This book deals with traumatic experiences such as abuse and suicide, so the reader should be aware of these before choosing this book. In Mad Honey, Picoult and Boylan team up to write a story with two perspectives whose lives comes together when they start over in Adams, New Hampshire. Olivia escaped an abusive marriage along with her son, Asher, and Lily moves from the west coast. When Lily dies and Asher is blamed, Olivia questions if her son is abusive like her husband was. This book explored subjects and perspectives usually not voiced, yet I wasn't a huge fan of the ending.

I will not do a spoiler for this book but there is a wow factor.
Always lovedJodi Picoult books and was interested to see how the story would read with a coauthor (Jennifer Finley Boulanger). It is a seamless read with no breaks in the plot. The only thing is I did feel that certain facts went over my head and made the novel a little choppy. I do know now what mad honey is and can see that fact within the plot.
All in all I did enjoy the book and know that Lilly’s story needed to be told.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book, as well as the two authors that wrote it.

Wow! This book was fabulous, engaging from beginning to end. Reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's debut novel The Pact (and my first JP story!), it sets the stage for an all-night reading session because the reader will want to know what happens next and how it all ends.

“Mad Honey,” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, Ballantine Books, 464 pages, Oct. 11, 2022.

Olivia McAfee was married to a cardiothoracic surgeon, Braden Fields. They have a son, Asher, and lived in Boston.

Braden was violent and Olivia finally left him. She and Asher moved to Adams, New Hampshire, where they live in the house Olivia grew up in. She took over her late father’s beekeeping business. Asher, 18, is a high school senior. He is co-captain of the hockey team. He was seven when his parents divorced.

Lily Campanello and her mom, Ava, relocate to Adams for her final year of high school. Lily plays the cello and is on the fencing team. Asher and Lily are dating. Maya Banergee is a good friend of both Asher and Lily.
 
Then one day, Asher is late coming home. He finally calls his mother. Lily is dead and he is being questioned by police. He says Lily was sick at home. He went to check on her and found her at the bottom of the stairs. Lt. Mike Newcomb arrests Asher for murder.

Olivia is adamant that her son didn’t kill Lily. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge that Asher has flashes of his father’s temper. She asks her older brother, Jordan McAfee, to be Asher’s defense attorney. He is one of the most famous defense attorneys in New Hampshire. His wife, Selena, is his investigator. Jordan also appeared as a lawyer in an earlier Picoult book, “Nineteen Minutes,” which is about a school shooting.

Like most of Jodi Picoult’s novels, there is a major twist about halfway in that I did not see coming. This is about love, bigotry, the complexity of relationships, and domestic abuse. As Olivia wonders, where is the line between keeping something private and being dishonest?

“Mad Honey” is very well-written. The characters are excellent and the plotting is skilled. It was very hard to put it down. Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. I haven’t read anything else by Jennifer Finney Boylan, but will now. In the afterword, they explain how they worked together as the chapters alternate between Olivia’s voice and Lily’s. This is one you don’t want to miss.

 In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

August 18, 2022
Definitely NOT your run of the mill "Whodunnit". Thoughtful, well researched with lots of twists and beautifully written. Because of some of the subject matter probably not for everyone... but extremely thought provoking.

I started reading book while walking on treadmill 30 minutes a day, that lasted a few days as I was so drawn in I had to know what happened. I loved hearing Olivia's story and how she became such a strong woman and mom. I ached for Asher and his tough decisions. Suspense and romance are my favorite books, this checked both boxes.

I finished this weeks ago, but really didn't and still don't know how to articulate my thoughts on this but here goes!

I won't lie, Picoult was an author I had read in middle/high school and then stopped for one reason or another. I was graciously given the opportunity to read Wish You Were Here last year and it INSTANTLY became my favorite book of 2021 and possibly of all time. Now that Jodi is back on my radar, I was FROTHING at the mouth hoping to be able to read this newest early as well.

JODI AND JENNIFER DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT!! I consumed this 400+ page book like I was eating potato chips and watching The Kardashians- (which I definitely, definitely do NOT do- duh).
I'm always hesitant on books that heavily feature court scenes because it's typically not my thing, but the way it's woven into this deliciously written storyline.

This will be a book not everyone will like, it'll be controversial, make people angry and that's OK...BUT as usual, it's pertinent and timely with it's contemporary issues that really and truly need to be talked about.

