Mad Honey
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- Create Date：2022-09-22 08:21:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jodi Picoult
- ISBN：B09Q7XH3N8
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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。
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
Carolyn Walsh
，
Sorry about that rating。 Review to follow。
Michelle Herzing
，
Jodi Picoult has a knack for writing about current issues with sensitivity while simultaneously educating the reader about conflicting points of view on the topic。 When I saw that she had partnered with Jennifer Finney-Boylan， author of She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders， I was excited to read the product of two such cutting edge authors。 Mad Honey was so engrossing that I actually found myself dreaming about the characters and how the novel could possibly end。 I was not at all disappointed。 Jodi Picoult has a knack for writing about current issues with sensitivity while simultaneously educating the reader about conflicting points of view on the topic。 When I saw that she had partnered with Jennifer Finney-Boylan， author of She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders， I was excited to read the product of two such cutting edge authors。 Mad Honey was so engrossing that I actually found myself dreaming about the characters and how the novel could possibly end。 I was not at all disappointed。 Told from the perspective of Olivia， whose son has been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend， and Lily， the murdered girl who tells her own story moving backward in time， I could not stop thinking about what was happening。 Readers should be aware of trigger warnings for domestic abuse and transphobia， which are interspersed throughout。 The storyline also includes a ton of information about bees and beekeeping， as that is Olivia's occupation。 Character development is a strong-suit in Picoult's novels， and the writing of Finney-Boylan meshes seamlessly with hers。 It is near impossible to tell which character was written by whom， though they do spill the beans in the author's notes （and each wrote one chapter from the others' perspective）。 I challenge anyone to avoid letting this one get under your skin！Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the digital ARC of Mad Honey。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Tanyajk
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I’m new to Picoult despite her large following and I think at least one book turned movie。 With that said， I was excited to receive this ARC as my intro to such a well loved author。 However， Mad Honey felt like a Lifetime movie with too many reveals and not enough depth。 Every woman is a victim and all of the men oozed with toxic masculinity。 Felt dated and droned on in parts。 The ending was aggressively stupid and the book could have been a hundred pages less， easily。The only pros were the bees I’m new to Picoult despite her large following and I think at least one book turned movie。 With that said， I was excited to receive this ARC as my intro to such a well loved author。 However， Mad Honey felt like a Lifetime movie with too many reveals and not enough depth。 Every woman is a victim and all of the men oozed with toxic masculinity。 Felt dated and droned on in parts。 The ending was aggressively stupid and the book could have been a hundred pages less， easily。The only pros were the bees and the discussion on trans lives。 With that said， I kept wishing I was instead watching a documentary about bees。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shereadbookblog
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Single mother Olivia， a beekeeper， lives with her son， Asher， handsome athletic hero of the high school hockey team。 When single mother， Ava， who works for the Parks Department， moves to town with her daughter Lily， the two offspring quickly fall for each other。 Lily is found dead and Asher is soon charged with murder。 Olivia steadfastly supports her son， but comes to wonder if perhaps he has some of the same traits as his abusive father， from whom she escaped。 The co-writers tell the story from Single mother Olivia， a beekeeper， lives with her son， Asher， handsome athletic hero of the high school hockey team。 When single mother， Ava， who works for the Parks Department， moves to town with her daughter Lily， the two offspring quickly fall for each other。 Lily is found dead and Asher is soon charged with murder。 Olivia steadfastly supports her son， but comes to wonder if perhaps he has some of the same traits as his abusive father， from whom she escaped。 The co-writers tell the story from two points of view， Lily’s and Olivias， and two different times frames， before and after。 As with many of Picoult’s novels， this touches on some very important topics including gender identity， domestic abuse， the vulnerability of women， suicide。 It is poignant， sensitive and enlightening。 There are meaningful discussions of bigotry， all the ways people can be horrible to each other， and how people often hate what they can’t or refuse to understand。 As always， Picoult’s research is thorough and readers learn some interesting and diverse info。 This time， the topic is beekeeping and the many benefits of honey。 I found the first half of the book to be a bit of a drag。 The second half kept me fully engrossed and unable to put it down。 My only problem with the book was how convenient it was for Olivia to have a recently retired brother who had been a successful criminal attorney and was available to handle Asher’s case 24/7。 Most people don’t have that advantage。Make sure you read the authors’ notes at the end。If only the authors could perform magic and transform some the haters out there…。。Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse @ballantinebooks for the arc。 。。。more
