In 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021 I read and reviewed Jodi Picoult’s Small Great Things, Spark of Light, The Book of Two Ways, and Wish You Were Here…and each one earned five stars (with two or three getting my “You HAVE to read this book”). I also noted in every review that “when a friend and former library co-worker basically sniffed her disapproval when I told her I liked Jodi Picoult’s books, our friendship was changed forever.” Having worked for several years in public libraries, I always tried not to be judgmental of people’s reading preferences, or when I found out that someone thought Danielle Steel wrote great literature to negatively impact my opinion of them. But really, I don’t get it. I know Ms. Picoult is writing for a mass market – and sometimes her resolutions might be just a bit too neat for snooty readers. But I’ll admit right up front, I am a sucker for a well-plotted story that makes me think about a social issue or two along the way.

So now here we are in 2022, and Ms. Picoult has brought another thorny issue to her readers…this time, she has a co-author, Jennifer Boylan. If you aren’t familiar with Ms. Boylan (I wasn’t), DO NOT read about her before you read this book. I’m notorious for never giving away plot twists, spoilers, etc. and with this book, it is almost impossible to talk about it without ruining the experience…but I’ll try.

About that title: this book tells the reader everything they may have ever wanted to know about bees, honey and beekeeping. In fact, I thought it a bit over the top…but I came to realize I really did enjoy reading those chapters. “When you work with bees, the first thing you do is blow smoke. It’s how a beekeeper lulls them into complacency. Or how a teen tries to convince his mother that everything is okay.” The story is told in alternating voices by Olivia and Lily, Olivia is a divorced mother to a 17-year old son named Asher. They left a situation with domestic violence and moved to a town where Olivia can continue her beekeeping and Asher can finish high school. He meets new student Lily and together they begin to discover their first love. Sadly, when Lily is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, Asher is charged with her murder.

The bee facts are keys to the revelation of characters’ natures: when Asher is devastated by Lily’s death, and he talks to Olivia about it, her reaction is “He is right. You don’t ever recover from losing someone you love–even the ones you leave behind because you’re better off without them.” Olivia is afraid that Asher may have inherited his father’s violent nature…and then about halfway through the book, a HUGE plot twist leaps out and the rest of it is kind of a blur.

There are several wonderful chapters with Lily’s mom (also a single parent) dealing with her grief and the big plot twist providing the opportunity for the authors to present information about a difficult topic and current hot button social issue without being preachy or pedantic about it all. I am so looking forward to discussing this book with my book club, and seeing how the book is received. For me, it was another five star reading experience, and I appreciate Random House Ballantine and NetGalley providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jodi Picoult writes novels that are centered around a theme and deliver a message. Previous books have included topics such as abortion, teen suicide, the afterlife, the Holocaust, endangered species and more. This is the first time that she has co-authored a book with author Jennifer Boylan.
I don’t want to give too much away here, but as a clue to the title let’s just say that Picoult and Boylan inform the reader of everything you’ve always wanted to know about bees, honey and beekeeping as background to the story. I found this aspect to be very interesting. The authors clearly did their research.. Olivia is a single mother to 17 yo Asher, raising him on her own after escaping a life of domestic abuse at the hands of her surgeon husband. Ava is also a single-mother to Lily, a young girl who is growing into her own true self. And at the heart of this are Lily and Asher who find themselves in the throes of young first love. Learning each others secrets, navigating teen life. But will those secrets destroy them? As their relationship intensifies, Lily is found dead one day at the bottom of the stairs. Soon Asher is charged with her murder. Like father like son? What happens when you think you know someone but you realize you really don’t? I wasn’t a huge fan of how the book was written backwards in time with different perspectives being given by some of the main characters. It was a little difficult to follow at times. However, that being said this was a thought provoking novel of survival with a timely theme and surprising twist. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for this advanced reader copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult that I read and reviewed
I am usually a huge fan of Picoult’s books but I did not love this one. I guess it had way too much information about bees in it that I got really bored fast. I loved the story about the high school kids and what they went through and the end maybe me go wow but all the bee stuff really was way too much that is why I gave it the rating I did.
Mad Honey only gets three out of five stars from me because the honey information drove me mad.

