Mad Honey
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- Create Date：2022-08-13 02:21:42
- Update Date：2025-09-08
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- Author：Jodi Picoult
- ISBN：1984818384
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Summary
A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past， and what we choose to leave behind， from the New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here and the bestselling author of She's Not There。
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。
Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense， an unforgettable love story， and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves。
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。
Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense， an unforgettable love story， and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves。
Reviews
Sara Millward
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I was excited to read this novel， although a little apprehensive about how a novel by 2 authors would work。 Despite not having read a novel by Jodi Picoult before， I was aware that she is an esteemed author。 Initially， I was unsure about this story， it was a slow burn but then came a twist in the tale that had me gripped。 I was so engaged in the story and it wasn't apparent that it was written by 2 authors。 It is full of emotion， had me on tenterhooks and deals sensitively with a couple of once I was excited to read this novel， although a little apprehensive about how a novel by 2 authors would work。 Despite not having read a novel by Jodi Picoult before， I was aware that she is an esteemed author。 Initially， I was unsure about this story， it was a slow burn but then came a twist in the tale that had me gripped。 I was so engaged in the story and it wasn't apparent that it was written by 2 authors。 It is full of emotion， had me on tenterhooks and deals sensitively with a couple of once taboo topics。 I will say no more than that to prevent spoilers！ 。。。more
Jo
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This is my first Jodi Piccoult read and it won’t be my last。 A heart stopping story told from two points of view which had me gripped from beginning to end。
jenreads_toomuch
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I went into this book blind。 I’m glad I did。 I had faith in the authors ability to engross me with her words。 And I was not disappointed！ This book was an incredible journey。 And I learned so many things about subjects I knew very little of。 I believe this book should be read by everyone。 Olivia’s story was heartbreaking as was Ava’s。 I really felt a connection to their characters as protective mothers。 All the heartbreak was gut wrenching but worth it to read such a great storyRead this book！！ I went into this book blind。 I’m glad I did。 I had faith in the authors ability to engross me with her words。 And I was not disappointed！ This book was an incredible journey。 And I learned so many things about subjects I knew very little of。 I believe this book should be read by everyone。 Olivia’s story was heartbreaking as was Ava’s。 I really felt a connection to their characters as protective mothers。 All the heartbreak was gut wrenching but worth it to read such a great storyRead this book！！ Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before it’s release。 。。。more
Nic
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 ok stars。 I enjoyed this at the start but then it turned into a whole other book and became very specifically about an issue which while on the face of it is fine， I found it was dealt with in a very basic and unrealistic way。 It’s hard to say more without spoilers but there were just far too many ‘as if’ moments and none of the characters were likeable。 And way， way too many sections on bees that was far more detail than was needed。 Disappointing。
Dianna （diannareadsnwrites）
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Groups/Ballatine Books for this Advanced Reader Copy， in exchange for my honest review。I went into this book blind as a do with all books。 This was a beautiful， yet tragic story。 I wasn’t sure who to believe or trust。 I really enjoyed learning about bees， and learning about Lily， and who she was。 I got so attached to her character and lost it at the end knowing what I did。 The story was a bit slow for me， and it did take me a bit longer to read， Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Groups/Ballatine Books for this Advanced Reader Copy， in exchange for my honest review。I went into this book blind as a do with all books。 This was a beautiful， yet tragic story。 I wasn’t sure who to believe or trust。 I really enjoyed learning about bees， and learning about Lily， and who she was。 I got so attached to her character and lost it at the end knowing what I did。 The story was a bit slow for me， and it did take me a bit longer to read， but I really enjoyed it。 I didn’t see the twist coming， which I really did appreciate！ I love how the story came together and how the authors explained how they wrote the book together。 I don’t want to give anything away， but it’s a great story！ 。。。more
Kasey
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Review to come
Steffi
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I devoured this book， it is what Jodi does best: takes a controversial topic and challenge the reader with her writing。 I didn’t see coming the twist halfway through the book。Asher and Lily are seen as the perfect couple- even though they have only been dating for a few months。 Lily is the newcomer at the high school， Asher is the popular kid。 They have so much in common: both only live with their mom and their dad is not in their life anymore。 Both had to move and start again- but there are sec I devoured this book， it is what Jodi does best: takes a controversial topic and challenge the reader with her writing。 I didn’t see coming the twist halfway through the book。Asher and Lily are seen as the perfect couple- even though they have only been dating for a few months。 Lily is the newcomer at the high school， Asher is the popular kid。 They have so much in common: both only live with their mom and their dad is not in their life anymore。 Both had to move and start again- but there are secrets that they are both keeping from each other。And when Asher finds out Lily’s dad is not dead and arrange for her to meet him， Lily is very angry and stops taking to him。Now Lily is dead and Asher is being trialled for her muster。The story has two narrators: Lily and Asher’s mom， Olivia。 Such a powerful book。 Loved it。 。。。more