These two authors bring so much more than a story about a mothers' love for her son. It's delicate, it's raw, it's real and it was beautiful. The writing was flowing and immersive, when I read the notes from both Jennifer and Jodi at the end I was shocked- I thought the way they both had their hand in creating this novel was brilliant and I could NOT decipher who had written what and that's EXACTLY how it should be. It goes to show how centered and connected they both were with each other AND their characters.

I fell in love, had my heart broken, shed tears -I will never forget Olivia, Lily, Asher and their lives, loves, passions and emotions.

GRADE: A ++ FREAKING PLUS PLUS for Mad Honey!

One of the finest books I have read in a very long time I was expecting nothing less from my two favorite authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

I absolutely love Jodi Picoult's books and was so excited to get a digital ARC of Mad Honey from NetGalley. As usual Picoult attacks contemporary issues full force and leaves you questioning the very essence of morality. In this story she illustrates both the vulnerability and strength of women through the voices of Olivia and Lily. You will fall in love with Lily and how brave she was in choosing to live the life that she was meant to live. Her story is powerful and will squeeze your heart as you are taken backwards as her story unfolds. I enjoyed the incorporation of bee keeping in the story and felt that it was needed to understand the depth of Olivia's love for Asher and how her sole purpose was to protect him. What I liked best about this story is that neither woman, Lily nor Olivia, is shown as flawless. Sometimes choices lead to unexpected trauma and overcoming the obstacles placed in one's path can be scary but empowering. This is one that you will not want to put down and you will stay up way past your bedtime in order to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for this arc copy of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult. I have read every novel written by Miss Picoult and was thrilled to be able to review this in advance of its debut.

This book was beautifully written with a mystery that kept me reading to find out the perpetrator as well as amazing intell on bees, honey and many other topics (some I won’t say due to spoilers). The thing that I loved most about this book was the message and knowledge it provided me, because folks, knowledge is power! Chapter: Lily 10 (location on Kindle location 6860). This is a powerful message that we all need to be armed with. We all need to realize that what is said in this passage between Ava and Lily sheds so much light on something that not many people are willing to analyze or discuss. I hope this will open the eyes of those who often look away…

Mad Honey starts off like many of Miss Picoult's novels; It begins in a small town in New Hampshire with a dead girl named Lily; Then you flash back in time to then meet the other main characters Olivia and her son Asher. Olivia is a single mom who has a past she has left behind that still haunts her and her son Asher. She came to New Hampshire with Asher and took over the family Beekeeping business and lives a lonely life with the exception of her son keeping her company. Asher is the all american boy- athletic, intelligent, handsome, and all-in-all just a good kid. First day of senior year, Asher and his best friend Maya meet Lily and Asher instantly crushes on her. They fall in love…

Lily and her mom Ava are new in town; like Asher and Olivia they also have a past they left behind that haunts them. Lily is continually plagued with concerns that her past will catch up with her, and as she and Asher get closer and their romance grows physical Lily begins to pull away from him. One of the fun parts of this book is that Jordan MaCafee, the defense lawyer who was in Miss Picoult's previous novels “Nineteen Minutes, The Pact, and Salem Falls” appears along with his wife Selena.

**Trigger warnings: Suicide, Domestic Abuse, LGBTQIA, brief conversation about school shooting, Bullying, Child Abuse

Once again, thank you #Netgalley #RandomHouse #Ballantine #JodiPicoult #JenniferFlynnBoyle #Powerfulread

What wouldn't you do for your child? A book about do-overs and 2nd chances written as emotionally as all of Jodi Picoults books are.
After her son's girlfriend is found dead and he's arrested, a mother is wondering how much like her abusive husband he is.

This book was the best book I’ve read in 2022 and possibly ever. All of the twists and the way it was written was so beautiful! Not only was it well written from each persons perspective but I loved how it tied in the pieces of the bees! I would highly recommend this book and read in 3 days!

Mad Honey is an incredible and thought-provoking coming-to-age story written by the author duo of Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.

This story is about two families and how their past changes everything for them. Olivia and Asher moved from their abusive home in Boston to a small quiet town in New Hampshire, where Olivia is now a part of her father’s beekeeping business. Ava and Lily also moved to the same town to start a new life after Lily had a terrible experience at her old high school. Asher and Lily met at school and immediately fell in love. Both mothers were happy both Asher and Lily found someone to confide in and enjoy their time together. Unfortunately, Olivia gets a phone call from Asher saying that Lily was murdered. Asher was then arrested and charged with Lily's murder, but Olivia believed that Asher wouldn’t ever hurt anyone.