One of my absolute favorite things about books by Jodi Picoult is the amount of research you can tell goes into each book. This one focused a lot on bee keepers, which is a topic before now I knew nothing about. I was excited to see there was a coauthor and how it would add to the book.

I like that the book was told in both Lily and Olivia’s points of view. Both characters are very relatable, in completely different ways, which sometimes overlap.

Overall, this is another hit and I hope they write more books together in the future. I enjoyed reading about the courtroom drama, this is another thing done so well by Jodi Picoult. There were also little easter eggs relating to past books, which was nice.

Jennifer Finney Boylan and Jodi Picoult are very talented authors who’ve used beautiful prose and compelling characters to tell a story that speaks to so many levels of the human condition. It’s heartfelt, vividly described, and thoughtfully told.
This is the tale of two moms and their children: Beekeeper Olivia McAfee, and her son, Asher, and Forest Ranger Ava Campanello, and her daughter, Lily, who’ve recently moved to town. When Asher and Lily become romantically involved, it seems like a match made in heaven and both moms are delighted to see their children so happy after overcoming past events. The bliss turns into a nightmare when Lily is killed and Asher is arrested as the prime suspect in her murder. Did he do it? That’s the mystery.
Essentially, that’s the blurb. That’s the story I was prepared to read. Up until the halfway mark, that’s the story I was getting. And then...the twist. It's a really good twist and you won't see it coming, but it still felt like last year's Wish You Were Here twist. These strange cliff-hanger endings that seem to keep happening w/ Picoult's latest novels aren't my favorite. So 3.5 stars is the highest I'd go. Enjoyable but not what I was craving.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for an e-arc of this novel.*

This book utterly knocked my socks off. I thought it was one thing, and then it became something else altogether. You’ll want to go into this one blind because close to halfway through, there is a twist you will not see coming that will substantially alter your perceptions.

I have been reading @jodipicoult for years, and this one calls to mind her previous books that feature a legal battle with an ethical question taking center stage. Think The Pact or Nineteen Minutes. I found that I really enjoyed this one even more than any of her other books in recent years.

What is distinctive about this Picoult book is the co-writer @jenniferfinneyboylan. I’ll warn you that much is revealed in her author’s note at the end, so don’t read it before you finish the book. The two authors are seamless in their storytelling, and any reader would be hard pressed to determine who wrote what. I don’t mean to talk more about Picoult than Boylan – it’s just that I have more experience reading the former. But that doesn’t mean that Boylan’s voice isn’t brilliant here. I will definitely be reading more from her.

If you like life lessons drawn from nature, family drama, courtroom battles and jaw-dropping twists, pick this one up.

My thanks to @randomhouse and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before its publication date.

4.5

There are two main threads that weave in and around this murder mystery. One has to do with beekeeping. The other has to do with a plot twist involving a topic we are often seeing in today’s headlines. I cannot reveal the plot twist as that would ruin everything. Suffice it to say it made my jaw drop and I may have said Holy Smokes Batman!

It is quite evident that the author did extensive research for both threads. The story was thought provoking and made me start to reflect on my opinion regarding the plot twist topic. This is a good thing and proof that yes - you can teach an old dog new tricks.

ARC from Netgalley.

Bees + Murder Mystery

Olivia McAfee is starting over in her childhood home. She is reeling from her divorce, fleeing an abusive ex-husband.

For once, Olivia is finally getting her feet under her. 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.

Is Asher just like his father? Or did someone else commit this heinous crime?

Do you know how excited I was to read Mad Honey? This was on my list of the most anticipated books to read for the last half of 2022! Last year, I read Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult, and I loved it!

In Mad Honey, there are a lot of things to like. The prose is really spot on. It is highly readable with short sentences and short paragraphs. When I started to read this book, it felt like a breath of fresh air, and I really looked forward to reading it.

Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan have mastered character development. These characters are not black and white, all good or all bad. Even while depicting the abusive relationship, they showed the loving moments as well as the more challenging aspects of the relationship. Some characters aren’t comfortable sharing their past. Some are still trying to come to terms with their own relationship to the past.

Mad Honey is also an excellent pick for a book club. There are a lot of hot topics in this book, a great tool to start some engaging conversations.

As far as the murder mystery, I really enjoyed this aspect of Mad Honey. At the beginning of the book, you start off with Asher as a suspect. However, as the book progresses, you discover that there are quite a few people who have motive.

As much as I enjoyed this book, it is about 100 pages too long. Some parts are repetitious, where we are either told some facts several times or an event is mentioned and then told in much greater detail later. Mad Honey tries to be too many things and covers off too many relationships and topics, crams in too many factoids.

The ending is also extremely abrupt.

Overall, Mad Hone is a very interesting read with a twist that I didn’t see coming.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

I used to read all the Jodi Picoult books in college - My Sisters Keeper, The Pact and Nineteen Minutes being a few of my favorites. But it’s been years since I’ve picked up one of her books so didn’t know what to expect!

Mad Honey is the story of teenage love. Lily moves to town. Asher falls hard. But when Lily is dead at the bottom of the stairs and Asher’s the one to find her things go south quickly.

The book was about 150 pages too long. It dragged so much to me. But any books that are heavy on court proceedings always drag for me. There’s a twist I didn’t see coming and don’t want to say too much to give that away. But I appreciated the POV that we don’t see often in books.

It also really lost me though when the book compared Jesus to Charlie Brown. 🥴

[content warnings all the way at the bottom]

Wow - another wonderful book from Picoult in collaboration with Jennifer Boylan.

I went into this book pretty blind. I read no reviews and hadn’t seen any info about the story besides the synopsis. There were some reveals that had me gasp out loud, some scenes that had me so sad for the characters, and moments of frustration.

This book is heartbreaking and moving. It’s about a young love and a mother’s love. It’s about sharing yourself and deciding what is private.

I liked the way the story was laid out with the back and forth between Olivia and Lily’s perspectives with Olivia moving forward in time and Lily looking back. I liked seeing how Olivia grappled with some of the information she learned but was open to confronting her biases.

This book is own voices and it discusses a topic that is still so unfortunately controversial. I am purposefully leaving it vague as to give readers the opportunity to get the same feeling of shock (from the reveal not the topic) as I did.

I would definitely recommend this book with the caveats that there are a lot of content warnings. It’s good read but also heavy at times.

[cw - suicide attempt (discussed and explained); murder trial; death; domestic violence (physical and emotional); transphobia; child abuse; bullying]

* I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 stars

I’m honestly not quite sure where to start with this review. I was excited about a court centered novel, and this is only my second Jodi Picoult novel so far so I wasn’t sure what to expect. There were a few things I liked and a few that just really missed the mark for me.

Positives: I think it was fantastic to have transgender representation in this book, as it is one of the few that I’ve read. And it was even better that it was not just Jodi Picoult writing it, but that she worked with Jennifer Finney Boylan, who wrote the majority of Lily’s POV. I think they both did a fantastic job with Lily and I personally enjoyed her character. I also enjoyed reading the court scenes. I liked how in the flashbacks we learn a little bit more about each of the main characters.

Negatives: I’ll be honest, I really don’t understand why honey and bees were involved in this story. I think it would have been much better to just not include it and talk more about the trial. I also didn’t really like most of the characters (except for Lily and her mom Ava). The “romance” between Liv and Mike feels like an afterthought and unnecessary. The flashbacks aren’t in chronological order, which I guess makes sense for the story, but it was a little annoying and hard to remember what happened in what order. I also wish that the authors/editors had included some sort of dash or symbol between the paragraphs that shift thoughts/timelines (I think it happened mostly in Liv’s POV).