Anne
，
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， I was provided an ARC of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 *****Publishing October 4， 2022*****⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️Olivia and Asher move back to her family’s farm in New Hampshire after her father died of a heart attack。 She has to take over the bee hives as no one else in her family has the knowledge。 When Asher is a senior in high school， he dates Lily。 Asher as a Christmas present f Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， I was provided an ARC of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 *****Publishing October 4， 2022*****⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️Olivia and Asher move back to her family’s farm in New Hampshire after her father died of a heart attack。 She has to take over the bee hives as no one else in her family has the knowledge。 When Asher is a senior in high school， he dates Lily。 Asher as a Christmas present for Lily surprises her with her estranged dad。 Lily is upset， is offended， and can’t believe he has done that。 After that meetup， Lily is out of school because she is sick and refuses to respond to Asher’s text。 When Asher goes to check on her， he finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs。 But is it what it appears？ Did he really kill her or was he the one who just found her？ Will he be accused of murder？ A deeply emotional story that will have you turning pages to find out Asher’s fate。 Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan take heavy hitting/controversial topics and weave them into a powerful story。 It’s not an easy read and very emotional。 Not a book that everyone would enjoy， but would make for a great book club pick！ 。。。more
Melissa
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It's fitting that I'm reviewing this novel now， as Rosh Hashanah starts next week and we'll be having a lot of honey during that time （mainly for dipping apples）。 Honey features prominently into this novel as Olivia is a beekeeper。 At one point， she actually talks about what "mad honey" is and why you don't want to eat it。 I thought Mad Honey would be like The Pact， but it is definitely different。 The one thing these books have in common， however， is Jordan McAfee。 He's my favorite of Jodi Picou It's fitting that I'm reviewing this novel now， as Rosh Hashanah starts next week and we'll be having a lot of honey during that time （mainly for dipping apples）。 Honey features prominently into this novel as Olivia is a beekeeper。 At one point， she actually talks about what "mad honey" is and why you don't want to eat it。 I thought Mad Honey would be like The Pact， but it is definitely different。 The one thing these books have in common， however， is Jordan McAfee。 He's my favorite of Jodi Picoult's lawyers and I'm so glad he's back！ This time it's personal for him， as well。 I loved that two writers collaborated on this novel and it was great seeing their thoughts come together。 I was fascinated to learn that they each wrote a chapter for the character they weren't normally working with。 It was seamless and I couldn't tell which chapter that was for each。 Jodi and Jennifer Finney Boylan are a great team and I hope they will team up again in the future。There were some interesting surprises that I didn't see coming at all。 I loved that about this novel。 I really liked how Lily's story went backward in time， similar to how Jodi wrote A Spark of Light and Songs of the Humpback Whale。 It was interesting to put the pieces together along with what was happening in the present。 One of the storylines made me think of a situation from Virgin River， as well。While I learned a lot about beekeeping， it was hard to visualize what they were actually doing。 It would have been nice to have some photos of hives and how things work。 Overall， this novel was really heartfelt and thought-provoking。 It releases in early October， so be sure to run to the bookstore as soon as it does （or hop online and pre-order it so it's in your mailbox that day）。 Movie casting suggestions:Olivia: Marley Shelton Ava: Gabrielle Miller Jordan: Timothy Olyphant Selena: Gabrielle Union Mike: Chris Messina Braden: Victor Webster Gina: Julie Ann Emery Judge Byers: Lorraine Toussaint I'd prefer new actors be cast in the teen roles as I had a hard time visualizing who should play them。 。。。more
Emily Kowal
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I read this book in a day， it is the definition of a page turner。 In saying that; the story follows Jodie picoult’s typical formulaic style。 Interesting moral/ethical conundrum。 Lengthy court case。 Plot twist ending。 Nonetheless， it was incredibly enjoyable and a well written。
Amanda M。
