I think this was a dependably solid book that touched on a lot of relevant social issues. I also learned a LOT about bees.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

"Mad Honey" is a gripping exploration of the complexities of family dynamics and the moral gray areas of medical ethics. The novel follows a family's journey as they grapple with a life-altering medical diagnosis and the tough decisions that come with it. Picoult's skillful storytelling delves deep into each character's psyche, unraveling their motivations and fears. The narrative is beautifully woven with emotional depth, creating an immersive experience that tugs at the heartstrings. With its thought-provoking themes and expertly drawn characters, "Mad Honey" is a poignant and compelling addition to Jodi Picoult's impressive literary repertoire.

Wow wow wow this book was just phenomenal!! It treated so many hard topics so well, and educated you along the way. I can't say enough good things about this book, crafted masterfully and just really made me connect with all the characters. The comparison of gender to left or right/handedness really hit home for me and is something I will be using in the future to explain to family members etc when they make dumb comments about our trans-gender cousin in hopes that they then understand it's not a "choice" and that they should accept them for who they are. The interwoven chapters from Lily's viewpoint were wonderful, and I definitely did not see the plot twist coming at the end at all, dang!! The amount of double standards this book highlighted was staggering, but appreciated. Without a doubt one of my top reads of the year that I will be recommending to everyone.

When Olivia's son Asher is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Lily, Olivia has to examine her past to discover if he actually might be the murderer. When secrets about Lily are revealed during the trial that may have led to the murder Olivia starts to question Asher's love for Lily and his innocence.

So many people adore this authors books, but I constantly struggle with them. I felt she packed as many issues into one book as possible and it was just too much.
There were definite good points and interesting bits, but so many distractions.
Thanks for the ARC from Net Galley.

I personally was not a huge fan of the sections on bee and honey facts; although interesting in a different time or place, they kind of took me out of the story and I found myself skimming over them to where the actual story picked up again.

If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult then I think you will definitely enjoy this book as well; it really reflects her usual writing style and covers some very current issues in a multi faceted way.

Picoult and Boylan have crafted a novel full brilliant insight into the heart-breaking plight of a young trans teen and her boyfriend that will hopefully open hearts and minds of readers.
Highly recommended.

Wow, this book was so stunning. I loved every word. I have heard some people say that it's a bit too much how on edge Jodi has become with the topics, but I disagree entirely. She's always been right on the mark with her topics. I love her books, and this one, in particular, was stellar. I loved the surprises and the heartbreaking moments. It was fantastic. Don't ever stop.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This was a story about a mother, Olivia, who puts her son, Asher, first and the journey they go through after Lily dies. You go along the journey to find out what happened to Lily and what her life was like before moving to Adams. Even though Lily’s life was cut short, she lived it to her full meaning. Olivia learned what true love is when Asher was little and had to do what was best for them to keep them safe. Throughout the trial, she slowly sees the other side of Asher and has to decide which side is the true Asher. The ending wasn’t as shocking as it could have been but overall, it was a great story. Read it in one day because I couldn’t put it down.

I will start this review by saying that I ADORE anything that Jodi Picoult writes. I know I can pick up any novel she's written and not only will I get a beautiful and complex story, but I'm also going to learn a LOT about a topic I didn't know anything about and I'll walk away incredibly interested in it. I feel like I l earned so much about bees and beekeeping in this book and I'm ready to start my own hive! However, the education is perfectly balanced and doesn't take away from the strong story that Jodi writes.

My one critique of this particular novel is that I've come to expect a major crazy wild twist in every book that Picoult writes and I didn't feel like this one had that. It was somewhat predictable and that didn't make it any less beautiful and charming, but I did kind of have it figured out before I even passed the halfway point. That being said, I'll be recommending this one to everyone. It's interesting, captivating, unique, and ultimately educational.

Another beautiful work by Jodi Picoult. A story about family, trauma, and what it really means to be in love. Brings humanity to a group of people who are traditionally marginalized. Great read.

