I am a fan of Jodi Picoult, but I couldn't get into this book. I didn't enjoy the overall premise or like some of the characters. I was incredibly excited to read this book, but sadly not for me.

Any book by jodi picoult is going to be good and this book definitely was amazing. You are drawn in instantly to the story. Reading different point of views gives you a different perspective and keeps the story moving. I learned alot about beekeeping! I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys drama, mystery, family dynamics, and issues in the world today.

A young couple in love soon become star-crossed lovers. But was Lily simply involved in a tragic accident, or was she murdered by her boyfriend?

I'm so glad to see Picoult decided to do with <u>Mad Honey</u> what she failed to do with <u>Small Great Things</u>: rely on a knowledgable co-writer. At first I was absolutely horrified to discover that it seemed like Picoult was using being transgender as the plot twist of a novel. Then I looked into Jennifer Finney Boylan and discovered that she herself is a transgender writer. Suddenly, the reason why there was two authors tied to this Picoult novel couldn't have been clearer. I'm very pleased she worked on this with an own-voices author that could lend their firsthand knowledge and experience to this story. Had Picoult made the same mistake she did with <u>Small Great Things</u>, this probably would have been an instant 1 star rating for me. The main reason I gave this one three stars is simply because it started to become too drawn out/tedious and just seemed far too long. The end twist was decent enough, but other aspects were rather predictable. At the end of the day, this was not my favorite Picoult novel, but it was definitely not her worst.

I love Jodi Picoult books and so glad I was introduced to Jennifer Finney Boylan. I enjoyed Jodi Picoult’s novels that dealt with elephants and wolves. The he bees in this book added to my enjoyment. The authors did so much research on bees. I can’t give too much background cause it would spoil it. 2023 has started with a great read v—Mad Honey.

Do you enjoy being completely blindsided by a book? If so, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan's collaboration Mad Honey will be right up your alley. Just don't read anything about the book or authors before picking up this novel if you want to keep the twists a surprise.

Jodi Picoult is one of my most-read authors, having discovered her as a young adult and reading her throughout the many years of her illustrative career. Knowing her writing style fairly well, I got comfortable with Mad Honey and settled into this book expecting it to progress like much of Jodi's other novels ... until it didn't. The twist of this book snuck up on me when I least expected it and made me read the passage again in disbelief. While I can often guess at curveballs in stories, I didn't see this one coming.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but here's what I can share. Jodi Picoult is known for taking a hot button issue and spinning a compelling narrative about it. Her stories dig deep into what essentially makes us human and touches on heart and emotion in a way that few others can. Her books are relationship-based, centering often on that of a parent and child, as in Mad Honey, where a mother is shocked to discover that her son has been accused of murdering his high school sweetheart. Picoult then examines the psychological and legal implications of the issue she has chosen, often inserting a courtroom drama into her story.

In Mad Honey, we are introduced to Olivia McAfee, a beekeeper, who brings us under her wing and teaches us all that she knows about caring for bees. As most Picoult novels do, Jodi envelops us into the professions of her characters, teaching us so many interesting and useful tidbits about their trades. I can't tell you how many different career paths I have traveled down thanks to Jodi Picoult novels! We are also introduced to Olivia's son Asher and his girlfriend of a few months, Lily, who is new to the area. Olivia has never seen her son so in love, and she takes to Lily right away, which makes Lily's subsequent death purportedly at the hands of her son so shocking. Asher loved Lily, so how could he be guilty of murdering her?

Told in chapters alternating between Olivia and Lily, we travel from present day to past, learning more about Olivia and Lily's backstories and how they came to find themselves where they are today. Heartfelt and explosive, Mad Honey will have you questioning everything you thought to be true. This is a book about the love between a mother and son; the love between a girl and a guy; a story about loving blindly through thick, thin, and everything in between.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a riveting story of suspense, love, and family secrets. Olivia McAfee's picture-perfect life was upended when her husband revealed his dark side, leaving her to return to her sleepy New Hampshire hometown with her son Asher in tow. But their fresh start quickly spirals out of control when Asher falls for Lily Campanello, the new girl in town, and tragedy strikes when she is found dead, and he becomes the prime suspect. With expertly crafted characters and sharp dialogue, this novel draws you in from the first page and keeps you guessing until the very end. Mad Honey is a must-read for fans of Picoult’s previous works, as well as those looking for an engaging and thought-provoking story. It’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Highly recommended!

