Once again, Jodi Picoult has knocked the socks off of me. The novel Mad Honey has left me speechless in awe of the story with all its nuances and characters. The novel travels through difficult understandings and information that is shared with the reader. It makes an important story stand solid with how it is told. This is a book that is difficult to read and is so mesmerizing, it is hard to put down.

Olivia, and Lily’s voices tell the story, chapter by chapter. Along with the voices of Olivia and Lily are facts about bees and beekeeping and honey which somehow just feed into the whole feel of the book. Each chapter includes one of the narrators and their story of a specific time. Lily’s story goes backward in time while Olivia’s story follows the present narrative. Olivia’s son Asher Meets and falls in love with Lily. The story slowly unravels with them until, one day when Olivia finds out her son is in jail and Lily has died.

The story is suspenseful and appropriate for this time. There were secrets that people share and secrets we keep. It's those kept secrets that can cause untold hardship for people. Keeping secrets takes large chunks of energy in time. The novel is also a love story between two teenagers, between a mother and her child, and in between the reader and the writer.

Mad Honey is a great read.

Overall I have enjoyed all of Jodi Picoult’s books thatI have read. I have only read one memoir by Jennifer Finley Boylan but I also really enjoyed that so I was super excited to read about this book. I’m going to do my best to not have spoilers, but the way the book is written it’s a little tricky. I liked the general story, but I do feel it dragged a little bit and could have been a little shorter. I also really hated the ending. I understand that sometimes injustice exists but the injustice in this story rubbed me the wrong way. I liked the characters and the writing was good. It is a great story if you want to think about things and have your thinking challenged. Simply put this is a book about a boy and a girl who fell in love and the aftermath when the boy is accused of murdering that girl. The story is told from the boy’s mother’s perspective and from the girl’s perspective and the timelines can get a bit wonky but were pretty easy to follow.

If you read Jodi Picoult’s book Nineteen Minutes, then you’ll be reintroduced to lawyer Jordan McAfee. In this book he is defending his nephew on a first degree murder charge.

I found Mad Honey to be very easy to get into & it held my attention fairly well. Sometimes there was too much plot building & my ADHD brain was ready to keep it moving. I liked the dual POV story telling. Both women were remarkable survivors of abuse. I appreciate that Jodi is always willing to address important, but uncomfortable topics head on & as always, it is clear she did her research. As a medical & psychiatric professional I am very judgmental on accuracy & Jodi never lets me down.

I appreciated the education on bees & beekeeping. It sounded like such a relaxing & tasty hobby that I looked in my HOA agreement to see if it’s allowed (it is not). The random trivia scattered throughout was enjoyable in general. I also enjoyed the Virginia mentions & googled to see if Lenny’s Clam Shack existed- it does not. I’m excited to try some of the recipes that were featured at the end of the book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this one and was so excited to get it as an ARC e-book! Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC.
I loved the characters, the storyline the details on current controversial issues (Picoult always does a good job with this) and the gentle way the story pokes holes in your moral compass.
Highly recommend!

I'm so glad I went into the book not knowing much. I highly recommend not reading reviews or any spoilers - let the book unfold.

The characters were so well written. I felt that Lily’s voice seemed so fitting of a highschooler full of angst, wonder, innocence, love, and Olivia’s voice seemed so fitting of an adult who has experienced so much life, both hardship and love.

While the book seemed a little long, and probably could have some of the repetitive pieces removed, I appreciated that even up to the last pages there were pieces of the story that kept unfolding. I wish we would have felt complete closure with Braden.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I feel like Jodi’s work continues to get stronger and I enjoyed Jenny’s work as well. Make sure to read the author notes at the end (but not before finishing the book) - it gives a bit of a glimpse into how this book came about and how they worked together on it.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There was much to like in Jodi Piccolt’s and Jennifer Finney Boylan’s novel Mad Honey. These two authors can really tell a story and hooked this reader with their suspenseful storyline. I also so enjoyed learning about beekeeping and the restorative and medicinal value of honey. But, there were just too many trigger warnings and hot topics, and because of the sheer number of them, it detracted from an interesting story. I am sure others will disagree; definitely judge for yourself.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

Wow!! Brilliant Jodi Piccoult takes us on another intriguing journey and brings along Jennifer Finney Boylan to help her out. It’s heartbreaking and disturbing but also beautiful and carefully written.