Mad Honey was not at all what I expected it to be. The love stories and scenes of abuse were interwoven with the current story of Asher and Olivia dealing with his trial in a way that felt natural and fit the puzzle pieces of the story together nicely. This novel does an excellent job if making you feel a bit of cognitive dissonance. You feel sure in some moments that Asher could not have done it - he really makes you believe that. Then you feel in other moments like there is no way he could not have done it- you relate to Olivia's struggle to believe her son. You want to believe in Asher's good nature while being presented with an imperfect character. This story touched on sensitive topics in a way that calls us to evaluate our own humanity.

Jodi Picoult’s writing never fails to blow me away. She tackles complex and difficult issues with compassion, nuance, and page-turning drama. I’ll gladly gobble up anything she writes, so I nabbed a copy of Mad Honey without reading the description. I wasn’t familiar with co-author Jennifer Finney Boylan; Picoult’s name on the cover was enough to sell me. And what a journey the two of them took me on! The collaboration was a brilliant idea, a duet of two distinct voices with two authentic life experiences.

I won’t elaborate on the plot too much, because the plot twists are half of what kept me up way too late, turning the pages. Suffice it to say that the backstory of boy-meets-girl, each from a family with hidden trauma, quickly explodes into tragedy. From there, the story—told in alternating points of view of the girl and the boy’s mother—plays out from that turning point, one story unfurling into the past, the events leading up to the crisis, the other taking the story forward. If this sounds confusing, it isn’t. The dual timelines/narrators layer connection upon connection like a four-dimensional tapestry. I found myself falling in love with characters and wishing them happiness even when I already knew this would never be their fate.

It is a mark of the skill of the authors and their chosen narrative structure that the twin struggles of a trans teen coming into their own and an abused woman seeking safety and empowerment perfectly mirror and inform each other. The story left me wanting to rush up to everyone I know and demand that they read it!

I absolutely loved this book. It is a tough read, as are most of Jodi Picoult's books but certainly an important one. These two authors did a fantastic job of telling Lily and Olivia's stories!

One of my favorite reads of the year so far! I loved this murder mystery/family drama/courtroom drama book. The plot twist threw me for a complete loop. I flew through this book in a matter of three days. I have recommenced this book to so many of my friends and family. Cannot wait to read more by this author. The character development is truly what sold me.

Wow! I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was easy to be caught up in these characters and the plot kept everything moving along quickly. This is in my top 5 for 2023! I am recommending to all readers!

I was immediately drawn into story from beginning until half way through it began to drag on longer than necessary. Then, it became disjointed unlike the beginning of the book. There are many controversial topics and story lines which are somehow all converging. There are two authors which I think might explain the feeling of incongruity. It seems that a lot of information that each of the authors wanted to include wasn’t distributed evenly through the novel.
As a result, the story line is repeated by different POV with additional background information providing explanations making the story feel redundant.

I have some mixed feelings and would rate 3.5 but averaging up as I think the premise and intention were there but could have been edited to make it feel less “clunky”. It didn’t seem to have the effortless flow of some of Picoult’s books. It took me longer to read this book than any of her other novels. There is an excessive amount of “extra” information that normally adds to the story but with two authors adding a little “extra” to their part of the story made it drag on.

initial thoughts: Jodi Picoult was my first "must buy" author, and continues to be to this day. She got me back into reading, and the way she tackles tough, controversial topics is always so well done.

this book was no different. I enjoyed the two POVs, the multiple timelines, and the characters. the ending left me slightly letdown, however, this book is definitely worth reading. loved the beekeeping scenes (my aunt & uncle are beekeepers, so this was really cool!) and the story of Lily should (hopefully) cause people to think and challenge their beliefs. so well done.

I did not finish this title. The summary omitted certain themes of the book (which I think would have been spoilers, but still should have been included), and one theme is one I avoid for traumatic personal reasons.

I didn’t finish this book at about halfway.
It was fine. The beekeeping descriptions are absolutely beautiful. The rest of the book I just struggled to get into. It felt drawn out. I never looked forwarded to picking it up.