I was so ready to go on a nice, in depth reading journey and settle down with a Picoult book. I have to say that the first 50% of this book, I somewhat enjoyed. Though, even at that point, I felt it was becoming too long, and I kept questioning to myself if I would be able to continue it. It was just TOO long and VERY descriptive, which I realize Picoult's books are. I just didn't connect to any of the characters. Also, I did not realize this book would have to so many controversial topics. I stayed away from member reviews so I could go into it unbiased. Also, at almost the 50% mark, things just completely switched gears, and I felt somewhat "betrayed" for lack of a better word in regard to a certain character. While I am a Picoult fan, and have many of her books still in my TBR to read, I just personally would not recommend this book. Unpopular opinion alert, but I was very disappointed.

As a (huge) fan of Jodi Picoult, I was a little nervous to pick up Mad Honey. Would I like a book she co-authored as much as I like her books?

... The answer is yes - absolutely yes.

I loved Mad Honey and it was everything you would expect from a classic Picoult book. The in depth knowledge about honey bees and how a hive works. The character development and depth. The twist you don't always see coming. And, if you have read a Picoult book before, you do know she does not shy away from controversial social topics.

If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult's previous books (Nineteen Minutes, The Pact etc) I would run (not walk) to get this book!

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC.

Mad Honey is all around okay. It has classic Picoult; the other chapters, written by Boylan, are actually a little boring. The surprise at the end was not surprising at all-- it was actually incredibly predictable.

I loved character of Lily and how she was sculpted and portrayed. However, Picoult should have gone for more of a character driven book with this one (no surprise endings and less of the court case) in order to make this a better book.

Overall, I would give this 4 stars! Compelling and current, but not the most gripping.

Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I adore Jodi Picoult’s books, and this collaboration with Jennifer Finney Boylan did not cease to earn my affection. I was immediately sucked into beekeeper Olivia’s relationship with her teenaged son, Asher, her only living family member and her child by an abusive ex-husband. The book is split between Olivia’s perspective and that of Lily, Asher’s girlfriend, who has been found dead. When Asher is arrested as the prime suspect, Olivia is left to figure out what really happened and how far she is willing to go to support her son. Like all of her others I’ve read, the writing in this book is vivid and engaging, full of interesting analogies and (in this case) bee facts. I really enjoyed this book, despite the difficult subject matter. You really get a sense of Olivia’s conflict between wanting to protect her son and worrying he may be an echo of his abusive father. I also loved getting to learn more about Lily, both from her flashback sections and alongside Olivia.

Wow. I'm floored by this riveting piece of art! I love the metaphor of bees and honey used throughout the story in parallel to Olivia's life, Asher's circumstance, etc. I feel more educated than before I read this, as well. It was done beautifully. Great read, recommend highly!

This was good. This is only the second book I’ve ever read by Jodi Picoult, but I enjoy how on the pulse she is and how sharp, and simultaneously down to earth her writing is.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, and I wait (im)patiently for a new book. This was a departure from her usual books. She had a co-author, so perhaps that is the reason, and I've noticed she has really branched out into other things (good for her...do what makes you happy.) I am so interested in bees and beekeeping, so this one had a lot of personal interest for me. Olivia is starting over, taking over her Dad's beekeeping business when he passed. It brings back memories of her childhood, and she is happy to introduce her daughter, Lily, to the magic of bees. Lily tries to fit into her new community, and tragedy is woven into the plot surprisingly. I'm purposely trying not to give spoilers. Trust me, you will want to read this book. Thanks to Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jodi Picoult has long been an auto-read for me, and Mad Honey did not disappoint. Picoult and Finney Boylan deftly explore relevant topics with a close look at the humans involved and the raw emotions that surface. I loved the deep dive into bees and beekeeping as part of this book. It was fascinating and a nice parallel to the story. The dive into bees reminded me somewhat of the Picoult novel years ago about the elephants. All in all, this was a good read and I would highly recommend.

The low ranking is not a reflection of the work itself, but rather speaks to the fact that I selected other books over this title.
I loved Piccoult's title from last year, but for some reason this book was not calling my name. Will not be reading, so leaving an unopinionated review as a result.

2 1/2 stars. Oh, dear. This book started out so strongly for me. I raced through the first part of it - the characters were well developed, and the plot was intriguing. But then it all skidded to a halt for me. I'm used to Picoult's extensive research, but this was just too much - we read waaaay too much information about way too many topics. Much of the time I felt I was being lectured to. I didn't realize a big part of the book would be a step-by-step description of a trial, and that, combined with the encyclopedic information about the various topics led me to skim whole passages just to find out what was happening. This was a long book and could easily have been edited down by 100-200 pages. Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors and Ballantine for the ARC of this title.