I do have to say I was surprised that they strung together a legal case for Asher. It seemed like there was only circumstantial evidence and really no motive so IMO the case was flimsy at best but then again, I’m not an expert. This novel was written in a clever and intelligent manner… both forwards and backwards. And the writing was seamless. I never would have guessed that each author wrote a character. Except for the one chapter each that they switched it up. The mastermind behind Lilly’s voice and Olivia’s voices felt the same to me.

There is a huge reveal that I never saw coming. Excellent! Blindsider! This novel is never predictable and keeps us guessing until the very last moment. There is so much more inwant to say but it would spoil the book! My favorite kind! All the kudos to JP and JFB.

"Beekeeping is the second oldest profession"
This was the first Jodi Picoult's that I've read and if all her books are similar to this novel, then I need to add more of her books to my TBR. The plot of the novel kept me interested from beginning to the end of the book..
"Was transgender a reason for murder".
Since I am a character driven reader, this book did not lack for interesting characters. Lilly a nd Olivia's story flops back and forth in alternating chapters. I often lose my way with this type of formatting, this was not the case. Since my preference is a character driven novel, and I am curious if all the characters in her books are someone that I would like to know..
Lily/Liam Campanello was the girlfriend to Asher. She loved playing the cello and performing in an orchestra. She had a life changing secrets, is this why she was murdered.?
Olivia's life seems idyllic from the outside. She was married to cardiologist Braden and he practiced medicine at Mass General, Boston. When her father passed away, beekeeping fell into her lap, which allowed her to get out of her abusive marriage.
Asher was in love with Lily, so why was he charged in her death.
" Apiarist; a place where the bees are kept; a collection of beehives"
One bit of fun where the lists created by Lily, "Five things about mother that makes her a badass"..
Great story, great novel, and even better characters. Thank you Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney, Boylan Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this novel in return of an honest review.

Every book I read of Jodie Picoult’s, I declare is the best yet! Then the next one comes along, and it’s the best. Never having read one of Jennifer Finley Boylan’s, I was open for the experience, Jodie had co authored with her, obviously she knew what she was doing!
Well Mad Honey is the best. A heart rending story of a teen tragedy, tempered by a beautiful story of honey bees, their culture and how they provide us with healthy, delicious honey. It is written so seamlessly, that I wouldn’t have known, which author had written what, until I read the acknowledgments!
This is a novel that can’t be missed. It’s just as educational as it is entertaining. Just another best seller by my favorite author, and a new author to get to know more.
One memory it brought back, was when I was a student nurse and assigned a rotation at the County hospital in San Mateo California. They had been doing something called gender assignment surgeries, and I had no idea what that was. Evidently the surgeons were from Stanford, and why they did the surgeries at this small, insignificant county hospital, I could only guess. I wanted to prepare for this assignment, but material was hard to find, no internet in those days! I did hear about a lecture that was scheduled at Stanford by a gentleman that had the surgery several years prior and decided to attend. I heard the story of the little girl that destroyed the frilly canopy bed that her mother installed in her bedroom, resisting Mom’s efforts to discourage her daughter that preferred superhero decor to frilly bedspreads. We were introduced to his wife and children. I was prepared when I met my patient that proudly informed me that she was “getting her boobies, size 36 C” that day. I never forgot that excited woman that told me her story. In 1972. I was pleasantly surprised when I read that Lily had her gender assignment surgery at Mills-Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame California,where I went to work after graduation.
This was such an impactful story, and one that I hope, helps people understand. I loved it, and wish I could give it 10 stars
My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own,

I have been an avid reader of Jodi's for over 2 decades now, since that fateful day I picked up a copy of The Pact in my high school library and never looked back. Her writing is just on a whole other level and remains that way to this day. The way she researches and weaves together such an intricate story on tricky and controversial topics is unparalleled. I had not read anything of Jennifer's prior to this, but I'm planning on making that change ASAP. This novel was so well shaped and written that you could barely tell that it had two authors penning it. The voices of Olivia and Lily blended seamlessly together; major kudos and props to Jodi and Jennifer for being such a dream team and creating this masterpiece of a novel.