Every time I think I know where a Jodi Picoult book is going, she completely subverts things and turns everything on its head. You’d think iMd have gotten used to this after reading three other books and seeing one of her stage shows, but she honestly keeps getting better and better. And I love the research that went into this with the bees, I learned more than I was expecting to but I appreciate attention to detail like that.

Mad Honey is the first book that I've read by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan and I certainly wasn't disappointed. This book kept me engaged from start to finish with a shocking revelation that completely surprised me! I'll definitely be checking out both authors' previous titles.

Bee keeping/bees/honey
Long chapters
Heavy subject matter (make sure to check your TW)

This author is so hit or miss for me. I loved this one at first. After a while though, the long chapters and length of book kinda wore on me.

Also, I know the name of the book is mad honey, but after a while the constant bee keeping/bees/honey metaphors got old.

Overall, decent. Beautiful cover.

Should our to bees. #savethebees

Another great one by Jodi Picoult. One of the things that I love about her writing is how well researched every element is. I also appreciate the fact that she paired up with another author for this book, one who can lend an ownvoices element to the story. While it took awhile for me to get into this one, Mad Honey did not disappoint and I found myself tearing through the ending waiting to see how it turned out.

I’m one of Jodi Picoult’s biggest fans and Mad Honey did NOT change that. She has such a beautiful way of writing about controversial and difficult subjects that just amazes me every time. She and her co-author did a phenomenal job with this story.

I am, however, beginning to expect the same thing from her. Her books, while incredible, are very formulaic. I’ll read everything she writes until the day I die, though!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. A master of her craft Ms. Picoult again did not disappoint.

Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.

One of my favorites of the year! Mad Honey is such a uniquely multi-faceted book. I fell in love with the characters, wept at the pain they went through, and sat on pins and needles during the courtroom trial. Interwoven in this story of family and love and identity is a beautifully detailed description of beekeeping. I loved the way the authors connected the bees' lives and experience of trauma to the pain of the main characters.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Mad Honey reminds me of classic Jodi Picoult - parent/child relationships, teen romance, court room drama and a ripped from headlines current controversial shocking twist. What makes Mad Honey different than Picoult's other titles is that she co-wrote with another author. They tackle a sensitive topic with dignity and information to educate the readers. I have to say, I may have more questions than answers, but I did find it an interesting read.

Mad Honey started slow but really picked up speed and drew me in. The “big” wow moment kept me up reading well past my bedtime. I enjoyed the character development and the story. Great read!

This book was just simply amazing!

The collaboration of authors brought so much more to the story. I was hooked from the very beginning and by the middle of the novel, I was having trouble putting it down.

Other than a great story. This book provided the opportunity for educating readers that ALL trans-people are different. Having an open mind and being accepting of others is a goal we all sould have, and this emotional book puts so much of that out there.

Thank you Ballantine Books, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan!

Holy crap I don’t even know where to start. The plot twists left my jaw hanging open! The view points of the characters really left an impression an I could just feel their emotions. MUST READ!

So, this book started out super strong for me. There is a very compelling story of Olivia escaping an abusive relationship and taking her son back to the home she grew up in. She was able to take over the trade of making and selling honey, which was enough to keep them doing ok. She assumes all is well until her son is questioned in the death of his girlfriend. This is when the crazy ride really begins. We begin to question if Olivia's son, Asher, has picked up on the abuse that convinced Olivia to run. We question who the girlfriend, Lily really was and if there was some dark secrets there. More and more suspects came out of the woodwork in this novel. The twist I most definitely did not see coming. While not disclosing the plot, I understand that we are trying to raise awareness of all people, but I really felt that there was an agenda being pushed and it was pushed HARD. It was just cumbersome to me in the end. It was a suspenseful read though, I will give it that!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

At one point Jodi Picoult was an auto-buy author for me. Mad Honey is the perfect example of why you should read Jodi Picoult! beautiful, heartbreaking, and twisty.... This book kept me guessing. I like when I can't figure out the plot early on in the book.

Thank you Jodi, NetGalley, and the publishing team for the free ARC of this book!

Jodi Picoult is back with a compelling read that I could not put down. I loved this collaboration between Picoult and Jennifer Finley Boylan. The characters were amazing and the background details about bee keeping and honey were perfect. Highly recommended.