I don't think I have ever read a Jodi Picoult book that I didn't absolutely devour. Something about her writing style makes her books absolutely thrilling and un-put-down-able. This book was exhilarating as we are taken on a journey of mom Olivia learning about who her son is deep to his core through a murder accusation that rattles their whole town and family. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I had high hopes for "Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, as I usually adore Jodi's novels. However, this particular book fell short, resulting in me taking a long time to finish. The novel starts out with captivating beekeeping descriptions and engaging character interactions and then takes a drastic turn when a teen is found dead and another is accused of the murder. It just felt like a confusing storyline to me, and it felt noticeable this book was coauthored.

I found the rest of the storyline hard to read, although I don't want to say more to avoid giving away big spoilers! There were a ton of social issues mixed into this book, and it felt like Jodi could have spent a lot of time on any one of them, but none of them were done in great depth or conveyed super well. The core plot felt muddied at times, and I didn't walk away feeling wowed as I usually do when reading Jodi's books. I'm excited to see what she writes next, but the twist in this one didn't work for me!

Mad Honey is a contemporary novel about a mother who is faced with her son’s arrest for his girlfriend’s murder.

Olivia McAfee is a beekeeper who is raising her teenage son Asher alone after fleeing an abusive marriage. When Asher falls for the new girl in town Olivia flashes back to her own traumatic marriage with Asher’s father the charming (but monstrous) Braden. But two months into their relationship Asher finds Lily dead at the bottom of her staircase and he immediately becomes the lone suspect. With alternating POV’s between Lily and Olivia we learn what came before and after Lily’s death and what shaped both of these strong women.

Mad Honey is a powerful novel about identity, family and love. The doomed character of Lily is so hard to let go of once the reader meets her and hears her story. And Olivia’s trauma after being married to Braden feels very authentic and realistic. It’s hard not to feel for her as she tries to hold on to her faith in Asher as the evidence mounts up. I found myself reaching for this book over and over trying to find out what will happen next.

I highly recommend this intelligent and emotional novel. Through the characters the reader learns so much about bee colonies, gender identity and the cycle of abuse. I highly recommend it to fiction readers everywhere.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐝🍯Book Review:
Title: MAD HONEY
Author: Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

This book took me almost a year to finally commit to sitting down and reading. And I should have done so sooner because this one had me gripped by my collar and wasn't letting go! Wow! What an intense, emotional read! It's very controversial, but I'm not going to get into all that.

Olivia McAfee and her son Asher move from Boston to her small hometown town in New Hampshire to seek solace after the crashing of her marriage to Asher's father. Around the same time, Lily Campanello and her mother relocated to the same town for a fresh start at the beginning of her senior year in high school. Paths cross, and Asher and Lily fall in love.

One day, Olivia receives a phone call that Lily is dead and Asher is the prime suspect. But Olivia knows he's innocent, and it's up to her to prove it. This story has a huge twist. It's gut-wrenching, suspenseful, intense, heartbreaking! The lengths you'd go to for your child. Whew. This one had me thinking for a long time after finishing!

Published: October 4th, 2022

Thank you, @netgalley, and @randomhouse for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. Just wow.

This book is really going to stick with me.

It opened my eyes to SO MUCH and felt so genuine and real. I connected with the characters on such a deep and personal level and ached for their grief.

This book is beautifully written and I absolutely loved the dual narrators and timelines. It was a stroke of genius to write Lily's portion in reverse chronology and Olivia's in forward-present focusing on the trial.

And then, just when I was needing a little something more from the plot.... BAM! The entire trajectory of the novel shifts in such a profound and meaningful way.

I've often heard the phrase 'the best people are book people' and this is one of those books that I think helps point to WHY. It was educational and personal and beautiful. It helped open my eyes to a world that is maybe right in front of me but I haven't seen or taken the time to explore. It gave me understanding, empathy, and a point of context. Truly, this book is remarkable.

I think the moment on the witness stand when the doctor uses the analogy to your dominant versus non-dominant hand will stick with me forever. It was perfection.

Thank you so much to Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult for sharing this story with the world. We need more strong voices like theirs.

I listened to this novel on audio via PRH Audio and it was exceptional. I loved both narrators and thought they did a tremendous job. They brought me to tears on many, many occasions.

Also, listen/read the authors' notes. They were really insightful and were the cherry on top for me.

Thank you to Ballantine, PRH Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

This does not go in my 'like' pile of Jodi Picoult's books. It was fine. At some points, it felt silly, when it should have been gut-wrenching. I will always read Ms. Picoult's stories, but I'm not always glad about it. This is one of those times.