Mad Honey was unsettling and so good, like most things Jodi Picoult writes/co-writes. And like most of her novels, I found myself totally engrossed in something I never previously knew anything about. In this case, it was beekeeping. I know not everyone enjoys the random subjects Picoult chooses to delve into with all of her novels, from being a death doula to bread making, I find that it’s all pretty interesting and I was eager to learn more about bees.
Mad Honey reminds me of a few of Picoult’s older novels like Nineteen Minutes and The Pact.
I didn’t really know what this book would be about before going in, so I don’t want to spoil it.. even though some of why I really liked it was because of things I can’t really articulate without spoiling the plot. My advice is to read this book without looking at spoilers and just let it unfold.
The book made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. And the one thing that people may assume would be the cause of that discomfort was actually NOT the cause of my discomfort. And that is how you get readers on board with things they may not previously understand, as Jodi Picoult always seems to figure out how to do.. You tell a story, you get the reader invested in the characters, you weave it all together, and you generate empathy within the reader. I was so much more concerned about so many other things going on in the book than the thing…
I know that’s incredibly vague, but if you’ve read it, you will know what I mean.

I devoured the book and really enjoyed it. One complaint is the backwards timeline of Lily’s POV. I don’t think it did anything productive and it would have been better told in a regular timeline with flashbacks to certain things once the timing was right to do so.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story and was on the edge of my seat wondering if Asher really did kill Lily and why.

This read like vintage Jodi Picoult, even though it was co-authored by Jennifer Finney Boylan (an author I definitely want to check out after reading this).

Different voices speak throughout the book (Lily, her mother Ava, and her boyfriend’s mother). All of them resonated as being real, relatable; and having gone through life events that made them more resilient.

I was totally absorbed in Mad Honey and couldn’t stop until I got to the end. This book is so thought-provoking and to the absolute forefront of contemporary culture and relevant social issues.

Fantastic.

A dark, intense domestic thriller that is a page turner. This collaboration was brilliant and the novel is thought provoking and immersive. A seemingly perfect family with dark undercurrents. A new start in a new town didn't quite shake off secrets from the past. This story was riveting in the best way. Well written and engaging.

This is another story that comprises love, secrets, do lovers, death and still challenges what I believe is true. Jodi is a master at not only storytelling but also challenging what I believe to be true in a situation. She also likes to educate me and this time it was about beekeeping. An excellent story.


Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Jodi picoult is QUEEN and this novel is no different!
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

4.5 stars. I've read everything by Jodi Picoult, and I've already added several books by Jennifer Finney Boylan to my TBR. I thought this book was WONDERFUL. Beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. It is a novel about secrets - those we keep, and those we reveal. And what it takes to be our true selves. As a mother, I identified with Olivia. Lily is an AMAZING character as well.

"Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father's beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her."

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

I LOVED this book. So much emotion and a lot of education. 5 out of 5 stars 🌟 This is another timely and subject sensitive book from Jodi Picoult. I had no idea what the plot was and then BAM! Highly recommend this book to everyone.

I like everything Jodi Picoult writes, including "Mad Honey". A well written novel with a familiar story line, my one problem with the story was the suicide theme. Yes, it's the main idea in this story, but in all honesty I can do without that theme. Maybe I've read too many novels lately with the same theme, and I'm not dispassionate about it as a real issue -but it's like gratuitous violence; sometimes an overdone theme. In the author's usual prose however, it is a compelling story.

I am a big fan of Jodi Picoult so I was looking forward to this next book. It did not disappoint; in fact, it was one of her best. Domestic abuse, transgender rights, and...................beekeeping! There are even some recipes! But this is a novel of suspense and love. The love between a trans girl and her unsuspecting boyfriend, and the mystery of who killed her. Not until the final pages did I know what really happened. I do not want to put more into this review because I really want you to read it. 5 stars!

An utterly riveting, suspenseful, deeply moving, timely and important tale, masterfully told! From the earliest pages, this powerful story had me hooked, and I found it challenging to put aside. I also learned a wealth of facts regarding a number of topics, though I do feel there were a few too many specific details about beekeeping, which, for me, detracted a bit from the story. The title is brilliant, by the way, as became far more apparent as I devoured this tale. This was my first read of a book by either Jodi Picoult or Jennifer Finney Boylan, but certainly will not be my last. Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.