Susan
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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 h 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。A gripping read and beautifully written， I was captivated from the first paragraph when Olivia was describing her dreams of her future child "Each vision was a bead on a rosary of future memories; I prayed daily"。 The information about bees and bee-keeping was engrossing， I learned so much and the court room drama was Picoult at her best; excelling at what she's so good at。Bees weren't the only thing we were educated about but without giving away a major plot twist I can't go further， the only thing I will say is that I never felt lectured only educated and always in a gentle way which moved the story forward effortlessly。My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Lauren | just2bookishbabes
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 （2。5 stars， rounded down） （Unpopular opinion， it seems） Sadly， I did not enjoy Mad Honey as much as I anticipated。 I have read a few books by Jodi Picoult; from the beginning， I felt like I had read this before， just with different characters and a different sub-plot theme （bees， in this case）。 I felt like this book could have been half its size。 While I enjoyed the alternating timelines between the female characters， the background stories became so mundane and repetitive that I started skimmin （2。5 stars， rounded down） （Unpopular opinion， it seems） Sadly， I did not enjoy Mad Honey as much as I anticipated。 I have read a few books by Jodi Picoult; from the beginning， I felt like I had read this before， just with different characters and a different sub-plot theme （bees， in this case）。 I felt like this book could have been half its size。 While I enjoyed the alternating timelines between the female characters， the background stories became so mundane and repetitive that I started skimming large portions。 I also felt that the multiple hot-button topics that were both largely （transgender issues， physical abuse） and not as largely （abortion， same sex marriage， bullying） became too preachy and less informative/evocative。 It almost felt like a mad dash to include so many modern topics that few were thought out and explored fully。Thank you to NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for this review。 。。。more
Christina
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5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Mad Honey has everything new and old JP fans will absolutely love。 Young love， murder， courtroom drama， strong female characters， a compelling storyline and fascinating subplots。 Although the book is narrated by two heroines penned by separate authors， their stories and voices weave together so perfectly。 Every element of this book intrigued me， from the beekeeping， to the high school romance， to the murder investigation， and the compelling， transformative journeys these charact 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Mad Honey has everything new and old JP fans will absolutely love。 Young love， murder， courtroom drama， strong female characters， a compelling storyline and fascinating subplots。 Although the book is narrated by two heroines penned by separate authors， their stories and voices weave together so perfectly。 Every element of this book intrigued me， from the beekeeping， to the high school romance， to the murder investigation， and the compelling， transformative journeys these characters embark on。 I absolutely adored Lily， and empathized with Olivia。 Their stories are important and will resonate with readers for years to come。 Reading Mad Honey was like taking a magical trip back in time to vintage JP storytelling， （think The Pact， Plain Truth， Salem Falls） made even better by the addition of Jennifer Finney Boylan’s poignant writing。 I’m sad I’ve finished the book， but these characters will stay with me for a long time。 This is a top JP book for me， and I can’t wait for what she has in store for us next。 。。。more
Roemer
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This book uniquely co-authored by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is captivating from start to finish。 The dual POVs kept you engaged and always wanting to get back to the other POV every time it switched because both women’s stories were pertinent。 The themes of womanhood， the secrets we keep and those we give up， loss and grief， etc。 were all woven in seamlessly。 I found the trial to be interesting as well but not nearly as interesting as the characters and how dynamic they all were。 I This book uniquely co-authored by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is captivating from start to finish。 The dual POVs kept you engaged and always wanting to get back to the other POV every time it switched because both women’s stories were pertinent。 The themes of womanhood， the secrets we keep and those we give up， loss and grief， etc。 were all woven in seamlessly。 I found the trial to be interesting as well but not nearly as interesting as the characters and how dynamic they all were。 I disagree with one of the choices made near the end of the novel but that is just my interpretation of the character。 I’m hesitant to give any more of my full thoughts because I think it’s best to go into this book with no knowledge of what it’s about and you will be pleasantly surprised。 You will also learn a lot about bees and honey along the way！Be sure to pick up Mad Honey this October and special thanks to Netgalley， the authors and Ballantine books for the special early review copy。 。。。more
