Genre: Contemporary/Mystery

Format: Audio

4.5 stars! - I really liked it!

Thank you @prhaudio and @netgalley for the complimentary audiobook and EARC!

A captivating, insightful, and thought-provoking story of tragedy, heartbreak, grief, and love.

This book balanced emotional themes while remaining informative and engaging. I really enjoyed all the facts about bees sprinkled throughout the book!

I was completely shocked by the twist, and thought so much about this book was incredible! Overall, the ending didn’t really line up with the trajectory and journey throughout the book for me, and left me wanting a little bit more. Despite the ending, this is one I would absolutely recommend and think would make an excellent book club pick!

This was such a great discussion with my #tttbuddyread gals, and I highly suggest going in blind for this one! I thought the audiobook for this one was especially good! There were different narrators for different POV’s which really enhanced the overall experience for me.

I have always loved Jodi's books and this one did not disappoint! I see a lot of people "disappointed" with the book because it tackles some really controversial topics but this has always been her thing!! Look back to Nineteen Minutes or even more recently Wish You Were Here. I thought she handled it beautifully and I truly was taken completely by surprise by the twist in the middle of the book. I do think some parts in the back half dragged on a little bit and could have done without but overall really enjoyable book.

WOW! This book was amazing and one of my favorites by Picoult. The best part is that this one was a book that was co-written together with Jennifer Finney Boylan. You cannot tell which part is written by which author. Now that is a fantastic feat just in itself! It flowed THAT well!

It's a story told in two voices. Olivia, is a single mother and a bee keeper. Her son Asher is 18 years old and his girlfriend is found dead. The other voice is, Lily, the girlfriend of Asher.

I don't want to give anything away as I was totally stunned by the revelations. What a thought-provoking, and powerful story this turned out to be. I felt the emotions and it even had me in tears at some points. This is an important story that everyone in this world should read and try to UNDERSTAND with COMPASSION!

This was brilliantly written and the narration is amazing. Definitely one of my favorites from 2022!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I was excited to read it: I have enjoyed all the works by Jodi Picoult that I have read and the domestic violence element was something I was particularly interested in. I liked that Jodi Picoult so often writes such timely books with such strong characters and I was excited for a book that would suck me in and keep me reading.
This book was so much more than that. This book, at its heart, wasn't really about being trans or being a victime of being domestic violence. Those were certainly topics she discussed, but they weren't at the heart of it. There is a line near the end, after the trial is over, after we know what happened to Lily. I have an eARC, so I can't go back and find the exact quote, but it's: in the end, Lilly wasn't killed because she was trans, she was killed because she was a woman. In the context of the scene it was in, the line was like a gut punch. It actually hurt. I thought, how true. How endless and vast are the dangers to women and how real was Lily's story. I absolutely loved it.

Probably my favorite book of the year.

Jodi Picoult has always been a favorite of mine, and an auto-buy. Her earlier stuff has always been my favorite, but I’ve still loved the new ones as well. This one brought me back to the old Jodi style, and I obviously adored it. She is back to the thought-provoking, crazy twists, and stick with you for days stories I have always loved her for.
Mad Honey tackles a lot of big issues-parenting, teenage love, domestic violence, and even the importance of bees! Without giving away too much, one of the major twists halfway through the book had my jaw absolutely dropping. After that, the main focus of the book shifts a bit, but I thought the way it was handled was beautiful, and it really made me examine the topic in a way I had never considered.
The story is really one of love-a parent’s love for their child, romantic love, love for our lives and importantly, self-love. I can’t emphasize enough how outstanding this book is. The author’s notes were amazing as well, and I highly recommend reading them to get a full picture of how amazing this book really is. Go get a copy immediately, and then tell me what you thought!

OH. MY. WORD!! Please go read this book! I went in blind and recommend it!

Connection to characters- YES! I felt very connected to these characters and their stories and didn’t ever want to put this book down.
Setting- very strongly built and visualized
Plot- I LOVE a courtroom drama! And the backward storytelling.

Please read this book. It is very eye opening and carefully, beautifully written.

I'm on the fence about how to rate this book. On one hand, it was an entertaining read, but on the other hand, it was predictible, and there was far too much information that didn't relate to the story stuffed into it. Thankfully, that information was interesting, but I didn't jump into this book expecting a huge lesson on beekeeping, honey, and various other topics. Some of this information went on and on for pages, and it really takes away from the story. The twist at around the 50% mark did suprise me, but other than that, everything else I guessed.

Picoult has always explored controversial topics, examining school shooting in the spectacular Nineteen Minutes and end-of-life decisions in Lone Wolf (just to name a few). Her books often inspire deep genuflection that your entire way of thinking, your entire belief system has evolved by the time you finish the book. If you do not examine the way you treat others after reading Small Great Things (my favorite Picoult novel), I am not sure you even have a pulse. (How has that book not been made into a movie?) So, I went into this book with high expectations. I was not disappointed. The two main characters, Olivia and Lily are developed so well that I thought I literally knew them. The book could easily be characterized as a story about domestic violence, or depression, or even murder. However, at its core it is much more than that - it is really about freedom. To paraphrase a quote from the book, Mad Honey, just like the books mentioned earlier, messes with your head, and your heart, and before you realize it it's too late.