I went into this novel a bit blind without really looking at what it was going to be about although I saw there were plenty of discussions surrounding it before it's release regarding it possibly being banned, etc (but that's pretty par for the course for a Picoult novel). I also had an inkling of what one specific topic might be within the pages (and was proven correct about halfway through the book). Mad Honey is told primarily through the eyes of Olivia and Lily in alternating chapters and timelines. Olivia, a beekeeper in New Hampshire, has a son in high school named Asher who is dating Lily; Lily has moved to New Hampshire with her mom in the past year. Olivia's chapters take place on the day of Lily's death and move forward as things progress with what (or who) caused it, whereas Lily's chapters take place on the day of her death prior to it happening and then lead backwards in time. So many hard issues and topics are given a spotlight within this story: domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, transgender identity issues, depression, suicide attempts etc. With so many rotating in the mix, it can make the book feel extremely heavy at times, but it's moving to learn about Olivia and Lily in particular and watch these strong, fierce women in the face of everything that each of them has overcame within their lives. As the book proceeds through the present day in Olivia's timeline, you watch the court case unfold (which welcomes back the character of Jordan from previous novels by Picoult as Olivia's brother and Asher's uncle/ attorney) and have to ask yourself what everyone else within the book is asking: did Asher kill Lily? Could he be as abusive as his father? And if it wasn't Asher... What happened to Lily?

As with any book I've ever read of Jodi's, I learned so much about something new; in this case it was primarily bees and beekeeping. Seriously: So. Much. 🐝🍯 She's always so well and meticulously researched in her writing, and I love how much knowledge I end up gaining and taking away with me afterwards from random subjects within her stories. I cannot fathom the amount of time she spends per novel researching something and then beautifully and brilliantly tying it into the story, or what an extra feat it was for this novel since Jennifer also worked in so much musical research and knowledge within her parts as well. Jodi and Jennifer emerge as two tremendously talented women at the top of their game who deserve every amount of success from this incredible novel.

*Thank you to Net Galley, Random House: Ballantine, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
*Thank you also to my favorite partner in reading, Jenna, for buying me the hard copy for my birthday. 💗
*Mad Honey is out now!

I absolutely adored this book. I loved everything about it and would recommend to everyone. Its got everything you could every ask for in a book- its so much more than just a mystery/romance novel. I will say there were a few plot holes and it throws a huge amount of heavy topics at you but I still believe this book deserves 5 stars because it was so powerful and left me thinking about it for days.

Read this book if you like:
-Thought provoking and powerful reads
-Great character development
-Bee keeping
-Mysteries with a side of romance/heartbreak
-Emotional rollercoasters
-Young love
-Coming of age
-Courtroom dramas

Things that I liked:
- Loved Lily’s perspective
-LQBTQIA+ rep
-There was a twist I didn’t see coming
-Covered so many heavy topics
-The author notes
📖Beautifully written
🍯Well researched

Things I didn't care for:
-I will admit I was a little frustrated at times but only because I wanted to know all of the details.
- The chapters are a little longer than I normally like.
-Some of the informational sections felt a little forced but I loved that the authors are trying to get this information out there because it truly is important!

Mad Honey is a collaboration between Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult. I have only read one of Jodi Picoult’s books before and I am always a little hesitant about reading a co-authored book. I was beyond pleasantly surprised by this book, both how well all of the story line meshed together as well as how much I learned throughout. This is a tragic, beautiful tale of Lily, a transgender female who falls for Asher, a male student in her new hometown. Lily’s mom, Ava, is a park ranger, and Asher’s mom has moved back to her childhood home with him to run the apiary her father started. A love story, a courtroom story, and a tale of two mothers whose lives will never be the same. There is phenomenal character development and seamless transitions between the points of view of the story as well as the timeline of the story. I really enjoyed the facts about bees, honey and the random bits of trivia Lily mentions throughout the story as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ll give this one a just-ok three stars. The writing is good, the characters are good, the storyline started out intriguing, and then things kind of fell apart. The “murder” mystery became a whole different story halfway through, and it felt like the authors couldn’t decide on which direction THAT story should take so they threw in a few possibilities in the guise of dialogue. When dialogue and whole interactions between characters (as well as some long meandering asides) become opportunities for a lecture, there needs to be some serious editing in order to preserve the emotional impact of the story. I really wanted more of Lily’s story, her thoughts, her emotional journey as well as the physical one - I would even have welcomed a more in-depth treatment of the topic of trans-panic and the way it figures in a courtroom defense - anything would have been better than the lame, lazy-feeling ending. A disappointing novel from an author who usually handles these kinds of emotion-laden topics more adeptly.