Stacy Dibble
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I received an ARC of this novel from Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for my review。 I have read and loved Jodi Picoult’s books for years so I was excited to read this book with co-author Jennifer Finley Boylan。 The authors have such a creative way telling a complicated story with characters that all bring their complete backgrounds of experiences and beliefs to a seemingly cut and dry situation。 The authors can then pick a plot line and through the eyes of the characters you can view I received an ARC of this novel from Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for my review。 I have read and loved Jodi Picoult’s books for years so I was excited to read this book with co-author Jennifer Finley Boylan。 The authors have such a creative way telling a complicated story with characters that all bring their complete backgrounds of experiences and beliefs to a seemingly cut and dry situation。 The authors can then pick a plot line and through the eyes of the characters you can view the story in many different ways-even changing your mind about characters as the story goes on。 Of course， if you have read Jodi Picoult books before， then you know， there is always a twist， coming。 I especially loved how the topic of bees is woven into the theme of this novel。 I can’t say anything more specific about this story without spoiling it， so suffice it to say that this is a well written， must read。 。。。more
The Book Review Café
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Mad Honey feels and reads like Jodi Picoult’s earliest novels， and that’s not a bad thing。 On the contrary， it’s what made this book such a fabulous read。 This book is a collaborative effort with Jennifer Finney Boylan， but it has all the hallmarks of a Picoult classic， tough controversial topics， legal court room scenes， moral dilemmas， traumatic scenes that will pull on your heartstrings。Mad Honey is a mesmerizing and devastating family drama centred around the sudden death of teenage Lily， an Mad Honey feels and reads like Jodi Picoult’s earliest novels， and that’s not a bad thing。 On the contrary， it’s what made this book such a fabulous read。 This book is a collaborative effort with Jennifer Finney Boylan， but it has all the hallmarks of a Picoult classic， tough controversial topics， legal court room scenes， moral dilemmas， traumatic scenes that will pull on your heartstrings。Mad Honey is a mesmerizing and devastating family drama centred around the sudden death of teenage Lily， and the subsequent arrest of her boyfriend Asher。 The story is told largely from the POV of Asher’s mother and partly by Lily。 These characters give a voice to subjects that are often concealed and kept secret。 The story moves fluidly between past and present， allowing the reader to gain an insight into the characters’ life’s， you learn of their hopes and dreams， and you experience their struggles， trauma， pain and heartbreak。When I’m reading a book， that’s a collaboration。 I’m normally able to work out who's written what， but the authors compliment each other and have created a seamless narrative that feels like a single voice has written it， something that is rarely accomplished in writing collaboratives。 Rich in research and information， I found the parts about bee keeping fascinating。 Mad Honey is a soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past， and what we choose to leave behind。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Mad Honey is Jodi Picoult's latest novel and this one is written in partnership with Jennifer Finney Boylan。 I immediately got drawn into the world of Olivia， Asher， and Lily。 One of Picoult's great gifts is her ability to take topical subjects and help you see the humans behind those topics as well as highlighting how there are always complexities when humans are involved。 The story is shown through Lily's eyes before her death and Olivia's eyes after Lily's death。 The authors do a wonderful jo Mad Honey is Jodi Picoult's latest novel and this one is written in partnership with Jennifer Finney Boylan。 I immediately got drawn into the world of Olivia， Asher， and Lily。 One of Picoult's great gifts is her ability to take topical subjects and help you see the humans behind those topics as well as highlighting how there are always complexities when humans are involved。 The story is shown through Lily's eyes before her death and Olivia's eyes after Lily's death。 The authors do a wonderful job of helping you feel what each character is going through。 I hesitate to share too much more because you want to experience the story without knowing too much （much like the characters do）。 Don't miss the author's note AFTER you read the book。 Highly recommend this book！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nicole
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A HUGE thank you to NetGalley for sending me the ARC of Mad Honey。 I have been Picoult die hard fan for a very long time， and Mad Honey felt like CLASSIC Picoult。 Complex， thought provoking characters and a plot with surprising twists along the way。 I was initially concerned that I may not like Mad Honey as it was co-authored but Boylan only enhanced the story with her writing and perspective。 A fabulous read！
Caroline
