I LOVED this thought-provoking novel and read it in one night! Teen hockey player Asher is deeply in love with his girlfriend Lily, and Asher's beekeeper mom Olivia is thrilled... until she gets a call that Lily is dead, and Asher is wanted for questioning. It's hard to write much about the plot without giving spoilers, but this riveting novel will make you think about how well you really know someone, how much of who we are is inherited from our parents, and whether / how much people can change.

While I didn't particularly enjoy Jodi Picoult's last novel, "The Book of Two Ways", this took me back to the classic Picoult plots I originally fell in love with that make me cite her as my absolute favorite author; it's legal battle around a moral issue, with some big twists to keep you guessing. The moral issues touched upon made me rethink some of my own beliefs, as Picoult once again proved herself a master at providing nuanced perspectives without hitting you over the head with her ideology.

I was thrilled for Picoult's collaboration with Jennifer Finlan Boylan, as I really enjoyed her groundbreaking memoir, "She's Not There", and the post-script in this book about how Boylan and Picoult divided up the writing was really interesting. From a collaboration perspective, Boylan and Picoult did an amazing job: although the story is told from two perspectives (Lily's and Olivia's), and jumps around chronologically, it felt incredibly cohesive, and up until the post-script, I would have thought that it was written by one author and that the other was simply a collaborator. This book won't come out until October, but it's going to make a huge splash - highly, highly recommend!

(Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early ARC - this was the best book I've read in a while!)

To say I loved Mad Honey would be an understatement. I truly enjoyed every word of this amazing story. It is thought-provoking and leaves you thinking about the story minutes after you put the book down. I compel everyone to read this book as you will find it fascinating the enjoyable.

The story is about mothers and their children. The journey we take when we become parents. The amount of love we give each child and how we protect them even when they don't see the act as protection.

It's a truly beautiful and wonderful book. Please pick it up.

Thank you for NetGalley and Ballantine for allowing me to read this early version.

Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

To say Jodi Picoult books pull their themes from the headlines or that they break your heart would be an understatement. In Mad Honey, her talent for creating characters that I love and want to prevail is added to the depth that collaborating with Jennifer Finney Boylan to put the issue of not just the legal rights, but the right to live of transgender people in the U.S. today in sharp focus. It’s one thing to argue bathroom bills and choice for adults, but Mad Honey expands the discussion in ways that only good story telling can do.
As with most Jodi Picoult books, the research of the other theme in this book is tremendous. The bees! I thought I knew some things about bees, but I barely scratched the surface. Fascinating both factually and for the metaphor of the lives of these ancient creatures as applied to this family.
Mad Honey also touches on the issues of domestic assault, divorce and how the ones we love most are often the most cruel. I could not stop reading this book, and yes, it will break your heart.
I try to read everything Jodi Picoult publishes, because she takes such a balanced approach to issues. I am looking forward to reading more of Jennifer Finney Boylan's books, and hope these two collaborate again.
I received this advance reader's copy from the publisher. Mad Honey will be released on October 4, 2022.

Jodi Picoult does it again! I loved the contrasting perspectives by the two authors. You could really tell the characters apart because of the writing styles. I loved the premise and twist of this story!

Escaping the "perfect" marriage and fleeing during the night with her young son, Olivia never imagined that she 'd end up back in her childhood bedroom and running her father's beekeeping business. Always loved and protected, Asher is now a senior in high school with good grades, good friends and as the captain of the hockey team, he commands respect. What he doesn't count on is falling in love with the new girl, Lily who turns his world inside out. Like Asher's mom, Olivia, Lily also has experienced trauma in her past as evidenced by the cuts on her wrists, but Asher is willing to ignore Lily's past as long as he can be with her. Wanting to help "heal" Lily, Asher makes a dreadful mistake when he tries to surprise Lily with a special Christmas gift with disastrous results. Now Asher is on trial for Lily's death and as Lily's secrets come to light during the trial, the reader begins to wonder if Asher really knew Lily as well as he thought he did.. Was Asher in the wrong place at the wrong time? Was Lily's death accidental or is there someone else that the police should be investigating as well? The authors let us into the lives of the residents of a small New Hampshire town and draw parallels of the community's activities to those of the honey bee colonies which Olivia tends. It will keep you guessing until the end.

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance review copy of Mad Honey from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a fantastic and thought-provoking read. There's a very good criminal trial plot, in addition to a rather raw and honest examination of gender and domestic abuse issues.