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First off， thank you to Feminist Book Club for this ARC！ Mad Honey is a twisty， fun， easily digestible read （well， as fun and easily digestible as any book dealing with the death of a teenage girl can be）。 The novel gifts us two incredible narrators， Olivia McAfee and Lily Campanello。 Lily's story unfolds backwards， going back in time to show the reader her life and the events leading to her death。 Olivia， a beekeeper who left an abusive relationship， narrates the six months following Lily's dea First off， thank you to Feminist Book Club for this ARC！ Mad Honey is a twisty， fun， easily digestible read （well， as fun and easily digestible as any book dealing with the death of a teenage girl can be）。 The novel gifts us two incredible narrators， Olivia McAfee and Lily Campanello。 Lily's story unfolds backwards， going back in time to show the reader her life and the events leading to her death。 Olivia， a beekeeper who left an abusive relationship， narrates the six months following Lily's death and her son Asher's journey through the legal system after he's arrested for her murder。 Along the way， we follow the courtroom drama Piccoult does so well， learn some beekeeping facts， and are constantly on our toes。 The way Piccoult keeps you on your toes is one of the reasons I love her writing so much。 I was really happy to see Jennifer Finney Boylan's influence in this one; I think it really helped deliver some of the more "controversial" elements with the dignity and grace they deserve。 And the tolerance the teenagers show in this novel （compared with something like her 2007 novel， Nineteen Minutes） made my heart really happy （insert some cliche "the youth are saving society" platitude here lol）。 AND I was so happy to see Jordan McAfee pop back up - I re-read Nineteen Minutes early this year， but I hadn't picked up The Pact or Salem Falls since 2011-ish， and I'm a sucker for his character。 I always learn something cool in Jodi Piccoult's books， and this time it was a handful of facts （and recipes！） about honey and beekeeping。 I've never been a bee fan， so it was nice learning a little more about the little guys。 This was another five star read - highly recommend！ 。。。more
Preeti Mahatme
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A beautiful story wonderfully narrated。 Asher and Lily are teenagers in love and doing stuff that teenagers typically do when Lily suddenly dies and Asher is implicated in the crime。 Asher's mom Olivia and Lily's mom - both single mothers with rocky marriages in their past are drawn into the fray。 You begin to think its going to be a courtroom drama when there is that classic Jodi Picoult twist。I went into this novel blind without even reading what its about because its authored by Jodi Picoult。 A beautiful story wonderfully narrated。 Asher and Lily are teenagers in love and doing stuff that teenagers typically do when Lily suddenly dies and Asher is implicated in the crime。 Asher's mom Olivia and Lily's mom - both single mothers with rocky marriages in their past are drawn into the fray。 You begin to think its going to be a courtroom drama when there is that classic Jodi Picoult twist。I went into this novel blind without even reading what its about because its authored by Jodi Picoult。 She is one of my favourite authors for poignant， thought-provoking family drama and I wasn't about to pass up a chance to read an advance copy。 This is how I suggest you read it for maximum impact - without reading the back cover or the reviews or knowing anything about the story at all。 The book is co-authored by Jennifer Finney Boylan and its fantastic the way their writing styles have been a seamless meld。 The book deals with various contemporary issues affecting teenagers and their families today in classic Jodi style， the secret lives they lead and how we never know what goes on in their head。 It leaves you thinking long after you have turned the last page。I don't want to do any spoilers at all hence I will not say any more about this except that if there is one book you will read in October it has got to be this one。 Thank you Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC。 。。。more
Jessica
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I was provided a free advanced copy of this book by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 I have been a big fan of Jodi Picoult for many years and have almost read all of her books！ This one is her first collaboration with a non-relative， and in typical Picoult fashion， takes on some difficult subjects。 The story is told from two perspectives， and one of them is in reverse。 Olivia was in an abusive marriage， but found the strength to break away when her son was six， to give him a better l I was provided a free advanced copy of this book by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 I have been a big fan of Jodi Picoult for many years and have almost read all of her books！ This one is her first collaboration with a non-relative， and in typical Picoult fashion， takes on some difficult subjects。 The story is told from two perspectives， and one of them is in reverse。 Olivia was in an abusive marriage， but found the strength to break away when her son was six， to give him a better life。 Now， years later， he is a senior in high school and finds his girlfriend dead in her home。 When he is arrested and accused of her murder， Olivia struggles with the thought of losing her son and questions if he may have inherited a violence from his father。 Lily， is the new kid in town， and the victim in this story。 We find out about her life through her own voice， in a reverse timeline。 As things are revealed in the trial we get to see how she dealt with those circumstances when they happened。 There was a pretty big twist that I didn't see coming， although maybe I should have （I was not familiar with Jennifer Finney Boylan before this book）。It was definitely an interesting read and kept my attention the whole time。 The story talks a lot about identity in who we show to others， who people think we are， and who we really are。 Do we really know our best friend， son/daughter， sister， or neighbor？ I also enjoyed learning more about bees and beekeeping， and look forward to trying out some of the recipes at the end！ If you are a fan of Picoult I would definitely add this one to your list！ If you have not had the pleasure of reading any of hers I'd recommend Songs of the Humpback Whale， Leaving Time， and/or Small Great Things to start with。 And you should have time to read some of those before this as it's not planned to be published until 4 October！ #NetGalley #MadHoney 。。。more
