I enjoyed the book ans, as always, I was amazed at the amount of research into the subject that Picoult did.

I thought this was a very eye opening book. I admit it made me very sad but it is a much needed book for any and everyone to read.

DNF at 27%. I have always enjoyed Jodi Picoult novels, some of which have really stayed with me over time, so expected the same of this one,]. However, every element of this particular one felt like something I've read before. Olivia and her son Asher have created a life in New Hampshire after leaving an abusive marriage. Lily and her mother have also fled to NH from across the country, having fled their own abusive situation Now in high school, Asher and Lily become a couple, seemingly devoted to each other, until Lily is found dead in her home by Asher, who is then arrested for her murder.

I found it difficult to connect and care about any of these characters, and dissecting the teenage relationship step by step leading up to Lily's death, and assuming more details to come about their fathers' abusive behavior sure to be a factor, was just not a world I wanted to live in for another 350+ pages.

Thank you to the publisher, authors and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Olivia McAfee had a great life, at least on the outside. After marrying a man who becomes a successful cardiothoracic surgeon, they go on to live in a beautiful house in Boston and have a wonderful son, then Olivia's world comes crashing down. Living back in the New Hampshire house of her youth with her son, Olivia takes over her father’s beekeeping business and tries to make a better life than the one they left. When her son Asher is a teenager, a relationship with a newcomer to town threatens the safety and security of their life once again.

I liked the book until the twist, for the simple reason that the novel is too close to polarizing current events. The subject matter was eye opening and thought provoking, especially in its realism. With the novel was written by two different set of hands, it was hard to not see the differences in style. I have read all of Jodi Picoult's books and this one did not feel like her. That being said, had I read the notes by the authors first, I might have felt a little less negative about the novel. Jennifer Finney Boylan was the reason Mad Honey was written by two authors and the personal stories of each helped. I honestly felt that there was too much to unpack in this novel. The side plots took away from the central story and the different perspectives did not help, either.

The ending angered me because seemed unfair, though it was portrayed in a realistic manner. Overall, I wanted to like Mad Honey more than I did, but it was a good, thought provoking read.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

I always look forward to Jodi Picoult books. This one I felt like was different than her usual books. Part love story and part legal thriller and held my interest. I did find that I learned more about bees than I ever knew so that was interesting. It was a good read and if you're a fan you would enjoy it. Thank you net galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mad Honey is an original, suspenseful story about mothers and their love for their teenagers. Authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan arranged the tale with then and now sequencing to detail the relationship between Asher and Lily, two high school students. Mad Honey is about domestic violence, emotional abuse, and second chances all wrapped around a murder trial. Also interesting are the author notes at the conclusion of the book where Picoult and Boylan describe how they met on Twitter. Even more interesting are Picoult's comments about the grief she expected from readers because she took on gender in this novel.

Really enjoyed this novel. Story was very interesting and engaging. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommend!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I have read Jodi Picoult’s books before so I was really excited to read this one.

I thought the topics discussed were really important especially in a more mainstream author’s book. I enjoyed the story and gained some important insight. I felt the book dragged a little bit, but I have no complaints.

4/5 stars

I think the beginning of this book was good but in the end it was so so to me. This book felt way too long and kind of dragged on in the middle. It discusses some important topics but after a while it just felt like some kind of checklist.

In the beginning I was hooked for sure and enjoyed the plot so I decided to finish it even though I didn’t like it so much at the end. What I liked the most was all the cool bee knowledge. I love learning new information so that kind of kept me going too. I'm glad it had a happy ending as well.

Thank you at NetGalley and Random house Ballantine for a copy of this book to read in return for my honest review. :)

Very seldom do I not see a plot twist coming, but Jodi somehow always makes them impossible to see coming. Plus Jordan playing a role in the book was a DELIGHTFUL surprise.

I absolutely loved this book! I am such a huge Jodi Picoult fan and this one did not disappoint. 5 stars! It was an easy read that was heartfelt and enjoyable.

Thank you to my partner, NetGalley. I appreciate the gifted ecopy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily! This was also in my Once Upon A Book Club monthly box, so I was able to procure my own hardcover and some fun gifts to go along with it!

1. ʙᴇᴇᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ - What an interesting topic. My husband worked for a beekeeper and I’ve always been fascinated by it. I was absolutely intrigued by every description about bees that this story entailed. And the way with which they wove it into the storyline was beyond brilliant.

2. ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴊᴜᴍᴘs - I always wonder how the authors decide to piece together a story. This one really skipped around and had me pondering this ever-present question. And yet, every single passage fit in exact where it was placed.

