Jodi Picoult has always been a favorite author of mine so when I saw she had coauthored a new book with Jennifer Finney Boylan I was excited to read it. Jennifer Finney Boylan was a new author for me. I had never read anything by her before I read Mad Honey. She wrote the part for Lily, a female high school student who had recently moved to Adams, New Hampshire with her mom. Jodi Picoult wrote the part for Olivia, a beekeeper and mom to Asher. Olivia’s son Asher was also a high school student, on the hockey team, a good student and often helped his mom with the bees. A relationship began between Asher and Lily and the two realized rather quickly they were in love with each other. What could be more special than a first love? Mad Honey was told from the alternating perspectives of Olivia and Lily. It was told in a nonlinear time line that often either jumped ahead or traveled back to a prior time. Once I got used to the format, I didn’t mind it in the least. I really enjoyed the characters and I found myself thinking about them long after I finished the book.

Asher and Lily had been seeing each other exclusively for several months when Asher tried to surprise Lily with an early Christmas present. He was sure she was going to love his surprise but she didn’t. In fact, it made Lily so angry that she left Asher with his surprise and walked all the way home in the rain. Lily chose to avoid Asher. She did not want to see him. Lily avoided all of Asher’s phone calls and texts. One morning, soon after, Lily came down with a high fever and had to stay home from school. Her mom had stayed home from her job as well to take care of Lily. When Lily’s temperature spiked really high, her mom went to get Tylenol from the drug store. Her mom told Lily she would get back as quickly as she could. That day, Asher sent Lily quite a few texts but Lily wasn’t ready to talk to Asher so she continued to ignore them. Asher was distraught. He had to make things right with Lily so he drove to her house after school. When he got there the front door of her home was ajar. Asher went in and saw Lily lying quite still at the bottom of the stairs. There was blood near her head. Lily’s mom returned as Asher moved Lily to the couch. The police came shortly after. How did Lily end up at the bottom of the stairs? Could Asher have had any part in what had happened to Lily?

Mad Honey was a very thought provoking book. Both Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan were masterful storytellers. The subjects of transgender, abusive marriages, domestic violence, intolerance, dysfunctional families, and informative and surprising facts about bees, beekeeping and honey were all addressed in this gripping yet heartfelt book. Jodi Picoult’s research was impeccable as usual and Jennifer Finney Boylan brought her own insights and understanding to the forefront to make Mad Honey so believable. I really enjoyed reading Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for allowing me to read Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This compelling novel is the story of three main characters: Asher, a teenage boy accused of murder; Lily, a dead teenage girl who was transgender; and Olivia, the mother of Asher.. The story is told from the perspectives of Lily and Olivia and these characters feel like someone you might know with the realistic way they are portrayed and take us through this original storyline. A great book!

I am a super fan of Jodi Picoult so I was beyond excited to get Mad Honey! Jodi and Jennifer write an amazing story! I was glued to my kindle and tissue box!

This novel was well written and kept you guessing at every corner. The way the relationship between Ash and Lily developed and grew was beautiful to see. It really brought light to the issues within our legal system as well. Stopping an investigation just because you have someone who looks guilty and possibly losing out on other evidence due to closing the investigation. Also just having to show slight doubt without the truth ever having to be discussed is a crazy way to punish others.

This was a moving novel in so many ways. There are two families. Asher and his mother. And Lily and her mother. Lily moved to New Hampshire to start over. Asher and Lily have developed a relationship. Everything seems perfect until the day that Olivia finds out that Asher has been accused of murdering Lily. The story flashes back and forth and what happened in the past is revealed and the secrets of the characters come to life. What begins with a love story ends with a suspenseful nature of what really happened.

This one was super interesting - a murder mystery intertwined with secrets and family drama. I felt like I learned in the process, which is always a plus. I love that it explored relationships in different ways through multiple characters.

I love anything Jodi writes, literally anything! This was no exception. The storyline of a young boy falling in love with a new girl and at the death of the girl, he is charged with her murder. This book did me in!!! I think I read it in 2 days flat.

4.5 stars! This book had me HOOKED! It was a very fast read and I loved it. I have to be very careful in writing this review as to not spoil a very big part of the story. There was a huge plot twist. I am not sure how others will feel about it being used as a plot twist, but I was OK with it because the way it was dealt with was very well done. One of my favorite things about this book was the education you got on so many topics, especially bees. I loved that other random animal facts are thrown in as well. I am going to keep this review pretty vague but I thought that the story was a great one about the love between mothers and their children. The story was engaging, thought provoking, and heart warming, despite the serious topics it covers.

Growing up Jodi Picoult was one of my go-to authors. I would read and devour almost everything she published. I didn’t love Wish You Were Here so was hesitant to pick up this one, but I’m so glad I did! I think this will certainly be a book that you either love or hate. Like most of her books, this book has a topic that’s a hot topic right now and can be quite controversial. I really loved this book and the mix of contemporary fiction with mystery. It was thought provoking and quite educational as well. The twist at about 50% totally threw me for a loop in the best way and opened up this story even more. There’s not much I can say past that without ruining the twist and part of the book! I really enjoyed the trial prep and courtroom drama part of this story. Overall I think the two authors did a good job at meshing their work together, but at times it did feel like two separate books. I personally thought the facts and descriptions about bees was a little *too* much. While interesting, I felt like it took me away from the story a bit and took a bit of work to get back into the groove of the story afterwards. I did enjoy this one and think it would make a great book club pick!