Stephanie Elmore
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Jodi Picoult does it again！ She takes a current， controversial topic and makes you question all your feelings on it！ It's going to hard writing a review though without giving it away but it's an explosive reveal in the book so I'm going to try not to spoil it！ Mad Honey tells a story from the viewpoints of Olivia， a beekeeper who moved back to her childhood home with her son， Asher， to escape her abusive husband and Lily， a teenager who has become involved romantically with Asher。 When Lily is f Jodi Picoult does it again！ She takes a current， controversial topic and makes you question all your feelings on it！ It's going to hard writing a review though without giving it away but it's an explosive reveal in the book so I'm going to try not to spoil it！ Mad Honey tells a story from the viewpoints of Olivia， a beekeeper who moved back to her childhood home with her son， Asher， to escape her abusive husband and Lily， a teenager who has become involved romantically with Asher。 When Lily is found dead in Asher's arms and he's accused of murder， Olivia must decide if Asher is more like his dad than she ever believed possible or if this is the result of a terrible accident or suicide！ What secrets is Lily keeping about her past？ And， is it possible that someone else was involved in her death？ Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan have written a great novel that will make you think and leave you guessing till the end！ The biggest drawback of the book is all the metaphors， bees， the cello， fencing。。。they just seem to go on and on！ I would have enjoyed the book more with about 5 less chapters involving the metaphors。 Otherwise， an interesting read that kept me intrigued！ Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elyse
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NetGalley ARC。
Tamara
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Jodi Picoult is my all time favorite female writer。 Her books always have strong emotion and impactful lessons。 This was a very fast and thought provoking read。 I hope these authors collab again！
Helen Thompson
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Giving 2/5 stars。 I won this book in a give away。 I enjoyed reading about honey bees and harvesting honey。 the story itself was uninteresting。 The characters aren't as well developed as they should be， though， often feeling wooden or monochromatic—some always say the right thing while others always say or do the wrong thing—and the ending is predictable。If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult then read this book。 Giving 2/5 stars。 I won this book in a give away。 I enjoyed reading about honey bees and harvesting honey。 the story itself was uninteresting。 The characters aren't as well developed as they should be， though， often feeling wooden or monochromatic—some always say the right thing while others always say or do the wrong thing—and the ending is predictable。If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult then read this book。 。。。more
Kayo
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Loved this book。 Liked the different voices。 Not to be missed。 Thanks to author， publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 While I got the book for free， it had no bearing on the rating I gave it。
Sara
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Hands down one of the best books I've read in a long time！ My jaw dropped twice in astonishment at the nature of two major plot twists and I burst out in tears once。 This book surprised me， educated me， and made me feel so。。。intensely。 The storyline was intricately woven， the many different aspects of this novel were clearly well-researched， and the authors' writing styles fit together seamlessly。 The characters were well-developed and deeply compelling。 I am recommending it to all my friends an Hands down one of the best books I've read in a long time！ My jaw dropped twice in astonishment at the nature of two major plot twists and I burst out in tears once。 This book surprised me， educated me， and made me feel so。。。intensely。 The storyline was intricately woven， the many different aspects of this novel were clearly well-researched， and the authors' writing styles fit together seamlessly。 The characters were well-developed and deeply compelling。 I am recommending it to all my friends and hoping that all of our bookclubs at the library will read this book。 While it may push some of our patrons out of their comfort zone， I am certain it will generate some excellent and important discussions。 。。。more
Jodi
，