All of that aside, there were two things that really took away from the book for me: 1) I couldn’t stand the big twist in Picoult’s last novel Wish You Were Here, and I felt like she did the same thing again here, but it was announcing that Lily is transgender. I don’t think it needed to be a twist. 2) I did not like the ending.

There are a lot of triggers in this book, so look them up before reading. The biggest ones were abuse/domestic abuse and transphobia.

Overall, this book is mostly well-written, but there were a couple things that just took away from me really enjoying it.

The best books are those that make you hold your breath in anticipation without even realizing you’re doing it. With that being said, this book was very very heavy. It’s been a long time since a book has made me feel the way this one did…

Overall just a heartbreaking story. Not only does the story touch on some important topics, but I think it does a great job of educating the reader.

This is book seamlessly weaves two perspectives (one moving forward in time, as the other moves backward) into one beautifully layered story of love, family, and identity. I was sucked in from the beginning, and it became a quick read.

From the description, I was expecting a mystery that explored motherhood and self. The story delivered that, and so much more. It was not at all what I originally expected, especially after the twist half-way through, but I appreciate how this book made me think. I loved the symbolism woven into the narrators' ruminations on beekeeping, fencing, and cello playing. The Authors' Notes are definitely worth a read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy to review! I couldn't put it down.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new Jodi Picoult book is like a celebration for me. I have loved every book I've read by her, and I *always* walk away from her books smarter and more empathetic to the world around me. Her book with Jennifer Finney Boylan is another hit.

The story is told from alternating points of view (and you definitely can't tell who wrote which ones!): Olivia and Lily. Olivia fled from her abusive husband years ago and has been a single mom to Asher ever since. Asher is dating Lily, and the two seem to have a beautiful relationship until Olivia gets a panicked phone call from Asher: he thinks Lily is dead. Not long after, Asher is arrested for her murder. As Olivia's chapters move forward in time through the trial and the aftermath, Lily's go backward to the beginning of the school year interspersed with memories of why she and her mother left her father.

CW: abuse and suicidal ideation

Mad Honey
Jodi Picoult
Jennifer Finney Boylan
October 4, 2022


This latest Picoult/Boylan novel is stunning. Their characters' lives are a tale of sadness and loss yet they are weaved throughout this journey of love and comapnionship. The beginning gives us a lovely picture of Olivia McAfee, recently married to Braden, a surgeon at local Boston Hospital. She finds she is pregnant and hopes for a daughter that she will buy sparkling gifts. She will put pigtails in her hair, paint her nails,enjoying all of the wonderful little girl moments to come. When Olivia goes into labor a month early she is greeted by a son, Asher. She hopes that Braden will have lost his need to punish her for all of the wrong doings now that their sweet boy has arrived. Not so, after an incident that involves Ashley when he was 4, Olivia loads their clothes and necessities to travel and returns to Adams, New Hampshire where her parents owned a farm. It was Olivia’s home while growing up. Bee hives, an apple orchard, and strawberry fields were part of the joy and love. She could start over in Adams, she could work the bee hives. The two of them would be safe.
This amazing story draws the reader in from the beginning. The wonderful tale of Asher and Lily’s love is sweet and delightful but once the facts of their lives begin to resurface it becomes obvious that something wicked will begin to seep through the narration.
Mad Honey will be published on October 4, 2022 by Ballantine Books. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review this tremendous novel by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan via NetGalley. I hesitate to provide much about this exceptional book’s plot line. It needs to be read without knowing the storyline ahead of time. It is a marathon of information within its wealth of pages. I found it unstoppable with each section I read. Of the many novels being published this fall, Mad Honey is one not to miss. Enjoy!

MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a gripping and unforgettable story of love, family and the secrets we keep. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end as the authors explore many thought-provoking topics and timely social issues. Olivia McAfee had what seemed to be a perfect life living in a beautiful home in Boston, married to a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and raising their young son, Asher. When her marriage turns abusive, Olivia moves back to her small Adams, New Hampshire hometown with Asher and takes over her father’s beekeeping business. Lily Campanello has also recently relocated to Adams with her mother, Ava, to finish her last year in high school. For both families, it is a chance to start over in a peaceful and secluded place. Asher and Lily are soon inseparable. But when Lily is found dead in her home, the police immediately suspect Asher. So begins a heart-wrenching journey to solving the mystery of Lily’s death. The story is told from the points of view of Olivia and Lily with flashbacks to the time leading up to the present day. With riveting courtroom drama and high emotional tension from all the characters, I couldn’t put this book down. I was fascinated by the vivid descriptions of the beekeeping process and how it played into the whole story. MAD HONEY is a powerful and highly moving book that will stay with me for a long time to come. The author’s notes at the end were very enlightening. I hope that this author duo will write more together in the future. Thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of this book.

Lily and Asher are just two teenagers who fell in love, when one day Asher calls his mom (Olivia) from jail saying "I think Lily's dead". Asher is the one who found her, so immediately he is the one and only suspect. As the trial for his first degree murder charge is underway, a big bombshell drops that challenges Olivia, Jordan (Asher's lawyer Uncle), and Asher's defense.

This book was a bit long for me, pushing over 400 pages, but it really was a great read. The book bounces between Olivia and Lily's narrative, and when reading the Author's Notes at the end, each author tackled one role but in one chapter switched to mix it up. This book has a huge twist at 45% and I didn't read much before jumping into this book, and i suggest you do not either. This book is mostly a legal thriller, but it touches on so many tough subjects which made me like it more. It educated me a ton in multiple facets. For the reviews you read that say they stopped about 50% in, I will say I can see why some people would, although not me. The book covers topics that aren't for everyone, and in detail. No major trigger warnings here (i.e. abuse, miscarriage, etc.), but it could bother you depending on your beliefs. I love a book that educated me and challenges me and educated me.

A few of my favorite quotes:
"How similar does someone have to be to you before you remember to see them, first, as human?"
"What's shocking to you isn't that the justice system is flawed, Olivia. It's that you were naïve enough to believe all this time that it wasn't"

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for this e-arc. Mad Honey comes out 10/4.

Wow! What a ride this book is! Your emotions are all over the place and you are just not sure exactly how good or evil characters are.

Olivia and her son retreat back to her hometown after her violent marriage ends. She takes over her dad's bee keeping business. They live a good life just the two of them. Then when Asher is in high school, Lily and her mother move into town. Lily and Asher click and become inseparable. Then, Lily is found dead and Asher is there holding her body.

This is classic Jodi Picoult with a twist that literally took my breath away it was so unexpected. It turned the whole story on end and changed everything.

After finishing the book, I keep thinking about how much education there is in the book. I learned about beekeeping, National parks and the rangers who work there, and other big topics that were woven into the story seamlessly. I feel like I am a more informed person for reading this book.

I also loved the authors notes at the end that explained how the story line came about and how the co-authoring worked. What a great partnership each with their own parts to add to the story to make it the finished piece of work it is. I highly recommend this book. It is one of those novels you will pick up and have a very hard time putting down until you finish.

Without giving anything away about this riveting story, I will just say that it is extremely powerful & well written. I felt like the bee information that was woven throughout really enhanced the story & made it more interesting. There are some very difficult topics covered in this book, which I thought were handled in a thoughtful & educational way by the authors. Highly recommend this book!

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Wow! What a book. Heavy hitting/ controversial topics are weaved into a powerful story of loving characters, abusive relationships, warm families, and death. It’s not an easy read, and probably not for everyone. It’s quite emotional and thought provoking. There was a dual timeline, which I enjoyed, just would have preferred shorter chapters, but that’s just a personal preference. I also enjoyed all the trivia and info about the bees. That was different. I liked how the bee trivia related to what was going on in the story. It was clever how the authors used the bee info and tied it into the story. The writing was very impressive especially since the book was written by 2 different authors, but everything flowed together seamlessly.
Many thanks to Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.