The plot kept me guessing and riveted. These characters wormed their way into my heart. I highly recommend Mad Honey. Wish I could tell you why, but so much of what appealed to me about this book would be blurting out spoilers.

I had no idea what this story was about when I requested an ARC but I have read all of Jodi’s books so I knew I needed to read it. Her last book was not a favorite of mine and I felt that her writing had changed. Then I read Mad Honey and it was like reading an earlier book by her. Reading it and then BAM, the twist occurs. I had to stop reading to digest it. The story then becomes something else and like her earlier works you start questioning all that you’ve thought about things. I can say that I learned things from these two authors. I still have questions, but after reading this book I will continue to be open to learning about this subject. I hope this book helps to educate people and gets conversations going.
The one thing I didn’t like was at the end of the book when an alternative person is identified as the person responsible for the death of Lily. It didn’t seem to fit and seemed far fetched how it ends. But that is not a reason not to recommend this book.

In many Jodi Picoult books there’s a point the reader gets to that makes them gasp or cry, “What?!?” to an empty room. Mad Honey does the same - following a love story that turns into a murder mystery that turns into so much more. The book looks deeply at the power of relationships (good and bad, blood and chosen), survivorship, and takes an engaging perspective observing courtroom testimony unfolding.

Olivia McAfee is a single mom raising her 18-year-old son Asher on her family farm in New Hampshire, raising bees for a living. Asher is a good student, ace hockey player, and lifelong friend to many.

Lily Campanello moves to their small town for her senior year, having made the cross-country trek from California with her mom. They are both ready for a new start after several tumultuous years and relocating multiple times.

I loved the northeast setting, and if you’ve ever had a maple creamee you’ll love the brief homage to them. I didn’t expect to be as riveted to the courtroom scenes as I was - law usually bores me - but I couldn’t devour those scenes quickly enough. I also truly enjoyed the aspects of beekeeping and hive life interwoven into the story, it was beautiful and educational and always tied back to the main characters and storyline.

Jennifer Finney Boylan and Picoult must have some magical chemistry because the storytelling was seamless. Although we hear from two distinct characters (Lily and Olivia), their voices and the writing style is similar enough to feel as if they’re written by the same author. I truly enjoyed the writers’ notes at the end to better understand the origins of this book and the writing process for these two talented authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this beautiful story with me. I've always been a fan of Jodi Picoult books and if you've ready any others, you know their tales tug at your heartstrings and usually we end up shedding a few tears. This book is no different and very much worth the read.

It's hard to give you a synopsis of this book without giving away too many details but in general it is the story of young love, dark secrets, hidden pasts, regaining trust, death, and life. I did not expect some of the twists that came from the character's journey.

Told from dual perspectives through two different timelines, we learn the truth behind Lily, a high school student in love with a boy, and the story of Olivia, the mother of the boy, Asher.

Do not expect to speed through the pages, but plan to enjoy the slow progression of the story, much like falling in love, or as you learn, the slow process of bees making honey.

This book is sweet and sad all mixed up in one beautiful package.

Just like every other Jodi Picoult book, Mad Honey will surprise you, will make you think of things from different perspectives, and will make you feel big things. I love when her books have a courtroom component, and that's a huge part of Mad Honey. It's expertly executed like always.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jodi Picoult’s new book is co-written with author Jennifer Finney Boylan. It discusses LGTBQ situations and gender roles in young adults.

Asher and Lily are attending high school together and have recently started dating. They seem to be the quintessential high school couple; however secrets from the past are a constant struggle (& reminder) for both of them.

The chapters are split up by the different characters’ viewpoints. We also hear from Ava (Lily’s mom) and Olivia (Asher’s mom). Olivia is a beekeeper and there are numerous references to bees (how they live in their hive, what Olivia does to keep them safe, etc); all of which I found super interesting.

As with all of Picoult’s books there is a twist at the end; and this one took me by surprise.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
This book hits bookstores in early October.

It’s nice when a novel can be both entertaining and thought provoking, and this book certainly was that for me. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I imagine that as time goes by, there will be more books written that cover this same complicated subject, and that will be a good thing. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off super strong and I was enjoying the storyline! Great information about bees and it was informative and well researched. Olivia is raising her son Asher on her own having left an abusive marriage. She’s relocated back to her hometown to take over the family business of beekeeping. Then, it started adding in every hot topic the author could think of and it brought the enjoyability factor way down for me. That being said,
I normally love Jodi Picoult books! In this case I wish she had stuck to story writing and not hot topic issues.