I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。I have struggled the last few days on how to write this review without giving too much away。Well， Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Boylan have knocked it out of the park with this one。I love that the book is told from two viewpoints。 Olivia and Lily。 Olivia's story moves forward in time and Lily's moves backwards and eventually you have the whole story。Olivia's son， Asher， is dating Lily and when she turns up dead， Ashe I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。I have struggled the last few days on how to write this review without giving too much away。Well， Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Boylan have knocked it out of the park with this one。I love that the book is told from two viewpoints。 Olivia and Lily。 Olivia's story moves forward in time and Lily's moves backwards and eventually you have the whole story。Olivia's son， Asher， is dating Lily and when she turns up dead， Asher is suspected of killing her。 Jordan McAffe， from previous JP books is back as Olivia's brother and Asher's attorney。 Then there is the twist。 This was a "Holy F$%k" type of twist， I surely didn't see coming。 The authors challenge your thinking and morals with this one and touches on several timely topics。 I wish I could say more about this but I don't want to give it away。 As the story unfolds， you see Olivia and Lily's side to the story and see why the issue is not all black and white。 Everyone has secrets and when and how we tell them is important。 。。。more
Dena Berg
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Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book。This is the story about a senior in high school who is found dead at the bottom of her stairs， and then her boyfriend is charged with her murder。 It is told from the perspective of the girl， Lily， and the boyfriend's mother， Olivia。What worked for me was the first half of the book。 I really liked the pacing at the beginning and I liked all the characters。 I think doubt is a great theme to mystery novels， and I like that feeling of not kno Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book。This is the story about a senior in high school who is found dead at the bottom of her stairs， and then her boyfriend is charged with her murder。 It is told from the perspective of the girl， Lily， and the boyfriend's mother， Olivia。What worked for me was the first half of the book。 I really liked the pacing at the beginning and I liked all the characters。 I think doubt is a great theme to mystery novels， and I like that feeling of not knowing who to trust。 However， the court scenes and the ending truly enraged me。 The ending felt very much like what the f was that？ I don't really know how to feel！ There is a lot of discussion on gender and I will say that it felt like a lot of teaching。 Maybe if someone was reading this and they were new to understanding gender that would be interesting to them but it felt like way too much telling to me。I loved the writing。 I think the ending just really wasn't what I was expecting or wanting from the story。 。。。more
Annette
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I usually don't bother to even read the blurb if I see Jodi Picoult's name， and Mad Honey is no exception。 As usual， an excellent choice。The moms， Olivia and Ava， have both had rough relationships and broken marriages。 For different reasons， they end up in a small town in New Hampshire。Olivia's son， Asher， and Ava's daughter， Lily end up in a relationship。 When Lily ends up dead， Asher is accused of murder。That's the short story， but of course， there is much more。 Asher's father was abusive and I usually don't bother to even read the blurb if I see Jodi Picoult's name， and Mad Honey is no exception。 As usual， an excellent choice。The moms， Olivia and Ava， have both had rough relationships and broken marriages。 For different reasons， they end up in a small town in New Hampshire。Olivia's son， Asher， and Ava's daughter， Lily end up in a relationship。 When Lily ends up dead， Asher is accused of murder。That's the short story， but of course， there is much more。 Asher's father was abusive and Olivia watches his every move wondering if Asher will show violent tendencies。 She has doubts about his innocence。Lily was born Liam， and maybe that's a spoiler， but if you know Jennifer Finney Boylan， it's not that much of a spoiler。 So did Asher know she was trans？ Is that why he killed her？Picoult writes from the perspective of Olivia and Boylan writes Lily's part。 The writing is seamless， and I didn't even realize that fact until I read the afterward。 Lily's story gave me such a new perspective on gender identity。 That was a big takeaway from Mad Honey for me。 Another takeaway is a lot about beekeeping， which is Olivia's occupation。 Fascinating。 And， as a side note， Queen Elizabeth II died while I was reading Mad Honey， and I read an article about how the Queen's beekeeper had to tell the bees that she died。 （You'll get it when you read the book。）The story is gripping and it's been so long since I read a book during which I decided to give up doing something else to read。 Lately， it's been the other way around。 Mad Honey is a great love story， a murder mystery， a courtroom drama， and a family story。 I loved it and highly recommend it。 。。。more
Amanda Sayer
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I enjoyed reading this one。 I found the topic interesting and along with the storyline it was a good read。 I liked the way it was written with a few surprises thrown in here and there which kept me guessing until the end。 I also enjoyed learning more about bees on the way and thought the recipes at the back were a cute idea。 Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for my honest review。