Readers be warned, this book is heavy. Jodi’s books normally are packed with punch and may be a little controversial and this book was no excuse. I really appreciated going into this one blind, the less you know beforehand the better.

It gave me UNBELIEVABLE vibes bit with al the courtroom drama too! The first part of the book was a bit of a slow burn but it really picked up in the second act.

Thank you so much for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this story! Recommend it to everyone that asks. A page turner and thought provoking. 5 stars! Don’t skip reading this one!

Jodi Picoult doesn't just write a book...she writes a book for the ages. This time she and Jenny Boylan have scored an over the top meaningful novel. The story is simple....boy meets girl and falls in love. The kicker is that lovely Lilly is transgender and when this comes out all kinds of things happen. The boy is accused of murder when Lilly is found dead.. ..Mothers on each side are beyond upset! The story is told by different characters and the world of honeybees surround it. This is an emotional and educational novel. One that is timely and needed. As always Luckily has another winner!!

I find it strange that others have stated that this book has too many "trigger words", when most of Picoult's works are about hot topics - teen pregnancy, teen suicide, abortion, gender equality, abuse, etc. Have you all not read the same books as me? Because if you don't like these topics, you probably shouldn't be reading any of Picoult's work at all.

Not to mention those complaining about the book jumping around - again, have you never read another Picoult book? She loves jumping between time frames and characters, this is not new to her, nor should it be to you.

That said, I loved this novel. I fell in love with Asher and Lily, with Asher's mom Olivia, and with the background I got on these characters. I was SHOCKED when the first shoe dropped during the trial, finding out that this is a very different book than I thought it would be.

I adored getting to learn about bees, and getting recipes at the end of the novel, a sweet touch that further encouraged my want for these characters to never go away.

I've never read anything by Jennifer Finney Boylan before, but this book was raw and real, hopeful and ugly, and if this is what I can except from her as an author, then I am totally in.

This work is exactly what I love - a story that is not as it seems, backstories to keep the characters well-rounded, getting to see into the POVs of multiple characters. I laughed. I cried. And in the end, I wish I didn't have to leave.

This book deserves no less than five stars. It's a must read.

First off, believe it or not this was my first Jodi Picoult book. And it definitely won’t be my last. Second, I kept a note entry in my phone while reading and I have so many thoughts/quotes to process after finishing this book.

“The secret weapon of mad honey, of course, is that you expect it to be sweet, not deadly. You’re deliberately attracted to it. By the time it messes with your head, with your heart, it’s too late.”

I honestly went in blind with this one and I’m glad I did. This contemporary fiction mixed with a mystery is about a young girl who died, her boyfriend who is accused of her murder and the boy’s mothers. I loved how the POV changes between the mother Olivia and the girl Lily with each chapter. It takes you back in forth to different timelines, ultimately helping piece together the unsolved mystery of Lily's murder. Very unqiue writing style in my opinion.

“How similar does someone have to be to you before you remember to see them, at first, as humans?”

Ultimately this story truly shows how unconditional a mothers love is and helps us understand why humans react the way they do when faced with trauma or diversity in life. I really enjoyed learning about the transgender community, all about making honey, being a beekeeper and simply all those goes into a murder trial from an attorneys perspective. You can tell the authors did their research with each of these topics. Their attention to detail was incredible. At times I found myself bored with Olivia and Lily's ranting and felt the book could have been a little shorter. But ultimately it was well written, it had great unexpected twists, I learned a lot and really enjoyed every page of this book.

Trigger warning ⚠️ domestic abuse, psychological abuse, childhood trauma, child abuse, spouse abuse, transgender.

Also, FUN FACT, I learned this great tip about honey:

“If you drink honey with your booze, you won’t get a hangover. Hangovers are caused by ethanol. Honeys got potassium, sodium and fructose-all of which counteract that—and it makes the liver work fast to oxidize alcohol and sober you up." 🍯

I did not finish this book at about 55%. Just not the book for me. I expected more from a Jodi Picoult book.

Typical Jodi, pushing an agenda. I read this for my book club and enjoyed it enough, but she's not a go-to for me. It was fine, wayyyyyy too long. 2.5 rounded up.

A beautiful and compelling book with many elements. It will cling to you long after you are finished.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jodi Picoult is known for tackling a specific societal issue in each of her novels and this one is no different. The story revolves around 2 young lovers, Lily and Asher and the court case when one is found dead with the other as a suspect. Asher lives with his single mother Olivia, who is a beekeeper. Asher falls in love with new girl, Lily who lives with her single mother Ana. When Lily is found dead by Asher, he becomes the main suspect. The case goes to trial and secrets are revealed. The novel goes back and forth in time which is not always useful. Beekeeping, honey, and queen bees are used to relate to the people in the story. There is a lot of information about the issues involved, almost two much. Fans of Picoult will most likely enjoy it but not a story that will keep everyone's attention

I can never refuse to read a Jodi Picoult book. I enjoyed the characters and I recommend not reading the synopsis before going into the book. This was a really good read and I highly recommend.

Excellent character development, the murder mystery was intriguing (although I figured out who the killed Lily early on), the concept on raising bees is informative and well researched, and the courtroom scenes spot on. I enjoyed the dual character chapters but at times Lily’s seemed repetitive. Definitely a book to be read by adults and YA adults to learn about many current hot topics. A good book club discussion title.