I am still wrapping my head around how good this book was. Jodi and Jennifer have collaborated on a powerful and raw story that covers many taboo topics that will educate and enlighten us about the society that we live in. Both authors put their hearts and research into writing, which made me thoroughly enjoy reading this book. Both authors also collaborated on their writing seamlessly, so it was hard to tell which parts each author wrote. As the reader read the author’s notes, they realized that Jodi wrote Olivia's sections and Jennifer wrote Lilly's sections. The big twist and the suspense made the book addictive, but I wanted to read it slowly because of the topics presented and how well-written the story was. This book will tug on your heartstrings and make you understand that everyone just wants to be accepted, respected, and loved.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Random House Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.

This book has left me speechless, robbing me of any coherent words and thoughts. I am in awe of the importance of this novel, its imminent power to change lives, to promote understanding and compassion. Throughout the novel, I was aching, grieving, crying, fearing for Olivia, Asher, and Lily. Each of their stories were raw and honest, and I felt all of their emotions—their joys and sorrow, their innocence and guilt, their hopes and their doubts—deep in my soul. All of them are now imprinted in my heart—and I won’t forget them, ever. Jodi Picoult continues to use her unmatched talent to bring social injustices to the forefront of her novels. Now, with her voice blending brilliantly with that of Jennifer Finney Boylan, readers have been given a true gift.

I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult for more than 20 years. Her books are always well researched and thought provoking with characters and plot twists that stay with you long after the story ends. I appreciate the ways she makes you look at issues from different perspectives. While you may not always agree with a character's choices (Nineteen Minutes, Plain Truth, etc.), the books help you to understand their choices a little better. I was so excited to get a chance to preview her new novel, Mad Honey. I was intrigued with the characters and everything they had survived. The mothers sacrificed so much to give their children a second chance at a better life. I can honestly say that I had not read any reviews or summaries before I began reading so I was shocked at the plot twist. What a powerful story! It does not seem sufficient to say this is a good book. This is an important book that I hope will be added to book clubs and reading lists. Jodi and co-author Jennifer Finney Boylan have tackled a subject that needs to be discussed. I hope others will see the value of reading about the journey to be accepted and loved.

Okay I’m going to try my best to review this without giving spoilers.

The main topic in this book is basically a big twist and it’s best to go into this book, if you’re going to read it, blind like I did. The twist was done well and was a surprise to me. A lot of the negative reviews of this book are because they didn’t like the twist and that they felt blindsided that they didn’t want to hear about this topic or have to read about it. I however, loved this aspect of it. I thought the topic was handled really well and was a great depiction of a topic many probably are unfamiliar with and could use a lesson on tbh.

However, almost everything else was kind of annoying to me. I LOVE Jodi Picoult. Like, I’ve been reading her since I was practically a kid. Have probably read 10+ of her books. I think this was my least favorite unfortunately. I haven’t read her newest ones (since Small Great Things which I loved) because many of the newer ones didn’t get as good reviews but I was excited for this one because many reviews said it was similar to her old stuff. I disagree.

This does bring back the courtroom drama like her previous books - but it lacks the “on the edge of my seat what’s going to happen next” feel of the others.

It does teach you something, which is something I always loved about her books - feeling like I was learning while also being entertained. This one was all about bees and I dunno, it just felt forced to me in this one. Maybe because I don’t like bees. I dunno. I skimmed most of those parts.

I also didn’t really feel like I loved any of the characters. Maybe that was the point to make them all feel flawed, but I kind of felt like most of them felt flat instead.

And I felt like the “working backwards” plot from Lilys point of view was pointless. I understand why that device is used in some novels, but it didn’t have any purpose here. I think it would have been better and more suspenseful if it were flipped and told chronologically.

Then the ending, was just not good. I called it very early on that that’s what happened. Because it was very obvious. And I was hoping it would be some other big twist. But it wasn’t. I still love Jodi Picoult and I’ll give her another chance but this one just really missed the mark for

As always, the minute I hear Picoult has a new book out, I have to hunt it down! So first off, a HUGE thank you to Random House Publishing for giving me another opportunity to enjoy her latest book.

