed shakes up the storyline and sends it an a whole new unexpected direction. The direction it heads is controversial and sensitive, but important. Over time, the pieces started to come together and reveal a full picture of Olivia, Asher, and Lily’s lives. It was interesting seeing the parallels yet also staunch differences between Lily and Asher’s experiences. I loved all of the descriptive unique characters throughout the book that came to life on the page. I felt like I knew them personally and could feel their pain as my own. The ending was full of surprises, both the conclusion of Asher’s trial and the reveal of the true nature of Lily’s death. Definitely an enjoyable and important read!

Thank you to Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Boylan, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the advance readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

Olivia is fiercely protective of her son, Asher. She left her abusive husband to make sure that she could keep Asher safe. During his senior year, Asher falls quickly for the new girl, Lily Campanello. Their relationship isn't perfect and when Lily ends up dead, Asher is the prime suspect. Does Asher have the same violent tendencies as his father? As all of Olivia, Asher, and Lily's secrets come to light, they realize how little they ever knew about each other.

This is another masterful work by Jodi Picoult. I love the throwback to the courtroom dramas that made me fall in love with her years ago. The seamless addition of Jennifer Finney Boylan takes this story to another level. I don't want to give away any of the twists that make this book hard to put down, so I don't feel like I can say much more. I will say that it's worth the build up to get through it. It is beautifully written and so consistent throughout that you would never know there are two authors. I love that this book is so timely and I feel more educated having read it.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a spellbinding novel. This book will keep you guessing throughout with bombshells all along the way. This psychological thriller is written with great character depth and fascinating inner dialogue. Overall, it is a great book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This book was just fantastic!!! Oh my goodness I wish that I could read it over and over again.!!!

All the stars for this beauty!

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

I mostly enjoyed this book. It taught me quite a bit, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. And that twist! Oh my gracious I didn’t see it coming!

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Beautifully written! This is only my second book by this author, but Jodi Picoult is already automatically an auto buy and must read author on my list! Amazing

I absolutely loved Mad Honey! Out of the 66 books I have read in 2022, I believe it is my favorite. I love a book that teaches you something new and has all the drama/emotions. This is a book I recommend everyone read.

Mad Honey kept me reading even though I had a million things to do to get ready for the holidays. I could not put it down! A huge twist in the middle of the book just had me saying WOW!!! This book gets five stars from me. Highly recommend!

Jodi Picoult is a master storyteller.
I absolutely love her books.
This book with jennifer is truly magic.
I am so impressed with this story.
I stayed up all night reading.
THANK YOU

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I’ve been a fan of Jodi Picoult for quite some time and of course I knew I needed to read this book, but in typical me fashion, I decided to wait for the buzz (no pun intended) to die down on this one before reading it. I also knew I was going to want to be able to fully devote my full attention to it – and that is 100% the case here – this book is a powerful, thought-provoking read, one that is without a doubt going to be one of my top reads of the year.

It’s hard to say much about this book without giving spoilers, so forgive me if this review is vague, but trust me when I say you do not want anything about this story to be spoiled. It is such a beautifully written tale that I know I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Co-written by two strong writers, it seamlessly comes together so that if you really cannot tell there are two authors involved. In typical Jodi Picoult fashion, we do take on some social issues and believe me when I say, these are so timely that I feel everyone should read this book.

I loved the structure of the story, with two narrators telling the story, one moving forward and the other moving backwards. This is where you really need to be paying attention because it can get a little confusing, but it all comes together so beautifully. And throughout it all, the character development is just amazing. I found myself completely attached to these characters. These characters are all carrying secrets around and we see them eventually learn that they are all so much more than their trauma. And the way the authors were able to tie in the bees and their life cycle to what was going on to the story nothing short of impressive. It was just another lens with which to view all that was happening.

I cannot recommend this story enough. It is one that I know I will not stop thinking about and will definitely reread at some point. Jodi Picoult has been a favorite of mine for good reason – and I definitely need to read those books I’ve missed along the way. Jennifer Finney Boylan is a new-to-me author, and I will most definitely be checking out what else she has written.

Poignant and thought provoking! In usual Jodi Picoult fashion, this book will give readers a lot to chew on and discuss.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. The storyline was interwoven between the trial and the bees really well. Kept me wanting to continue reading. A bit of a twist I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I highly recommend.

Jodi Picoult has always been a favorite author of mine so when I saw she had coauthored a new book with Jennifer Finney Boylan I was excited to read it. Jennifer Finney Boylan was a new author for me. I had never read anything by her before I read Mad Honey. She wrote the part for Lily, a female high school student who had recently moved to Adams, New Hampshire with her mom. Jodi Picoult wrote the part for Olivia, a beekeeper and mom to Asher. Olivia’s son Asher was also a high school student, on the hockey team, a good student and often helped his mom with the bees. A relationship began between Asher and Lily and the two realized rather quickly they were in love with each other. What could be more special than a first love? Mad Honey was told from the alternating perspectives of Olivia and Lily. It was told in a nonlinear time line that often either jumped ahead or traveled back to a prior time. Once I got used to the format, I didn’t mind it in the least. I really enjoyed the characters and I found myself thinking about them long after I finished the book.

Asher and Lily had been seeing each other exclusively for several months when Asher tried to surprise Lily with an early Christmas present. He was sure she was going to love his surprise but she didn’t. In fact, it made Lily so angry that she left Asher with his surprise and walked all the way home in the rain. Lily chose to avoid Asher. She did not want to see him. Lily avoided all of Asher’s phone calls and texts. One morning, soon after, Lily came down with a high fever and had to stay home from school. Her mom had stayed home from her job as well to take care of Lily. When Lily’s temperature spiked really high, her mom went to get Tylenol from the drug store. Her mom told Lily she would get back as quickly as she could. That day, Asher sent Lily quite a few texts but Lily wasn’t ready to talk to Asher so she continued to ignore them. Asher was distraught. He had to make things right with Lily so he drove to her house after school. When he got there the front door of her home was ajar. Asher went in and saw Lily lying quite still at the bottom of the stairs. There was blood near her head. Lily’s mom returned as Asher moved Lily to the couch. The police came shortly after. How did Lily end up at the bottom of the stairs? Could Asher have had any part in what had happened to Lily?

Mad Honey was a very thought provoking book. Both Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan were masterful storytellers. The subjects of transgender, abusive marriages, domestic violence, intolerance, dysfunctional families, and informative and surprising facts about bees, beekeeping and honey were all addressed in this gripping yet heartfelt book. Jodi Picoult’s research was impeccable as usual and Jennifer Finney Boylan brought her own insights and understanding to the forefront to make Mad Honey so believable. I really enjoyed reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for allowing me to read Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This compelling novel is the story of three main characters: Asher, a teenage boy accused of murder; Lily, a dead teenage girl who was transgender; and Olivia, the mother of Asher.. The story is told from the perspectives of Lily and Olivia and these characters feel like someone you might know with the realistic way they are portrayed and take us through this original storyline. A great book!

I am a super fan of Jodi Picoult so I was beyond excited to get Mad Honey! Jodi and Jennifer write an amazing story! I was glued to my kindle and tissue box!

This novel was well written and kept you guessing at every corner. The way the relationship between Ash and Lily developed and grew was beautiful to see. It really brought light to the issues within our legal system as well. Stopping an investigation just because you have someone who looks guilty and possibly losing out on other evidence due to closing the investigation. Also just having to show slight doubt without the truth ever having to be discussed is a crazy way to punish others.