I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan, and this was no exception. Actually might be my top 5 of hers! I love that Jodi's books always teach me something.... this one was about bees. 🐝 and of course, there's murder and a trial and some controversial topic involved.
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I don't want to give anything away, but you've gotta read this one.
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Thank you @netgalley for the early read!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Was so excited to get an ARC from my absolute favorite author of all time, Ms Jodi Picoult. As always, she did not disappoint. Some huge twists several times throughout the book, and kept me hooked until the very end. Loved it!

This book surprised me. I wasn't prepared for the first big twist, and will admit I almost stopped reading. Without giving away any spoilers, I think the subject was handled well and it's an important read.

Olivia and her son Asher have fled an abusive marriage and settled at the family bee farm in Adams, NH. Asher becomes a hockey star and Olivia is the town beekeeper. As Asher enters his senior year, Lily Campanello arrives in Adams with her mom. Asher and Lily fall in love. When Lily is found dead, Asher is charged with her murder. The book is told in alternating chapters from Olivia and Lily’s viewpoints. This is amazingly effective. All of the characters have secrets which come out during the course of the story. I loved it and highly recommend it. I went into this blind and I suggest doing the same. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved this book about a boy who is charged with the murder of his girlfriend. Past character Jordan (the attorney) shows up with his awesome wife Selena. In this novel, Olivia (a beekeeper living in NH) has a son named Asher who falls in love with Lily. Lily and her mother have found refuge in NH after fleeing Lily's father. After a fight, Asher goes to see Lily and finds her at the bottom of the stairs.

This book also involves courtroom drama.

No review of mine will ever be good enough for this book. I don’t have the language to express how phenomenal this book was. It just simply doesn’t exist in my brain, but I will try. This review will be as spoiler-free as possible; if it feels vague, it’s on purpose.

Jodi Picoult is one of those authors where I will pick up anything she puts out. I don’t even have to know the subject matter to know that I will read the book in it’s entirety. I always learn something when I read a Picoult book and I am always left pondering the moral(s) of the story. Would I do what the main character did? Would I react this way or that way? Would I feel like they did? I haven’t read any of Jennifer Finney Boylan’s work, but I absolutely will be after this. I recommend reading the authors’ notes at the end for important information about the book and co-authoring.

Mad Honey is a dual POV story with Olivia and Lily as narrators. It is a story about love and hurt, abuse, acceptance, and provides a stunning social commentary that I didn’t see coming—and that was the point.

There was an almost fourth wall break kind of passage from Olivia about 40% into the book about being guilty of not making up her own mind, like when people assume someone in a villain or when they said a movie isn’t good and she just blindly follows their mindset. I read through it several times. I can’t pinpoint it, but it was so moving and interesting. That and the line “my beekeeping net became a funeral veil” have really stuck with me.

Olivia’s relationship with Braden foiled to the conversation(s) around sexuality and gender was thought-provoking, especially considering the conversation in the book about secrecy and privacy.

Mad Honey is 5/5 stars (100/5 stars if that would make sense!) for me. Absolute perfection in storytelling. I will recommend this to the end of my days and it will be one of those books that I think about forever. Extreme thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review such a stunning piece of work.

I'd been in an extremely long, dry reading spell until Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan came along and jackhammered my hardened reader's heart into a million grateful, explosively captivating pieces. WOW, people, WOW! This book was TRULY tough to put down. What a read; there is everything here that a storyteller could offer; legal drama, romance, dark deception, and a deep dive into the pool of what it means to be "seen" in the world. I've been a huge fan of Picoult's for so long, and now Boylan has acquired another committed reader. Please do yourself the favor of reading the author's notes; the story behind the writing of the book is as engaging as the book itself. FIVE GORGEOUS GLOWING STARS.

I have read many books by Picoult and most of them get you thinking about the world we live in. Her subject matter always make you wonder about what is going on in the minds of people who just dont fit in according to others. When I got this ARC from Negalley I was thrilled to read another book by her although it is also co-authored with Jennifer Boylan. What I didnt know was the subject matter introduced in their book. I am one of those people when a book comes out from a favorite author....well its on my reading list. Both authors did a great job.

This is a powerful, moving story of a transgender girl, Lily and what she goes through to be a girl. The information contained in this book is amazing and it makes you understand that not only is this something physical but also a deep mental knowledge is needed. When Lily gets killed and her boyfriend Asher is accused....we find ourselves in the court room. The books switches between characters and their feelings and sometimes I felt I was in the court room with them. A mother always (or should) protect her child, no matter what.

Did Asher kill her because she was trans? What part did Lily's parents play in her mental state? I loved this book even the information about beekeeping was amazing (will never look at honey the same way).

