Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

Mad Honey

By Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

  • Release Date: 2022-10-04
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 4,252 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Alternatingly heart-pounding and heartbreaking. This collaboration between two best-selling authors seamlessly weaves together Olivia and Lily’s journeys, creating a provocative exploration of the strength that love and acceptance require.”—The Washington Post
 
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • PEOPLE’S BOOK OF THE WEEK • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: PopSugar

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that 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 she wonders if she can 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 Ash, 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

  • interesting!

    4
    By Mrs.Merllark
    i did enjoy this book, however (slight spoiler) i did feel like several cool characters where only there just to educate the readers on being transgender, when i think they could have been much more than that. i was a little bored in the last couple of chapters. regardless, it is worth the read.
  • Slow read

    1
    By kasupuu super
    Slow read not good story line
  • Good story but…

    3
    By HJSchaeffer
    I felt like an inordinate amount of effort went into schooling the reader about trans. I did appreciate learning more about trans people but it was over emphasized by a string of minor characters like Elizabeth and the beautiful trans woman doctor whose sole purpose was seemingly to educate us about it. Felt like overkill.
  • Such a moving story

    5
    By Boo Cha Cha Cha
    Let me start by saying, I have greatly enjoyed many books but never have I left a book review. However, these two brilliant co-authors have written a novel that is so moving, perceptive and insightful that I felt compelled to acknowledge both their extraordinary collaboration and the book it produced. Mad Honey left me with a greater understanding of the complexities of the human condition. Of course, I knew it had to end but I still…I wish it didn’t.
  • Didn’t want to put this one down!

    5
    By LOber01
    Loved reading the story from the different characters point of view. Very unpredictable, my jaw dropped at several parts of the book. Didn’t want to put this book down because it killed me to know what happened next! Loved it!
  • 10/10

    5
    By Crystalls13
    Could not stop reading every little twist with new information was absolutely perfect. Great book.
  • Incredible

    5
    By 1218catgirl
    Amazing, as always.
  • Moving story

    5
    By BellaBella87
    This book kept me awake on several nights because I NEEDED to know what was next. The characters were so intricate. I haven’t read a Jodi Picoult book in a few years and I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Also, finding out how she connected with the author via twitter, then it actually happening, amazing. Definitely a dream come true!!
  • 3 stars

    3
    By KThugs3
    Wow, I just typed up an entire review and it deleted. It’s kind of late and I wanted to pick out what the next book I’ll read will be, so I’m going to just keep this re-do short and to the point…. I’m giving this book 3.5 stars. I did find that the style was a bit more like Jodi’s original books, and I have missed that and so I did enjoy that aspect. However, I’m not sure if Lilly’s memories going backwards throughout the novel was supposed to be metaphorical or what- but it was lost on me and made it slightly confusing. I loved almost all of the characters, minus Dirk. I really loved Lilly, too, but a lot of her character and some of the scenes reminded me of the show Euphoria. Also a lot of the “shocking twists” weren’t that shocking? Not sure how I had a hunch about Lily’s “big reveal” from one or two sentences sprinkled earlier in the book; but I’m observant and figured that’s what it was going to be. I also intuitively knew the court outcome and I even had a hunch about who actually murdered Lily. While I’ve never read anything else by Jodi’s coauthor on this one: Jennifer Boylan, I do plan on giving another book in her catalog a shot. And as always, I’ll continue to read Jodi’s books because I’m a fan and have been for awhile. I know everyone likes to switch things up and try something new- but I haven’t really LOVED any of her books in quite some time now. The last 3 or so were just alright.
  • Mad Honey

    5
    By YayaNetski
    This book is full of interesting characters. The lives brought together by past hardships and challenges coalesce around teenage love and deep secrets. The connection to the bees and their habits is fascinating.