This is by far the best book I’ve read in years! I will be singing praise for Mad Honey for several reasons. Rarely do characters in a book feel like actual family members, but they did. They were so beautifully & painfully written, at times I felt very real emotions. The plot was told from different perspectives, which I love. The ending was absolutely perfect! Lastly, and most importantly, the authors weren’t afraid to address very real, hot topic issues- physical domestic abuse, gender identities, & even racism. I was educated, challenged, and am now a better person because of this book. Everyone needs to read Mad Honey! It deserves to be talked about for a very long time & I’m confident will be on all of the best seller’s lists!!

This was SO good. I loved all the information on the bees, the story line , the ENDING. All the twists and turns along the way kept my attention throughout. This was great- thank you so much for the opportunity to read it :)

An interesting story with many threads and an unexpected twist that I didn't see coming. The book felt a little too long and overstuffed at times, and then ended quite abruptly, but kept interest throughout. Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC to review!

Not sure I have ever read a book by @jodipicoult that I didn’t like. I couldn’t put this one down and needed to know what truly happened to Lily. I enjoyed the little bits of bee knowledge mixed with the high emotions that go along with a mothers love for her son. ⁣⁣⠀
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This book had similar feels as This Is How It Always Is. ⁣Another book that I highly recommend everyone read!!

I loved Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. This story follows Asher and girlfriend Lilly. You get to see how their relationship develops, right until a tragic event unfolds. Both Asher and Lilly have secrets from their past that they are not willing to share yet. Both raised by single moms, these dynamic characters come to life and will stick with you long after you finish reading the book. Asher is charged with the murder of his girlfriend and lots of past secrets come to life. Not sure who you can trust you will keep flipping pages until you get the the final twist at the end.

I really loved the dual point of views, and the beekeeping part of the story was wonderfully woven into the story. The twists came at just the right time to keep you reading and guess where the story would go next. I absolutely loved it.

I’ve loved Jodi Picoult’s writing since I read Nineteen Minutes, and so of course I requested Mad Honey as soon as I saw it. As usual, Picoult didn’t disappoint, and I loved the additional voice of Jennifer Finney Boylan. The plot has Picoult’s signature ending twist, and the way the story is presented is wonderful. Asher, Olivia, and Lily are beautifully flawed characters, each in their own way, and this story of acceptance, love, and teenage turmoil is tragically beautiful. Highly recommend.

NetGalley ARC | With a DNF for The Book of Two Ways and not loving the twist in Wish You Were Here, Mad Honey proved to be a redemptive book for our relationship with Picoult's hit-or-miss novels.

Although the length had us worried, we flew through this one - admittedly with a few skimmable sections - and appreciated learning more about life, love, and trauma with the bee connection.

TWs for domestic violence and more

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine Books for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Read our complete summary and review on The Uncorked Librarian website (under October releases) here: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/upcoming-new-book-releases-2022/

This book is one of my top 2022 pics of the year. I love the controversial topics of spousal abuse and transgender written about in this book, as they are difficult ones but written with such grace. I also enjoyed the story aspect around a honey business, such a beautiful part of it.

4.5 🌟 As always Jodi Picoult opens the gates to topics that make more educated and broadening your views. Mad Honey explores the relationships of a transgender teen, murder, and different dynamics of families and community. The story of many characters and timelines comes full circle in this beautiful novel of love, acceptance, heartbreak, courage and truth! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Olivia McAfee is starting over in her childhood home, reeling from her divorce and fleeing her abusive ex-husband. Olivia is finally getting on her feet. Her beekeeping business is finally turning a profit, and her teenage son is thriving. However, her world crumples when her son, Asher, is accused of murdering his girlfriend.

This book covered a lot of topics that are often hard to talk about and I feel like they were done well.

I enjoyed the mystery in this as well as the character development and I really think this would be an excellent pick for a book club read! My only complaint was that the ending was very abrupt.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #madhoney

I adored this book even if it shattered my heart.
I legitimately couldn't tell it was written by two authors. I really liked the alternating perspectives of Olivia and Lily, and the fact that Olivia's POV was moving forward while Lily's went backwards. That interplay worked out beautifully.

There are so many little details throughout this story that I liked, you can tell that all the details have been thoroughly researched from music to beekeeping. Lily had such a diverse range of facts that she shared, I absolutely loved her character.

What a great book! WOW. It was emotional, gripping, and educational. I know Jodi Picoult is a master storyteller and the addition of Jennifer elevated the story to provide an own voice authorship. I will continue to recommend this book, as I do believe it is a must read for so many reasons.