Thank you Net Galley, and Random House Ballantine, for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I have been a Jodi Picoult fan for years. She collaborated with Jennifer Finney Boylan to write Mad Honey and this was one of her best books yet. The authors each wrote from the perspective of two of the main characters in the book. The writing was seamless from chapter to chapter; I was unable to tell that there were two different writers.
I couldn’t put the book down. I just wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. Most of Ms. Picoult’s books have a twist that catches you off guard—this book has several!
Alex and his mom and Lily and her mom are both running away from secrets and end up in the same place. Alex and Lily meet up through a friend and become a couple. The relationship isn’t very smooth, but when Alex goes to Lily’s house to apologize, he finds her dead, and he is charged with her murder.
I can’t really tell more about the plot because I don’t want to spoil the story. Besides being a compelling read, it was also educational. I learned about beekeeping since Alex’s mother is a beekeeper, and thus the title. I also learned a lot about transgender topics. Everyone has secrets in this book, and you learn how the secrets we keep can affect others, especially those we love.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. The book will be published October 4, 2022.


#MadHoney, #JodiPicoult, #JenniferFinneyBoylan, #NetGalley

Just finished this one up. Completely torn in whether or not I liked it. The beekeeping aspect got a little long winded for me. I was super interested in the Asher/Lily relationship and murder under the trans twist came into play. I imagine it will be someone’s cup of tea but this one didn’t do it for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for sharing this book. All opinions are my own.

As usual, Ms. Picoult's prose is beautiful and her pacing is stellar. The book's two narrators lead you both forward and backward from the inciting incident - a teenage girl's untimely death. Lily takes us backward week by week, unfolding her history and leading us through her budding relationship with her boyfriend Asher. Olivia, Asher's mom, brings the story into the future and keeps track with all the unfolding events following Lily's death after her son is charged with premeditated murder. While at first this was a bit disjointed to me, I really enjoyed the portrayal of Lily as a person, rather than "victim", the way a timeline leading up to her death may have seemed. There are certain plot details that will reveal themselves and would behoove me as a reviewer to avoid spoiling. I'll conclude with a statement that I enjoyed this book, and found myself racing to finish it over several days. The recipes at the end are a lovely touch!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this wonderful book. I was completely hooked by the authors’ writing style from the very beginning. Walking through the trial from the eyes of Asher’s mother was very fascinating and the ending twist I never saw coming.

This novel was a powerful love story that encompasses secrets, suspense, and risks to protect those we love. It was so thought provoking and emotional at times and with the plot twists you really can’t help but sympathize with the characters and their stories shared. I did feel like there was so much detail and so much going on that the book was a little overwhelming at times for me. The viewpoint from Lily’s perspective was also a little hard to follow at times since her timeline was moving backwards while also going back and forth between her transition before and after.

Asher’s mother was also a beekeeper and being educated on that process throughout the book was very fascinating.

This book was ultimately gripping, emotional, and heartbreaking all at the same time and the authors address a modern day topic in a very compassionate manner. I would definitely recommend this book.

I always look forward to the newest Jodi Picoult book. This one, however, is co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan. Their voices blended together exceedingly well in this riveting story.

I'll probably be in the minority but that said, I am a big Jodi Picoult fan. Read every book. For a talented author, she really missed the mark this time. We have every trending newsworthy issue in this book. I was really enjoying it until we hit abortion, transgender, lesbians, and spousal abuse, gender altering hormones with surgery to change your sex, accompanied by explanations of all. The plot was great until I was bogged down in a biology lesson. I read for entertainment and even murder couldn't save this train wreck. Don't waste your time on this one. I am sad to say I would give it a minus one star if I could.

Wow, another Picoult masterpiece. To be honest when this book came on NetGalley, I didnt even read the description, I just immediately requested it.

But in true Jodi P fashion, about halfway through the book there was a twist I did not see coming. From time to time when I was reading, the book made me uncomfortable, but by the end, it was exactly what I needed to read and learn.

The book is told in two POVs: Olivia, Asher’s mom and Lily, Asher’s girlfriend who he is accused of killing.

The book releases in October!!