There is so much I liked about this book. I was grateful that Jodi had a co-writer who could provide accurate and honorable LGBTQ+ representation.

I did feel like I was wanting more of a resolution, was brief and felt didn’t get unpacked. I would liked to have seen some POV from Lily’s mom during trial etc..

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors so I was so excited to get an advanced copy to review. This book reminds me a lot of her older work that I fell in love with years ago. This is especially true with the reappearance lawyer Jordan McAfee (He was featured in both Nineteen Minutes and The Pact). I love the courtroom and trial aspect of this book. There were twists and turns in this book that once revealed completely change the way I viewed the story. A lot of sensitive subject matter gets touched on in this book (definitely check trigger warnings) but I think it was all handled exceptionally well. It's hard to fully discuss this book without giving away spoilers so I won't say much more. This was a great read and I look forward to whatever either of these authors come out with next!

Mad Honey wasn’t what I was expecting whosoever. That turned out to be a good thing. I’ve only read one Jodi Picoult book and I don’t remember loving it. But this one. I started Mad Honey in the morning and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. I just couldn’t put it down. I was intrigued and I needed to understand just how this murder happened. But this book ended up being so much more. I don’t want to say too much because it’s best not to know much going into this book. Read this book!

Mad Honey
by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
4.5 stars

Tigger warnings
Attempted Suicide
Abuse
Trama

I feel like I'm missing some

I enjoyed this book, I didn't see the twists coming. My mind was blown, the characters were so well developed and you got to know each and how they came about. I love Jodi she writes beautifully this story was just the bee's knees. They researched the topics in this book flawlessly and faced some big hard topics that a lot of people won't talk about. I enjoyed reading all about it and learning more about those topics. I don't want to give anything away.
The only part that lost my interest was how much detail was in there about the bees. I understood why and it was very informational but I just wanted to keep reading the juicy stuff that's the only part of this book I didn't like.

Classic Jodi Picoult is back!!!! If you’ve liked Jodi’s last few books but were thinking, “I really miss her old style of books!”, look no further!!!! I fell in love with Jodi’s books years and years ago and have read almost every single thing she’s written. I’ve really been missing the ‘multiple point of view courtroom drama with a social issue at hand’ books that she used to write. When I read the blurb for this book I was so excited to see if she was going back to what I loved most about her books.
Jodi and Jennifer nailed it with this book. There is suspense, drama, courtroom drama, a social issue and so much more. This was definitely a page turner and there was a point about half way through the book that had me saying “what?!?!” I adored this book and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you #randomhouse for an advanced copy of #madhoney by #jodipicoult and #jenniferfinneyboylan in exchange for an honest review

Ok full admission - I've never read a Jodi Picoult book - and Im mad...because clearly I have been missing out!
I cannot praise this book enough! Sensitive subjects handled so beautifully yet realistically. I read and savored every word. It is an unforgettable novel of love, and knowing oneself. Olivia is a beekeeper and I very much enjoyed learning about bees and harvesting honey. Olivia is divorced, lives with her teenage son who is on trial for murdering his girlfriend. The story is just so beautifully written and the story has stayed with me. I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

Summary
Olivia left her husband and, with her son, moved back home to take over her family's beekeeping business. Years later,
Lily and her mom moved to town right before school started, looking for a fresh start of their own. Olivia's son Asher and Lily meet and fall hard. Then Lily is found dead and Asher is accused of her murder. I can't give much more without giving away the twists and turns and revelations that make this story so powerful.

Review
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. She manages to tackle major social issues and the temperature of what is going on in the world through her writing. I loved the collaboration with Jennfier Finney Boylan. I would have never guessed two different people were writing. The book follows dual timelines and dual points of view... between Olivia in present day and Lily, starting with the day she dies and moving backwards. This book surprised me, shocked me, educated me and enthralled me. I couldn't put it down. The ending felt a little rushed; I would have liked more of the aftermath, but overall, it was beautiful and heart wrenching story about love.... the love parents have for their children as well as romantic love. Also about the lengths people will go to hide the truth of who they are from the ones they love and what happens when the truth comes out.