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This book really took me back to a ‘classic Jodi Picoult’ with its court dramas， twists and turns and complex family relationships; it may be my favourite of hers for some time。 There is so much I could say about the learnings of this book and the emotional journey we are taken on， but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone！ I would suggest to all readers to go into it with as little knowledge of spoilers as possible， to make the most of the journey。I will definitely be recommending this book to fr This book really took me back to a ‘classic Jodi Picoult’ with its court dramas， twists and turns and complex family relationships; it may be my favourite of hers for some time。 There is so much I could say about the learnings of this book and the emotional journey we are taken on， but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone！ I would suggest to all readers to go into it with as little knowledge of spoilers as possible， to make the most of the journey。I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family！ Thank you Netgalley for the ARC 。。。more
Michele Runko
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Loved how Boylan and Picoult teamed up to write a novel and how it came about。 （this can be found in the author's notes at the end）。 I devoured this novel。 However， I did find the parts about beekeeping a little "too much" and found myself skimming thru parts of it。 Story would be better if 50% of the bee keeping information was removed。 I did though LOVE the rest of the story and all the characters， this kept me plugging along and glad I did。 It was worth it。 Definitely a topic that we all need Loved how Boylan and Picoult teamed up to write a novel and how it came about。 （this can be found in the author's notes at the end）。 I devoured this novel。 However， I did find the parts about beekeeping a little "too much" and found myself skimming thru parts of it。 Story would be better if 50% of the bee keeping information was removed。 I did though LOVE the rest of the story and all the characters， this kept me plugging along and glad I did。 It was worth it。 Definitely a topic that we all need to be educated on more。 Don't want to give away the story here so sorry for being vague。 Thank you #netgalley for an advance copy of # MadHoney in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Marsha
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One of the best books I’ve read this year！ This is a brilliant book by two of my favorite writers。 What a good and intense story this is about two families who live in a small town in New Hampshire。 It is so absolutely refreshing to read a book that is totally sympathetic， educational， and compassionate to transgendered people。 This book has it all， with lots of twists and turns。 No spoilers。 Read this book！
Mistress Maleficent #darklings
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Jodi Picoult is one of those authors where I know it’s going to be a good read whenever I pick up one of her books。 Always a solid writer， and this one was absolutely no exception。The story deals with some hard topics which the author had no hesitation in taking on。 Written with all of her usual depth and clear research， this story shines。 Beautifully written with “real” characters， this is one of my best reads so far this year。 This is a story that will stay with me long after I finish the last Jodi Picoult is one of those authors where I know it’s going to be a good read whenever I pick up one of her books。 Always a solid writer， and this one was absolutely no exception。The story deals with some hard topics which the author had no hesitation in taking on。 Written with all of her usual depth and clear research， this story shines。 Beautifully written with “real” characters， this is one of my best reads so far this year。 This is a story that will stay with me long after I finish the last page。 Highly recommend this one。 Thanks to the author， the publisher and Netgalley for my arc。 All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own。 。。。more
Katie Katieneedsabiggerbookshelf
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Both Olivia and Lily are used to starting over。 Lily and her mom have just moved to the area for her final year of high school when she meets Olivia’s son Asher and the two immediately hit it off。 Suddenly Olivia is receiving a phone call from Asher that Lily is dead and he is being questioned as a possible murderer。 Olivia knows he is innocent， but deep down she wonders if he is more like his father than she ever knew。While I have never read any of Jennifer’s work （that is going to change！） I h Both Olivia and Lily are used to starting over。 Lily and her mom have just moved to the area for her final year of high school when she meets Olivia’s son Asher and the two immediately hit it off。 Suddenly Olivia is receiving a phone call from Asher that Lily is dead and he is being questioned as a possible murderer。 Olivia knows he is innocent， but deep down she wonders if he is more like his father than she ever knew。While I have never read any of Jennifer’s work （that is going to change！） I have always loved Jodi Picoult。 This reminded me of her earlier works like The Pact and Nineteen Minutes （and I believe there are some Easter eggs to both of those books in this one） but both of those books are favorites of mine。 This book definitely threw some unexpected curveballs my way， but that tends to be Jodi’s move right？ I absolutely loved it and if you are a fan of Jodi’s work you will too！ I don’t want to give anything away so all I’ll say is you should preorder this one for sure！ 。。。more
Stefanie
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Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this advanced copy， I was a little skeptical about 2 authors telling one story but this was flawless storytelling， I love it when I enter a world I had no experience with and no exposure to 。 This was very eye opening and emotional at times for me。
Kara
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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 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。 。。。more