This book will be released October 2022...make sure its on your TBR list. #fivestars #netgalley

This book was amazing. I could not put it down. I won't go into details and ruin the plot line, but the characters and the setting itself, on farm where they raised bees. So so good. I recommend everyone read this book not only because it is wonderful, but the rich story line can teach us all something about life. Loved this book. Best I've read in a while. Highly recommended.

Loved this beautifully written book. It is heartfelt, stirs up so many emotions and makes you fall in love with the characters. Jodi Picoult never disappoints in writing a book that sticks with you long after it’s over.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, SHAME ON ME. How in the world am I so late to discover the glory of Jodi Picoult. I read one book before this one, Wish you were here, and I was in awe. Now after this one, I’m an ultimate believer that all words Jodi writes are gold. Wow. Another massive win of a read! It was a clever, intelligent, thrilling, keep you on the edge of the seat and keep flipping until your eyes can’t take it anymore kind of read. And that is just the storyline. The writing itself sucks you in. The characters, the pacing and atmosphere of it all, and oh the twist! You become apart of the story and don’t even realize how invested you are until it ends and you want to go back and do it again. ON TOP of all this? I learned things. Trivial facts and big ideas. I listened and I was enlightened.

Sure this book may not be for everyone. There are triggers such as abuse and if you aren’t open minded to begin with generally in life then you probably wont be in this book. But. If you can handle bigger than you things, this is a pretty damn good one to blast off with.

As for the plot- just the synopsis will suffice. It will absolutely ruin the flow if you dig deep.

Thank you Random House and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

(Spoiler)

Despite being co-authored, this book read like a Jodi Picoult book. The words are beautifully written, the story is interwoven, and despite knowing that there would be a twist, I was still surprised when there was a twist.

I read this one quickly as I had to know if Asher was innocent. I had to know how Lily died.

You know before you start, just by reading the back of the book, that Asher and Lily are teenagers in love. You know that Asher's dad has a temper and is abusive. That is really all you know. You think you know the storyline and it just twists and turns and keeps going.

I think I've read everything Jodi Picoult has written. I was actually hesitant to read this one for a couple of reasons.
I was not really impressed with the last couple of books. I felt she spent too much time teaching us about elephants and archeology and too little time on the characters and stories. Plus, I generally avoid books that are jointly written. Too often the writing of each author suffers in the collaboration. I WAS DEAD WRONG! I loved this book. It has all the elements of a great Picoult book -- engaging and sympathetic characters, a story grounded in realism, a timely story that seems "ripped from the headlines", twists and turns that keep the reader turning pages, and I learned something. Who knew there was so much to beekeeping? Note that the book is written in alternating voices and switches back and forth in time which may be confusing for some. Read the chapter headings to avoid confusion. AND Read this book!!


SPOILER ---

I don't know if this will come out in blurbs and reviews as the publication gets closer, but since I had not read anything about this book (I volunteered to read it based solely on Picoult's previous books) there was a big shocking twist for me about halfway through. The dead girl was transgender. This is a very timely and important story. Although I'm sure some will be turned off by the subject, but it is important! By creating a character that readers identify with and empathize with before revealing that she was transgender, Picoult has opened the door to learning and growing and fosters empathy with a group of persons who are often derided in the media. Hopefully this book will add to the conversation and improve understanding.

I received this ARC from NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the authors for an honest review. I’ve enjoyed many of Jodi’s Picoult’s books and this certainly didn’t disappoint me. This story addressed many important and relevant issues in today’s world. Domestic violence, transgender teens, homophobic attitudes, legal issues, and many more topics are part of this wonderful story. Asher, a high school senior is accused of murdering his high school sweetheart, Lily. The chapters alternate between Lily (before) and Olivia, Asher’s mother. This is a beautiful love story between two teens with violent backgrounds and out of control fathers. Lily and Asher both have very loving mothers who try to make life better for them. There are many twists and turns to the story. Throughout the book, Olivia , a beekeeper. is busy tending to her bees and Lily’s mother is busy with her park ranger career. This is an emotional and moving story that shows the darker side of some of the characters and big secrets that they keep.

A huge thank you to Ballentine and NetGalley for this ARC. I was so excited to open my email and see that I was "gifted" this book ahead of publication. It was a gift as I am a long time reader of Jodi Picoult's work. I feel this book is more like some of her earlier works, which were my favorites. I didn't know how this book would compare given that she co-wrote it with Jennifer Finney Boylan, but I was not disappointed. Typical to Picoult's work, it takes on controversial subjects head on, domestic abuse, one other topic I will keep secret as to not spoil it, and for the icing on the cake...a trial. I always feel as if I read not just for enjoyment but for getting an in-depth class, in this case, on these issues, but add on beekeeping.

I highly recommend this book, you won't regret it. Darn, how much longer before the next book is out for publication??!!