Pauline
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Olivia a single mother with a teenage son is devastated when her son is the prime suspect in the death of his girlfriend。I didn’t enjoy this books as much as this author’s previous books but I found parts really interesting especially the part about bee keeping。Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review。
Kenna
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I’m a relative newcomer to Jodie Picoult books， only having read her last two book。 I absolutely loved reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan。 As I was reading the book， I was trying to work out which of the authors had written which sections of the book。 I found the notes at the end of the book on how Jodie Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan came together to write the book and their process of writing collaboratively fascinating。 As with the other Jodie Picoult books， this I’m a relative newcomer to Jodie Picoult books， only having read her last two book。 I absolutely loved reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan。 As I was reading the book， I was trying to work out which of the authors had written which sections of the book。 I found the notes at the end of the book on how Jodie Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan came together to write the book and their process of writing collaboratively fascinating。 As with the other Jodie Picoult books， this is very well researched。 I found the information on apiary sprinkled throughout the book absolutely fascinating and I went on and did more research on bee-keeping！The book centres on an apiarist Olivia and her teenage son Asher who live in a small town on the East Coast。 Asher starts dating the new girl in school， Lily， and all is good until it isn’t and he’s arrested for Lily’s murder。 I found the process of building Asher’s defence really interesting and how it played out in court。 Also， interesting was the secrets that all the characters kept from one another for differing reasons - self-preservation， not wanting to hurt others， etc。 I don’t want to say anymore about the plot and let slip any of the huge reveals of the book。 This is a really thought-provoking book and also quite topical。 Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers， Hodder & Stoughton， for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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I decided to give this author another try with this book （the book of two ways was not my type of book ） but this book is just terrible。 Too many beekeeping descriptions in my opinion， I did not like the characters at all， as a parent of a kid the same age as Asher I just can't read sex scenes involving teenagers 🤷♀️ I decided to give this author another try with this book （the book of two ways was not my type of book ） but this book is just terrible。 Too many beekeeping descriptions in my opinion， I did not like the characters at all， as a parent of a kid the same age as Asher I just can't read sex scenes involving teenagers 🤷♀️ 。。。more
Jennifer
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This was definitely an intriguing book that makes you think about things in a different way。 Olivia and her son Asher were forced to flee from her abusive ex-husband。 She ends up in her hometown， Adams， New Hampshire， and is now living at her childhood home taking care of the beehives that were once her mother's。 You learn a lot about bees， hives， and honey harvesting in this book。 I found it fascinating。 Lily and her mother Ava are new to Adams and have started over for different reasons。 Lily This was definitely an intriguing book that makes you think about things in a different way。 Olivia and her son Asher were forced to flee from her abusive ex-husband。 She ends up in her hometown， Adams， New Hampshire， and is now living at her childhood home taking care of the beehives that were once her mother's。 You learn a lot about bees， hives， and honey harvesting in this book。 I found it fascinating。 Lily and her mother Ava are new to Adams and have started over for different reasons。 Lily and Asher end up in a relationship together。 But then Lily is found dead。。。 by Asher。 Since he was the only one with Lily near the time of her death， he is accused of her murder。The story is told from Olivia's POV， as well as Lily's。 Lily's POV was a little confusing since hers goes back in time。 Both POV's give perspective of these women's lives before they ended up in Adams， so you get a good understanding of who they are and why they were both fleeing their past。 I didn't expect the twist that happens in this book。 It was very interesting and gives you an education， including accepting everyone for WHO they are and not WHAT they are。 *Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review* 。。。more
Liz