Georgiana
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Mad Honey， Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney BoylanTo 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 Mad Honey， Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney BoylanTo 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。 tI 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。 。。。more
Jenn
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Groups/Ballatine Books for this Advanced Reader Copy， in exchange for my honest review。I have read a few other books by Jodi Picoult and have enjoyed them， so I knew that this would be worth reading， I had no real knowledge about this book， but I am so glad that I read it。The story follows two women and is told in alternating timelines。Olivia is the mother of Asher。 A single mom who has built a simple life in a small town after escaping an abusi Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Groups/Ballatine Books for this Advanced Reader Copy， in exchange for my honest review。I have read a few other books by Jodi Picoult and have enjoyed them， so I knew that this would be worth reading， I had no real knowledge about this book， but I am so glad that I read it。The story follows two women and is told in alternating timelines。Olivia is the mother of Asher。 A single mom who has built a simple life in a small town after escaping an abusive marriage。 Liv is a beekeeper by trade。 But her world comes crashing down with the death of Asher's girlfriend。The second narrator is Lily， an 18-year-old high school student and Asher's girlfriend。 Lily is new in town and madly in love with Asher。 But her life is tragically cut short， and Asher is being accused。The story alternates between Liv who is experiencing the arrest and prosecution of her son， who claims that he did not kill Lily。 Liv has to take a look at her beliefs and her past。 And the experience tests a mother's love。Lily has a past and "secrets" of her own。I will say that I liked the book and thought that I had it all figured out， but I was truly surprised （in a positive way） by the plot twist。 And this fueled my need to finish the book more。The collaboration between Picoult and Finney Boylan is beautiful。 And I truly enjoyed reading the authors' notes at the end of the book。 The unique perspective brought to this story is undeniably thought provoking。 I found the book informative and eye-opening。 Hopefully， it will open the minds of some readers。 I knew from the beginning that I was going to like the book， but I can honestly say that I actually loved it。 。。。more
Linda
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I really adored this story of love， bees， honey and a right to be who you want to be。Asher has fallen in love with Lily， she is his world。 When Asher finds Lily dead at the bottom of her staircase he becomes the main suspect and soon ends up on trial。Olivia is Asher’s mum， having fled an abusive marriage she has taken over her families bee hives。 There is a lot of information about bees in the book， how they make honey， how they survive， their mating and feeding and looking out for the queen。 I I really adored this story of love， bees， honey and a right to be who you want to be。Asher has fallen in love with Lily， she is his world。 When Asher finds Lily dead at the bottom of her staircase he becomes the main suspect and soon ends up on trial。Olivia is Asher’s mum， having fled an abusive marriage she has taken over her families bee hives。 There is a lot of information about bees in the book， how they make honey， how they survive， their mating and feeding and looking out for the queen。 I loved all this！ It’s woven so wonderfully through the narrative。 The book is told in parts， of before Lily died and now。 The lead up to what happened through Lilies eyes and the present with Asher and his family trying to prove his innocence。 There is a big reveal halfway through the book so it’s hard to really say too much as it would ruin the plot， but I found this to be a tender， thoughtful book。 A belief that we all have the right to live as we are and the lengths we go to to become our true selves It’s perfect for teens to read too。 #MadHoney #NetGalley 。。。more
Carrie Marshall
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I love Jodi Picoult so much so I always get super excited when I find out she’s got a new book coming out。 This was my first time reading something by Jennifer Finney Boylan but I really enjoyed her writing style。 I couldn’t tell who was writing what chapter until the Author’s note at the end。 This book is SO good！！ Some major shocks and twists that I was truly not expecting to happen。 You might think you know what happened， but you won’t until the very end and it’s not something you’ll expect。 I love Jodi Picoult so much so I always get super excited when I find out she’s got a new book coming out。 This was my first time reading something by Jennifer Finney Boylan but I really enjoyed her writing style。 I couldn’t tell who was writing what chapter until the Author’s note at the end。 This book is SO good！！ Some major shocks and twists that I was truly not expecting to happen。 You might think you know what happened， but you won’t until the very end and it’s not something you’ll expect。 Or maybe you will。 Also， if you like bees， this book talks A LOT about bees and I will say I learned a great deal about them。 Please be aware this book does have triggers。 It touches on LGBT topics， transphobia， violence against a trans person， s*icude， talks of it， and shows an attempt。 These topics aren’t really something you can skip as it is talked about in the majority of the book。 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC。 。。。more
Megan