Now, for the review: Mad Honey was classic Picoult writing, which is most impressive because this book was written in alternating chapters by both Picoult and Finney Boylan. The voice through-out felt seamless to me, even as the chapters are different character POVs. All the characters were flawed, but they each felt relatable and for me, it was difficult to choose which one to sympathize with the most. I tore through it, even though it was a heavily emotional read, because I had to know how things would turn out. I also LOVED the references back to Nineteen Minutes and the familiarity of the setting and some of the characters.

I don't want to say any spoilers, but as always, Picoult's novels always have some sort of current event/socio-political issues, and this is no different. I haven't read any of Finney Boylan's novels, but from what I have researched on the author, this aligns with some of her writing as well, especially regarding the LGBTQ+ community. In Picoult's previous novels, and now in Mad Honey with Finney Boylan, the writing offers so many perspectives on a hot topic, which really makes the reader assess and challenge their own thoughts and biases. I personally love that in a novel, but I do acknowledge some people struggle with that kind of writing- life is already so politically charged, I understand some choose to escape into novels to get away from it, rather than choosing to read about it. However, I really enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to fellow readers.

I love a good courtroom drama 😍

Y’all - this had everything. Mystery, romance, family drama, teenage angst, coming of age, and trans representation ❤️

It’s hard to say what this book is about without giving everything away but I will say I loved it. I loved how the chapters bounced back and forth between Olivia and Lily. I love how the timeline went forward on one and backward on another.

My only criticism is that I kinda called the ending - which is not the norm for JP books in my opinion. My fav reason I love her books so much is there’s always a twist at the end you don’t see coming and just knocks you out. But this didn’t really have that kinda bang for me.

However - it’s still a very important story to tell. And I highly recommend ❤️❤️❤️

We learn from the afterword or acknowledgments that the Jodi Picoult/Jenny Boylan co-authorship started with a dream of Boylan's and was nurtured with a Twitter DM exchange, which is awfully sweet. I don't think I've read Picoult before, and I've only read Boylan's nonfiction. Their collaboration started I believe as a shared outline and each other writing one character's chapters. They say that with extensive editing, each can't entirely tell which parts she is responsible for. I share that just because it's interesting, not entirely germane to my review. However, I do think it's a smart way to give dual narrators a different feel from one another.

Boylan's character is Lily, who started senior year at a new school and almost immediate fell in love with Asher, whose mother, Olivia, is Picoult's narrator. Olivia is a beekeeper, of all things, and her narrative is skillfully entwined with what seems to be deeply researched and rendered beekeeping lore that bumps up the novel's literary cred. I believe Picoult is perceived by the Franzen crowd to be a lightweight, but I'd say she's boxing above her weight class.

Both main characters have depth and relatability. I was particularly in sync with Olivia, despite having little life experience that is similar. The one weakness with Lily is the author's need to explain and justify certain things, which says more about readers than the writer.

When the story becomes a legal battle, Olivia's brother jumps in, giving this depressing, but accurate advice to his client

"Remember the whole point of a trail is that it's an adversarial process. We're supposed to attack each other, in the hopes that the truth is the only thing left standing after the carnage. I'm going to do the best I can."

And here's Lily comparing Jesus Christ and Charlie Brown

"Actually, I sometimes think there is something very Jesus-like about Charlie Brown--his heartbreaking patience, his endless suffering.
You have to admit the show would have a different ending if, after he and Linus bought the sad little Christmas tree, the other kids in the Peanuts gang came after them with a hammer and some nails."

Lol, who even knows. Lily's mind is full of eclectic knowledge. In the same way Olivia furthers her story with bees, Lily's is embroidered with trenchant factoids.

As I write this, two weeks after I finished reading the book, I'm realizing it really made an impression. I look forward to digging into other novels by both writers. The one disappointing element, alas, is the final whodunnit.

How did Lily die? What secrets is Asher keeping? Do you want to learn a lot about bees?

Jodi Picoult is a gifted writer, no doubt, and this collaboration with Jennifer Finney Boylan is mostly excellent literature, but there were a lot of times I felt like it was just a big info-dump, hence the 4 stars.

I did care about the characters and I wanted to see what happened. There is a lot of buzz about this book and topics it handles.

Picoult's books always are great fodder for discussion groups as well and this one did not disappoint in that matter.

I don't want to give too much away because of course there are a few twists, some I saw coming and some I didn't. If you have enjoyed her previous books you will most likely also like this one.