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4。5 stars， rounded downI’m always a little leery when a known author partners up with someone else。 Is it the start of a James Patterson money grab？ But no worries here。 As told in the Authors’ Note， the idea was actually Boylan’s idea。 This story is about identity， abuse and starting over。 Olivia leaves her abusive surgeon husband and moves to New Hampshire with her son。 She moves into her parents’ house and takes over her dad’s apiary。 Lily’s mom leaves her husband who has been emotionally abu 4。5 stars， rounded downI’m always a little leery when a known author partners up with someone else。 Is it the start of a James Patterson money grab？ But no worries here。 As told in the Authors’ Note， the idea was actually Boylan’s idea。 This story is about identity， abuse and starting over。 Olivia leaves her abusive surgeon husband and moves to New Hampshire with her son。 She moves into her parents’ house and takes over her dad’s apiary。 Lily’s mom leaves her husband who has been emotionally abusive of Lily。 They move from the west coast to the same small NH town。 Things seem to be going really well as Olivia’s son， Asher， and Lily become romantically involved。 And then Olivia gets a call that Asher is at the police station and Lily is dead。 At the beginning， I was worried this was going to be more of a straight mystery， but it’s not。 The time frame goes back and forth， before and after Lily’s death。 At times， this gets a bit confusing as Lily’s story is told in reverse。 But I loved the story’s message and how it deals with identity - how we see ourselves and what it means to truly see someone else。 It also deals with trust。 As with Picoult’s other books， there are ample facts sprinkled into the story。 Often， they’re about beekeeping。 But Picoult also uses Lily’s love of facts and list making to throw additional facts in concerning all sorts of sundry items。 I adored each of the main characters and have a true book hangover ER now that it’s over。 Like Boylan writes in her note， I wasn’t ready to walk away from them。 My thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book。 Note - I just heard on the news that the Royal Beekeeper informed the bees of the Queen’s death。 。。。more
Kristin
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This premise of the book is what made me want to read it。 A murder trial where the boyfriend is being accused of killing his girlfriend？ Yes please！ However， this book is so much more。 It explores how deep love can be， it exhibits strength， it’s about survival and courage， and it’s about justice。 This book is brilliant and one that everyone needs to read – it may help open some people’s minds and learn to love others for who they are。 That’s the biggest lesson of this book – acceptance。 On top o This premise of the book is what made me want to read it。 A murder trial where the boyfriend is being accused of killing his girlfriend？ Yes please！ However， this book is so much more。 It explores how deep love can be， it exhibits strength， it’s about survival and courage， and it’s about justice。 This book is brilliant and one that everyone needs to read – it may help open some people’s minds and learn to love others for who they are。 That’s the biggest lesson of this book – acceptance。 On top of all of that， it also included a twist at the end that many won’t see coming – though I had my suspicions。 Overall， I think this is a must read and those of enjoy Jodi Picoult books will definitely enjoy this one。 。。。more
Aurélio Xanadu
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An excellent book and my first Jodi Picoult！ Thoroughly enjoyed every page！
larasbookcase
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It has been a long time since I read a Jodi Piccolo book， but Mad Honey has made me remember exactly why she was one of my favourite authors for years。 There's something so honest and unflinching about her writing， making every book captivating from start to finish。 I don't want to go into any details here as I don't want any spoilers， but this book really made me reevaluate how I think about certain issues raised in the story。 It has been a long time since I read a Jodi Piccolo book， but Mad Honey has made me remember exactly why she was one of my favourite authors for years。 There's something so honest and unflinching about her writing， making every book captivating from start to finish。 I don't want to go into any details here as I don't want any spoilers， but this book really made me reevaluate how I think about certain issues raised in the story。 。。。more
Karen
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Dnf at 54%Started out strong so I’m giving it 2 stars… The author started throwing in all sorts of current issues with sexual gender， etc… Just not a book for me。Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC
Diane Merritt
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Wow wow wow！！！ I love Jodi Picoult。 This book to me was one of her best and that's saying a lot。 I loved that the emotions poured from this book。 I personally hadn't heard of Jennifer Finney Boylan before this book。 I loved that we could not tell who wrote what parts。 Great collaboration。 I devoured this book I could not put it down！！ Sad that I rushed through it as I want moreThanks to the authors， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book。 Wow wow wow！！！ I love Jodi Picoult。 This book to me was one of her best and that's saying a lot。 I loved that the emotions poured from this book。 I personally hadn't heard of Jennifer Finney Boylan before this book。 I loved that we could not tell who wrote what parts。 Great collaboration。 I devoured this book I could not put it down！！ Sad that I rushed through it as I want moreThanks to the authors， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release 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