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3。5 stars 📚NEW REVIEW📚Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan When her son Asher is 6 years old， Olivia leaves her abusive husband and returns to her childhood home。 Twelve years later， Lily and her own mother， Ava， move to town after leaving their own toxic relationship with Lily’s father。 Lily and Asher find solace in each other and carry on an intense relationship until Lily is found dead， literally in the arms of Asher。 Asher swears he is innocent and Olivia fights to support him 3。5 stars 📚NEW REVIEW📚Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan When her son Asher is 6 years old， Olivia leaves her abusive husband and returns to her childhood home。 Twelve years later， Lily and her own mother， Ava， move to town after leaving their own toxic relationship with Lily’s father。 Lily and Asher find solace in each other and carry on an intense relationship until Lily is found dead， literally in the arms of Asher。 Asher swears he is innocent and Olivia fights to support him， while also fighting through her own trauma， as it triggers memories of her own marriage to Asher’s father。 The story is told in two ways: from Olivia’s standpoint post-Lily’s death and from Lily’s standpoint leading up to her death。 Spoiler free thoughts: I found myself sucked into this novel quickly and was on the edge of my seat trying to decide if I thought Asher was going to be found innocent or guilty and what I believed he really was。 However…。A couple of complaints that I am going to keep very vague so as not to spoil anything: 1 - The story took a lot of unexpected turns that took the story in a completely different direction than what I first expected- which I was okay with- but did kind of change the theme of the entire book。 I never really connected with any of the characters （especially Olivia） and felt like the big twist was revealed and resolved way too smoothly。 And 2 - the final twist？ I guessed early on and then hoped I would be wrong because it just was not satisfying。 Overall， I was glad I read this and learned a lot about beekeeping and other various topics that the book explored， but it also wasn’t my favorite and was a lot heavier than I expected。 ‼️Be sure to look up trigger warnings before you go into this one as it deals with a lot of heavy topics‼️Thanks to @netgalley for my ARC of this one！ ❤️ 。。。more
Kate Southey
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I loved this book and read it in a day。 I’m often wary when I see that a book is co-authored but learning that the novel came about because Jennifer Finney Boylan tweeted that she had dreamt that she and Jodi Picoult wrote a book and that then Jodi had contacted Jennifer to ask what their book was about！The story of Olivia， Asher and Lily was compelling enough but the way that the beekeeping scenes were intermingled with the plot was clever and made for fascinating reading。 The scene where Asher I loved this book and read it in a day。 I’m often wary when I see that a book is co-authored but learning that the novel came about because Jennifer Finney Boylan tweeted that she had dreamt that she and Jodi Picoult wrote a book and that then Jodi had contacted Jennifer to ask what their book was about！The story of Olivia， Asher and Lily was compelling enough but the way that the beekeeping scenes were intermingled with the plot was clever and made for fascinating reading。 The scene where Asher， Olivia and Lily were harvesting the honey in the barn was just perfect。 As a mother with adult children I could empathise with everything that Olivia said and thought。 Doubt however small is part of the frailty of the human psyche and is far more authentic than a parent who believes everything their child says without any analysis or objective thinking。 I was so happy to read the section at the end of the book where Jenny and Jodi discuss how they decided to collaborate and how they created the story， one taking Olivia’s voice and the other Lily’s。 At no point did the novel feel disjointed。 My only tiny criticism was the final plot twist revealed at the very end。 Somewhat unbelievable in my eyes but it’s not taking away any stars for such a fabulous novel overall。 。。。more
Sandy Emmons
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I guess my first thought of this is it’s a very modern book。 I can’t see me reading it 10 years ago since one of the main characters is a 18 year old transgender young lady。 This first pulled me because of it’s my favorite author Jodi Piccoult and I enjoyed the different changes in character each chapter。
Sue Jack
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I have really enjoyed several of Jodi Picoult's previous books and was intrigued to read her latest offering given that it was co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan。 I wasn't sure how it would feel with two different authors writing alternate chapters but I was pleasantly surprised it was done seamlessly。The book tackles several different sensitive and challenging social issues ， typical of Picoult's usual style， but there is so much more to this with great character development， an intriguing I have really enjoyed several of Jodi Picoult's previous books and was intrigued to read her latest offering given that it was co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan。 I wasn't sure how it would feel with two different authors writing alternate chapters but I was pleasantly surprised it was done seamlessly。The book tackles several different sensitive and challenging social issues ， typical of Picoult's usual style， but there is so much more to this with great character development， an intriguing plot and several twists and turns and the odd bombshell along the way。 This book really did keep me gripped from beginning to end and left me reflecting on many of the issues raised for quite some time after I finished it。I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Mad Honey
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Mad Honey&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Mad Honey&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0