This is the story of Lily, a trans high school girl who has died under mysterious circumstances and her boyfriend, Asher is the most likely suspect. Lily and her mother had moved to a new state after being viciously attacked at her old school. She had found friends and things were going well. So what really happened?

The problem with this book is that I didn't find any of the characters relatable. And that's a real problem in a book where there is a lot of trauma and violence and you're trying to see a situation from others' points of view or because of another person's experience.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a bit late to the game, but this is a fantastic book that explores the current world. I don't want to say much, because of spoilers, but it's a total page-turner about the murder trial of a high school boy when his girlfriend turns up dead. I also learned a lot about bees and beekeeping. This is a great book group read.

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!

If Jodi Picoult writes it, I will read it and this did not disappoint. Her books are always so thought provoking. I still remember my first Jodi Picoult book and how much it changed how I thought.

She also has the best twists and this book was no exception. Highly recommend!

I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. And I mean that in the absolute best of ways. Sometimes when you pick up a book and you think you know what it’s about, and then it’s nothing that you thought it was about but you love it anyways. That is this book! I should’ve known that Picoult would provide deliciously complicated characters. I should’ve known that it would be a morally murky situation. Which I did. What I didn’t know was the why. And as always when you find out the why, she really makes you examine things. Picoult never gives a straight forward morale, the world is full of grey and she doesn’t shy away from it.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. The information about the bees and the hives was so interesting. While the subject matter is tough to talk about and understand, I felt the author does a good job in not pushing your beliefs or thoughts to either side. Allowing you to read it without feeling judgement.

My book club loved this book! Jodi Picoult is a genius at weaving tales that hit you emotionally and intellectually. Incredible story and characters!

Mad Honey was an interesting experiment in two writers sharing the writing of a book, each taking a separate character as narrator but switching one chapter each to write in the other’s voice.

I was surprised by the plot progression, but then satisfied that it played fair as it further examined the cause of the surprise,

I learned something, expanded my view of the world, and enjoyed a good tale all at once. That happens all too rarely. I recommend you read it for yourself and don’t cheat and spoil the surprise.

This is the book to read if you want to know about bees and beekeeping. A lot of detail went into it. Sometimes too much. This book was great though. There's a little mystery, a little suspense, lots of twists and turns. So much about bees. She talks about lore; she tells us how to make remedies and treats and anything bees that you can think of. This book is definitely worth reading. Jodi Picoult has so many books and so many different story types but her characters are always entertaining and she never disappoints.

The co-authoring of this title by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is used to good effect with the focus on two main characters, Olivia and Lily. The pacing and plotting of the story is dynamic, but where the authors shine is in their character development. The ladies in this story lead relatable lives and struggle with decisions and feelings with which most people can empathize (even if we are not part of an active murder investigation). This mystery thriller is an enjoyable read

I was completely captivated by this book! I didn't want to give away the surprising twist so I'll say that I think this book is a beautiful voice to those that aren't always heard in society. Hopefully people will walk away with an extra ounce of compassion. I am giving 4 stars because, while I enjoyed the story, I agree with another reviewer that the outcome was a little unfair.

It's been over a year since I requested this book and I have to finally admit that I'm not going to get around to it. I used to be obsessed with Jodi Picoult's books but I haven't read one in a long time and I would like to get back into her work!

Jodi Picoult does it again!

I loved this book. It tackled tough conversations in a delicate way, and it was very clear that Jodi had done her research and gotten involved with the communities mentioned before writing this masterpiece.

Why did I wait so long to pick this book up? I was hooked from the beginning! There was plenty of unique twists to keep it flowing nicely. The book touches on quite a few subjects and explains to the reader in detail to help educate.

I would recommend this book!

I would read all of Jodi Picoult no matter the subject matter. I find her to be one of the great authors that I follow. Some of her books have been banned for sensitive matters. I feel she writes about subjects that others shy away from. I feel myself that I learn from her writing and become more giving through reading her novel. This novel opened my eyes to the way others judge and in so judging harm fellow beings. Great story.

This book is an example of why Jodi Picoult is one of my "go to" authors. To see the collab between her and Jennifer Finney Boylan made my heart dance a little bit. This book was nothing but exceptional. This duo had a way of pulling you in to each characters story so whole heartedly that you felt every single thing that happened to them. Mad Honey had so many moments in which I had to stop reading and truly have a moment to digest what I had just read. I think this book is important in its message and a must read by all.