First, I have to say Jodi Picoult is one of my one-click authors. I never miss one of her books and I always come away from reading one changed in some way.

MAD HONEY is her newest offering and this book is filled with so many themes that writing a review for it is challenging because there’s so much you don’t want to give away.

In a nutshell, the book is Romeo and Juliette-esk in that it centers around two teenage lovers, Asher and Lily. Their backstories are intense and again, if I mentioned them, it would give away a major plot point that I feel needs to be kept secret for the reader to discover on their own. Suffice it to say they both have secrets and one of them is a whopper.

Olivia is Asher’s mom. A survivor of a physically abusive marriage and the third protagonist in this tale. Ms Picoult has written about abused wives before and she does it so flawlessly you almost never see the hit coming…until it does.

Because this is a Picoult book you can expect there to be a huge chunk of it devoted to research, in this case, Bees, their keeping, and honey production. The research is extensive, flawless, and for me, too much. I really didn’t care about knowing it all and I feel if it would have been left out, the book still would be a winner just from the storyline and characters alone.

But, as I said, this is Picoult book and you expect the research.

Part courtroom drama, part star-crossed lovers' tale, MAD HONEY is a timely story that really makes the reader THINK about the issues it espouses. The writing is, as always, lyrical and flawless, the characters are completely drawn and the plot intriguing. Although I figured out the two main plot points eons before the ending I was still satisfied when they were revealed, one in the final few pages.

A well deserved 5 stars to another amazing book by a wonderful author. Brava.

Oh man it's so hard to talk about this book without spoiling a thing - because as is usual with Jodi Picoult, this is a real page-turner with twists that I never saw coming! "Mad Honey" is told through alternating chapters with two different narrators, with one moving the story ahead in time and the other moving backwards, all the while including copious flashbacks to fill in the gaps - which was (in my opinion) a bit confusing in the beginning but once I understood the flow it made sense. One of them is a beekeeper, so I learned a lot about that, and the other is something I will not spoil but to say that I really appreciated learning so much more on that particular topic. The amount of research Jodi does, and the experts she works with to make her books so detailed and realistic is to be admired for sure.

Bonus points for including the honey recipes at the back - I especially can't wait to try out the Hope Cakes!

Mad Honey is a book for our time, one that gently addresses transgenderism and answers questions people probably didn't even realize they had. There is also domestic violence, handled well, and a ton of information on bees and honey that I wasn't aware of.

So very much research, heart, and soul went into Mad Honey and being someone who loves to learn new things while reading, this book worked on not only my heart, but my mind in all the best ways.

Who would I recommend this to? Everyone. Every single person can take something away after reading Mad Honey. Do not let this book slip by - read it, share it, recommend it, and read it again.

A sincere thank you to Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and gratefully shared.

The feelings I felt while reading this book are difficult to put into words. I do not want to reveal any spoilers but Mad Honey was an unconventional story that shook me to the core, made me question my morals, and shined light on a societal issues that are not often represented in books. It'll take you right back to the classic Picoult plots (i.e., The Pact, Nineteen Minutes) I fell in love with so many years ago. It's a story love and loss that explores the complexity of relationships, one's identity and familial bonds. The characters are beautifully written, each with secrets preventing them from being who they fully want to be, and the suspense integrated into the story will have you quickly turning the pages.

What I loved most was the way the story unfolded. It was told through two point of views, Olivia (Archer's mom) and Lily (Archer's girlfriend). Lily narrates the chapters that lead up to Archer's trial and her story goes chronologically backwards while Olivia tells the story during the trial moving chronologically forward. As much of the story is set in the courtroom, I was intrigued by the pieces of evidence and anecdotes each side presented and the story's inclusion of very timely topics. Also, Mad Honey has the unique setting of taking place on a bee farm. When I read the first few pages, which detailed the life of a beekeeper and facts about bees I never knew prior, I had no idea which direction this story would go and how this honey bee analogy would come out to play.

This is hands down a top 2022 read for me. Picoult and Boylan created a masterpiece and their partnership makes a lot more sense once you get to the author's note at the end (wait until the end to read it). Their remarks provide context about the subject matter for this book and dive into a fascinating story about how they teamed up.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this book I’m exchange for an honest review. Pub date: 10/4/22

As a long time fan of Jodi Picoult, I was initially worried when I saw she had co-authored Mad Honey. However, my initial concern was alleviated immediately after starting the book. It reminded me of old Jodi favorites like Salem Falls and Nineteen Minutes (and even features an appearance by Jordan and Selena!!)

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC, a masterfully written, suspenseful, heartfelt novel. I could not put it down and was so immersed in the lives of Olivia McAfee and her son Asher. The trial was full of twists and turns and I truly did not know whether we would see a verdict of Guilty or Not Guilty. M

A MUST READ!!