3. ʟɪʟʏ’s ᴍᴏᴍ - Ahh! Who everyone should strive to be. Complete acceptance. This is a topic that will leave readers with ponderings. I closed it after I finished and just sat silently for quite some time to process the bulk of it.

4. ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍɪɴɢ - As the story went through its beginnings, I kept thinking that it didn’t feel like a Picoult book. Where is that gut punch? Then I figured this was probably going to be a bit different since it was co-authored by Boylan. Guess what? I was completely wrong. When it comes, it comes with a vengeance and doesn’t let up.

5. ʟᴏᴠᴇ - A poignant story about the ever-reaching hands of love. From familial love to love of friends to love of humankind, my heart broke and filled so many times that it was almost exhausting.

We are reading this for our local book club for June, and I am excited for the discussion!

Riveting as always, Picolt and Boylan tell a suspensful, harrowing tale about a mother’s love for her son. Without giving too much away, this is a book you won’t be able to put down!

I really enjoyed this book up until the political and social justice digs popped up every two seconds. It started around 15% and as the book progressed just ruined the whole experience. The prose was excellent, a mystery that kept you guessing and I didn’t even want to finish this book. If they didn’t need to check every social justice box and just told a story it would have easily been a 5! I really wanted to love this book!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a terrific story with interesting and likable characters. It also has a very surprising twist which adds so much to the story. I love books by Jodi Picoult and Mad Honey is no exception!

I have a hard time reviewing this one because as much as a like it, I also dislike it. It was kind of slow but still good. I don't know how to explain my feelings on this one. Just meh.

✨Book Review✨
Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
.
This review is going to contain a few key spoilers.
.
So, I have very mixed feelings about this book. The first 50 percent was incredible, until the plot twist. Someone's identity should never be used for shock value. That being said, I do FULLY appreciate that this book was co-written with a Trans author and that the book was her idea. I also do understand with a reading demographic like Picoults (i.e. middle-aged white women), waiting to reveal the Trans identity of one of the main characters does a good job hooking readers who may otherwise not pick up or continue reading a book about a Trans girl. And while there are quite a few Trans cliches, this book also does a good job of explaining what it means to be Trans (giving literal definitions of gender and sexual identity and how they differ). I can appreciate that many of Picoult's readers will benefit from these basic concepts and I do think this book will work in small ways to help cis people understand some parts of the journey of some Trans people.
.
My only other complaint is the ending! I SO wish things were left ambiguous so that the reader was left to decide for themselves what really happened.
.
So, while I would not recommend this book with glowing reviews, I can see and appreciate what the authors are trying to do in writing it together.
.

This story is told in two parts - Olivia and Lily. Olivia is a single mom to 18 year old son Asher, a woman who keeps bees, and a woman who left an abusive husband. Her son's girlfriend Lily is found dead at the bottom of the stairs by Asher. Asher is arrested for the murder. And Olivia has to wrangle with if her son is like his father. And you also get Lily's perspective and her life before she died. I enjoyed this story, but what made it shine were the pieces about a trans character which it was really lovely to read from the perspective of a trans author.

I received a free e-copy of this book from Netgalley. This was my first Jodi Picoult book and I got a solid first impression of her writing and style. The structure of this novel consists of alternating chapters between a teenaged girl with a secret past named Lily and Lily's boyfriend's mother, Olivia. The timeline of each chapter supports the other--Olivia's sections occur primarily in the present day and recount her son's trial of Lily's death, but also weaves in flashbacks to her turbulent past; while Lily's chapters seemed to move backward in time from the lifechanging incident that makes up the premise of this book. At first, I didn't enjoy Lily's perspective as much because of her age in the story being hard to relate to. But I think Picoult and Boylan actually wrote her really well. She had character depth and seemed fully fleshed out. On the other hand, Olivia was more interesting to me as a mother with a dark past, but I didn't enjoy the beekeeping facts very much. While the authors intertwined this theme well with other motifs in the novel, the connections felt forced at times. I wondered if something would be revealed at the end that explained some of the soapbox-y monologues that made up big parts of Olivia's chapters towards the end, but no. I also thought the ending wrapped up pretty wildly, but in a strangely hasty and anticlimactic manner...I didn't jive with the way those chose to close this incredible story. Despite these complaints, I will be checking out more of Picoult's work.

Reminds me of old Jodi Picoult and I loved it! Great characters, and plot. Had me guessing until the end. I really love Jodi's style and you can feel the time and effort she puts in to develop her characters and plot. Would recommend to anyone